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  "Why are you calling me from the diner?" he asked. His business would've just been picking up for the evening dinner crowd. Ours was.

  Putting my hand over the receiver, I smiled at the couple walking in. "Sit anywhere, be right with you."

  "Ian?"

  "Carson, need a favor. Start the rumor mill going, I don't know who all knows."

  "Tyler?" Well, he'd heard already.

  "Yeah. He's in bad shape. Hasn't woken up, possible spinal damage. Until we know more or more things are settled, we need to get a volunteer crew in here to cover his shifts so Daisy can focus on the back. She's got afternoons covered most days with that new girl from the high school." A new family had moved in recently and their teenager had been looking for some spending money. Daisy'd hired her, and now I was glad for it.

  "You got it. I'll get a schedule worked out."

  One more thing off my plate. I greeted the people that had come in—I hadn't realized the diner stayed this busy, geez. Throwing down silverware on three tables in a row, I ran back for menus. "Who wants coffee?" I called out to the general room.

  Nearly every hand raised. Shit. I'd gotten behind.

  Finally, the last customer walked out the door, a full half-hour after closing. Nate was busy cleaning the kitchen, so I attacked the tables and took the last of the dishes to the dishwasher, loading them and starting another load. We didn't have time to talk. I had a pile of silverware to wrap, not to mention the salt shakers, ketchup bottles. How did they do this all day every day, just the two of them?

  Nate finally trudged out of the kitchen, his shirt soaked in sweat and his nice khaki pants stained and limp. His perfectly styled hair hung around his eyes. I burst out laughing. "You look like shit."

  He joined my laughter. "You look like you just woke up from a refreshing nap! As many orders as you put in, I would've thought you were as busy as me."

  "I was," I insisted. "It was crazy."

  He sat across from me in the booth and helped roll the last few bundles of forks and knives. "That was an insane day."

  "Agreed. I just can't get my mind off of Tyler. Who could've done something like this?"

  Nate shook his bowed head as he finished the silverware. He stacked it onto my pile but then froze. "What is this?"

  "What?" I asked, looking around. I'd finished everything else I could find to do. The front was clean, swept, mopped, and refilled. Just one more roll of silverware to go.

  "You wrapped these like... I don't even know what to call it." He picked up a handful of the silverware I'd wrapped, then the one he'd done. "See the difference?"

  His looked like a burrito, folded in on both ends and neat. Mine looked like... well, I didn't know what. I grinned at him. "It's wrapped. It'll do."

  "Okay," he said. "You're the one that'll have to deal with Daisy anyway." We put the silverware in the host station and walked toward the back.

  The kitchen sparkled. "You did a great job." I smiled at him. "Thank you for helping me." I turned out the lights and locked the door, replacing the key in the light fixture.

  "No problem." We walked in silence for a minute. "It felt good to work that hard, really. I mean, not that what I do isn't difficult, but it's not physically demanding, usually."

  He didn't have to explain himself. I knew he worked hard at his job. "I understand." My stomach rumbled. "You know, in all that, I didn't eat anything all day."

  Nate put a hand on his stomach. "Neither did I. I'll grab something in Bend before I check in. You going to be okay?"

  We'd already reached his car. My emotions had been on hold all day, waiting to see if he wanted to talk about our relationship after the events of the day had finished. His mention of going on to Bend settled that question that had weighed on my mind all day. "You're leaving again, then."

  He looked up in surprise. "Yeah, I mean, nothing has changed, has it?"

  My eyelids grew heavy, tears pushing behind them. "I guess not." I turned toward the shop, but then remembered how badly I'd felt in the shower when I'd lamented not saying more. "Nate," I said as he opened the door to his car. "It wasn't just a fling for me." I turned and went into the shop, not ready to be shot down again. Hesitating, I thought about waiting and peeking out the window at him to see if he looked back or seemed upset at all, but I forced my legs to move and went upstairs instead.

  Thankfully, I was exhausted. A bowl of cereal quieted my stomach, then I collapsed face down on the bed. My grief for the lost relationship wasn’t even enough to keep me awake after running all over that diner all afternoon and evening.

  Banging on my shop door, positioned right under my bedroom, woke me the next morning. I was still dressed in the shirt Nate had picked out for me the day before, so I slipped into my jeans and padded downstairs in my slippers.

  The towing company from Bend had agreed to meet this morning, and in all the excitement, I’d forgotten all about it. Of course, they turned up right on time with a folder containing a contract and the exact details of their offer. I gave them a tour of the shop, equipment, and truck. The whole thing took about thirty minutes.

  "Mr. Garland, a pleasure." The owner of Bend Towing held out his hand. "That offer stands for forty-eight hours, as outlined in the contract. Verbal acceptance is fine, then you can fax it over and we'll get the process moving."

  He had the look of a man used to hard work, but I was fairly sure he hadn't done a tow himself in many years. He'd moved into a position of delegating tasks to those that worked for him. I couldn't see myself giving up my time working in a shop completely but delegating some of the tows wouldn't be so bad.

  I thanked him, taking the folder and waving politely as they walked out. After running upstairs to put on my socks and shoes, and finally use the bathroom—I’d thought I was going to have an accident while I gave them the tour—I decided to get some breakfast. The red folder mocked me from my desk as I walked by. Exasperated, I snatched it up and walked to the diner.

  Carson met me at the door. "Hey, Ian," he said, handing me two menus. "You’re not on the volunteer list today."

  "Just one today," I said as I gave one of them back. "I’m here for breakfast."

  "No Nate?" Carson cocked his head. "Oh, he's got that auction, doesn't he? Is that today?"

  "It is today, but he wouldn't have come in even if he was free." I walked around Carson and aimed myself at a booth in the corner, hopefully where I could eat and read the contract in peace.

  "And why not?" Carson followed me over to the table. Of course. Normally, I wouldn’t mind shooting the breeze with him, but I really wasn’t in the mood today.

  "I don't really want to talk about it, okay?" Sliding into the booth, I left the folder closed on the table. Daisy’s coffee sounded disgusting, not when all I could think about was how much Nate loved it. "Can I have hot tea?" My mom loved it, and I took a craving for it occasionally, with a little honey.

  Soothing tea was what my heart needed. Then maybe when I got back to the shop a call would come through, and I could lose myself in my work. "And I'll just have the breakfast special."

  The breakfast special was whatever Daisy felt like cooking. That was good enough for me.

  "What did you do?" Carson asked flatly, completely ignoring my breakfast order.

  His voice cut me to the core. What made him think it was my fault? "C'mon, Carson, leave me alone about it. How’s Tyler?"

  Again, he ignored me. "You jacked it all up, didn't you?" Slapping the menu down on the table, he plopped into the booth across from me. "What did you do?"

  The only reason I didn't tell him to fuck off was that he was the closest thing to a best friend I’d ever had.

  "Nate was just a fling while he was on his work trip, okay? Nothing more or less. Let it go, Carson."

  "The hell I will. He was no damn fling, and you damn well know it." The poor guy looked more upset than I was. "You're in love with him," he said as he pointed his finger at me. "And you fucked it up somehow."
/>   My jaw dropped. "Listen, it doesn't matter. How I feel is a moot point now. Nate is big city, just like Scott. I'm done. I've had enough. See this?" I held up the red folder. "I'm selling the shop. I don't know if I'm moving away or not, but I've had enough. It's time for a change, and Nate isn't going to be that change, so wrap your head around it and please get me some tea and the breakfast special."

  By the time I finished, my voice had raised several levels. The entire diner was as silent as a tomb. Carson looked around, face pink, and stood. "Coming right up," he said stiffly.

  He set my tea in front of me, then soon after my breakfast without another word.

  Somehow, I was disappointed. It had felt sort of good to let my frustration out. As his hurt face flashed in my mind, I hung my head.

  I was such an ass. No wonder Nate left.

  25

  Nate

  Why the hell had I driven all the way to Bend the night before? Especially considering the auction was to take place back in Three Lakes, at the property site. I could've stayed with Ian.

  His parting words, "It wasn't just a fling for me," had haunted me all night. I'd barely slept, after all the hard work, after driving back to Bend. By the time I'd finally gotten to lie down, it was well after midnight.

  Dragging ass out of the hotel bed this morning had been difficult, but a text from Crissy had been just the pick-me-up I'd needed.

  Crissy: Meet me in the lobby.

  Nate: You're in Bend?

  She didn't reply. I finished getting ready and headed downstairs. She sat at a table in the lobby, working on her laptop.

  "Hey," I said as I sat down. "I didn't expect you today."

  "I just wanted to come to make sure everything went smoothly for you. Mr. Crye mentioned this sale to me yesterday."

  Crissy's boss was like a mythical creature. He was on all the billboards for the company, all the commercials. His voice graced all the radio spots. He'd built the company from the ground up.

  Yet nobody had ever seen him. At least, none of the junior partners. Rumor said all the senior partners saw him daily. "Oh?"

  "He said he's had his eye on you. He all but guaranteed your promotion if this goes off without a hitch."

  My heart froze at the words that I'd been waiting to hear for two years. Instead of being thrilled, I wanted to cry. "That's wonderful," I said with false enthusiasm.

  She closed her laptop with a click. "So, I came to see it done well. I drove through Three Lakes on my way in. I don't know if taking the developers to the property is such a good idea." Crissy waved her fingers at the clerk behind the hotel counter.

  The poor girl looked at Crissy with her eyebrows raised, but the expression on Crissy's face had the clerk scurrying out from behind the counter. "Yes, ma'am?"

  "Two coffees, please." Crissy turned back to me and pulled out her phone, effectively dismissing her.

  I looked at her nametag, pulling out my wallet. "Thank you, Sandra." After I greased her palm with a ten-dollar bill, she gave Crissy some unnoticed side-eye but got the coffees. "Thank you, Sandra, you're the best."

  Crissy looked up from her phone in time to repeat my words. "The best."

  Shaking my head, I sipped my coffee. I'd never noticed her being so dismissive of people. Had I done that, too? "Crissy, you're a damn good realtor."

  "I know," she said with a laugh. "It's what I do best. Anyway, the town was a damn mess. There's nothing there. The new homes or retail space, whichever it is, will liven the place up, but until then if you blink, you'll miss it while driving through."

  This woman had been who I'd strived to be for two long years. I'd studied her, read up on her past sales, and sought out her advice as much as I could without coming across as too needy. Had she always been this unlikeable?

  "The town is great. The people are lovely, Crissy. And sure, it's small, but it has enough." I tried to keep the defensiveness out of my tone.

  "Don't they serve breakfast here?" she asked, looking around. "That server hasn't come back for our order."

  "Crissy," I said incredulously. "We're not in a restaurant. This is a small hotel chain." I pointed to a small serving area off the lobby. "They've got a buffet-style breakfast out for the people that stay here, but it's serve yourself." I knew damn well she'd traveled extensively for work, surely she'd stayed in a smaller hotel.

  "Oh, of course. How silly of me." She laughed and stood to go to the food. "I can't remember the last time I stayed in a hotel that had a continental breakfast."

  At least she knew what it was called. We dished eggs and sausage onto paper plates and returned to our table in the lobby.

  "Crissy, are you happy?" The morning sun had shifted in the few minutes we'd been up, and it framed her face. She was beautiful and obviously took care of her appearance. She looked happy.

  She took a bite of sausage and hummed a little. "I think I am. I love my job."

  "I met someone in Three Lakes," I blurted out. Damn, I really must've been feeling vulnerable about what Ian had told me if I was willing to talk to Crissy about it. "I haven't really dated since I started working for you."

  Crissy smiled around her bite of eggs. After swallowing some coffee, she looked at me like I was crazy. "What's a date? I haven't dated in years." She continued eating, oblivious to my pain. I couldn't choke down the breakfast.

  She had a penthouse apartment, and I'd seen her drive several different luxury vehicles. By the looks of her skin and perfect nails, she spent a considerable amount on her personal beauty. Everything in her screamed wealth and success.

  Who did she have to share it with? What was the point in all the money without someone to spoil?

  I had plenty of money already. I'd invested in the stock market with my sales commissions. While I wasn't rolling in it, I already had myself set up to never have to live the life my parents had. Was there any point to more without Ian with me?

  Son of a bitch. One week in Three Lakes, and I'd gone into an epiphany to change my entire life.

  I had to fight for Ian. I had to go back to Three Lakes, but first, I had to do the right thing with my land sale. "Crissy, excuse me. There's something I have to do before it's time to go." If I hurried, I might catch all the investors before they left their hotels. Grabbing both our plates, I threw them in the trash on my way out of the lobby.

  Walking quickly to the elevator, I pulled out my phone and found the number for the executive director of the conservation. As soon as the door to my room closed behind me, I hit the call button.

  "How soon can you get here?" I asked him as soon as he answered. "This is Nate, we've been emailing about the property in Three Lakes."

  The director, Dawson Giles, was thrilled to hear from me. He lived in Bend and would be able to get to the hotel in fifteen minutes.

  "If we can talk her into this, I'll have to cancel the auction and I'd like to do it before everyone leaves the hotel." Dawson promised to meet me in the lobby.

  I returned downstairs to Crissy. "Sorry, had to make a phone call."

  "It's fine. It gave me time to get through my emails." She had her laptop open again.

  "Crissy, I have a proposition to run past you."

  She looked at me with a raised eyebrow, already looking like she didn't want to hear my shit. "Yes?"

  "Rumor has it that we've been looking to expand, right?" I was winging this pitch, thinking fast. Never had I pulled anything out of my ass so quickly.

  "Of course. We're always expanding. What of it?" She crossed her legs and arms, her body language screaming, "Why are you wasting my time?"

  "What if we expanded to Bend? And to launch our new location, what better press than a huge sale to a conservationist that is committed to rescuing a beloved Oregon animal?" I pulled her laptop toward me, pulling up the website on the deer. "How cute would this guy look on promotional materials?"

  She uncrossed her arms, looking at me the screen thoughtfully. "Maybe," she said, but her voice held a lot of do
ubts.

  Just then, Dawson walked into the lobby. I recognized him from his picture on their website. "Dawson," I called, waving my hand.

  "Crissy, this is Dawson Giles. He's the executive director."

  She turned into a saleswoman, all business and smiles as she held out her hand. "Such a pleasure to meet you. We've been looking at your mission."

  We sat back at the table. "Dawson here is more than willing to help us with PR, launching Brookwell Realty in the Bend market with a bang."

  Dawson took the thread of conversation—even though we'd never actually worked out these details—and ran with it. "Absolutely. Everyone will want to give their business to the company that helped us. I've grown up in the area and have deep connections here. I'd love to be able to tell everyone how wonderful your organization was in the course of the sale."

  Crissy smiled at Dawson. "Let's talk numbers."

  Even though I was being shunted to the side slightly on my own big sale, I didn't care. If we opened a Bend location, I wanted to run it. It was a lateral move, but the money would be great, and I'd be able to fight for what I really wanted. Ian.

  26

  Ian

  All the damn remotes were lined up in damn size order on the damn coffee table. I couldn’t even sit down on my own couch in my own living room without reminders of Nate smacking me in the face. He was absolutely everywhere. His smell, his very presence invaded my senses. Waking up to the knowledge he wasn’t in the house had nearly taken me to my knees. How was I supposed to pick up the pieces again? Scott had been a heartbreak, but Nate threw my heart into the blender and turned it on puree.

  The TV wouldn’t be able to hold my interest anyway. I had no tows, all the shop work was caught up, and Daisy had more volunteers at the diner than she could handle. Walking into the kitchen, I decided I’d do the dishes, but Nate had done them. The sink was clean. He’d even wiped down the counters and folded the towel before he hung it on the oven door.

  Everywhere.