by Law, Kim
After the introductions were over, Nate wasn’t sure what to do. In any other situation, he’d invite her to have a seat and join them. But with these guys . . .
“Do you have any plans for tomorrow night, Megan?” That came from Stefano, the half-Italian half-Mexican “pretty boy” of the group. He was also overly ballsy. “I could wheedle a car out of one of these losers and take you out. Wherever you want to go.”
“I . . .uh—” Megan looked at Nate.
Then she cast a furtive glance over at Dre.
“I’m actually already busy tomorrow night.” The softened smile she tossed Stefano’s way would help ease any letdown. “But maybe another time?”
Hoots went up from every corner of the deck, and a pretty flush heated Megan’s cheeks. Nate’s irritation grew.
“Can I get you a beer, Megan?” He pulled her attention back to him, deciding that if these guys didn’t rein it in, he would end up having to kick more than one of them in the head. “Or something else?” He angled his head toward the back door, his eyes remaining on hers, hoping she’d take him up on his silent offer and follow him inside. He needed to get her away from the men.
“Actually”—her gaze flickered over several of the others again—“I was hoping to get a quick peek at the area where the cabins are being built.” She finally pulled her gaze back to Nate’s. “I wanted to talk to you about some initial ideas I’ve had. But . . . I could come back another time? Or you could drop by to see me in town someday?”
Another couple of childish hoots went up, and Nate scalded the offenders with harsh glares.
Silence fell.
“I’d be glad to show you the area. We can go out now and talk through your ideas.” He branded the remaining guys with more shut-the-fuck-up glares, but few of them paid attention. Instead, they only had eyes for Meg.
“Would you like some help?” The question came from Dre. “I could go with you.”
“I’ve got it, Haskins. You get yourself another beer.” With that, Nate turned away from the rest of the group and motioned toward his truck. “Let’s ride out. It’ll be dark soon.”
Chapter Ten
As Megan settled into Nate’s truck for the second time in a week, she couldn’t help but sneak another glance his way. She hadn’t known if showing up out of the blue would be a good idea or a bad one, and from his grumpiness, she was guessing bad. She supposed that attitude answered her other question, as well. He definitely wasn’t interested in her. Not that she’d really thought he might be.
Still, she hadn’t been able to quit thinking about him. Especially while she’d been out on a date over the weekend. The guy had bored her to tears, and all she’d been able to think about was how she appreciated Nate’s sense of humor far better than anyone she’d gone out with over the last couple of months.
She even liked his grumpiness. Sometimes. Mostly when she could see the “cute” Nate behind it.
And yes, she knew she had it bad. And that it clearly had to stop. Because apparently, she brought out his grumpy. Which wasn’t a good sign at all.
At least she’d gotten to lay eyes on the rest of the guys, though. That had been a bit of a bonus for putting in the effort to spruce up for the evening. And there were some good-looking men currently sitting on Nate’s deck—if looks were all she was looking for. She’d pass the info along to Brooke, though. That had been the excuse she’d given for needing to come out tonight anyway.
She snuck another peek to the other side of the seat, and this time, a pair of blue eyes peered back at hers. Her heart thumped.
“Looked like you were having a nice evening back there,” she offered. “I apologize for interrupting it. I should have called first.”
“It’s not a problem.” The truck bumped over a rut in the path. “But yeah, we kicked back tonight. The guys deserved it. They’ve worked hard this week.”
She studied him in the orange glow cast by the lowering sun. That was another thing she liked about him. He gave credit away before taking it. “You probably worked hard, too, didn’t you?”
He glanced her way again. “The boss is expected to work hard.”
“And do you like being the boss?”
“Huh?”
She motioned out in front of her, her hand sweeping toward the overlook she knew they were heading toward, and she voiced some of the thoughts that had run through her mind since seeing the blueprints the week before. “The boss,” she repeated. “Do you like it? You brought in all those guys. You had this whole idea. And you pulled it together and got things kicked off insanely fast. Clearly, you’re good at it. So, I’m just wondering . . . do you like doing it?”
The truck came to a stop in the middle of the field, and Nate shifted into park. His upper body twisted toward her, one arm stretching out across the back of the seat, and Megan held her breath. She didn’t know why he’d stopped or what he was thinking.
But then he nodded, his gaze sincere. “Yeah. I do like it. I like seeing things get done.”
She licked her lips, her mouth having gone dry. “It seems like the guys like working for you, too.”
One dark eyebrow quirked up. “You got that from tonight’s catcalls and inappropriate behavior?”
She laughed, the sound feeling almost lonely in the space. “I got that from the relaxed attitude everyone had around you. And from the simple fact that they all apparently dropped whatever they were doing and showed up here to begin with.”
He shrugged. “They’re friends. That’s what friends do.”
“Maybe. But I also sense respect.”
When she couldn’t take the intensity of his stare any longer, she pulled her eyes off his and looked around at where they’d stopped. And then she gasped. “Oh my.” She took in the barren field they sat in, her heart aching for the missing trees. “It looks so different,” she whispered. “So wrong.”
She’d loved this orchard from the first minute she’d laid eyes on it. It had felt like home.
“It’s definitely different,” Nate agreed. “But it’s going to be good in the end.”
“I’m sure it will be.” If anyone else had said that to her, she couldn’t say that her reply would have been anything more than a platitude. But given the thrill she’d seen in Nate’s eyes, both when he’d first told her about the plans and when he’d laid out the blueprints in front of her, she suspected that whatever final form the new “Wilde Cherry Orchard” ended up as, it would be good. Something told her that he wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I stopped here for another reason, though.” He leaned toward her then, his arm coming off the back of the seat, and he pointed to a spot on the other side of her.
Turning her head, she didn’t find what he wanted her to see at first. Instead, all she saw was the occasional remaining clump of cherry trees. Or the pines that lined the outer edges of the property. But then her gaze landed on what he’d pointed to, and her heart lodged in her throat.
“That’s the tree?” she asked.
“Where dad had his accident, yeah.” Nate’s voice had gone even deeper than normal, as well as a bit of a scratchiness being added to it.
The tree was massive. It wasn’t a pine, but she wasn’t sure what kind it was, and it had a trunk as wide as Nate’s shoulders. But what was so distinct about it was the missing chunks of bark from about shoulder height down to knee height and the obvious gouges that had been crudely dug into the newly bared wood.
“He was so lucky.” She whispered the words. “It could have turned out so much worse.”
“It definitely could have.”
The gravity of the situation wasn’t lost on Megan. Nor was the pain rolling off of Nate.
He’d lowered his hand to the seat between them, and as he’d done for her a couple of times in the past, she covered his long fingers with hers. The muscles under her hand tensed, but soon relaxed, and she found herself wrapping her fingers more solidly around his. His hand was warm and strong, and she wi
shed he’d flip it over so she could twine their fingers together.
“How is he?” she asked, and at her question, his eyes once again found hers.
He didn’t say anything at first, and when he shifted his gaze back to the tree in the distance, she felt tension vibrating off him. “I can’t bring myself to visit him.”
He’d uttered the words so softly she almost hadn’t heard. And the admission floored her.
“Nate . . .”
He shrugged off her concern, quickly pulling his hand out from under hers, then put the truck back into gear. “It’s no biggie. Everyone else goes out all the time.” He brushed off his comment. “They hassle him every day, so I’m staying busy here. Staying out of his face. And also getting as much done as possible before he comes home.”
“Nate.” She said his name again, and when he ignored her, she wanted to reach over and put the truck back into park. To turn his face to hers, and to make him deal with what he’d just said.
She also knew that the mere fact he’d said anything was far more than the norm, so she let it sit. She would bring it up at another time, though. And maybe by then he’d be ready to talk about it.
As they bounced on down the path, no cherry trees anywhere near, Nate jabbed a thumb back the way they’d come. “For the record, I had to get those yahoos back there to help me with the wood chipper last week.” He tossed her a quick grin, clearly trying to lighten the mood. “It sure would have been a lot more entertaining doing it with you.”
She laughed. “My apologies for running off like that. I do know how terrible it can be to suddenly lose such expert help.” She had a full-blown smile on her lips now. “If it makes you feel any better, though, I really did want to help.”
He stared straight ahead, but the size of his smile stretched to match hers. “It helps—a little.” He tossed her a wink. “But I’ll be expecting you to put in some time in the future to make up for it.”
“Deal.”
They fell quiet, and she wondered if he was thinking at all about why she’d left so suddenly that night. Of course, she hadn’t shared with him who’d been on that phone call, nor that it had upset her. But the man was astute. She was quite certain he hadn’t just assumed she’d changed her mind.
As they curved around the path and reached the top of a small crest, the shells of the ten cabins came into view. And as she’d done when she’d taken in the barren field, she gasped. This location—as she’d known it would be—was perfect.
The lake glistened just beyond the property, and the Salish Mountains were clearly defined on the far side of the water. The positioning of the cabins was near a drop-off, which added to the drama of the setting, but she knew there was a nearby path that would lead visitors down to the small beach, pier, and the lake frontage owned by the Wildes.
“If you had to lose trees in order for those who don’t live in the area to get to experience this, you picked the most beautiful spot on the land to make that happen.”
“Thank you.” He pressed the gas and kept moving them forward. “I’ve always loved this location.”
After they parked, they got out and took their time walking through each building. As she’d seen with the blueprints the week before, there were three distinct layouts. None of the cabins were spaced terribly close together, but two groupings of three cabins each sat on both ends, both with the two-bedroom with the extra living space positioned in the middle. The other four cabins, two two-bedroom and two one-bedroom, were staggered in between.
“You’ll need to plant some fast-growing trees,” she said. “To provide future privacy.”
“I’ve already got a guy scouting for good-sized ones that can be transplanted this year.”
“Perfect.” She stepped inside one of the larger cabins and tilted her head back. The ceiling in these would be vaulted. “Rustic,” she murmured, “but not with taxidermy placed everywhere.” She’d seen that in some of the local hotel lobbies. The area was abundant with wildlife, and tourists often liked to see them up close. “Something more understated.”
“Originally, I was leaning toward using artwork to bring the outdoors in,” Nate said, and Megan immediately nodded.
“Each cabin could be centered around a different animal. Black bear, big-horn sheep, bison, eagles.” She looked up again. “Tongue-in-groove ceilings for the vaulted rooms, and not too cutesy with the décor.” Listing out several more of the thoughts she’d had over the past few days, she continued to talk. She changed up a few of her previous ideas as she took in each space and pulled out her phone to share several of the screenshots she’d saved while looking for ideas.
“It sounds like you’ve already got a great start on things.”
“It’s all I can think about.” She grinned. She couldn’t help it. She loved this kind of stuff. She turned back to the lake and noted the first inkling of color painting the sunset. “I always wanted to build my own home someday.”
“Yeah? And if you were to build one today, where would you want to put it?”
The evening breeze wafted over her, and she tugged her blanket wrap closed in front of her. Then she shot Nate a grin. “I suppose it would be too forward of me to say I’d like to build one right here, huh?”
He laughed at that. “Well, seeing as this spot is currently taken . . .”
She eyed the grooves that lined his cheeks when he smiled. He could best any man sitting on his back deck with that smile.
“There is a similar spot on the property next door, though.” He turned away and pointed south. “We’re renting the Wyndhams house for the summer as we do the work here, but I’ve been over there several times throughout the years. There’s a gorgeous perch very similar to this one. Beautiful view, a handful of fifty-year-old birch trees providing plenty of shade, and at a nice private distance from the road. It would be perfect for a house.”
As he finished the sentence, his words softening the longer he spoke and the spot he’d described painted vividly in her mind, she couldn’t help but wonder if he’d imagined the same before tonight. “Too bad they already have a house on their property,” she pointed out.
“True. But I also know that they plan to eventually sell.” He looked over his shoulder at her. “So, who knows? Maybe the land could be split, and you could talk them into a great deal?”
The idea was the best one of the night. Too bad she couldn’t jump on it.
She sighed. “I don’t think the timing is right for that.” Nor did she likely have enough for a down payment on lakefront property.
“Why not?” he asked as they stepped out of the cabin and headed back the way they’d come. When she didn’t answer, he looked over at her, then tilted his head as if to see even closer. “Is it because you don’t want to build a house just for yourself?”
His ability to know what she was thinking astounded her. “It’s just one of those things, you know?” Hopping onto the porch of the next cabin, she wrapped a hand around one of the 4x4s supporting the roof overhang, and leaning out, she walked in a circle around it. “I’ve always dreamed about building a house with my husband.” It was easier to talk without looking directly into his all-knowing face. “Not in the hopes that I’d someday find one who’d move into it with me.”
Nate didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he hopped onto the same space as her and leaned back against another post. “So you and Jaden were going to build?”
“What?” She stopped moving and looked over at him.
He shrugged. “I know you’d planned to buy a house after he finished school and you both got settled here.”
“We did, but . . .” She shook her head. “No. We were just going to buy. We never even talked about building.”
“Yet you’ve always wanted to build.”
“I have.” And she had no idea why she’d never mentioned that to Jaden. Nor why it had never so much as crossed her mind to do so. “I guess I forgot about that dream for a while.” She hopped back down to the grou
nd. “Or maybe I only used to want to build a house because my uncle was a contractor.”
“Which uncle?”
She glanced over as he joined her. “The only uncle I had. He was married to Aunt June.”
“And Aunt June was the aunt with the boat?”
“A fishing boat, yes. Of which I watched but didn’t participate.” She offered him a smile, feeling as if they’d gotten back to an easier footing, and as she did, she was stopped by the beauty of the lowering sun. “It’s so beautiful out here,” she murmured.
“It most definitely is.” He turned, legs braced shoulder-width apart, hands on his hips, and took in the scene with her. Long streaks of reds and purples passed behind the mountains, and the remaining snow on the crests seemed to glow with firelight behind it. “Let’s go out on the water when we’re done,” Nate said. “We’ll celebrate.”
“What?” She wasn’t sure what he was suggesting.
A date?
He didn’t look at her. “When the cabins are done,” he repeated. “We’ll have worked hard, so let’s celebrate on the water. I’ll fish and you can read a book.”
So, not a date. Probably.
She stared up at him, seeing more of his jawline than anything, and found herself frustrated when he didn’t look down. He had to know she was standing there waiting for him to meet her eyes. For him to say why he’d suggest such a thing.
“Just you and me?” she finally asked, and though he didn’t nod, she had the idea that he wanted to.
Finally, he did look at her. And his eyes were unreadable. “Whatever you want.” He offered with a tight smile. Then he started walking in the direction of the truck again. “Tell me about your uncle. Did you want him to build your house for you?”
She didn’t want to talk about her uncle. She wanted to talk about whatever that moment had been.
Or almost had been.
Because she hadn’t been imagining that, had she?
