Chapter 22
TWENTY-TWO
One week into my fake relationship that had secretly turned real, I’d never been happier.
Nathan was a charming rogue. He was easygoing and didn’t get caught up in gender roles.
If I wanted to be the one to anchor the tandem kayak—something we were now even better at than when we’d first gone out—he allowed me to steer.
When I wanted to play the hulking serial killer during our nightly walks around the lake, he had no problem squealing and screaming like a proper final girl.
Things were absolute bliss.
Well, except for Preston. He was still hanging around but had been quiet for the entire week.
I could regularly feel his eyes on me—knew he was still plotting—but I refused to engage with him.
The third reader weekend passed without incident, thankfully, and the Monday after, Nathan suggested we take a break from the campground and head into town.
We still hadn’t told Bree, Brody, and Hayley that things were real between us.
Bree obviously suspected. I couldn’t read Brody well enough to gauge his thoughts.
Hayley kept her cards close to her vest, but sometimes, when she looked at Nathan in that knowing way of hers, it became apparent she knew.
Nobody brought it up. They would wait for Nathan to tackle the subject.
That didn’t stop Bree from harping on me as I threw a bag into the back of Nathan’s truck.
We were leaving my car at the campground for this overnighter.
Nathan had told them we were going home to do laundry and get some shopping in.
He’d neglected to tell them that we were going to his home for the next thirty-six hours.
He didn’t offer up any outright lies, though.
“So, you’re going to do laundry?” Bree followed me toward the truck’s passenger door.
I raised an eyebrow as I regarded her. “Why is that so hard to believe? I didn’t bring enough clothes for a month.”
“Maybe because I’m desperate to get out of here.” Bree lunged forward and grabbed the front of my shirt. “Take me with you.”
I pictured Nathan’s face if he arrived at his truck and found Bree sitting in the backseat.
“Can’t you bug your own fiancé to take you out of here?” I challenged, rather than answer that question directly.
“No.” Bree looked desperate. “He’s never been so happy in his life. He loves nature.”
“Well, I think he might miss you if I took you with us.” And I knew Nathan would have a meltdown.
He’d whispered dirty nothings in my ear whenever passing behind me—which was way more often than normal—the previous day when we’d been interacting with the readers.
He was ready for a break. Bree could not be part of that break.
“He won’t even know I’m gone. His greatest joy right now is writing at the tables near the lake.”
“Didn’t you tell me that you guys fell in love writing at outdoor tables?” I challenged.
“Near a pool.” Bree acted as if I’d said the most ridiculous thing in the world. “We were never more than fifteen minutes from a latte.”
“Technically, you aren’t now either,” I reminded her.
“A good latte.”
She was clearly spiraling, so I was happy to see Hayley wandering by. “Take her to town.” I pushed Bree toward her. “Get her a latte… and a doughnut.”
“Oh, a doughnut.” Bree mockingly clutched at her heart. “I would kill someone—preferably Preston—for a doughnut right now.”
I didn’t cringe at mention of Preston’s name for a change. He wasn’t an overbearing threat in my life now. He was like a shadow I had yet to shake.
“Get her out of here,” I instructed Hayley as Nathan approached, his laundry bag slung over his shoulder.
He looked suspicious as he took in the small crowd.
“She’s going to melt down if she doesn’t get some stale air in the city,” I told him.
“Ha, ha,” Bree rolled her eyes until they landed on Nathan. She paused for what felt like a long time then switched her gaze to me. She was no longer in whining mode, and it made me nervous. “You guys are going to the same place to do laundry?” she prodded.
She was like a bloodhound when she scented an opening. I didn’t like lying to her but Nathan and I weren’t ready to go public yet. Soon—it was inevitable—but we were enjoying the little bubble we found ourselves in now.
“I’m going to drop Bella off at her condo and then go home,” Nathan replied, lying smoothly. “We’ll be back tomorrow afternoon. We both need a break from this place.” His dark gaze moved to the picnic tables, to where Preston was watching us. “And that guy.”
Bree glanced over her shoulder. “That guy is the worst. We still haven’t come up with a plan to get rid of him for good.”
“We will.” Nathan opened my door for me and helped me up.
The way Bree’s eyes narrowed told me the chivalrous offering—something he clearly didn’t even realize he was doing—wasn’t lost on her.
“Don’t you have a fiancé to bug?” he complained.
“Yes.” Bree’s gaze moved between us. “You’re just going to town to do laundry, right?”
“Isn’t that what we said?” Nathan challenged before I could respond.
“I guess.” Bree pursed her lips. She was no longer complaining. No, she was a predator on the hunt. “I guess we’ll see you guys tomorrow afternoon.”
“I guess you will,” Nathan agreed. He fastened my seatbelt—something he also did on autopilot—before squeezing my knee and closing the door. He gave Bree a significant look before he crossed behind his truck, but he didn’t say anything.
“You know she’s suspicious, right?” I asked as Nathan backed out of his parking spot, Bree’s searing gaze still on us.
“Oh, I’m well aware. She can be as suspicious as she wants. She’ll know the truth soon enough. For now, she can mind her own business.”
“Yeah, that doesn’t sound anything like her.”
Nathan smirked. “Listen, I’m not spending the next thirty-six hours thinking about Bree. We’re going to my place, doing the laundry I know darned well you’re going to insist on doing, and then we’re going to bed for a full day.”
“Um, you’re supposed to feed me,” I reminded him. “We’re talking real portions. Not teeny tiny ones.”
“Yeah, luckily for you, The Landings is bougie as hell. We have multiple places for you to choose from for your dining pleasure.”
It was a pretty good offer. “Okay, but I’m feeling picky.”
“I love a challenge.” He grinned at me.
I giggled because I couldn’t help myself. “Just keep your eyes on the road, Ace. I don’t want to get into an accident on the way to the promised land.”
“Oh, don’t worry. I’ll drive as if I have precious cargo, because I do.”
TRUE TO HIS WORD, NATHAN PRESSED himself against me the entire walk to his laundry room.
I was so jumbled and full of conflicting emotions—responsibleness versus horniness—that I barely managed to start the first load before I let him spin me.
He had me lifted into his arms before I could study his house.
I’d seen it during my previous visit, but only the living room and kitchen. There was so much more to see.
“I’m going to want a tour later,” I murmured against his mouth.
“Baby, I’m going to give you whatever you want as many times as I can while we’re here,” he assured me. “You’re not going to want for a single thing.”
Since I knew he was telling the truth, I opted to let him take the lead. That meant spending an hour in his bedroom. Then we wandered into the living room—me wearing one of his shirts and a pair of panties, him wearing boxer shorts—and flopped onto the couch.
He turned on the television—he said he just had to know what was going on in the real world—and I perused the brochures he handed me for the restaurants at The Landings.
“Do you think you’ll stay here forever?” I asked as I looked at the menu for Deer Creek A Coastal Grill. It was such a weird name, but the menu looked fabulous.
“In this spot?” Nathan’s expression was bland as he stared at ESPN.
He was looking for scores. He’d told me he was a huge fan of different teams from each state.
He loved The Detroit Red Wings, the Buffalo Bills, the Colorado Rockies, and the LA Lakers.
It seemed he had eclectic taste. “I would like to stay in this spot for the rest of my life, but I don’t think it’s feasible. ”
I laughed and shook my head. “I meant here at The Landings.”
He moved his eyes to me. “Do you not like it here?”
I hesitated, unsure how to answer.
“Truth, Bella,” he said in a soft voice. “That’s what we promised.”
“Your house is beautiful,” I assured him, meaning every word.
“It’s even peaceful in a way. I like downtown better, though.
” It was stupid to be bringing this up now.
We were nowhere near sharing a roof. But watching Bree and Brody argue about having two houses despite the fact that they were on the fast track to marriage had made me leery of not talking about these things before it was too late.
“The downtown vibe is great,” he agreed. “What about kids, though?” He caught himself quickly. “Not that I’m expecting kids from you right this second. Or ever.” Suddenly he looked panicked.
It was such a relief to not be the only one saying stupid things that I dissolved into laughter then grabbed his hand before he could flee from the couch. “Wait.” I had to desperately hold onto him. “Don’t run away from me.”
He seemed to recognize the genuine plea in my voice, because he returned to the couch. “I didn’t mean to put pressure on you.”
“You didn’t. It’s something we should talk about.”
“Meaning?”
I took a deep breath. This was not the conversation I’d envisioned us having today. “Do you want kids?” We’d talked about it before, but that was before we’d actually gotten involved. His answer might be different now.
He gave me some serious side-eye. “Do you want kids?”
“No.” I was firm as I shook my head. “This is not the sort of conversation where you match your answer to mine. We need to be honest.”
He nodded, although he didn’t look happy. “I’m afraid I will be a bad father.”
“Because you had a bad father?”
“Yes.”
I considered it a long time. I needed to say the exact right thing here. “You won’t be a bad father,” I blurted finally, taking us both by surprise. “It’s impossible. You’re too loving and giving. You’re loyal. Heck, you’re cognizant of what you’re doing. You’re going to be the best father.”
Amusement ran roughshod over his features. “How can you be so sure?”
“I just am. It’s not about being a good father, though. Do you want to be a father?”
He was quiet a little too long, and I was starting to get uncomfortable. Then he made an exasperated sound.
“Yes, but I don’t want a huge family. I want one or two kids to give my full attention to. I don’t want a kid of mine feeling as if I didn’t spend enough time with them.”
My eyebrows moved toward one another. “That’s what you were struggling so long to say?”
“Don’t you want a big family? Your mother is extremely hippie-dippy.”
There was no containing my laughter. “Yes, but she only had one child. The truth is, I loved growing up with the kids I considered close to siblings. They were friends, not related by blood. What I really liked was that after a day of screwing around together, I could go home to a room I didn’t have to share and a mother I also didn’t have to share. ”
He grinned. “So… you don’t want a lot of kids either?”
“I’m going to be extremely honest.” I searched my heart for the right words. “I can commit to one kid, and the second is a maybe.”
His smile was so wide it threatened to overtake his entire face. “I happen to be a big fan of that answer.”
“I’m glad. You realize this is something we absolutely don’t have to think on too hard right now, though, right? When I’m ready for kids, it’s going to be a bit down the line.” I gestured to sell my point. “I’m only twenty-five. I don’t want kids right this second.”
“Neither do I.” He looked so relieved I wanted to hug him. “I do want to talk about yards, though.”
That threw me. “What?”
“Yards,” he replied. “Kids might be down the road, but they need yards. I never had a yard. I was raised in a high-rise. I do not want that for this potential kid who is very far down the line.”
He made a good point. “You realize there are places near downtown that have yards, don’t you?”
“They’re going to be more expensive.”
It was a perfectly reasonable thing to say, yet it struck me as funny. “Bree says you guys all had to pay thirty grand to be able to use all the facilities in this place.”
“Well, that’s true.” He rubbed his cheek. “I just paid that thirty grand. I don’t want to throw it out the window before I get to enjoy it.”
I rolled my eyes. “We’re not moving in together today. We have to be responsible adults.”
His smirk was made of sin. “We’re playing hooky from our friends because we don’t want to be responsible adults.”
“That’s fair.” I pointed at the menu. “Before your one-track mind goes off that single track, I need food.”
He followed my finger. “What looks good to you?”
“I want those Lobster Rangoon Spring Rolls, the grilled shrimp with spinach and whipped potatoes, and whatever sort of dessert this fancy-ass place can rustle up.”
“I like that you have your order ready.”
“Um… that’s just smart. We won’t be dilly-dallying. Food, then right back here to watch a horror movie and play a little game of our own.”
“I love the way your mind works.” He gave me a hard, fast kiss. “I’m getting the filet mignon, wild mushrooms, and whipped potatoes. Their she-crab soup is to die for too.”
“See.” I bobbed my head. “Now you’re thinking.”
He looked at me with such wonder that I decided skipping dinner might be okay. Then again, his smile told otherwise. I would need sustenance. He clearly had plans for me that would stretch far into the night.
“We’ll be smart about the whole thing,” he said. “I have stuff for cocktails here. I plan to speed like a crazy man in the golf cart to and from there, so no cocktails at the restaurant.”
That didn’t bother me. “That sounds good. I get to pick the movie we watch, though.”
He fell silent for a beat. “What were you thinking?” he asked finally.
“Abigail.”
He broke into a wide grin.
“I like to play with my food,” we said at the same time, repeating a great line from the movie.
On impulse, I threw my arms around his neck. Things felt so right with him. I was still afraid they would fall apart, but I trusted him with my whole heart. For the first time in a long time, I had genuine hope for my future.
He rested his cheek against the side of my head. “This sounds like it could be the best night of my life.”
His words touched me. “It’s going to be great.”
“Then let’s get dressed.” He gave my bottom a friendly swat. “I’m starving and I need to carb load. I have very specific plans for you.”
A shiver of anticipation ran through me. “You read my mind.”
“Funny how that works.”
“It really is.”