by Melody Grace
“Because we ate our body weight in mashed potato,” Natalie replied. “And we need to work it all off before Christmas rolls around.”
“And we roll around with it!” Alice agreed, laughing.
They set off on a loop around the square, nodding morning greetings to the other brave souls out to walk off their Thanksgiving excess.
“So?” Alice asked expectantly, as if they were already halfway through the conversation. “It looked like you and Luke were hitting it off at dinner.” She gave Natalie a mischievous glance. “I didn’t know you were spending so much time together.”
“Well, he did build me those shelves . . .” Natalie replied, her cheeks blushing at the thought of him. “We’re, umm, seeing each other,” she finally admitted. “Or we will be. Dinner was our first date.”
“Oh no, with all of us along for the ride? That’s not exactly romantic!”
“Actually, it was,” Natalie said, smiling. “I didn’t have to worry about things moving too fast, I just relaxed and had fun. I haven’t been ready to dive into anything,” she added. “but Luke understands. He hasn’t rushed me at all.”
“Good. I’m probably biased when it comes to the Kinsella family,” Alice said with a grin. “But they’re solid guys.”
“They are.” Natalie had to smile at that. “Funny, isn’t it? When you’re younger, ‘solid’ sounds like an insult. But now . . .”
“It’s sexy as hell,” Alice agreed, laughing. “Give me a man who says what he thinks and keeps his word, and I’ll go swooning at his feet any day.”
Natalie grinned. “Making plans and delivering on them? Be still my heart!” She pretended to fan her cheeks . . . but she wasn’t entirely pretending. “My ex played mind games all the time,” she found herself confiding. “I spent every day trying to figure out what he really meant or how I should act to make him happy.”
“Sounds exhausting.” Alice gave her a sympathetic look.
“It was.” Natalie nodded. “I don’t even think I realized how much until it was over, and I just felt relieved. And now, with Luke . . .” She couldn’t help the smile that spread across her cheeks at the thought of him. “I don’t even have to wonder. He’s a ‘cards on the table’ kind of guy. We have plans on Saturday, and I know he’ll keep them. Or if he can’t, it’s for a good reason, and I won’t have to second-guess that it’s all falling apart.”
Natalie shook her head in amazement, that it had taken her so long to get to this point. To believe that this point even existed.
“I never realized that it could be like this,” she said. “So . . . simple. That I could just be myself, and he would like that, instead of cutting pieces of myself away just to fit into the mold he wanted. When I think about all the time and worry I went through with Oliver . . . Dying my hair and wearing the lipstick he liked and all that uncomfortable lingerie he wanted me to wear, like some kind of doll. I mean, I wore garters for him!” she exclaimed.
Alice laughed, and Natalie realized she was chuckling too. “I never thought I’d be able to laugh about it,” she said, struck by the turnaround. “That’s progress, right?”
“Definitely,” Alice agreed. “Did you keep any?”
“Of what?”
“The lingerie!” Alice said with a grin. “We could do a ceremonial bonfire. Burn the lot of them.”
Natalie laughed. “Sadly, no. Nothing but comfortable panties in my dresser now.”
“Oh, well. If you decide you’re ready for anything racier, Paige has the most beautiful boutique,” Alice added. “Silk, and lace. Comfortable, too. Perfect for a hot date.” She winked.
Natalie flushed, already imagining Luke peeling off her clothes . . . and finding nothing but plain white lace underneath.
“Maybe!” She blurted. “Like I said, we’re taking it slow.”
Except . . . their next date would be different from a family dinner. She imagined them at some romantic restaurant, holding hands by candlelight . . . drinking wine . . . kissing . . .
And more.
A coil of desire tightened in her belly.
“Maybe you should give me that address,” Natalie said quickly. “Just in case.”
“Sure thing,” Alice replied with a knowing smile. “Oh, and Jackson’s heading out on assignment again for a couple of weeks, but when he’s back, we should all hang out. If things are still going well with Luke.”
“Like a double date?”
Alice laughed. “It sounds so cutesy when you say it like that. But yes.”
Natalie glanced over. “Do you mind that he travels for work?” she asked curiously. Jackson’s photography career often took him overseas, but it didn’t seem to be a stress for their relationship.
Alice shook her head. “I actually kind of like it,” she confided. “Don’t get me wrong, I love living with Jackson, but it’s nice sometimes just to have the house to myself. Watch all the HGTV shows he doesn’t like and work on the couch all night.”
“Only you would see doing extra work as a party,” Natalie teased, laughing.
Alice grinned. “What can I say? I live life on the edge.”
“And you wound up with a hot motorcycle dude.”
“Don’t let the leather jacket fool you. Jackson’s a sweetheart under all the leather. And Luke’s not half the playboy he makes himself out to be, either,” Alice added.
Natalie nodded happily. “I know.”
They’d looped down to the harbor and back by then, and the town was waking up: people out walking their dogs and opening up the stores on the square. Alice paused, squinting in the distance. “Is that line outside your shop?”
“A line? I don’t think so,” Natalie said, but when she turned, she saw a cluster of people waiting on the sidewalk by the door. “What do they want?” she asked, confused.
“I’m guessing to buy some chocolates!” She gave Natalie a light nudge. “Go!”
Natalie hurried over. There had to be half a dozen people waiting. Surely, they couldn’t all be waiting for her candy? She hadn’t seen so many people all week!
But they were. As Natalie approached the shop, she saw Aunt June was waiting out front, wearing a voluminous patterned scarf. She was chatting with some other locals Natalie recognized from around town and brightened when she saw Natalie approach. “Here she is, at last.”
“I’m so sorry I’m late!” Natalie exclaimed, unlocking the door and ushering them inside. “I thought everything would still be quiet the day after Thanksgiving.”
“Of course, you’re new to town, you don’t know!” Aunt June said. She produced reading glasses and a list from her purse. A very long list. “Holiday shopping starts early here,” she explained. “By the time the Starbright festival kicks off, we’re all too busy with tourists to take care of our own gifting. That’s why we all have to whip in there as soon as the turkey leftovers are in Tupperware. You know what they say,” she added with a twinkle. “The early shopping bird gets the most fabulous worms to gift!”
“Well, I think we can do better than worms,” Natalie replied. “If you’ll just wait a minute, I’ll bring some more treats out from the back. I made fresh batches yesterday morning,” she added, in case anyone thought they weren’t homemade. “And why don’t I make some hot chocolate for you all? To make up for waiting in the cold.”
There were murmurs of appreciation, so Natalie hurried into the kitchen. This time, she didn’t have a dangerously handsome man to distract her from the water boiling, and in no time at all, she had mugs of steaming chocolate in her customers’ hands and plenty of gift bags and luxury boxes for them to browse.
June began to pile things by the register. Gift bags, bars, and more . . . Natalie’s eyes widened at the haul. “Now, my sister likes almonds . . .” June said, looking around.
“I have almond truffles, white chocolate brittle, or maybe some bars?” Natalie offered.
“I’ll take them all!” June beamed. “Can you wrap them up all nicely?”
/> “Of course. I just got some more paper in,” Natalie said, crossing to her packaging drawer. She had enough ribbons, bows, and baubles to start a gift wrap business, but June eyed the supply with concern.
“Is this all you have?” she asked. “You’ll want ten times as much for the holiday rush.”
Natalie blinked. “Are you sure?”
June laughed. “Oh, sweetheart, you haven’t seen anything until you’ve seen busloads of tourists clear every shelf in town. Last year, there was practically a riot when poor Mackenzie ran out of holly-themed dishes by the first week in December.”
Natalie made a mental note: star patterns and holiday trees on her candy bars for the rest of the year!
“I’ll order triple, just to be safe,” she reassured June. She finished tying up the gift bags with a flourish and placed them all in a crisp paper bag for her. “All set?” she asked.
“For round one,” June said, signing the eye-popping amount on the credit slip. “I’ll be back!”
She sailed out, and Natalie was immediately swamped with more questions.
“What about caramel?”
“Where are your bonbons?”
“Do you have this in a bigger size. Like, really big?”
Natalie struggled to keep up, but still, she was beaming. Her business was finally taking off!
Luke was in a great mood. So great, he’d been practically whistling a jaunty tune, counting down to his date with Natalie. Because this time, he was going all out. Cassie had packed up and disappeared back to California, and Jackson was out of town on assignment, too, which meant there would be no pesky sister sniping from the sidelines, no brother smirking every time he leaned in to speak to Natalie.
And definitely no fire alarm interrupting just when things were getting hot.
He’d made reservations at the best, most romantic restaurant in Sweetbriar Cove, handpicked wild roses from the back yard, and even cleaned the workshop apartment in case they decided to take things back to his place. He was showered, clean-shaven, and at Natalie’s door by seven p.m. on Saturday night.
Unfortunately, so was everybody else.
“I’m so sorry,” Natalie greeted him breathlessly, stuck behind the counter at the store with a line still waiting for service. “It’s been crazy all week! I’ve been trying to close up, but they keep coming and I don’t want to turn anyone away.”
“Please, go ahead,” Luke said, happy to see business was booming. “This is a great crowd!”
“Right?” Natalie gave him a tired smile. “But I can tell them I’m closing now—”
“No, I can wait,” Luke insisted, meaning it. “Take your time.”
He made himself scarce at the back of the store while Natalie served her last stragglers with a smile. Even though she was way past closing, she still took time to chat to each one, helping them find the perfect gift and candy, taking obvious pride in every purchase.
Luke paused, watching as she shifted her weight, leaning on the counter for support as she massaged the back of her neck. She was clearly exhausted. His reservation had been hard to come by, but Natalie looked just about ready for a nap, not a night out on the town. He was guessing she would put on a brave face, but she must have been run off her feet here for hours.
“If you want to take a rain check, that’s OK.” Luke leaned in as Natalie wrapped another purchase.
“No!” she exclaimed, so insistent that Luke had to believe her. “I promise, it won’t take long. I’ve been looking forward to this all week,” she added, flashing a tired smile, and Luke wanted to kiss her right then and there.
He was struck with a sudden idea. “You finish up here,” he told her. “I’ll be right back.”
He left her to her chocolate-crazy customers and made a quick run to the grocery store. It was just a small, local spot, but he found everything he needed and returned to Natalie’s just as she was flipping the sign above the door to Closed.
“Finally!” she greeted him, locking up behind her. “I thought that last customer would take forever choosing between ganache and lava bombs.”
“He should have just bought both.”
“He did.” Natalie grinned. “Now, just give me a moment to change for dinner—”
“No need,” Luke interrupted. He held up his shopping bags. “We’re eating right here.”
“We are?” Natalie looked confused.
“I made reservations, but I figured you could probably use a break,” Luke explained. “So, you take a bath and relax, and I’ll cook dinner.”
Natalie stared at him, wordless, and for a moment, Luke wondered if he’d messed up with the change of plans. Then she reached up and pressed a long, slow kiss on his lips, and everything was right with the world.
“That sounds perfect,” Natalie sighed, relaxing against him. “I was putting on a brave face, but to tell the truth, I’m just about ready to drop.”
“Then let’s get you a glass of wine. And if you’re really lucky, I’ll throw in a foot rub too.” Luke winked.
“Oh my God, don’t tease a girl,” Natalie laughed, and she led him upstairs.
Now that he knew the layout, Luke headed straight for the kitchen and set down his bags.
“Are you sure I can’t do anything?” Natalie hovered in the doorway, looking uncertain.
Luke grinned and shooed her away. “I told you, take a bath. Relax. I’ve got everything handled here.”
“Well . . .” She slowly broke into a delighted smile. “If you insist. I’m not going to argue with that!”
She left him, and a moment later, Luke heard the water running for the tub. He tried not to think about Natalie slipping off her clothes and sliding into the sudsy water, naked and wet . . .
Later.
For now, he’d promised dinner. Luke may not have been a star in the kitchen, but he knew his way around a spaghetti carbonara. Once the water was boiling and the bacon was crisp, he poured a glass of wine and knocked lightly on the bathroom door.
There was a pause.
“Come in,” Natalie’s voice came, and when he cautiously pushed the door ajar, he found her up to her earlobes in bubbles, her cheeks pink and a breathless look in her eyes that made his heart pound.
God, she was beautiful.
“Relaxing yet?” he asked.
“Getting there.” Natalie’s cheeks turned pinker.
“Here.” He handed her the wine, trying to be a gentleman and avert his eyes.
“Thank you.” Natalie took a sip, and then sank back with a sigh of satisfaction that warmed Luke to the bones. “I know I should feel guilty for letting you do all the work, but honestly, I’m too tired right now.”
“No guilt, just relaxing,” Luke told her, then headed back to the kitchen before he could search for the outline of her body beneath the bubbles.
Never mind a bath, he needed a cold shower at this rate.
Luke paused, catching his breath. He wanted her with an intensity he’d never known, the craving thundering in his bloodstream. A look, a kiss . . . that was all it took to set his body on fire.
And Luke would gladly surrender to the flames.
But he refused to rush. They were going slow, and however long Natalie wanted to take along the way was just fine with him. Hell, he hadn’t realized it could be so much fun not falling into bed. He was so used to skipping straight to the naked part, he hadn’t known what it was like to savor a single touch; to feel the slow build of anticipation when he reached for his phone the moment it lit up with another message from her. Working on his latest furniture commission, he’d zoned out into heated memories, driven to distraction all week, his heartbeat racing just thinking about her.
She was worth the wait.
Luke turned his focus back to dinner, and before long he had the table set, candlelight glowing. He fetched down a vase for the flowers and found the radio already tuned to a sultry jazz station. By the time Natalie emerged from the bathroom, the apartment was almost as roma
ntic as any fancy restaurant in town.
“Wow,” she smiled, looking around.
Luke could say the same. She was bundled in pajamas and a terry cloth robe, damp strands of hair sticking to her forehead, but she was still the most breathtaking woman he’d ever seen.
“Are those Snoopy pants?” Luke asked, looking more closely.
Natalie blushed deeper. “Maybe . . .”
He chuckled. “I preferred Mickey, myself. I’m lucky Earl didn’t bring out the family album last night,” he added. “I’m pretty sure there’s a picture out there of me in my pajama-d glory.”
“I bet you were a cute kid,” Natalie said with a grin. “You had everyone wrapped around your finger, didn’t you?”
“Me? Never!” Luke laughed. “Well, maybe . . . But a guy had to work for attention with siblings like mine.”
Natalie took a seat at the table, and Luke served her with a flourish before joining her. “More wine?” he offered.
She shook her head. “I better not. My head’s already spinning. I can’t believe you did all of this for me.”
“Easy there, it’s just dinner.” Luke grinned, enjoying her obvious pleasure.
“I know, but . . . Nobody’s ever done anything like this for me before.”
Natalie looked away shyly, and Luke suddenly realized she wasn’t exaggerating.
He couldn’t believe it. Natalie deserved the world, and she was getting choked up over a quick homemade dinner. He’d already known her ex was the scum of the earth, but this was just another reminder of what she’d been through, for her to feel like a simple sign of affection was some grand gesture.
Luke bit back a remark and took her hand instead. “Get used to it,” he said, squeezing. “There’s more where this came from.”
“Oh, really?” Natalie gave a playful smile.
“I know at least three recipes,” Luke said, only half-kidding. “You’ll be sick of them soon enough.”
Natalie relaxed, smiling. “That sounds like a plan.”
It did to Luke, too. And despite everything he’d told himself about not rushing things and taking it slow, he couldn’t stop himself picturing a hundred more evenings just like this: Natalie across the table from him, wrapped up warmly in easy laughter and conversation.
