by Lola Kidd
Her sister had called her for wine time, and she’d been expecting a story about her brother-in-law. This was straight out of left field.
“I sold mine today. But if you want, you should still go. I know you’ve been looking forward to this.”
Blair was sad. She’d been looking forward to this concert for months. It had taken so long to get tickets. She’d spent a half hour refreshing the page to get tickets for herself and her sister.
“I can, but it won’t be as much fun,” Blair said. “Don’t tell me that your husband said no.”
“Nope. We can’t afford it right now. The car needs a new transmission, and he had a tire blow out.”
“But Larry buys himself stuff all the time. This is something for you. You deserve this.”
“My family has to come first. I feel really awful that I can’t go. I was excited too. But I can’t let my kids go without food and have my husband running around town on a bicycle just so I can have a fun night.”
There was nothing more to argue. Once her sister had pulled out the Will anyone think of the children? card, it was all over.
Blair couldn’t believe this had happened today, of all days. It had been such a crap morning. She didn’t even want to tell Nelly about her match anymore. Her sister would tell her to be practical. Nate had a great job and good health insurance. He was level-headed. Perfect family man.
Blair wasn’t opposed to finding her mate now. She was opposed to it being someone boring. She was young. She still wanted to be carefree and have fun. She had a whole lifetime to worry about mortgages and broken transmissions. She wanted to get all the crazy fun out of her system before she had a family and got settled.
Nate didn’t seem like the kind of guy who would have fun with her. He would probably want to stay home and watch documentaries about the ocean or something equally uninteresting for her.
“Where are you going?” her sister asked as Blair headed for the door.
“The diner. I feel like some cheesy, greasy food.”
Blair walked the few blocks to the small restaurant. She seated herself and was waiting for the waitress when someone came to her table.
“Eating alone?”
It was Nate. Of course it was. She was too tired to shoo him away.
“I am. Why don’t you have a seat?”
Chapter 9
Nate couldn’t believe his luck. She had said no to a date, but now they were having dinner. This wasn’t a planned date, but it was close enough. The more he saw her outside of work, the better chance he had. She needed to get to know him better.
The waitress came over and took their orders.
“What’ve you been up to?” he asked Blair.
“Having a crappy end of the day,” Blair said angrily. “My sisters sold her ticket to a concert we were going to go to together.”
She had been talking about that concert for weeks. He remembered how excited she had been to get the tickets.
“You sold your ticket too?”
“I had to. My sister can’t go with me, and no one else wanted to go.”
“You should have asked me. I would have been happy to come along.”
“Wish I’d thought of that sooner,” Blair said. “Maybe we could see them in another city. It would be cheap to fly out from one of the smaller airports.”
The wheels turned inside Nate’s head. He would find the closest city and make plans. It would be a really great weekend trip. As long as it was after the big sale, he was sure it wouldn’t be a problem for Mr. James to let them both have one day off, or even just a morning. They could fly out on a Friday and spend the weekend in a new city. That was sure to impress Blair.
“Sounds good,” he said. “I’ll have to check my schedule to see if it’s possible.”
“Thanks. Gosh, I swear, I’m never getting married. If it wasn’t for her stupid husband, she would have been able to go.”
“Why would you sign up with LK Brides if you didn’t want to get married?”
“I had a moment of stupidity.” Blair shook her head. “I don’t know that many happily married people.”
“Except for all the ones LK Brides has put together,” Nate pointed out.
She perked up. “You’re right. They do make good matches.”
“You’re just having a bad day. If it had been because of her car, I’m sure you would be saying you’ll never drive again.”
Blair laughed. “True. What have you been up to today?”
“Not much. Just hanging out with my roommate.”
“You live with Wyatt, right? Is that as fun as I would assume?”
“If you think gorilla/tiger fights are fun, then yes.”
“You two fight? Like, really fight or play fighting?”
“Play fighting. But there’s nothing playful about it. Wyatt goes all out. I don’t know how we haven’t broken that trailer.”
“I don’t think he ever fought with Aaron. Or maybe Aaron wouldn’t fight with him. Sounds like you two are getting along great.”
“We are. I like having a roommate. I never thought I would, but Wy and I work.”
“I think he could get along with anyone. He’s so nice.”
“You live alone, right?”
“Yup. I have a small apartment downtown.”
“That’s got to be nice. You’re walking distance from everything.”
The waitress came back with their food as Blair nodded. “It is. People who say small towns are boring have a problem. There’s always something to do here. I’m right there, so I go to all the stuff.”
“There wasn’t much going on before,” Nate said. “Some of the stuff is pretty new. The Parks and Rec team has been bringing in a lot of stuff.”
“That’s true, but the Brazen Bull was always there. That place is a riot.”
“I don’t go often, but I do remember it being fun.”
“Isn’t Wyatt there all the time?”
“Yeah, but I don’t always tag along.”
“You should come more often. I think you’d love it. I guess you prefer to party at home.”
“You could say that.”
Nate laughed. He didn’t like to party at all. But they didn’t have to go into that now. His tiger was happy to be sitting with Blair. It was a good sign that she was laughing and having fun too. He was starting to change her perception of him. It wouldn’t be long before she thought their match was a great idea.
Chapter 10
Blair fished around for her wallet so she could pay her check. This was the end of their impromptu dinner date. It had been nice. They’d stayed late enough to be the last two in the diner.
“Dinner’s on me,” Nate said. “I hope I didn’t make you angry or uncomfortable. I had a nice time tonight.”
“No, it’s fine. I just need to go home now.”
“I do too. After I go pick up my roommate. Wyatt seems to need a ride once again.” Nate didn’t sound unhappy about that at all.
Blair got up quickly, banging her knee on the table. She couldn’t get out of there fast enough. “Thanks for dinner. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”
Before they could part ways, he grabbed her and kissed her. That was exactly what she’d been afraid of.
He pressed his lips against hers softly and then, when she didn’t pull away, he deepened the kiss. She stood on her tiptoes to grab his hair and pull him closer. He tasted good. His warm hands slid up the back of her shirt and caressed her lower back.
He pulled back and smiled at her. “Good night.”
“Night,” she said with her eyes still closed.
She couldn’t breathe again until she heard him walk away. Nate had just kissed her. It was the best kiss of her life. It was like a kiss from the movies. She couldn’t believe how perfect the kiss was. She thought he would kiss sloppily, or maybe a quick peck on the mouth. But this was passionate. It was exactly how she wanted to be kissed.
What was wrong with her? Why was she liking this so
much? Nothing made sense in her life anymore.
She had been sure that anything with Nate wouldn’t work. But they’d just had a great date. In the back of her mind, she wondered if she was being too difficult. Was she being the rigid one?
All the things she accused Nate of being, she was doing herself. There was no reason to refuse to see him except her own prejudices. Even if things went terribly wrong and they weren’t a match, maybe he would be professional at work. That sounded more like something Nate would do. He was never a dramatic person, and he didn’t bring his personal life to work. Ever. It was one of the things she and Aaron often joked about. Nate was a robot.
But she’d seen something else tonight. Given the chance, he was also fun. And thoughtful. And sweet. And one hell of a great kisser. Maybe she should give him a chance. If tonight’s non-date was a precursor, they might be onto something special.
Chapter 11
“I had a good night,” Wyatt said. “There’s a big thing going on there community-wise.”
“Really? What have you heard about?”
The Brazen Bull had become a community planning hotspot ever since Jack Keller had funded last year’s Easter event. Some men and women from the planning committee had stopped in to ask Jack his opinion on some things and ask him to get funding for some other projects.
Nate hadn’t been surprised when he’d heard that Jack had taken the job as Chamber of Commerce president. Mr. James had been talking about it for ages, but the bull shifter had refused for months.
“We’re going to have a fundraiser to raise money for the summer camps and fireworks this year.”
“Pretty awesome,” Nate said. “What’s the event going to be?”
“Wait till you hear this. Boxing.” Wyatt looked very satisfied. “I think this is going to be pretty cool.”
“I’d like to do that.”
Wy looked surprised. “Are you sure? It could be dangerous, and you have to be pretty strong.”
“I’m sure. Is Tanner doing this?”
Wy nodded. “He’s setting everything up. I’m not sure about all the details yet, but you can give him a call.”
Nate was going to do just that. This was a good way to get his face out in the community and maybe change Blair’s mind about him. That kiss wasn’t going to be enough. He had to show her that he was more than just a salesman. He could be an alpha too.
The next day after work, he was at city hall checking the directory on the wall carefully. He found the name Tanner and went to the office after going though security.
It was difficult to find Tanner in his office. There were boxes everywhere, decorations for different holidays and lots of posters.
“Hello? Tanner, are you in here?”
A hand popped up from behind the posters. “Over here. You’re Nate, right? Wyatt told me you were interested in the boxing match.”
Nate put out his hand when Tanner freed himself from the mess. “Yeah. Wyatt told me what he knew. It sounds interesting.”
Tanner nodded. “I’m glad he did. I’m happy to get another competitor. I knew people were going to be excited, but the volunteers aren’t rolling it. I think people are afraid.”
“Not a problem for me.”
“You’d think in a town full of young shifters, you’d be able to get twelve competitors together, but it’s pretty difficult. You’re getting us to the halfway mark, at least.”
Tanner sat behind his desk and Nate took the seat across from him.
“Can you tell me more about the event?” Nate asked.
“Sure.” Tanner rummaged around his desk until he found a folder. “I’m having a lot of trouble finding competitors, but the sponsors are pouring in. Even if I can only find six fighters, I’ll be able to put on the match. Nobody wants to lose the town’s fireworks.”
Nate nodded. “It wouldn’t be ideal. It’s probably our best event right now.”
“Three rounds, and then the loser is eliminated. Each fight will go three rounds until either KO or TKO. I have four judges set up from around the state, and I’m hoping to get one more. That’s a secret for now, though.”
There was something Tanner wasn’t mentioning: that the matches might involve the famous Indiana shifter boxer Tiger Jones. Jones was a phenomenal boxer, and was great at promoting local events. It would be a real catch to get him for the event, and would bring in lots of tourist dollars. Nate knew about it because Wy wouldn’t shut up. It had been his idea, and Tanner was letting him help. He was good at keeping this secret—just not from his roommate.
“It sounds pretty good. Is there an entry fee?”
Tanner leaned back in his seat and clasped his fingers behind his head. “There is, but it would be great if you could find a sponsor. I have a lot already, but a few more wouldn’t hurt. If you can’t, that’s fine too. I’m sure I can find you someone.”
“I think I can get someone,” Nate said. He was already thinking of asking his boss. Mr. James loved helping out the community, and it would be a great promotional tool for the upcoming Memorial Day sale.
“Sounds good. Anything else you want to know?”
“Are there any materials for training?” Nate asked sheepishly. “I’m not much of a boxing fan. I don’t have any idea where to get started training.”
Tanner nodded. “I can send you a few links if you leave me your email address.”
Nate wrote down everything on a sheet of paper. He handed it to Tanner, who gave him a form.
“Can you fill this out too? These are all the release forms. I need to get them back before the first match. We have to make sure everything is safe.”
The event was shifters only, which made sense. There was less chance of injury with shifters. Even though he was signing something saying he wouldn’t sue the city, he wasn’t worried. It was very difficult to take a shifter down.
“Thanks for letting me join.” Nate stood up and shook Tanner’s hand again.
“Thanks for joining. Having a tiger shifter is a great addition. Happy to have you on board.”
Nate walked out with his head held high. He was one of the few men in town brave enough to do this. It was going to be great.
Chapter 12
At work the next day, Nate found Aaron looking at a flyer about the boxing match. He went over. “Thinking about joining?”
Aaron shook his head. “I would, but Emma would kill me.”
“I’m doing it. You should let her know you have friends doing it. It might make her more comfortable about you doing it too.”
Aaron look shocked. “You’re doing this match? Man, I never would’ve guessed.”
Nate smiled. “Yeah, Wy told me about it, and I decided to give it a go. I talked to Tanner, and it seems pretty legit.”
“It seems legit, but I’ve made up my mind.” Aaron laughed. “I’m lucky Emma is letting me use her as an excuse. Truth is, I’d be so scared. I don’t want freak you out, but I don’t think I could ever do it. I would either get hurt or make a fool of myself.”
“Tanner was afraid people would feel that way,” Nate said. “He emailed me some techniques, though, and I’m going to get some training at the gym.”
“I’ve seen a couple videos and stuff.” Aaron shook his head. “Too much for me. I’m a lover, not a fighter.”
“Gentlemen.” Mr. James came in from the front room.
“Nate, here, is doing the charity boxing match,” Aaron said, shoving Nate forward. “Are you coming down to watch him, Mr. James?”
“You know, I’ve been hearing about this around town,” Mr. James said. “I was wondering if they were looking for more sponsors. A few of my friends have done it, and I think it would be a nice way to help the community and push our sale.”
“That would be so great, Mr. James,” Nate said. “I was going to ask you about it when you finished your work. The organizer would love to have each fighter sponsored. I was also thinking it would be a great place to advertise our sale. It’s going to
be a big event, with people coming in from out of town.”
“We should speak with Blair about it,” Mr. James said. “I’ll pay for your time at the gym if you want special training, and I’ll get you a boxing outfit.”
“I was thinking of getting trained by one of the shifters at the gym.”
“Sounds wonderful,” Mr. James said. “Blair can give you some petty cash to get this started. I hope you win. This is going to be so exciting.”
Nate was feeling very good about his chances now. He was going to get a personal trainer and was going to help out Blair with her big project. He couldn’t have planned it any better himself.
Chapter 13
“Blair, can we talk?” Mr. James said, coming up with Nate.
“Sure.” She was nervous. She had left so quickly after their kiss that she hoped she hadn’t hurt Nate’s feelings. It had been a great kiss. She just didn’t know what it meant.
“We have an idea for the Memorial Day sale promotions. Nate, here, is going to be in the charity boxing match,” Mr. James said. “I was thinking that we could use it to promote our sale. Even if he doesn’t win, it’s still a lot of free promotion for us.”
Blair was surprised. “Boxing?”
Mr. James nodded. “You haven’t heard anything about this match yet? You’re in for a treat.”
He looked at Nate expectantly. Nate turned slightly red and then stammered an explanation.
Blair was surprised she hadn’t heard of it before. She saw Tanner at the bar frequently, and she was sure he had recruited people there. She was also sure that he had told Wyatt, who had the biggest mouth in town. Wy couldn’t keep a secret for long, and something as exciting as this was too good not to share.
“That sounds really cool,” she said when Nate had finished. “I never expect you to do something like that.”
He seemed to stand up straighter. “I like stuff like this. I’m always up for helping out the town. Who doesn’t like fireworks on the Fourth of July?”
Blair nodded. She did love the fireworks every year. It was one of the few things that Maple Creek had going for it. They had a one step forward, two steps back thing going on. There were lots of new events in town, but losing the fireworks would have been a blow. It was so nice of Nate to step in to help with this.
