Soul Weaver (22 page)
“So,” Chloe said, sounding hopeful, “as my friend, you’ll give me a hint, right?”
“No, as your friend, I plan to keep you right where you are.” She grinned. “In the dark.”
“I figured.” She sighed. “At least tell me if we’re talking after hours?”
Her face scrunched in thought. “I guess that much won’t hurt. He asked me to have you ready by sundown. So we’ll have time to put in a full day before you have to get dolled up.”
A thrill ran through her. “He wants me to dress up?” Unbidden, the image of Nathaniel wearing dark slacks, his dress shirt rolled up over his forearms came to mind. She bit her lip.
“Your information is need-to-know.” Neve made a zipping motion across her mouth. “And that is all you need to know for now.” She breezed out of the office and headed for the register. “We’ll discuss your outfit and accessories later.”
Chloe followed her into the empty store. Neve had shelved inventory and tidied up the place earlier. Now she hunched over what looked like a list at the counter. When Chloe crept closer, Neve filed the paper neatly in the back of a notebook and then pulled out a couple of printed sheets from a tray below the register.
Abandoning the pretense of being productive today, she took a spot behind the register and mirrored Neve’s pose. Elbows on the counter, jaw propped in the palm of her hand, Chloe doodled on one of the blank crossword puzzles while she spied on Nathaniel through the front door.
He held a hammer in one hand and a nail between his teeth. He was looking all kinds of repairman sexy today. No. He was looking all kinds of
her
man sexy, which made her grin widen.
“I know you hate these things,” Neve said as she penned in an answer.
“I don’t hate them.” More like she held an acute dislike for them.
Neve drew a line through one column, then straightened. “What gives?”
“Nothing. I guess I’m just nervous,” Chloe admitted, “about tonight.”
“Sweetie.” Neve patted her shoulder. “You’re putting too much thought into this. Tonight will be fun, I promise. Besides, I’ll be right upstairs if you need me. You won’t be alone. And you know Nathaniel won’t make you do anything you don’t want to.”
Heat worked into Chloe’s cheeks until even her forehead burned.
Neve blinked a couple of times. “We’re not talking about the actual date, are we?”
Chloe shook her head. “More like what happens afterward.”
“You thank him for a nice dinner.” Neve frowned. “Are you worried he’ll want more?”
Her voice cracked. “More like I’m worried he
won’t
want more.” Swallowing hard, she met Neve’s gaze and admitted, “Because I do.”
“I don’t follow. I mean, I’ve seen you guys together. The chemistry is there. If you want more, then I’m sure things will”—she waved her hand—“progress.”
“What if I said things have never
progressed
for me before?”
“Then I would say… I don’t even know what I would say. Give me a minute.” Neve ran a hand down her face. “This is not the watercooler conversation I expected this morning.”
Shoving her hands into her pockets, Chloe said, “I shouldn’t have mentioned it.”
“No, you’re right to ask.” Neve rested her chin on her palm and scratched her cheek. “Look, the best advice anyone can give you is to follow your heart. If you’ve waited this long to find someone special, and you think Nathaniel is the right guy, then go with your gut. If things go well, and you don’t want to say good night, then don’t.”
“You make it sound simple.”
“Just keep things nice and casual. Don’t put any pressure on yourself.” She offered a smile. “You’ll know if the time’s right.”
“Nice and casual.” She rolled her shoulders. “I can handle that.”
The front door swung open on a sweaty Nathaniel. “What are you handling?”
With any luck, you,
she thought. “We’re talking shop. Literacy booth stuff.”
The smile he turned on her would have made her shrivel in her shoes if it meant he knew what she was thinking. With a less-than-reassuring chuckle, he stepped inside and closed his eyes. “I think I chose the wrong profession.”
“You’d get bored with nothing but books and quiet. You’re too much of a hands-on kind of guy. You must be thirsty. Let me grab you a bottle of water.”
She found herself grabbed instead. “Thanks, but I’m on my way out. I need to pick up some more supplies before it gets much later.” He tugged her close enough for a kiss. “I’ll see you tonight.” He checked the wall clock hung behind the register. “How does six o’clock sound?”
It sounded like seven hours too many. “Sounds great.”
“Good.” He mashed the word against her mouth, then backed out the door.
After he left, Neve patted her shoulder. “That boy’s got
it
, and he doesn’t even know how bad.” Clucking her tongue, she smiled. “They’re kind of cute at that stage.”
Chloe disagreed. Cute didn’t apply to Nathaniel. He was too predatory, too wicked for his own good, and he had a taste for bookish clerks that defied all rules of convention or cuteness.
After tossing a bent nail into his overflowing can, Nathaniel surveyed his work and decided he liked how the porch had turned out. Seven days had passed since he asked Chloe on the closest thing to a date he could give her. Prolonging the inevitable had never been more bittersweet, but he wanted to give her a taste of normalcy before reality soured their relationship.
He picked up a sliver of wood and tossed it in with the remaining debris heaped against the building. The porch lacked trim and a coat of stain, but Neve’s contribution of fairy lights cast a warm glow over the bare wood. Golden threads woven through the cloth covering his plywood table sparkled. Light gleamed off the silver handles of the overturned supply buckets he meant them to use as seats. A few feet away, a battered chair held a borrowed radio. Its extension cord snaked through the banister and out of sight.
He rubbed his chin and wondered if he should have approached this in a different way. Days after his talk with Chloe about the harsher side of Bran’s upbringing, he still couldn’t believe he’d told her. He hadn’t spoken to anyone about how Mairi’s passing had affected all three Berwyn men since approaching Delphi all those years ago. He wouldn’t have said a word then if he hadn’t been forced to secure his nephew a place in their world.
If only he could find one for her so easily.
With a grimace, he reminded himself that no such place existed. She no more belonged among the living than she deserved her sentence among the damned. He couldn’t save her life, but her soul was well on its way to salvation. All he needed was more time.
The hairs at his nape prickled. His brother had arrived, roosting in the church’s bell tower in shadows too deep for Nathaniel to distinguish his outline. From across the street, Saul had a clear view of the porch, of the store, and soon, of Chloe. A second of doubt rippled through Nathaniel, but he dismissed his unease. She would only go so far, and if Saul wanted to watch, he would find a way no matter the location.
“Is everything ready?” Neve regarded him from the doorway.
He nodded. “Is Chloe?”
With a coy smile, Neve said, “You’ll have to wait and see, won’t you?”
He straightened. “That’s not fair.”
She placed her hands on her hips. “Some things are worth the wait.”
No argument there. Chloe was worth the lifetime Nathaniel had spent looking for her.
He now understood a fraction of the pain Saul had endured when he lost Mairi. The thought of losing Chloe crippled Nathaniel worse than the loss of his wings ever had.
“A girl gets all these romantic notions in her head when a guy like you pays her so much attention. Chloe has that glow about her, and I don’t want to see her hurt. Even if you don’t mean to do it, you’re setting her expectations high.” Neve paused. “Don’t let her down, okay?”
Neve’s show of affection for Chloe knotted his gut. While her admission made several more pieces of his plan click into place, her words were the last thing he wanted to hear. They meant his time with Chloe was running out, and he was nowhere near being ready to let her go.
“I’m serious about her,” he admitted. “More serious than I’ve ever been about any woman.”
“Good.” Her smile turned radiant. “I think you guys are good together.” The click of heels on hardwood spun her around and caught his attention. “You were supposed to wait upstairs,” she said to Chloe while blocking his view of the interior.
Nathaniel heard muffled conversation ending with a resigned sigh on Neve’s end. She glanced over her shoulder with a plea in her eyes. He nodded his promise that Chloe was safe in his hands, for now at least.
“Mr. Berwyn, I believe your date has arrived.” Neve’s eyes narrowed as they swung back toward the interior of the store. “Ahead of schedule.” She pushed open the door and Chloe took a halting step over the threshold.
Her fingers trailed along the exterior of the building until her hand closed over the new railing. Her approach wound his chest tighter with every step. Air left his lungs. He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move. Locked in place, he waited. When she flashed a shy smile, the stars above paled in comparison. Her hair curled around her shoulders, giving her a dark halo. The delectable shade of red on her lips invited all kinds of unholy thoughts as her smoky stare met his. The crimson dress she wore fluttered around her knees. Its dainty straps made his fingers itch to pluck them free of her shoulders.
Forever passed in uneven heartbeats as she followed the path down to where he stood, releasing her grip long enough to seek his hand. When their skin touched, their bond crackled and they both sighed with relief. His heart clenched and he wished the moment were private, the sight of her his alone to savor.
“You look beautiful tonight, Ms. McCrea, but then”—he cleared his throat—“you always do.”
“Thank you.” Her cheeks turned a complimentary shade of red. “I didn’t want to overdress, but Neve said…” She released his hand and straightened his tie. Something so familiar in the gesture told him she’d done it often. “Sorry, my dad had the same trouble with his knots.” She smiled up at him. “You look very handsome.”
Before he replied, Neve pushed through the door. “Are we ready out here?” Long-stemmed glasses hung between her fingers and a bottle of wine was tucked under her arm. Her other hand held a bowl of mixed salad greens balanced on top of a pair of small plates.
“We are.” He offered Chloe his arm while Neve set up their table, then disappeared inside the store. “Would you care to join me for dinner?”
Her small hand fit in the crook of his elbow as he led her to the makeshift table and pulled a bucket out, topping it with a pillow she probably recognized as coming from her couch.
“Thank you.” She took her seat and laughed while he pushed in her chair with his foot.
He sat across from her and had to agree Neve was right. She glowed as bright as any star in the heavens. “You’re welcome.”
Her shoe bumped his, and even that small contact made her shoulders relax.
“Be careful because this stuff is hot, hot, hot.” The table wobbled when Neve dropped their plates, then blew on her hands. “My warming tray at home isn’t quite as effective as Chloe’s.”
“Are you okay?” Chloe started to rise, but Neve pushed her down.
“I’m fine. Ignore me. Pretend I’m invisible.” She glanced his way. “You have the store’s number, right?” He nodded. “Good. I’ll head upstairs and get back to work. Call when you’re ready for dessert.”
Once the door closed behind Neve, Chloe let out a laugh. “Part of me says she’s being a good friend by helping you out, but the other part feels as if we’re being conveniently chaperoned.”
She glanced up, checking the windows for signs of Neve, which was not where he wanted her attention focused.
He poured them each a glass of wine and raised his in a toast. “To first dates.”
Her gaze strayed over his shoulder as she did the same. “We’re barely six feet from the door.”
“Are we?” He begged her with his gaze to play along. “I didn’t notice.”
“My mistake. I must have gotten some of that moonlit sky stuck in my eye.” She tossed the salad and plated a portion for each of them. “I hope you don’t mind if I skimp on the lettuce, but the smell of our main course has been driving me nuts for the past hour.”
Since his palate rarely stretched beyond what could be delivered, his stomach growled in appreciation. He’d been too nervous to eat earlier. Afraid he wouldn’t finish getting ready in time or wouldn’t clean up to her standards.
“I don’t mind.” His tone must have implied his question for him. “It smells great.”
“It’s fusilli with summer tomato sauce, or so says the chef.” She picked up her fork and dug in. Three bites later, they had finished off the handful of leaves she’d given each of them. She plated the pasta with much more vigor and a low hum of anticipation.
“Delicious.” Her first bite left a smudge on her lips, one her tongue didn’t let go to waste.
He traced its path in envy. Turning to his food, he tried to savor the dish. But Chloe looked much more interesting. She alternated nibbling on a garlic roll and picking her way through the corkscrew pastas on her plate.
Caught staring, he smiled when she dabbed her mouth with a napkin. “Did I miss some sauce or something?”
“No.” Her quick little tongue made certain of that.
She placed her napkin on the table and took a sip of wine. When she set her fork on her napkin, he understood he’d made her uncomfortable. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have stared.”
“You’re fine.” She reached for his hand. “I should save room for dessert anyway. It’s not every day someone bakes chocolate soufflé. I hope it rises. My oven isn’t a believer in consistent temperature.”
Almost on cue, the phone in Nathaniel’s pocket rang. A fire alarm blared and choking coughs pierced his ears. A woman’s strangled voice cut through the noise. He knocked his bucket over when he stood. “Neve?”
Fear slashed harsh lines through Nathaniel’s usually placid exterior. His bucket rolled from beneath him and thumped against the railing. When he paced into the darker half of the porch, Chloe closed her eyes and clenched her fists in the tablecloth.