Tempting Love on Holly Lane (Island County Book 5)

by Karice Bolton

  “You have not been thinking about that.” My sister crossed her eyes and stuck out her tongue.

  “Really mature.” I giggled. “Thank you for the gift of Sophie, by the way. Hope has been returned to my world of Holly Homemaker.”

  “Absolutely. Tell me what she thinks needs to be done, and I’ll do whatever I can to help. I can paint, spackle, and tile. You name it and I’ll help.”

  “Will do.” I walked outside and felt the brisk air against my cheeks, and my mind wandered back to Nick.

  It was obvious that my sister knew about his reputation, thanks to Sophie and whoever else around town, but I wondered what else she knew. I could tell my sister was keeping something from me. Was there never a time he dated someone from Fireweed?

  I’d managed to daydream all the way home. As I was parking in front of my cabin, Anthony and Sophie pulled up behind. Sophie gave a quick wave, which I saw in my rearview mirror.

  I opened my car door and climbed out. Sophie had already managed to drag Anthony with her to my car.

  “This place is even cuter than I remembered. I love that door. Is that a new addition?” she asked, clapping her hands together.

  “It is. I picked it out, and Nick actually hung it for me.” Somehow, I felt she already knew all that.

  “You have great taste,” Sophie said, following behind as I walked up the steps to the door.

  “Thanks. Besides the floors, that’s about as far as I’ve gotten.” I unlocked the door and pushed it open. Taking off my shoes, I put them on the jute rug. “You guys don’t have to take yours off.”

  It was freezing, so I quickly made my way over to the fireplace and stocked it with wood and started the fire.

  “Not a problem,” Sophie said, already taking her boots off as Anthony did the same. “These floors are spectacular. Wow. We certainly don’t want to be responsible for dinging them up.”

  “Thanks. I fell in love with the sample, but between the door and floors, I’m going to have to watch my pennies.” I shut the door and glanced at Sophie’s socks. I smiled at the brown turkeys adorning the yellow knit plaid covering her toes.

  “I get excited about all holidays,” she informed me.

  “Well, you wear turkeys well.”

  “Thank you. I hadn’t planned on pulling off my boots in public.” She grinned. “So how do you want this space to feel?”

  I took in a deep breath and pursed my lips together. “Cozy. I want it to feel cozy and well lived in. I love rustic mixed with quirky accents. I thought painting the walls white would give it a funky charm with all the wood contrasts, but it just looks drab. I’m not sure if I used the wrong paint or what. But I imagine a beautiful Charlie Brown Christmas tree over in that corner.”

  “I can see it now.” She smiled. “Do you like the whitewash look?” Sophie asked, walking toward the wall where I wanted the Christmas tree.

  “I love it, but I don’t know how to do it.”

  Sophie ran her finger along the edge of the paneling that I painted and smashed her cheek against the wall, scanning the window for some reason.

  “I think they actually put this paneling over clapboard of some sort.”

  “Like the stuff that’s on the exterior?” I asked, and she nodded.

  “That would be pretty cool.” I grinned.

  “Do you mind if I step outside?” Anthony asked. “I’m getting a little hot.”

  I gasped and looked over at the stove. “Sorry. Totally. I forgot to turn down this little dial again. Nick warned me I’d burn the house down and I still forgot.”

  “No sweat.” Anthony grinned. “Well, maybe a little, but I’ll just be on the porch if you need me.”

  “You can keep the door open, and maybe it’ll cool off.”

  Anthony nodded and walked outside.

  I turned my attention back to Sophie.

  “How do we know if it’s clapboard?”

  “I can carefully pry some of the paneling off in the corner to see what’s behind.”

  I nodded excitedly. “That would be so awesome.”

  “Do you have a flathead or—”

  I shook my head. “But I have a butter knife.”

  “That’ll work.”

  I made my way to the kitchen, and Sophie followed the few steps it took.

  “So Nick hung the door for you?” she asked, somewhat out of the blue.

  I opened the silverware drawer and grabbed a knife.

  “Yup. I think he felt bad about walking in on me half-naked and dancing to What a Feeling.”

  “Oh. My. God. I loved Flashdance. I watched it a million times when I was a little girl.”

  “They just don’t make inspirational movies like the eighties,” I teased, only half-kidding.

  Sophie chuckled and nodded in agreement, taking the knife from me.

  “I happen to know that Nick doesn’t usually feel bad about seeing half-naked women.”

  “I’m not sure if that’s supposed to make me feel better or worse.” I chuckled and so did Sophie.

  “That came out wrong. I mean Nick usually just bounces from one life event to the next, rarely slowing down for much to register.” She walked over to the corner and began sliding the knife under the paneling. “He just goes and goes and goes without giving much thought to . . .” She grimaced and bit her lip as she lifted the paneling away from the wall. “Bingo. We’ve got clapboard, and we could do a beautiful white wash over it to make it pop against the floors. What do you think?” Her brows shot up, bending the paneling just enough for me to get a peek.

  “That’s such great news.” Now how did I get the conversation back to Nick? “Will it be costly?”

  “It shouldn’t be too bad.” She handed me the knife. “Anyway, Nick’s a really amazing friend, a good guy to have in your corner. He’s the most loyal man in the universe, besides Anthony, and he’d move heaven and earth to make sure his friends were taken care of. Before my business took off, he helped me in little ways. He knew I was struggling to keep things afloat, and I’d get little envelopes with gift cards and cash tucked in the oddest of places. He’d always deny it, but I knew it was him.”

  “He seemed really sweet. Not that I’m a friend, but as a neighbor, he seemed genuinely helpful.”

  “Well, he usually saves that sweet side for his friends.” She hid a smile. “And shows a different side to the others.”

  I tipped my head. “The others?”

  “The ones we don’t bother meeting most of the time.” She smiled.

  “Are there as many as my sister implied?”

  “It’s probably relative.”

  “Well, I’d imagine his looks only get him into trouble.”

  “Indeed.” Sophie grinned.

  “My impression of Nick is that he’s a wannabe bad boy with a heart of gold. But he’s definitely backed off since last weekend, so I guess I’ll never really know,” I teased, but I saw Sophie looking over my shoulder.

  I froze, unwilling to turn around to see what or whom she was looking at.

  “A bad boy with a heart of gold?” Nick’s voice spun me right around and brought intense color straight to my cheeks.

  Chapter Six

  The cabin had gotten eerily quiet.

  “Only on a philosophical level,” I assured him.

  Nick’s eyes brightened, and he looked even hotter than I remembered. His dark hair was shoved back from his face and his smile was even more addicting.

  Anthony walked in behind Nick and glanced at Sophie.

  “So what brings you by this time, Nick?” I asked.

  “I saw that one of my best friends was parked in your driveway, and I thought I’d make my way over. Make sure you didn’t burn the house down with Sophie in it or something.”

  “Or something.” Sophie snickered, and I shot her a dirty look, but she only smiled wider.

  “What?” Worry darted through Nick’s eyes. “Did you almost burn the house down?”

  “Not even.”<
br />
  Like I’d ever admit it.

  I watched him open his arms to Sophie, and she walked over and gave him a big hug.

  “So you come back to Fireweed and don’t even tell Papa you’re back?”

  “Papa? Is he always this dramatic?” I asked Anthony.

  “Always.” He laughed.

  “So anyway, before you so rudely interrupted, Sophie was explaining to me the possibilities of ripping out the paneling and white-washing the clapboard underneath.”

  “That’s not what it sounded like you were talking about to me,” Nick countered, a wicked grin spreading across his lips as he let go of Sophie.

  “Is that so?” I asked, crossing my arms.

  “Would you like a hug too?” he asked, making his way forward.

  Yes!

  “No. I’m just fine, thank you.” I turned to look at Sophie. “So do you think this is something we can do before the holiday, or should we wait?”

  She moved her lips into an exaggerated pout and thought about it for a few seconds before answering.

  “Once we get the paneling down, it’ll only take a few days to do the whitewash treatment,” Sophie said, glancing at Nick. “The trick will be getting the paneling down and any noticeable holes filled without damaging your floors.”

  “Too bad I didn’t know I had the best interior designer in the world on this island before the floors got replaced.” I glanced at Nick, who looked down. My gaze followed to his boots, and he slowly walked backward to the rug, untied his boots, and slid them off.

  “Planning on staying awhile?” I asked, and Anthony chuckled.

  “I don’t have anywhere else to be,” Nick said, straightening back up.

  “Slow night on Tinder, huh?” My brow arched.

  His eyes connected with mine and a slow smile spread across his lips.

  “And here I was going to offer to take down all the paneling for you. I guess I could fill up my time in other ways.”

  “I wouldn’t put you through that.” I glanced at Sophie, who seemed thoroughly entertained. “You’ve already done more than you should have by hanging the door.”

  He scratched his chin and smiled, looking over at Sophie.

  “You know, I’m pretty handy too,” Anthony spoke up from behind. “I bet Nick and I could hammer this out in a day.”

  This was unlike anything I’d ever experienced before. I had the world’s hottest neighbor and the world’s hottest rock star offering to dismantle my house for me. What was in the water here on Fireweed?

  “I’d actually take them both up on this offer.” Sophie piped up. “I can attest that Anthony is super capable with a hammer and crowbar.”

  “Seriously?” I asked.

  “I’m a man of many talents.” Anthony beamed.

  Sophie walked over to him and slipped her arm around his waist.

  “Not as many as me,” Nick disputed.

  “I can’t let you guys do this. I was totally planning on hiring people,” I told them both, but I could tell that for some reason their minds were already made up as they shook their heads. “Let me at least cook your dinners for a month or something.”

  “Sounds good to me,” Anthony said, and Sophie shook her head.

  “He can eat more than any man I’ve ever met. Careful.”

  “You don’t owe me a thing,” Nick answered, and I couldn’t help but a feel a little wounded. “No dinners needed.” He held up his hands, and I glanced over at Sophie, who looked conflicted.

  “Well, when do you two masterminds think you can get this done?” Sophie questioned.

  “I’m not busy tomorrow.” Anthony looked over at Nick and waited for his response.

  “Tomorrow works for me,” Nick agreed.

  “I honestly feel like I’ve landed in a magical place. I couldn’t even get help when all my groceries exploded in the elevator of my apartment building back in New York, and now this?” I furrowed my brows. “I just . . . wow. Thank you.”

  “That happened?” Nick asked, and I nodded.

  “No thanks needed. If you have time, feel free to drop by my store this week, and we can look at some items you might like for here.” She smiled and squeezed Anthony. “But we should get going to dinner and all.”

  “Well, thanks again.” I gave Sophie a quick hug. “It’s been amazing to meet you, and your generosity is just so—”

  “Am I chopped liver over here?” Nick joked, and I couldn’t help but fall for him a little more.

  Sophie ignored Nick. “I’ll see you at the shop, and welcome to Fireweed.”

  “I feel very welcomed.” I gave a quick wave before they turned around and walked out of the house, leaving Nick and me alone.

  “Have you heard a rumor about my cooking or something?” I asked him once they were out of earshot.

  “What do you mean?” he asked, his brows pulling together.

  “Well, every time I mention making you dinner, you reject my offer.”

  He laughed and shook his head. “I just don’t want you to feel obligated to give me anything in return for being nice.”

  “Curious.” I studied him.

  “What’s curious?”

  “You are.”

  “How so?” he asked

  “Well, you source out interactions with the opposite sex that are somewhat meaningless and easy to escape, yet you’re the most generous neighbor I’ve ever come across.”

  “That’s an interesting assessment.”

  I shrugged. “Just how I see it, but I have to tell you that turning down my offer to cook you dinner is starting to hurt my feelings.”

  “Is it?” he asked, his voice deepening.

  “Possibly.”

  “How about tonight?”

  “Dinner?”

  He nodded.

  “Well, I still have some canned chicken noodle.”

  “And so it begins.” His laughter was low and stirred something deep inside me that was difficult to ignore.

  “I’m kidding.” I rolled my eyes. “But I have a question.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Have you been avoiding me all week?”

  Surprise shot through his eyes. He shoved his hands in his back pockets, stretching out his chest. It was impossible not to notice the definition of his pecs under his shirt. The memories of a shirtless Nick hanging my door took over, and I suddenly felt my face warm as I waited for him to answer.

  “Not on purpose. I actually didn’t come over because of Sophie, but it was a handy excuse. Took the heat off temporarily.”

  “Why’d you think you needed an excuse?” My heart hammered in my chest. It wasn’t like I thought he’d take me in his arms or anything, but there was something about him that drove me absolutely insane in a way I’d never experienced before. It was a mix of annoyance and obsession. He was too cute for his own good, too cocky for my own good, and too oblivious about my feelings for it to matter.

  “I don’t know. It’s never stopped me before.” He sucked on his lip and my heart nearly fell to my toes.

  “Now that doesn’t surprise me.”

  “Actually, I wanted to see if you were free for dinner. I made lasagna and it’s due to come out of the oven soon. It’s a lot of food for one guy.”

  My jaw dropped to the floor. “Really? You cook?”

  “I cook, clean, give great massages, and—”

  “You had me at cook,” I interrupted, not wanting him to go any further into his talents, especially since it didn’t seem like I’d get to take part in any of them.

  “So is that a yes for dinner tonight?” he asked.

  “A definite yes if you promise to let me cook for you sometime.”

  “It’s a deal.” His eyes fell to my lips, and for a split second, I thought he might try to kiss me, but instead, he glanced at the fire and toward the door. “Well, how about in twenty minutes you make your way over?”

  I squashed down the disappointment and nodded in agreement as he walked ov
er to his boots and slid them on, not bothering to lace them up before he left. My mind drifted back to Sophie. Had I somehow stumbled into Nick’s friend only zone, like being a neighbor automatically dropped me in a bucket that was impossible to climb out of?

  I groaned at the thought, but I wasn’t someone who was going to continue ogling over someone who wasn’t into me. If those were the breaks, so be it.

  I walked over to the fridge and took out a hard apple cider and flipped the top off. I’d give my feelings one more night, and if he didn’t make an effort, I’d place him in the friend zone too. I took a sip of the spicy, cold cider and nodded my head, feeling more confident by the second.

  Exactly.

  Two could play this game. If all he wanted was a friendship with me, then fine. I took another sip and set my cider on the counter before moving toward the bedroom. A quick shower and change was only appropriate since I worked all day.

  By the time I left my house, I’d managed to fit into my skinny jeans paired with a loose red sweater that was a bit low cut.

  Okay, it was super low cut, and so was the camisole underneath it. I might as well make the best of my last attempt. I closed my front door and tried to shake away the butterflies. This wasn’t a date, just dinner.

  Between two neighbors. One of whom happened to be extremely sexy.

  I had to admit, I was intrigued to see what his house looked like. I’d never actually seen anything more than what I assumed was a workshop. I made my way down the slippery steps, holding his two flashlights and radio to return.

  Crunching down my driveway, I took in a deep breath and tried to shake the ridiculous nerves that were running through me.

  Nick was a nice guy who happened to be good-looking. I had no intention of moving from my new cabin, so maybe it was better if we kept things purely platonic. It would make the most sense.

  I got to the end of the driveway and checked both ways before crossing the street to his long drive. The lights in his workshop were on, but he wasn’t inside. I trudged down the drive, and my heart began thudding harder in my chest with each foot forward.