Chapter Seven – Haven
Chapter Seven
HAVEN
“I’m so glad you decided to come out tonight, Haven.”
Rosie walked arm in arm with me as we headed toward the entrance of The Blue Moose bar. After a long week of meetings with lawyers, architects, and a few people who were making donations, I was ready to let loose and not think about anything. Or anyone. Everything was secure with the loan, but there was something off about the contractor, and I had informed the bank I was going to find someone else. The longer I delayed, the longer the project would be pushed out since winter was right around the corner.
“Lizzy!” Rosie called out as we walked through the entrance.
I grimaced when I caught sight of Rosie’s older sister Lizzy. I hadn’t seen her in years, and the first thing I thought of was the countless ways she flirted with Nate. Nearly half the school flirted with Nate and Josh. Lizzy was a year older than us and forever talked about how she would win Nate one day. I tolerated her then, and not much had changed since.
Lizzy looked stunning in a black silk jumpsuit and high-heeled shoes, which I was pretty sure were designer. Her blond hair was pulled up and swept back in a French twist. Her makeup was on the heavy side, but I remembered Lizzy was never caught without makeup on.
Watching the two sisters hug, I waited slightly behind them and glanced around the bar. It was a Saturday night, and since it was near Thanksgiving, there were hardly any tourists and mostly locals.
“Haven? Haven?”
My head jerked back to look at the two sisters. They were both looking at me with smiles.
“I’m sorry about that,” I said as I took a few steps closer. “Lizzy, it’s great seeing you.”
She flashed me a wide grin. “I’m here to spread the news!”
Looking at Rosie in confusion, she shrugged. “I didn’t even know she was back in town until this very minute. Mom is going to be pissed you didn’t come to the house yet.”
Lizzy laughed. “I was already home and shared my good news with them. Mom told me it was girls’ night out tonight. That’s why I’m here!”
Rosie watched her sister as she bounced on her toes. “Well, tell us!”
Holding out her hand, Lizzy showed off a massive diamond engagement ring. “I’m getting married!”
Rosie screamed, Lizzy screamed, and I jumped in shock.
“I had the same reaction,” Josephine Carter said in my ear. Turning to see another one of my best friends from high school, I pulled her into a hug. She was also dressed to the nines in a beautiful dress that almost looked out of place in our local bar. She was rocking the look, though. Her dirty blonde hair was cut in a short bob, and her hazel eyes sparkled with pure happiness.
“Josephine! I had no idea you were in town.”
She laughed. “I came to visit my parents for Thanksgiving and decided to stay the whole week! I ran into Lizzy at the airport in Missoula and caught a ride with her. We exchanged numbers, and she said everyone was coming out tonight, so I thought I would join. I’m exhausted from the flight in from New York City, though.”
“I bet that’s a long flight,” I stated as Josephine and I followed Rosie and Lizzy to a large table toward the back. “Do you live in New York City now?”
Wrapping her arm in mine, she laughed. “Yes, and I love it! I can’t believe we lost touch after high school. So much has happened in my life! I finished college in Boston and moved to New York after getting a job with a law firm.”
“Wow, what are you doing there?”
“I’m a paralegal, and I love my job. Oh, Haven, living in a big city like New York has been so fun. My apartment is so tiny and costs a small fourtune, but it’s worth it. One day I’ll go back to school and become a lawyer; right now, I’m just enjoying life in the big city.”
Smiling, I sat down in the chair next to the one Josephine had sat in, instantly realizing that I didn’t have much in common with these people from high school, not that I ever did, though.
“What about you? Did you ever go to college? Are you still living here in Hamilton?”
“No,” I said with a shake of my head. “Never could afford college. I grew my dog walking business and now take dogs out for hikes in a bus I bought. We go out twice daily with different groups of dogs, and I take them on different trails.”
She smiled. “You always did love your dogs. I think that’s amazing you’ve grown your little dog-walking business into something like that.”
“That’s not all!” Rosie said. “She is opening a dog park and has donors and everything. It’s going to be incredible!”
Lizzy and Josephine both looked at me. “A dog park?” Lizzy asked, her nose wrinkled in disgust. “Why?”
I moved in my seat and silently wished I had stayed home now. I loved Rosie and Josephine, but Lizzy I could permanently do without her and her judgy ways.
“It’s not just any dog park,” Rosie went on. “It will be a membership-only dog park, and the best dog park in Hamilton. Hell, the state of Montana!”
I wanted to kiss Rosie. She had always been such a champion of mine, and I loved her for always coming to my defense.
Turning to Lizzy, I replied, “It made sense to me to open one. My dog-walking business has expanded, and I saw a need for a safe place for the dogs to go and play. Not everyone wants to let their dog go on a bus and hike a trail with a large group of dogs.”
“Oh my God. You walk that many dogs?” Josephine asked, her hand over her heart. “How do you control them all?”
I gave a half-shoulder shrug. “They’re all trained and listen well. They’re also all off-leash when we’re hiking.”
“And it is so much fun!” Rosie added. “I’ve gone out with Haven a few times. The dogs are living their best lives.”
Lizzy slowly shook her head. “I guess if being with animals all day is your thing. I couldn’t imagine as that sounds literally gruesome.”
I forced a smile. “Well, dogs are often more pleasant to be around than humans, if I do say so myself. So, what are you up to these days, Lizzy?”
She sat up straighter in the chair. “I own a boutique in the Bay Area.”
“That’s amazing,” I said before giving the waitress my order. “Just a draft beer. Anything will be fine.”
I thought about Nate and his draft beer at his bar in his family room and smiled.
Lizzy was still talking about her store, completely oblivious to the fact that I basically told her I preferred dogs over most humans, and my mind had been wandering and missed what all she said. I cleared my throat and pushed all thoughts of Nate away.
“It sounds like a great place!” I said when she was finally finished talking about how the color scheme of her store matched the house she lived in, which overlooked San Fransico Bay.
“It is. You girls should come and visit,” Lizzy stated as she took out a small mirror and checked her lipstick, which looked perfect.
Yeah, I’ll have to pass on that little adventure.
Lizzy and Josephine soon broke off into a conversation about city living and how they did not miss Montana one bit.
Rosie leaned in and said, “It’s open mic night. You really should go up and sing.”
Laughing, I turned to look at her. “I haven’t done that in years.”
“You have a great voice, Haven. You should.”
“She should what?” Josephine asked. The waitress returned and gave everyone their drinks. Lizzy ordered some fancy cocktail while the rest of us had ordered beer.
“There is Candice!” Rosie cried out as she stood and waved her hands. “Over here, Candy!”
Candice Livingston approached our table with a wide grin on her face. She was dressed much like Rosie and me: jeans, a nice top, and cowboy boots. This was why Rosie and Candice were still my best friends.
Candice walked up to the table, looked at Lizzy and Josephine, and asked, “Did you just come from work or something?”
Josephine laughed. “Ha ha! I don’t even think I own any cowboy boots anymore.”
“I know I don’t,” Lizzy stated with a snide smirk on her face as she looked at her perfectly painted nails.
“Did you ever?” I asked.
All eyes turned to me, and I felt my cheeks heat. I hadn’t meant for it to come out the way it did. But my reaction was instantaneous. Lizzy looked up in thought and then laughed.
“No. I don’t think so!” Totally oblivious to my snide remark.
“Do you want a beer?” I asked Candice. “The waitress just came over, but I can go to the bar and get you one.”
Candice placed her purse on the table and reached for my hand. “Let’s go together.”
I stood and we were soon making our way around the dance floor and to the bar. Once we were far enough from the table, Candice said, “I don’t think I would have come if I’d known Lizzy would be here. Rosie didn’t mention she was going to be in town.”
Glancing back over my shoulder, I couldn’t see our table anymore. “To be fair, Rosie didn’t know she was in town. She’s here to tell her family she’s engaged.”
Candice lifted her brows. “Is she? Wonder who the unlucky guy is.”
Bumping her arm and laughing, I said, “Candy, don’t be that way. It was a long time ago.”
“Was it?” she asked, looking at me as we approached the bar.
I thought for a moment. “Yeah, five or six years ago.”
Candice rolled her eyes. “Wild, seems just like yesterday. I still don’t think I will ever be able to forgive her for sleeping with Matt.”
Matt and Candice had been dating for three years in high school. During our junior year, Candice found them in an empty classroom. Matt was screwing Lizzy from behind as she was bent over the teacher’s desk. Needless to say, she broke up with Matt and vowed to hate Lizzy for the rest of her life.
“She did you a favor. Matt was a jerk, and you wouldn’t have known it if she hadn’t arranged for you to find them.”
“I’ll take Bud Light, please,” Candice said to the bartender before focusing back on me. “I forgot she was the one who told me to meet her there.”
“Maybe she wanted you to see what a dick he was—all while seeing his dick in the process.”
Candice thought about it for a minute and then laughed. “Lizzy doing something good for another woman? Please.”
I tried not to laugh but failed. “That’s so true.”
After Candice got her beer, we turned to head back to the table when I heard my name. Goose bumps raced across my body when I realized I knew that voice. Turning, I saw Nate walking over to us, two guys following closely behind him. They looked familiar, but I couldn’t place them.
Smiling, I said, “Nate, fancy meeting you here.”
His bright smile made my heart trip over itself. “Some of the guys from the ranch wanted to go out tonight.”
Turning, he pointed to the first one. He was a bit older than us, maybe mid-thirties, with short, dark hair and beautiful blue eyes. “Haven, this is Clay, one of the ranch hands. And this guy, this is Bounty, another ranch hand.”
Bounty looked to be in his mid-twenties. His dark blonde hair and hazel eyes took both Candice and me in. Candice stepped forward and held out her hand to Bounty.
“Candice Livingston. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Bounty.” She turned to Clay. “And Clay.”
“Pleasure,” Clay said as he tipped his hat.
Bounty, on the other hand, took Candice’s hand and kissed the back of it. “Please tell me you’re available for a dance—with me—for the rest of the night?”
Blushing, Candice handed me her bottle of beer. “Let’s see what you’ve got, cowboy.”
And just like that, they made their way to the dance floor.
“That was quick,” Nate and I both said simultaneously.
Laughing, I looked at him and was once again struck by how he could glance my way and my breath was instantly stolen from my lungs.
Clay slapped Nate’s back. “Gonna go find the other guys.”
Without taking his eyes off of me, Nate nodded. “Sounds good.”
We stood there, neither of us saying anything, until I cleared my throat. “How have you been?”
“Good,” he said, slipping his hands into his pockets. He seemed to do that when he was nervous or didn’t know what to say.
“I got new tires on my car.”
His brows lifted. “Really?”
I nodded. “Yep. According to Hank, someone wanted to pay it forward that day, and they paid for my tires. Can you believe that someone would be so generous?”
Nate gave a slight shrug as he looked everywhere but at me. “I can believe it. There are still some kind people out there. People who care about the welfare of others.”
Chewing on my lower lip, I replied, “Yes, there are.”
He looked over my head and out to the dance floor. “Crowded tonight, huh?”
I didn’t bother to look behind me. I knew the dance floor was crowded. “Yeah, it sure is.”
Nate looked down at me. “Would you like to dance?”
Surprised, I asked, “Me?”
He laughed. “Yes, you.” Then his smile faded as he looked around the bar. “Unless you’re here with someone.”
“No!” I quickly said. “I’m just out with the girls.”
He smiled again, and I had to force myself to stand upright and not let my wobbly knees get the better of me.
Nate took the beer from my hand, put it to his mouth, and drank it.
I watched as he put it on an empty table.
“Candice is going to be pissed you drank her beer,” I said, letting him take my hand and lead me to the dance floor.
“Well, damn, and here I thought your lips had been the ones on it.” And just like that, with my mouth wide open, the song changed from a pop song to a country one. It was Kelsea Ballerini’s “Love Is a Cowboy.” Nate raised his brows and gave me a crooked smile before drawing me to him. The smell of his woodsy cologne surrounded me as he touched my lower back and pressed me closer to him. I drew in a deep breath and slowly let it out as Nate moved us around the dance floor like we’d been dancing together for years. He was such a good dancer, and it was then that I realized that I hadn’t seen him dance that much.
He spun me around and pulled me back, tucking my hand and his up against his chest. Everything Kelsea was singing I was feeling at that moment. Everyone else seemed to simply fade away, and when I looked up and saw him looking down at me, I couldn’t pull my eyes from his. The song ended, and we stood momentarily staring at each other. When a faster song started, Nate winked, then pushed me out and spun me around as I let out a laugh. Pulling me back to him, he put his mouth against my ear and said, “Let’s show these people the proper way to two-step.”
Smiling, I nodded right before he took my hand and spun me in a few circles before he drew me back against him, and we danced as if we were in a couple’s competition. I had never laughed and had so much fun dancing as I did with Nate to Shania Twain’s “Boots Don’t.” When the song was finally over, I couldn’t have wiped the smile off my face if I had tried.
“Why, Mr. Shaw, who knew you had that in you?”
He placed his hand on my lower back and guided us off the dance floor. “Back at you, Ms. Larson. When do you find time to dance?”
“When do you?”
“Touché.”
I caught sight of Candice and Bounty still on the dance floor. I’d have to order her another beer once I returned to the table.
“Hey, Nate!” a cute little blonde said as she bounced on her toes right in front of us.
“Um, hey, Laurel.”
“Want to dance?” she asked him without so much as giving me a second look. Of course, we weren’t together, but I would never ask a guy to dance when he was so obviously with another woman.
“Not tonight.”
The way he dismissed her caught me by surprise. He wasn’t rude, exactly, but he seemed more annoyed than anything.
“Don’t let me stop you two from dancing,” I said when Laurel turned and walked away.
“You’re not.”
Okay…this is weird. Any other time I had seen Nate at The Blue Moose he avoided me at all costs.
“Well, um, that’s my table,” I said as I looked at where the girls were sitting. All of them were watching me and Nate with curious expressions. Rosie wore a smile while Lizzy frowned, and Josephine looked confused.
Join the club, Josephine. Join…the…club.
Before we got to the table, I turned and faced him. “Thank you for the dances, Nate. I had fun.”
He smiled. “So did I. I guess…I’ll, umm, see you around? Maybe we can have another dance in a bit.”
I felt my teeth dig into my lower lip. How many times had I wished for Nate to ask me to dance, and here he was twice in one night?
Smiling, I replied, “I’d like that.”
With a nod, he said, “Cool. I’ll send another beer to your table for Candice.”
I let out a chuckle. “Thanks. I’m sure she’ll want it after all the dancing she’s doing with your friend Bounty.”
Nate looked over his shoulder to the dance floor before focusing on me again. He looked like he wanted to say something but changed his mind. He stepped away from me and rubbed the back of his neck. “I’ll let you get back to your friends.”
“Okay. Thanks again for the dance.”
Nate turned and walked along the outside of the dance floor. He stopped at a table where a few other guys were sitting and sat down.
I drew in a slow, deep breath before I turned and walked back to the table. When I sat down, Rosie grabbed my hand and leaned in to ask, “How did that happen?”
“I’m not sure,” I said as I reached for my drink. “He just asked if I wanted to dance.”
Rosie looked over to the table and then back to me. “He’s staring at you, Haven.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m sure he’s not.”
“What’s going on with you and Nate?” Josephine asked. “I thought you two didn’t get along.”
“Did he ask you to dance?” Lizzy asked, sounding utterly shocked and a little pissed.
“Why do you sound so shocked?” Josephine asked. “Everyone knew Nate always liked Haven.”
“What?” I asked as I looked around the table, this time I was the one in complete shock.
Lizzy rolled her eyes. “Oh, come on, Haven. Don’t play that whole innocent thing on us. You liked him, and he liked you. I never could understand why you both acted like you didn’t have feelings for each other.”
I looked at Rosie, who simply shrugged.
“I don’t know what makes you guys think he liked me. He could hardly stand to be around me.”
Josephine and Lizzy both laughed.
“Do you know how often I tried to get Nate Shaw alone?” Lizzy said as she leaned across the table. “He turned me down every single time. No one ever turned me down.”
Josephine asked, “Remember when Callie…oh, what was her last name…anyway, she tried to get Nate to make out with her at the party down by the wall?”
“The wall! Oh my gosh, I haven’t thought about that place in forever!” Candice said as she sat down between Lizzy and Josephine.
The wall was just that—a wall that ran through one of the parks in Hamilton. Every Saturday night, people met there to party. The local police had shown up a time or two over the years, which had caused everyone to run and hide in the woods that the park backed up to.
“What was that girl’s name who claimed she had snuck away with Nate and gave him a blow job?” Josephine asked Candice.
I moved about in my seat, not liking where the conversation was going. The last thing I wanted to hear about was Nate’s conquests in high school.
Candice took a long drink of beer before setting it down as she seemed to try and catch her breath. “Callie Austin.”
“Yes!” the rest of the women at the table said.
“It was Callie Austin who claimed she had hooked up with Nate,” Candice said with a roll of her eyes.
Rosie laughed. “Everyone knows Nate never hooked up with anyone. He was a big flirt.”
“Not true,” Josephine stated as she wore a smug look.
“You?” I asked, not sure if I wanted to know the answer.
She jerked her head in my direction. “No! Girl, I knew how much you liked him. I would never do that to you.”
I sat back in my seat and looked at Lizzy but quickly looked down at my beer.
“The summer before our senior year of high school, there was that field party in old man Johnson’s field,” Josephine started. “There was a girl from Missoula here visiting her cousin.”
“Oh, right!” Rosie said as she pointed to Josephine. Turning to me, she said, “That was the night you and Nate got in that huge fight because he told you that you needed to go home because you were drinking.”
My brows drew in as I tried to remember. “I don’t remember that.”
Candice laughed. “Because you had drank so much you could hardly walk. And Michael Mathews was hanging all over you.”
“And Nate punched him,” Rosie said. “Remember Josh had to pull Nate off of Michael because Nate kept hitting him.”
“What?” I asked, leaning forward. “Why?”
Candice looked at me like I was insane. “He thought Michael was taking advantage of you because you were drunk. You guys got into it, and if I remember right, you said something…oh my gosh, what was it?” Candice looked around. “We were all so shocked.”
“You said something like, just because you’re repulsed with touching me doesn’t mean another guy isn’t,” Rosie stated with a smile, as if she had just cracked the code to world peace.
“I said that?”
“Girl, you were so drunk. Do you even remember Josh Shaw driving you home?”
I slowly shook my head. “I don’t remember that.”
Josephine chuckled. “I’m not surprised; you were wasted. Anyway, that Callie girl kept coming on to Nathan, and after that, he was so worked up I just remember him taking her to his truck. According to her, they had sex in his back seat.”
My stomach churned.
“Yeah, but you can ask anyone in our class; Nate never went that far with anyone,” Candice said. When she looked at me, she frowned. “Haven, are you okay?”
I quickly nodded. “Yep. I’m fine.”
Josephine’s eyes went wide. “Oh, girl, I’m so sorry. You still like him.”
“You do?” Lizzy asked, commenting for the first time.
Josephine took my hand in hers. “I’m so sorry I brought that up.”
I forced a smile. “Honestly, it’s okay. It’s fine. I mean, it’s not like I didn’t know he was having sex with girls. Women, whatever. And a lot of them.”
My four friends exchanged looks before Rosie said, “But he didn’t. That’s what we’re saying. Nate was all talk in high school. Besides that Callie girl, he never hooked up with anyone. At least, not that I knew of.”
Josephine, Candice, and Lizzy all nodded in agreement.
I wasn’t sure if that made me feel better or worse. That small voice in the back of my head tried to remind me of why it was that Nate didn’t want to touch me. Would he really be put off knowing that my father had abused me in the most horrible of ways? I wanted to think no, but his actions said otherwise. But the way he was looking at me earlier…oh, it was all so confusing.
The DJ got everyone’s attention after the last song ended. “All right, folks, it’s open mic tonight at The Blue Moose. Who is going to be the first person to come and sing?”
“Speaking of Nate,” Rosie said. “He won’t stop looking over here.”
The rest of the table all looked to where Rosie’s gaze was.
“Oh my gosh, you guys?” I said as I slid down in my seat.
“What is it about a guy in a baseball cap,” Lizzy said as she fanned herself.
“Aren’t you engaged, sis?” Rosie mused.
Lizzy stuck her tongue out at Rosie. “A girl can look.”
“He’s confused.”
Everyone looked at Candice.
“Who?” I asked.
She slowly shook her head. “Oh my God. It all makes sense now. That night, he hooked up with that girl to try to forget about you, Haven!”
Rosie clapped. “Yes! Classic guy move. Sleep with one girl to try and forget about another. But the way he looks at you, be still my heart. The boy is currently melting over you.”
“Nonsense,” I quickly said as I waved Rosie’s words away. “He doesn’t look at me any differently than he does any other woman.”
Candice snorted. “Please. The man cannot stop looking over here, Haven. You two like each other. Why aren’t you doing anything about it? I could think of worse guys to hitch my wagon to.”
“If that were me, girl, I’d be ditching my fiancé and be all over that tall, dark, and handsome man,” Lizzy stated.
Rosie stood. “Come on. I’ve got the perfect song for you to sing. You sing it all the time.”
“What? No!” I said as I pulled my arm free from Rosie’s grasp.
“What song is it?” Josephine asked, clearly excited to find out.
“That Kelsea Ballerini one!”
“Yes! Yes!” Candice said as she stood up with Rosie. Both of them grabbed my arms and pulled me up.
“Guys, I’m not going to sing.”
As they dragged me to the setup stage, everyone started to look as I actively tried to get away from my two best friends.
Rosie squeezed my arm. “You’re making a scene.”
“Me?”
“Hello, ladies,” the DJ said when we stopped in front of him.
“Do you have the music for that Kelsea Ballerini reimagined song?”
He looked at us like we were crazy.
I sighed. “‘Love Me Like You Mean It’, the reimagined version.”
He grinned. “I do have that one. Is that the one you’re going to sing?”
When I went to turn and walk away, Rosie stopped me. “She has an amazing voice. And yes, that is the song she’s singing.”
“Cool. What’s your name?”
“It’s Haven Larson,” Candice answered for me as she said it with a massive grin.
Staring at my two ex-best friends, I growled. “I hope you know that after this, you’re both dead to me.”
Rosie blew me a kiss while Candice said, “Break a leg!”
They scampered away, and I turned to the DJ. “I guess I’m singing.”
He chuckled, then picked up the microphone. “Ladies and gentlemen, we have our first singer of the night. Ms? It is Ms., right?”
Laughing, I nodded.
“Look at that, guys, she’s single.”
A few whistles and some hollering went on for a few seconds before they calmed down.
“Ms. Haven Larson is going to be singing. Are you ready for it?”
The entire bar erupted into cheers, and I caught a glimpse of Rosie, Candice, Lizzy, and Josephine at the front of the stage. I should have stopped looking because leaning against a pillar with his arms folded over his broad chest was Nate. He was watching me, and when our eyes met, he smiled.
I looked down at my boots.
Why is he confusing me? He’s being all nice and smiling and offering up dances and buying me tires and giving me money for my business. What in the upside down is happening?
I forced myself to look up and out into the crowd. Well, one thing was for sure, this was happening, so I might as well just go with the flow.
The microphone was on a stand, so at least I didn’t have to move around. The music started, and I intended to look down at the girls, but instead, my eyes drifted directly at Nate and I started to sing.
When I got to the last sentence before the chorus, where she asked, “Do you have what it takes?” Nate’s brows rose.
I looked away and moved my gaze around the crowd. It didn’t take long before I loosened up and really got into the song. At the last chorus, I looked back to Nate.
When the song ended, the bar broke out into loud applause. I dared a peek at Nate, who had pushed off the pillar and was clapping. When our eyes met, he mouthed, “Wow, that was amazing.”
Laughing, I got off the stage and was immediately hugged by all four girls.
“Jesus, Haven, why aren’t you in Nashville singing?” Lizzy asked. “That was so good. You sounded just like her.”
“That’s sweet of you to say, Lizzy, but I don’t think I’m that good.” As I stole a glance back in Nate’s direction, he’d started to walk toward me.
“You were terrific, baby!”
Shockingly, the sound of Ted’s voice from behind caused me to turn around. He picked me up and spun me.
“Ted? Wait—what are you doing here?”
“Who is Ted?” Josephine asked.
Lizzy looked him over like a hungry wolf. “Yes, who is Ted?”
Ted smiled at my friends. “Um, this is my friend, Ted. Ted, these are my friends, Lizzy, Josephine, Candice, and Rosie.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, ladies.”
I turned and saw Nate walking back to his table and my entire body deflated.
“Why don’t you join us?” Lizzy said as she hooked her arm in Ted’s.
“I don’t mind if I do,” Ted stated, walking with Lizzy back to the table.
“Where did Nate go?” Rosie asked. “I saw him walking over here.”
I blew out a breath. “He probably saw Ted. That stupid jerk, Ted. I told him I didn’t want to see him anymore. Why would he do that and make it seem like we were together still?”
When the DJ couldn’t find anyone else who wanted to sing, he played another song.
“I love this Spicy Margarita song!” Candice said, clapping. She spun around and made a beeline to Bounty.
“I think she likes him,” I said with a laugh. I scanned the table but couldn’t find Nate. Where could he have gone?
“Let’s go to the bathroom,” Rosie said as she pulled me.
“I don’t have to go to the bathroom.”
Rosie tugged. “Yes, you do.”
Laughing, I said, “What are you doing?”
Rosie looked past me, and I turned to see what she was looking at. It felt like someone threw ice-cold water onto me. My breath felt frozen in my lungs as a pain shot through my chest. You’d think I would be used to that feeling when it came to Nate Shaw. He was dancing with some girl, and it wasn’t innocent dancing. The girl had her hands all over him. Granted, he wasn’t touching her, but it still made my stomach roil.
“Haven, he probably saw you with Ted and…”
“And did exactly what he did with Callie?” I replied with a shake of my head.
Her face fell as she shouted, “I’m sorry they told you that story!”
I looked back out to the dance floor. Nate had his hands on the girl’s hips as she moved her body like a yoga instructor. Was it my imagination, or did he push her away some? I would drive myself crazy if I kept watching them.
Turning away, I started back to the table.
“Haven!” Rosie called out.
Once I returned to the table, I said, “Guys, I think I’m going to call it a night.”
“What?” Josephine said. “No, don’t go. It’s been so fun catching up. Sit down and have one more drink.”
Unfortunately, the chair she offered gave me a direct view of the dance floor—and Nate and his little salsa partner.
I looked away when she lifted up to say something in Nate’s ear.
The song changed, and Sia’s “Gimme Love”’ started. Nate looked like he was going to walk away, but the girl pulled him back and wrapped her arms around him. Nate reached up and untwined her arms from around his neck. He leaned down and was saying something in her ear.
Was he asking her to leave with him?
Rosie took my hand. “Haven, don’t watch.”
As if he could sense I was watching, he looked over to the table. Our eyes met, and I hated that the sting of tears burned my eyes. The girl reached up and placed her finger on his chin, drawing his attention back to her.
Looking down at my hands in my lap, I closed my eyes and cursed myself. I was being silly. It wasn’t like Nate and I were together. So we had a couple of days where it felt like we might be able to be…friends.
Friends. Was that what Nate wanted? I had stupidly stood up there and sang that damn song with him watching me, and now I felt like an idiot. He had smiled, but maybe he had simply thought the song was good.
Oh, God. I didn’t want to sit in a bar overthinking everything about Nate Shaw.
“I’m leaving,” I said as I stood. Surprising Rosie, and even myself, with my sudden decision.
“No!” Rosie said as she stood too. “What about…”
We both turned and looked where Ted and Lizzy had been sitting.
“Where did they go?” I asked.
Candice said, “I just saw the two of them leaving.”
“What?” Rosie and Josephine said together.
“Is she cheating on her fiancé?” Rosie asked.
Turning to face me, Josephine asked, “What about Ted and Haven?” As if Ted’s departure broke my heart. Far from it.
I quickly said, “We’re not together.”
Turning to Rosie, I pulled her to me so only she could hear me. “I need to leave.”
Rosie drew back and looked at me. I hated that Nate had once again nearly brought me to tears and that she could see it. I wasn’t even sure why I was so upset. Nate hadn’t ever promised me a single thing. So he was kind to me and seemed like he wanted a friendship. That was going to have to be good enough.
Rosie pulled me in for a hug. “Oh, Haven.”
“I’ll talk to you tomorrow, okay?”
She nodded. “Let me walk you out, at least.”
I shook my head. “I’ll get the bouncer to walk me to my car. Stay and have fun.”
Rosie pulled me into a hug. “He’s not worth the tears.”
If she only knew what he had done for me in my past, and even recently. And how confused I was. “We’re not together, either. He can dance or do whatever he wants. I’m just tired after a long day.”
She smiled before she kissed my cheek. “Text me when you get home.”
“I will.”
Turning back to the table, I called out over the music. “Bye, girls!”
“Call me!” Candice said.
Josephine hugged me. “Maybe I’ll see you again before I leave.”
Without looking out at the dance floor again, I made my way around groups of people and to the exit.
“Hey, Jonny,” I said to the bouncer. “Would you walk me to my car?”
He grinned. “Of course I will, Haven.”
Jonny was two years older than me, and we had known each other in high school, but not that well.
Once I got to my car, I unlocked it and slipped into the driver’s seat. I waved goodbye to Jonny. Once he was walking back toward the club, I dropped my head against the headrest.
“Why can I not get over you, Nate Shaw? And what is so wrong with me that you can’t make the next move in my direction?”