by Jeannie Moon
Without any warning, Anna squealed and rushed to the side door of the cottage. The large French doors looked out over the garden, but Anna was looking at the house and it was only when Jenna walked over to the door that she could see Kevin leading Nate and Jason down to the cottage. What the hell?
“Should we go?”
Harper grinned. Damn, this was going to be awkward. “They’ll all want to see the baby.”
“Of course they do.”
Seconds later, through the door of the cottage came Jason, Kevin, and Nate, whose face dropped so close to the floor when he saw her, she was afraid she was going to have to tie his mouth shut.
There was a lot of noise, which indicated Kevin had entered the room, and he quickly scooped up the baby before kissing Harper on the cheek. For all her bluster, it was easy to see that the two of them were totally in love, and that made Jenna smile.
It didn’t take more than a second for Kevin and Jason to notice her and say hello. But it was Nate who had her attention. He stood with his hands stuffed in a pair of tan chinos and stared at her, just stared. He must have left six voice mails and she’d blown off every single one of them. He’d been nothing but wonderful, and she’d walked away like nothing had ever happened. Like she didn’t care.
Which was a total lie. She cared more than she should.
Folding her arms protectively across her midsection, Jenna approached Nate and wondered what she could possibly say to him. How she’d treated him was proof that she was a horrible person.
“Hi.” It was a start. She felt awful.
Considering he was, by his own admission, a little on the shy side, Jenna felt her pulse quicken when he didn’t look away. His gaze was steady, unwavering. He was annoyed and he wanted answers. Shy or not, this guy didn’t become a billionaire or wrangle high-strung horses because he lacked a backbone.
“How are you, Jenna?” His reply felt cold, formal.
“I owe you an apology, I—”
A gentle wave of his hand stopped her cold. “Let’s not do this here.”
Of course he didn’t want to talk about it. Why would he want to talk about being blown off by her in front of his friends? Jenna had never felt more disappointed in her own behavior in her life. It was shameful, especially considering how kind this entire group of people had been in welcoming her into the fold.
“Yes, of course.” Taking a deep breath with the hopes it would calm her down, she turned to Harper. “Harper, I’ll start bringing my things over tomorrow, okay?”
“Perfect. It will be nice having you here.”
“It was good seeing you all again.”
Jason and Kevin were looking between her and Nate. They knew something. She wasn’t sure what, exactly, but their reaction told her they were more in the know than they were letting on. Nate opened the French door to the patio, inviting her to leave.
Wonderful. He couldn’t wait to get rid of her.
“I’ll walk you to your car.”
***
The set of his jaw told her she obviously didn’t have a choice in the matter, so Jenna went through the open door and started walking. This was almost worse than talking about it in front of other people. If they were alone, he’d probably tell her what he actually thought of her.
She walked faster. Maybe if she got to the car quickly, she could escape. Yes, she was a coward.
It was no use. He had quickly caught up to her with that damned long stride of his, and grabbed her hand. “Jenna, stop running. Talk to me.”
Her skin prickled and warmed at his touch. Lord, what this man did to her—she had to run. She had to run to protect her heart. Did she tell him that?
No. Instead she stopped. Turned. And then tilted her face to Nate, who didn’t look angry, but confused. Sad and confused.
For someone who wanted to talk, Nate didn’t say anything for what felt like an eternity. He held her hands, pulled her in, and then without a word passing between them, he kissed her.
And Jenna didn’t fight it because she’d missed him so much.
The sweet pressure, the movement of his mouth, then his tongue across her lips made everything brighter, hotter. And that’s the way it was meant to be with Nate. They were like a pair of exploding stars, destined to consume each other. Jenna just didn’t know if she had it in her. But he felt so good. So good.
He broke the kiss and pressed his lips to her temple. Feeling his arms banded around her, she felt safe and Jenna burrowed into the warmth and security of his body. Yeah, she’d missed him a lot.
“Tomorrow night, I’m taking you out,” he said into her hair.
“I’ll be unpacking.” That was the truth. She was moving her things into the cottage, and while it was just a few boxes of personal belongings and her clothes, she still had to get her life for the next two months squared away.
“Fine. I’ll bring dinner. I’ll help you.”
“Nate, you don’t have to . . .”
There was no more arguing because Nate kissed her again and didn’t stop until he was holding her up against a tree. Like really holding her up. Her knees had stopped working.
“I want to skip my golf game and take you to bed.” He pressed his forehead to hers. “Jesus, Jenna. Why did you blow me off? I’ve been wondering what the hell I did wrong.”
“Nothing.” Her hand came to his face. “It was me, not you. And I know how stupid that sounds, but believe it. This is my problem. You’d be wise to run, not walk, away from me.”
“Not a chance.”
“I’m not worth it, Nate. You can do better.”
Pressing her head into his chest, he dropped a kiss on top of her head. “Don’t say that. Give us a chance, okay?”
“I—” Jenna was swamped by the emotions. Her mind was racing and her heart was out of control. “Please. Just say you’ll give it a shot.”
He was so damned irresistible. Everything about him made Jenna think about the future and what it could be like if Nate was a part of it. “Okay. I’ll try.”
“Good.” Then he held her. Just held her tight and after a while, she melted into the moment and stopped questioning the rightness of it. “I have to go,” he said quietly.
“Don’t want to miss your tee time?”
“No, I don’t want those idiots to come out here and embarrass you.”
Or he didn’t want to be seen with her.
“Stop it,” he said, his voice dropping.
“Stop what?”
“I don’t care who knows about us. I do care that those knuckleheads have the maturity level of eleven-year-old boys and will make every attempt to embarrass me and you.”
“Did you hear me think that or something? Wow.”
“What you’re thinking is generally all over your face.”
“I guess I’ll never be a mysterious temptress, then.”
“No, but it will be real between us, and trust me, you don’t need to be mysterious to tempt me.” He grinned and kissed her nose before stepping back. “I’ll come by about seven. Anything in particular you like? Or don’t like?”
“Um, I love Thai food.”
He chuckled. “You’d get along with Molly, Jason and Meg’s oldest. The first time I met her was about a year before they adopted her. We were at his house for a dinner meeting and were eating Thai. She jumped in like there was no tomorrow.”
“How old was she?” Little kids and Thai food didn’t always mix.
“Six, maybe?”
Jenna loved the story and loved how the friends were all a part of each other’s lives. Even the teasing was endearing, because it showed Jenna they cared enough to notice. She hoped Nate realized how lucky he was. But thinking about that, knowing he was a man who didn’t take the people around him for granted, there was no doubt about it.
***
; Once Jenna was safely on her way, Nate went to find his friends who’d made their way back to the house. Kevin handed him a beer, but it was Harper who was giving him a look that was part curious, part ready to pounce. He pulled deeply on the bottle, letting the cold brew trickle down his throat. “What?”
“That was some kiss you gave her.”
“That is none of your business.”
“My house, my tree, my temporary nanny. That makes it my business.”
“Leave it alone, Harper.” Jason’s warning got her attention. “You know it never goes well when you butt in. We get mad, you get all pissy, and that’s never a good thing.”
“I don’t get pissy.” Folding her arms, she plopped next to her husband on the plush settee on their deck. “Do I get pissy?”
“Are you kidding? You’re the definition of pissy, and you’re pregnant. Let them handle it.”
Never needing a reason to make a point, Harper rose and grabbed her daughter. To say she stormed off would be an understatement. But she slammed the door for good measure, just in case they didn’t notice she was mad.
“Whoa,” Nate said. “You’re in the doghouse.”
“For now. In two minutes she’ll be out here with snacks, or needing me to open a pickle jar or something. She’s not mad. If she were, I’d know it. Trust me.”
“Meg’s the same way. She feigns offense, gives me a piece of her mind, and I wonder how badly I screwed up. But then an hour later, she’s curled up next to me like a kitten. I go with it. If she’s really angry, then we talk. A lot.”
Nate had so much to learn. He’d had his share of relationships, but none of them ever felt like this. Like his entire life was about to change. The women he dated were nice, intelligent, and attractive. The sex was good, but he always felt like it was a show, that he wasn’t ever seeing the truth.
The last woman he dated, Piper Lansing, was everything he should have wanted in a wife. They got on very well. She was gorgeous, went to the right schools, lunched at the right clubs, and knew all the right people. She had a perfectly acceptable job at a small gallery in Greenwich Village, and her summer weekends were spent in the Hamptons or at the Cape.
Her parents knew his parents, there was chatter about a ring, and there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that their wedding would be the talk of the season.
On the surface, Piper was the perfect choice. But he didn’t know her. Everything was about appearances, about playing a part. She never lost her temper, never laughed so hard it hurt, and never did something just for the fun of it. In short, Piper never lost control. Ever. And Nate had been bored to death.
He shocked everyone when he broke it off. And rather than facing the fallout, he boarded a private jet with Jason and Josh to gamble and play some golf in Monte Carlo.
It was the coward’s way out and he got shit from his family when he got back, but he didn’t care. He wasn’t going to make that kind of mistake with his life. Only a few days later, he’d met Jenna.
She was loud and fun, irreverent in many ways. He liked being around her, because whatever she was made of, the energy that surrounded her drew him in.
From what he’d heard, Piper was seriously pissed he’d broken it off, but she wasn’t hurt. She wasn’t heartbroken. Within six months, she was engaged to a very nice banker who was as perfect and boring as she was. The wedding was coming up in two weeks.
He’d been invited, obviously so she could show him she didn’t need him. He was tempted to ask Jenna to come with him, so Piper could see why they wouldn’t have worked.
“You have it bad, my friend.” Kevin slapped him on the back.
“Why do you say that?” Nate had no poker face, which was why all the negotiations at Reliance were left to Owen and Jason. He had absolutely no guile.
“You haven’t heard a shittin’ thing we’ve said, have you?”
“Not really, no.”
Jason rolled his eyes, and Nate knew he was in for it. “Where do you want to go for dinner after golf?”
“I don’t care,” Kevin replied. “As long as there’s red meat.”
“Does anyone know Jenna’s story?” Nate asked. “Why is she gun-shy with men?”
“Is she?” Kevin wondered. “Because she didn’t look shy when she was kissing you.”
“Ah, good.” Josh Campbell had arrived to round out their golf foursome and smiled as he grabbed a beer from the cooler. “I didn’t miss the chat. How is our boy doing with his pretty lady?”
“She’s scared to death of something. She told me I could do better.”
Jason sat back in his chair. “Really? That’s weird. She’s great—funny, smart. All the girls love her.”
“Yeah, me, too. I’m not playing, here. I want her. Forever.”
Kevin shook his head. “Yeah, that’s the way it happens. No warning. Boom. And they own you.”
“I was thinking of asking her to go with me to Piper’s wedding.”
“What?” Harper came out of the house with Anna following close behind. “Are you insane? Forget asking her, why are you going to that wedding?”
“I was invited? I don’t know. Our families have been friends for years.”
“You don’t even like her. For God’s sake! You took her out to dinner, broke it off with her, and boarded a jet to the Riviera!”
“I know. I was there.” He didn’t need a recap of his breakup with Piper. He caught shit for it for weeks.
“She was ripping mad, Nate. She thought you were taking her out to dinner to propose.”
Jason was laughing at this point. Leave it to his oldest friend to find the humor in the situation. Too bad Nate didn’t see it. “I never said anything about an engagement, a wedding, nothing. I never told her I loved her . . .”
Jason leaned in. “Sad to say this buddy, but there are some women out there who are still looking at marriage as a way up the social ladder. It’s business.”
He knew that. In the very tight community in which he was raised, big money married big money. Nate just wanted to love someone and be loved back. He wanted a partner in life, not a business partner.
“We’re going to be late. Let’s go.” Jason might have been having fun at his expense, but the strong pat on the back from his friend told Nate he was with him and that whatever support he needed was there. No questions asked.
Chapter Six
He should think I’m beautiful, even when I’m a mess.
—#17, Jenna’s Boyfriend List
Jenna, her sister Tina, and their mom carted boxes and bags from the car. The cottage was fully furnished, but naturally, Jenna wanted to add her own touches to the space. She wanted to make it her own. Additionally, there was a small storage shed behind the house that she could use, and it would be the perfect place for her paints and easels.
The cottage rendered her mother speechless. It wasn’t that Jenna’s family was poor. They weren’t. Her parents worked hard to make sure Jenna and her siblings had everything they needed, and what they wanted within reason. While they were solidly middle class, there wasn’t room for frills.
Education was the most important thing in her family, and her parents made sure that if someone wanted to go to school, it would happen. But the house, grounds, and cottage where Harper and Kevin Rossi lived was like the set of a movie. A whole new world, and very different from the one in which she was raised.
Perfectly groomed gardens filled the yard and old trees towered over the large gray Victorian home. Everything Jenna always dreamed about was here. The expansive wraparound porch, the kitchen with every appliance you could want, the yard with its playset . . . it was a perfect family home. That Harper and Kevin infused it with such love and humor made it special.
Jenna adored the cottage when Kim lived there, but making it hers was important. Harper hinted that she might need Jenna into the fall
because her mother’s “gentleman caller” was talking about moving in together. He was a lovely man named Arthur, and Harper’s mama was smitten.
It was something to think about. If she could help Harper and still keep her teaching job, the situation would be ideal.
Pulling an item from a box, Jenna unwrapped a blue glass vase that she’d bought at a gallery in Manhattan just last week. It was her new favorite thing. The shape and color pleased Jenna’s critical eye and soothed her soul.
Her sister came out of the bedroom and plopped in a chair. “That walk-in closet is the size of my kitchen!”
Tina was a surgeon who practiced at one of the most prestigious hospitals in New York City. She sometimes worked strange hours so she terrorized her parents by moving closer to work. Granted, she worked and lived in one of the best areas of the city, but it didn’t make her mother feel any better.
Any time the birdies weren’t in the nest, Teresa Albanese didn’t like it.
“It’s nice here, and you’re not too far away.” Her mother was trying to be positive.
“Nope. Not at all. I’ll still be around, and you can come over anytime you want and play with the baby.” Jenna wanted to throw that out there. The offer was genuine, but not without benefits.
“I’d like that.” Teresa was itching for grandchildren, and Anna could take the sting out of the fact that none of her children were married. “So tell me about the man you’re seeing?”
“Yeah,” Tina said. “You’ve been pretty tight-lipped since the wedding. How is the billionaire?”
Just the mention of Nate’s money made Jenna cringe. “The last thing I’m interested in is the size of his wallet.”
“Oh, don’t be so sensitive,” her sister chided. “I know you’re not, and based on the way he was looking at you, I’m sure he doesn’t, either. He really likes you.”
“We’re getting to know each other. I like him, too.”
“Don’t go too fast, he’s not our people,” her mother jumped in. “But I have to agree with your sister, he did look very taken with you.”
