Page 79 of Living with Fire
“Oh, my beautiful baby boy,” she murmurs, wrapping an arm around my waist in a side hug. I’m hardly a baby the way I tower over her. “If you don’t settle down and marry that woman one day, I’ll be mighty surprised. I’ve never seen you look at a woman that way, nor have I seen a woman look at you the way she does.”
Putting my arm around her shoulders, I hug her tight to my side. My mom has always been perceptive, so I’m not totally surprised that she’s figured out my feelings for Savanna.
As if Savanna can sense we’re talking about her, she looks up at the deck where we’re standing at the rail, her face lighting up in a smile I know is meant for me.
I smile right back. “One day, mom. One day.”
“Seeing the two of you together today is the best birthday present you could give this old woman, Nathan,” she says, sighing with contentment.
I lean down and press a kiss to the top of her head, giving her an extra tight squeeze. “I love you, mom. Happy birthday.”
CHAPTER 27
SAVANNA
I don’t know if I’ve ever felt more accomplished, or proud of something I’ve worked on. Sitting behind the desk at work, staring at the USB in my hand, I could practically burst into happy tears.
I gave myself twenty-one days to finish Nate’s books, but I only needed nineteen. I worked through the past weekend to get there, telling Nate that I wanted to plow through the rest of it because I was so close to being done. Unlike the weekend of our date, he let it be. I think he was starting to get anxious as the deadline loomed closer, but I wasn’t stressed about it. I was on a roll and wanted to keep my momentum going.
It’s also not like I haven’t seen Nate. The days he hasn’t been working at the firehouse, he’s been at the bar, as usual, and he’s very keen on me taking plenty of breaks to keep me from getting burnt out behind the computer. Or so he claims.
I think it’s more like he’s as insatiable as I am, and we can’t get enough of each other.
We weren’t three hours into our day, the day after the party, when he came waltzing into the office, closed the door, and made me come in the office chair with his face between my legs. Since that day I’ve been wearing a dress or skirt to work, the easy access coming in handy more than a couple of times.
I have a feeling the second he finds out I’ve completed everything for the accountant, he’s going to be on me. I’ve kept him at arm’s length all day, refusing to even kiss him because it only leads us to trouble.
Nate isn’t out of the woods yet, though. The bar owes the government a good chunk of money, though it’s not nearly as bad as it could have been. We hit middle of the pack when it comes to best-case or worst-case, which I’m considering a win. I don’t know if he’ll see it that way, but I’ve got a few ideas how we can manage the payment without the bar going belly up. But first I need to deliver the news that I’m finished.
Pushing back from the desk that Nate has been calling mine for the last week, I stretch my arms overhead and smile as I look around.
We talked about what my role would be once I finished this. He offered to make me the bookkeeper, along with the accountant, if all went well with the taxes, as well as returning to serving, and possibly managing the bar when he’s working at the firehouse. He needs someone to take over for Bryn when she’s done with school, and he thinks I’m a perfect fit for it.
I told him I’d think about it, but if I’m being honest, I knew the second he asked me that I would accept. I’ve grown to love this place in the few weeks I’ve been here. There’s a sense of family, and that’s something that feeds my soul. Plus, it allows me to do a few things I love while being around the guy that I’m falling for.
I can’t believe I’m thinking that way after everything I’ve been through. These past couple of weeks have been nothing short of magical, even though I’ve been working like crazy at the bar.
Every night, except the days he’s worked at the firehouse, Nate gets dinner ready, and then takes me to a new location for us to sit outside and enjoy our meal. He told me that I needed to expand my knowledge of Santa Rosé beyond the beach I frequented during the summer. What better way than to have dinner in a new place every evening.
I’ve seen some gorgeous sunsets because of it, and I’ve also learned a lot about him since we’re usually too busy stuffing our faces to have our hands all over each other.
Leaving the USB on the desk, I head to the kitchen, my stomach rumbling with hunger.
Jeremy, the sous chef, catches my eye and grins. “Ready for dinner? Nate said he wasn’t sure when you guys would be eating tonight.”
Being in the back office for the last two weeks, I’ve gotten to know the kitchen staff a lot better. Nate was right when he told me they wouldn’t treat me any differently if we were dating. Not a single person here has batted an eye over the fact, something for which I’m grateful.
“I’m not sure,” I tell him, deciding I feel like taking Nate out to celebrate and go over things. “I think we might end up somewhere else tonight.”
“Ouch, Sav!” Jeremy lays a hand over his chest. “You’re breaking my heart over here. My cooking ain’t good enough for you?”
“It’s me, not you,” I retort with a dash of sass, and he erupts into laughter.
I’m halfway through the door to the front of house, his laughter still ringing behind me, when I freeze in place. Everything disappears from around me. Adrenaline floods my body in an instant, realizing before my mind can process it, that I’m in danger. The whole world slows down, and I feel like I’m trudging through mud as I try to comprehend the sight before me.
Sitting at the bar, two seats down from where Liam and Brody are, is Vincent.
He’s shaved all the dark hair on the top of his head, but his beard remains, perfectly groomed along the sharp lines of his face. There’s no mistaking it’s him, especially with the way my body reacts to him being this close. I can see the tattoo of a bear on his muscled upper arm peeking out from under his black t-shirt. He got it for me, even though I told him not to, saying it was his way of showing me how much he loved me.