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  We said our goodbyes and headed out of the shop.

  "I almost laughed in your face right in front of Daisy," Ian said, gasping through laughter once we were out the door. "You nearly gave me a heart attack."

  "Glad to have helped," I quipped, intentionally brushing our hands together again. It felt so natural to reach for his hand.

  Maybe I should let things flow, and see where it went. What would the harm be in trying? The worst that could happen was a broken heart.

  Ian compelled me so much, I was ready to risk that.

  14

  Ian

  Real life intruded on us. As we neared my shop, flirting mercilessly, Nate got a phone call.

  "This is Nate."

  A woman's shrill voice came through the phone so loud I heard it clearly. "I've been trying to call you all morning."

  "Good morning, Crissy," Nate replied. "I’m sorry, I don't get good service up here."

  "Have you been to Bend to meet the developers yet?" she asked. "They've started arriving and are wondering why there isn't anyone there to meet them."

  "I'm working on it. It's surprisingly hard to procure a car in this town, but I think I've got it figured out now." He turned to me and shrugged. "I'll head up there now."

  "You do that. Remember, Nate, this is your career." She disconnected the call.

  "Why do you put up with that?" I asked him as I unlocked the door to the shop. "I'm not asking to be rude, I'm genuinely curious."

  "I've worked hard at this firm. Crissy is tough, but she's the best. She noticed my hard work and gave me this case, giving me the chance to skyrocket my career with one major sale. It's more than I could've dreamed of. Honestly, I didn't expect to get a deal of this magnitude for another couple of years."

  The message light was blinking, so I walked over to the desk. "The way you told it before, this is child's play."

  Nate laughed and shook his head. "I'm a part of huge deals like this, but not usually as point man, and never solo. They're rarely done solo. So while I didn't lie, I might've been trying to impress the hot tow truck driver a little."

  With a snort, I pressed the messages button. I needed to go get a car at a regular customer's house. It wouldn't start. "Listen, I've got some work I really need to finish, and now I'll have this work." I grabbed my car keys from my top drawer. "Take my car. I'll see you back here tonight for dinner. If I can get to the grocery store, I'll even cook again."

  "No," he said, taking the keys. "I'll bring something back from Bend. Something we can reheat."

  "I've got a solution to that," I replied, jogging over to a cabinet across the garage. "Scott and I used to use this all the time." Pulling out a thermal insulated bag, sort of the opposite of a cold lunchbox, I turned to find Nate had followed me. "Here you go. Put the food in this and it'll be fine by the time you get here."

  "Great. What do you like?"

  My parents had always said they thanked their lucky stars I wasn't picky at all. "Surprise me. I'm easy to please."

  "Thanks, Ian. I appreciate you." He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss on my lips, stubble he probably should've shaved brushing against stubble I probably should've shaved.

  Putting my hands on his forearms, I squeezed them and kissed him back, our lips slanting against each other. Stopping it just short of tongue, I backed up. "Damn."

  "I agree," he said in a choked-up voice, then turned and walked away. "Let me grab my briefcase and I'll hit the road," he called as he went up the stairs.

  I didn't wait around to say goodbye. Grabbing the door before it shut behind him, I let him know I was going on to get the car and took off. If I had to give him another bye kiss I might not have the strength to leave at all.

  The car was at a home near town, so the whole trip didn't take more than an hour.

  Back at the shop, I dug in to finish the car I'd had since before Nate came to town. It wasn't fair of me to keep it any longer. Cranking up the radio, I rolled under the car to get busy.

  Time passed quickly as I lost myself in the intricacies of the engine.

  "Hello?"

  My friend's voice was unmistakable. Carson was originally from the Midwest, and his twang had never left, even though he'd been living in Three Lakes for years.

  "Under here," I called, but went ahead and rolled out from under the vehicle. "Hey!"

  He waved in lieu of shaking my hand, considering it was covered in grease and grime. Grabbing a blue towel, I wiped off what I could. "You here for the carburetor?"

  "Finally, yeah."

  He was rebuilding an engine for an old Chevy but had trouble with the carburetor. I'd taken it on for him at a discount. It had been ready for weeks, but he hadn't been by to pick it up. "If I'd thought about it, I would've brought it the other night when Nate and I came to eat."

  "You seemed a bit distracted," he said with a grin. "What's going on there? I saw you two sitting bold as brass in the front window of the diner."

  "C'mon, Carson, don't give me grief." I walked toward the corner where a couch was set up beside a small fridge and coffee table full of magazines. Sometimes I did small jobs like oil changes or new tires while the customer waited. "Soda?"

  "Sure," he said. I threw him a can, and he plopped down on the couch. I took the chair across from it.

  "Spill it," he said.

  "Why don't you? You're still not seeing anyone."

  "Exactly. So there's nothing to talk about."

  I scratched my nose, thinking about how to verbalize all the things I'd been feeling. "Well, to start with, I've not been this attracted to someone in a very long time. Maybe not ever. Even with Scott, it wasn't so fiery."

  "You'd known Scott your entire life. You were comfortable."

  I nodded, twisting the rag between my fingers. "I guess so."

  "You realize that's probably why he left? He wanted to feel what you're feeling now for Nate?"

  His words struck me dumb. "I always blamed him for being too needy. Needing more than I did. Needing more than anyone should."

  "Maybe he realized what you were both missing out on."

  Shit. He was right. "I don't know what to do."

  "What else can you do?" he asked. "Date the man!"

  "He's not from here. It's not that simple."

  Carson gave me a sardonic look. "What, you can't commute? You can't consider moving?"

  "Actually, I got an offer from that chain in Bend to buy the towing and auto repair shop." I shrugged. "I'm mulling it over."

  "Stop living in the past. You're scared shitless of change. Stop it."

  "How do I just stop?"

  "No clue. When I dropped everything to move here and open the brewery, I just did it. I didn't give myself time to talk myself out of it. Once I realized what a good idea it was, I hauled ass to make it happen as quickly as possible."

  "I'm not scared, exactly. It's more that I feel lost about how to proceed."

  Carson leaned forward and looked me in the eye. "Start by telling him how you feel."

  "That's a scary prospect." That level of vulnerability might have been more than I was ready for.

  Carson chuckled. "Always is." He looked down at his feet. "Man, at least you've got a possibility. I haven't seen hide nor hair of someone that makes my blood boil like that." He shrugged. "Maybe I'm meant to be an old maid."

  "I don't believe that. You're hot, eligible, have a nice business. And you're sometimes funny." Grinning, I waited for his reaction.

  "Sometimes?" He snorted as he looked up at me. "Thanks, you really know how to bolster a man's confidence."

  "When all this is over and he's broken my heart, you can come bring the beer."

  "Well, hopefully that won't happen. But if it does you know I will." He stood, straightening his shirt. "Get your work done, make the man a nice dinner, and tell him how you feel."

  Groaning, I got to my feet. "Fine. I'll do it. But if it goes all wrong, I'm blaming it on you."

  He moved toward the
door. "Okay. I think I can handle that."

  After he left, I did exactly as he said. Digging back into the car that had been in my garage far too long, I finished it, calling the client to tell him the news and offer him a discount for the delay.

  Moving the vehicles around, I prepped the new job for the next day before heading upstairs for another shower. Ahh, the life of a mechanic. Half my life in the garage, the other half in the shower.

  I checked my phone. No messages. Taking a chance on him not being in a meeting or something, I texted him.

  Just finished work. I'm going to head to the grocery store.

  I'm leaving Bend with the food now. See you soon!

  That didn't leave me much time, but I should have enough if I hurried.

  Before running out to the store, I moved around the kitchen, setting out our place settings, putting candles on the table, and opening my last bottle of wine to breathe in a bucket of ice. I made a note to buy more, soon.

  That way if we got back at the same time, at least the kitchen would be ready for dinner as soon as the food was put away.

  Before I ran out the door, I remembered the music and grabbed the remote to the stereo system. With a few clicks of the buttons, I'd found a jazz station. I hated jazz, but it seemed appropriate for a date. At least it would only play softly in the background. I turned the volume down low then threw the remote on the couch before jogging down the stairs.

  We needed more food than I could carry home, so I took the truck. A parking spot was open right in front of the store. "Ha," I said. "Rock star parking."

  My mom always said that if she got the first spot. She was probably expecting a call from me. Hoping I'd have good news for her soon, I grabbed a shopping cart and tried to focus on exactly what we needed.

  Rushing up and down the aisles, I grabbed several nights’ worth of dinners. Soon I had the ingredients for steaks—I still wanted to cook him a nice meal—tacos, and barbeque chicken, as well as staples for breakfast and lunches. Shoot, toothpaste. I was almost to the register when I remembered I needed several things for the bathroom. And paper towels. Damn it. Turning back one last time, I snagged a box of condoms and threw it in the cart.

  After another circle around the store, I made it to the front, praying I hadn't forgotten anything.

  Of course, I got the slowest cashier the store employed. Gladys, the three-hundred-year-old grocery store clerk. With a tight smile, I helped her bag the groceries, hurrying her as much as I could without being overly obvious.

  "You in a hurry, boy?" she asked with squinted eyes. "I'm moving as fast as I can."

  Whoops. I'd been overly obvious. "Sorry, Gladys. Just trying to beat my friend home."

  "Oh, yes," she said as she repeatedly failed at scanning the barcode on the steaks. "You've got that hotshot realtor staying with you." She harrumphed. "You make sure he does right by this community. We don't need no strip malls moving in here."

  "Yes, ma'am." My heart fell a little. I had no control over who he sold that land to, and her words just brought the whole situation to the front of my mind, as well as a reminder that he was probably going to be the catalyst that changed my small hometown forever.

  Maybe this didn't have to be my home, though. Maybe it really was time to move on.

  Gladys picked up the condoms and squinted at me again. "Oh, I see." She threw them in the bag and hit the total button. I paid her without a word. "Keep the change."

  Rushing out, I piled the bags in the back of the truck and drove the short distance back to the shop.

  No Mustang. He should've been back by now, it had taken me ages at the grocery store, especially with Gladys's help.

  Loading every single bag in my arms, I managed to struggle my way upstairs, dropping them all in front of the refrigerator. Then, I hurried over to the window in the living room to peer out and see if he'd pulled up yet. Continuing that pattern, I put all the food away and lit the candles, but still no Mustang. If he was driving, he'd be out of service by now for sure, but I tried his phone anyway. It went straight to voicemail. So he was somewhere on the road between Three Lakes and Bend.

  I clocked the time, then vowed to give him fifteen more minutes before going out looking for him.

  Just as I was about to grab my keys and go, I saw the dark red of the car down Main Street. Letting out a huge sigh of relief, I went down the stairs to meet him and carry the food for him.

  Geez. I resembled a teenager waiting on a prom date to walk to the front door. Standing just to the side of the window in the front door to the shop, I waited until he was parked and exiting the car to open the door.

  15

  Nate

  "Hey," Ian called from just outside the door to the shop. "I was starting to get a little worried."

  "I'm sorry." I opened the passenger door and pulled out the thermal container he'd given me that morning. "There was a live pig on the road."

  "A pig? Like, an actual pig?" He held out his arms for the food.

  "Yes! And there was nobody around, and it was on like a bend in the road. I couldn't just leave it there." I put the food in his outstretched arms and grabbed my briefcase.

  "What did you do about traffic not coming around the bend and hitting the car?" he asked.

  I held the door open for him and we went into the garage.

  "Well, first, I backed up enough that anyone would be able to spot the car, then put on the emergency flashers." I opened the door to the stairs and we went up. "Then, I pushed him across the road. There was a driveway there."

  "Pigs aren't generally happy to be pushed, are they?" he asked as we climbed the stairs.

  "I have no idea, but this one was amicable. Turns out he belonged to the family at the end of the driveway. As soon as I got him close, I started yelling, and a man came out to claim him. He'd gotten out of his pen and they didn't even know it."

  "Well, that sounds like a fun drive home."

  I looked down at my shoes as we walked into the kitchen. "Yeah, but I'm going to have to clean up."

  "Go ahead. I'll unbox the food and make sure none of it needs to be rewarmed." He turned to the counter, opening the bag.

  "Okay, I'll try to hurry."

  I'd had a productive day at the office. My mind worked over the details of the day as I changed clothes and tried to get the mud and dirt from the driveway off of my shoes.

  The day had gone extremely well. After lunch, I sat in a small meeting room the hotel had graciously provided—I'd rented eight rooms from them for the potential buyers, it was the least they could do, really—and went over the notes I'd taken. I'd spent a few minutes with each of the buyers, and I had my eye on three of them as being real players. Two were real estate developers. They'd turn the land into homes. The third was a retail developer. He'd bring in shops or a mall. Maybe a complex with restaurants and shopping combined. It could be a windfall financially for the community, all the tax money from the sales of food and merchandise to the tourists that spent time in the area. I could see the ink drying on the contracts already. I sat back in my chair after the last developer left, sighing in relief. Crissy was going to promote me. It was finally happening.

  Grabbing my phone, I opened it to check email and accidentally hit the internet explorer app icon. The website for the conservation people popped up. With a sigh, I plopped down on the bed.

  Ian's disappointment when we'd stood on the bluff and I'd told him who would be buying the land had popped into my mind.

  My extreme satisfaction from the day’s events popped like a bubble. With a sigh, I looked up the contact information for the conservation people. Couldn't hurt to ask what they could afford.

  Composing an email, I sent it to them and hoped for the best. Maybe their fundraisers had gone so well they could afford to play in the big leagues. If they could come up with a number close to the projected sales number in my folder, I could probably spin the sale in a positive light to Crissy and get her blessing. If I got her behind me,
it would be a done deal.

  I spent a few hours going over the paperwork one more time before the auction. The office had contracted a local auction company to handle the legalities of it, and their representative was due to be at the hotel in the afternoon. Really, all I was there for was to be the face of the company and learn about the area to really sell the property and drive up the selling price. If the auction lagged, I would talk about the population growth, the movement of Millennials to rural locations, and the quaint town.

  That meeting had gone well. Everything was set up to go off without a hitch. The auction would take place on the land in question. While I was in Bend, I rented cars for the developers that needed one—a few had driven in and didn't. I considered renting myself one while I was there, but as I gazed out at Ian’s Mustang I just… didn’t. With a smile, I arranged for the vehicles to be dropped at the hotel and left in the borrowed car that smelled like spicy cologne. If I breathed deep, I smelled mechanic, but I knew Ian took pains to keep grease out of his car. It was obvious in how clean it and the truck were.

  The clients all had clear directions to Three Lakes since GPS signals couldn’t be trusted, and I'd meet them and led the way to the land. I'd decided to do the auction from the bluff so that they could all see what they were bidding on.

  Luckily, each of them had agreed to the small hike. They'd all said they'd brought hiking clothes or would buy some. If any of them hadn't been capable of making the trek, it wouldn't have been possible. The whole auction was going so well it was like it was meant to be.

  With the satisfaction that I'd done what I could to attempt to sell the land to the conservationists, I finished wiping down my shoes and returned to the kitchen, a huge smile on my face. What a good day it had been.

  Ian's kitchen was transformed. I hadn't really noticed when I’d come in the first time, but there was a nice tablecloth on the table, and two candles burning. He'd turned off the main light and left the light over the sink on, giving the room a warm glow.