Chapter 5
RAVEN
Back at my car, I danced back and forth on my feet.
Man, I really need to pee. Now.
The grande latte that got me moving this morning and kept me awake on the drive had apparently gone right through me. Which was why I’d been running through the cabin door without looking where I was going. And got knocked on my butt by that overgrown man-child. Ugh!
Now what am I going to do? I’ll wet my pants if I have to wait any longer.
I looked around. The property was wooded, and there weren’t any close neighbors. Maybe I could just go behind a tree. That way I wouldn’t have to deal with that tool-belt wearing troglodyte.
But I hated going without toilet paper. Especially when there was a cabin right there.
My kidneys started to ache, and my bladder screamed at me. I didn’t know how much longer I could hold it.
Simple solution. Go inside and use the bathroom.
“Fine,” I yelled to my nagging inner self. “But if he says anything to me, I can’t be responsible for my actions.”
I grabbed the bouquet of flowers from the front seat and ran inside the cabin. Munch ran right along with me, like we were going for a daily jog.
The moment I burst through the door, I froze in my tracks. Nash stood on the other side of the room removing his button-down shirt, and revealing a tight t-shirt that clung to his muscles as he moved—and holy guacamole, was he ripped!
Every drop of moisture in my mouth dried up.
His short dark hair was dusty from carrying the dirty carpet, making me want to reach up and brush the dirt off him.
He looked up at me and the corner of his mouth curved into a teasing half-smile. “Aw. You didn’t have to bring me flowers.”
That snapped me out of my stare, and back to my sarcastic attitude of defense. “They’re not for you, Dr. Delusional. They’re for me.” I held a hand up to stop him from saying another word. “I just need the bathroom. Please tell me the plumbing in this place works.”
He gestured toward an open door down the hall. “To be honest, I haven’t even checked the plumbing yet. Let me know if you see anything that needs to be fixed.”
Wasting no time, I rushed past him and slammed the door of the bathroom. I sighed out loud with exquisite relief for my organs and my dignity. Wetting myself in front of Nash, of all people, would have been mortifying. He’d never let me hear the end of it.
Rather than spend another moment out there searching for a vase to put the flowers in, I filled the sink with cold water and left them in the bathroom.
"Glad you made it. I was worried I'd have to get out the mop. Actually, this place probably doesn’t even have one.” Nash smirked. “Everything work alright, Tweet?”
“Bite me,” I sniped and stomped back out the door with my dog on my heels.
I retrieved my art supplies and a folding chair from my car, fuming all the while.
Ugh. That man.
And he had the nerve to call me by that nickname he gave me when we were kids. Like I’m still that annoying little nine-year-old in braids and cutoff jeans, following him and Rowan around, trying to be one of the guys. They teased me mercilessly, and I just kept going back for more. Pathetic.
Of all the people in all the world, why does he have to be the one to interrupt my solitude here?
I was looking forward to spending this time away to clear my head and realign my priorities. Now I can’t even enjoy the flowers I got for myself. If they wouldn’t have wilted in five minutes out here in the heat, I’d have brought them outside with me.
How can I concentrate on giving up men and focusing on myself, when the man I’m trying to forget is right here?
I walked around the property trying to find the viewpoint and angle to best showcase this place for Gladys. Yet, no matter where I looked, there was Nash. My heart seized in my chest along with that usual pang.
Gazing at him with his deeply tanned skin glistening in the sun, and dark soulful eyes with sable undertones and sienna inflections like embers glowing in the heart of a smoldering fire—I could watch him all day without any notice of time passing.
But my heart couldn’t handle that.
Too bad I can’t just position myself facing the lake and pretend the cabin and its infuriating contractor don’t exist.
I can’t pack up and go home, either. Not only did I not want to let Gladys down, but I needed this commission to pay for my car repairs. I’m sure Tillie was aware of that, too. She seemed to know everything.
“Tillie.” I tipped my head back and groaned at the sky. I’d always liked Tillie and thought of her as an ally, but a friend wouldn’t do something like this.
I looked over at Munch, his head tipped to the side, trying to figure me out or determine if I’d lost it. “Tillie’s gonna get a piece of my mind the next time I see her, Munch. I can promise you that. How could she do this to me?”
Munch stretched and curled up on a shady patch of grass. “Right. I need to do what I came here to do. The sooner I finish this commission, the sooner I can go home.” I set up my easel and chair, got out my sketch book and started drawing the preliminary composition. Gladys didn’t specify exactly what she wanted. But I understood it needed to be a realistic rendition, one that would inspire fond memories for her and her family.
Okay. I’m a professional. I’ve worked in less than desirable conditions before. I can do this.
You gotta admit the view isn’t too bad.
Nash was carrying another roll of carpet out the door. His biceps bulged and his back flexed through his t-shirt, his tool belt hung from the waste of his well-worn jeans… Oh, those jeans.
Sigh.
That’s the problem. The view was too good. As an artist, I appreciated beauty wherever I found it. And Nash was a beautiful man. Simple as that.
Warning. Warning. Keep your distance, Raven. A volcano is mesmerizing, too, from a distance.
True. I learned that lesson the hard way. Burned me good. Never again.
A memory flashed through my mind. The exhilarating high of kissing Nash, followed immediately by the crushing blow of him pushing me away, wiping it from his lips, and disappearing through the woods. Then the pain searing through me as I sink to the ground, sobbing.
When the tears had finally stopped, I vowed to never let him hurt me again. Never let myself be that vulnerable. That day, an impenetrable armor formed around my heart to keep me safe.
And yet he still got to me. Every. Time.
All you need to do is keep your feelings under wraps and your mad going strong until you get back home. You’ll be okay.
Right. That’s what I always did.
Rolling my shoulders and shaking out my arms, I took a deep breath and steeled my spine, ready to get to work.
That cretinous cockroach would not get the best of me. Not this time.