hearing. “Actually, could you please send these to Dr. Jamie’s house for his wife? Tell her thanks and love from Nate. I changed my mind. I think I’ll take Terri out for tacos.”
“Good,” she said, and went back to smiling. “I’m Kris Lennon. Anything you need for Terri, just tell me. Night or day, I’ll be there.” She wrote on the back of a business card and handed it to him. “This is my cell number. Call anytime.”
“Sure. Okay,” Nate said, and left the store. Outside, he looked up and down the street. It was such a pretty little town, and so peaceful that it looked as though nothing bad could ever have happened there.
But it had. And whatever it was, Terri seemed to be on the receiving end of it.
Nate pulled out his phone and sent a text message to Jamie.
Could you get Aunt Cale to send some autographed books to Terri at the lake? Do you know what happened between her and Kris at the flower shop?
The reply came back right away.
No idea. Della Kissel is the town gossip. I’ll have Mom overnight books. I hear the entire lake is invited to a party at your house.
You two coming?
Nope. I’m staying home and frying bananas for my pregnant wife. How’s Stacy?
Fine, Nate wrote back, then put the phone back in his pocket. When it buzzed again, he didn’t answer it, but he reminded himself that he needed to call Stacy tonight. He went across the road to the bookstore.
Chapter 6
Terri was dreaming about Nate. They were in her boat, the one her father’d had built for her. She and Nate rode in silence but when they looked at each other, they smiled as if they were sharing some secret.
They went to one of the houses Terri looked after. It was a beauty, rented out last summer to an actor who ended up in jail. As she and Nate went inside, she began telling him the story of the actor and the local play, but Nate suddenly turned. His eyes were dark. Hot. Wanting her. Telling her it was time.
Terri drew in her breath. In the next second, Nate pulled her into his arms and—
“Are you gonna get out of bed or laze around all day?” Nate said from the doorway.
Reluctantly, Terri opened her eyes halfway. Her bedroom curtains were closed, but she could see that it wasn’t full daylight yet. She turned onto her stomach. “Go away.”
“Today’s the party and you said you were going to help cook, so we need to get started. And there’s a pile of trash in the lake. I can see it from the front windows. It has to be cleaned up.”
“Udah.”
“What?” When he walked to her bed, he could barely see the top of her head.
Terri pulled the cover down a bit. “It’s where the old dock was. Things catch on the poles. Could you please leave? I was having a great dream.”
“About those skinny boys?”
“Yes. All about them,” she said.
Nate sat down on the side of the bed. “I may have invited too many people for tonight. Or rather, this afternoon. The kids asked if they could come and I couldn’t say no, so I really do need to start cooking.”
“Order pizza,” Terri mumbled.
“I promised them a Bedouin feast.”
Terri turned over and pulled the cover down to her neck to stare at him. “You promised to cook some foreign banquet for what appears to be the whole lake?”
“Not all of them are coming. Who lives in the big house on the hill?”
“Stanley Cresnor.”
“Yeah? He’s one of my uncles’ clients. I had no idea he was here.”
“Or you would have invited him?”
“Ah. Sarcasm,” Nate said. “Now that’s my Terri. Come on and get up and help me get this show underway.”
Terri yawned, then stretched. And when she looked back at him, he was staring at her. For the flash of a second, the hot eyes she’d seen in her dream were his.
“Where is everyone?” came a familiar voice down the hall.
“Go out the door,” Terri hissed.
It took only three long steps and Nate disappeared out Terri’s bedroom door.
“In here, Dad,” Terri called as she got out of bed and pulled on her jeans. She had on a bra and T-shirt before her dad got to her bedroom. “What are you doing here so early?”
Brody was looking around the room and at the bed. “Where’s Nate?”
“I have no idea.” Terri’s voice was a model of innocence.