“Okay,” she said, still feeling flustered. This so wasn’t her! She was feisty and independent. True didn’t fold in the presence of a gorgeous man. She had learned her lesson with Garrett. Or had she? Xavier Stone had her all twisted up in knots.
Just breathe, she told herself.
“My brothers are waiting for me outside, so I’m going to call it a night, unless you need help closing up the place.”
“I appreciate the offer, but I’m good. I’ll be heading out right behind you,” True said. His offer to help her out was sweet. The truth was, it was hard for her to accept help, especially when it came to Northern Exposure. But with everything shifting with the arrival of Red and the Stone brothers, she might just have to bend a little. Change was coming whether she liked it or not.
“Night,” Xavier said, pulling on his coat. She didn’t mean to stare, but he made the act of putting on his jacket a spectator sport. He was definitely the finest man ever to step foot in Moose Falls. Maybe in all of Alaska, if she was being honest.
“Good night,” True said, battling the urge to ask him to stick around a bit longer. It was a foreign feeling considering she was always eager to get home to Jaylen and relieve her sitter. Her brother would be asleep by now, but just being at home with him was always satisfying.
“Just a sec. I forgot something,” Xavier murmured,moving toward her and not stopping until their bodies were mere inches away from each other. He looked down at her and cupped her chin in his hand. She noticed little caramel flecks in his eyes as he dipped his head down. “I’ve been wanting to do this since the day we met.” True had a few seconds to step away from the incoming kiss, but there wasn’t a single question in her mind that she wanted this to happen.
The moment his lips landed on hers, True leaned against him and sank into the kiss. His lips were tender and inviting, shifting from warmth to blazing like a roaring fire. They tasted like peaches. She kissed him back, her hands reaching out to grab ahold of his jacket for leverage. Xavier’s lips moved over hers with a mixture of tenderness and urgency. She parted her lips, inviting him in. They explored each other for a few moments as the kiss deepened. True felt as if she were soaring, flying to a destination she’d never been to before. All of her nerve endings were tingling. She felt achingly, wonderfully alive.
Way too soon for True’s liking, the kiss ended.
“I’ll be seeing you, True,” he said with a glint in his eyes.
The way he spoke his parting words had her convinced that he meant them.
“Mm-hmm,” she murmured, her brain still foggy from the best kiss she’d ever experienced in her twenty-eight years of life. As she watched Xavier exit Northern Exposure, all she could think about was how fast things were moving. A few days ago, the name Xavier Stone had been tied up with Jaylen’s hero worship and Hattie’s desire to reunite with her beloved grandsons. The very mention of his name had annoyed True. But now, after just a few days of him being in Moose Falls, she was acting like a smitten kitten.
And she didn’t like it one bit.
CHAPTER NINE
“Xavier, I’d like you to attend a meeting with me this morning.” Xavier had barely crossed the threshold of the dining room before Hattie barked at him. He was discovering that her demeanor tended to be gruff at times, particularly in the morning.
“Good morning to you too, Hattie,” Xavier said as he sat down at the mahogany-colored dining room table.
Hattie paused before responding. “Good morning, beautiful boy. I hope you slept well last night.” She daintily lifted her teacup and brought it to her lips. “I’m sorry for being so abrupt with you. It feels like there’s never enough time in the day to get everything done. Now, it’s more important than ever.”
Xavier heard the stress laced in Hattie’s voice. Although his grandmother put up a brave front, Xavier could now see the cracks in her façade. Her hand shook slightly as she poured more hot water into her cup. He couldn’t help but wonder if the pressure of her terminal diagnosis was weighing on her. If so, who could blame her? He couldn’t imaginewhat it would be like to discover you were living on borrowed time.
“Are you feeling okay?” Xavier asked. He knew Hattie was a proud woman who hated showing any weakness, but he had to ask. Even though they weren’t close, he felt a responsibility toward her. In some ways she reminded him of his mother in the way she spoke effusively about her love for him and his brothers. He felt bad that he couldn’t return the favor, but after so many years apart, their relationship was starting from scratch. Xavier didn’t use the L word indiscriminately.
“I’m right as rain,” she said. “Never felt better.”
Xavier sensed she wasn’t being totally honest with him, but he wasn’t going to call her on it. He was quickly learning that Hattie Stone marched to the beat of her own drum.
Xavier reached for a cheese Danish followed by scrambled eggs and sausage. Before he knew it, his plate was full. He felt a pair of eyes trained on him. When he looked up from his plate, Hattie was staring at him, a sweet smile plastered on her face.
“You have no idea how much I’ve missed you.” Hattie threw the comment out, and he had no idea how to respond. He’d gotten used to life without a grandmother, and over the years, he’d pushed memories of her and his childhood in Moose Falls below the surface. Anything he said about missing her would sound phony. Best to change the subject and talk about something else.
“Your hair,” Xavier said, noticing that the hue was now a vivid orange color. The fiery shade suited Hattie better than the blue. She was a chameleon, always shifting gears.
Hattie patted her curls. “I’ve always wanted to be a redhead. Shades ofI Love Lucy. That Lucille Ball was something else.”
Just then his brothers walked in and sat down at the table.Caleb, not being a morning person, grunted a good morning while Landon stopped by Hattie’s chair and leaned down to press a kiss on her cheek. The gesture made her grin so hard, Xavier worried her face might crack. Landon was way more sentimental than his brothers. Sometimes Xavier wished that he could be more like Landon, but he knew all too well that his role as the oldest brother in the family had shaped him into the man he’d become.
All he knew right now was that Landon made Hattie beam with happiness, and it made Xavier proud of him.
As they headed out the front door after breakfast concluded, Xavier walked in lock step with Hattie. “Tell me more about the meeting.” Xavier was such a newbie at Yukon Cider that he was still learning how the company operated. He didn’t want to embarrass himself. Why hadn’t his grandmother prepped him earlier? Xavier prided himself on his work ethic and doing well in all aspects of his life. He wouldn’t allow himself to fall on his face. He wanted to excel in every endeavor he tried.
“The meeting is with True Everett, who manages Northern Exposure. I’ve asked Red to brainstorm with her about the tavern, so he’ll be there as well.” She wrinkled her nose. “It’s been hemorrhaging money lately, so something’s gotta give. We need to examine the problem and try to come up with some solutions.”
Xavier stood up a bit straighter at the mention of True’s name. He hadn’t been able to get their kiss out of his mind. There was nothing he wanted more than to share more alone time with True. And more kisses. Unfortunately, she hadn’t reached out to him, and almost a week had gone by since karaoke night. She didn’t seem the type to play games the way some people did with phone numbers and waiting a week or more to play it cool.
