Welcome to Paradise: Welcome to Paradise, Book 1 (13 page)

She couldn’t stop her heart from doing a tiny somersault. “He was?”

“Uh-huh. And I don’t like it.” Lexie glared at her. “Think whatever you’d like, but I do care about Nate. A lot. I don’t want him to be unhappy, so I guess you and I need to put on our thinking caps and find a way to undo the damage we did.”

Charlotte eyed her warily. “You and I?”

“I told you before,” Lexie said with the careless wave of her hand, “we’re going to be best friends. That is, if you’re ready to let bygones be bygones and actually get to know me.”

She had to grin. “I’ll consider it.”

“Good. And while you consider
that
, let’s consider a way to get you and Nate back together.”

“That could be a problem,” Charlotte said with regretful breath. “The tour starts this weekend. It’ll last a month.”

“Where’s the first stop?” Lexie asked, all business.

“Right here. Radio City Music Hall, Friday night.”

Lexie let out an impressed whistle. “Nice. Okay. Well. Here’s what we’ll do then.”

Chapter Nine

Nate was only half awake as he opened the front door. The incessant knocking had finally dragged him off the couch, which he’d fallen asleep on last night. He hadn’t had another date with his tequila bottle since the day Charlotte left—getting wasted really wasn’t his thing—but the moping had continued. Completely fucking unmanly, he knew that, yet he couldn’t seem to muster up enthusiasm for anything. He’d worked at the pub all week, chatted with customers, served drinks—but his heart hadn’t been in it.

Charlotte had taken that heart when she’d skipped town again, and this time he doubted he’d ever get it back.

So moping it was, and to hell with what anyone thought about it, especially Lexie, who yet again had decided to grace his porch, after being AWOL since the night he’d banished her.

“Morning,” she said brightly, her cheerful tone making him wince.

“Mornin’,” he mumbled as he opened the door so she could come inside. “What do you want, Lex?”

“Lots of things. But right now, I want you to shave that god-awful depression beard and hop into the shower.” She clapped her hands as if addressing a boardroom full of executives. “Come on, get to it. You’ve got a plane to catch.”

Nate just stared at her. “What on earth are you babbling about? I’m not going anywhere.”

“Oh yes you are. You’re on the eleven-thirty flight to LaGuardia, but we have to get there at least an hour before, according to the e-ticket confirmation.” She glanced at the expensive silver watch on her slender wrist. “It’s nine-thirty now, so we need to get going.”

Nate felt like he’d wound up in an episode of
The Twilight Zone
. Or maybe in the movie
Freaky Friday
—had he switched bodies with someone and Lexie was confusing him with the person who was
actually
going to New York?

“Stop standing there and get ready,” she said, looking annoyed.

“Not until you tell me what the hell is going on.”

“Well, Charlotte and I talked it over, and we think—”

“
What
?” Shock slammed into him. Along with a tiny pang of sorrow at the sound of Charlotte’s name.

“Yeah, we’re friends now,” she replied with another wave of the hand. Those pale blue eyes narrowed. “By the way, she told me what you said to her the night she left town. I can’t believe you, Nate. You couldn’t have thought of any other way to convince her to go to Julliard?”

Okay, this definitely wasn’t his life. Granted, he hadn’t spoken to Lexie since he’d asked her to leave his house four days ago, but four days was hardly enough time for Lexie and Charlotte to strike up some weird, magical friendship.

He rubbed his suddenly aching temples. “Lexie. I’m really confused. Can you please just start from the beginning?”

She grinned. “Well, I flew to Manhattan the day after you kicked me out.”

“To see Charlotte.” He still couldn’t fathom any of this.

“Yeah. And we talked, and, I don’t know, patched things up, I guess. She’s actually not so bad once she has a glass of wine or two. Anyway, she told me what happened with you two back then, and I kind of understand now why she came here to do what she did, considering how crappy you were to her. Long story short, she feels terrible, and she really does love you. And I know you love her, so that’s why you’re going to New York.”

She recited the entire speech without taking a breath, and Nate couldn’t decide if he wanted to laugh or throttle her.

“What did I tell you about sticking your nose in my business?” he grumbled.

“I had no choice.” She shrugged. “We both know you’re too proud to forgive her, so I’m just giving you a little push.”

“A
little
push?” he mocked.

“Fine, a big one.”

Her hand suddenly landed on his arm and he found himself being led toward the staircase. “Upstairs,” she ordered, practically dragging him up to the second floor landing.

In his bedroom, he stood there, dumbfounded, as she threw open the closet door and started pulling out pieces of clothing. Over her shoulder, she shot him an impatient look. “Get in the shower, Bishop.”

“But…I don’t want to go to New York,” he said roughly.

“Tough, because you’re going.” She slanted her pretty blonde head. “You still love Charlotte, right?”

He swallowed. “She lied to me.”

“And she feels bad about it.” Lexie scowled at him. “Look, if she can forgive you for taking her virginity and breaking her heart, then the least you can do is forgive her for not being able to get over it and forming a ridiculous revenge plan.”

“I didn’t see you begging me to forgive Evelyn,” he muttered.

“Because Evelyn was an awful witch. Charlotte is not.” Her voice softened. “You can’t let her get away again. Swallow your pride and forgive her, Nate. You two belong together.”

Emotion clogged his throat. He couldn’t believe Lexie was saying this, which only caused the shield around his heart to crumble even further. Lexie had managed to find a way to warm up to Charlotte—so why couldn’t he find a way to forgive her?

He thought about all the cruel things he’d said to her back then, putting himself in her position. He would have been hurt and furious too. Not enough to want to strike back, but he did get why she’d felt the need for revenge. And if she’d been telling the truth about putting aside her foolish revenge plan once she fell in love with him again, then that meant she actually
had
forgiven him for the cruelty he’d dished out. If she had managed to get past his inexcusable actions, couldn’t he make the same effort?

He thought of his father, not something he did often, but for some reason, he suddenly saw a parallel between himself and the man who’d sired him. Henry Bishop had thrown away everything good in his life. His dad had a good, loving woman who’d been willing to stay with him despite his indiscretions, and instead of appreciating what he had, he kept hurting her. He’d slept with any female in his path, even Charlotte’s mother, which was one nugget of information Nate wasn’t sure he’d ever share with Charlotte. Her mother had messed her up too badly, and if Nate wasn’t careful, he was going to follow in his father’s footsteps and mess up his
own
life.

Did he really want to be the guy who threw away something amazing because of his damn pride?

Charlotte had sucked up
her
pride when she’d returned to a town that had brought her nothing but misery. When she’d forgiven a man who’d caused her nothing but heartache.

Didn’t she deserve the same from him?

“Well?”

Lexie was eyeing him expectantly, waiting for an answer, a sign.

As a slow smile stretched over his mouth, he took a step to the bathroom door and said, “Give me ten minutes.”

Lexie had failed.

By the time four o’clock rolled around, Charlotte knew, with a sinking heart, that Lexie hadn’t managed to convince Nate to come to New York. According to the airline hotline, the flight he was supposed to be on had already landed, and her loft wasn’t far from the airport. He would’ve been here by now.

She blinked back tears, grateful that she wasn’t wearing any makeup yet. She needed to leave for the venue in an hour, where she would do a sound check then sit through hair and makeup to prepare for tonight’s concert, the first one of the month-long East Coast tour. And Nate wouldn’t be standing stage left, watching her perform.

Swiping her sleeve over her wet eyes, she sighed and moved to the window, fixing her gaze on the city below. People bustled along the sidewalk, yellow cabs sped along the busy street, and the muffled sound of car horns pierced the air.

Well, you tried
.

That was no consolation. She wished she’d had the time to fly to Paradise and beg for Nate’s forgiveness in person, but she’d had rehearsals all week, and her manager was already annoyed that she’d taken a week off to attend the reunion. She was stuck in New York, and in two days, she’d be leaving for Boston then Providence, Portland, and a handful of other cities along the Atlantic Seaboard. Colorado was not on the schedule, which meant zero opportunity to see Nate for at least a month.

Sighing, she was about to move away from the window when she caught sight of a taxi screeching to a stop by the curb in front of her building. Her pulse sped up, but she forced away the hopeful reaction. It was just a cab, a cab with some random person in it, a person who wasn’t— Nate!

Her heart soared high in her chest as the familiar head ducked out of the vehicle, followed by the long, muscular body that made her shiver. He wore jeans that hung low on his hips, a black T-shirt that hugged his broad chest, and his dark hair gleamed in the late-afternoon sun.

As he bent into the passenger window to pay the cab driver, Charlotte ran toward the front door and burst out into the hallway, unconcerned with her appearance. She rode the elevator down in her old Julliard T-shirt, green yoga pants and bright pink socks, and she didn’t care if anyone raised a brow or recognized her. Let her tacky outfit be plastered in a newspaper. Right now, she only cared about one thing. One man.

The elevator door dinged open. Charlotte stepped out of the car just as Nate entered the spacious, well-lit lobby. A crooked grin reached his mouth when he saw her. His pace quickened. Seconds later, they stood in front of each other, oblivious to the curious eyes of her doorman Fred.

“You came,” she said, unable to control the joy flooding her body.

“I came,” he confirmed.

Still, he made no move to pull her into his arms, and she just looked at him, waiting for him to continue, to say the words she desperately hoped to hear.

“Lexie told me she came to visit you,” Nate finally said, his voice dry.

“She did. It was…interesting.” Shame swept through her. “Apparently I was the bitch in high school, not the other way around.”

“You were on guard. I understand why you were suspicious of her.”

Nate, always her biggest defender.

Warmth slid into her belly. “Nate,” she started.

He quickly cut in. “Wait. Let me tell you why I’m here first.” He gave a shake of the head. “I still think what you were planning was pretty crappy, but I get why you felt it was something you needed to do.” His voice grew husky. “Just tell me one thing, Charlie—did you mean it when you said you loved me?”

“Yes.” The word came out without any hesitation. “I meant it with all my heart. I do love you, Nate. I always have.”

“Okay.”

When he didn’t go on, she raised one eyebrow. “Okay? That’s all you have to say?”

He scrunched up his face in a seriously adorable way. “You know I’m not good at talking about my feelings. I…I love you too, Charlotte.”

Happiness danced up her spine. “You do?”

“And I want us to try again,” he added in a gruff voice.

“Me too,” she whispered.

With a grin, he yanked her into his arms and kissed her, eliciting a shocked gasp from the doorman. Charlotte looped her arms around Nate’s neck and smiled up at him. “Will you come to my show tonight?”

“Of course.” He hesitated. “I could do more than that if you want.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, I could move here. To the city.” His throat bobbed as he swallowed. “I don’t want a long-distance thing. I want to be with you all the time.”

“No.”

His head lifted in surprise. “No?”

“No, I refuse to let you move here,” she elaborated. Her smile widened. “I was actually going to suggest I move home.”

“But you hate it there,” he blurted out.

“Not anymore.” Her heart squeezed with pleasure. “And besides, you’re happy running Bishop’s Corner. I couldn’t ask you to stop doing that for me. I was thinking…you know, that I could live in Paradise, with you, and maybe only tour a few months of the year. That is, if you’re open to the idea.”

“Oh, I’m open to it.” A grin lit up his handsome face. “Are you serious about all this?”

“Dead serious.”

With that, he kissed her again, deeper this time. Charlotte whimpered as his tongue slipped through her parted lips, as her heart thudded and a lazy rush of desire moved through her body. They were both breathless when they pulled apart, and Nate was laughing softly.

“Will this end up in the tabloids?” he asked, discreetly nodding in the direction of Fred the doorman.

“I don’t care if it does. People can say whatever they want about me, about us.” She stood on her tiptoes and brushed her lips over his. “Let them talk, it doesn’t matter to me. All that matters is you.”

“Us,” he corrected. A thoughtful look entered his silver eyes. “When do we need to leave for the show?”

She glanced at the clock hanging over the front desk. “Forty minutes.”

He pretended to think something over. “All right, I can do forty minutes. But we’d better get upstairs and make use of every single second.”

“You’re right. Time is of the essence.” Grinning at the desire smoldering in his eyes, she took his hand and dragged him toward the elevator.

“Maybe we shouldn’t even take our clothes off,” he offered. “Might save some time.”

“Oh no,” she said as the doors dinged open. “Don’t you dare deprive me of your naked body.”