Chapter 12
Natalie
You were magnificent tonight.
The fact that I woke up with Jensen’s text running through my mind should have been a warning sign. Instead, I lingered on thoughts of the evening with him as I got up, showered, and dressed for the day.
His gentle touch on the small of my back as we worked the room. The intensity in his eyes. The display of protectiveness when he’d so effectively confronted my ex. Dancing to soft music with my body pressed against his.
Had it all been a dream?
I’d spent my evening in a cocktail dress, infiltrating an event I was pretty sure we’d crashed without tickets.
Jensen had been vague about how he’d get tickets, and it occurred to me as I thought back on the evening, we hadn’t stopped to check in.
We’d walked right in as if we belonged, and no one had questioned us.
The heady thrill had been intoxicating. Even more than our strategic eavesdropping at the Timberbeast.
But was it the excitement of the hunt that had swept through me? Or Jensen’s touch, presence, and undeniable allure?
I paused and took a deep breath before going downstairs. I was in big trouble. Because I was starting to think things I shouldn’t have been thinking. And giving in to feeling things I shouldn’t have been feeling.
Attraction, yes. I couldn’t lie to myself and claim I wasn’t physically attracted to him. But it was more than that. It was as if he were awakening something in me I hadn’t realized I’d lost.
He made me feel alive.
I went downstairs, wondering what he had in store for us next. Was Julian involved in the heist? Or were we following a lead that was destined to go cold?
What was our next move?
Nina was bustling in the kitchen while Annabel ate her breakfast at the table.
“Morning,” I said.
“Morning.” Nina didn’t look up from what she was doing.
“Hi, Auntie Natalie,” Annabel said around a mouthful of food.
“Don’t talk with your mouth full, honey,” Nina said.
She made a show of swallowing. “Sorry.”
“Do you need help?” I asked. “You look stressed.”
“I’m fine. I just woke up late, and now I’m frazzled. Thank goodness for dry shampoo, am I right?”
“One of modernity’s great inventions. Do you want me to take Annabel to school?”
“No, that’s okay.” She closed Annabel’s lunch bag. “I’ve got it.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, it’s not a problem. Hurry up, kiddo. We need to get going.”
I glanced at the time. They weren’t in danger of being late. Then I realized why she was in such a rush. She was hoping to see the cute single dad at drop-off. Maybe even spend a few minutes alone with him before the other parents arrived.
“Are you done?” I asked Annabel, and she nodded. “Go get your shoes and coat. It’s time to go.”
Nina glanced at me with a smile. I winked at her. I had her back.
“Oh, before I forget, the apartment needs to be cleaned and turned over,” she said. “Mystery man had to leave. I can help when I get home.”
It felt like I’d just been punched in the stomach. The air rushed from my lungs, and it took me a second to get a word out.
“He left?”
“Yeah, there’s a message from his assistant. Something came up, and he had to check out.”
I poured a cup of coffee so I had an excuse to turn away from her. She didn’t know about the time I’d spent with Jensen. For all she knew, I’d hardly spoken to him since I’d refused his dinner invitation. And I wasn’t ready to tell her what had actually been going on. My feelings were a mess.
Not even a mess—it was like an emotion bomb had gone off.
“I’ll take care of it,” I said. “I think I should also stop by the picket line at the hospital for a while. Do my part.”
“The weather is supposed to suck today. More snow.”
“I’ll bundle up.”
“Sorry, I don’t need to tell you to wear a coat. I’m just used to my little penguin child.” She raised her voice. “Annabel? Are you ready to go?”
“Yes, Mommy!”
“Okay, I’m off. I have clients until four, so are you good to pick her up?”
“Yep, not a problem.”
“Thanks. Stay warm out there.”
“I will. Drive careful.”
Annabel shouted goodbye before she and her mom left. I stayed in the kitchen for a long moment, frozen by the shock of Jensen’s abrupt departure.
I should have known better. Of course he left. He was never going to stay.
But he hadn’t even said goodbye.
Groaning in frustration at myself, I put my coffee down and went to grab my boots out of the closet.
He’d gone in the middle of the night—or early in the morning—so he’d obviously been in a hurry.
What did I expect? A romantic goodbye on the front step while delicate flakes of snow drifted around us?
This was real life. It had felt like a fantasy for a minute, but it was never meant to last.
I went out into the falling snow and trudged across to the apartment. Inside, it was almost pristine—the rumpled bed and used towels the only signs anyone had been there.
That and the hint of his scent left behind in the air. Knowing I shouldn’t, I picked up one of the pillows and inhaled. Groaning, I tossed it back on the bed. Why did he have to smell so good?
Although I was trying to convince myself that I wasn’t upset, being in the apartment—especially with it so empty—was not putting me in a good mood. There was still cleaning to be done to get it ready for the next guest, but I’d come back and do it later.
On my way out, I glanced into the kitchen. Something was on the counter. I was going to leave it—it was probably nothing—but a spark of curiosity flared to life.
It was a folded piece of paper with my name on the outside.
With my heart beating hard, I opened it and read.
Darling Natalie,
It is with deepest regret that I depart. Please accept my apologies for not saying goodbye in person. I’ve been called away to another job, and time is of the essence.
Jensen
Well, there it was. He was off, probably to chase another thief. A bigger one, if I had to guess.
It was better this way. The longer he stayed, the more tangled my emotions would have become. I’d have started daydreaming about a different life—a life I could never have.
A life that had him in it.
Which was as stupid as it was impossible. It had been fun, but he and I were from different worlds. And no matter what I’d imagined in his eyes, he’d only been doing his job. The touches, the looks, the dancing—none of it had anything to do with me.
I took the note with me and went back to the house.
The picket line sounded like an even better way to spend my morning.
That was my life. I was a nurse who happened to be on strike, and I needed to show my support.
Eventually—hopefully soon—I’d be back to vampire hours, treating patients in the emergency department.
Nina had been right, I did need to bundle up. I put on some layers—a wool long-sleeve shirt, sweater, jeans, and thick socks. I donned my snow boots, then grabbed my knit hat, scarf, gloves, and winter coat, and headed out.
I gave the driveway a quick once-over with the snow shovel before I left so too much wouldn’t accumulate. I’d been dreaming of an electric snowblower for years, but it never made it into the budget.
If only Santa Claus were real. I’d work pretty hard to stay on the nice list if a snow blower was the prize.
The side roads were bound to be slick, but the main roads would be plowed regularly. And I’d grown up in the mountains—I was used to driving in the snow. I left my house, taking it easy around the corners, and headed toward the hospital.
I’d tucked Jensen’s note in my purse. Maybe that had been a mistake. I was so aware of its presence in my car as if I carried a piece of him with me. Was I feeling the sharp pang of regret, or did I just miss him?
I couldn’t miss him. I barely knew him.
But I did. In the short time we’d known each other, he’d opened a piece of my heart that I’d firmly closed. And no matter how many times I told myself none of it had been real, the emptiness he’d left behind still ached.
I turned on my Christmas playlist, hoping for a cheerful distraction. “White Christmas” came on.
Because of course the song we’d danced to would shuffle in first.
I slowed to a stop at an intersection, then pulled forward to turn left. And out of nowhere, all hell broke loose.
Another car slid down the hill opposite me. I saw it coming—going too fast and clearly not stopping. But there was nothing I could do. My car was in control, but theirs was not, and I didn’t have time to get out of the way.
And in the split second before the other car slammed into me, I wondered with horror what Nina and Annabel were going to do if I died.