She’d bet anything it belonged to his family over in the next county. If that were the case, wouldn’t it be just peachy if his father or his brothers happened on them skulking around?
See, that was the problem right there, she thought as she let herself out the back and climbed into her truck. Two weeks ago the sneaking around had been somewhat nerve-racking yet exciting. Now it bothered her.
Especially after Marge’s visit this afternoon. The diner owner had kindly brought coffee and a couple of donuts, and they’d talked about the construction for a few minutes. It was all very neighborly until Marge had casually mentioned that she’d heard Nathan had been quite...amenable to fixing the lumber situation. The innuendo was clear, and so was the fact that gossip about them had already begun.
She’d been tempted to press Marge for more details, but had managed to roll her eyes and dismiss the whole subject with a remark about people having too much time on their hands.
The question now was, did she mention the incident to Nathan?
Since he didn’t seem so touchy lately about people gossiping and she hadn’t heard anything from anyone else, including Rachel, who’d stopped by shortly after Marge left, Beth figured she’d keep it to herself for the time being. After reassuring Rachel that the renovations would be done in time for her wedding, Beth had kind of hinted around to see if Rachel had heard anything, but it had been clear she hadn’t.
The sun was low, no longer visible but for the orange glow over the Rockies behind her. She hadn’t seen another car for the past twenty miles. Any duskier and she might’ve missed the turn. Her heart kicked into high gear as soon as she saw his green Range Rover parked next to a building she wouldn’t have described as a shed. It was as big as a house.
He’d already lifted the garage-style door and motioned for her to drive straight in. Three four-wheelers were parked in the corner, and behind them a large tractor. Other smaller pieces of equipment were stowed neatly along the left wall, but there was still plenty of room for her truck.
She didn’t want to block anything and drove in slowly until he signaled for her to stop. After cutting the engine she took a deep breath, anticipation filling her with adrenaline.
Nathan opened her door. “You’re right on time.”
“No thanks to my motley crew.”
Almost before she found her footing, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. His warm lips gently moved over hers, then brushed the outside corner of her mouth before he slipped inside. Just one slow stroke of his tongue and already she could feel it, the yearning that thrummed through her body, the physical longing, the desperate need for his touch.
She leaned into him, tunneled her fingers through his hair, pressed so close she felt him getting hard, but he wouldn’t be rushed. He skimmed a slow hand down her back, used his tongue to make another unhurried sweep of her mouth, keeping to the leisurely pace that felt very intimate, erotic.
She had no defense against this kind of kiss. It made her think too much. Not now, but later, during the alone times in the middle of the night, in her empty bed. If she wasn’t careful, she’d start longing for things that weren’t part of their unspoken deal.
With a pang of regret, Beth broke the kiss and stepped back. She really wanted to get on the road, drive as far away from town as possible. See if she could shake the edginess.
His eyes were dark, his faint smile full of promise. Oh, yes, he would be doing many delightful things to her in the next two days.
Already she felt better. “We should go. I couldn’t stand it if anything ruined this trip.”
His gaze narrowed. “Something I should know about?”
“No. Nothing,” she said, worrying that it might be a lie. “I’m paranoid, remember?”
The smile was back, and he truly was very handsome. Even with the occasional hint of sadness in his face. But she couldn’t think about that because it meant thinking about his late wife as well, and wondering if he’d ever get over Anne.
“Where’s your bag?” he asked.
“On the floorboard. Other side.” She sucked in a breath when he grazed her beaded left nipple. “I’ll get it.”
He closed his hand around her upper arm. Just tight enough to send a shiver down to her toes. “Let me.”
She nodded, barely capable of doing anything more than walking alongside him. “What is this place?” she asked. “Who owns it?”
“My family. This is Whispering Pines land.”
“They won’t tow my truck, will they?”
He smiled. “They don’t use the shed much this time of year. But I let my brother Clint know we were leaving your truck here.”
She would’ve loved eavesdropping on that conversation, though she doubted he’d told his family about her. Why would he? He got her bag, then gestured her toward his SUV.
“Shouldn’t we close up?”
“I will. Let’s get you in the Range Rover first. You’ll be warmer.”
“Oh, I can—” She stopped herself. It was habit to jump in, not just to help, but to take over. She was always the person doing something for someone else...Candace, Liberty and, until a few months ago, her boss and clients. It wouldn’t hurt to let Nathan take the reins. “Thank you.”
With faint amusement, he walked her to the SUV, stashed her bag in the back and helped her into the brown leather seat, which was heated. Oh, my. Yes, she could get used to this.
A few minutes later they were on the highway headed south. “I don’t even know where we’re going,” she said, startled that she hadn’t thought to ask before now.
“I thought we’d stop at a motel about fifty miles from here, if that’s all right with you.”
“Sure.”
“It’s nothing fancy, but it’s out of the way and only for the night.”
“Out of the way works for me. What happens tomorrow night?”
“We head to Missoula. It’s a lot bigger than Kalispell so we shouldn’t run into anyone. I have a nice hotel in mind and you can do some shopping if you want.”
“Oh.”
He glanced at her. “You don’t sound thrilled.”
“No, Missoula will be great. I told my sister I was going shopping, but I honestly hadn’t planned on doing any.” She sighed. “Though I suppose we can’t spend the whole weekend in bed.”
Nathan let out a short laugh.
“Okay, that thought shouldn’t have made it to my mouth.” She tried to think of something clever to add, something that would make him think she was joking, but she was honestly embarrassed.
“For the record, I’d have no problem with that scenario.” He found her hand and squeezed it. “You’re cold. Feel free to adjust the heat.”
Her cell buzzed, and her heart sank like a lead weight.
She saw that it was only Fritz. Thank goodness. “You mind if I take this call? I’ve been playing phone tag with my former boss.”
“No problem.”
“Fritz?”
“Is this a trick? Is that you, Bethany? Or your voice mail?”
She laughed. “Hey, don’t get your boxers in a twist. I’ve returned your texts.”
“Boxers? Really, darling?” His sigh was dramatic, and she could easily picture his narrow patrician nose stuck in the air. “You’ve languished in Backwood Falls for too long. You must return to me before it’s too late.”
“Oh, Fritz, I do miss you,” she said, hearing a peal of raucous laughter in the background. “Where are you?”
“Hong Kong.”
“What happened to Singapore?”
“I left this morning.” Music blared then quickly died, as if Fritz had had someone turn it down. “The royal birthday dinner was a disaster, by the way. A hundred cases of very expensive, very wrong champagne were delivered, and everything went downhill from there.”
“Ouch.” She cringed. “I’m sorry.”
“Oh, well, I suppose I should be grateful that’s all that went wrong.”
“So you h
ave another job in Hong Kong?”
“No, I decided I deserved a bit of R & R.” The music surged again, a horrible frenetic, heavy metal sound, which made no sense. Fritz hated that stuff. He was fastidious in everything from his designer suits to the classical music he preferred. In fact, he hated having downtime, so she wasn’t buying the R & R story. “Hold on a moment, would you, darling?”
She glanced at Nathan. His eyes were on the road and she touched his arm to get his attention. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I won’t be long.”
“Take your time,” he said, reaching over to rub her arm.
His touch was soothing, his large hand remarkably gentle. He was always gentle with her. Fritz would despise the jeans and cowboy boots, but he’d totally swoon over the man. She was halfway there herself.
“I’m back,” Fritz said, his words slurred, supporting her suspicion that he might’ve had one cognac over his limit. Something that rarely happened.
“Where are you? I know Hong Kong...but more specifically?”
“Oh, some club you wouldn’t know.”
“You don’t like going to clubs.”
“Quite right, my darling Bethany, but I met the most interesting man on the plane,” he said. “I just may take off the rest of the week.”
“Oh, Fritz...please, please be careful.”
“Aren’t I always?”
“Call me again tomorrow, huh?”
He laughed softly. “I will, but I have to go now.” He disconnected before she could say goodbye or anything else.
She stared at the phone a moment. They’d forged quite a bond and he understood her decision to quit hadn’t been an easy one. Fritz was as much family to her as Liberty and Candace. And it sure wasn’t easy ignoring the guilt she felt for leaving him.
* * *
NATHAN HEARD HER deep sigh. He glanced over just as she let her head fall back against the headrest. She’d claimed nothing was going on between her and her former boss, but that wasn’t how it sounded. “You okay?”
“Of course.” Beth brought her head up and smiled. “I’m here with you and we have a whole weekend ahead of us.”
He hadn’t expected that response. No drama, just optimism. Nice. “I can’t promise to make your problems go away, but I’ll do my best to distract you.”
“Oh, boy. That’s the best offer I’ve had...well, not ever, but at least since two Fridays ago.” She laughed. “I wish I had the guts to turn off my phone. I really do.”
“Why can’t you? What’s the worst that could happen?”
“Well...” She seemed to be giving the idea some consideration. “Liberty might need me.”
“Your sister is with her.”
“True,” Beth said, pausing for a moment. “I love Candace. I really do, but you’ve met her...she’s a complete flake.”
A less-flattering description came to mind. He’d never say anything, not his place, but watching her suggestive behavior in front of a red-faced Liberty had pissed him off. “In spite of everything, Liberty seems to have a pretty good head on her shoulders.”
“Mostly she does. I can’t even explain the graffiti thing. I have a strong suspicion it has to do with an older boy she’s been hanging around. Spike’s from the city. His father works for the power company and was transferred here.”
“Spike?”
“I know.” Beth’s laugh turned into a groan. “Even worse, he looks like a Spike, kind of Goth and weird. Not to mention he’s eighteen going on twelve.”
“And Liberty is fifteen? You think they’re having sex?”
“No, I really don’t. I think they see themselves as kindred spirits—outsiders, misfits.” She paused. “You do realize Lib has a crush on you.”
“What?” Nathan swung a look at her to see if she was joking. But she looked serious. “No, she doesn’t.”
“Oh, yes, she does. Why do you think she reacted to us horsing around with the hose last week?”
“Hell, I’m old enough to be her—” The notion of having a teenage daughter stunned him. But it was possible.
“I know,” Beth said with a mixture of sympathy and amusement. “Candace is younger than you.”
“Fine. But Liberty doesn’t have a crush on me. She’s interested in the Arabians. We talk. The end.”
“I’m not implying her feelings are reciprocated. Jesus.” She sighed. “I think it’s kind of sweet and I’m glad she looks up to you. She barely knows her father. Sadly, that’s not a bad thing. He’s a creep. But her feelings for you make us even trickier.”
Us. Small word, but lots of emphasis. Too bad he couldn’t decipher what that meant. Maybe it was best he didn’t know.
He noticed oncoming cars stop for a buck and a pair of does crossing the highway up ahead, and he slowed down. Beth leaned forward to watch the deer, an expression of wonder on her face. Even with all she had going on, she knew how to live in the moment. It made him smile. He still wasn’t sure he believed Liberty had a crush on him, but then what he knew about teenage girls could fit in his grandma’s thimble.
“Your former boss, you seem close to him....”
Beth grinned. “Are you asking if I have a crush on Fritz?”
He shook his head, annoyed with himself. The road was clear now. Traffic was moving again.
“Fritz would have the biggest laugh over that. He’d play up being the mysterious older man in my life. Fritz does love drama,” she said. “He’s not so much a father figure as a mentor.”
“How did you end up in that line of work?”
“Totally by accident. I was in college, working part-time for a catering company Fritz had hired for a client’s working retreat. Anyway, I made a crack to another waitress about how stupid it was to serve peas at a business lunch. I didn’t know Fritz was behind me and he asked what I meant.
“He nearly gave me a heart attack. I thought for sure I’d be fired and I needed the work. I just told him the truth. Peas roll too easily...as in right off the plate. I saw it happen all the time, so why take a chance? He just smiled, asked if I had a few minutes for him after my shift. He asked some questions...I had commonsense answers and he offered me a job.” She shrugged. “I was barely making ends meet, knew I’d have to take a year off school before I could transfer to a university so I said sure....”
“Ever regret not getting a degree?”
“No, not even a little. Fritz gave me an amazing education. I learned so much from him. I even got to see the world.”
“You have to miss it.”
“I miss him. The work was hard and I had no life to speak of, especially since the word no isn’t in Fritz’s vocabulary. He has quite the reputation for achieving the impossible.”
“With your help.”
“Oh, I played a small part. But he has other staff.”
Nathan knew she was being modest. With her take-charge personality and smarts, he had no doubt she’d contributed to her boss’s success in a big way.
“Fritz doesn’t make friends easily and I worry about him. He needs a confidant, someone he can trust.”
“Isn’t that you?”
“Well, it was.” She smiled. “I guess I still am,” she said with a shrug. “But it’s different now.”
“Still trying to save everyone.” The teasing words left him with a bitter taste that surprised him.
“Not anymore.” She shook her head. “Just Liberty. Everyone else can fend for themselves.”
Nathan let it go. From the beginning he’d figured she’d miss her old lifestyle and eventually leave Blackfoot Falls. Knowing just how close she and her boss were, he could see how it might tempt her. A lot could go wrong with the life she lived now. The boardinghouse wasn’t the dream project she’d imagined. Liberty was still getting into trouble at every turn. And she was Candace’s daughter, not Beth’s—there was only so much influence an aunt could have, no matter how well-meaning.
“How could I have missed that moon?” Beth was leaning forward, gazi
ng at the sky through the windshield. “And all those stars? Nathan, we have to stop.”
He took another look at her. “Are you kidding?”
“No. We have to stop. Here. Now. Please.”
He wanted to tell her she was nuts, that the same night sky would be there when they reached the motel in fifteen minutes.
Instead, he pulled over to the shoulder. And smiled at the happiness lighting her face, a deep sense of satisfaction growing inside of him. Pleasing Beth had become a daily goal. Listening to her laugh during their phone conversations was like a tonic. But seeing her, knowing he would have her in his arms? Right now he felt like the luckiest guy in the world.
14
BETH OPENED THE door, letting the brisk evening air hit her cheeks. It felt good, but mostly because her face was flushed—for no reason in particular other than that she was happy. God, how much had she missed the clear Montana sky?
“I guess we’re getting out,” Nathan muttered with a lack of enthusiasm.
“Of course we are,” she said, turning to grin at him. “How can you not want to see every star, every constellation—”
“My view is fine from here, where, I might add, it’s nice and warm.”
“I bet you have a blanket in the back.”
He studied her for a moment, as if she’d asked him a trick question. “Bet I don’t.”
“That’s okay.” She shrugged. “You don’t have to get out. I won’t be long.”
“Wait. We need to get off the shoulder. I think there’s a turnout up ahead.”
A mile down the highway they found a spot and she got out. He was right, it was so much warmer in the Range Rover. And she had to pay attention to the uneven ground, a minefield of low-growing scrub brush and tall spindly weeds. She didn’t care. Hugging herself, she made it to a small clearing and looked up at the sky.
The sheer number of stars glittering in the darkness stole her breath. She remembered as a kid thinking they had to be magic, that if anyone ever got too close they would disappear.
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