Chapter Nine
Amy leaned against the headboard in Olivia’s bedroom at the main house and stretched her legs out in front of her. “So, how many hot men in kilts did you see? Be honest.”
Laughing, Olivia folded a shirt from the laundry basket. “A few guys, but none you’d want to test the theory of whether they go commando under the kilt, if you know what I mean.” She put the shirt away in the dresser and grabbed another. “Scotland was amazing, though. Nate looked up a few of my ancestors and we found this old cemetery where some were buried. I’ve always wanted to go, but I’m glad I waited to see it first with him.”
Considering Amy had never been outside of Wyoming, she’d be happy going anywhere. “At least you did some tourist things. Being your honeymoon and all. What a wasted trip that would’ve been only seeing the inside of a hotel room.”
“Ha. We saw plenty of that, too.” Olivia winked, a flush in her pale cheeks. She brushed a strand of auburn hair from her face and set the empty basket aside. “We were only gone ten days. I don’t know how we amassed so much laundry.” She sat at the foot of the bed. “There was one disappointment. I didn’t get a Nessie sighting.”
Amy rolled her eyes. “The nerve of mythical creatures. So inconsiderate.” Her BFF’s obsession with the Loch Ness Monster was adorable. And weird.
“Right? I did bring you back a present, however.” Olivia rose and dragged her suitcase out of the closet. “There was this shop we visited and the stuff in there was incredible. The couple who owns the place makes trinkets out of things others throw away.” She set three picture frames on the bed—two eight-by-tens and an eleven-by-seven. “I thought you could put your photos in them.”
“Wow. How cool.” The larger frame was made up of various scraps of denim, some ripped and faded, others newer and dark navy. The two smaller frames were wood. The first looked like driftwood and had broken glass embossed on it. The second was rough planks with rusted nails. “I love them. Thank you.” She placed them up against the nightstand next to her so she could take them back to the cabin later.
Olivia plopped on the bed and crossed her legs, her knees bumping Amy’s. “Anything good happen while I was gone?”
“It rained.” She shrugged. “Otherwise it was same old, same old.” Except, that wasn’t true, but she debated how much to spill. She wasn’t sure what Nakos would think of Olivia knowing what had happened. “I applied for a LLC license this week.”
“What for?”
“I started my own photography company. Sort of.”
“No. Really?” Olivia grabbed her shoulders. “That’s fabulous, and about time. Grats!”
“Thanks. I did the license to protect me from being personally liable for the company’s debts. Just in case.” After what had happened with her ex, Amy wasn’t taking chances. She told Olivia about the stock photo sites. “I played with a website, too. Thinking I might not put all the pictures on the accounts. Maybe reserve some to sell exclusively on my own at a higher price.”
“Look at you, an honest to God artist. You’re acting like it’s no big deal.” Olivia slapped her arm. “I’m so proud of you.”
Happiness bubbled in Amy’s chest. “Thank you. I probably won’t make much from it, but it’ll bring me a little closer to paying off debts.”
“You’re going to be uber successful. I know it. You’re too talented to fail.” Olivia sighed. “I leave for a few days and everything is different when I get back. You moved in with Nakos.”
Yeah, about that...
Olivia wrapped her arms around Amy and flopped sideways on the mattress. They lay facing each other like they used to as little girls, noses nearly touching. There was something intimately reassuring in the position, that a few precious things hadn’t changed over time or been warped by reality’s cruel light of day. Though completely non-sexual in nature, Amy cherished the closeness. How she’d wished, feverishly as a child, to have Olivia as her true sister.
“How are you doing? You know, since Chris went to jail and everything. We never talked about it much. I worry about you.” Olivia took Amy’s hands in hers and squeezed. “Never mind the beating, but he said some really awful things to you.”
Olivia hadn’t heard the half of it. And never would, if Amy had any say.
“I’m fine.” She smiled to soften the lie and reassure her friend. One day, she would be okay. She’d been waiting for that someday all her life. Yet to give up hope it would ever come would mean quitting altogether. “You know me. I’m a boomerang. I always come right back.”
A low chuckle, and Olivia sighed. “Yes, you do. I wish I had half your strength.”
Amy wasn’t strong. She was just that good at faking it. “That’s what you’ve got Nate for. The guy bench-presses cars before breakfast.” At Olivia’s grin, Amy pushed the slight twinge of jealousy into a hidey hole. “He adores you so darn much. I’m happy for you.”
“I never knew love could be like this.” Her glassy blue gaze drifted away. “I can’t breathe without him. All I can think about is making sure he knows that he’s my world, assuring him I’ll always be here. Lord, the things he’s been through. And even after getting past all the ugly, he’s still so...gentle.”
“I’m pretty sure that’s the way it should be.” Not that Amy had any clue what she was talking about. Love, in any form, had never knocked on her door. “You’re the perfect person for him. The one to tame the beast and show him he’s worth loving. Thing is, Liv, you needed him right back.”
She scrunched her nose at Amy’s nickname. Olivia wasn’t fond of it, but too bad. “Very true.” Olivia let out a quiet breath. “I’m sad you’re not staying here anymore. Remember when we were kids? We said we’d live together forever and do anything we wanted, whenever we wanted.”
Amy laughed. “Three months was a good run. Besides, you’re married and living your ever-after.” One of them should, at least. She would’ve sworn fairy tales didn’t exist if the proof weren’t right in front of her. “I expect nieces and nephews soon. Note the plural there.”
“I have no problem with that.” Olivia propped her head in her hand, wide grin slipping. “I’m glad you’re staying with Nakos. I worry about him, too. He’s reclusive, never goes out anymore. It’ll be good for him to have you around.”
“Well, he likes his solitude.” Amy mimicked Olivia’s pose. “I’m not so sure me being there is a good thing, though.”
“Why?”
Where to start? “He’s tense. We drive up here to the main house together every morning and back in the evening, pass each other in the cabin, eat beside one another, but we don’t say anything. Like ghosts occupying the same space.” It had been that way for a week, ever since she’d put a stop to the romantic complication they were about to weave. She’d been right to do it, knew it was necessary to save their relationship, but it had the opposite effect. The friendship was decaying before her eyes.
Slowly, Olivia sat up. “That’s not like you guys at all. He’s much more open with you than he ever was with me. We’re close, sure, but you two click without effort.” She ran a trembling hand over her forehead. “You don’t think...it’s about the wedding, do you? He seemed okay with Nate and I, stood up as—”
“It’s not you, Liv.” She clasped Olivia’s hand and let go to sit up, as well. “He’s happy for you.”
“Then what’s going on? It’s not like him to behave that way.”
Amy closed her lids a beat and pressed her finger to the throbbing between her eyes. “Nakos kissed me.”
“He did what?” Olivia reared.
“Yeah, a week ago. The day after the wedding. Take your surprise, multiply it by infinity, and you’ll have my response.”
“Like, as in, kissed you, kissed you, or a quick peck? Mouth? Cheek?”
“Mouth, tongue, tonsils.” Full body press. She sighed fondly, remembering. “I could barely stand afterward.”
“Jeez. So it was good?”
Amy’s laugh was so dry she was stunned sand granules didn’t spit from her mouth. “Let’s put it this way. Our pensive, broody guy pal has got an animal under all that stoicism.”
A nod, and Olivia’s grin morphed from shock to interest. “Well, then.” She tilted her head. “I guess I can see that. He is quite observant, can be commanding when he wants to be, and has the patience of a saint. Those traits would make for a great kisser.”
“Don’t forget thorough.” Or the hot as sin body.
“Wait.” Olivia waved her hand. “What brought this on? You two never hooked up before.”
“Duh. He was into you.”
Olivia’s gaze traveled away, mouth twisted in thought. “I don’t think he was, to be honest. I know everyone thinks so, and maybe there was attraction on his end, but I...” She blew out a breath. “This will sound stupid, but I think I was a safe bet.”
“You’re right.” Amy narrowed her eyes. “That does sound stupid.”
“Hear me out.” Olivia leaned back on her hands. “When we met, I was different than what he was used to encountering, right? My hair, my skin...not like his heritage. He took that first initial pang of wonder and built upon it. Add in the friendship, and feelings got muddled.”
Amy thought that over, picked the reasoning apart. There was merit to the theory, but a guy didn’t spend half his life pining if something beyond affection wasn’t hovering under the surface.
“You know him as well as I do.” Olivia brushed a strand of hair from her face. “He typically goes after what he wants. He might take his sweet ass time, think it to death, lurk on the fringes to calculate odds, but he doesn’t sit idle.” She eased forward, forearms resting on her thighs. “Not once did he ever make a move. A few times, he told me he wasn’t the right man for me. He had plenty of opportunities before Nate came into the picture to act on his feelings. Deep down, he knows it wasn’t real. The kicker? He didn’t fight Nate for me. In fact, he pushed us together. If he was truly in love with me, really wanted me, you know he wouldn’t have stood for that.”
Okay, her friend had a point. And Amy couldn’t argue the logic. Still, Nakos believed, regardless of why, that he loved Olivia and had for years.
“He never kissed me.”
Amy’s gaze jerked to Olivia’s.
“Never kissed me, but he did kiss you.” Olivia’s brows rose. “That says something.”
Yeah, it said the woman he wanted was permanently out of reach, so he went after the next best thing. Amy had no doubt Nakos was attracted to her. That much was evident. But, like she’d told him, it was a physical response. Lust faded, given time.
Speaking of... “I find the timing awfully convenient.” Heck, for all Amy knew, this was boredom or desperation on his part.
“Emotions don’t flip that quick, Amy. He wouldn’t have made a move on you twenty-four hours after I said ‘I do’ if it was me on his mind. And he doesn’t play games.” When Amy said nothing, Olivia plowed on. “What happened afterward? You mentioned some tension.”
Amy puffed a laugh. There was tension and then there was t-e-n-s-i-o-n. “He walked away after the longest oh crap, what have I done in the history of mankind. Later, he tried talking to me about it, but I shut it down. Told him we weren’t doing this.”
“Why?”
“Come on, Liv.” Anger and frustration pounded her temples. “His first reaction spoke volumes. I’m not the one he wanted, and I’m not screwing up a lifelong friendship over temporary insanity masked as desire.”
Up went Olivia’s brows. “So, it’s not because you’re letting him down easy, not because you don’t have feelings for him?”
Sneaky. Real sneaky. Amy expelled a hearty sigh toward the heavens, keeping mum.
“We talked about Nakos, but what about you? What do you want?”
Him. She wanted him. And the longer she let the notion fester, the more she realized he was what she’d wanted all along. But wanting and having weren’t the same thing. Even if Olivia had been right about everything, Amy didn’t belong with him in any capacity. Period.
“All right.” Olivia huffed. “What led up to the kiss?”
“A fight. Or a disagreement, really. He tried calling me out on my feelings and I evaded. He grew irritated and...well, you know.”
“Let me get this straight.” Olivia ticked off points on her fingers. “He lost control and kissed you. By the way, when was the last time Nakos didn’t have all his faculties? Never,” she answered without waiting for a response. “He attempted to talk to you about it, but you wouldn’t let him. And only after you shut him down did things get weird and the silent treatment began. Do I have the gist?”
Amy rolled her eyes until they thunked the back of her skull. “Yep.”
“He said maybe three words in my presence once I discovered he had a thing for me. We eventually worked it out, of course. Almost two weeks, though, and all I got was three words. Five, tops.”
Slowly, Amy slid her gaze to Olivia, wondering what she was up to now. “That’s more than he’s given me.”
“No, no, and no. Unlike in my case, he went straight to you when he could’ve outright ignored the situation. He tried to talk to you, discuss what happened. It was you who put a stop to it. He didn’t avoid or deflect. You did.” Olivia put her face right in Amy’s, her smile wicked. “He’s fighting for you. Granted, it’s in his warped, slower-than-molasses Nakos kind of way, but that’s exactly what he’s doing. Knowing him, he’s pulling the gentleman card and maintaining space because, in his head, you said no.”
Heart pounding, pulse tripping hope shoved into Amy’s throat. Wedged there as if it planned on taking up permanent residence. Utterly dangerous to her wellbeing since optimism had rarely worked out for her. Actually, anticipation and wishes and dreams had been quashed so many dang times that she was shocked she was capable of triggering any.
Olivia reached up and tapped Amy’s chin, her face still close. “What are you so afraid of? He’s not Chris. Nakos is a great man. Why not try? You deserve something good, too.”
He deserved the best, and Amy wasn’t it. Maybe someday she would be, but she doubted it. Besides, somewhere down the line, she had to stop settling and start believing she could be more than the fallback woman. The leftovers.
A knock sounded, and she glanced over to find Nate in the doorway. Or rather, filling the doorway with his enormousness. Bulge and ink, this guy. And he was smiling with an easiness Amy hadn’t witnessed often.
In jeans and a black tee, he leaned against the frame. “Don’t tell me I’m missing girl-on-girl action.”
Amy snorted. “We can make room for one more.”
With a fond shake of her head, Olivia grinned. “Everything okay downstairs?”
He strode in and bent to give her a quick kiss, lingering. The sap was a total goner over her. “Just fine. Nakos is looking for you in the barn.”
“Speak of the devil.” She eyed Amy and rose from the bed. “Know what? We should go out tonight, the four of us. Nate doesn’t have to be back at work at the sheriff’s station until Monday, and you and Nakos haven’t let loose in forever.”
“Whatever you say, baby.”
Amy wasn’t as blindly compliant. “What are you up to?”
Olivia pressed a hand to her chest and feigned surprise. “Who? Me?” She patted Nate’s shoulder on the way to the door. “I’ll talk to Nakos about it. Seven? The tavern?” She didn’t wait for an answer, just walked out.
“And then there were two. So much for a threesome.” Amy sighed. “I heard your honeymoon was wonderful.”
He dipped his chin in a nod, then eyed the picture frames by the nightstand. “We should’ve picked up more of these, but we were worried about getting ‘em home.”
“I love them. Thank you.”
A grunt, and he fingered the copies of the photos on the dresser she’d taken this week. He spread them around, a faint smile lifting the corners of his mouth. “These new?”
“Yep. Took them with the camera you bought me.”
He winced, his expression dialing straight to busted. “Nakos told you?”
“Yes.” Her fingers itched for said camera. The way he stood in profile, all macho maleness while studying the photos with an engaging smile, triggered the contradictions she loved to capture. “I’m not sure what possessed you to do that, but thank you.”
The smile flatlined. “It wasn’t right, what that asshole did to your things.” He looked at her. “Or what he did to you.” His hard, golden brown eyes skimmed over her as if searching for physical injures that had long ago healed. “That’s a day I wouldn’t mind forgetting.”
“Me, too.” Nate wasn’t responsible for Chris’s actions any more than it was his job to replace what had been damaged. “At the risk of sounding like a broken record, thank you. For the equipment and for the rescue mission.”
He glanced away, his expression indicating he’d gone somewhere else momentarily before drifting back to the dresser. He tapped the pictures. “That’s all the thanks I need.”
Be still her heart. No wonder Olivia was sunk. “She’s lucky to have you.”
A smile, and he shook his head as if to argue he was the lucky one.
“Hey.” She waited for him to look at her. “There’s almost no one I love as much as her, no one kinder or more genuine.” But they’d broken the mold with Nate. That he could love as deeply as he did, considering not a soul had shown him how before Olivia, only proved his worth. “She’s lucky to have you.”