“Hey, it’s me,” she said. “What are you doing right now?”
“Driving around. First time trying a rideshare app. Easier to get around without a car…or at least until I get it back. I wish I knew about it sooner.”
“What part of town are you in?”
Nate murmured in the background as he asked the driver. “Sycamore Street. Near the old mill.”
Perfect. “Hey, I need you to come meet me somewhere.”
“Right now? I’m running some errands, but sure. I can take a break for a little while.”
She glanced at the road. “Could you, please? I promise it’ll be worth it. I have a surprise for you.”
He paused. “A surprise, eh? Now I’m intrigued. It kind of depends where you are, though.”
“Oh. That makes sense. You’re not far from where I am. Maybe ten minutes.” She rattled off the address.
He repeated it to the driver. “He knows roughly where it is. He’ll GPS it. I’ll be over in a few. You’ve got me all curious what it is now.”
“I’ll show you. I promise. See you soon.”
She hit the red button and stuffed her phone back in her pocket. With nothing for her hands to fiddle with, she began pacing across the grass before she forced herself to stop. The patch of green between the small rental home and the main house was sizable, and it offered a measure of privacy for both. It also offered plenty of room for a romantic picnic in the summertime or even an amateur volleyball tournament with friends.
Already, she was imagining all the different activities they could do there, but it all hinged on what would happen next. She had absolutely no idea what his reaction might be, preparing herself for either the best or the worst.
Finally, a black car rolled up, and after a brief exchange, Nate stepped out of it. A gust of wind picked up and pushed the short bits of his hair around his head and, for a moment, plastered his shirt against his back. He looked like a dream. So far, the moment was unfurling exactly the way she’d planned. Now, she’d see if the rest held up.
“I almost didn’t see you at first,” he said. “Nice to see you.” He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and stood back to survey the scene. “So, what’s the big surprise?”
She stood between him and the rental house, which really made no sense because he could easily see around her. “Okay.” She opened her hands. “So, I’ve come up with a solution. Keep an open mind. I’ll tell you and then you can tell me what your thoughts are. Open mind, okay?”
He nodded slowly.
“So, since you don’t have that job anymore, I’ve been rattling my brain for ideas that could help. I mean, starting tomorrow, you won’t have a place to live. So I found a solution.” She stepped aside and presented her arms toward the house. “My friend’s dad recently renovated this from a shed to a rental property. Don’t worry, it has a bathroom and kitchen in it and all that. They’ve been looking to rent it out for a little while.”
“I know you’ll still need to look for a job, but the rent is very reasonable,” she continued. “Lynn was able to talk down the rate quite a bit when she said who you are. You come well-recommended.”
He continued to stare at the house. “You did all this for me?”
Although she’d been caught up in the moment, the gravity of the situation hit her all at once. “I know it’s a big step, and we haven’t really talked about where you want to live. I don’t know for a fact that you even want to stay here, with your hometown and car being out-of-state and all that. I wasn’t trying to assume—well, I pretty much did—but I wanted to help in any way I could.” While hoping.
She focused on his facial features for those few precious seconds, hunting for any glimmer of his thoughts. She took a step closer. The last thing she wanted to do was pressure him into any sort of commitment he wasn’t ready for. He’d already said he wanted to make it work, but without a timetable. Say something already!
Finally, he reacted. He closed the gap between them and wrapped an arm around her waist. “It’s a nice house.”
Yes! “Want to see inside?”
“Sure.”
She pulled out the key, still in her pocket from the walk-through earlier, and swung open the front door. It opened up to a polished, wooden floor leading into the living room area and a modern looking kitchenette. The metal and chrome gleamed as if recently polished.
“It’s a one bedroom with a small bathroom,” she said. “The bedroom is just around the corner there. I like how even though the dining area, kitchenette, and living room are all the same room, there’s this divider here. That way the kitchenette feels separate. Just imagine me coming over and making you lots of yummy things for dinner, wearing cute aprons and all that.”
“And your famous lemonade,” he said.
“That’s right. With or without vodka.” She walked around the corner and waved him over. “Here’s the bedroom. Notice that you’d have a closet here, with some storage space along the bottom. There’s also a small closet by the door that offers some more storage.”
“Have you ever considered being a realtor? You’re pretty convincing.”
She stopped and turned. “So, what do you think? I know it’s small…and probably random, but I think it’s perfect for your needs right now. At least with it being so small, it’s easy to heat in the winter. Not that it gets as cold as what you’re probably used to, but there’s still a chill. And Lynn’s dad said you could start moving in as soon as you’re ready, even today if you want.”
He reached forward and took her hands in his. “I really appreciate you doing all this. It means a lot to me. It’s a nice place. And you’re right—it fits my needs.”
“So you like it?”
“I love it.”
Before she knew it, she was in his arms. She’d jumped up into them with such force that he had to take a step back to steady himself. He held her there for what seemed like entire minutes.
“I’m so glad you like it. I was nervous.”
He pulled back to look at her. “Why would you be nervous?”
“I just didn’t want to pressure you. You know, with where to live.”
He smiled. “You didn’t pressure me at all. You did a really thoughtful thing, and you came up with a great idea. I was already thinking about apartments for rent and all that, but most places have a week or two process before you can move in, which doesn’t help me. You solved all that.”
He’s already thought about living here. That was comforting. At least her suggestion hadn’t come out of left field, and hopefully that had helped him be more receptive.
“Can you imagine the two of us curled up on the couch watching a movie on a Thursday night?” she asked.
“Definitely. With hot chocolate. Do people drink hot chocolate in the Southwest?”
“Not really.” She looked up at him. “But we can.”
He pulled away and placed both hands on the kitchenette divider countertop, still facing her. “So, while you were figuring out solutions, I was doing the same.”
“Oh really?”
“Yesterday, I went into town and applied for a job at the garden center. At first, the manager said they were fully staffed, but after we toured the place and I showed him what I know, he hired me on the spot. I start on Monday.”
“That’s amazing!” She jumped into his arms again. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
He chuckled. “For the same reason you were waiting to tell me about this place. I wanted it to be a surprise, but you created the perfect moment to tell you.”
“That’s so great. Now that you have a job lined up, paying rent here will be easy.”
“Exactly. It looks like everything is lining up.”
She pressed her cheek against his chest and breathed in his cologne. “And just when I thought I was done moving boxes. It’s okay, though. You’re worth it.”
“Well,” he said as he kissed the top of her head, “at least you’ve had practice.”
Epil
ogue
“Ready to go?”
Nate closed the front door and walked into the living room, finding her lounging on his newly-purchased couch. She felt bad about not helping, but he’d insisted on loading up the car himself. She’d come over the night before to pack, and she’d done most of that work, he’d said, so it was only fair. Still, it was nice of him.
“Yup. I’m all set,” Chelsea said. “I’ll just grab my overnight bag from off your bed.”
“Okay, sounds good. I’ll wait outside for you. I already have everything else in the car.”
She entered his bedroom and grabbed her bag, adding her hairbrush from the bathroom, a spare she usually left at his place.
“Can you grab a bottle of water from the fridge for me while you’re in there?” Nate called from outside.
“Sure,” she hollered back.
She opened the door and pulled out two bottles of water, juggling them in her hand with the other still carrying the overnight bag. He came over to lock the front door while she readjusted her load, and they both walked over to the car. As she approached, he stood a step or two back, for some reason, letting her reach it first.
She placed the two bottles on the roof of the car and opened the back door. What she saw inside made her drop her overnight bag. A large stuffed animal filled up three-quarters of the backseat. It was so large, the head almost brushed the ceiling while sitting upright like a person would. The animal’s features were easily recognizable. It was a panda, exactly the kind she’d pointed out earlier.
“How?” Her mouth opened and closed. She settled with, “How did this get here?”
He shrugged. “I know how much you liked it. You came so close to winning it, so I thought it was only fair to make sure you got it. Right before the carnival left town, I came back and played the game, and I won it.”
“You won it? How long did that take you?”
“I had to. They wouldn’t let me buy it.”
She leaned back against the car. “Did you have to play twice as long because of it being rigged?”
“No, thankfully. I knew the guy who was on-shift that day. He was going to slip me it, because he felt bad about how I left, but I insisted on playing it fair.”
“You know, you’re kind of my hero.”
He simply smiled and tossed her the keys. Within ten minutes, they were on the freeway with the wind whipping through her hair. Sure, it took longer to road trip out to his car and empty his locker back in his hometown—it would’ve been easier for him to take a long-distance bus over, load up his car, and drive back, but there was no sense of adventure in that. Plus, this way, he saved the money from the bus ticket, which, combined with his new garden center supervisor title and income, afforded him to furnish his new home right.
She was addicted to road trips, but more importantly, she was addicted to him. Everything about him made her feel comfortable, appreciated, and loved. He was her safe place, and all through their crazy adventure filled with carnivals, cotton candy, and a Ferris wheel, he’d become an incredibly important person to her—the one man she’d come to call hers.
With nobody in front or behind her on the freeway, she glanced through the rearview mirror at the giant panda in the backseat. Everything was going to work out just fine.
Want to read the next book in this series? Check out the blurb below and then click here to start reading.
Here’s the summary for High Noon: A Sweet Romance, book three in the Red Canyon Series:
* * *
If there’s one thing Lynn hates, it’s dressing up, which suits her just fine working on the set crew of an old west theme park. Wearing jeans and a T-shirt while making set pieces in an old saloon makes her feel right at home. And meeting Luke, one of the actors playing a dashing sheriff, doesn’t hurt either.
But when her boss pulls her into his office and says she’ll be one of those actors, she’s faced with her fear, while also wondering if it’ll position her closer to Luke. Back when she was on the set crew, he barely gave her a second look. Now that she works closer with him, sparks are starting to fly.
When Lynn accidentally gets Luke’s friend fired, everything changes. It’s up to her to find a wild west solution to this modern-day problem and hopefully bag the sheriff at the same time.
If you enjoy sweet romance stories with happily ever afters, no cliffhangers, and a southwestern twist, then you’ll love this third installment in Laura Westbrook’s heartwarming series.
Carnival Ride: A Sweet Romance (Red Canyon Series Book 2) Page 10
