Chapter Seventeen
Nate
If having a case of the Mondays was actually an illness, Nate’s diagnosis would have been positive.After spending almost an entire weekend with Lottie, most of that time spent in bed worshipping her gorgeous body peppered with stints in the kitchen where they ate and strategized over his downtown project, Nate couldn’t bring himself to notice much of anything besides the strong desire to run back to her house and lay in bed with her all day.They didn’t even need to have sex.He would be content to do nothing more than hold her and listen to her tell him story after story about every single person in town for as long as she wanted.
Nate smiled and navigated his laptop screen over to the homepage forLocally Sourced.Lottie’s newsletter wasn’t something he had ever allowed himself to look at before, but he couldn’t help himself from going to it.In the past, he had disparaged it openly when really he knew very little about it other than the woman put her heart and soul into each issue.It had been callous of him and he wanted to make it up to her.That started with reading what was most important to her.After acknowledging his feelings for her, Nate had found the archives section on her site and started to read every back issue.At first it had started out enough with columns about town events and one or two about what was happening with some members of the community, but soon enough it evolved into something greater.
Resembling a much larger newspaper, Lottie’s newsletter now featured columns spotlighting various townspeople in a section calledBetter Know Your Neighbor.After reading each of those, Nate now knew more about his town than he had thought possible.Another section highlighted businesses that were opening as well as those that were in danger of closing.Nate smiled as he read the names of those latter businesses.It seemed that being featured in Lottie’s newsletter had been enough to bolster their business and keep them around to where they still stood today.
Nate had read so many of her past newsletters that he also felt like he had a better sense of who Lottie was as a person.She had always been friendly, asking people about themselves, but where he had once thought that was her being nosy, Nate had come to realize that it was and always had been about her simple care for others.They both cared about the town a great deal, but she had spread that care and love for her fellow man around to reach every other person in the community.By asking someone about themselves, Lottie had touched them in no small way and in turn, touched everyone surrounding her.
Chest puffing with pride both for the amazing woman she was and the fact that she felt him worthy enough of her greatness, Nate navigated over to the dates he’d yet to read.The links had stayed blue for at least a week now with him being too afraid of what Lottie might have written about him once he’d announced his campaign for mayor.She’d kept her newsletter free of anything to do with him before that, but he’d done little of note in the years prior, quietly working in the town planning office as he refined his agenda for when he would run for the top spot.Deep down Nate knew that it had been more than that though.Lottie would have found some way to mention him if he hadn’t hurt her so much, and once it was unavoidable, maybe she would have written bad things about him.It would have been deserved, but it would still hurt to read.
A knock at the door had Nate wrenching his eyes off his laptop screen and over to the open entry to his office.Willa stood, one hand on her belly and the other holding a vase filled with cream colored roses.Nate smiled as she went and slipped them onto the small conference table in his office, the blossoms resembling the same ones on the brooch he’d gifted Lottie for Christmas.
“Seems like the flower deliveries have started up again.”Willa smiled as she took a seat in the brown leather chair in front of his desk.“Funny how the timing of that happens to coincide with my not being able to get ahold of Lottie all weekend and you having that dopey look on your face.”
Nate tried to frown, but the sight of the flowers along with the memory of Lottie in his arms for almost two whole days prevented it from fully forming.“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Willa chuckled and shook her head.“Sure you don’t.”Her expression turned serious for a moment and she nodded at the poster boards covered in his plans for the town square.“Is this just a thing while she helps you with your project, or is it more than that?”
Nate felt his spine stiffen.“Is that what she thinks?”He’d told Lottie he loved her and she’d said it back, but maybe the damage he’d done had been too great to overcome all her fears.
Willa held her hands up.“That’s not what I’m trying to imply, and honestly, I don’t know what she thinks because we haven’t really talked much in the last couple of days.”She speared Nate with a knowing look and he felt himself blush slightly as he thought back to what those couple of days entailed.“All I know is that the last time Ididspeak to my friend, she sounded happier than I have ever heard her and was excited for what the future might bring.”
Nate couldn’t stop himself from smiling as he processed those words.Lottie being happier than ever with him felt like the most amazing accomplishment of his entire life.“I feel the same.”
Willa nodded, her expression hopeful.“It better stay that way, Nate.”She rose slowly from the chair and placed both of her hands on his desk, staring down at him somewhat menacingly.“I won’t ask my husband to kill his own brother should he hurt my friend, but I’m not above asking him to maim you a little.”
Nate chuckled but the laughter died in his throat when he saw the look on Willa’s face.He liked to think his brother wouldn’t raise a hand in anger toward him, but then again, he’d also seen how fiercely in love he was with his wife.
Nate shivered.“It won’t come to that.”
Willa narrowed her eyes at him before smiling brightly and straightening from her position.“Great.Is there anything you need while I’m here?If not, I’m going to head over to the station to say hello to my man.”She gave him another slightly intimidating look.“Should I pass along your greetings as well?”
“Sure,” he gulped.Nate tried to hide the slight tremble in his voice after her threat, but the sly look on Willa’s face let him know he failed.Waving her goodbyes, she exited the room and left Nate to his thoughts.He wouldn’t hurt Lottie, not again.Neveragain, he vowed to himself.
Needing to feel like he was strong enough to face anything, Nate clicked on the link to the first newsletter that came out after his campaign announcement, seeing that the top headline was indeed about him.Nathan Kemp Announces Mayoral Campaign.It was innocuous enough, and as he read the article, Nate was surprised to find that not only was it not slanderous, but far too complimentary for someone who’d treated the reporter who wrote it so indifferently over the years.
Nathan Kemp, one of Applewood’s favorite and most accomplished sons, has announced his campaign for mayor.Currently the brains behind the town planning office, Nate brings intelligence, loyalty, and a love for the town that raised him to his campaign.The fourth son of Nolan and Cora Kemp, Nate has accomplished much in his short career at Applewood Town Hall, having helped reshape our community through the restructuring of various buildings and landmarks.
The article went on, but Nate found himself eager to read more about what she thought of him.Clicking on another issue, this one during the heart of his campaign, Nate glued his eyes to the screen.He was a parched man, eager to drink up every complimentary word that Lottie had put down about him.This headline had to do with the debate he and Anthony Gutierrez had held at the high school gymnasium.Nate had felt pretty confident afterwards, and the headline seemed to reflect that.Kemp Comes Out on Top After Debate with Gutierrez.Nate read on, unable to stop himself.
Mayoral candidates Nathan Kemp and Anthony Gutierrez sparred on stage two nights ago at Applewood High School.While Gutierrez seemed to tout the merits of age and experience over everything else, it soon became apparent that Kemp was the one with the more compelling argument.The younger man spoke fondly of the town and what it could become if we all came together to accomplish it.Wanting to renovate the current town square is high on Kemp’s list, but more than that, his desire to help the community thrive by embracing innovation while still fostering togetherness was evident through his speaking.Both candidates displayed a wealth of knowledge about the town’s history, but the love for that town was truly noticeable in Mr.Kemp.
