19. Chapter 19
C het stood inside the Galley’s kitchen, watching her, and the noise and chaos surrounding him fell away.
Her tongue peeked out at the corner of her mouth as one hand turned the cake turntable and the other worked its magic with the frosting bag.
She’d pulled her blond hair back in its perpetual ponytail, but a few strands had escaped, framing her face.
Her fingers were bandage-free, and he wondered if the knife injury had left a scar. If whatever they were going through would leave a scar. Could he kiss either injury and make it all better? Make them better.
Was he a fool to be here? To do this? Probably, but he’d promised himself to respect the truth in a relationship, not what he wanted to believe or hope.
Nelie hadn’t gone to the spelling bee, as she’d promised, and she’d canceled her vacation. She’d returned about half of his calls and texts, and they hadn’t had a moment alone in weeks. She was avoiding him, and after what he’d seen last night, he knew why. His heart argued he was wrong.
She stepped away from the cake and stood, stretching her neck from side to side, surveying her work. Chet crossed the kitchen, saying, “It’s good to see you smile. I’d forgotten what it looked like.” She didn’t deny it.
“Who wouldn’t smile at such a pretty cake?” She slowly spun it, ignoring his verbal jab. “Am I missing anything?” She looked up at him with her big blue eyes, like his opinion mattered to her, and he cleared his throat.
“Maybe the happy birthday message on top?”
“Not needed. This is for the brunch after Owen’s christening.”
“Happy christening?” he asked, and she laughed.
“Eric tried that, and Andi gave it a hard pass. She just wants something elegant and tasty.”
“Then you succeeded. Too bad he’s too little to enjoy it.” He wondered which flavors she’d packed into the layer cake.
“Let me get this into the box and into the fridge and then I’m all yours,” she said.
Are you? He stepped back to let her finish.
Nelie winced when she picked up the full box and Chet took it from her, telling her to open the refrigerator door.
She didn’t fight him. She pointed to the space on the shelf, rubbing her lower back with the other.
When he was done, she hugged him, surprising him and knocking him from his mission.
He pulled her closer. She smelled like sugar, lemons, and the ever-present, underlying smell of French fries.
Chet leaned his head against hers and rubbed his hand up and down her back with the heavy pressure that made her purr like a cat, but she hissed when he hit her lower back.
“Sorry, my back is tender, but it’s getting better. ”
She laced her fingers through his. “Got time for a cup of coffee?” she asked, pulling him behind her and heading toward the door to her apartment.
He followed. Her hand felt perfect in his.
Nelie seemed back to her old self. He’d be a fool to throw it all away, unless she already had.
Damn , no matter how she was acting today, he had to call her out on what he’d seen.
He owed it to him and the girls. She had to be all in. He wouldn’t settle for scraps again.
Chet paced as the gleaming espresso machine ground the beans.
It was new, with lots of features, including an attached milk frother.
And expensive as hell. Nelie reached for the mugs, his eyes riveted to the hug of her jeans, but he tore them away.
There were papers scattered on the kitchen table.
Chet saw some spreadsheets, a prospectus, and what might have been Hart Hotels’ annual report. “What’s all this?”
Nelie brushed him aside. “Just some financial stuff Croix wanted me to look at,” she said, turning the papers over and shoving them to the end of the table. “Do you want coffee here or in the living room?”
“Here’s good,” he said, sitting on the far side of the table. He needed the distance to get through this. “Did you hear they found a donor for Nate? One of Emily’s cousins from Madison.”
She handed him his mug. “Fitchburg, actually, and it sounds like the donation was successful and he’s improving.”
“You know more than I do,” Chet grumbled.
He didn’t enjoy getting scooped. “Why didn’t you tell me?
” Nelie shrugged. She didn’t trust me . Chet felt as if she’d slapped him.
“Nelie, what’s happened to them is heartbreaking, but it isn’t news.
I wouldn’t put their personal story in the paper unless they asked me to.
To help find donors, you know that, right? ”
“I didn’t think you’d care about knowing,” she said, not answering his question.
“Why wouldn’t I care about my friends?”
She blew out a breath. “Sorry. You’re right. I keep forgetting that Jackson buried the hatchet. And, I’ve been under the weather. There’s just been a lot going on.” And none of it makes sense.
“Not only has he buried it, but he’s invited me to next month’s poker game.” Nelie’s eyebrow raised, further irritating him. Jackson had the same facial quirk, and Chet always wanted to wipe it off his face. It was cute on Nelie, but not today.
“From what I’ve heard, it’s more trash talking than playing, and if the guys let London play, you won’t win anything.
” Nelie chuckled, but it sounded forced, and her eyes were flat as she stared out the window behind him.
He reached for her hand, stroking the back of it, and she gave him a sad smile.
Now that they were alone in her apartment, she’d lost her sunny bravado.
“Are you planning to tell me what’s wrong?”
“I’ve been dealing with a lot of stuff.”
“So you’ve said, and it concerns me that you haven’t shared your burdens with me. I thought that’s the direction we were headed in.” If he was going to do this, he’d do it honestly and calmly, laying all his cards on the table.
“Aren’t we?”
“No. I can’t be with someone who won’t share their life with me. Who won’t let me in. The girls and I have already been discarded, and I’ll be damned if I sit by and watch it happen again.”
Nelie flinched. “I’m not discarding you or them.” She sat taller and pulled her hand away, but she hadn’t denied his not sharing accusation. Chet sighed as their end rushed toward him.
“I know what’s going on. I’m not an idiot.” Pain laced his words as he relived what he’d seen.
“Well, you sound like one.”
“I saw Croix here the other night. Late. I saw the two of you hugging through the kitchen window.” Nelie rolled her eyes.
“Is that what this is about? He was dropping off the papers.” She pointed at the stack. She sounded immune to his pain.
“At that hour?”
“It’s tax season. He works late. And what were you doing out after the girl’s bedtime?”
“Bread run. And the hugging?” he asked through clenched teeth.
That’s what had put him over the edge. Krista was Croix’s wife and one of Nelie’s oldest friends.
Krista who was working in Florida and had invited Nelie to come down for a vacation.
Were Nelie and Croix taking advantage of the situation?
If Chet were rational, he would have laughed at the thought of either of them having an affair.
But he would have laughed shortly into his marriage, too.
And toward the end, it was Heather who’d been laughing.
No, there was nothing rational about this.
“He was comforting me. As a friend. I’d gotten some surprising news that I was dealing with. Croix’s not exactly Mr. Sensitivity, so he hit a few hot buttons in his attempts to help, and I cried.”
“That’s just it, Nelie, I should have been the one holding you. I should be the one supporting you with whatever you’re going through. It should be me.” He thumped his chest, choking out the last sentence.
Nelie took several shaky breaths, as if finally feeling Chet’s words. She swallowed and reached for his hand. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. He didn’t pull away. Her hand was cool and trembling, and Chet hoped he’d gotten through to her. That there was a chance to save them.
“Right now, I feel like I’m on the edge of the Grand Canyon and everything I want is on the other side, but the ground underneath me is shifting and if I make one false step, I’ll lose what I have, let alone what I want.” Nelie’s admission all came out in one shaky breath.
“Let me help you shore up the ground underneath you. Let me get you to safety, and then we’ll build that bridge. We can build a great life together, but you’ve got to let me in,” he pleaded.
“I don’t know what it would look like or how all the pieces would fit together. It’s more of a dream at this point, I guess.” She sounded lost.
“I don’t know either, but whatever you do, you need to build it in truth.
” Her brows furrowed, and his finger covered her mouth when she opened it, most likely to deny his truth sucker-punch.
“I’ve watched you do everything for everyone, but until you start doing what you want, you’ll always be standing on wobbly ground.
The world is your oyster, Nelie. Crack it open and see what happiness looks like. ”
“I am happy,” she said as she swiped at a tear, grimacing.
“Avoiding the people who love you makes you happy?” he asked, laying his heart out for her to trample.
“You love me?” She smiled and her tear-filled eyes brightened.
“God help me, but I do.”
“Then why does it sound like you’re breaking up with me?” Chet should be ecstatic that she’d caught on and his mission was successful, but he couldn’t pull the trigger. Not when she needed him and not when they could make this right and build a life together, but they had to do it honestly.
“No, I’m giving you the space to figure out what you truly want.
Not what others think you want, or what they want you to be, but what you want.
And if you decide that’s me and the girls, then no more secrets.
I need a partner who will let me in and who I can trust.” Chet stood, and Nelie looked up at him.
Tears ran freely down her face. He caressed her cheek, swiping at the drops.
“I love you, Nelie. There’s nothing you can do or say that will scare me away, but I can’t be the only one in this relationship.
” He kissed her, tasting her tears, and her lips clung to his when he pulled away.
“I’ll make other arrangements for the girls. ”
“That’s not fair!” Nelie sprung to her feet. “They shouldn’t be punished because we’ve hit a bump in the road.” She might not be fighting for him, but she’d fight to keep the girls in her world. And she’d always been honest with them. Unlike me.
“I’ll think about it,” Chet said, kissing her forehead before walking out the door.
Nelie was great with the girls, and they adored her.
He was tempted to cave. Nelie was right.
Just because they’d hit a bump in the road —which felt more like the Rocky Mountains—the girls didn’t need to suffer.
Only me. But if I give in, Nelie loses any incentive to dig deep and figure out what she wants.
Chet didn’t know what to do. Girls or no girls.
? He wanted what was best for Nelie, the girls, and himself.
And it was all four of them together. Forever.
The only thing standing in his way was a blond dynamo refusing to let him in and his principles.
“Stupid principles,” he muttered as he pulled into traffic to pick the girls up from school.