Champagne and Lemon Drops: A Blueberry Springs Chick Lit Contemporary Romance (10 page)

She pulled a breath in as Nash's warm hand
lingered on her waist and she struggled to ignore the looks being
shot at Nash by other diners.

Mandy stopped them at the window table with
a smug smile. "Here you go," she said slapping down the menus.

Beth froze and Nash stumbled into her from
behind. "Mandy, this table? Could we—"

"Best table in the place, Beth," she chirped
and spun on her heel, leaving them to seat themselves.

Yeah, best table in the place for starting
rumors. She and Oz used to sit at this exact table every Wednesday
night and watch the town mosey by. And every Sunday for the past
three months they'd met at this table to check in on how life was
going. To sit here with someone else felt wrong, wrong, wrong. It
was one thing to hang out with another man, but this was making a
statement about territory and intentions.

Nash pulled out her chair, the familiar wood
armrests and the worn padded seat waiting for her. How many times
had she sat in that chair and laughed and dined with Oz, not a care
in the world?

"Maybe we should go somewhere else?" she
said quietly.

"What's wrong?"

She glanced at the pre-dinner crowd. As she
met eyes, they quickly looked away. Anger burned inside her. She
straightened her back and raised her chin. She was not going to run
away or act guilty. She wasn't going to let the town run them off.
She was going to sit down, eat her dinner and show them that she
could have male friends. She plunked herself down in the offered
chair and opened her menu, giving the nearest gawking table a
little wave. Their heads bent down immediately, attention absorbed
in their meals.

"So?" Beth asked Nash. "What shall we have?
The pizza is good, but Benny is known for his burgers. And
chocolate maven pie."

Nash sat across from her, his eyes wary as
he glanced around the room. He opened his menu. "Burgers you
say?"

"It's called Benny's Big Burger for a
reason. But they branched out a few years ago when the so-called
date restaurant closed down."

Nash raised his eyebrows in question.

"Fire. Benny seized the moment and
expanded." She pointed to the spot where the carpet changed from
mauve to beige a few tables past Nash. "You can see the new
addition." She laughed at his unimpressed expression. "I've had
everything on the menu, so if you have questions, I'm your
gal."

Nash raised an eyebrow. "Everything?"

Beth scanned the menu to double check.
"Yep."

"Really?" Nash leaned forward, elbows on the
table. "Intriguing."

Beth let out a snort, back at ease with
their companionship. "Not really. The town has two real restaurants
and two fast food joints. This place is the best."

Mandy sidled up to the table. "Can I get you
something to drink?" She kept her expertly made-up eyes on Nash,
her shoulders doing the weird flirty thing that she usually
reserved for Oz.

Oh, game on, Mandy, game
on.
It was country bumpkin vs. country
bumpkin. There was no way Mandy was getting the man first this
time. Even if it was just as friends.

Beth carefully tucked a tendril behind an
ear and pasted her most relaxed smile on her face. Game. On.

"I'll have a glass of your house wine." Nash
said, flipping his menu to the back page.

Mandy looked temporarily confused.

"They don't serve wine," Beth said.

"Yeah," said Mandy. "Nobody orders it so
Benny nixed it. We have beer."

"Their cocktails are generally good, too,"
Beth added.

"I'll have a gin and tonic, then," Nash
said.

"Right-o," Mandy said, turning to leave.

Nash rested a hand on
Mandy's arm to stop her. Mandy leaned over, her cleavage at eye
level. "Yes,
doctor
?" Nash blinked rapidly and quickly looked away, appearing
startled that boobs had been thrust in his line of
vision.

Nash asked Beth, "What would you like to
drink?"

"I'll have the same, thanks."

Mandy glanced at Beth. "Really? Since
when?"

"What?" Beth asked, daring her.

"You usually have a beer or a Coke," Mandy
said, a challenging saunter entering her voice.

Beth smiled and ran a hand
down Nash's arm, her eyes resting on his. "I feel like doing
something...
different
."

"Not this time, honey," Mandy said,
narrowing her eyes.

Beth ignored Mandy as the waitress spun on
her heel and marched off. Nash leaned back in his chair and sized
up Beth. "A G&T makes you different, huh?"

She laughed. "Around here it does." She
toyed with the salt shaker.

Mandy returned, slamming the drinks on the
table without a word, Beth's drink sloshing over the rim. Beth
raised her eyebrows at Nash and gave a light cough of
amusement.

"Wow. History and subtext," he said when
she'd left.

Beth adjusted her ponytail and mulled over
the wisdom of messing with Mandy. The girl had already sidled up to
Oz. If she wasn't careful she'd challenge the woman right into his
arms.

Beth took a sip of her drink. Not bad.

"Did you enjoy getting to know Blueberry
Springs?" she asked. The number of people walking outside on the
street had slowed as most of the day's events came to an end.

"Yeah. And thanks to you, I'm lined up for a
free hat." He patted her hand and gave her a grin. "I had some fun
getting to know this beautiful bumpkin as well."

His hand lingered on hers and she resisted
the urge to snatch it away. People who were 'just friends' around
here weren't physically affectionate and it made her
uncomfortable.

"You flatter me," she said, embarrassed that
she was blushing. "Tell me something interesting."

Nash gripped her hand and flipping it over,
lightly traced her palm's lines sending tingles racing through her
like NASCAR contenders. "Did you know that you can't tan your
palms?" He continued to stroke her palm, his fingers running down
from palm to fingertips. "As well, there are no muscles in the
fingers. The muscles that move your fingers are located in your
palm."

She tried to tug her hand back, his
insistent strokes teasing her. He gave her a wicked grin and kept a
strong grip. He slowly traced her palm's lifeline. "There are
tendons—"

A deafening bang shook the window beside
her. Beth jumped back, the feet of her chair jamming in the carpet.
She stumbled as she tried to stand, Nash lunging to steady her.
Outside, Oz reeled backward, his head shaking back and forth, his
face wrinkled in pain.

Beth froze, staring at him.

She shook off Nash, her eyes locked on Oz's.
There was no possessiveness. No alpha male ready to stride inside
and carry her away like she'd dreamed. Just pain and disbelief.

Guilt crept upon Beth, weighting her as she
struggled to get free of the table. She broke eye contact with Oz
in order to toss her chair to the side. When she looked back he was
gone. She turned to the doors, ready for him to carry her away. But
the restaurant's doors remained closed.

She'd blown it. Big time.

"Do you want to go after him?" Nash asked
quietly.

Beth kept staring out the window. Waiting to
see Oz. Waiting to know what to do next. She crashed down into her
seat. He wasn't following his dreams. He wasn't taking her back. It
was like he wanted her out of his life but didn't have the courage
to let her go, to let her out of his heart. Why the jealousy if he
wouldn't ask her back? If she was the right woman for him, wouldn't
he allow her by his side?

She looked up and heads quickly turned back
to their meals, the restaurant's sounds slowly resuming. "There's
nothing I can do, Nash. Nothing but move on and see what
happens."

***

"I don't care." Beth turned away from
Cynthia and snatched a bag of Doritos off the corner store's shelf.
She strode to the cooler and grabbed a bottle of Pepsi. She would
wash away her woes in a river of sugar and altered cheese.

"How can you not care what
everyone is saying?" Cynthia asked, grabbing a bottle of raspberry
flavored sparkling water. "You care about
every
thing."

"Do not."

"Do too."

Beth turned to face her
sister, her free hand on her hip. How could she explain that
she
couldn't
care
what the town was saying about her and Nash's so-called
hand-holding incident because she was completely freaked out by the
look on Oz's face when he'd fled? She'd heard nothing but bad
rumors about how he was doing and she couldn't get him to answer
the door when she stopped by. He hadn't shown up for their Sunday
coffee or replied to her messages. How could she express to her
sister that a mixed bag of emotions was still haunting her two days
after the event?

She'd destroyed her one chance at getting
back together with Oz by being impatient and insensitive. And the
only person she felt she could turn to over the past two
emotionally grueling days was Nash: the one person she should be
avoiding.

She grabbed a bottle of Gaviscon off a
nearby shelf, hoping it could relieve the pressure she had in her
chest, the burning in her stomach, and the raw, gnawing feeling
that was working its way through her system.

Cynthia blocked Beth's path and lowered her
voice, "Dan wants to ask Oz if he'll be his best man."

Beth's ears rang and her heart did a gross
swoop.

"I wanted to ask you first. Since... you
know."

"It's fine," Beth said quickly. There was no
way she could rain on Cynthia's wedding parade with her problems.
"Of course it's fine."

"You would have duties together. Like
dancing," her sister said quietly.

"It's fine." Beth pushed past her sister.
"He's a good dancer."

"It's still over six months out..." Cynthia
said, uncertainty lacing her words.

"I can handle it, okay?" Maybe they'd even
be back together by then. Maybe instead of irreversibly breaking
Oz, she'd motivated him in some slow, undercurrent kind of way and
he'd be asking her back within a week.

Not likely, but a girl could hope.

Mary Alice waited for Beth at the cash
register with a grin. "Ready to check out, dear?"

Beth piled her items on the counter and
nodded.

"Heard Oz hit the bottle," Mary Alice said,
giving Beth a raised eyebrow. Beth's heart sank. "What's up with
the two of you, anyway? Everyone thought you'd be back together by
now. Is that city doc elbowing his way in where he doesn't
belong?"

"He's a friend," Beth said, slapping her
money down on the counter.

"I didn't realize you two were seeing other
people." Mary Alice raised her brow again.

Beth let out a frustrated grumble and bolted
her lips shut. Nothing she'd say to Mary Alice right now would make
things any better.

"That boy's been on a two-day bender from
what I heard," Mary Alice said to Beth. "Coincidental?"

Beth turned on her heel and
slammed her way out of the store, the door's bells jingling
merrily. Tears pricked at her eyes. She would
not
let the town get the best of her.
She would hold her head high. She would not let the guilt slowly
kill her. Probably.

Katie walked up and paused with her hand on
the door to the store. "What's wrong?"

She forced her voice to come out in an even
tone. "You told me hanging out with other men would work."

"Whoa!" Katie stepped back from the door,
her eyes wide. "I didn't say hold hands with the town's most
sought-after bachelor in the busiest place you could find."

"I'm ruining him."

"Says who?" Katie asked darkly.

Beth tilted her head to the store.

"Oh, for heaven's sake, Beth. You can't
trust what that woman says."

Beth turned from Katie's flashing eyes,
reminded of how Oz's eyes had been filled with so much pain two
nights ago. How she was the one to blame.

Katie stepped closer. "What's up between you
and Nash anyway?"

In a hard voice, Beth said, "Nothing. We're
friends."

Katie let out an unconvinced harrumph.

Beth fought the urge to downplay their
friendship, but the truth was now, more than ever, she needed his
friendship and the confidence he held in her. She enjoyed the time
she spent with Nash as well as his doting attention. He made her
feel special and alive again. Plus, he dared her to step out of her
small town roots and try something new—even if it was only a drink
or starting an outreach program. There was something exhilarating
in being daring for a moment in time.

This morning he'd shown up in her office
with a fancy coffee concoction—super delicious—made with his new
coffee machine. It even had whipped cream and chocolate shavings on
top. Well, the whipped cream was nothing more than a melted puddle
skimming the top of her mocha by the time she'd received it. She'd
tried to turn it away, to distance herself from him, but she
couldn't. Partly because sometimes, it felt as though he was the
only one on her side. The only one who would support whatever
decisions she made and act as the voice of reason when things got
crazy in her head.

Beth focused on Katie. "Look. I didn't mean
to hurt Oz. Or intend for him to misinterpret things." Again.

Cynthia slowly exited the store, her eyes
flitting between them.

Beth felt the weight of Katie's judgment.
"Why didn't hanging out with Nash motivate Oz? Why didn't he...
sling me over his shoulder and take me home?"

"Maybe he needs time," Cynthia said
thoughtfully. "Maybe he's confused." Her sister pulled her in for a
half hug. "It'll all work out."

She really wished her sister would stop
saying that. She was happily planning a wedding, what did she know
about things like this?