“That would be great. Thank you, Nash. This means a lot to me. I’m hoping—”
I burst through the door, interrupting Nate. “What are you doing? Those are our family plots!” I argued, my fists curling at my sides.
The chair Dad was perched on squealed as he pushed it back while standing. I was too angry to take in Nate’s face. How could my father consider selling the acres of land he set aside for me and my siblings? I knew they thought of Nate like another son, but this was overstepping.
“Alex, it’s not what you think it is.”
My steps pounded against the hardwood floor as I approached my father. “I believe it’s exactly what I think it is. You’re selling Nate our family land. What if one of us wants to build a house on it one day?”
“Alex,” my mother cajoled from behind me. “I’m going to say this in the nicest way possible, but you’re acting like a spoiled brat right now.”
“Mom!” I took on a horrific shrill at the accusation.
“If you would have listened closer, or perhaps asked questions instead of jumping to conclusions, you would have heard we are leasing Nate the land, specifically for his product testing. His company is the one paying for the use.”
“What?” I murmured, brows furrowing.
“You’re too smart to act like you didn’t hear me. Now, Nathaniel,” she said, turning her attention toward the other party in the room, the one I had yet to make eye contact with and probably wouldn’t be in the unforeseeable future. I hated being wrong, especially when it was none of my business to begin with. “Nash and I were discussing your request about personal property acreage. There is a plot along the far eastern field, very close to the creek that runs through the backwoods. It’s a plot we haven’t utilized since the girls were little. It would be a perfect place to build a home.”
I interjected, “Hey, that’s right next to my—”
“Yes, dear. The ten acres will butt up right next to your twenty. The twenty you don’t live on or currently use. The twenty your father and I still own.”
While Mom and Nate discussed the land in detail, I glanced around the office, trying to collect myself. What was it that set me off? I didn’t normally fly off the handle like I just had. I was usually even-tempered, except with Aspen, but that’s because my youngest sister knew how to press all my buttons. At most, I was blunt and told people exactly what I was thinking.
The more I pondered what triggered me, the more I realized my emotions stemmed from Nate’s intention of staying. It was a mix of both elation and fear. What did it mean if he stayed? Was it possible that I played a part in his desire to remain here?
But as I watched his two daughters scurry into the office, I knew I had my answer. He wanted a life for his twins like I had growing up.
I’d never been to California, nor did I know which part of the state he previously lived in, but I could imagine the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee were a far cry from what they’d known up until this point.
“I’m sorry,” I said out loud. All eyes fell on me, and I resisted the urge to squirm under their gawking. “Yes, I realize those aren’t words you’ve often heard from me,” I added, attempting to lighten the mood. “But I am sorry I jumped to conclusions. I think your girls will love it here, Nate.”
I tried my best to avoid his stare, but I failed miserably. And when he smiled, I’m pretty certain I melted into a puddle on the floor of my father’s office. My poor mom was going to have to clean up my mess later.
Chapter Ten – Nate
Alex didn’t have to try hard to be sexy. She naturally exuded it, whether she wore a sheer black top like the other night or a pair of flannel pajamas. But watching her genuinely apologize for her outburst may have been the fucking sexiest thing I’d ever seen. I knew how much it took for someone to admit they were wrong, and for someone as strong as Alex, it must’ve killed her. But she’d done it in a way that left me aching to touch her. Unfortunately, my two hands were occupied as I walked with my daughters to the SUV.
Back at the house, Alex immediately ushered the girls up to their rooms for what she was calling a “pool party extravaganza” with her sister, Rory. I didn’t quite understand what that meant, but it seemed like Molly and Eloise were going to have a great time.
I offered to cook dinner tonight, something that surprised even me. I was a novice in the kitchen, but I figured manning a grill was ingrained in the male DNA.
Alex eyed me speculatively when I told her I was going to run to the store to grab some steaks. I wasn’t sure if she worried about my grilling prowess or the fact that I was leaving my daughters under her supervision for the first time.
It was probably a good bit of both. Luckily, her sister would be arriving shortly, so she wouldn’t be overwhelmed. Sometimes, the twins had more energy than even the sanest person could tolerate, and even more so when they were excited.
The trio came down the stairs just as I finished locking my robot back up in the shed. Molly and Eloise wore matching unicorn one-pieces, which made them appear more identical than usual. Alex was still in her clothes from earlier, but something blue dangled from her arms, the strings swaying with each step.
As I double-checked that Molly removed her hearing aid, I overheard Alex beckoning the girls toward the kitchen to help her chop up some vegetables to cook on the grill. They bolted away eagerly. Uneasiness came over me, imagining my daughters with sharp knives in their hands, but I shouldn’t have been worried. Peeking into the kitchen, Alex had already set up two stools for the girls to stand on. Behind Eloise, Alex cradled my daughter’s tiny hand as they slowly sliced a carrot together. I had to chuckle at the way Eloise’s little pink tongue snuck out around the corner of her mouth, and Molly watched on in fascination.
Together, they continued to slice the veggies before Alex stepped back with the knife and acknowledged me.
“Figured while I wait for Rory, I could set up some side dishes. Vegetable mix and potatoes okay?” she asked, as if she hadn’t just described a perfect meal for grilling.
“Yeah, it sounds great. Thank you,” I added, nodding toward my daughters, who were sneaking little bits of the carrots as they waited for Alex to continue her teaching. “I’ll let you get to it, or we won’t have anything left.”
Her eyes shot down to the girls with their sticky bandit fingers before she returned them to me. “We’ll see you in a bit.”
