Black Creek Burning (The Black Creek Series, Book 1) (8 page)

"Come in and tie up my back," she said to the tap on the door.

"I don't generally tie women up on the first date. Where would you like coats? The
closet in your foyer's not big enough." Nathan smiled as he watched Brie catch herself
on the open drawer of her dresser.

She placed a hand over the neck of the jumpsuit. "Do you
generally
barge into the bedrooms of people you hardly know? And this is
not
a date."

"I didn't barge in. I knocked. You invited. And why do you always back away from me?"
He lifted a corner of his mouth.

She wore silky silver that went from high on her neck to her feet that stood in strappy,
black heels. Trying not to be obvious, he couldn't help but notice how the material
clung to her slightly more than should be legal. Finally, he got a glimpse of the
form that was under the sweatpants and fleece jackets. And it turned intrigue into
a moment of straight lust. She wasn't the skin and bones so many women think men wanted.
She was merely built and all female.

Brie placed one foot down, then the other, like she was stopping a cowardly retreat.
"I don't know what you're talking about. What do you think you're doing?" she said,
putting her free hand out, palm forward as he walked toward her.

"You asked me to tie up your back."

He gently took the wrist of her outstretched hand, felt her pulse quicken under his
touch and turned her around. It was his turn to be flustered. The upper half of the
back of her top was missing, replaced with zigzagging strips of silver strings. Not
skin and bones, no. Her back was smooth and golden lined with a hint of muscle he
fought not to touch. He tied the strings at the top and stepped back.

Standing next to the open drawer she'd knocked into, he turned and looked in. "Is
this what you wear while you're running around in snowshoes and putting up other people's
Christmas lights? There's nothing but lace in here." He grinned as he picked up something
pink and stringy.

Brie stepped forward and, hands shaking, yanked the panties out of his hand. Throwing
them back in the drawer, she slammed it shut. "It's no one's business what I have
on underneath when I have on my snowshoes or anything else. Come on, pushy new neighbor.
I hear a car door. I need to get the sitters set up across the street." She stepped
around him and made her way for the door.

Brie stopped in the family room and plopped down on the floor in her silky jumpsuit
and heels. Andy lay on his stomach with his tongue sticking out of the corner of his
mouth as he carefully lined up his monsters with plans to defeat Duncan's.

"I heard Mr. Piper has set up a table full of Play-Doh and those machines that let
you push it through to make strings that look like spaghetti." Andy turned his head
to her in interest.

She turned to Duncan. Good luck with that one, Nathan thought. "And there's always
a game of Twister going." Duncan politely nodded his head. Tilting her head dramatically,
Brie tried again. "The babysitters are arriving. If it's okay with your dad, after
tonight I really don't have a place to keep the monsters and their cars. Would you
mind taking them home with you?"

At that, Andy ran over to Nathan as he leaned against the entrance, thumbs stuck in
his front pockets. Andy locked his arms around one of his legs. He squeezed his eyes
shut and whispered, "Pleeease, Daddy?"

Duncan followed. "Can we, Nathan? It would keep the kid happy."

"The kid?" He grinned at Duncan's obvious attempt to impress Brie. "Well, I suppose
we could find a place for them for
the kid,
although I notice you have them lined up pretty carefully for war." Duncan's face
flushed, but not enough to keep him from jerking a bent elbow back and letting out
a fisted "Yesss," before heading to pack them up.

As the boys gathered the toys, the doorbell rang. Without waiting for an answer, a
tall man walked in carrying large speakers. The band, he figured. He felt a twinge
in the back of his neck when Brie walked right up to him and kissed the guy on the
cheek. No worry about personal space there, he noticed. Shit, shit, shit. He knew
she lived alone but never really pushed to find out if she was seeing anyone. She
turned back to him for introductions. He let out a small sigh of relief as he noticed
the similarities. Same color hair. Same eyes.

"Nathan this is my brother, Chase."

The man pulled his arm from around Brie and held it out to shake Nathan's hand.

"He bought the old farmhouse across the creek."

Chase raised an eyebrow. "Really?" He walked to open the door to two teenagers carrying
pieces of a drum set. "It's got a great build to it, loads of structural personality,
but it needs work. You hiring her out?"

"Chase is an architect," Brie interjected. Female bickering came from the kitchen.
"And I had, uh, better see to that."

"Only some," Nathan responded, all but ignoring Brie. "I won't do the painting, or
the roof or much carpentry. I've got a small crew coming next week to help knock down
a wall and enlarge the kitchen. The home was built in the late 1800s, but you probably
know that," he added awkwardly.

"Yes, I know," Chase said before turning to the teens. "You can take those down to
the basement. Your cousins are already down there. They can show you where they go."

"Drummer?" Nathan asked, thinking Chase carried himself as more of a cello player.

"No. That would be my brother. I live in the city and keep a set there for him since
he flies in from Pittsburg. I'll be taking care of the keyboard for the night. Mostly,
we use a DJ system, but guests seem to move easier to live music." He shrugged. "Nice
to meet you, Nathan... "

"Reed. Nathan Reed," he said as he turned to make his way cautiously to the kitchen.

"Nathan Reed," he heard Chase mutter. "Rings a bell."

Nathan walked in to find four women leaning against the counters in close conversation.
He could tell right away which woman was Brie's sister. Her hair was shorter and she
stood several inches under Brie, but other than that they could nearly pass as twins.
The other two he figured were Brie's sisters-in-law. One was tall, thin and dressed
in a sleek, black dress. The other was more conservative, yet still wore a pantsuit
he recognized as upper-middle class. Other than their clothes, all four women carried
themselves as casual and warm—until Brie's sister spoke up.

"Why does he get to come early and help?" Liz poked a finger toward Nathan. "You've
never let any of us come early to help. Hello." She turned. "I'm Liz." She didn't
offer a hand but instead laced her fingers in front of her and turned back to Brie.

He watched as Brie's chin dropped slightly. Amused and interested at being the subject
of the conversation and at this new timid side of Brie, he joined the other two women
leaning against the counter and watched.

"I didn't let him in. He just barged in and started setting things up," Brie huffed.
"And believe me, it won't happen again."

Hmmm, he decided, a challenge. Temper and cranky at the same time. So sexy.

"I'll just remember that for next time." Liz poked the finger toward her sister and
turned back to him. "I'm terribly sorry for the scene. Are those adorable boys out
there your sons and why does the older one call you by your first name?"

He grinned at Brie's outspoken sister. "Yes, they're my sons... now. Their parents,
my brother and his wife, died in a plane crash when the boys were two and four."

Chapter 7

Nathan answered Liz's question matter-of-factly, then without bothering to quiet his
voice added, "Duncan still feels a duty to his father. He may decide to always call
me by my first name. It's up to him." He casually reached to snack on the neat rows
of bruschetta.

Suddenly lose someone you love.
Brie recognized Nathan's efforts to keep the subject relaxed and admired his openness.
She also felt a jolt of pain in her stomach. She'd judged him. Judged him the way
she told others not to in her stuffy presentations. She'd seen a lazy man who would
subject his young children to filth so he could pawn them off on his parents and have
time to play in his garage. She respected his need to distance himself from pity with
his casual response to Liz and felt exactly that, pity. Pity, with a feeling that
Brian was right. She was ice.

Closing her eyes, she also thought of how she and his nephews had more in common than
either of them had known. She knew exactly what it was like to lose your parents.
The difference was she took part in a lifetime with hers before losing them. Taking
Nathan's lead in keeping the conversation light, she smacked the back of his hand
away from the thin pieces of toast and salsa.

"Those are for later. You'd better get their coats. It's time for them to head across
the street."

* * *

Nathan spent much of the evening analyzing how this odd mixture of people ended up
at the same place to celebrate the holiday. Brie had been right; he was able to meet
many of his new neighbors. Most were either empty-nesters or retired. From the easily
overheard conversations, he learned there were several firemen and a large group he
was sure were either social workers or teachers.

Brie spoke to everyone while paying attention to the drinks and food. She nursed the
same glass of champagne for hours, and as composed as she carried herself, often rubbed
the back of her neck or pulled nervously on her ear.

There always seemed to be one bombshell at these sorts of things. This one must be
a close friend of Brie's as she was often hanging near her. She had pencil-thin legs
and long, straight blonde hair with a date that followed her around like a lost puppy.
A balding man that he concluded was in the firefighter group kept an eye on her ass
whenever she shook it through the room in her skin-tight, strapless red dress. A blond,
buzz cut man with baldy gave Brie looks that gave Nathan an urge to pound on something.

Brie headed upstairs from the basement, juggling an armful of dirty dishes. He followed
to help, but the firefighting duo fell in stride behind her first. He noted they
didn't
attempt to help. Instead, baldy backed off and split away as buzz cut walked to her
with a long neck in his hand. A woman stepped in to make small talk with Nathan. It
suited him as he could see Brie and GI Joe from where he stood, and hear them.

"You haven't been by the station," the man said as Brie set the dishes in the sink
and began to rinse. "You said you would come by."

"I've been busy. End of grading period, you know?" She loaded the dishes into the
dishwasher.

He watched GI Joe and baldy as the woman spoke of drinking too much and coming here
each year for this. He was only half listening. His interest remained with Brie and
how she moved uncomfortably around the live action figure.

The man stepped closer and said something he couldn't hear. Then, the dude circled
his hand around Brie's upper arm and pinned her between the counter and open dishwasher.

"Excuse me," Nathan said quietly as he stepped around the woman mid-sentence and headed
for them.

"You've had too much to drink, Brian. I want you to back off." Brie pushed him with
her forearm and spun around, almost running into Nathan. She caught her step and looked
up at him.

"You okay?" he whispered with his lips close to her ear while looking Brian in the
eye.

Brie nodded before picking up her step again toward the dining room.

Brian started to head past him to catch up with her.

Nathan stepped to the side, blocking his path.

Stuttering to a stop, Brian gave him a once over. "What the hell?"

Nathan saw red and fought to keep his voice down. "She obviously doesn't want to talk
to you," he growled.

"Who the fuck are you?" Brian slurred as they squared off.

Hands pumping into fists, Nathan inched closer until they were nose to nose. "I'm
the one you have to get through before you lay a hand on her again."

Baldy conveniently stepped between them. "Whoa. It's a party, remember? Time to move
along." He took Brian by the arm and pulled him back toward the basement.