Brenda nodded.
“Thank you,” Flick said, and giving both her mum and Pete a kiss and a hug, she ran up to the chateau to grab her coat.
“Cup of tea?” Brenda asked Pete.
“Don’t mind if I do.”
Flick reappeared from the entrance hall and happy to leave them to it, headed off round the back.
43
Flick made sure to keep the lake in sight as she continued on her way. After all, having never been to Nate’s house before, the last thing she wanted was to get lost in the woods.
With her dad encouraging her each and every step, she tried to practice what she was going to say when she got there and listening to herself, she quite liked this taking charge malarkey. It gave her a sense of power. She stopped occasionally though to look back at the chateau. Not only did she find it reassuring, thanks to its close proximity to the water, she’d never before been able to appreciate its rear façade in quite the same way.
Similarly, Flick had only ever viewed Nate’s property from a distance and as she neared, she was pleased to see it was as pretty as she’d imagined. Taking in the plume of smoke rising from its crooked chimney, it reminded her of the cottages often featured in children’s fairy tales. She smiled. It was perfect.
She slowed her step as she approached, at the same time feeling her nerves start to kick in. What if he didn’t want to see her? Even worse, what if he didn’t feel the same way and she was about to make a complete fool of herself? Thanks to her mother’s extortion attempt, she’d suffered enough embarrassment already.
Suddenly the front door opened and Rufus raced out to greet her. And realising she’d missed her chance to back out, Flick reached down to gather him up. “Hello, boy,” she said, dodging his tongue as the little dog tried to lick her face and nibble her ears. “At least someone’s pleased to see me.”
She spotted Nate standing in the doorway and setting Rufus down, returned Nate’s gaze. His hair looked wet as if he’d just showered and he wore faded jeans and an unfitted, white T-shirt that hung loosely over his hips. He looked good and her heart raced as she stepped forward. “I came to say thank you.” Studying his face, she tried and failed to read his expression. “For the angel. She’s beautiful.”
“I’m glad you like her,” he replied, but just like his expression, his voice gave nothing away.
Flick stuffed her hands in her pockets and looked down at her feet. Now that she’d got there, any sense of confidence she’d experienced seemed to desert her. Of course it didn’t help that he wasn’t making this easy and she began to feel a bit stupid.
“Would you like to come in?”
Flick immediately looked up. “I’d like that very much.”
As she approached the doorway, Rufus at her heels, he stood aside to let them both in. Flick felt herself blush as she squeezed past and attempting to focus on something other than him, she forced her attention towards the room. Glancing around, the only sense of home came from the roaring wood burner that the little dog plonked himself in front of. The house definitely needed a woman’s touch, she considered, her cheeks reddening even more as she realised she was there for the job.
“Is tea okay?” Nate asked, setting the kettle to boil.
“Yes, please.” Feeling hot and bothered, she took off her coat and hung it over her arm.
“Here, let me,” he said, racing over to take it from her.
As she handed it to him, their eyes locked. Flick knew she should say something, but as usual when he held her gaze she felt too captivated to speak.
The kettle boiled, its whistle breaking the spell.
“Excuse me.” Nate headed back to the kitchen to see to their drinks.
Watching him, Flick sensed he was on his best behaviour, something that made her uncomfortable. She’d come here to see the Nate she knew, the one full of banter and who made her laugh. The man before her felt more like a stranger. Then again, she considered, maybe that’s what he was? “Leave them.”
He appeared to freeze for a second, before turning to face her again. “Okay.” He leaned back against the counter.
She took a deep breath, gearing herself up. About to declare her feelings, it was her big moment. Determined to be as direct with him as she had been with Matthew, her pulse quickened as she opened her mouth to speak. “I just want to say that I’m sorry,” she said, instead. “Mum should never have blackmailed you.” As soon as the words were out, Flick felt like a complete chicken. “Even she knows that now and can’t apologise enough.”
“No.” Nate shook his head as he moved towards Flick. “It’s me who needs to say sorry. To both of you. I should have known you weren’t responsible for those photos.”
“Yes, well, Mum didn’t exactly make herself look innocent, did she?”
“But I should have gotten my facts straight before shouting my mouth off.”
Flick recalled his behaviour and the downright fury he demonstrated. “Yes,” she said, her expression stern. “You should.”
