A Sweet Possibility (Archer Cove Series Book 2) (10 page)

Nate didn't see what was so damn funny about it. "What would be the problem if he saw you? We're out on a walk. He doesn't own this section of town."

S
he finger-combed
her hair down. "I didn't want him to think I was following him. Really, I hadn't even thought about that. I just like to walk down here. I guess I wasn't thinking."

Her heart was in full-on panic mode, fluttering like a frightened bird. Nate had kissed her, and she'd kissed him back. She'd stuck her tongue in his mouth! Her first thought was that Nate was a genius. He knew that Quinn wouldn't look if he saw two people kissing on the sidewalk. Maybe he'd keep moving. So she'd just shut off her brain and gone for it, figuring Nate would completely understand, and maybe he'd even think that was the only appropriate response under the circumstances. Possibly she hadn't been thinking much whatsoever. It was likely she'd lost her damn mind.

But the kiss wasn't the problem. Her heart wasn't sputtering because of Quinn, but because of Nate. Because they'd kissed, and she'd liked it, and that felt kind of confusing. He'd no doubt give her a wedgie just to make it clear where they stood.

She swallowed and forced a laugh from her throat. "The kiss was a brilliant idea, by the way. Sorry that I totally probed your mouth! I'm so sorry about that. I just figured Quinn wouldn't look at us, but I should've asked your permission before, you know. Probing." She laughed and tucked her hair behind her ears. "Consent is important, and we were just pretending. I should've kept it theatrical."

Why was he looking at her that way, with that unreadable stare? Was he angry or something? "Nate? I'm sorry. We're not dating, and it was a stupid thing for me to do. Are we still friends? I don't want things between us to be weird."

He winced slightly, then turned his face away. "You kissed me back because of Quinn?"

Boy, was she stepping into something messy. She tugged at the ends of her hair with both hands. "I don't know why I did it. I panicked, and you know how sometimes I act without even thinking, like my mind goes blank —"

"It's not right." He pushed his hands into his pockets and turned away from her. "It's not right."

He was silent for a long stretch, during which she searched for the right words to make the situation a little less horrible. But then Nate interrupted her thoughts by muttering, "Come on. I'll walk you home."

"I thought you wanted ice cream?"

"I changed my mind."

He took a few steps away from her while she stood there, frozen in place, pulling at her hair. "Wait! I said I was sorry. Nate. Talk to me."

He halted his steps and she caught up, feeling flustered and disheveled. When she met his gaze, it wasn't cold or angry. It was more sad. "How long did you date Quinn?"

"Three months." Ten weeks and five days, to be exact, but he'd think she was bizarre for counting like that. "Why?"

Nate reached up to rub the back of his neck. "And for how many of those months would you say things were actually good? I mean, all you've done for weeks now is complain that Quinn is working late and doesn't have time for you. You said that he didn’t want to commit or get serious. What kind of boyfriend does that?"

"That's not fair. He's been working hard."

Nate tilted his head in a way that made her wonder what she was missing. "You make a lot of excuses for him."

She knew what he wanted her to say, but her heart hurt just then, and she realized that she wasn't ready to stop making those excuses yet. She swallowed a lump in her throat. "I know I do. But Quinn and I are only taking a break for a little while. He has to figure out some things first." She reached out and found his hand. "I'm sorry. It's hard to explain."

His fingers wouldn't lace with hers. He was staring at her with a pained expression, like he had a million thoughts he wasn't telling her about. Though to be fair, she had a few thoughts of her own. It was time to change the subject. "So, we can make a lunch date at the country club, right? And we'll drink fancy iced tea and do yoga on the ninth hole?"

He looked down at their hands then as if noticing them for the first time. "You've created this entire self-improvement project as a way to win Quinn back. You want to change yourself for him."

Jessie dropped his hand. "Not entirely. This is mostly about me learning how to become more sophisticated. If I'm going to be a successful career woman, I need to act the part."

She felt a twinge of guilt, lying to him like that. Mostly, Jessie wanted to go to the country club to network with the other E&P wives. She could be charming, and maybe they'd go back to Quinn and tell him how foolish he'd been to break up with her. But Nate would not support that plan. She cleared her throat. "It's networking. I can tell people there about my chocolates and maybe find a few investors."

Nate didn't look convinced, but he released a long sigh before saying, "We'll set up a time."

He began walking again, and Jessie bounced along behind him. "Are you sure you don't want ice cream?"

"Yeah, I'm sure."

They walked along in silence. "We're still running tomorrow morning, right? I have my running clothes all washed and ready to go."

"Sure. That's fine."

There was a sudden chill between them, and Jessie wrapped her arms across her chest. Sometimes Nate needed some space, and she understood that. She thought that if they walked for a little while without talking, things would probably be better in a block or two. But when they reached the cottage and Nate still looked sullen, she didn't know what to do. Was he that angry about the kiss, and about her feelings for Quinn?

She was so lost in thought that Nate was halfway out the door before she remembered the real reason she'd initially invited him over. "Oh! I should pay my rent before you evict me."

A weak smile crossed his lips. "You look tired. Get it to me tomorrow."

"After you came all the way over here? Hold on. I'll just be a minute."

He waited by the door while she shuffled around the kitchen, looking for the checkbook that wasn't where it was supposed to be. The perils of living alone, she thought. When you can't find something, there's no one else to blame. Finally she found it in a drawer, pushed to the side by a half-empty box of birthday candles and a tape measure. "Here we are! Just a sec."

She carefully wrote out the check amount and then handed it to him. Nate didn't even look before folding it in half and putting it in his pocket. "Thanks."

"You should take care with that. I have sufficient funds, you know."

The side of his mouth turned up in a half-smile. "For a change. Now go to bed and don't watch animal shelter commercials or think about newlyweds. Nothing good comes of it."

Jessie fired off a salute. "Aye aye."

Before he left, he tried a piece of the fudge and said that it was a better recipe. Jessie broke off a small piece and had to agree that this was an improvement. Still, she could do better.

She turned to the ingredients again. She had time to make another batch before bed, and with a little more sugar, it might be perfect.

As she was melting the chocolate, a realization knocked her against the head. How could she have been so blind? Nate had been single for months, ever since what's-her-name, that girl she'd never thought was good enough for him. All this time, Nate had been watching his best friends date, and that must have been so difficult for him! Just like it was difficult for Jessie to go to Maggie's baby shower and see people close to her getting married and having babies.

She dipped a spoon into the pot of melted chocolate. Nate was lonely. She'd been callous to not recognize that. Well, no longer! He was a great guy, and he deserved to be happy. There was nothing to do but to find the perfect woman for him. Life was like baking, and all one had to do was add the right ingredients in the right order.

She lifted the spoon from the chocolate and considered it. Diet be damned. She ran her finger across the edge and tasted it. Perfection.

N
ate opened
the trunk of his car and grabbed the plastic shopping bag. Inside was a pair of brand-new running shoes for Jessie. She'd told him during their run that morning that she'd been measured in the running store, but that she'd need to save up to buy a pair. Nate knew the owner, and he knew the store entered everyone's foot measurements and characteristics into a computer for future reference. Jessie was a size nine with average arches, no pronation issues. Buying her the perfect pair of shoes had taken all of five minutes.

He whistled as he walked down the sidewalk, the plastic-wrapped box tucked under one arm. He wanted her to have nice shoes because he wanted her to keep running. Those early morning runs had started to become the best part of his day. He'd been totally wrong when he'd thought he knew everything about Jessie. Sure, when she talked about her life she often kept the filter off, but he was learning things about her that he'd never known in all their years of friendship. Like the fact that she spent her nights watching cooking shows and home shopping channels, or that she worried about how much she talked to Prince Travis. Just a few days earlier, she'd told him that in the years her parents were away, she'd consoled herself by imagining them to be doing something exciting. "It was my fantasy that they were living double lives as spies," she explained. "I would watch spy movies with Wren, and we agreed that my parents were probably zipping around Europe in some sexy car, shooting at bad guys." She'd grown quiet. "It seems stupid, but it sounded better than selling computer components." He'd never wanted to hug her as badly as he had right at that moment.

They hadn't talked about the kiss since it happened almost a week ago, but then, they hadn't talked about Quinn, either. The more time that passed, the more the entire incident felt like something he might have imagined, or some misunderstanding. Nate hated that it was unresolved, but he didn't know how to fix it, and he didn't want to address it until he felt better prepared. Ultimately, he was glad that Jessie was on board with the road race, which Tom was calling the "Sweet Relief 5K." She was going to run, and she was going to create solid chocolate finisher's medals. It would be the perfect way for her to promote her new business venture.

As for his business...he was back at the drawing board. There were simply no spaces in the surrounding towns that would be appropriate for a gym, and if Mr. Dinardo wasn't going to budge on the price, Nate didn't have a lot of options.

He pulled open the door to Hedda's, stepping in as the bell above the door chimed. Jessie was standing beside a table in the corner, taking orders. She didn't see him, so he crossed behind her to the counter, where Emily was measuring coffee. "Hey, Emily."

She was a pretty girl with a nice smile and clear, green eyes. He only knew her casually, but from what Jessie said, she was considering med school. She was focused, too, because she looked up and smiled warmly without a break in her task. "Good morning, Nate. You're here to see Jessie, I presume."

"I brought something for her." He lifted the bag and set it on the counter.

"I'm sure she'll be right over. Looks like she's finishing up."

He glanced over his shoulder at Jessie and felt that familiar longing in his chest. She had her blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail that curled up at the end, and she was wearing a pink T-shirt, white chinos, and a black apron. As she stood there, she scratched at her ankle with the toe of her opposite shoe. Adorable. Hell, they were running together three days a week at four in the morning, and he could say with certainty that she looked pretty cute right out of bed, though she'd never believe him if he told her that.

Emily looked up at him from beneath her lashes. "Can I get you anything while you wait? I'm brewing some fresh coffee."

"Nah. I can't stay long, but thanks."

He was heading out to the country club in a few minutes. Man, there was a topic for avoidance. Jessie hadn't mentioned joining him for lunch there again, but he knew that something like that would only lead to trouble. What could she possibly want with a stuffy lunch with stuffy people? She wasn't like that, which was exactly what made her great.

She turned away from the table and tucked the pencil in her hand behind her ear. When she saw him, her face brightened. "Didn't I just see you?"

He held out the bag. "I have something for you."

"For me?" She couldn't disguise the excitement in her voice as she reached eagerly for her gift. "You didn't have to do that!" She set the bag on the counter and nearly tore into it.

"If you're going to be training for a road race, you can't wear those sneakers you've been wearing. You need these, trust me. Your entire body will thank me."

He paused. Entire body? That wasn't what he'd — that had come out sort of...well. At least Jessie hadn't noticed. Her jaw dropped and her blue eyes widened as she pulled the running shoes out of the box. Her bright pink running shoes. "Wow, Nate! These are beautiful!" She paused, then set them back in the box. "I can't accept this, though. It's too much money."

Damn it. That wasn't the reaction he'd been hoping for. He pushed them toward her, gently. "It's a late birthday gift."

"No it isn't. You gave me that beer T-shirt for my birthday."

Yeah, he had. It wasn't his finest moment, and a psychologist would probably tell him it was evidence of stunted emotions or something. "That's a collector's item, I'll have you know. And that was before I knew you'd be running a 5K. Now I want to give you this."

Just accept them, he thought. He needed her to accept them. Was it so wrong that he wanted to do something nice for her? But he saw her turning it over in her mind, wondering what the catch was and to what extent she was going to be in his debt. He swept his hand down his face, feeling exasperated at how complicated everything was when all he wanted to do was to give her a pair of shoes. "No strings attached. I know the owner, and he gave me a discount. You need running shoes."

"I'd listen to your personal trainer," Emily said with a small smile. "He seems to know what he's talking about."

Nate waved an arm in Emily's direction. "See? Emily knows."

Jessie was staring down at the box, but she slowly brought her eyes upward to meet his gaze, a smile spreading across her beautiful lips. If only she had any idea how she could devastate him with that smile. "All right," she said. "Thank you. That was very thoughtful. But you should know that I'm going to repay you."

Here we go. "You don't have to. It's a gift."

"No, I've been thinking a lot about...things," she continued as she turned the shoes on their side and slid them back into the box. "I was thinking that I'd like to set you up with someone."

He glanced over his shoulder and then back again at her. "You're talking to me?"

"Yes, you," she laughed. "I've been thinking about myself too much, and I don't like that. You've been a good friend, and I'd like to do something nice for you. So I'm going to set you up with one of my friends."

Nate took a deep breath and told himself not to snap. Her heart was kind of in the right place, right? But did she think that he wasn't capable of getting dates of his own? And he was starting to get damn sick of this song and dance between them — the one where he went out of his way to show Jessie what he thought of her, and then she went ahead and missed the clue entirely. His stomach tightened. It was long past time for him to take the hint and realize she wasn't interested.

He pushed away from the counter and pulled himself up to his full height. Then he attempted a smile that felt downright painful. "I don't need you to set me up with anyone."

She blinked her large eyes and drew closer. "I have the perfect person in mind. She's an old friend of mine, and her name is Heather MacKenzie."

"Heather?" He nearly groaned.

Jessie halted. "You know her?"

Sure, he knew her, and he knew her well enough to know that he wasn't interested. She grew up on the cliffs, and she was the girl in high school who sneered at people like him. And Jessie. "You're actually friendly with her?"

He didn't really have to ask. Of course they were friends. Jessie was friends with everyone. She looked flustered for a moment, so he continued on. "It's a nice thought, but I'm not interested."

"If you gave her a chance —"

His neck started to heat. He'd come in there to give the girl he was actually in love with a thoughtful gift, because he was a fool and he still held out hope that she'd stop chasing a guy who wasn't interested and see the one who was. And her response was to fix him up with someone else.

He was finished.

"You want me to date someone?" Nate turned to the girl behind the counter, who was trying to look like she wasn't eavesdropping. "Hey, Emily? Are you seeing anyone these days?"

Emily looked up, stunned. "I'm not — no."

Beside him, Jessie's gaze was darting back and forth between him and Emily. "Well, wait. What about Heather?"

"Forget Heather," he said. "Emily, are you busy on Friday? Would you like to grab dinner?"

Even as he asked, he knew it was all wrong. He was only half watching as Emily's face lit up and she eagerly smiled. The person whose reaction he was waiting for was Jessie. She was shifting from left to right and fidgeting with her apron, probably coming up with some kind of reason he and Emily shouldn't go out together. The petty part of his brain thought, Bingo.

"I'd love to." Emily beamed. "Hold on a sec. I'll give you my number."

"Great."

Nate waited while Emily headed back toward the kitchen. He glanced over at Jessie, who was looking slightly shell-shocked. "Is that okay with you?" he said. "You're always talking about how nice Emily is, so I just thought —"

"No. I mean, yes, she's really nice." Jessie swallowed and looked down at her apron. "I should get back to work. Thanks for the shoes."

"We're running on Thursday morning, right?"

"Yes, that sounds good." She slid the bag off the counter and pressed it against her chest, over her heart. "Thanks again for the shoes."

"You're welcome."

She headed for the kitchen just as Emily was coming out. The two didn't look at each other as they crossed paths. "Here's my number," Emily said to him, holding out a slip of yellow notebook paper. "I included my email, too. Just in case."

He folded the paper without looking at it and put it in his pocket. "I'll give you a call later."

"Or you can text me."

She was grinning, and Nate felt a stab of guilt. Then he told himself there was nothing to feel bad about. He and Emily could go out and hit it off. Maybe he'd forget all about Jessie, and finally move on. He nodded. "Or I'll text you. Stay tuned."

I
t could have been
his lucky day.

He had a date with Emily, and he had so many people signed up for yoga that he had to create a waiting list. It was either that or violate the fire code by overfilling the room. His friend Jim was thrilled. He was the Director of Member Activities, a title that, as he explained it, made him a "glorified scheduler."

"I hire people to run recreational programs, then I fill in their names on this dry-erase board with different colored markers," Jim explained as he flourished a blue marker. "Like so: Yoga Burn with Nate." He wrote the words and capped the marker with a mock-satisfied grin on his face. "Now it's official."

"What the hell is Yoga Burn?" Nate scratched at his neck. "I'm only doing sun salutations and some downward dogs."

"Throw in a few warrior poses and a triangle pose here or there," Jim said, tossing the marker to the side of a desk that was overflowing with papers. "The 'burn' is what gives your class a waiting list. It's all about marketing."

Jim set his hands on his hips. They'd known each other for years and had run track together in high school. Jim had placed second in states in the shot put. Since then he'd gotten a little thicker around the middle, and his white polo shirt pulled across a round stomach. "You should've been in marketing," Nate said.

"That's the plan, actually." Jim rounded his desk and sat on the edge, in the only clear space. "I've been working with a head hunter. I need a change. Ever since the divorce..." He shook his head. "I've always lived in Archer Cove. It's time to get out."

Nate had never seriously considered living anywhere else, but he thought he understood the need for a change. "Good luck with that."

"Thanks. In the meantime" — Jim folded his arms across his chest — "you should think about options."

He studied his friend, but Jim wasn't giving anything up. "What options?"

"I've had a second interview with a place in New York. Not the city, a little outside. I should hear back this week, and if so, I'm going to need to find a replacement. I think you'd be perfect."

Nate's first response was to laugh. "As a recreational manager at a country club?" Everything about the idea seemed horrible.

"No, as the Director of Member Activities," Jim said. "They'd hire you like that," he said with a snap of his fingers. "It's not a bad job. I've been here for almost eight years. The salary is decent, and so are the benefits. Most of the members are pretty cool, though you have the occasional pain in the ass who thinks we should offer things like polo. And yeah, they mean the kind with the horse."

Nate winced. "Yeah, it sounds great. Where can I sign up?"

"All joking aside, it's a decent job that lets you make a lot of connections. I got that interview in New York because of one of the members." He eyed Nate, slightly tilting his head to the side. "I'm trying to help you out. What are you doing now, running from rich person's house to rich person's house, showing them how to do bicep curls? This is a chance for you to get in somewhere. Get some stability and health insurance."

Jim's gaze was steady, the scrutiny uncomfortable. Nate stuffed his hands into his pockets and couldn't help but wonder why all of his friends seemed to think he needed help getting his life in order. "I like what I do," he said. "I help people, and if I worked here, where would my clients go?"