Page 24 of Long Hard Road

He helped me out of the truck and kept my hand gripped tight as we walked toward the lodge. The sidewalk had been shoveled and salted so there was minimal risk of me falling, but Nate wasn’t going to risk it. Neither of us was wearing gloves and it was the first time I had felt his warm skin against mine. His fingers had rough callouses that tickled my skin in a way that had me wondering what they would feel like stroking other parts of me. I nearly let out a moan.

“I think Chase and Lily are going to join us for breakfast.”

“Chase is your brother, but who is Lily?”

“She’s the operations manager for the whole ranch business and she’s also dating my oldest brother. We all really like her. She’s great for Evan. I’ve never seen him smile the way he does with her.” Then Nate gave me one of his real smiles and damn near stopped my heart. “You should be prepared for both of them to make a lot of embarrassing assumptions about the two of us.”

“They know about me?” Had Nate been telling his family about me? If so, how much had he told them?

“Amelia told Lily she saw me talking to a woman in the café and I’m sure Harper has told Chase about the bookstore. My family is nosy as hell, especially when it comes to my dating life.” He gave my hand a gentle squeeze. “Fortunately for you, we aren’t dating and you’ll never have to see them again after a few weeks, so you can just tell them to go to hell.”

“I don’t think I will do that, but it’s good to know I have the option.”

He dropped my hand to open the door for me and it felt a little like losing a limb. Once we were inside, my fingers itched to be nestled between his and I wondered if I would look desperate if I reached for his hand. Nate didn’t even glance at me before snagging my hand and pulling me through the large foyer.

“This place is beautiful.” I had never seen anything quite like the rustic lodge. The walls were bright white while the floors were a deep chestnut brown. The lofted ceiling revealed thick beams the same color as the floors. Directly above us, a sparkling chandelier added an elegant touch that was just perfect.

“Wait until you see the rest of the ranch.” Nate smiled proudly. “Lily has done an amazing job.”

“You sure you don’t have a bit of a crush on your brother’s girlfriend?” I was attempting a joke but it came out sounding more like a jealous accusation.

“I think everyone has a little bit of a crush on Lily,” he said with a laugh. “But, no. Not in the way you are implying. She’s just a cool girl. You’ll see.”

I liked that Nate was able to speak so kindly about another woman without a hint of desire. He was one of those men who believed that women and men could be just friends without holding an expectation of something more. I wondered if that was how he saw me too.

He tugged me forward. “The restaurant is right over here.”

“Smells amazing,” I said, catching a whiff of sweetness on top of a hint of grease.

“Marla makes this amazing French toast and the bacon here is always extra crispy.”

“Careful, Sullivan. That kind of talk makes me warm and tingly in all the right places.”

His deep chuckle was becoming one of my favorite sounds. “What places are those?”

“My stomach, of course.” I mocked offense. “Why? Did you think I meant something else?”

Nate’s thumb brushed the back of my hand and now I really did have tingles in all the right places. He smirked as if he knew exactly how my body had responded to his touch. “You’re going to be the death of me, angel.”

“Nate!’

We both flinched and Nate tugged me slightly closer to him before turning toward the arched opening. “Hey, Lil.” His shoulders dropped an inch.

“This is her?” Lily ignored Nate as she peered at me over his shoulder. “Move so I can get a better look.”

“She’s not an exotic art piece, Lily. Stop being a weirdo.” Nate smiled through the scolding and turned to me. “I take back every nice thing I said about her.”

“No, you don’t.” I could tell that Nate enjoyed Lily’s forward personality. “Hi. I’m Madison.” I held out the hand that Nate wasn’t holding and the pretty woman staring at me smiled as she shook it.

“It’s great to meet you.” She winked at Nate. “She’s pretty. Out of your league.”

“You think I need to be told that?” He laughed and pulled me forward again. As we stepped into the restaurant, Lily came up beside me.

“So, Madison. What brings you to Crestwood?”

I should’ve prepared myself for this type of questioning. “Oh, you know. Just taking a little vacation.”

“I’m surprised you would come here this time of year. We usually only see tourists in the summer and fall. Unless you are here for the skiing? Some people like to stay down the mountain because the rental homes are cheaper.”