Chapter Twelve
Markie sat up when Nate pulled into the driveway of her mother’s home, and she couldn’t help but grin when she saw another vehicle parked in the driveway.
“I bet that’s my aunt’s car,” Markie said excitedly.
Nate chuckled. “I’m anxious to meet her.”
Markie shook her head, a fond smile on her lips. “She is going to love you.”
“You’re close?”
“Very. She’s my mother’s sister, but they are as different as night and day. She can’t understand Mom being with Jarrett either. She made sure Jarrett knew her feelings toward him when they first met.” Markie laughed. “She told him, don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to, but my sister is not as na?ve as you may think.”
“She sounds like a smart woman.” Nate laughed. “Is her husband coming with her?”
“Uncle Leo passed away two years ago.”
“I’m sorry for your loss.”
“He was a wonderful man, and Aunt Lola was crazy about him. His death hit her hard, but she seems to have found a way to move forward.”
“What happened to her husband?”
“He suffered a massive heart attack at just fifty-six years old.”
“That’s so young.”
“Yes, it was unexpected and devastating for our family. Aunt Lola became a widow at such a young age. She’s still a beautiful woman, and I hope she finds love again, but I can tell you one thing; she does not hold back. She always speaks her mind.”
“I’m glad she’s here for your mother.”
“Despite their differences, they are very close.”
“Does your aunt have kids?”
“No. She said Uncle Leo couldn’t have them. She was fine with it. She said she’d just spoiled me instead of her own.” Markie smiled.
“So, why wasn’t your aunt at your mother’s party?”
“She came to see her on her birthday because she was leaving on a cruise that weekend.”
“I see. Well, at least she saw her on her birthday.”
As they pulled up to the house, Nate brought the truck to a stop and opened his door before making his way around the front to open the door for Markie. Together, they walked up the stone pathway leading to the front door.
“I’ll get our bags in a few minutes. Let’s go inside first,” Nate said, placing a hand on Markie’s back as they stepped onto the porch.
“Alright.” Markie gasped as she heard raised voices coming from inside.
“Open the door,” Nate encouraged.
Markie turned the knob and took a deep breath before pushing it open, revealing the spacious foyer adorned with elegant décor.
“Aunt Lola!” Markie cried out happily, spotting her aunt standing nearby.
“Oh, my goodness! Come here,” Lola said with open arms, beckoning Markie over. She then turned to face Nate with an appraising gaze. “And you must be Nate Jefferson. I’ve heard so much about you.”
Nate extended his hand to Lola with a smile. “It’s nice to finally meet you, ma’am.”
Lola looked him up and down before letting out a hearty laugh. “You sure are one handsome devil.”
Nate couldn’t help but grin at her compliment. “Thank you, ma’am. And between you and her mother, I can definitely see where Markie gets her looks.”
Lola laughed, her eyes sparkling as she leaned closer to Nate. “I bet you’ve talked your fair share of women out of their clothes.”
Nate chuckled, playing along. “I plead the fifth.”
Lola let out another laugh before turning to Markie. “And don’t think I haven’t noticed that it’s been quite a while since my niece has had any action in that department.”
Markie’s cheeks turned pink as she tried to hide her embarrassment. Nate simply laughed and shrugged his shoulders.
“I did warn you,” Markie whispered to him, trying not to smile.
“You did, but I don’t think anything could have prepared me for this,” Nate replied with a smirk.
“No, I don’t think I’m right. In fact, I’d go as far to say that Markie is getting action in that department. You two have enough chemistry between you to set the whole house on fire,” Lola said with a wink.
Markie groaned while Nate just laughed at her embarrassed reaction.
“So, how are things going? I thought I heard some shouting,” Markie asked her aunt in a hushed tone.
“Ahh, that was just me and the dickhead. He’s not too thrilled about me being here, but I told him to fuck off. If I want to see my sister, he sure as hell wasn’t going to stop me.”
Nate couldn’t help but laugh at Lola’s blunt honesty. “I knew I was going to like her, and wait until he sees that I’m here,” Nate said with a grin.
“Oh, I definitely know why he doesn’t like you. Pure jealousy,” Lola said with a sly grin.
“Markie, honey!” Stella exclaimed as she pulled her daughter into a hug before turning to greet Nate. “And Nate! Thank you so much for coming.”
“What’s going on?” Jarrett’s voice boomed from the opposite end of the room as he entered the foyer.
“They’re just here for support,” Stella replied calmly.
“Support for what?” Jarrett asked with an annoyed tone.
The air in the room was tense as Stella stood firm, her arms crossed over her chest. Jarrett’s face contorted with anger as he faced Nate and his sister-in-law Lola, who both seemed unfazed by his presence. Markie watched the scene unfold, silently worrying about what would happen next.
“Support for me tossing your ass out. You’ve been stealing my medication, and I will not stand for it,” Stella’s voice was strong and unwavering. “And I also know how you like trying to touch my daughter.” Her expression turned to one of disgust, her eyes blazing with anger. “You will go upstairs and pack, then get the hell out of my house.”
“And if I don’t?” Jarrett challenged, his tone dripping with arrogance.
“Then I’ll make you,” Nate spoke up quietly but with conviction as he stepped forward.
Markie couldn’t help but feel a sense of admiration for Nate as she watched him stand up to Jarrett. Her mother’s strength was evident in her stance, but when she glanced at her aunt, she couldn’t hold back a small laugh at the sight of her beaming with satisfaction at seeing Jarrett intimidated.
“You think you’ve got the balls, Jefferson?” Jarrett sneered.
Nate grinned confidently. “I’d bet they’re bigger than yours, Knowles.”
Jarrett suddenly turned to Stella pleadingly. “Stella, baby, we can talk about this. I’ll get help. I know I have a problem—”
He was cut off when Nate snorted derisively. The look on his face made it clear that he didn’t believe a word coming out of Jarrett’s mouth.
“With taking your pills,” Jarrett confessed, desperation creeping into his voice. “There, I admit it. Doesn’t that mean I’m willing to get help? We can get through this.”
Stella’s expression remained stoic as she shook her head. “No. I’m done. You should still get help, but it won’t make a difference to our marriage. I want you out. Today.”
Jarrett’s eyes darted between each person in the room before he huffed and stormed up the staircase. The slam of a door echoed through the house, causing everyone to flinch.
“You know you’re going to have to replace every lock in this house, Stella,” Lola stated matter-of-factly.
“Oh, my. I never thought of that,” Stella replied, looking slightly panicked.
“We can take care of that for you,” Nate offered. “We’ll see how many locks you need and Markie and I will go get them. And don’t worry, I can install them for you.”
Markie felt tears welling up in her eyes as she watched her mother embrace Nate in a grateful hug, his arms wrapping around her protectively.
“Thank you, Nate,” Stella said, her voice filled with emotion. “Markie, why don’t you both go through the house and see how many locks we need? Don’t forget the doors to the upstairs bedrooms that lead out to the patios. I’ll give you my credit card before you go.”
“Will you be alright here?” Markie asked her mother with concern.
“We’ll wait until he leaves, Markie,” Nate reassured her, placing a comforting hand on her neck. “And we won’t be long.”
“Alright. Let’s start down here and then we’ll tackle the upstairs once he’s gone.” Markie grabbed Nate’s hand, and they began their count of how many locksets were needed.
As they made their way through the house, Markie couldn’t help but feel grateful for Nate’s presence. Without him, her mother would have to call a locksmith and who knows how long that would take. The locks needed to be changed now.
They shared a knowing look and grinned when they heard the front door slam shut, signaling Jarrett’s departure.
Later, as they roamed the aisles of the hardware store, Nate loaded the cart with the necessary locks while Markie pushed it along. They quickly returned to the house.
“I’ll get started on these,” Nate said as he passed through the kitchen, his hands full with tools and locksets. “I’m not sure I’ll get the upstairs finished tonight, but I will get these down here done.”
“Okay. I don’t think there’s any way he could get up to the second level anyway.” Markie leaned in to kiss Nate’s lips softly. “Thank you for doing this.”
“It’s my pleasure, darlin’. Go spend time with your mother and aunt. I’ll be around here somewhere.”
“Do you need any help?” Markie asked anxiously.
Nate chuckled. “Do you know how to install locks? Deadbolts?”
Markie blushed. “Uh, no.”
“Then no, I don’t need your help,” Nate teased with a grin as he set to work on installing the new locks,
Markie laughed and headed back to the kitchen, grateful for Nate’s calming presence in this situation. She entered the spacious kitchen, her eyes immediately drawn to the island where her mother and aunt sat with a bottle of deep red Merlot. The warm glow from the hanging pendant lights cast an inviting aura over the space. She couldn’t help but smile at the scene, as it reminded her of countless family gatherings.
“How long have you been working on that?” she asked, nodding toward the nearly empty bottle.
Lola laughed heartily. “Since you and Nate left. And we plan on opening another one. Grab a glass and take a seat, sweetie.”
Markie complied, walking toward the cupboard and retrieving a wine glass before settling onto a stool beside her mother and aunt. Lola expertly poured the rich liquid into her glass.
“Where’s that good-looking man of yours?” Lola asked teasingly.
“He’s putting the new locks on the doors,” Markie replied with a smile.
“That’s so nice of him,” Lola commented, pointing a finger at Markie. “That man is very sexy. If I were twenty years younger, I’d give you a run for your money.”
Markie laughed along with them, feeling grateful for their easy banter. “That does not surprise me one bit,” she said affectionately, then turned to her mother. “And you, what was with the flirting at the restaurant with Brooks Reeves?”
Stella gasped in shock. “I did no such thing!”
But Lola just laughed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I do know my sister, and she’s definitely lying.”
They all shared another round of laughter as Lola topped Stella’s glass with more wine. Markie raised her glass to take a sip when Nate unexpectedly entered the kitchen, causing all eyes to turn toward him. He flashed them a grin before heading toward the back door to finish changing the lock. The women couldn’t help but laugh again.
“Damn, he makes me wish I was younger,” Lola said wistfully, her eyes following Nate’s retreating form.
Markie couldn’t help but glance over at him as well, watching intently as he kneeled in front of the back door, expertly removing the old lock before setting it aside. As he stood up and bent over to inspect something, she couldn’t deny the way his tight Wranglers hugged his toned ass, causing her pulse to quicken.
“Don’t you just love a man who can fill out a pair of jeans like that?” Lola sighed dreamily, making Markie and Stella chuckle once more.
“He probably knows how hot women find him,” Markie remarked with a smirk. “But he’s not cocky about it.”
“I can tell he’s a good man,” Lola said with certainty. “You’d better hang on to that one, Markie.”
“Oh, I’m definitely going to try,” Markie replied with a contented sigh, before launching into the story of how she first met Nate and what she thought of him at the time. As she finished her tale, both Lola and Stella stared at her with their mouths agape.
“You cannot be serious!” Lola exclaimed in disbelief. “He is nothing like Jarrett. Absolutely nothing at all.”
Markie couldn’t help but smile at their reactions. “Well, I know that now. But you have to remember when I first met Nate, I hadn’t been in Clifton for very long and my reasons for getting away from here were still fresh in my mind. So, when he made that comment about the foal being a filly due to how long the birth was taking, it rubbed me the wrong way. And don’t even get me started on that infuriating smirk of his.” She paused, shaking her head in amusement. “But now, I wouldn’t change a thing about him.”
Markie’s aunt leaned in closer, her voice full of curiosity. “How long did it take for you to realize he was nothing like Jarrett?”
Markie let out a groan as she recalled the memories. “It took me a while. One of my friends, Sydney, called me out on it when I mentioned how similar Nate seemed to Jarrett. But then, I had to go back to the ranch to give the horses their vaccines and I saw Nate again.” She shook her head in frustration. “He insisted I call him by his first name but then added ‘and I can call you Dr. Russell, right?’ with a sly grin on his face. It took all my self-control not to punch him right then and there.”
Her mother and aunt chuckled along with her before urging Markie to continue.
“When I was leaving, he confronted me about why I seemed to have a problem with him. I told him about Jarrett, and he immediately got defensive. But after talking with Sydney again, I realized I was wrong about Nate. He was nothing like Jarrett and I felt terrible for judging him so quickly.” Markie smiled at the memory.
“I could have told you that from the start,” her aunt Lola interjected with raised eyebrows.
“Markie, honey, I am so sorry for not believing you when you told me about Jarrett’s actions. I should have listened, but I didn’t want to believe it. I wanted to believe he loved me, even though deep down I knew he didn’t,” her mother spoke up with remorse.
Lola nodded in agreement. “To be honest, that just shows how fake he was. A man shouldn’t have to pour on charm or act cocky to get something. If he’s confident in himself, that’s great, but not at the expense of others’ feelings. And from what I’ve seen, Nate is very confident in his masculinity without being cocky.”
Markie sighed in agreement. “Yes, Nate is confident but not in an arrogant way. He’s a good man.”
The three women paused their conversation as Nate returned their way, causing Markie to grin which made him chuckle. He winked at her before heading off to change more locks.
“I can see how happy he makes you, Markie. You deserve a good man in your life, just like your father was for me,” Stella said with a bittersweet smile.
“I know you were happy with him, Mom. And Dad loved you more than anything,” Markie replied.
Stella nodded with tears in her eyes before Lola joined in. “And I had a good man in Leo too. We both want that for you, Markie, and we believe Nate is that man.”
“What man?” Nate’s voice cut through the air as he reentered the kitchen.
The women all picked up their wine glasses and took a sip while Nate looked on, shaking his head in mock frustration.
“So, I’m not going to find out?” he asked with a sigh.
All three women shook their heads, causing Nate to roll his eyes before turning to face Markie. “Women,” he muttered with a playful smirk before leaving the room, bringing laughter from the women once again.
****
Nate strode toward the library in the house, determined to change the locks on the two sets of ornate French doors. With a grunt, he knelt to remove the old lock, muttering under his breath about the excessiveness of multiple entrances.
As he worked, his phone vibrated in his pocket, and he pulled it out to see his friend, Rafe Marshall’s name flashing on the screen.
“Hey, Rafe. What’s going on?” Nate answered, holding the phone with his chin against his shoulder as he worked on the lock.
“How about heading to Dewey’s tonight?”
Nate chuckled. “I’d love to, but I’m in Idaho.”
“What the hell are you doing there?”
Nate quickly explained his current situation, being careful not to reveal too much since it wasn’t really his place to do so.
“I get it. No problem,” Rafe replied. “I hate men like him.”
“Tell me about it. We can go next Saturday night if you’re free. I know you have all those women after you, Marshall,” Nate joked with a grin.
“I wish.” Rafe laughed. “Call me when you get home. It’s almost August, we could be buried in snow by next weekend.”
“In August?”
“Man, it wouldn’t surprise me a bit. Later.”
Nate laughed and promised to give him a call before hanging up.
“Hi.” A soft voice interrupted Nate’s thought, and he turned to find Markie leaning against the door jamb, her eyes fixed on him.
“Hey there. Are you drunk?” He teased with a smile.
“Not yet, but not from lack of trying,” she replied playfully. “I left those two alone for a little while.”
“They seem close,” Nate commented, wiping his hands off on a rag.
“Oh yeah, they’d drop everything for each other,” Markie affirmed with a fond smile.
“I can tell,” Nate agreed.
“Was that Beau on the phone? Is everything okay at the ranch?”
“No, it was actually a good friend of mine, Rafe Marshall.”
“I like his name. Rafe.” Markie grinned.
Nate rolled his eyes. “Of course, you do.”
“Does he work at a ranch too?” Markie inquired curiously.
“Yeah, he’s the manager at the Hancock Ranch. He’s been there forever. We’ve been friends since we were kids in school.”
“Wow, that’s a long time,” Markie remarked.
Nate cocked an eyebrow at her. “Was that a dig at my age?”
“Would I do that?” She countered playfully.
“You shouldn’t. Especially since you’re not far behind me.”
Markie laughed and sauntered closer to him. “How’s the lock changing going?”
“It’s fine. Who needs this many damn doors in a house? I have three; back door, front door, and the one in the laundry room. This house has... way too many to count.”
“It’s a big house,” Markie admitted. “I told you how that all came about. Aunt Lola said she’d move in with her, but even then, it would be too big for just two people. I mean, who needs seven bedrooms, eight bathrooms, a den, library, dining room, and kitchen all to themselves? Carlotta quit but never told Mom why. I bet I know.”
“Who’s Carlotta?”
“Oh, I never told you. I will sometime, but she was the housekeeper and beautiful.”
“I see. I bet I know why she left, too.”
“She also saved me one night. Another story for another time.” She glanced around. “I did love living here when I was growing up, even though I thought it was too big.” She smiled. “But I could hide, and my parents couldn’t find me.” She laughed when Nate chuckled.
“You’re not going to move back here, are you?” Nate asked with a curious furrow in his brow.
“No. I never even gave it a thought. I like living in Clifton, and I love working at the hospital.” She wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers interlocking at the back of his neck. “And I like you.”
Nate’s grin widened. “Thank God for that.” He leaned in and kissed her lips tenderly.
“Enough of that, you two,” Lola said as she entered the room with a gentle smile. “How about we all go out to dinner in about an hour? My treat.”
“I’d like that, Aunt Lola, but we didn’t bring any fancy clothes,” Markie said with a hint of sadness.
“We’ll just head down to the pub. You know they have wonderful food and no need to dress up.”
Markie looked at Nate, seeking his opinion. He placed a hand on her waist. “Anything you want to do is fine with me, darlin’.”
“Okay, Aunt Lola. We’ll go. Nate’s almost finished.”
“This is the last door downstairs. Maybe your mother should change the alarm code too,” Nate suggested thoughtfully.
“Oh, hell. I never thought of that. I’ll go tell her.” Lola smiled brightly at Nate. “Not only good-looking, but smart too. I am telling you, Marjorie Ann Russell, if you let this man go, we are no longer related.” She winked at Markie before leaving the room.
Nate grinned when he saw Markie blushing, then she looked at him.
“I’m sorry—”
“Why? I agree with her.” Nate pulled her close again and kissed her lips. “I’m hoping you never let me go, Markie because I sure as hell don’t want to let you go.”
“I’m happy to hear that, Nate. I don’t want to let you go either,” Markie replied with a smile.
“Let’s go take a shower so we can freshen up for dinner. I hope your mother can change the alarm code. If not, maybe we should just stay here and order takeout.”
“I think it’s just a matter of putting in a new code. I’ll help her. Go take a shower and I’ll be up soon.” Markie turned to leave, but Nate caught her wrist gently, halting her in her tracks. She turned to face him, her eyes questioning.
“I wanted to take a shower with you,” he said.
“Okay. Let me help my mom with the code. I’m sure she knows how to do it, but I’ll stand by just in case she needs me. I’ll be right up. Do not start without me.” She quickly gave him a kiss on the lips before turning and heading out of the room.
Nate watched her leave with a smile, then gathered up his tools and headed back outside to his truck. He unloaded their bags and brought them into the house before making his way up the stairs. He removed his boots and socks, lay back on the bed and waited for Markie.