Chapter 34
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
“It’s my dreadful temper! I try to cure it, I think I have and then it breaks out worse than ever.” ~Louisa May Alcott, Little Women
N at dipped her grilled cheese into the creamy homemade tomato soup. It was a drizzly mid-September day. The heat of summer had dulled with the cool breath of autumn. The meal was a perfect pairing for the first crisp day of approaching fall. Even better was the pairing with her lunch date for today, Noah. In the quiet confines of his back office at the brewery, they sat opposite each other, his walnut desk serving as their table.
In the last two weeks since she’d talked to Dad and Clayton, she and Noah found or, frankly, created stolen moments with each other. Today was Dad’s turn on the hospital rotation schedule, so Nat took his work/life balance advice to heart and snuck away for lunch with Noah. The brewery didn’t open until four. It was only noon, so staff wouldn’t arrive until three to prep for opening. It was just them in their little secret romance bubble.
“So good,” she groaned with pleasure, tilting her head back as she bit into the gooey Gruyere spilling over the sandwich’s edges.
An amused expression covered his face. “I don’t think I’ll ever tire of feeding you. You’re adorable when you eat my food.”
She pointed her half-eaten sandwich at him. “You think I’m adorable, period.”
“Very true.” He leaned over the desk and bit off a piece of her sandwich.
She gaped. It was both very sexy when he did that and also frustrating. How dare he eat the food he’d prepared for her? Although, the playful glint in his eyes dissolved any inclination to be annoyed with him. She could never be angry with this man.
He wiped his mouth. “The way you’re looking at me tells me you think I’m also adorable.”
“You are adorable. I’ve even told my therapist how adorbs you are.” She dunked the last bit of the sandwich into the remaining soup.
After the talk with Clayton, he’d texted Elle to get the name of her therapist. Dr. Horin was a psychologist located at Sloan-Whitney’s Manhattan Hospital but offered virtual appointments. Nat’s first session was last week, and her second session was scheduled for after work today. The first session had been tough but good. Elle had warned her that sometimes Nat would leave a session feeling wrung out like a dishrag, but she’d encouraged Nat to stick with it because a wet rag needed to be wrung from time to time to make it work.
“I’ve also told my therapist about how adorable you are.” Noah winked.
“Aren’t we just the enlightened, emotionally healthy couple talking about our therapy sessions over grilled cheese and soup.”
His lips kicked up into a smirk. “So, the application deadline is coming up for that grant. Have you spoken to your parents about it, yet?”
“Tomorrow. I asked them if we could have lunch at the house after the clinic closes.”
The clinic closed at noon on Friday to accommodate the schedule to be open on Saturdays. Most Fridays, Dad rounded at the hospital or spent it shadowing Clayton at the veterinarian clinic, but this Friday, he’d agreed to their lunch meeting instead. Dad had started going to Clayton’s clinic last year after the two had reinvented their relationship. It was one of the ways that Dad wanted Clayton to know how proud he was. It was just another reason she loved and looked up to her dad.
“You got this, baby,” he assured, picking up his bottled water.
Nat leaned back in the red Windsor chair. “Thanks. I’m really excited about this. So is Summer. I hope they go for it. Although, if they don’t, I think I may do it anyway. I mean, the clinic will be mine one day. I’d prefer to do this with their support, but if they’re not on board, I’m going to submit the proposal either way.”
“Do you think they’d not get on board?” He scooped up their empty paper plates and bowls to toss into the bin beside the desk.
She unwrapped a moist towelette, then cleaned her hands. “Not anymore. I think Dad will be on board. Mom may get a little fussy that I didn’t bring her in before I pulled together the application, but I want her to see that I can handle both the clinical and administrative side of the clinic. At the end of the day, I know they’ll be supportive because this is what’s best for our patients.”
The self-doubts that had nipped at her after first coming home had dissolved over the last few weeks. No longer was she trying to be Dr. Owens. She was Dr. Owens. Her version of it.
“You’re a badass, baby.” He bent to kiss her.
The delicious taste of tomato soup lingered on his lips. Deepening their kiss, a tingle spread through her body. Nat rose to her feet and stepped into his arms. His hands were strong and gentle as they wrapped around her waist, pulling her against his firm chest.
“Does your office door have a lock?” she panted as they broke their kiss. Thanks to her period last week, it had been several days since they’d had sex. Unacceptable! She was leaning into this horny teenager phase they were in.
Noah lifted her onto the desk. Pivoting, he walked to the door and locked it. Hunger darkened his blue eyes as he prowled across the office to her. A starving wolf ready to devour a helpless doe. Although, she wasn’t helpless, and the way her nails left the imprint of her passion in his skin showed she was more she-wolf than docile doe. Heat crawled up her body with each step he took.
“We’re alone,” he nipped her lower lip, the delicious sting coursing through her. “No need to be quiet.”
She was not quiet. Neither was he.
Sated and giggling, they walked out of the office. Nat smoothed her ponytail, which had come undone during their rather athletic office sexcapades. The desk and wall will never be the same. Noah’s button-up was untucked and wrinkled from where she’d pulled it off him and tossed it to the floor. As they headed down the short hallway coming into the main front of the bar, clapping halted their steps.
Todd leaned against the bar, a giant grin on his face, as he clapped. “Nicely done, you two.”
Nat’s cheeks flamed. “Oh, my goddess!” she squeaked, burying her face against Noah’s chest.
“I thought you weren’t coming in until three,” Noah grumbled, running soothing strokes down Nat’s back.
“I came in early to work on the pumpkin ale for Fall Fest next weekend. I was in the basement.”
“I’m mortified.” Her voice was muffled against Noah’s chest.
Getting caught by Todd making out was one thing, but getting caught post-coitus at his place of business was quite another thing.
“Don’t be embarrassed, Nat.” Todd’s default snarky tone turned tender and comforting. “I barely heard anything. Although, what I did hear was rather impressive.”
“Dude!” Noah snapped, his tone warning. He tightened his arms around her.
Nat poked her head up, twisting to Todd.
His lips turned down in a frown as he looked at her face. “Sorry, Nat. I’m a dick. If it makes things even, I haven’t had sex with anyone but my left hand in two years.”
Strangely, that did make her feel a little better.
“Why the left hand?” she blurted.
“Because I’m right-handed, so it’s like I’m having sex with someone else.”
“Ha!” she barked.
“Dude.” Noah vibrated with embarrassed laughter for his friend.
Todd shrugged. Not a twinge of mortification tinted his green eyes nor his smirk.
Nat faced Todd while Noah’s arms remained draped around her shoulders. “Todd, we need to get you a girlfriend.”
“I don’t want a girlfriend. I’d like the girlfriend.” Wistfulness shaded his voice.
Nat knew who the girlfriend was. At least, she suspected who it was. Maybe it was a kinship with a fellow crusher, but she could never be annoyed with Todd. For years she’d crushed on Noah with no hope of the feelings being returned. She hadn’t been brave enough to put her desires out there. Todd’s advances and flirtations had been batted away by Summer countless times. Nat believed the rejection had nothing to do with Todd and everything to do with Summer’s past.
Noah kissed Nat’s cheek. “I highly recommend the girlfriend.”
Her pulse ticked up. The girlfriend. It had been just over a month since Todd had first caught them kissing behind the Wine Down. Like a boiling pot of water, her feelings had only intensified. She toggled between a lightness that almost lifted her off the ground and the too-full sensation within her heart.
Thoughtfulness lit Todd’s features. “I’m glad Prince Charming finally found his queen.”
“Thanks, Todd.” She smiled. I am a queen, not a princess. Suck it, Duncan!
“I’m assuming we’re still hush-hush about this.” Todd gestured between them.
They nodded.
Shaking his head, he said, “Okay. Well, on that note, I’m going to head out to run an errand. I’ll be back at three. From now on, I’ll text you before I come in, just to be on the safe side.”
After Todd slipped out the front door, Noah locked it. He turned, and they both burst out into unbridled laughter.
“Well, at least he’d only heard us and didn’t see us,” Noah said, walking to her.
“Are we as bad as Elle and Clayton?” she lamented.
“Never! Again, he only heard us. They’ve been caught in person having sex by at least three members of their wedding party.” He kissed her forehead. “But he does bring up a valid point. It’s been a month of sneaking around. I know you’ve told Summer, and your dad knows. By the way, does he know that I know that he knows? I only ask because he kept calling me son and giving me these almost salacious looks during dinner last Sunday.”
She shook her head. “I didn’t tell him that you know that he knows. By the way, that question sounds like a line from Friends when Monica and Chandler were sneaking around.”
His lips quirked. “Your dad aside, I think we should tell people. Fall Fest is coming up, and I’d like to take my girlfriend. I’d like to hold her hand while I buy her an apple dumpling. I’d like to kiss her in public. I’d like to stop sneaking around.” Determination glinted in his eyes.
All of that sounded wonderfully tempting. To step into the light with Noah. The only time they held hands in public was when they’d drive to Rochester or Buffalo for a date. It would be nice to not have to drive an hour to hold her boyfriend’s hand.
Nat’s gaze flicked to the picture behind the bar. It was from the grand opening. Noah and Clayton beamed as they toasted with bottles of Doc Owens beer. A vision of that picture torn in half flashed through her brain.
She shook her head. “I’m not ready.”
“Nat.” His exhale was loud and heavy. “When do you think you’ll be ready?”
She stepped out of his arms. “I don’t know. I don’t know.”
“I know you’re scared to tell Clayton, but if your dad is any indication, I think he’ll be okay with us.”
“You think Clayton will be okay that you’re fucking his little sister?” The harshness in the words left a bitter taste in her mouth.
Noah blanched. “How could you say that? That’s not what we’re doing, and you know it. We’re more than that.”
She threw her hands up. “I know that’s not what we’re doing, but that’s where Clayton will go. Besides Elle, you probably know Clayton best. Can you look at me and honestly say he’s going to jump for joy that you are screwing his sister?”
Anger flashed in his expression. “I wish you’d stop putting it in those terms.”
“That’s how Clayton’s going to see it!” she shouted.
“Not if we explain things,” he shouted back.
Nat stepped back. “Stop pushing, Noah.”
He closed his eyes. “I don’t want to be your dirty little secret anymore.”
The words stung like a slap to the face. “Then don’t be,” she hissed, walking towards the back door.
“Nat, wait,” he called.
“No. I need to get back to the clinic. I have patients,” she said, slamming the door behind her as she left.