“That’s none of your business,” he said gruffly.He took a sip of his drink and sighed, his tight shoulders slumping slightly as he leaned back in his chair.
Seeing the drink she’d made up just for him providing even the smallest bit of relaxation to the perpetually overworked man gave Lottie more satisfaction than she should derive from the simple gesture.Everything in her ached to take care of him, but Nate had always made it abundantly clear that he never wanted anything from Lottie except her to leave him be.He was stubborn like that.
Nate looked over at her, a quizzical look on his face.“Did you need something?”
Lottie smiled flirtatiously and batted her lashes.“If that’s you finally offering yourself up to me, consider it a yes.”She held his gaze, hoping that he would finally give into the rightness that lay between them again so they could start a future together.
At the sight of Nate’s eye roll, Lottie’s heart sank.“I’ve told you a million times, Charlotte.I’m not granting you an interview.”
“Right.”Of course that’s what he would think she meant because he only saw her as the troublesome town reporter, nothing more.Lottie’s smile was strained as she looked around the table, nodding to her best friend Willa where she sat wrapped in the arms of her husband.“You all have a good night.”
Walking back to the bar, her own shoulders slumped in defeat, Lottie plastered on a smile for the customers, ignoring Nate as best she could, knowing the whole time that it was a useless endeavor.She’d been unable to ignore him most of her life and didn’t see herself suddenly being able to anytime soon.
Chapter Three
Nate
From the corners of his eyes, Nate watched Lottie walk away from the table, ignoring the desire to go after her.It was getting harder and harder to overlook the wanting, the burning in his veins when he thought about giving into the one thing he knew for certain would destroy all of his plans for the future.He’d never felt that way with anyone else, ensured it by only ever hooking up with someone and even then, making sure they were always the exact opposite of what he really wanted.Tall, slender blondes and petite redheads were who Nate preferred to go to for sexual release, that way there would be no confusing them with the woman he’d been wanting to bed again since high school.
That night haunted Nate like a ghost, never leaving him alone for long enough to exorcise Lottie from his mind, or his heart.The feel of her soft skin underneath his fingertips was still so fresh in his mind that his hands twitched anytime she was near, aching from how badly he wanted to feel it again.It wasn’t just her body he wanted, but all of her, her inherent goodness and yes, even her inherent need to listen to anyone and everyone.It had always held things up in high school, but at the end of the day, they always accomplished what they needed to and everyone seemed happier from their interactions with her.
She was incredible,theyhad been incredible together, but as soon as Nate felt that the paralyzing fear soon followed.Fear of not accomplishing anything nearly as worthy of his family name as his brothers had already, not living up to his most defining character trait.His parents, brothers, school teachers, and just about everyone in town would always comment on his determination, his temerity, and the thought of failing in the eyes of everyone he admired for most of his life made him physically ill.The worry over that outweighed all else, but Lottie was always there in his head along with everything else.
Unable to figure out a way to banish Lottie from his very being, Nate wiped a hand down his face and took another slow sip of his drink, hoping that the fruity flavored alcohol could dull his senses enough to not feel the impulse to go to her.Coming to Branch and Brew was always an exercise in will power, but he couldn’t keep himself from frequenting the bar.Supporting his brother Felix was only part of it, the other existing behind the bar, talking and laughing with everyone just as she always did.
A shoulder bumped into his, nearly knocking him from his stool.“She was flirting with you,” Aiden remarked.His near black hair flopped into his eyes, but it didn’t stay there long as his fiancée Nicole reached over and brushed it off his face as she smiled up at him lovingly.
Nate scoffed as a pang of envy for what his brother had punched its way into his heart.Trying to cover the emotion, he glanced over at his eldest brother scornfully.“She wasn’t, and even if she was, it wouldn’t count because Charlotte flirts with everyone.”
Aiden smirked and shook his head.“She’s never flirted with me.”He nodded to the rest of the table who all readily agreed, their heads bobbing in unison to an almost comical degree.
“Whatever,” Nate said, taking another drink.Why wasn’t the alcohol working yet?He could still feel Lottie’s presence even from fifty feet away, still smell the cinnamon and apples mixed with her own unique scent despite being surrounded by a bar full of people.
The matter seemed to drop for a while as the group started participating in a round of trivia.As it was just after Halloween, most of the questions were based on that and as big of a history buff as Nate was, he knew very little about the pagan traditions that the holiday was based on or anything having to do with it really.After the fourth round, in which the entire table failed to come up with an answer to the question of “Who sang the song, Monster Mash?”Nate finally started to feel a slight buzz in his veins from the cider he’d been consuming all evening.
Willa nudged him with her elbow.His administrative assistant, sister-in-law, and Lottie’s best friend, was the only person at Town Hall who seemed on board with his revitalization project, something he appreciated greatly even though her helping him came to very little.Willa was newer to the town and despite her ties to his family, didn’t have any deep connections beyond that.
