Chapter Thirteen
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
TOBIAS
“I’m so sad that the two of you are leaving today,” Grandma Betty says as Natalie dishes out breakfast.
“Me too,” Quinn, who arrived around 1:00 a.m. this morning, says as she pours another cup of coffee. “I just got here, and I haven't seen you in years.”
She’s talking to Natalie, of course.
“I know. I need to know everything you’ve been up to. A travel blog is huge, and I still can’t believe you have three times the followers your brother has.”
“I can.” My sister shoots a smug smile my way. “But you are a bestselling author, so that’s cool too.”
I roll my eyes. They’ll never let me live that down, but also, I’m damn proud of my sister for taking what she loves in life and making it her dream career.
I half-ass slug her shoulder. “Thanks sis.”
“Anytime.”
“What time are you leaving again?” Grandma Betty asks.
“As soon as we’re done with breakfast,” I answer before Quinn or Natalie can come up with a reason for us to stay longer. We’ve been here for three days. In that time, Natalie and I have taken notes after notes of the type of story we want to write. As soon as we get back, we’re going to make a routine that lets us write together each night.
The book is about a woman who falls for her sister-in-law's ex-fiancé. It hits that forbidden romance vibe perfectly, and the amount of sneaking around we have will be perfect. It isn’t what I typically write, but here we go. Truth be told, I haven’t been this eager to start a new book in a while. My most recent flops just felt auto-programmed. I’ve missed the passion this new one has reminded me of. Natalie’s excitement over the entire thing helps a lot too.
“Natalie can stay since you each have your own car,” Quinn suggests.
“No. I’ll be driving behind her.”
“Okay, what are you, her daddy?”
The coffee I'd sipped shoots from my mouth and all over Grandma Betty.
“Oh heavens,” she says with a laugh.
Natalie jumps up from the table for a towel while Quinn just shakes her head with her eyes on me.
“Whoa, calm down,” Quinn says. “It was a joke.”
“I get that.”
“We should add the daddy kink to our book,” Natalie says as she tosses the towel at me to help Grandma Betty clean up.
“Oh, this book is going to have sex in it?” my sister asks, and I shoot her a glare. “What?” She holds her hands up. “I wasn't sure if that was crossing a line in your friendship.”
“It’s not,” Natalie says before I can. “We can be professionals.”
I sip my coffee and smirk at my sister. “Yeah, what she said.”
“Okay,” Quinn says sarcastically.
“Maybe we should add an annoying little sister too,” I suggest, and Natalie just laughs.
Now that she's back in my life more, I’d do anything to see that smile or hear her laugh.
Up until the last few days, I knew that I missed her. That I missed us .
But I’m starting to see that it was a whole lot more than I thought.
* * *
As soon as breakfast is over, Natalie and I give our goodbye hugs and then both hit the road, but first, we stop for a pistachio latte.
Once we’re on the highway, the speakers in my truck announce an incoming call from Natalie.
“Miss me already, do you?”
“Well, I figure that just because we aren’t riding together doesn't mean we can’t talk. I mean, who else do you have to talk to?”
I chuckle.
“Well, I could call a few people, I suppose. Or just listen to music.”
“Where’s the fun in that?”
“There isn’t any, I guess.”
“Well, I have a few more ideas about this book we’re writing.”
“Okay.” I grin. “Let’s hear them.”
The other thing I’ve loved the past few days are her ideas and the fact that, between the two of us, we have a solid book. Hell, Natalie has a naughty sense of humor, and with the sex, the drama, and the humor this book is going to have, she very well may ditch me for another book down the road. She has a gift.
“What if they have a one-night stand and she gets pregnant, but he’s so distraught over his broken engagement that he changes his contact information, and she can’t reach him to tell him about the baby?”
“That’s a pretty big plot change.”
“You’re right. Save it for book two?”
“Book two.” I laugh. “Planning ahead.”
“Yes. I’ve been so wrapped up in this book thing that I haven’t had time to think about my real life, and I’ve loved every minute of it.”
I nod, even though she can’t see me.
“If you want to talk about it, we can,” I offer.
I’ll despise Griffin till my dying day, but if Natalie needs to talk, I’m here for her.
“Nope. The only thing I need to figure out at this point is how to get my things.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I need my computer for work. I need my clothes, shoes, and jewelry. I even want the stupid blender set I bought that I hardly ever use unless I’m making cookies, but I’m waiting till Griffin is out of town again. He’ll be back in California by the weekend. We still have a shared schedule on my phone. I’ll go get my things then.”
Ah.
“I’ll go with you if you want,” I offer.
“In two days,” she repeats. “I'll definitely let you come with me.”
“Great.”
“Okay, now can I get back to this book?”
I laugh. Her excitement for something I’ve done at least fifty times is an excellent reminder that I shouldn't take the good things in my life for granted.
Natalie Miller included.