“Keep reading?” he says and does some pose to show off his ass.
I glance back at the card and read. “Sam, who was Gram’s favorite, despite what Jason claims, has a lot to offer. He’s kind, generous, and will fight for a woman’s honor.” Good Lord. “He loves to wine and dine his date and leave her with lasting memories. He loves skiing, snowmobiling, lazy Sunday mornings, and peanut butter and jelly.” I drop the card, and Heather takes over for the bidding portion.
“Now that we’ve all heard Sam’s Tinder profile,” she says, and the crowd laughs, “let’s start the bidding at fifty dollars.”
I step up to the bar and get a glass of white wine. The bids reach one thousand dollars. Holy crap. On stage, Sam is hamming it up, putting on a show for the ladies, and the final bid comes in from a middle-aged woman, at two thousand dollars. Unbelievable. Sam, ever gracious that he is, steps down from the stage, holds his hand out to the woman, and lifts her to her feet. He helps her into her coat like the perfect gentleman, and the two go out the door for their dinner date at the Grand Banker.
I head back to the stage and continue reading the information provided for each man, with Heather taking over for the bidding. I stand back, a smile on my face, and my heart full of love for this town and the people. I glance upward and fight a tear. Gram would be so pleased, and that warms my soul.
When it’s Nate’s turn, I remember he doesn’t have an index card, so I’ll have to wing it. I glance down, to pretend I’m reading. “Please welcome Nate Montgomery to the stage.” Nate, looking so damn hot in his form-fitting suit, takes center stage, and the crowd claps.
“Nate—although some of you may know him as the cow whisperer,” I say and stop when the crowd laughs. “Well, first, I’m going to tell you what he’s not.” Nate’s brow raises, and I continue. “He’s not a very good hunter. Then again, we may be dealing with a Ninja mouse at Gram’s.” I pause for the laughter, and when it dies down, I say, “He’s not a great liar, either.”
When our eyes meet, we both know I’m talking about the coat. “He’s not good at understanding quantum mathematics, although I give him props for trying. But seriously folks, Nate might be cheesy,” I say and grin when he groans. “But he’s a great cook and a quick-thinking fireman when the need for one arises. Yes, it’s true, I nearly burned down Gram’s house.” The crowd chuckles. “He loves all boats, even when they come in the form of a pumpkin. He’s kind to children and animals, and he’s my personal hero. You may not know this—but then again, word spreads fast in this town,” I say, and bobbing heads agree. “When I first arrived, Nate saved me from a runaway horse. He literally threw himself at me, with no regard for his safety.”
“I still owe you a ride,” a man says from the audience, and I glance out and see Doug.
I wave to him and smile. “A ride with a horse who tried to kill me. I would normally say sure, right after the second coming, but we all know how that turned out for me last time.” Nate grins at me. And I turn things back to him. “Okay, ladies, he’s one of a kind, so let’s get the bidding started. You don’t want to lose out on this one.”
I step back and let Heather take over. Nate runs his fingers through his mess of hair as I go get my drink. I catch Izzy’s knowing look. I finish my drink and order another as the bidding continues.
Nate pulls in over four grand, and I nearly choke on my drink. Like the true gentleman he is, he makes his way to the highest bidder, a lovely elderly lady with blue hair, helps her into her coat, and glances at me. Emotions churn in my stomach as his eyes narrow, and I will my knees not to give. He has a strange look on his face, one I’ve never seen before, but makes me think he’s waging some sort of internal war. He helps the woman into her coat, and they disappear out the door.
I go back to the stage, and it’s nearing nine when I finally finish. I thank everyone for organizing it and slip on my coat. Nate drove me here, and I could wait for him to finish his date to drive me back, but it’s such a gorgeous clear night, the stars glistening in the velvety black sky, that I decide to walk, get my thoughts in order.
I might have revealed a little too much of my feelings for Nate tonight. Perhaps that’s why he had that strange look on his face. Oh God, I hope he doesn’t think I’m falling for him, or that I’m asking for more.
Tonight, when he comes to my bed, I’ll have to make sure he knows otherwise. It’s almost the end of the lobster fishing season, and he’ll be out of here soon. We had set upon terms when we started this, and I want him to leave here with a clear conscience. He didn’t do anything wrong. I’m the fool who went and fell for him.
I walk by the Grand Banker and glance in the window. I catch sight of Nate and his date through the glass. They’re sitting at the same table I sat at with Nate my first night here. He doesn’t see me, and attentive man that he is, he is entirely focused on the woman, and my heart swells. I love that about him. No matter who he’s with, he gives them his undivided attention.
I zip my coat to my neck and hurry my steps. The house is quiet when I arrive. All the guys are on dates, and Izzy is helping with cleanup at the Anchor. I pull my coat off, toss another log into the fire, and walk around the house, admiring the freshly painted walls. My heart swells a little more when I think about Nate working with the boys. Tears fill my eyes, and I’m thinking another mocha latte to calm my emotions might be in order.
“Gram, I’m in love with a fisherman and have to sell this house when I don’t want to. Please tell me what to do.” As soon as the words leave my mouth, the fire flames brighter, and I turn to it, feeling Gram’s presence like a warm hug.
I can almost hear her whispering in my ear. It will all work out in the end.
The only problem is, I can’t see how anything can work out for Nate and me, or for the B&B, in the end. I head to the kitchen to put on a pot of tea, and after I make it, I go into my office and lose myself in my work for the next couple of hours.
A noise outside pulls me from my equations, and my heart beats a little faster when I hear Nate’s voice. I head to the kitchen to investigate and peek out to see him chatting with Ellen, but no Bridgette. I open the door, and my breath catches when he turns those green eyes on me.
“Hey,” he says, quietly, and before I can answer, he presses his lips to mine. His kiss is so tender, so steeped in desire and need it does weird things to my insides. My lids flutter, right along with my heart. I step into him, despite the cold, but he puts his arms around me and warms me with his body.
Ellen moos, and we break the intimacy. “How was your night?” I ask.
“Mrs. Hendricks is an amazing lady. Her stories about her life, this town, I loved them all. I would love for you to meet her, Kira. She even told me tales about your grandfather.”