by MJ Fields
I’ll meet you at your bar. I’d rather not involve my family in this little game.
Raff:
You do realize how small this town is, correct? Would you rather your family hear that we’re dating from someone else, or us?
917-574-3232
8 p.m. your bar, or it’s a no go.
“Is she serious?” Beckett chuckles, reading over my shoulder. I swat at his head, but he pulls back quickly, dodging me.
Out loud but to myself, I reply, “I’m going to go with yes,” before typing out my reply.
One minute late, and I’ll be driving to your doorstep.
“Dad, come on, the game is about to start. We need our coach,” Nathaniel calls from the sidelines. “You, too, Uncle Beckett!”
After the game, Faith took Nathaniel as planned for the entire weekend. It was difficult saying goodbye to him every time he went there for more than a night, but I knew that was a me problem. He loved his family, and they loved him.
After they left the field, Beckett and I discussed a potential business venture.
He had his eyes on a resort in town, and so far wasn’t getting anywhere. “I know it’s barely running, ever since the original owners died. But the son who inherited it, Shepard? I can’t fuckin’ find ‘im.”
“From what I hear from bar gossip, he’s ex-military and wanders from place to place, working at different ranches. He pays his taxes and hasn’t once returned home.”
“He’s sitting on a gold mine,” Beckett huffs. “Natural hot springs, slopes that could easily be groomed, endless possibilities. It would bring this town a hell of a lot more business and steady business at that. Maybe you could talk to some of the locals and see if any know how to get in touch with him?”
“I could try.” I look at my watch.
“This could be good for us,” Beckett calls over his shoulder as he walks to his car.
“I got out of the real estate investment game a long time ago.”
“Might be time to get back in.” He winks. “Unless you’re aiming for poverty now to get little Ms. Nikki in bed.”
I laugh, shaking my head. “When are you heading back to Ireland?”
“Oh, did I forget to mention? I’ll be sticking around—indefinitely.”
Standing at the end of the packed bar, I look at the clock. It’s seven fifty-nine p.m.” and Nikki has a minute to walk through that door before I go knock on hers.
“So.” Nellie slides onto a barstool, leaning forward. “We took bets.”
“Bets?” I pull my phone from my pocket, the time precisely eight o’clock.
“Some thought she’d show up early, some right on time, and me, well, I knew she wouldn’t show up at all.”
A message pops up from Nikki.
“Why’s that?” I lower my gaze, reading the message.
“She left here years ago a mess of a girl, never knowing who she was, hell, I don’t think she’d ever been kissed. Book smart, yes, but zero common sense. Case in point, she stood you up. She came back here that same mess of a girl. Don’t let a good haircut and designer clothes, bought by her rich ex, fool you. I know what’s beneath all that, and it isn’t good.”
“Nellie,” I say as I push my phone in my pocket. “Ask me, why not you.”
“Wh, wh, what?” she stutters.
“Ask. Me: Why. Not. You.”
“Fine.” She straightens her back. “Why not me?”
“Because you’re not a nice person. In fact, you’re a bit of a bitch. If I ever hear you talking badly about Nikki again to me or anyone else in town, I will ban you from this bar and the other establishment that I own. And, Nellie?” Her face is aghast as I whisper in her ear, “I’m about to own a lot more of them—right here.”
I don’t wait for her to find venomous words to spew back at me; instead, I walk out the front door of my bar and look for Nikki.
When I see her, she shakes her head and raises one hand in a small wave.
She’s dressed in a short, tailored camel coat with a wide turned down collar that is belted at her waist. It’s classy and accentuates her curves. But it’s the tight jeans with thigh-high boots that have me adjusting myself. Jesus.
Her soft auburn waves fall past her shoulders. Her snow-white complexion carries very little makeup, enhancing her natural beauty, but by no means does she need even a swipe of that mascara she has on to enrich her round green eyes. Her lashes are about a mile long without any.
“You look stunning.” I walk toward her, stopping myself from wrapping my arms around her and kissing her like I wish I could. Patience, I remind myself.
She again shakes her head; apparently, she’s not yet versed in how to take a compliment, something she’ll have to get used to.
I hold out my arm for her to slide hers through. “The words are, ‘thank you, Raff.’”
“I was going to reply with, ‘I know,’ but that felt a bit presumptuous.”
“Presume away.” I chuckle. “You should know how gorgeous you are.”
“A bit heavy for a first fake date, wouldn’t you say?” She links her arm through mine even though she just mocked the gesture.
“Play it up, Red, bets are going on inside, and right now, that vile creature Nellie is winning because she’s the only one who bet against us.”
As we walk past the front windows of the bar, sure enough, half the patrons are gathered, peering out at us.
Nikki sighs. “Welcome to small-town, USA, where everyone knows everyone else’s next move before it even happens.”
“Well, lucky for you, your date is somewhat of a clairvoyant. I knew enough not to plan our evening in town.” We walk down the alley toward my black Audi. I considered bringing her on my bike, but I wasn’t sure what shoes she would wear or that the weather wouldn’t change on a dime. Next spring, I’ll get her on it.
“Where are we going?” She unlinks her arm from mine, and I open the passenger door for her.
She slides inside, and to my surprise, immediately buckles up. “Soon, you’ll see.” I wink and shut the door.
I sit down in the comfortable leather seat, turn on the vehicle, the heat, and her seat warmer.
“Can you at least tell me how far we’re going?”
“I suppose that wouldn’t hurt.” I start the vehicle and begin to back up.
“Okay, then tell me.”
“I said it wouldn’t hurt, but it might ruin the surprise.”
She huffs, “You’re a frustrating man,” and leans back in the seat.
“I won’t say that’s the first time I’ve heard that, but I do promise it will eventually become less of an annoyance to you.”
“Who told you that, your mother? Because mothers are supposed to lie to make their kids feel better.”
“Actually.” I clear my throat, wondering whether or not I should say what’s in my head. For years, I’ve zipped my lip about Hope in any public setting, worried that if I mentioned her, it would get me pity. I despise pity. I glance at Nikki, and for maybe the first time, I’m not afraid of her reaction. “Hope said the very same thing on our very first date.”
She bites her lip, at first unsure how to reply. “Did she?” And then, she smiles. “That’s a funny coincidence.”
Just like that, my heart thumps. I was right. “She did. Said I was the most frustrating man she ever met, and I had laughed.”
“But,” she flips her hair behind her shoulders, “you and I are fake dating, remember?”
Under my breath, I mutter, “We’ll see about that.”
“I told you, I wasn’t ready for anything serious. A friendship I can handle. A fake relationship can work in both our favors, too. But nothing more.”
My eyes glance down to her thighs. “Casual sex isn’t off the table, is it?” I’m speaking jokingly, but the intent is all truth. I will take anything I can get with this woman. Any request she gives me, the answer is already YES.
She laughs. “It’s so far from the table, it’s s
till in a warehouse in China.”
“Good thing I didn’t bring condoms. And by the way, I only buy furniture made in the US nowadays.”
She laughs again, sputtering some syllables. “Well,” this time it’s her turn to clear her throat, “good thing I flushed my birth control pills down the toilet the minute I came back here.”
I lift a brow, happy to see her fire. Frankly, it turns me on. Annoyed, yet slightly amused and flustered Nikki is hot. I make a mental note to keep her in this mood as much as possible. “By any chance, are you a risk-taker?”
She smacks my arm playfully. “That would sure give Holiday Springs something to talk about.”
After a few minutes of silence, I begin wondering what kind of moron let this girl go. “Tell me about the man who hurt you.”
“You mean broke my heart? Inflated my trust issues?” She sounds like she is purposefully exaggerating, but I can tell the truth; he hurt her bad.
“I know we kid around, but we’re friends, ay? No matter where we take this.”
Her eyes move to me, and I can feel it—I just said the right thing, and it was the damn truth. Something within her energy just changed by my words.
“Friends, huh?” she sighs.
I nod before putting my blinker on, turning right.
“Can we talk about yours first?”
“Sure. Hope is part of my past, and I don’t want any weirdness about that.”
“Was she your first love?”
I nod again. “She actually taught me the definition of the word.”
“So, she was perfect.” Her voice is quiet as she looks out the window.
I laugh, wanting to keep the mood light. “She was perfect for me. But rest assured, she was human.”
“I don’t believe you.” She smiles. “I remember her so well.”
“She snored on occasion.” I turn on the radio, wanting some background music to keep our conversation on the right track. I don’t recognize the song as one that usually plays on repeat on the pop channels Nathaniel listens to, but it’s slow. I look at the screen and read it to myself, “You and Me,” artist: Lifehouse. I look away and continue on without missing so much as a beat. “She didn’t roll the toothpaste tube from the bottom, and she didn’t always put the cap back on either. I caught her drinking out of the milk carton once, and she never put gas in the car; it was always on empty after she’d used it. And, her idea of romance was getting pissed at a pub and having drunk sex. I loved it but still made damn sure on occasion, I treated her how a lady should be treated, in and out of the bedroom. Our relationship was always...young? If that makes sense. Even after having Nathaniel, it felt as if we were kids having a kid. I’ve grown up since then.”
She bites her lip, something heated swimming in her eyes. “Definitely grown up.”
“At this stage, if allowed, I would sit in my home office for twenty-four hours straight. Nathaniel is the reason I have any sort of life. Even back then, I had some of that work-a-holic nature in me, which was why Hope dragged me out to the pubs once a week.”
“Working hard is admirable.”
“Let’s not kid ourselves, Nikki. I like to be the best at everything. If I get in the game, I like to win. Need to win.”
She shrugs. “Some things are not winnable.”
“Everything is winnable, Nikki. Everything.”
I look down as the song changes, “Starving,” by Hailee Steinfeld. “So, you were going to tell me about the arsehole who hurt you?”
She did just that, telling me about her ex-fiancé, the good, the bad, and the breakup. She also told me that since she came home four months ago, they haven't communicated at all.
Totally caught it all, but the fact that the song playing was talking about being starving until ‘I tasted you,, made me a bit curious as to how Nikki was going to taste.
By the time we get to Vail, I despise a man whom I’d never met and never would meet.
I pull into the parking lot. I’m not sure if she wants my two cents, but I have to give it. I can’t help myself. “You blame his mother too much. If Townes were a real man, he would know that his woman should always come first before anyone on this earth. You must be a team to make a marriage work. That means always having each other’s back and trusting that your partner will never pick someone above you.”
Putting the car in park, she leans forward and looks out the window at the gondola ride and asks, “Aren’t they closed?”
“The restaurant, yes. However, we have a reservation elsewhere.” I wink, loving the way her face heats, before getting out of the vehicle. “And I hope you’re hungry. I packed a picnic for the ride.”
Before I have a chance to get around the vehicle to open the door for her, she’s out and looking up at the lifts.
“I’ve never done this at night.” She smiles, bouncing up on her toes.
I pull her into my chest, needing to feel her against me, and as expected, she feels like she fits perfectly. “Me either, Nikki. A first for us both.”
Rule Number Ten
When he’s too good to be true, he probably is
Nikki
You know those dreams you have, when you’re so happy it feels like you’re floating? That is what’s happening to me right now, except I’m awake. I can’t stop looking up at the lifts, lit in Christmas lights and slightly swaying side to side, as they pass above us beneath the starry night.
Raff’s large, warm hands touch my shoulders, and I look up. His eyes are a deeper shade of whiskey. Locked onto mine, I feel seen in a way I’ve never felt before.
“Ready?” We stare, the air between us electric. Raff may be the most handsome man I have ever seen. And what exists beneath that handsome exterior is shockingly warm, kind, and extremely witty. I open and close my mouth, wanting to tell him something. Thank him, maybe.
Suddenly, our first encounter barges into my head. A nervous giggle bubbles up in my throat as I remember what I said to his son, Nathaniel. Embarrassment blazes through me as the laugh threatens to burst. Talk about getting busted by big daddy. I lift my hand, covering my face as I finally laugh out loud.
“Did I miss something?” he asks, smiling down at me, his eyes obviously amused, and I let myself go, stepping back and ugly laughing until tears stream down my face. Clearly, my wires are crossed.
“Okay, time to fill me in.” He chuckles a little awkwardly.
I take a few deep breaths, wiping my face. “I was just feeling guilty, I guess, about the way I yelled at Nathaniel at the shop. And then how you busted me for yelling at him. And then how embarrassed I got when you’d come to the shop and I felt like I had to avoid you. I wasn’t planning on coming back to Holiday Springs at all. I had plans for myself, you know? Anyway, here we are at this beautiful place, and…I guess I feel awkward. And when I feel that way—”
“You laugh?”
I nod my head “Mm-hm.”
“Well, everything has moved quite fast for you. But the truth is, sometimes we’re pushed on a course we never saw coming. But I believe there is a plan for every one of us.” He points to himself and then me. “And sometimes it takes what feels like an earthquake to knock us on the right course.”
I nod my head, almost too stunned to speak.
“All right, well, laugh it up all you want and put that embarrassment behind you. Truth be told, it’s good you talked some sense into Nathaniel as well as opened me up to see that I’ve let everyone coddle him. I haven’t had a real talk with him about money and the responsibility that comes attached to it.”
I nudge him with my shoulder and laugh again. “Totally understandable. He’s too young for all that.”
“Let me be frank, Nikki. I never want my son to feel so entitled that he ends up doing people wrong. I walked from my entitlement, and together Hope and I built a business, one we treated as our first child. When strings are attached, they can easily become a noose. My mother, if allowed, would have controlled my life, too. Boundaries are imp
erative in love and life.”
OMG, I think as I look up at him.
“Every dime in my bank account is made by my own personal sweat. Now, let’s go.” He lifts his arm, showing me the large picnic basket in his hand with a large buffalo print wool blanket draped over his arm. “Let’s enjoy our evening.”
A man dressed in black calls out, “Raff, that you?”
Loudly, he replies, “We’re here!”
“Come on over, then. Your evening awaits.”
We walk toward the lifts, and I finally get a good look. He’s tall, built, and, if I’m being frank, scary looking. I turn to Raff, wanting to make sure this is the guy we are walking toward and not some hitman who escaped from prison, killed Raff’s friend who was supposed to help us, took his identity and clothes, and is now standing here. Okay, fine, I guess I can be dramatic sometimes. I’m about to open my mouth when Raff and the scary guy do one of those handshake/grab hugs. “How are you, man?”
They do a little small talk, but it seems they have known each other for a while.
“Nikki, this is Jared. He works as a bouncer at one of my restaurants. A few nights a week, he works security here.”
“Oh.” I smile, looking up, still shocked at how big this guy is. “Hi.”
“Hello. Tonight is going to be beautiful. Not as beautiful as you, but still pretty fine.” He smiles, and I try not to shudder.
Is it just me, or does he have pointy teeth?
“Let’s get on then.” Raff and I hop onto the lift, his free hand in mine, laughing as it takes off.
“For a fake date, you’re definitely pulling out all the stops.”
“Maybe now that there is literally nowhere to run is a good time to tell you there is nothing fake about this date.”
“But—”
He presses a finger to my lips. “From the moment I saw you shutting that door at the shop, your flush when I spoke to you about Nathaniel, your smile at the bar. Each one of those moments had me wanting to ask you out. Talk to you. Alone. Now that I have you, don’t tell me it’s fake.”
