Nate (A Texas Jacks Novel)

by Unknown

  “Are you friends of the young lady I just brought home?” he calmly asks the group as a whole.

  “Yes. I’m Charlie’s good friend, Halley.” She reaches out and shakes his hand. “Thank you for bringing her home. Her boyfriend,” she nods at me, “was starting to worry. We called her parents in Sacramento when they told us she had car issues.”

  “Is she okay?” Naomi asks him quietly.

  “Why don’t you ask her?” he smiles at us, then let’s Charlie out of the back seat. Before anyone can do, or say anything, I’m there faster than a heart can beat, hugging her with all of my strength.

  She snuggles into my chest, and it feels like the weight of the world has been lifted off both of our shoulders in that moment. I kiss the top of her head, breathing in her scent. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I should have gone with you tonight to your parents’ house. Are you okay?” I ask, as I gently pull her slightly away from my chest, so I can see her pretty face.

  “I am now.” She smiles up at me, but I can see she’s been crying. and she looks worn out. She pulls away and looks at our friends. “What are you all doing here?”

  “We heard you had car problems from your mom. We were worried, and called the girls to see if you had checked in when you missed your phone call with Nate.” Holt supplies her with the answer she’s searching for.

  “I’m so sorry you all were dragged into this!” She ducks her head in embarrassment. I pull her back to me, hugging her around her shoulders.

  “Don’t even worry about it. This is what good friends do, right?” I wink at her. She shakes her head, and then lowers it against me.

  “Thank you for the rescue, and the ride home.” She tells the officer.

  “It was my pleasure, and I’m glad it all ended well. It’s good you have a nice group of good friends to come home to.” He reaches into his car before handing over his card. “Here’s my number, in case you need any further assistance. Don’t forget to call the tow company tomorrow about your vehicle.” He waves to the rest of us, and tells us to have a safe night, before pulling back out of the lot.

  “Since you’re all here, you may as well come in. I know you must be patiently awaiting the tale of my adventure.” Charlie says, just as a big yawn over takes her breath.

  “It’s well after midnight now. I think we can leave it alone until tomorrow.” I eye the rest of the group, but Charlie is shaking her head in protest.

  “It’s all right. Let’s go in and get it over with. I’m so tired, I could sleep for days! I’ll be in no shape to reminisce over my little journey tomorrow, either.”

  I gently tug Charlie’s hand to pull her back for a moment, while the others climb the stairs to her apartment. I know they’ll let themselves in, seeing as how the other girls’ have a key.

  “Charlie—” I start, but she stops the apology before it can form on my lips, with her index finger.

  “Nate,” she looks up at me with those beautiful eyes, and they get me every time. I’m a goner, and I don’t even know how that happened. I can’t believe I let it happen, but for now, I don’t care. I just care that she’s safe and I can hold her in my arms before I have to go home. “It’s enough that you’re even here. Thank you.” She whispers the words, as she goes up on her toes, and I lean down the rest of the way to complete the kiss she’s trying to bestow upon me. I relish her sweet kiss, wrapping my arms around her so I can feel her body pressed against mine. All too soon she pulls away and reaches for my hand to lead me up to the rest of the gang.

  We’re all piled into her living room as she explains about her tire blowing out on the freeway in the worst stretch of it, and being scared out of her mind all the while. Her phone battery was dead, hence why she didn’t call me, or anyone else for that matter. She had to use the officer’s phone to call her parents. I’m just grateful nothing major happened, and she was able to use an emergency phone to call for help.

  Still, I should have been there. I get up and start to pace a little bit, while the others talk to Charlie for a few minutes more, before they all head home. I feel a hand on my arm, halting my next steps. I look up to see Holt and Halley watching me.

  “It’s not your fault, you know. You can stop blaming yourself. Charlie certainly doesn’t blame you, either. We’re headed out now. See you in the morning.” He slaps my back while Halley squeezes my arm, then they walk out the door together. A few moments later, Naomi and Tucker leave, as well, officially leaving me alone with Charlie. That doesn’t happen too often, and sometimes it feels a bit awkward to not have a bunch of others around.

  I’m still facing the door, thinking of what to say to her when I feel her wrap her arms around my waist. She leans her head against my back and I feel my body lose a little bit of the fight it had pulsing within me. I lay one hand over hers, and give it a little squeeze, relishing this moment in her arms. It doesn’t happen often, so I take it whenever she gifts me with it.

  “You’re going to worry yourself to death. Stop,” she gently commands. “You’re not to blame. Who could have predicted my car would have caused me such havoc? It was bound to happen, and I’m no worse for wear and in one piece. No bad accident.” She squeezes my middle.

  “I’m still going with you next time, and we won’t be driving your car.” I slightly shake my head at her. “I don’t want to hear any lip about it, either.” I firmly close any more discussion on the matter at hand. “Now, we should discuss you getting a backup phone, and another charger. I’m not pleased that you were stranded, without a way to reach me, or your parents, unless you had to leave the safety of your car. But that’s a discussion for another time. It’s one in the morning, and we’re both shot. You need to go to sleep, little one, and I need to head out. Six comes too early.” I spin around, knocking her off balance. She presses into me close, but I notice she doesn’t say anything else about the car, dinner, or a new phone.

  “I was so scared, with a lot running through my head—however, I remember thinking a lot about not being able to let you know what had happened. It’s late, and I know you’re exhausted, but it means a lot to me that you care enough to come over here in the middle of the night to check on me.”

  I kiss the top of her head, but don’t say anything more. There’s nothing left to say. I would do it again, in a heartbeat. Any guy would for their friends, or their best ‘exclusive’ friend.

  And here’s one perfect reason why I stay away from attachments. Tonight, she could have been seriously harmed, had there actually been a severe accident, with the possibility of death. Am I overthinking this? Yes. But, with my experience, you can never be too safe, and if you aren’t prepared, that’s when life takes a bite out of you. She has me tied up in knots, and is forcing my possessive urge to take care of her. Let’s not forget I felt the need to drive her to Sacramento the next time around and voluntarily agreed to meet her family. Am I ready to take this relationship, as it is, that far? That’s something I need to ponder on, later—much later.

  Pushing those thoughts to the side, I focus on what we have, right now—not what the future holds. “Give me a kiss so I can leave, or you’ll end up with an overnight guest. I’m a terrible bed hog, too.” She giggles, but does as she’s told, and gives me a kiss.

  “Who’s to say you wouldn’t end up on the couch?” she taunts me.

  “Hey, I didn’t imply you could sleep in the bed, too.” I say, in mock outrage. “The couch seems good enough to me. I think you’ll be just fine out here.”

  She pinches my waistline, shaking her head. Though, I see her trying not to crack a smile. “If it’s good enough for me, then it’s far better for your hulking size.”

  “Smart aleck.” I snatch her up and toss her on the couch. “See? The couch is perfect for a little runt, such as yourself!” We’re both laughing, and I decide to push my luck by tickling her. She tries to get away from me, as she’s laughing pretty hard now at this point, but I keep at her for a tad longer before letting her up.

&nbs
p; “That’s it! You broke the sleep over rule.” She says, even though she’s trying to be serious, while pushing herself up into a seated position.

  “I hate to break it to you, little one, but I don’t play by the rules.” I wiggle my brows at her. “Haven’t you learned that yet?” I tease her.

  “Don’t you have a bed to find?” She’s grinning at me.

  “You wound me!” I give her my best sorrowful look. “Trying to kick your man out after he was so worried about you? I see how it is.”

  She leans over and shoves me back onto the couch, then props her elbows up on my chest, holding up her chin. “So, cowboy. What’s it going to be?”

  I intently stare into her eyes, searching her face, before I make up my mind, as I know this is not a good idea— for the time being. “As much as I want to see your hair looking like a ratted mess when you wake,” I wink at her, “I think it’s best I head home.” She doesn’t look sad or put out by my answer. We both knew what the final answer would be. I can see it in her eyes, and neither one of us is ready to go there, just yet.

  She pushes off of me, and then reaches down and pulls me up and off the couch. I hug her one last time, needing the contact of our two bodies, even if I know being more intimate isn’t where this is headed, before I force myself to leave. I give her a final kiss on her forehead, and then head out—stopping on the porch until I hear the lock click, before finding my way back to my truck.

  I’m not sure what I’m doing, when it comes to pursuing a deeper relationship with Charlie, but I might need to get my priorities straight, sooner rather than later, I deduce before I point my truck towards home.

  “WHAT DO YOU THINK? IS this hot, or just okay? Or should I find something hotter?” Halley contemplates aloud, as she holds up a black and turquoise semi-modest bikini. Is there even such a thing as a modest bikini? Well, modest for her, at least. I admit to loving the two-tone color, but I wouldn’t be caught dead—or alive—in it. It’s not my style.

  “It’s definitely cute, and it suits you. I don’t think you should break the bank on looking too illegal, though.” I jest, chuckling at her pouty face. “I think you should go for it.” I insist, while moving through the racks, trying to find something I wouldn’t mind Nathan catching me in. I’m more of a conservative dresser than Halley is, and even Naomi, at times. She’s the happy medium between the three of us. “I don’t think Holt will be able to concentrate on fishing, or anything else for that matter, if he gets a glimpse of you in it.”

  “Was I being that obvious?”

  I grin in her direction. “No, I just know how you operate. Don’t over think it.”

  It’s Wednesday evening, and right now, the girls and I are out shopping for clothes, due to an impromptu camping trip with Nate and his friends. It’s been a couple of weeks since my car situation, and I have since learned it had a few issues besides the tire that needed fixing. In the end, I had to get new brakes, two new tires, and wheel hub bearings—which were not in my budget planning for the present to near future, so I ended up calling my dad to help bail me out.

  “Oh, that’s really cute, Naomi!” Halley exclaims. “Right, Charlie?”

  Naomi’s holding up a blouson-style tankini. The bottoms are black, but the top is made up of turquoise, purple, and lime green, with accents of white and black. It has an Aztec theme to it. “It’s totally you, Naomi. I would put that in your buy pile.”

  I continue browsing down the row, looking for a suit I would wear. “Do you think Nathan is hiding behind all of our group activities so he won’t have to share his heart with me?” I blurt, completely out of the blue. It’s something I’ve been contemplating for a little while now, but have been too scared to put a voice to it.

  Halley and Naomi stop their musings over shorts and tank tops to look at me with unsubtle expressions of shock and confusion on their faces.

  “What?” Naomi recovers first.

  “Is there anything specific that would make you jump to this conclusion?” A baffled Halley asks. If she’s baffled, then I’m probably imagining things. She’s a good judge of character with guys, usually. She would have been the first to point something out, if there was something at all.

  “Never mind. I don’t even know why I brought it up,” I murmur, moving away from them and letting the conversation drop.

  “Now hold on a minute. Was there something to make you speculate?” Naomi questions.

  I give her a small shrug. “Nothing that he flat-out said, or even did, really.”

  “Then what’s the matter? Obviously there’s something bothering you,” Naomi points out. She looks at Halley, whom gives her a little shake of her head.

  “I think it’s a bit strange that we have more group hang-outs than we have one-on-one dates. Not that I don’t love hanging out with everyone!” I backpedal. “It’s just that I feel its Nathan’s way to hold himself back from me.”

  “To be honest, I hadn’t really thought anything was off, in regards to that.” Halley admits. Well, that surprises me. “I think Holt has my radar all scrambled, sorry.” She quietly grumbles.

  “There’s no need for apologies. Really, it’s probably just me. I mean, I feel this intense connection with him. It’s been three months, roughly, and I feel like I’m still in the ‘getting to know you, but not quite know you’ phase. He never opens up about his family. Why does he keep me in the dark?” I look to my friends, in hopes that they might have some insight.

  Both girls give me a pitying look, but don’t answer. But really, if I can’t answer it, then how can I expect them to?

  “Anyway, I don’t want to put a damper on this trip. I don’t even know why I blurted it out in the first place.” I move to the last rack of swimsuits and start pawing through them. Halley and Naomi don’t let me get away with shirking the conversation, though, as I look up and find them eyeing me over the rack.

  I give them a pleading look.

  “Fine. I don’t like it, but just for this weekend, we will let it go. Right, Naomi?” Halley pointedly asks her.

  I can see that Naomi wants to protest, but in the end, it dies out before it can form into actual words. She gives Halley and me a disapproving look, though. Not surprising.

  “I know. I’m sorry. I promise we can dive into the deeper meaning of it all when we get back.” I hold up my pinky so we can do the silly, girly ritual pinky swear. It’s something we’ve done since we were younger, and, just like always, she gives in and lets the subject drop until a later date.

  “Finally!” I semi-shout minutes later, while pulling a swimsuit off the rack and holding it up to my body for the other two to inspect.

  I found a black one-piece, with one white strap sweeping across the top in a diagonal crossing where another piece twists around it and connects to it. There’s a little peek-a-boo triangle cutout between the top of the suit and the strap that sits high over the left breast. I really like the gathering that encompasses the suit from the top to the hip area.

  “Oh, Charlie! That’s the one. You’re buying it. There’s no fighting it, either.” Halley commands me, as if I had planned to protest against the idea.

  “I wouldn’t even dream of it.” I can’t help but grin from ear to ear. I may have my doubts about Nathan’s heart, but at least I’ll look and feel like a million dollars this weekend. “I think we only need a few tank tops, shorts, and sunscreen, right?”

  We continue our shopping expedition, like my crazy thoughts hadn’t spilled out, and get into the spirit of an exciting weekend to come.

  It’s been two weeks, and so far, I haven’t been called upon to take Charlie to Sacramento for dinner with her family. This suits me; however, there is the eventuality that this will cause a potential strain in our relationship. I know I’m being unfair to her, but I’m not ready to crack open my emotional baggage just yet. I can’t even pinpoint when I will be, if ever. Up to this point, we’ve been enjoying ourselves, and spending a lot of time with our friends. I see no r
eason to rock the boat. If it can stay like this, then why make any waves? Hopefully, we can just continue on as we have been.

  The guys and I decided it’s time for a camping trip, as it’s been too long since our last one. We’ll add a bit of fishing, since we plan to haul my dad’s boat with us, too. I thought it was time to get away from the women, and do our own thing. That was the plan at least, until Tucker mentioned it to Naomi in passing. That wasn’t smart, since we all know by now that once Halley catches wind of something, she barges her way in until it’s a full-fledged group outing.

  Though, the more I think about it, I’m not completely upset, or even opposed to the women tagging along, as it does give me full on access to Charlie, yet, we’ll still have enough of an audience around that it feels safe to be alone with her.

  Friday morning comes soon enough as the guys and I are making some last minute preparations for our trip, while waiting for the women to arrive. We decided that it was best for them to park at our house rather than Charlie’s apartment complex, where the parking is limited for overnight guests.

  I had just finished adding a few more things to the bed of my truck, and then checked to make sure everything is tied down when Halley shows up in her own truck. I let a whistle fly to the guys from the driveway, alerting them to the presence of the women as they start to climb down from the cab.

  I see Charlie first, in her cutoff shorts, t-shirt, flip-flops, and a ball cap. She looks pretty sweet in her camping gear. She sees me right away and gifts me with one of her bright smiles. Once she gets to me, I lift her off her feet and swing her around.

  “Hey, Charlie.” I kiss her right there, in the front yard, for the whole street to see. She giggles as she wraps her arms around my neck, hanging on. I get the impression she’s not about to let me go, and I mean that in more ways than one.

  “You’re in a cheery mood, little one.” I smile up at her, as I’ve yet to place her back on her feet. She wraps her legs around my waist, and keeps her arms loosely draped around my neck. She leans in and kisses me again.