Page 31 of Rescued Love
I’ll always think that spending time with the animals is more important than anything I can do in this office. Maybe cuddling with Midnight was self-serving, but it wasn’t entirely selfish.
She benefits from it as well.
Kind of.
“Are you going to put that fine man who came into see you out of his misery?” Sadie’s voice makes me jump and I stumble a little bit when I bounce off the corner of my desk. I look at her with wide eyes to find her shoulders shaking as she tries to hold in her laughter. “He’s sitting out in the parking lot like he’s waiting for you.” With her eyebrow arched, her eyes are filled with far too much knowledge for her age, “You gonna make his whole life and let him in?”
“Jeez, Sadie,” I gasp and press a hand to where my heart is still pounding in my chest while I narrow my eyes at the girl in front of me. “Why are there times when you’re the most immature chick I’ve ever met and then times when your old soul peeks out at me?”
Sadie’s grin is wide and filled with joyful abandonment as she wiggles her eyebrows at me. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she deflects while rubbing her nails on her the shoulder of her shirt like she’s buffing them.
I can only chuckle at her antics and shake my head. “Sure you don’t,” I tease her and stick my tongue out at her.
Sadie’s face turns serious, and I find myself holding my breath, curious about what she’s going to say next. “You’ve been different and kind of off since you went out to Mr. Jacobson’s place. When I started hearing rumors about his grandson being in town, I figured he might have something to do with it. I was willing to let it play out and see what happened and I’m glad I did because he looked nervous and scared as hell when he came in this afternoon to see you.”
My eyes widen and I gasp, “He was?”
“Oh yeah,” she giggles, “sweaty palms and all. I thought for sure he was going to stutter, but no such luck on that front,” she pouts a little. “I hoped he was going to make whatever he did right. A guy doesn’t look like he’s drowning in guilt too often.” She huffs and rolls her eyes. “If they think they’re right then they get all cocky and fucking impossible.”
“Language,” I scold her.
It doesn’t have the desired effect, probably because I’m grinning at her the whole time. She plants her hands on her hips and shoots me a look that screams ‘really?’.
She points at me and sasses, “You know I’m right.”
I hold my hands up in surrender. “You aren’t wrong, that’s for sure.”
“Yeah, that’s because I’m right,” she grumbles under her breath. With a wave toward the front of the building she prods me, “Now go out there and give the man a break and make his dream come true. We’re good here. You deserve some fun and maybe, hopefully, a little love.”
My mouth falls open as my brain scrambles for something, anything to say to her. Before I can, she’s gone.
With a shake of my head, part in consternation and part in pure awe, I grab my purse and head out of my office making sure to lock my door as I go. The thought of Nathan being nervous to come and see me and apologize has a giddy feeling rushing through my veins.
He seemed confident when I spun around in the cat room, but maybe that was more bluster than reality. I was also not expecting to see him and was more than a little flustered. All I could see was him and the sincerity in his apology.
My own nerves kick up a I head straight out the rescue door and into the parking lot. He’s parked right next to my truck, and I wonder if he did that on purpose or if it’s a happy accident. Either way, it brings a smile to my face.
When I’m closer, he hops out of Mr. Jacobson’s truck and comes right to me. There’s an ease in the way he slips my purse from my shoulder and laces the fingers of his other hand with mine. He keeps glancing at me as he leads me to my truck.
It’s almost like he’s expecting me to disappear from right in front of him. My stomach flutters and my heart damn near melts.
“You remembered which truck is mine?” My question is a whisper, a thought barely floating on the wind.
But he hears it. “Of course,” he confirms. He shakes his head ruefully and murmurs, “I’ve been replaying meeting you in my head and regretting it more and more with every run through. There’s no way I could ever forget which truck is yours.”
The entire time he’s talking, he’s staring into my eyes and allowing me to see the truth there. There is regret in his eyes that has me taking a step closer to him.
“Stop beating yourself up about it,” I urge him softly. “You explained yourself and I’ve forgiven you. Let’s move on.”
Nathan smiles and I swear the sun is shining down on me with that one simple act. My heart flutters in my chest and I barely stop myself from reaching up and rubbing that spot in the middle of my chest.
“Thank you,” his voice is a gentle rasp and filled with so much more than those two simple words convey.
I nod and then wink at him. “You gonna follow me?”
“Yeah, Kitten,” he reaches up and tucks a stray strand of hair behind my ear, “I’ll follow you.”
Why the hell does it feel like he’s not only talking about our plans to head to my place? I shake that feeling off because it’s far too soon for such big emotions. Far too early.