Chapter 3
Nathan followed Peter down the steps from the carport to the lower level of the aging bungalow.
This lot wasn’t sloped enough for a walkout basement, which made it better for the vegetable gardens the Santoro guys planned to plant, but a bit less enticing for a rental.
He mentally kicked himself. Like he could afford to be picky.
Yeah, he’d saved up some funds from his time in California — enough to see him through a year if he were careful — but he’d rather put that down on a house of his own than squander it on rent. If he stayed.
Peter unlocked the basement door, pushed it open, and flicked on the lights. “It’s not much, sorry. We just moved in ourselves a few days ago and haven’t had a chance to clean down here.”
It definitely could use a good scrubbing, but it looked in decent shape.
Plywood cupboard doors, painted cream, hung level in the tiny kitchen, and a small window over the single sink looked into the backyard at ground level.
Across the main living space, a large window on the top half of the wall let in a fair bit of light.
He scuffed his boot against the faded fake-wood vinyl floor. Better than stinky, ancient carpet.
“So there’s a bedroom and a bath down here.” Peter led the way down the hallway. “They aren’t huge, but then neither is the house.” He opened the door to the bedroom.
Nathan peeked inside. The window, albeit smaller than the one in the living room, also faced the street, and the space came with a good-sized closet.
He glanced in the bathroom across the hall with its shower cubicle instead of a tub.
No worry there. He hated sitting in a tub while water went tepid.
“The rest of it is a shared laundry area and storage.” Peter opened the door at the end of the hall.
“There’s a set of stairs up to the main house through there, but the previous owners also made sure the basement had that private entry from the carport.
At any rate, you can use the laundry facilities, too.
Alex has ordered a washer and dryer, and they should arrive in the next few days. ”
“I can’t believe Alex bought a house.” Nathan shook his head. “Last time I saw him he was still a nerdy high schooler.”
His friend chuckled. “Alex is a go-getter. Uncle Ray paid his way through college, and Alex kept a part-time job and socked away every penny he earned. He’s been a full-fledged accountant for a couple of years now and stayed living with his parents until this past week.”
Nathan whistled. “That’s impressive. I don’t know too many guys his age — he’s what, twenty-four? — who’ve bought their own home.” Even if it was nothing fancy.
“Me neither. I’ve got two and a half years on him, and I’m still working on it. Getting close, but starting this business and contemplating quitting my job in a year or two has me second-guessing.”
Jasmine had said something about a multi-year plan. “So you guys are starting small this year?”
“Yeah. I wanted to jump straight in, but Alex... well, he’s the long-term thinker. And he’s right. Basil is going full-time this year. He’s been working for the city public works department, but he hates it, so we decided he could start first. We’ll all pitch in evenings and weekends.”
Jasmine. She was one of the all Peter meant. Nathan turned. “Look, about Jasmine.”
Peter ran a hand through his shock of dark hair. “Yeah. I don’t know what to say.”
“This basement looks fine, and the rent is fair. There’s plenty of room to set up a home office in the living room. I really appreciate the offer, both of the suite and of being my first client here. But I sure hate to make things awkward.”
“What happened between the two of you? I mean, I hate to ask.”
Nathan shook his head, thinking back. “You knew we dated a few years. She was still in high school when we started going out, but when she began naming our babies, I freaked. I didn’t handle it well. Just bailed and left town.”
“Jasmine can be focused and blunt.”
He’d loved that about her. At least, when it didn’t terrify him. She never said things to him simply because he expected to hear them, so she was either a breath of fresh air or a blast of something else. “At least a guy always knows where he stands with her.”
Peter chuckled. “One way to put it. Look. You remember the Santoro clan. We’re ninety percent testosterone, and Jasmine is like a sister to me. Maybe you two should talk about the past and get it behind you once and for all. Just clear the air.”
“I don’t know.” Nathan grimaced, remembering the scathing look she’d blasted his way.
“I don’t think she’s in any frame of mind for that type of conversation.
I think... I think she really hates my guts.
” He’d moved on. Why hadn’t she? Eight years was a long time to pack around that much resentment.
“Well, I’ll talk to her then. I should have before, but I didn’t. It’s not like Jasmine has worn her heart on her sleeve all these years, so I assumed Basil was right when he assured me it was ancient history. That’ll teach me to trust his word.”
The man had seemed excessively entertained by his sister’s discomfort. “And yet you’re going into business with him.” The same could be said of Nathan, but not to the same degree. Bridgeview Backyards would be only one of multiple clients for him, Lord willing.
“I know. It doesn’t seem to make sense, but underneath it all, Basil’s a good guy. He’s contributed as much to the business plan as the rest of us have, and he’s a hard worker. He just needs a leg up.”
Must be nice to be an optimist like Peter.
But Nathan needed to find some optimism of his own. He’d cut all his ties in L.A., sold everything that didn’t fit in his truck, and driven north, back to Spokane.
Surely he was brave enough to talk things out with Jasmine.
A few days later, Jasmine locked the massage clinic behind her and started down the sidewalk, but she didn’t get far.
Bridgeview Bakery and Bistro’s cheery yellow and white awning had its usual effect on her, drawing her into its welcoming interior.
She’d take a few minutes for a cup of tea with Kass, if the café wasn’t too busy.
Her friend would sympathize with her plight.
She lowered the hood on her rain jacket as she pulled open the glass door then stepped inside. A few patrons dotted the space, enjoying a quiet reprieve with friends or laptops before heading home on this dismal day.
“Jasmine!” Peter stood up and waved from the table farthest from the door. “Join us?”
Her teeth ground together as she recognized the back of Nathan’s head beside Basil’s. Neither turned to greet her, which was just fine. She didn’t want to talk to them anyway. She shook her head at Peter and pivoted. Tea at home would be just fine today. Linnea was likely already at the apartment.
“I’ll grab you a tea in a minute, Jasmine!” called Kass. “I wanted to ask you something.”
Drat. She could look like a petulant child or wait for her friend, although that sure beat sitting across from her brother and Nathan.
She made her way to a wooden table on the far side of the small bistro and dropped into a turquoise chair facing the whitewashed plank wall.
Her friend would need to be able to see the café anyway.
As she unzipped her jacket and flipped it back over her chair, she could hear Kass cheerfully refilling coffee cups and laughing with customers. A minute later, two cups of tea slid onto the table, and Kass settled across from her.
“Can’t promise to sit for long.” Kass surveyed the place around Jasmine. “Shay went home early because she wasn’t feeling well, and Hailey’s cleaning in the back. Of course, today would be the day it’s busy right up until closing.”
Today would be the day Nathan had come. Didn’t he know this was her space to unwind after a long day of massaging people’s backs? Of course, he didn’t know, and he wouldn’t care anyway. Making her uncomfortable was nothing to him. A joke, maybe.
“So, I wanted to ask you...” Kass lowered her voice. “Do you know that guy sitting with Basil and Peter over there? Hailey said he went to high school here.”
Jasmine grimaced. So much for peace. “I know him. Or once did.”
“Hailey heard he’s won some awards for marketing campaigns in Los Angeles. She’s thinking we should hire him to help us take our business to the next level. What do you think?”
“I think he should go back to L.A. and stay there.” Jasmine’s hand trembled as she lifted her teacup and had a sip.
“Well. That’s not the answer I was expecting.”
Sometimes she forgot Kass had lived in Galena Landing, Idaho, during junior and senior high then been in and out of Spokane until she and her cousin had inherited their grandparents’ bakery. Which meant she hadn’t been around for the Nathan years.
Jasmine willed a blank look to her face and kept her voice even. “He was a jerk, and I’m sure that hasn’t changed.”
Kass’s eyebrows rose.
Really? Hailey had let a bit of juicy gossip go to waste?
Jasmine cleared her throat. “We once dated. Ancient history, and it should stay there.”
From the corner of her eye, Jasmine saw Hailey round the end of the counter, fluffing her short blond hair as she sashayed toward the guys’ table.
Surely Hailey wouldn’t go to all that bother for Basil or Peter, so it must be Nathan she had her eye on this time.
Poor guy. No, wait. That would solve all of Jasmine’s problems, right?
Not only would Nathan get a stiff dose of Hailey — which would serve him right — but Hailey might stop throwing herself at every other man in her vicinity.
Okay, maybe that wasn’t entirely fair. Hailey had some good traits. She was a superb baker and seemed able to run a business in the black. She was Eden’s best friend, and Eden was great, so there must be more to Hailey than Jasmine had ever had the patience to look for.
“Hi, guys.” Hailey’s clear voice rang across the café. “Mind if I join you for a few minutes?”
Jasmine would not turn around and see Hailey fluttering her long eyelashes at Nathan. Would not. She met Kass’s gaze across the table as her friend shook her head.
“There she goes,” whispered Kass.
She’d never stopped to wonder what Kass thought of her cousin’s incessant man-chasing. Must be embarrassing being related to her... much like Basil was a constant thorn in Jasmine’s side.
A scuffle of chairs drew Jasmine’s attention. Man, she shouldn’t have been so determined to keep her back to the room. She’d dearly love to see what was going on.
No, she wouldn’t.
“Sorry, Hailey, we were just leaving.” Peter’s voice. “I know you’re almost ready to close, so we don’t want to keep you.”
Jasmine couldn’t help the grim smile twitching at her lips as the clomp of men’s boots came toward the exit.
“Sure, another time, then. Good to see you again, Nathan.”
“Likewise.”
He was right behind her. She could tell by where Kass’s gaze angled. But any second the door would swoosh open, letting in a blast of cold, damp air, and the footsteps would recede. And then she could breathe again.
“Jasmine?”
No . She scrunched her eyes shut, but that didn’t stop Nathan from pulling out the yellow chair beside her and lowering himself into it. She should’ve gone with her first instinct and left the café as soon as she’d realized he was here.
“Hi, you must be Nathan.” Kass stretched her hand across the table. “I’m Kass, Hailey’s cousin and the co-owner of Bridgeview Bakery and Bistro. Welcome back to the neighborhood.”
“Nice to meet you.”
Behind her, she could feel the shaft of air as the door opened. Heard Peter’s and Basil’s voices suddenly cut out as it closed. She might be stuck with Nathan — momentarily — but at least her brother wasn’t here to rub her nose in it.
She gulped the tea and scooted her chair back. “I need to get rolling, too. Linnea’s probably home by now. Thanks for taking a minute to sit with me, Kass.”
Her friend’s gaze flicked from her to Nathan and back again. “Sure. I’ll catch you again soon.”
Jasmine slid her arms down the sleeves of her jacket and winced when Nathan’s hands lifted it to her shoulders. Nathan, a gentleman? “Thanks.” She grabbed her backpack purse and shrugged it on.
Nathan followed her to the door and pushed it open for her.
She brushed past him, inhaling the scent of his woodsy cologne along with the March rain. Why did the man have to smell so good? It was beyond annoying.
“We need to talk, Jasmine.” His voice was low. Patient .
She swung to face him even as she backed up a few steps. “There isn’t anything to talk about.”
“I think there is. I have apologies to make. Explana—”
“Accepted. You were a jerk.” She sliced her hand. “We’re done. Nothing further to discuss.” She pivoted and strode up the sidewalk.
“I’m truly sorry, Jasmine.”
His words were nearly swallowed in the staccato of raindrops beating on the pavement, but she heard them. She heard the echo of them all the way back to Bridgeview Manor.