Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
Nick was having a truly magnificent day. A morning tangled up in the sheets with Rose, an afternoon catching up with friends over a game of darts… And he still had the fun of the scavenger hunt ahead of him.
And their private celebrations afterwards—win or lose.
“You never can take my advice.”
Nick was finishing off a slice at the pizza place when Wes dropped beside him in the booth.
“Which particular words of wisdom are we talking about?” he asked, licking sauce off his thumb.
“Because I seem to recall you telling me to leave my family business in your capable hands, and it worked out rather well for the both of us.”
“You have a brain for business,” Wes acknowledged, “But women?”
“Ah. Rose.” Nick couldn’t help but smile just thinking about her. “Let me guess, the town gossip line is buzzing overtime.”
“Aunt June seems to think the two of you are having a scandalous affair.” Wes gave him a look. “But that can’t be right, because I specifically remember warning you off that particular plan.”
Nick shrugged, still smiling. “What can I say? She lured me back to her flat and ordered me to take my clothes off.”
“Come on.” Wes clearly didn’t believe him.
“I’m telling you the truth,” Nick protested. “The woman was dead-set on seducing me. I was powerless to resist.”
He was learning, Rose Cardinelli was not to be denied.
And Nick was just fine with that. She’d always seemed like she had a spark of trouble hidden beneath her mild manners; he’d often wondered what it would take to set it free, but he’d never in a million years imagined the passion and sheer exuberance Rose was capable of.
And he couldn’t wait to discover more—tonight.
His phone buzzed with a text, and he checked the message. ‘Can squeeze you in tomorrow, come by in the morning,’ it said. Nick texted back a thumbs-up symbol, pleased. He had a special gift planned for Rose, but it was taking some research to get it right.
“Another woman?” Wes asked, reading over his shoulder.
“None of your business.” Nick finished up his food and rose to his feet. Wes followed. “Didn’t you need to order?” he asked, as his buddy trailed him back out to the street.
“Nope, I just stopped by to bug you,” Wes replied, as Cassie appeared, her arms laden down with shopping bags.
“That’s it,” she declared dramatically, her choppy dark hair peeping out from under a knit hat. “I have officially found gifts for everyone we’ve ever met.”
“Thank God,” Wes said, greeting her with a kiss. “You know how much I hate shopping.”
“I do, and that’s why you’re making dinner for the rest of the month to make it up to me.” Cassie beamed. “Also, I think I hit the limit on our credit card. But on the plus side, we’ll have enough airline points to spend New Year’s on a beach somewhere, far away from my family.”
“Well, in that case, it’s all worth it.” Wes replied.
Nick smiled. Cassie had four older brothers, and they could be a handful. Wes often showed up at Nick’s place just to escape the chaos of a Kinsella family gathering.
They made their way across the square, as Cassie filled in Wes on the gift-giving schedule, and just how many holiday dinners they would be attending.
“… We’re having drinks at Ash’s tonight, and brunch with Chase and Tish tomorrow.
And Earl wasn’t feeling up to the big holiday meal on Christmas Day, so I volunteered us to host. It’s only a dozen people. ”
“A dozen?!”
“OK, more like twenty. But we have the space! Why else restore that big, beautiful house of yours, if not to fill it with people?”
“To hide far away from them, instead?”
Nick listened to the two of them bicker good-naturedly and smiled.
Wes and Cassie had a rock-strong relationship, despite the fact that they were both the most stubborn people he knew.
And for the first time in a long while, Nick found himself wondering what it would feel like to have that kind of love in his life.
That kind of trust...
“Now, Mister Casanova,” Cassie turned her attention to him. “Don’t think I haven’t heard all about your shenanigans.”
“Not you, too.” He groaned. “Your husband has already been lecturing me about keeping my distance from Rose.”
“No!” Cassie elbowed Wes. “Don’t discourage him! We’ll finally be able to double-date with a smart, interesting woman, instead of his flavor of the week.”
Nick quirked an eyebrow. “What happened to female solidarity?”
Cassie grinned. “I’m afraid it went out the window with the last girl you brought around, what was her name, Lulu? The one who spent an hour debating whether or not she should get bangs.”
“She was fun.” Nick defended her. And fun was all he’d been looking for.
But now…?
“We like Rose.” Cassie said meaningfully. “She’ll be good for you. Don’t screw it up.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Nick said wryly, and she laughed.
“You know I’m only kidding,” she said, patting his arm. “I want you to be happy. And I think Rose could be perfect for you.”
Nick was about to admit that maybe, just maybe, he agreed. Then he caught sight of a familiar flash of dark hair across the square by the gazebo. It was Rose.
Rose, caught up in a passionate embrace with another man.
Nick stopped dead in the street.
His pulse roared, a thunder in his ears as he slowly absorbed the scene. It was Scott, his arms around her, kissing her like they were the only two people in the world.
“Nick?” When he turned back, both of his friends were looking at him with a terrible expression of sympathy in their eyes.
“I’m fine.” He lied, even as he felt a crushing disappointment ricochet behind his ribcage.
“But—” Wes started to speak, but Nick didn’t let him.
“It was only ever meant to be a rebound fling,” he insisted. “I’m glad they found a way to work things out.”
“Are you sure?” Cassie didn’t look convinced, but Nick forced a casual smile.
“I should get going. We still have the scavenger hunt to settle. See you guys later!”
He walked away fast, before his friends could see through the casual act. The last thing he wanted was their pity, not right now. When Nick glanced over at the gazebo again, the happy couple had gone their separate ways, but it didn’t matter: The sight of that kiss was seared into his memory.
Rose, and Scott. Together.
Goddamn.
He couldn’t believe she would fall back into that asshole’s arms so easily, but hadn’t the signs always been there? She’d been crushed by the breakup, she’d only ever turned to him for distraction. A brief adventure, a way to forget about her ex for a little while.
And now he’d served his purpose, she’d gone running back to him.
Nick tasted metal, bitter as regret. Why was he even surprised? This was what he’d been looking for, after all. Just another temporary fling. No strings, no drama, wasn’t that his usual routine?
Except Rose was different, he realized with an ache. He’d been different with her. willing to open up. Thinking about the future for the first time.
Except she’d only ever imagined her future with somebody else.
He walked aimlessly for a while, until the skies began to darken, and dusk set in, and he headed over to the Town Hall.
He wished he could skip the damn scavenger hunt altogether, but it was too late to back out now, and besides, he still had his pride.
He didn’t want Rose knowing about the rejection stinging in his veins, which meant bracing himself for the evening to come.
The group was already gathered when he arrived: The Swedes limbering up like they were about to run a marathon. “Hey!” Rose found him with a smile on her face. “I was just going to text you. We don’t want to miss a minute, not with the grand prize on the line.”
“Right,” he greeted her slowly, searching her face for that telltale ‘we need to talk’ expression. Usually, he was the one who had to let his dates down nicely, with the whole ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ routine.
Clearly, the universe decided it was time to turn the tables.
“How was your day?” she asked, still smiling. “I was run off my feet at the store. I’m down to a few twigs and ribbons. And snowdrops. For some reason, nobody wants the snowdrops this year.”
Across the square, Nick saw Scott arriving—with Becca on his arm. He didn’t even look in Rose’s direction.
Nick couldn’t believe it. Were they both going to pretend nothing had happened?
“Ooh, I think it’s time.” Rose said excitedly, gripping his arm. Aunt June stepped up, beaming.
“The hour is upon us!” she announced loudly, and everyone hushed. “Tonight, there’s just the one clue, leading to our final prize. And whichever team has the most points will take the glory of our grand title. Are you ready?”
The crowd chorused in excitement.
“Good luck!” She waved the stack of envelopes, and everyone stampeded towards her. Rose deftly went to grab theirs. She rejoined him, tearing it open to see the clue.
‘Before the victory bell can sound, there is but one more task/ When current tidings are to be found, pin them to the mast.’ Rose read aloud before looking up at him. “What do you think?”
Nick thought it was about time he was back home, drowning his sorrows in a bottle of Glenlivet. “I don’t know,” he offered, trying to ignore the intoxicating scent of her shampoo.
“Bell…” Rose mused, looking around. Other competitors were already racing in a dozen different directions. “I would say the church tower, but we already went there. What about the harbor? Ships have masts. But that’s so simple…”
“It’s up to you.” Nick answered shortly. This was a mistake, acting like there was nothing wrong. Being around her was like rubbing salt in the wound.
After Megan, he’d sworn he’d never let himself feel this way, but here he was, with that déjà vu slicing through his gut.
A fool for love, all over again.
Rose frowned. “What’s wrong?”
And Nick couldn’t take it anymore. “I’m just over it,” he said, forcing his voice to stay casual. “This whole scavenger hunt thing, it’s not really my speed.”
“Oh.” Rose looked hurt, but Nick steeled himself against her charm. The last thing he wanted was some drawn-out breakup, with her falling over herself to let him down easy.
Or, even worse, for her to know all the things he’d been imagining for them. The possibility of a future that had never even crossed her mind.
So, he played it cool. He was used to that, after all. “You can take it from here, can’t you?” he said, handing back the clue. “I mean, we’re already so far behind, it’s rather a waste of time.”
Rose looked confused. “If you’re not in the mood, we could skip straight to dinner?” she suggested. “It’s my turn to cook, if I recall?”
The last thing Nick wanted to remember was the night they spent together. “No thanks,” he flashed an empty smile. “I’m going to call it a night. Places to go, people to see. You know how it is.”
Rose’s expression hardened. “You made plans, with someone else?”
“Now that you mention it, there are a couple of women I’ve been meaning to call.” Nick said. “After all, this was just a temporary arrangement, right?”
She swallowed, looking away. “Right.”
“So, it all worked out perfectly.” Nick felt hollow, but he kept the smile on his face. “Always glad to be of service.”
“Nick—”
“Have a happy holiday,” he said softly. “I’ll be seeing you around.”
He didn’t stick around to hear her platitudes about staying friends. He turned on his heel and walked away. So much for new beginnings.
So much for something more.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Swedes steaming across the square, arms raised in victory. They’d already won the hunt, and this whole adventure was done now.
The game was well and truly over.