Nathan: Small Town Romance (Heroes of Daisy Hills Book 1) Page 4

  “Clean up one mess at a time,” I mumble to myself.

  11

  AUDREY

  I don’t visit Wade as often as I want to. My bakery keeps me very busy. And to be honest, it’s hard to come to the jail. Seeing him here reminds me he isn’t just that goofy, innocent kid I grew up with.

  “Everything okay, sis?” Wade asks from the other side of the glass, holding the phone up to his ear. He always could read me like a book, which is why he has to be seeing right through my forced smile now.

  “Great! It’s all great.”

  “Liar.” He stares hard at me the way he always did when we were kids and he was trying to weasel the truth out of me. It always worked, too. “Talk to me, Audrey. I’m still your brother.”

  “Exactly.” I let out a puff of air and rip off the imaginary Band-Aid. “I have something I need to tell you, and I think you might get upset with me over it. But it’s not right for me to keep it from you.” I pause, but Wade doesn’t say anything. Though his expression is stiffer than before, he simply looks at me to let me know I’ve got his full attention. “I’m in love with Nathan Walker. I spent so much time avoiding him and pretending I didn’t care about him. But the past couple of weeks…someone broke into the bakery, and—”

  “Were you there?” Wade asks, concerned.

  “Yeah, I was. Nathan saved me from a very bad situation.”

  “Did they catch the guy?”

  I nod. “It was my coffee competitor believe it or not.”

  The sigh of relief is very visible, even through the slightly cloudy glass. I’ve been itching to wipe it down with a rag since I first sat down. “I know Nathan is the reason you’re in here—”

  “Stop right there,” Wade says. “Nathan is not the reason I’m in here. You and I both know that. My actions are why I’m in here, sis. I made a series of poor decisions that put me here. Nathan was doing his job.”

  We haven’t talked about Nathan since the very early days of Wade being locked up. Back then, my brother was angry and quick to blame everyone else for what happened to him. Over time, I’ve watched that anger leave. But hearing him say these words out loud is shocking, even to me. “But why were you the only one who got in trouble? There were at least three other guys. I never understood that. Why are you here and they’re free?”

  Wade leans closer to the glass, lowering his voice. “Giving up anyone else who was with me that day would’ve put you in danger.”

  “Me?”

  “They’re a rough crowd, Audrey. When you cross them, they don’t take that too kindly. I didn’t want anything to happen to you. You’re the only family I’ve got.” He sits back, blowing out a breath. After a few beats of silence, he adds, “You deserve to be happy, sis. If you love Nathan, then be with him.”

  “You mean that?”

  “Whole heartedly. But if he breaks your heart, I’ll probably get life for what I’ll do to him for it.” Wade laughs at what may or may not be a joke. He’s always been fiercely protective of me.

  “I’m the only one breaking any hearts right now,” I mutter. “But I’m going to fix that.”

  12

  NATHAN

  Sitting on the edge of the fishing dock, my feet dangling off the side, I stare at the ring in my hand. The same ring I was going to give Audrey tonight. I consider tossing it into the lake, but I keep seeing the image of my dumbass diving into the murky water after it.

  Because no matter how hurt I might be over her wedge of distance once again, I still love her more than life itself.

  Maybe Knox was right. Maybe I tried to move things too fast.

  I give one last consideration to chucking the ring into the lake before I shove it into my shirt pocket instead.

  I’m going to marry Audrey.

  Someday.

  Because, if it’s not her, it’s no one.

  But perhaps now is not our time. I hate thinking that way. I hate the thought of existing so close to one another but feeling thousands of miles apart. It’s the most painful torture I can imagine.

  “Hard to fish without a fishing pole.” Audrey’s silky voice carries to my ears, teasing me. Surely I’m imagining it now. Because I can’t think of anything sexier than Audrey strutting down that dock in some light, flowing sundress toward me.

  I turn my head over my shoulder, too tempted by the hope that she’s really here.

  And she is.

  “I’m not fishing,” I say, instantly regretting not just my idiotic words, but my harsh tone.

  “I noticed.” I’m entranced by the sway of her hips and the sundress from my fantasies. “Can we talk?”

  I nod.

  She sits down beside me, slipping off sandals and dangling her bare feet above the water. I’ve always thought it would be fun to skinny dip in the moonlight with Audrey out here. The land is my family’s private land, and a place I’ve always come when I need to think. Audrey is the only other person I’ve ever brought out here. Which is no doubt how she found me.

  “I’m sorry,” she says.

  “For what?”

  “Where do I start?” She huffs a nervous laugh. “I’m sorry for blaming you for Wade going to jail. I’m sorry for being an icy bitch to you for a whole year over it. I’m sorry I couldn’t find the right words last night and hurt you because of it.”

  “What were the right words?”

  “I just wanted to talk to Wade. To be fair to him and let him know that we were together. I didn’t expect him to be supportive, but I thought he should hear it from me before some rumors got back to him.” She covers my hand with her own. “For the record, he’s all for us being together.”

  “Is that right?”

  “It is.”

  This isn’t exactly how I pictured a proposal, but with the sun setting and the sky an array of beautiful pinks, oranges, and purples, I think it’s kind of perfect. I pull the ring out of my shirt pocket and hold it out to Audrey. “I meant what I said, sweetheart. I love you. I want to spend the rest of our lives together. I know it might seem fast, but will—”

  “Yes!” She tackles me so suddenly I almost topple us both into the lake. It’s a miracle I don’t lose the ring in the water—wouldn’t that be ironic. Her lips fuse to mine, our tongues dart to each other desperately. When we finally come up for air, she lets me slip the ring onto her finger.

  “I love you, Nathan. I’m sorry it took me so long to say it—”

  “Don’t apologize, sweetheart.” My hand slides up her thigh, diving beneath her dress. My fingertips brush her bare pussy. “Someone’s not wearing panties.”

  “I think they’re on a lampshade or something.” Her hands work at my cargo shorts, freeing my cock. With a couple strokes from her soft fingers, I’m ready for her. She climbs onto my lap and sinks down on my length.

  This is everything I want and more.

  Epilogue

  About six months later…

  NATHAN

  “It’s about time you had the game at your house,” Knox says, punching me playfully in the shoulder as he sets down a six-pack on the counter. “Thought your wife was never going to let us come over.”

  “It was her idea,” I answer honestly. Yes, it’s true I haven’t taken a turn hosting the guys for a game in several months. But to be fair, I was too busy exploring every inch of my wife in every possible spare second. Knox might spit out his beer if I told him that just last night, Audrey and I fucked on the same counter he’s leaning on now.

  “Well tell her thank you.”

  As the guys filter into the basement into the room Audrey has lovingly dubbed my man cave, I nudge Knox. “Heard a certain librarian dumped her boyfriend recently.” Normally I don’t pay attention to gossip—and in The Sweet Tooth, gossip is practically a currency—but this nugget of information I couldn’t pass up.

  “I heard.” Knox stares ahead at the TV, pretending to be infatuated over a commercial about diapers.

  “You going to make a move or let
some other guy beat you to it again?”

  Knox empties his beer and drops into the bin. “I’m working on it.” Which is code for leave me the hell alone. I drop the subject, but only because I spot Audrey carrying a tray of appetizers down the stairs. I rush over to take it from her, stealing an opportunity to kiss my wife.

  “I have a few more things upstairs,” Audrey says to me.

  Maybe she’s telling the truth, but maybe she’s summoning me for a quickie. I take the stairs two at a time to find out.

  “Just that tray over there,” she says with a nod at the island. But I hardly glance at it because Audrey is stepping into the pantry, her wicked gleam inviting me to join her. With the game just started and all the guys downstairs, I won’t be missed for a few minutes.

  I close the pantry door behind me and draw Audrey into my arms. It’s been six months and we still can’t keep our hands off each other at every opportunity. I think it’ll always be this way.

  Her quick fingers free my cock, stroking it in just that right way that makes me crazy. “I really want my husband inside me right now,” she pleads. Turning her back toward me, she bends over and pops her ass at me.

  I lift her dress and yank down her panties so hard they rip. “I’m going to go broke replacing all the clothes I destroy,” I say with a laugh as I nudge my dick into her wet and ready slit.

  I love that this is my life.

  Up next is Knox & Maya’s story!

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  Daisy Hills B&B Series

  CELIA (Celia & Malcom)

  BIANCA (Bianca & Jeremy)

  ISABELLA (Isabella & Jude)

  MIRANDA (Miranda & Barrett)

  ADRIANA (Adriana & Harrison)

  Holidays in Daisy Hills Series

  ROSE (Rose & Tristan)

  Heroes of Daisy Hills Series

  NATHAN (Nathan & Audrey)

  KNOX (Knox & Maya)

  Stay tuned for more books and series in the Daisy Hills world!