SWNOVELS Chapter 12
I assume you don’t have any plans for 4th of July?
I roll my eyes at the text message, but I can’t deny the fluttering in my abdomen whenever I see his name on my phone.
I type out a reply, a smile on my lips.
And why would you assume that?
Because I haven’t invited you anywhere yet
Arrogant asshole! Two days’ notice and he expects me to be free. But I’m still smiling when I respond.
I actually have plans with two guys that night.
For your sake I hope they’re Ben & Jerry
I snort a laugh.
That was actually funny, Mr. James. But no, I’m working at the shelter.
That’s a terrible plan
I’ll have fun. My friends Cesar and Potato are a blast.
My phone rings, and I giggle when a picture of Val Kilmer from Top Gun flashes on the screen. “Hello?”
“Who the fuck are Cesar and Potato?”
“A basset hound and a corgi. Two of the longest-serving residents at the shelter. They keep me company while I do my rounds.”
“So you’ll be alone there all night?” He sounds grumpy.
“No Cesar and—”
“I’m talking about people, Mel.”
“There’ll be a security guard there too.”
He sighs. “Why the hell are you working on the Fourth of July?”
“Because nobody else wanted to. I don’t get asked to cover often, so I like to do what I can when they do ask. So I’m sorry if you had plans for some Fourth of July date extravaganza to impress the paparazzi with. You’ll have to wait until the weekend.”
He hums, and I wrinkle my nose, my suspicion aroused. “What does that sound mean?”
He mutters something unintelligible, then sighs. “I have to go.”
I can’t help feeling a little dejected, even if I did just blow him off. But it was for a good cause. “Okay. I guess I’ll see you some other time then?”
“Yeah,” he says, but he sounds distracted. “Bye, Melanie.”
He ends the call before I can reply.
“I’ll be at the front desk if you need anything, Mel,” the shelter’s security guard says, before he takes a bite of his jelly donut.
“Thanks, Serge. Everyone’s been fed and is settled. Meds have been administered. I’ll go give some more cuddles in a few hours. We’ll be fine in here watching a little TV until then, won’t we, boys?” I give Cesar a scratch behind his ears while Potato scampers around my feet.
Serge licks the powder from his lips, gives a polite nod, and leaves the small office.
I sink into the armchair and eye the pink box containing my jelly donut. Potato barks at me as though he’s eyeing it too.
“You know donuts are bad for you, right?” I tell him.
He barks and wags his nubby tail while Cesar curls into a ball at my feet. I pick up the TV remote and flick through the free cable channels. I’m still searching for something to watch when Serge pokes his head through the doorway.
“Everything okay?”
“Um …” He runs his fingers over his thick gray mustache. “There’s someone here to see you.”
I turn off the TV. “To see me?”
“Yeah. Told him you were working, but he’s quite insistent.”
I roll my eyes. Please don’t let this be Bryce. “Did he say what he wants?”
Blue eyes twinkling, he smiles. “Judging by the giant picnic basket he has with him, I’d say he wants to bring you dinner.”
Definitely not Bryce. That familiar fluttering feeling swirls in my abdomen, but surely it isn’t Nathan. There’s nobody to see us here. Nobody to report our date. Well, except for Serge, who doesn’t even know what social media is. And Cesar and Potato, but I already know from experience they’re entirely trustworthy—they know all my secrets and haven’t told a soul.
“Shall I let him in? It’s against protocol to have overnight guests, but I don’t see why he can’t stay for dinner.”
Too stunned to speak, I nod. Surely it can’t be him. But who else? Tyler’s still out of town, and nobody else knows I’m here. “Yes, please let him in.”
After Serge leaves, I go straight for the mirror and smooth down the flyaway strands of hair framing my face. I wasn’t expecting company tonight, and I’m wearing my comfy yoga pants and an old hoodie of Tyler’s, both of which are covered in fur, so I’m not exactly dressed for it either.
Potato woofs at my feet. “I know, little buddy. He’s going to take one look at me and wonder what the hell he’s marrying.”
“Actually, you look kind of cute.” Nathan’s deep voice fills the room, and my stomach flips. I turn to face him, and my heart almost stops. His strong jaw is covered in a thicker coating of stubble than usual, and he’s wearing gray sweats with a fitted white T-shirt. Hot damn.
Cesar lifts his head, gives Nathan a cursory glance, and resumes his former position, but Potato jumps up to sniff at the basket in Nathan’s hand.
Nathan scratches his reddish-brown head. “Don’t worry. I brought something for you too.” Oh, dear mother, he likes dogs. “Now, sit,” he commands, and my disobedient little buddy flops down onto his butt.
I blink at Nathan. “He barely ever listens to anyone.”
He shrugs. “Guess it’s all in the tone.”
He’s not wrong. I’m pretty sure I’d sit right now if he told me to. Probably even kneel. I banish such thoughts from my head and cast my eyes back to the large picnic basket hanging over his arm. “Did you bring me dinner?”
He sets the basket down on the table. “I brought us both dinner. And your furry pals here.”
Tears well in my eyes. “You brought Potato and Cesar dinner too?”
He nods. “And little extra treats for the others. I got dog and cat stuff, but I didn’t know what other animals you had here.”
I gape at him and try to stop myself from drooling. Surely this man is not actually real.
“Mel?” he says, and I realize I haven’t spoken for at least a minute.
“But … why? What happened to your Fourth of July plans?”
He arches an eyebrow. “She’s standing right here looking at me like I’ve grown an extra head.”
I blush bright pink. “It’s just … I wasn’t expecting you. This isn’t very public for a date.”
“It’s not a date. It’s dinner.” He winks at me, then opens the picnic basket and pulls out a small bottle of wine. He holds it up. “Alcohol-free because I assume you can’t drink on the job.”
I fold my arms over my chest and watch him. He assumes correctly.
“I didn’t bring glasses though.” He pulls out a clear plastic container that looks like it has chicken wings inside. My stomach growls.
“We only have coffee mugs if you don’t mind drinking from them.”
He nods, seemingly unfazed, and continues unpacking the basket. Potato sits at his feet now, patiently waiting for whatever delights Nathan has brought him. Even Cesar shuffles over, his nose in the air as he sniffs out his supper. I gawk at him. Nathan James, billionaire bachelor, spending his Fourth of July at an animal shelter with a corgi and a basset hound—and me. How is this even my life?
I lean back on the Formica chair and rub a hand over my stomach. Nathan’s picnic dinner was wonderful: chicken wings, potato skins, barbecue ribs, corn on the cob, and cheesecake. I couldn’t eat another bite if he paid me. “I am so full. That was all delicious.”
Potato woofs his agreement from where he sits next to me, and Cesar remains lying on top of Nathan’s feet. Suitably impressed with the gourmet filet mignon doggy treats, the basset hound has been glued to my husband-to-be for the past hour.
Nathan scratches the dog’s head and smiles. “Do you ever think about taking these guys home?”
“Cesar and Potato?” I shake my head. “No way.”
He frowns.
“I mean, when I first started here years ago, I wanted to take home every stray or abandoned animal that came through the doors, but it’s impossible to do that. So we do as much as we can for them while they’re here.”
Potato jumps up onto my lap, surprisingly agile for an eleven-year-old. I pat his head, and he sits obediently with his tongue hanging out.
“But both Potato and Cesar here have been at the shelter for almost seven years. They came in together after their owner got too ill to look after them. Most dogs will get adopted within the first year, but not these adorable little guys. They were so close that we couldn’t bear to separate them, and they had a few foster trials but always got returned. After the fourth time, the management team decided they wouldn’t put them through it again.”
Potato yawns and curls up on my lap. I cup my hand under his butt to stop him from falling off. “Am I boring you?” I ask the dog.
“You’re not boring me.” Our eyes meet across the table.
My face heats, and that fluttering in my abdomen whenever I’m around him kicks up a dozen notches. I clear my throat. “This is their home now. They live here and get plenty of walks and affection from the staff. They seem happy. It would be cruel to take them away from this now.”
Nathan nods. “That makes sense.” I swear his voice alone could melt chocolate.
I pull at the collar of Tyler’s hoodie, suddenly feeling very hot. “Did I already thank you for dinner?”
His genuine smile is beautiful and disarming. “You did.”
“It was a wonderful surprise. The best Fourth of July I’ve had for as long as I can remember,” I admit.
His eyes narrow. “Yeah. Not exactly what I had in mind, but it’s been nice.”
I tilt my head, drinking in every detail of him. “May I ask what you did have planned?”
He looks up at the ceiling and hums.
I lean forward. “What?”
He looks back at me and sucks air through his teeth. “A private yacht on the Hudson. I had a section closed down for us. Fireworks. A Michelin-star chef.”
“Hold on. Back right up.” I hold up my hand. “You had a section of the Hudson fucking River closed down for us? Who are you? Bruce Wayne?”
“Oh, Spitfire, I can do things that would make Bruce Wayne look like Peter Griffin.”
My laughter makes Potato jump, and I gather him into my arms and press a kiss on his head while he grumbles his displeasure.
“But who needs yachts and fireworks when we can drink zero-alcohol wine from coffee mugs with your furry buddies, hey?” Nathan’s brown eyes twinkle, and heat rushes between my thighs. This man is perfection personified. How the hell am I going to survive this arrangement without completely falling for him?
“The yacht and fireworks sound amazing too though.”
He reaches across the table and brushes his fingertips over the back of my hand. “Some other time.”
A knock at the office door has Potato jumping from my lap and barking. A second later, Serge opens the door. “Almost time for my evening rounds, Mel.”
“Thanks, Serge.”
He nods and ducks out again.
Nathan arches an eyebrow at me. “Was that his polite way of telling me I have to leave?”
I nod. “I’m sorry. We don’t usually allow visitors.”
“Don’t apologize. He told me I could only stay for a couple of hours.” He checks his watch. “Which means my time is up in three minutes.”
I stand and attempt to brush Potato’s fur from my pants. “I had a lovely evening. Thank you so much for everything.” I start to pack up the leftovers.
Nathan pushes back his chair and helps, but when I go to put them in the picnic basket, he stops me. “Leave them in the refrigerator. Serge might like some dinner later.”
“That’s really kind of you. I’m sure he will.”
We both close the lid at the same time, and our fingers brush. Electric sparks skitter up my forearm. “I wish you could stay,” I whisper.
“Me too, Spitfire.”
He picks up the basket and cups my jaw with his free hand, rubbing the pad of his thumb over my lip. “Are you free next Friday night?”
I take a breath, my heart stuttering in my chest. Next Friday? Not tomorrow? That’s over a week away.
“I have to go to Chicago on business tomorrow, and I won’t be back until next week,” he says, and I wonder if he can read every thought on my face. As silly as it seems, I’m going to miss him.
“Yes, I’m free.”
He winks. “Then it’s a date, Miss Edison.” He bends down and presses a soft kiss on my forehead. I lock my knees to keep them from buckling and try not to drool as I watch him walk out of the room.