Authors: Janice Kay Johnson
But she was a whole lot stronger than that now. And she didn't have to make excuses for what had happened in the past.
“It was a rough few years.” Mack leaned forward again, elbows on his knees as he stared down at the empty football field, the Crestwood logo of a hawk still visible in the moonlight. “Plus Jenny and I were on the same page. The miscarriage really upset her, and she was as committed to not having a family as I was.”
Nina tucked that away, not sure she was ready to find out why Mack was still so determined not to have kids. He'd always been so great with Ally, even when he was a teenager.
“Thank you for explaining that.” She realized she felt better as she retrieved her cup of cider and took another sip. “It helps.”
“If anyone told me last week that I'd be sitting on these bleachers with you today, I would have said they were out of their mind.” He turned to meet her gaze. “Actually, I would have said something more colorful than that, but I cleaned it up for you.”
She set her cup back down.
“You always were a gentleman,” she teased, feeling warm inside even though the temperature was dropping. “So what do you think now? Is it crazy to be sitting here with me?”
“Not since you've signed on to dispense the Finley family propaganda.”
“Hey.” She poked him in the knee, laughing. “I can still revoke that offer.”
He grabbed her finger and held it hostage, his skin warm against hers.
“In spite of everything, I like sitting here with you.” He turned her hand over slowly and stared down at it before he traced a circle on her palm with his thumb. And then another. “I've been thinking about you a lot since I came home, Nina.”
Her eyes slid closed to savor the sensation of his touch. The gentle rasp of his callused thumb on her skin was a simple pleasure that sent a shiver through her.
“Are you cold?” He stilled.
The wind whistled softly in the trees, the branches creaking.
“No,” she admitted. “Not really. I like being here with you, too.”
“Bet you never imagined yourself saying that a week ago, either, did you?” He flipped her hand again and lifted it, drawing her palm toward his lips and kissing the center.
The rush of heat to that one spot was shockingly sensual on a night when she wasn't ready to feel that way. She'd wanted to recover a friendship, to move forward with a new start in Heartache, not go back and try to fix a relationship broken beyond repair.
“What if our moment is gone?” she asked, confiding a very real fear. “What if we had our chance and missed it?”
“What if we didn't?” he countered, so close she could smell the hint of nutmeg on his breath from the cider. “We may want different things for the future, but we're not talking about the future. We're only talking about this moment. Did you ever consider that maybe all this chemistry around us is pushing us together and that our moment isn't gone at all?”
“What chemistry?” she tried to tease, but no sooner had the words left her mouth than he captured her lips with his.
Sensations bombarded her from all sides, the barely-there contact of his mouth a treat more decadent than any confection from her bakery. Heat flared with surprising swiftness, leaping high inside her and sending a jolt of warmth through her veins. She gasped in surprise and he took the opportunity to deepen the kiss, his mouth slanting over hers as his tongue stroked along her lower lip.
Reaching for him, she slid her arms around his neck and pressed herself closer. Her breasts flattened against the hard wall of his chest, the friction spurring a soft sound deep in her throat. Mack must have heard because he made an answering growl and wrapped his arms around her waist, palming the small of her back. She squeezed her eyes shut tighter, willing away the feel of everything but him.
She could lose herself so easily...
“Hey! Who's up there?” A man's voice shouted from the football field.
They broke apart to find a flashlight pointed their way.
“Busted,” Nina muttered, drawing her coat tighter around her and cursing ill-timed interruptions.
“Want to make a new memory on this football field?” Mack asked as the flashlight bobbed closer.
The wicked gleam in his eye called to her as much as his kiss.
“That was half the reason I came out here,” she reminded him.
“Good.” He grabbed her hand. “Because we're going to run for it.”
With no other warning, he leaped to his feet and drew her with him. They pounded down the metal stairs, laughing while the flashlight-wielding school official shouted after them.
“I'll find out who you are!” the man called after them. “You'll sit in detention all next week for this.”
Nina matched her pace to Mack's, the blanket clutched to her chest, her feet flying across the damp grass toward her pickup truck.
“Leave it.” Mack pulled her toward the Eldorado instead. “Come with me and we'll cap the night with a joy ride.”
Grateful she didn't have time to think about it, Nina jumped into his car and closed the door behind her, breathless and still laughing over their escape.
There were a million reasons not to get more involved with Mack Finley. But sitting beside him in the convertible under a fat harvest moon, she couldn't remember a single one.
CHAPTER EIGHT
S
PEEDING
ALONG
AN
old access road behind Spencer Farm, Mack searched for a good place to turn around. Nina sang along to his car radio, her fist pumping the bass beat with one hand while the other hand corralled her long hair in a ponytail so it didn't blow in her face.
Top down, they'd cruised around town for about half an hour while headlights from oncoming traffic had roved over them every now and then, illuminating Nina's face and making his breath catch. He'd had no idea what to do with her after the impulsive run from the school. He'd only suggested it because she'd always loved stuff like thatâany adventure to break up the monotony of life in Heartache. Maybe some of her spirit had rubbed off on him over the years, since he'd ended up leaving, too.
Now, he steered the Eldorado onto a low hill overlooking a creek that ran alongside one of the old orchards near her grandmother's farm. The fire inside him from their kiss had been banked, but he still wanted her. That kiss back at the football field had turned hot in a hurry, reminding him that his feelings for Nina were coming back stronger than ever. He'd been crazy about her as a teen. What would it be like to be with her now, with the deeper wants of a man?
She leaned toward the radio and lowered the volume as the song came to an end.
“I can't believe you remember your way around these roads.” She sat straighter in the seat as he slowed down. “I would have gone right over the edge of the bank into the creek.”
Mack pulled over to the side of the road and switched off the headlights, the darkness deep out here away from ambient light. He killed the engine, telling himself they could talk for a few minutes and then he'd bring her home or back to her car.
“Scott used to bring us up here to play long before you moved here. He was always good about trying to get all the kids out of the house when my mom was having a bad day.” And what had Mack done for his family? His move to Nashville had only forced everyone else to pitch in more.
“Did you ever swim in the creek?” She shifted in the seat next to him, staring up at the sky where the moon hung low above the trees.
“Of course.”
“This time of year?” she asked, turning her head toward him, a wicked gleam in her eye.
The fire that had been banked in him flared to life again, faster than he was prepared for. Hotter than he could handle. He recognized a dare when he heard one.
“Nina.” He wasn't sure if he was cautioning her or himself, but he reached to stroke a finger down her cheek, her skin almost flawless in the moonlight. “Don't flirt with me unless you mean it.”
He'd asked her out, damn it. He'd tried to make a legitimate offer to heal the past. She was the one who hadn't wanted to risk getting hurt again, even with a short-term thing.
She closed her eyes for a long moment and drew a slow breath. When she looked at him again, she'd shuttered some of her natural playfulness. He felt equal parts relief and regret.
“Maybe you shouldn't take me parking unless
you
mean it.”
“That's the problem. I do. I told you I'm ready to see where this leads.” He was old enough to know what he wanted. And whether it was wise or not, he still wanted Nina.
“I've thought about it,” she admitted, tracing the piping on the leather console between them.
“And?” He wanted to cover her hand with his and kiss her again. Thoroughly. And for a long, long time.
“I've worked really hard to not be as impulsive, both personally and professionally.” She shifted on the leather seat, the material creaking. “I'm sure that change hasn't been obvious to you lately. Being back here, coming home, reminds me of who I used to be. And to a certain extent, I always loved taking chances or being the first one to stand up and say âI'll try it.'”
“Like when we went cliff-jumping.” He'd nearly had a heart attack when she barreled over the edge, the first to leap into the water. But then, all his friends followed and they'd had the most memorable senior picnic ever.
“Right!” She smiled, lit up with the memory. “Exactly. And that was such an awesome day. But looking back, it could have been dangerous. Plus, in a lot of situations, it's not a good idea to throw yourself into things.”
“Like having dinner with me.”
“Actually, I was thinking more in terms of kissing you again.”
Amazing how just talking about it could fuel the fire inside. The air between them felt highly charged despite the chill in the fall breeze.
“Right, kissing is not a good idea.” He repeated it in the hope his body would get the message.
“Well, we both know there's actually a lot of good about it.” A hint of her old self shone through for a second, the flirtatious and, yes, impulsive girl who had captivated him. But then she shook her head. “In fact, it's so good that it inhibits my judgment. And that's a scenario I'm trying to avoid.”
On a rational level, he understood and respected the hell out of her for what she was saying. That didn't mean he approved.
“Setting aside your personal reasons for a minute, I just hope that professionally you're happy with the kind of decisions you end up making.” He lifted the center console, opening up the space. The leather bench seat was custom and roomy, putting way too much distance between them. “You're very creative and that kind of talent has been a driving force for your success. You don't want to second-guess yourself so much you lose that edge.”
“But my business fell apart because I followed my heart by partnering with a friend.” She flipped up the collar on her jacket, tucking one lapel under the other to keep the wind out. “I knew she was flighty when we signed the partnership agreement, but I thought I could just work harder to make up for that because it felt like a dream come true to open the shop.”
“Working together is tough on a friendship.” After seeing the way business could spill over into relationships in his own family, Mack had been eager to start a venture that was completely his own. The bar had the advantage of being away from Heartache and far removed from the building supply or construction companies that his family ran.
“But it was business, you know? My livelihood. I should have respected my dreams enough to wait for the right opportunity instead of rushing headlong into the partnership and hoping that a lot of effort and passion for the job would be enough.” A cricket jumped onto the dashboard, making her jump just a little. She used one hand to direct it so that the little creature's next jump took it back outside. “I guess that's why I mentioned a business venture to Bethany. I want people to honor their dreams.”
He wasn't ready to go in for round two on that discussion. She knew how he felt about her trying to entice Bethany away from the hardware store while Scott struggled to right his failing marriage. With an effort, he steered the topic elsewhere.
“Still no word from your runaway partner?” He settled deeper in the seat and looked up at the stars. The sky was incredibly clear, the layers and layers of stars mesmerizing.
“No. I've tried texting and calling, but Olivia's been ignoring me.” She huffed a frustrated sigh. “I'm having my mail forwarded to Gram's house, so it's a few days behind, but it should all arrive sooner or later. The creditors want their money, that's for sure. This is going to be hell on my credit if I ever apply for another business loan.”
He glanced at her, hating to think of her struggling when she was so talented and had so much to offer.
“The business lawyer who helped me set up the contracts for Finleys' Tavern was really helpful. Have you talked to somebody like that to make sure you've protected your assets?”
“I talked to a lawyer long enough to know I can't afford that kind of help.”
“You can't afford not to.” Mack withdrew his phone from a shelf on the dash and wrote a memo to himself to have his attorney touch base with Nina. “You want to walk away from this with as much as you can. Actually, the guy owes me a favor after I gave his musician sister a good slot on the lineup the other night when there were some Nashville bigwigs at the bar. Maybe he'd take your case on a contingency basis.”
She stared at him a long moment, assessing. He wondered if he'd offended her pride by suggesting it. Then she sat up straighter.
“Is it super nosey of me to ask how you financed the bar and still retained control? Assuming you did? I mean, the place is named after you, so I figured you must have a big say in it.”
“I do. I got lucky and found financing from an investor. I pitched the idea to one of those angel clubsâ”
“What's an angel club?”
“Groups of investors who look for entrepreneurs to back. They make bigger profits that way and have more control than investing in the stock market, so it's beneficial for them. And obviously, it's ideal for the entrepreneurs who have great ideas and just need someone to back them.”
“And you got an angel to sponsor Finleys' Tavern?” She sounded skeptical. The bar business was notoriously unstable but the profits could be excellent when things were running smoothly.
“The guy was a big country-music fan and he liked the idea of owning a piece of a honky-tonk. It was just a matter of convincing him I was the guy to make it a success.” His pitch had been the whole goal of his MBA and he'd spent all his independent study hours on the business plan while attending Belmont.
“Well, I guess I had my shot at an angel investor and she turned out to be a selfish devil in disguise.” Nina tucked deeper into the seat and pulled her throw blanket around her legs as a crisp autumn breeze picked up.
Mack switched on the vehicle's engine and cranked the heat, angling the vents toward her to keep her warm. He would have preferred to apply himself to the task personally, but after giving her a tough time about flirting with him, he wasn't going to suggest it.
“A rich friend doesn't necessarily make the best investor.”
“Yes. And wasn't that an expensive lesson for me?” Even in the dark, Mack could see her roll her eyes.
“More than half of all start-up companies fail in their first four years.”
“But I aligned myself with someone who didn't put the business first. Worse, I didn't protect myself with any kind of partnership contract that spelled out who was responsible for what or what would happen if someone got ill or ran away with a client's groom.” She shoved a hand through her windblown hair, swiping back pieces that fluttered along her cheek.
“Next time you'll know what to watch out for.” He pointed to the back of the car. “Want me to put the roof up?”
“No. I like being out with the top down. But as far as the future is concerned, I'm beginning to think there won't be a next time for me running my own business.” She held her hands next to the vent blowing warm air. “Even if Olivia returns the money to our account and wants to move forward, obviously I wouldn't be able to work with her again. And even if I could, it's become clear to me that Gram needs me here.”
“I don't understand.” He studied her in the glow of the dashboard lights, her profile more finely drawn and delicate as she aged, and yet her face so familiar, too. How many times had they sat in her truck or his car after a date, talking about plans for a futureâtheir future? “You're not seriously considering staying in Heartache permanently?”
“I'm doing more than considering it.” She tucked her hands under the throw blanket again and drew it up to her chin. “As soon as I can settle things in New York...I'm going to come back here.”
The moon dipped lower on the horizon while night birds called overhead and Mack's whole world seemed to shift. Part of him rejoiced at having her living in the same state. Maybe they really could explore something between them, something that didn't have to end after the Harvest Fest.
But another part of him realized she was moving here to support the only family she hadâher grandmother. Nina would want a family of her own one day, something Mack couldn't offer her.
“You're a wanderer at heart.” He'd always thought that was something she had in common with her parents, whether she cared to admit it or not. “I can't imagine you'd be happy settling here.”
“Oh, really? You can't chase me out of town before I've even moved back.” She hugged her knees closer under the blanket, so the light fleece covered her bent legs like a tent.
He was bowled over with memories of sharing a blanket with her. They'd been young for the kind of intimacy they'd found, but...wow. She'd been his first. And there'd been a lot of fooling around in parked cars.
When he took too long to answer, her smile slowly faded.
“Is my being here a problem?” The tone of her voice warned him his quietness had stung her.
“Of course not. But you always wanted to be in a big city for more culture and more business opportunities.” Had she really done a one-eighty on that? “Maybe you ought to consider Nashville. You'd still be in a bigger city, but you'd be close enough to drive down here on the weekends.”
“Nashville?” She rested her hands on top of her knees and then settled her chin on her hands.
“They eat cupcakes there, too, you know.”
She laughed and the sound was better than the music they'd been blasting out of the speakers earlier. There was a soft sweetness to her laugh that made him feel like a genius for being the cause of it.
“I'm not sure if I can ever market to brides successfully again. What if they hear about my last business where my partner swooped in and stole a groom?” She straightened the blanket and for an instant, the fabric covered his hand where it rested on the seat.
The realization that a part of him was under the blanket with her did fierce things to his self-control.