That was when Nash was supposed to reassure him. Tell him he had nothing to worry about and that their mutual best friend would take one for the team, without question. That their perpetually single, wanderlust-filled, Havenbrook-hating friend would tie herself to Asher and this town simply because he’d used a signal they’d instilled ten years ago.
He was an idiot. This whole thing was a pipe dream. There was no way in hell Nat was going to agree to this. No way she would willingly give up her life, simply because he asked her to. Yes, they were best friends. And yes, any one of them would do anything for the other one.
But this wasn’t just anything. This waseverything.
The side door opened, and Nat strode in, freezing in the doorway as her eyes darted between Asher and Nash.
Natalie Haven had always been more than just a friend to him. She’d been a sounding board, a partner in crime. His first crush—and his first heartbreak, if you wanted to really break it down. Of course, she knew nothing of that. But that wasn’t something he ever needed to speak about, since it had started and stopped faster than he could blink—back when she and Nash had gotten it in their heads to see if there was a spark between the two of them. News flash—there hadn’t been.
Their single kiss had almost destroyed their friendship right then and there, and thus the friendship between all three of them. It hadn’t mattered if Asher’d been head over heels in love with her—for the record, he hadn’t been. Well, he was pretty sure he hadn’t been, anyway. But he’d decided the possibility of a relationship wasn’t worth jeopardizing the promise of the best friendships of his life.
Now, he only hoped he hadn’t made a colossal mistake asking her to do this in the first place. He just kept telling himself this wasn’t real. It wasn’t something they’d get tied up in. Wasn’t something that could potentially cause heartbreak. It was, for lack of a better term, a business decision. And he could only pray she’d seen it as such and would give him mercy and agree to his ridiculous proposition. Because without it—without her—he’d be back to square one, fighting to keep June and Owen with little hope of doing so.
“Hey,” Nat said, tossing the keys to his sister’s car on the counter as she strode toward them.
“Well, I think that’s my cue,” Nash said, pushing to stand.
Nat narrowed her eyes on him. “That’s two times in two hours that you’ve fled as soon as I’ve walked in a room. If you’re not careful, Nash King, I’m gonna start takin’ this personally.”
“Aw, Nattie,” Nash said, hooking an arm around her neck and tugging her to him, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “You know I love you.”
It was the same move, the same words, any one of the three of them had made a thousand times in their relationship. They’d always been casually affectionate with one another, never steering away from easy touches or generous hugs. They’d said I love you to one another more times than he could hope to count. And yet, now, when he watched this exchange between her and Nash, a fire stoked hot in his stomach, the glowing embers of jealousy catching him off guard.
He’d faced that particular emotion a time or two in his past. Nothing overt, but just the whisper of the feeling once in a while during previous relationships. But he’d never felt it with Nat. Until now, apparently.
“Don’t even think about tryin’ to sweet-talk me. Unless you brought me one of those cupcakes, I never wanna speak to you again,” Nat said, her retort lacking the heat the words conjured.
“Looks like it’s my lucky day, then.” Nash reached over and popped the top of the bright-pink cupcake box he’d brought over.
She beamed up at him, pushing up on tiptoes to press a kiss to his cheek. “You’re forgiven, even if you didn’t bring me my favorite.”
“Are you kiddin’? I brought you chocolate-chocolate. Since when is that not your favorite?”
Since she’d had banoffee pie in the UK last year, had discussed it with Lilah at some point, and had gotten the baker to add a cupcake version to her menu.
“Since I don’t know. My new fave is banoffee.”
“What the fuck is a banoffee?”
Nat laughed. “Only the best dessert in the world. But chocolate-chocolate is perfect.”
“As most free cupcakes are,” Nash said dryly.
With a laugh, Nat plucked the cupcake from the box before peeling down the wrapper and diving in, uncaring of the fact that the move left a dollop of frosting on her nose.
Nash rolled his eyes at her before walking to the slider that led to the backyard and bracing himself against the frame. “Girls, it’s time to go now that we’ve gotten June nice and sugared up!”
After Nash had ushered Rory’s girls out the front door, shooting raised brows at Asher on his way, he was alone with Nat for the first time since he’d dropped the bomb. June’s laughs and Owen’s squeals floated in from outside as his niece danced circles around his nephew.
“Nat, about what I asked—”
“Let’s do it,” she said. So breezily, as if she hadn’t completely changed the trajectory of both of their lives with those three words.
Not only that, but he hadn’t exaggerated last night when he’d told her what a sacrifice this would be. Until now, she hadn’t spent more than seventy-two hours in Havenbrook since she’d bailed on it eight years ago, and now she was willing to stay who knew how long for him.
“Don’t look so shocked,” Nat said, and Asher snapped his mouth shut. “You useddownpourfor the first time since we enacted it. Did you think I wouldn’t do whatever the hell you asked? That’s the whole point of an SOS.”
Asher blew out a long breath and shook his head, running a hand through his hair. He stood and strode toward her. “Well, Ihopedyou would, but this one singledownpouroutranks all of the past ones combined.”
