Return of the Jerk (Sweet Life in Seattle, Book 2) (53 page)

“Course it was.” He puts his thumb up and wipes the tears from her cheek. “That’s understandable.”

“I’ve never fought someone like that before.” She rolls her eyes and tries to smile. “Even if he didn’t really fight back.”

He nods. “Scared me, too. Not Chase, but that he might have hurt you. Don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you, Blair.”

They gaze at each other, and Blair can see he means it, though it confuses her. “Why are you saying this?”

“Because it’s true.”

“I haven’t heard from you in weeks. I thought it was over between us.”

He takes a deep breath and lets it out. “I was pissed. Hurt, too, when you told me what you did. Just needed time to process it.”

“Apparently, you needed another woman to help you process it.”

“What?” Nathan’s brows go up. “You kidding me with this?”

“No, I’m not.”

“Sonia.”

“Of course, who else would I be talking about?”
Your Spanish hoochie mama.
Blair steps away from him. “Is it true what she told me? That you came back to Seattle to get a divorce and marry her?”

Nathan licks his lips, meets her eyes. “Not exactly.”

“God, you’re still a terrible liar.” She shakes her head in amazement. “How could you not have told me that?”

“It’s true I came back thinking I should get a divorce, but not because of Sonia, though,” he says quickly. “Mostly just to tie up loose ends, but then something happened to change my mind.”

“What?”

He gives her a wry grin. “You did, babe.
You
happened.”

“Why is Sonia here then?”

“She’s gone. Left right after the wedding.”

Blair blinks. “She did?”

“Look, she came here on her own. I had nothing to do with it. Never invited her, she just showed up.”

“All the way from Spain?”

“No, from LA. She’s been visiting her aunt. I told her not to come, but she saw me on that talk show in San Francisco and flew up.”

Blair considers this. Sonia did seem pushy, but then most Skank Factor X’s were pushy.

Nathan sits on the bed. “Come here.”

She walks over, and he reaches for her hand. Her pulse jumps. Even this bit of contact with him pulls her right back into the undertow. She tries to resist it.

“Did you sleep with her?” Blair wants to know.

“Jesus, course not. Can’t even remember what I ever saw in her.”

Blair looks down to where he’s still holding her hand. He tugs on her arm, pulls her closer.

She gives in finally and sits on his lap, rests her head against his shoulder. Neither of them says anything for a long moment.

“I’ve missed you, Blair,” he says quietly. “You have no idea how much.”

She closes her eyes.

“It’s been terrible,” he admits. “Should have called you sooner, but I was being stubborn.” He lets out a deep sigh. “Things that happened between us that night when you got pregnant, it wasn’t your fault. I’m accountable, too.”

Blair lifts her head to look at him. “Thank you for that.”

“It’s the truth.”

“Earlier with Chase, you called me your wife. Why did you say that?”

He meets her gaze. “Because that’s the truth, too.”

Blair takes this in, allows his words to fill her soul. “Do you know why Isadora means so much to me?”

“No.” He studies her. “Why does she?”

She looks down to where he’s holding her hand. “After everything happened years ago and you left for India, I felt so lost, like I was being punished for the lie. And I thought you abandoned Isadora just like you abandoned me, so I decided to fix her. She needed a lot of work, and I didn’t know anything about cars.” She smiles at him. “But I learned, and as Isadora was restored, so was I.”

“Babe.” Nathan studies her with compassion, tightens his fingers.

“And do you know why I painted her green?”

He shakes his head.

“I spent months picking out the color. Looking at endless paint chips. Just about drove Brody batty with them all. She’s green because I was trying to match her to your eyes.”

Nathan stares at her.

“I didn’t even realize it until you came back. After all these years, I thought I was over you, but I was wrong. The truth is I’ll never be over you.”

Blair pulls away from him and gets up. She walks over to the window, looks out into Brody’s backyard. Surprisingly, there’s a vegetable garden out there.

“I love you,” she says, turning to face him. “Not like a princess living in a fairy tale, though. The way I love you is gritty and real. It’s strong, too. Deep. But it has nothing to do with fairy tales.”

Nathan gets up and comes to her.

“I just think you should know what you’re getting into with me,” she tells him. “Because I don’t live in an ivory tower. I’m not perfect. And I make mistakes.”

“I like gritty and real.” He puts his hand up to hold her head still for him. “Always have.”

And then his mouth is on hers, kissing her with passion. Not soft. No fairytale kisses, but a kiss filled with desire and wanting. Blair moans. She can’t help it, just wraps her arms around him and holds him tight.

Still kissing, they make their way over to the bed, falling onto it. Joy fills her heart along with a relief so strong, she’s dizzy with it. She thought she’d never get to be with him again. Making love with Nathan like this, free from all secrets and lies, is a revelation for Blair. So pure and good.

I finally deserve him.

Afterwards, lying on his chest, Nathan caresses her back. “You were wrong about one thing,” he says. “May not be like a fairy tale for you, but it is for me.”

“What do you mean?” She shifts position, so she can see his face.

“Kept thinking about something when we were apart,” he murmurs. “Trying to figure it out, like finding the right key to a lock. About the way you looked at me that first time we were together in Isadora and I was inside you. Do you remember that?”

“Of course, I do.”

Nathan closes his eyes for a long moment, appears to be struggling for composure. “Finally figured it out, too.”

She reaches up to touch his face.

“Didn’t know what it was because no one’s ever looked at me like that before,” he says, meeting her gaze. “Not ever.”

“Nathan,” she whispers.

“It’s love.” He takes a shaky breath and smiles at her. “You gave me that, Blair.”

By next week, all hell breaks loose. Nathan’s book,
Edge of Zen
, has hit number one on
The
New York Times
best seller’s list. His blog is getting a crazy amount of activity, and his assistant James has been forwarding an avalanche of email. Fiona is also calling him every day, frantic, trying to schedule a media blitz. He’s even gotten messages from filmmakers interested in buying the rights.

“What else is there to do, though?” Nathan asks, with his usual calm demeanor. “It’s already at number one.”

“Everything!” Fiona shrieks.

“Don’t think so. I’ve got plans this week.”

“
Plans?
What plans?”

“Important ones,” he says. “Though, maybe you can help out.”

He tells her his idea.

“Oh, my
God
, I love it! And I can’t wait to read about it in your next book.”

After talking to Fiona, he calls Tori then finally Natalie. Discovers both of them are on board and happy to help.

Good.

Blair swipes her forehead with the back of her hand, then steps back for a second to study her work. She’s building a classic two-tiered cake for a bride whose wedding colors are white and silver gray. Pure elegance.

It’s coming along
, Blair decides.
In fact, it’s not bad
. Since she’s been trying to be less hard on herself, ‘not bad’ is basically code for ‘excellent.’

“Hey, babe.”

Blair turns and is surprised to see Nathan standing in the doorway. He’s leaning against the frame with his arms crossed, and she wonders how long he’s been standing there watching her. He doesn’t usually come into the bakery.

“What are you doing here?” she asks.

He uncrosses his arms and comes closer, motions his head at her. “Take off your apron.”

“Why?”

“Just do it.”

Blair doesn’t move, though, wondering what he’s up to. She notices Natalie now, and Ginger, too, both of them peeking around the corner. “What’s going on?”

Nathan rolls his eyes and chuckles as he comes closer.

“Actually,” she tells him. “I’m work—aaah!”

Before she knows it, Nathan has picked her up by the waist and thrown her over his shoulder. “Oh, my God!” she shrieks. “What are you doing?”

He doesn’t reply, and her whole world is upside-down as he strides with her tossed over his shoulder out through the bakery’s back door.

She hears everybody in the bakery whooping and hollering.

“Nathan!” She’s laughing now, can see Isadora parked in back, and it’s obviously where he’s taking her. “Put me down!”

Once they’re next to the Mustang, he bends low enough so she can slide off his shoulder, landing on her feet.

“Are you crazy?” She pushes the loose hair from her now-wrecked ponytail out of her face.

“Been thinking about that test of yours,” he says, standing close, caging her in against the side door of the car.

“You mean the Bandito Test?”

He nods. “That’s the one.”

“What about it?” Blair glances behind Nathan and sees the whole bakery staff is standing by the back door now watching them. With surprise, she sees Tori is there now, too.

“I finally understand where I fit in.”

“What do you mean?”

He lets out his breath. “I’m not the first guy who bails on you. I’m not the second one who saves you, either. I’m neither of those two.”

“Who are you then?”

“Babe, haven’t you figured it out yet?” He gives her an outlaw’s grin. “I’m the damn bandito.”

Blair laughs.
How could I not have seen this all along?

“And just so you know,” he says, his voice low and dangerous in her ear, “this is a kidnapping.”

She reaches up and hugs him tight. “Where are you taking me?”

“Guess you’ll find out. Your bags and passport are packed away in the trunk.”

“Are you serious?”

He nods and motions over his shoulder. “I had some help with this kidnapping.”

Blair waves to everyone. They all laugh, waving back. “Have fun!” Tori yells.

“And make sure that bandito treats you right!” Natalie calls out.

After they’re in the car and driving, Nathan tells her he has to make a stop. He takes her to Gasworks Park, the same place where they were together in Isadora that rainy night. He even parks in the exact same location as last time.

“I’m not having sex with you in Isadora in broad daylight,” Blair informs him. “Bandito or not.”

He chuckles and tries to look earnest. “Damn, babe, you really know how to kill a dream.”

Blair rolls her eyes.

“Have something for you,” he says. “I never gave you a wedding gift, but hope this will do.”

Blair watches as Nathan reaches into the glove box for an envelope and hands it to her.

“What is it?” She pulls out a folded piece of paper and when she sees what it is, her breath catches.

It’s Isadora’s title.

A new one. And where it says ‘owner,’ she still sees Nathan Church, but right beside it, she sees another name. Blair Thomas Church.

“Now we both own Isadora. I know you haven’t taken my name, but I’m hoping you will.”

Blair closes her eyes as joy washes over her. She looks at him. “Thank you.”

He nods, then glances around the parking lot with narrow eyes, a smile tugging on his mouth. “I don’t think the daylight is
that
broad.”

She laughs. “Broad enough. So, where are we going now?”

“Home.”

Her brows go up. “Really?”

Nathan takes her hand and intertwines their fingers. “Babe, I’ve been traveling so long, searching the world for something. A place. Never knew whether it existed or not.”

She meets his eyes. Dazzling green. The color she fell in love with the first time she ever saw him.

“But I’ve found it in you,” he says. “It’s home. You’re home to me, wherever I am.”

Blair leans in, kisses him softly.