“Oh, you discovered Mistletoe’s best bakery. Miles is crazy about the place. He can’t get enough of the marshmallow brownies,” Nick said.
“Your son is a boy after my own heart,” Harlow said as she sat back down on the floor next to Nick. Her arm brushed against his. “I love brownies.” Harlow opened up the box and placed the cream puffs on the two plates. Neither one of them hesitated to dig in to the treats. Harlow closed her eyes as the sweet taste hit her taste buds. Nick let out a moan as he took a bite.
“Miles is a great kid. He’s far from perfect, don’t get me wrong, but I’m one lucky dad.” Nick’s face lit up as he talked about his son. Little crinkles surrounded his eyes and they shone with happiness. His connection to his son was touching.
“He seems like an amazing kid. And quite a looker. You’re going to have your hands full in a few years. All the girls will be knocking at your door.”
“He’s a mini-me of his mother. That’s for sure.” Nick’s voice was bursting with pride.
Harlow was curious about Nick’s late wife. It was slightly awkward, but she was going to seize this opportunity to ask the question. “Nick, can I ask how you lost your wife?”
“Of course.” Harlow watched as Nick took a breath before he continued speaking. “She was killed in a car crash. A drunk driver ran a red light and Kara died on impact.”
Harlow nearly gasped out loud. She had been expecting to hear about an illness like cancer or multiple sclerosis, but not anything this horrific.
Tears pooled in her eyes. “Oh, Nick. That’s awful. I’m so sorry.” Her voice was thick with emotion. Harlow couldn’t imagine what Nick and Miles had gone through. The circumstances were tragic and senseless. She had sensed his strength in their previous encounters, but learning this information cemented that fact. Harlow reached out and gripped his hand, needing to show him her support.
“Me too. She deserved better. Kara should have died peacefully in her bed at ninety-nine years old.”
“And Miles shouldn’t have had his mother taken from him,” Harlow added. Although Miles had been much younger than she and Malcolm had been when their dad passed away, Harlow still knew that losing a parent as a young child was a life-altering experience.
“Thanks for saying that. She was a fantastic mother. Speaking of which, how’s your mom doing?” Nick asked. Harlow didn’t get the feeling Nick was asking just to ask. He seemed to truly care about the situation.
“She’s stable, which is comforting. Malcolm is in Cape Cod for a few days assessing the situation. That’s what he does best.” Harlow couldn’t put into words how much better she felt having Malcolm at the helm of her mother’s care.
“So how are things between you?” Nick asked, half filling their glasses with wine.
Harlow felt a smile tugging at her lips. “We’re back on track. I’ve come to realize that I need Malcolm’s support even when I think that I can handle things on my own.”
“I get it. Luke and I are really close, but we’re both naturally inclined to try and fight our battles on our own.” Nick scoffed. “Both of us have learned that leaning on each other for support is always better in the end.”
“Cheers to that,” Harlow said, raising her glass of wine in the air. She’d noticed Nick had drunk only one glass of wine all evening, and it didn’t take a genius to figure out why. He would be driving home this evening and he was drinking responsibly.
He reached over and brushed her curls away from her eyes. They were sitting so close to each other that she could see the small scar by his mouth, which only heightened his rugged appeal. Harlow’s pulse quickened and she found herself leaning in toward him. Something in the depths of his eyes told her he was about to kiss her. Although she’d wanted this kiss since the first time she’d laid eyes on him, she asked herself if it was happening too soon.
Too late to backtrack now. Nick leaned over and brushed his mouth over hers. She immediately responded, returning the kiss with equal measure. The moment their lips met, she felt an electric pulse flaring between them. Heat and fire combined. Her mouth felt scorched by his as the kiss intensified. Nick’s tongue pushed past her lips, sending tremors through her body.
Harlow reached up and placed her hand on Nick’s face, caressing his skin with the slight stubble chafing against her palm. She was soaring, flying in orbit, so consumed by Nick’s caress that she never wanted it to end. She felt Nick’s strong hands as they brushed her hair away from her face and grazed the back of her neck. His touch caused goose bumps to pop up on her arms. All of her senses were on overdrive. She breathed in the scent of him—a woodsy masculine scent that embodied Nick. With his hands around her waist, she had the sensation of being anchored to him.
This kiss was not just a kiss. As far as first kisses went, this one was spectacular. Fiery yet tender. Scorching and passionate. She couldn’t think of the last time she’d had a smooch session like this one.
Kissing had never been a big deal for her, but for some reason this felt huge. Harlow hadn’t been kidding around when she’d told Nick that she wasn’t looking for a relationship. Feeling these over-the-top sensations scared her.
After the kiss ended, Nick helped Harlow clear the table of the small plates, napkins, and glasses. Harlow took out the charred dish from the oven and placed it in the sink before running cold water over it.
“I’m pretty sure this is what sparked the fire,” Nick said as he picked up an item at the bottom of the oven with a pair of tongs. Once she saw it, Harlow let out a gasp.
“Oh, jeez. That must have fallen off the tray when I heated up pizza the other day,” she said, staring at the stray slice of pizza that was now burned to a crisp. No doubt Nick was thinking this was an airhead move on her part. She wouldn’t disagree with him if he was.
“Mystery solved. Now you don’t need to call a repairman. Winning,” he said, putting the burned piece of pizza in the trash.
“That’s a good thing for sure,” Harlow said. Now that her student loans were being paid off, Harlow’s money situation wasn’t as tight, but she still wanted to build up her savings. This was the first time in her adult life when she’d been afforded that opportunity.
“I hate to kiss and run, but I should head home,” Nick said. “I’m on call for the early shift.”
“It’s okay. I have to be at the clinic by seven.” The early mornings were brutal to Harlow, who wasn’t a morning person. Thankfully, she had to work the early shift only three times a week. Loving her job helped fight the early-morning fatigue, and seeing the lake first thing in the morning was a wonderful way to greet the day. Her lakeside home was continuing to grow on her. Having Nick over this evening had been a great idea. He was down-to-earth and extremely easy on the eyes. He exuded goodness, especially when he talked about his son. For a man who’d lost so much, he didn’t appear to be jaded. Obviously she hadn’t really scratched his surface, but from what she’d observed, Nick Keegan had it going on.
“Thanks for tonight. I had fun,” Nick said, smiling down at her.
