Chapter Three – Nathan
Chapter Three
NATHAN
Haven couldn’t have gotten out of my bedroom fast enough, and I thanked the stars above for that. Having her in my room, near my bed, nearly drove me mad. I had to clench my fists to keep myself from reaching out and touching her. She looked hot as hell in my clothes, even with them hanging off her small-framed body.
I followed Haven back downstairs. She slipped into the laundry room to check on her clothes. I told myself to keep walking but instead, stopped and watched her like an idiot. She turned, and our eyes met. Haven swallowed hard before finally saying almost on a whisper, “They’re almost dry.”
The best I could do was smile before I turned and walked toward the kitchen. My stomach growled, and I glanced at the clock. It was five.
“Um, if I can change my tire some place out of the rain, I can get out of your hair.”
I opened the refrigerator to look for something to eat and poked my head around it to look at her. “How did you learn how to change a tire?”
She laughed. “I had to learn to do all kinds of things after my father left. My grandfather used to tell me I needed to learn those types of things so I wasn’t stranded on the side of the road.”
She paused, then smiled as if thinking of something funny.
“I guess it didn’t work because that was how you found me not once, but twice.”
“Yeah, but honestly, there was no way you or I could have changed that flat tire. Not in that storm. Plus, not only was your regular tire flat, but even your spare was flat. I’m not sure that there is a manual or YouTube video to help with that trifecta.”
Haven nodded and then looked at the food I had taken out. “What are you doing?”
I had taken out eggs, an onion, bell peppers, and an avocado. “I was going to make us something to eat. I’m starving. You?”
As if just realizing it, her hand went to her stomach, and she chuckled. “My stomach just growled. Omelet?”
“If that sounds good to you.”
“You cook?”
I looked at her with a disbelieving expression.
“What makes you think I can’t cook? ’Cause I’m a guy?”
“No,” she replied, her arms folding over her chest. “You just seem like the go out to dinner or order takeout kind of guy. Not I’ll whip you up an omelet.”
I grinned. I knew the following words I was about to say would piss her off. “I’ve been complimented plenty of times for my cooking skills.”
Haven snarled her lip. “By who? Your grandmother?”
I laughed. There it was. Damn, she was easy to provoke. “By other women…and my grandmother.”
“Oh, you mean the ones you sleep with? How nice of you to stick around long enough to cook them breakfast.”
Was that a hint of jealousy I heard in her voice? “It’s usually in the middle of the night. I’m not a hang around and wait for morning kind of guy.”
Haven rolled her eyes and then looked around, obviously wanting to change the subject. “Bread?”
“That large cabinet in the corner is the pantry.”
She walked over, opened the door, and stepped into the large walk-in pantry. Two seconds later, she was walking out with the loaf of bread. Turning to face me, she asked, “Do you want me to help cut up anything?”
I pointed to the onion. “I hate cutting them up, so if you want to, I won’t argue.”
She looked like she was about to object, and when I raised a brow, she straightened her shoulders and said, “Knife, please.”
I handed her a knife and watched as she started peeling and cutting the onion. Her blinking was so rapid that I had to wonder how she could even see to cut.
“Getting to you?”
“Nope, not at all,” Haven said.
Standing next to her, I started to cut up the bell peppers. Haven was trying to discreetly wipe her eyes and keep from sniffling. I couldn’t help it, a small chuckle slipped free.
“You sound like it’s getting to you.”
She sniffled again. “I don’t know what you mean.”
Poking my head around her, I laughed as I saw tears streaming down her face. Haven quickly wiped them away and nudged me with her elbow. “Go away and let me cut this!”
“That is exactly why I hate cutting onions. My mother told me once to cut them by the running water.”
Reaching for the faucet, Haven turned on the water, and I laughed again. This time louder. I could hear her sighing before she resumed cutting.
Once Haven finished the onion, I handed her a container to put it in and left some out for the omelet. Haven took it and put it in the refrigerator.
“Do you mind if we have some cantaloupe as well?”
I looked up from where I was whisking the eggs. “Have at it.”
Haven took it out and placed it on the counter. “Where are your plates?”
I pointed to the cabinet next to the stove using the spatula. “Plates and bowls in here. This drawer is all the silverware.”
“Thanks. Did you want cantaloupe as well?”
“That sounds good,” I replied, moving around the veggies as they cooked. “There should be some orange juice in the fridge if you want some.”
“Should I go get the beer we left downstairs?”
Turning to look at her, I screwed up my face. “You want a beer with eggs?”
Haven laughed, and I tried to ignore how I felt hearing that laugh. That laugh had haunted me for way too many years.
“No, I mean, should I go dump it out?”
I waved her off. “Nah, it’s okay. I’ll get it later.”
Haven made the toast while I finished up the omelets. Sliding them onto each of our plates, I asked, “Sit in here at the bar or the dinner table?”
She glanced over her shoulder. “Do you mind if we eat at the table?”
“Not at all.”
I took our plates and walked them to the dining room table. Haven set the bowl of cantaloupe and plate of toast down onto the tabletop.
“Do you want any jelly or jam or anything?” I asked before sitting down.
“No, this is all wonderful, thank you.”
She took a bite and moaned. I couldn’t help but laugh. “It’s just eggs, Haven.”
“I know, but I didn’t realize how hungry I was. I spent much of today with Lady and Clover.”
“Clover?”
Haven finished chewing. “Your mom helped me find Clover a few months ago. She was a rescue horse. They were going to just send her off to some horse farm in Idaho, but your dad worked out a deal so I could take her. I didn’t have to buy her, which was good for my pocketbook since every dime I have is going to the dog park. Then your parents offered to board her and they’re not charging me near enough, so I try and help out around the barn when I have some free time.”
“I didn’t know you were boarding a horse with them.”
She shrugged. “You wouldn’t unless you asked about Clover.”
Rubbing the back of my neck, I said, “I guess that tells me I don’t go see my folks nearly enough.”
Haven chuckled. “To be fair, they have a lot of horses. Especially once word got out about how good Lily and Maverick are with troubled horses. Clover adores Maverick. He’s really helped her come out of her shell.”
I smiled. “I did know that Maggie got a new pony.”
Maggie was my sister Lily and Maverick’s four-year-old.
“She did, and she is so cute on it!”
We ate the rest of our meal in comfortable silence. When it was time to clean up, Haven jumped up to help.
“I’ll wash, you dry?” she asked.
“I can just put everything in the dishwasher.”
She looked down at the dishwasher and then up to me. “Are you sure?”
I laughed. “Do you hand wash your dishes?”
“It’s just me, so I don’t normally have much to clean. I guess I’m just used to it.”
“How about I rinse, and you load?” I asked with a smile.
She nodded. “That works for me.”
Another crack of thunder hit, and we both jumped.
“That is some storm out there. I knew it would be raining a lot, but I didn’t think this much was supposed to come down. I bet we have a crazy winter.”
I nodded. “I was just telling Josh they’re saying we will have more than normal snow this winter.”
“Oh, joy,” Haven said, loading the last dish into the dishwasher. “We really need the snowpack, though, for next summer.”
Grabbing a dishcloth, I quickly cleaned up the stove and counters, turning to see Haven watching me.
“What?”
She slowly shook her head. “I don’t know; it’s strange to be in your house and watch you cook and clean up.”
Smiling, I said, “I don’t mean to brag, but eggs are not my specialty.”
A slow smile appeared on her pretty face. “Oh, really? What is?”
“Spaghetti and meatballs.”
Her eyes went wide. “ That is your specialty? Spaghetti and meatballs? I was thinking you were going to say something fancy like chicken cordon bleu or something.”
“I don’t even know what in the hell that is. If you want fancy cooking, Josh is your guy. He likes to cook. One time, he made this whole made-from-scratch dinner for Sophia. Even made her favorite dessert.”
Haven’s face softened. “That was sweet of him.”
I nodded and tried not to look at how adorable she looked in my clothes. Haven must have seen me looking at her because she said, “My clothes are probably dry by now.”
“Yeah, um, you remember where the laundry room is?”
She smiled and nodded. “I’ll just grab them and run back downstairs and change.”
“Sounds good.”
“Did you want me to put more wood in the fire downstairs?”
Looking at her, confused, I asked, “The fire?”
“Yeah,” she said with a tilt of her head. “You started a fire downstairs in the family room.”
Shit, I had forgotten all about it.
“I’ll take care of it.”
With a nod, she turned on her heels and went to the laundry room, then down to the guest bedroom.
I tried to gain my equilibrium. Having Haven in my home, in my clothes, in my bedroom, and eating at my dining room table was not in my cards for today. I needed to remember why Haven Larson was off limits. Her father had hurt her in ways that I still couldn’t wrap my head around, and I was the last guy who needed to be messing around with her emotions. She deserved someone far better than me.
Before I could head back downstairs, the doorbell rang. I knew instantly it was Hank. I quickly went to the door and motioned for him to come in.
“Holy crap,” he said as he left his umbrella on the porch and walked in. “It is coming down in sheets.”
“How are the roads?”
“Some are flooding, some are fine. I tell you what, though, if the temperature keeps dropping, we may get flurries.”
I glanced past him to look out the window on the door. It was a downpour out there.
“Haven’s car?”
“It’s in your driveway.” He looked past me.
“She’s changing back into her dry clothes.”
Hank nodded, then leaned in close. “I didn’t have her size tire, so I couldn’t bring it. Nate, all of her tires need to be replaced. They hardly have any tread on them. I know Haven’s mother can’t help her, but she needs new tires.”
“That bad, huh?”
He nodded.
Frowning, I said, “I was going to see if you could take it in and plug it.”
Shrugging, he said, “I can, but it won’t last much longer. I don’t even give it from here to her place in town.”
I reached up and stroked the stubble that was growing on my chin. “She needs to be able to drive it once this weather settles down.”
“I can take it back to the garage and see what I can do.”
“Damn, I’m sorry I had you bring it here. I thought you could just bring a spare tire with you.”
“I would have if I had it. I’d be worried about her driving in this rain on the other three tires, though.”
Nodding, I said, “Take the spare with you. It might be in better shape. I’ll pay for it all, and if she needs new tires, just bill me for that.”
Hank rubbed his neck. “Haven won’t like that.”
“How do you know Haven won’t like that?” I asked in irritation.
He looked up at me with a surprised look. “She’s so independent and likes to take care of everything herself.”
How in the hell did Hank Walker know that about Haven?
“Hey, Hank!” Haven called out as she walked down the hall to both of us. “Is my car here?”
“It is, but you aren’t going anywhere until you get the tire fixed.”
“Can it be plugged, do you think?”
He shrugged like he had done only seconds ago with me. “Maybe, but the tread is pretty bad, Haven. You’ll be lucky if it lasts until you get home.”
She chewed on her lower lip. “How much is it for a new tire?”
“I can get you a quote when I return to the shop.”
“I can pay for it.”
Haven’s head snapped to the left as she looked at me. “Thank you, Nate, but not necessary.” She focused back on Hank. “Just do what you need to do to get it fixed. I need my car to get home.”
“I can give you a ride home,” Hank said with a smile. “Once I fix the tire, I’ll put it back on your car and bring it to you.”
I was sure my mouth was hanging open as I watched Hank blush and fiddle with his baseball cap while waiting for Haven to agree.
Finding my voice, I said, “I’ll give Haven a ride home. Probably best that you just take her car with you then, Hank. I’m sorry to make you come this way for nothing.”
“No problem at all.” He turned to Haven. “What would you like for me to do, Haven?”
“If you wouldn’t mind towing the car to the shop. I, um, well…if you think it needs a new tire, go ahead and put one on. That would be great, and if you could be mindful of the cost.”
Hank looked at me, then back to Haven. “Truth be told, Haven, all the tires need replacing.”
With a lift of her chin just a bit higher, she smiled. “Okay, just give me the best deal you can.”
He tipped his head. “Will do, Haven. I’ll let you know when I’ll bring the car back to you.”
Haven smiled and walked to the door, opening it for Hank. He stepped outside, grabbed his umbrella, and headed outside. The car was still on the flatbed of his truck, so at least that was good.
Shutting the door, Haven paused for a minute. She looked like she was in deep thought.
“Haven?”
Jumping, she turned and looked at me. “Would you mind giving me a ride home now, please? Since you sent Hank away.”
She walked past me, slightly bumping into my arm.
I followed after her. “I didn’t send Hank away. I figured it would be easier to take you home while he took your car back to the shop.”
Spinning around, she pointed her finger at me. “What gives you the right to try and pay for my tire?”
Taken aback, I stared at her. “What?”
Flipping her hand toward the door. “That whole knight in shining armor bullshit. I don’t need you to pay for my tire, Nate.”
“No one has ever claimed I was a knight in shining armor, Haven. I was just trying to help you out.”
“Well, I don’t need your help, Nate. I can take care of myself.”
I folded my arms over my chest. “You certainly did a few hours ago when you were standing on the side of the road with a flat tire, which I might add is the second time I’ve found you that way in the last month! Why in the hell are you driving around on bald tires, Haven? It’s dangerous.”
Her fists balled up. “Not all of us can afford to drive around in brand-new trucks and live in beautiful houses. Some of us are paycheck to paycheck kind of people, Nate. Every ounce of money I have goes into my business and the upcoming dog park. Excuse me if I let my tires go, but it is not your concern.”
I dropped my arms to my sides. “You’re right.”
She opened her mouth to say something, then quickly shut it and swallowed. “I’m right?”
Nodding, I held up my hands. “It is none of my business.”
“That’s right. It’s not. And I’m not irresponsible.”
“I never said you were.”
She huffed. “You certainly implied it. And you embarrassed me in front of Hank by offering to pay.”
“How in the hell did I embarrass you, Haven? The guy told me you couldn’t afford new tires, not the other way around.”
I headed toward the steps to the family room and waited to see if she followed. It took her half a second, but she was definitely following me.
“I’ll just call Ted. He can come and pick me up.”
“Great,” I replied. “If you need my address for Ted , let me know.”
“You really are a jerk.”
Stopping, I turned to face her. “Why is that, Haven?”
“You’re just…you’re being too nice. You want something.”
I let out a bark of laughter. “You think you have me all figured out. Because I offered to bring you to my house so you could get warm and dry and fed you dinner because I was secretly hoping to just push you over the kitchen island and fuck you as payment for my good deeds.”
Her cheeks turned bright red.
The fire had gone down and I closed up the glass doors. I turned to see Haven had already dumped out the beer and had washed both glasses. They were sitting on a hand towel drying.
After ensuring everything was okay and I had given Haven enough time to call this Ted guy, I headed to the main floor. Haven was standing in the kitchen, leaning against the counter, her arms folded over her chest. I walked toward her and stopped.
“Is he on his way?”
Her lips pressed into a tight line, and she looked out the window into the darkness. I waited patiently for her to say something.
“He, um, he doesn’t think it’s a good idea to get out in this weather with some of the roads flooding.”
I nodded. What kind of pussy ass guy leaves the girl he is dating stranded at another man’s house?
“Do you want me to drive you home, Haven?”
Her gaze lifted, and I was gutted to see the emptiness in her beautiful eyes. Haven was always so full of energy, and to see her looking defeated, for lack of better words, left me remembering the last time I saw that look in her eyes. A strange ache squeezed my chest.
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to head home.”
I nodded. “I’ll just go change.”
Turning, I made my way to my bedroom and tried to tell myself there was no good reason to insist she stay the night. If she wanted to leave, then so be it. It was honestly for the best. Having her in my home was almost too much to take. My heart also knew that the sooner she left, the better.