Bottled Up: April Fools For Love (8 page)

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Nate held his phone as he sat in the parking lot. He wanted to respond, but he didn’t know what to say. He’d felt used before, but it wasn’t like he hadn’t done the same to other people. He didn’t even know if he had anything in common with Betty any more.

Was it worth starting a new relationship on such bad footing?

He couldn’t see how it would be. He got another text. This one was from the guys at the Bently Bombers. Nate’s friends from the modeling community had snubbed him immediately after he didn’t have the cash to get into the good clubs any more. The strippers still called him.

Frank wanted to know if he was still coming for poker night. He’d agreed to the game last week. Making foul jokes and telling horror stories about jobs was a fantastic stress reliever. It was a twenty dollar buy in, but the winner usually just bought the drinks for the next game. The bombers took care of each other. He was down with that. And even though he felt like hanging home after his round of mid-terms this week, he told Frank he’d be there early to help set up.

Nate shoved his phone in his pocket and headed into the library. The book he’d been waiting for had to be back in by now. He was next in the cue for his favorite comedian’s book, and the library tended to have the book on hand for twenty-four hours before they updated their website.

He’d always loved reading humor, but he could really use a good laugh after getting another text from Betty.

The doors slid open and Nate strode up to the help desk. The branch was a large one, but most people tended to use the self-scanners and not bother the librarians at all. He liked talking with the ladies who worked there. His mom had been a librarian, and she’d always taught him to make nice with the women who put the books on hold. It made sure you got the book that didn’t have a broken spine if they had a choice.

He smiled when he saw Patty was working. Unfortunately, she didn’t have good news for him. The book he was waiting for wasn’t returned yet, but it was due back today.

“I think you should charge whoever has it extra as punishment for keeping my book hostage,” he told her.

Patty laughed. “If I had that power, everyone who dog-eared books would get charged per fold.”

He leaned over the counter to find out what was coming in for the next month. Since there wasn’t anyone else in line she pulled up the
Library Journal
and they went shopping.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Betty walked into the library and headed right past the book drop to get her borrows into the hands of the librarians. She jostled her stack of books as she pulled them out of her tote bag when someone stood up behind Patty.
No way.

“Betty! You’re just in time. I’m looking up some books for Nate. What else should I suggest for next month?”

Wide shoulders spread as Nate took a deep breath and started around the desk. “I’ll catch you later, Patty. I need…” He stopped when he got to Betty. “You have it?” Nate pointed to her hand and one of the books she was returning.

“You like him?” she asked. She handed Nate the book, and it looked like he wanted to leave, but he wanted the book more.

Patty grabbed it from him. “You can’t take it until I run it as returned, mister.”

Nate shoved his hands in his pockets. “I’ll get it later.”

“You might not get this one then. There could be a mix up and maybe the person behind you would get it first.”

Nate’s mouth dropped open. “You wouldn’t.”

“It’s a risk you’d be taking if you left,” Patty sang as she walked toward the scanners. “I’ll be back in a minute to get the book to you.
If
you’re still here.”

He crossed his arms and turned to Betty. “Do you have something to do with this?”

“I’m just here at the library. I didn’t even know you read.”

“Because a stripper is obviously illiterate.”

A couple of teenage girls giggled behind their hands, and Betty had to smile with them as Nate grabbed her arm and tugged her behind the desk. Normally she wouldn’t chance hanging behind the command center, but Patty was obviously on her side here. She loved her librarian even more.

“Are you going to shout out other stereotypes about adult service people?” Betty asked.

“You said—”

She held a hand up to his mouth to shush him. “I said I didn’t know if you read. I meant for pleasure. You were more interested in physical activities when I knew you before. I didn’t ever see you with a book in high school.”

“I had a lot of time to read when I flew out to location. I could only write and read so many letters. And after getting my ego squashed by a girl I was interested in recently, I needed a good laugh.”

“I needed a laugh too.”

Nate pulled another book out of her stack. “And some romance?”

She shrugged. “I figured I might pick up some pointers. I’m not doing so good winging it on my own.”

“You could use some communication help.”

She put down her stack and folded her arms. There were only so many times she could apologize. “I’ve been trying to communicate.”

“I know.” He held up his phone. “It’s just awkward. And now that my boss is living with you, it doesn’t seem like a good idea.”

“What doesn’t?” she asked.

He backed up. “Um. Us? Us getting together again. I thought…isn’t that what you were apologizing for? To get together again?”

“I still have all the sand bottles.” Man, she was smooth.

“What?”

She put her face in her hands and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Sorry. I wanted to tell you that I still have all of them. All the bottles of sand, all the letters. I went and picked them up at my parents’ house last week.”

“Oh.” He didn’t say anything else.

“I just wanted you to know that you meant a lot to me. When you showed up with that bottle from New Zealand, you surprised me. It was a lot to process and I didn’t handle it well.” Which was an understatement, but she had to finally say it. “I’m sorry I didn’t give you a chance to tell me more about who you are now.”

“Thank you.”

“We weren’t really together before either, but it felt strange trying pick up where we left off.” Now she was rambling. “I just wanted to say I’m sorry and maybe take you out to dinner. Maybe you could tell me about nursing school, and I could show you some of the playbills from my shows.” She pushed the rest of her books in front of Patty’s computer and jammed her hands in her pockets. “I promise I’d keep my hands to myself.”

She was doing better this time, right? Betty found herself staring at the computer screen. When Nate didn’t respond she took the chance and peered up at him through her bangs.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Nate wanted to believe her. He wanted to think they could have a chance to get to know each other again. He couldn’t stop thinking about her, and about the fact that he wasn’t halfway across the world from her anymore. He’d screwed up as a teenager, and she’d screwed up this time. Maybe they could call it even.

He also wanted to have Betty look at him with those gorgeous blue eyes more. Her lashes framed the pristine pools, and he found every mental argument didn’t stand up to his desire to be near her.

She twisted her arms together as she shrugged and her cleavage was beyond perfect. “So what do you say?”

“What?” He needed to focus on more than her chest if he was going to get around to telling her he wanted to see if the third time really was the charm. Had she said something? He had thrown on whatever was clean today, but Betty looked just beautiful, and he was close enough to smell the delicate perfume she was wearing. He didn’t stand a chance.

“I said, I’m going to an early dinner with Twila and Ang in a couple hours if you’d like to come.”

He cleared his throat. “I guess I can do that.”

“And we won’t talk about anything involving dancing or plumbing.”

He chuckled. “I can handle that.”

Her smile was so big she had to bite her lower lip to contain it. That’s when Patty slapped a book against his stomach. He grabbed hold of the book as he coughed at the impact.

Patty looked between them for a moment before smiling. “Good. You can take it then. I like her. And I like you. Go be romantic together and have babies.”

Patty took the rest of the books to process them as returned and left Nate with his mouth hanging open.

Betty shook her head. “She’s positive everyone she puts together will get married and have babies.”

“She does this often?” Nate asked.

“Only when I’m sure!” Patty called out.

Nate leaned over Betty and whispered in her ear. “I’m willing to buy a round of drinks at the bar before dinner if we get out of here now.”

“You don’t have to worry about me begging for babies,” Betty said. “I think I’m allergic to anything that interrupts my eight hours of sleep.”

“Well then we really wouldn’t have a future,” Nate told her as he hooked her arm in his. “Any woman I’m with gets very little sleep when I’m around.”

He meant it to be playful, but her breath hitched. When he looked into her eyes, it didn’t matter that they’d had two false starts. Something told him not to give up, and every obstacle fell away. He drowned.

Nate coughed and tried to focus. But he couldn’t think of anything else other than how she looked at him. He loved the way her eyes kept finding their way back to his. When they reached her car, he couldn’t help himself. He had to see if the fireworks were still there. 

“Can I kiss you?” He asked.

She looked shocked. “I thought we were starting out too rocky to try to be more than friends. Remember what happened last time you asked that?”

He sure remembered after she reminded him. But there wouldn’t be a repeat performance in front of a public building. “I just want to see something, and I think I’ll know better if I kiss you.”

“What if it’s bad?” she whispered.

He hoped to god it was.

He didn’t waste another moment and watched her eyes flutter closed as he leaned in. Her arms flattened against her car, and she let a small squeak out as his lips touched hers.

Nate was screwed. His body remembered her nails in his back. His heart remembered his crush. And his lips wanted her kiss more than air. He shoved a hand into her hair and tipped her head so he didn’t have to bend. She moaned against his mouth and he found his body pressed against hers. His need for air eventually did trump the feeling of fireworks erupting against his skin.

But he didn’t move far. His forehead against hers, he told her, “I don’t know if I can be friends.”

“How about we work it out as we go?”

Nate felt a buzz against his crotch and jumped back.

Betty laughed and pulled her phone from the pocket in her sweater. She glanced at the screen before she turned it to him. “Looks like we have another hour before dinner. Ang needs to go home and change so she’s ready for work.”

“Drink?” Nate asked.

“Definitely.”

Nate went to his car and sped toward the restaurant. He was going to have a hard time concentrating, but he couldn’t wait to hear more about Betty. And he couldn’t wait to tell her what he was doing with his life. And he couldn’t wait to kiss her again. Because he would.

EPILOGUE

Five Months Later

Nate pulled a few more clothes from the rack and made sure the store transfer was prepared exactly as Twila had taught him. He’d made sure she could hang out in the office as much as possible these last few weeks. The poor girl was ready to pop, and he was pretty sure her ankles were going to explode.

“Nate.”

He heard her calling. At least she was calling for him rather than hiking out from the back all the time now. He laid the clothes down next to the computer he was printing the transfer paperwork on and took off for the back at a slow jog.

There was a big puddle all over the floor.

“What did you spill, Twila?”

His boss came out of the bathroom with a bag in her hand.  “A bit of baby juice. Give me a ride to the hospital?” she leaned over and grabbed her stomach. “Oh.”

Nate’s eyes bulged.

He managed to get the store locked up and the alarm set, but as Twila bent around her bulging belly he was grateful he’d programmed Betty’s number as a button on his phone.

“Hey, babe. What’s going on?”

Twila groaned and Nate pressed the gas pedal closer to the floor. “Code red. 911. Emergency. Fire…Baby!”

Betty laughed. How could she laugh when Twila was about to miracle of life all over his seat?

“It takes a long time for a baby to be born, remember?” Betty told him to breathe and asked how long Twila had been having contractions.

“How long have you been having contractions?” He asked as he went through a very yellow light.

Twila panted using some of the breathing techniques she’d been practicing. “Since last night.”

“What?” The panicked words came from him and Betty on the other end of the phone.

“Get her to the hospital.” There was rustling and clanging on the other end of the phone. “Ang. We’re going. Now. I don’t care if you have ice cream. It’s baby time.”

Betty hung up on him as he pulled into the emergency lot. He didn’t care if his car got towed. He hopped a curb and made it into the roll-in entry without following the road around. “Stay here,” he told Twila.

“And. I was just. Going to go. For a jog.”

At least she was panting jokes. That was good.

Nate took full advantage of his size and dragged a doctor by the collar with one hand and grabbed a wheel chair with the other. The doctor was about to call security, but he didn’t reach his com unit before he saw Twila.

“How far apart are the contractions?” he asked Nate as they helped Twila into the chair.

“I don’t know. She’s been bending over her belly the whole time. And she peed on the floor.”

“Water broke,” Twila groaned.

“She’s going straight to delivery. Get parked and head up to the third floor. Are you pre-registered?”

Twila nodded and with the help of a few nurses they whisked the woman away.

It turns out it doesn’t take as long to have a baby as Betty had told him it would. Betty and Ang were supposed to be in the delivery room with Twila, but they didn’t make it in time. The baby was born thirty minutes after he’d pulled into the parking spot.

It was a beautiful baby boy. Or at least it was after they’d cleaned him off.

Betty sat next to him in the small kitchenette in the maternity ward. He needed a drink after that. Nothing red.

“They really thought you were the dad, huh?”

He wrapped an arm around Betty and pulled her close. He kissed her head. “I don’t know if I can have sex after that.”

“Well that would be a first,” she joked.

They’d tried the get to know each other thing. Going slow and only talking until they were sure they had a connection. They really had tried.

Nate had only made it a week. When Betty surprised him on campus with lunch from his favorite Italian place it was all over. They’d talked about favorite foods the night before, and she couldn’t wait to surprise him with it the next day.

Those first few days after she’d spotted him at the library, he’d thought she was still trying to make up for what she’d said. But it only took a few days together to realize, her funny texts, inside jokes, and sweet gestures were just who she was.

She surprised him whenever she could, and he couldn’t stop himself from finding out everything she loved. He took her to her favorite bookstore and they had a date reading excerpts from their favorite stories. He realized those romances she read had definite high points.

He smiled down at her. Today had been stressful, but he realized even after seeing Twila squeeze out a kid, he might want to put the girl at his side through the same torture.

“I love you, Betty.”

She gasped.

Maybe saying it for the first time in a hospital wasn’t really appropriate, but she recovered quickly.

Betty grabbed the collar of his shirt with both hands and pulled him in. Just before she kissed him, she whispered, “I have been waiting for you to say it first. I love you too.”

He left the horrible coffee on the table and wrapped his arms around his future.