Tempting Love on Holly Lane (Island County Book 5), Page 3

  I’d spent so many years trying to get ahead at the investment firm that it left very little time for friendships or relationships of any kind.

  But my parents didn’t know that. My mom and dad only knew of the parties I’d attend all nights of the week, how I was rarely ever at my tiny apartment, and how much I loved the city.

  The truth was that the parties were networking and client functions—mostly put on by my firm—and the reason I wasn’t at my apartment very often was because I buried myself in work at the office. And as for the city? On the rare moments that I got to enjoy Manhattan, I found Manhattan to be lively and full of people watching.

  A shiver ran down my spine at the sudden isolation that seeped into my bones just as a flash of headlights bounced off my wall. I hopped up and glanced out the window to see Nick’s truck pulling out of his driveway. About four or five inches of snow had already piled on the ground and the white stuff was still falling.

  I wondered where Nick was going. Not that it mattered . . .

  But it was such a wet snow, and I now fully understood all the cause for concern. Icicles already dangled from my gutters, and the heaviness of the snow was what most likely pulled down the electricity. Yet Nick was headed out with more snow on the way.

  I shrugged to myself and wandered over to the kitchen counter, where I’d left my Kindle. The orange glow of the fire didn’t quite reach the kitchen, so finding exactly where I put the chips was a bit more challenging. Rather than bother with a bowl, I grabbed the bag and made my way back into the family room.

  I began reading the mystery I’d started on the night before, but I quickly changed my mind. Considering how many parallels the main character had with me at the moment, I reconsidered what genre I needed.

  Lights out.

  Storm brewing.

  And completely isolated and cut off from the rest of the world.

  Another shiver ran down my spine, and I groaned as I picked a nice and light time-travel romance instead of the mystery.

  I’d gotten several chapters in and half-a-bag down on the chips when I saw Nick’s lights brighten my room again, which was odd. I stood up and watched him back into his driveway. I saw a shadow of someone with a ponytail sitting in the passenger seat, and my stomach tightened immediately.

  He’d go out in a blizzard to find a woman for the night when there was a perfectly willing and waiting one across the street?

  Hmph.

  I moved to the side of the window and peered out, hoping the beige drapes would hide most of my body, while I watched the truck stop and his door swing wide open. The snow must be too deep to try to reverse any further into the driveway.

  Hopefully, his floozy wore appropriate shoes for the hike to his house. I giggled at the thought of whoever she was falling face forward into the snow.

  A purely evil thought.

  No. I wasn’t that cruel. This guy had his life already established before I moved here, and I was just jealous that I wasn’t the one with him. No biggie.

  But I squinted my eyes to see better and felt a flutter of excitement when movement began. I was curious to see what kind of woman Nick fell for. The snowflakes slowed to a stop, making it easier for spying.

  It felt like I was on some covert mission as I watched the other door open. My heart began hammering in my chest and my palms became damp with anticipation. I watched the woman’s arms waving in the air as she attempted to stabilize herself with each step forward in the slippery snow, and I secretly hoped my dream of her face-planting came to life.

  The moon bounced against the white of the snow, making it far too easy to see the appeal of Nick even in the heart of darkness, and I let out a deep grunt.

  It had been far too long since I’d been attracted to someone. Maybe he wasn’t really all that great, and I was just in a drought or something.

  Such wishful thinking.

  He was dressed in the same jeans as earlier, but now he had on a heavy, dark sweater and a matching knit cap. Nick reached back into the cab of the truck and pulled out a puffy coat and my chest tightened. I wasn’t supposed to be paying attention to him. I was supposed to be checking her out.

  I was such a horrible person for spying on my hot neighbor. He glanced in my direction and I stiffened along the drapery. There was no way he’d be able to see my silhouette with just the glow of the fireplace.

  Right?

  I peeked out again, and he’d walked around the front of the truck.

  He turned to look in my direction again.

  You know that feeling you get when someone keeps staring at you? Well, I think he kept getting it.

  My heart stayed still, but it finally began beating once he turned to the woman and held out his hand, which she eagerly took.

  I pursed my lips together in a private pout and watched him help her down the driveway, her bouncy ponytail bobbing and weaving as she made her way on the snow-piled drive. She looked at least thirty pounds lighter than me. I glanced down at my red and white pajamas. Okay, maybe more than that.

  Did she come on the ferry in the middle of a snowstorm just for Nick?

  Why did I care?

  I found myself staring out the window at the flakes swirling around and piling up with such determination that I didn’t realize Nick had crossed the street and was now pounding on my front door. I saw the side of him—arm raised—smacking the door. My breath caught in the back of my throat.

  I slowly slinked down the wall, squatting and pressing my body against the dusty drapes, praying he didn’t see me. He knocked again, but this time, I saw a shadow fall across the floor as he pressed his forehead against the window to look inside.

  Our eyes met, but I dropped my gaze quickly, pretending to search the carpet as if I’d dropped something into the weave.

  “I see you in there,” he said, laughing.

  “I’m sure you do,” I muttered.

  “What was that?” he asked, still peering through the glass.

  Damn single pane windows.

  I stood up and unlocked the door.

  Fiddling with my earlobe, I looked up at him.

  “I was just looking for my earring I lost.”

  He grinned and glanced at my other ear.

  “You might want to look for two earrings because you’re not wearing any.”

  I pressed my lips together for a clever response, but I quickly gave up when he shoved a flashlight in my hand.

  “I figured you needed this, seeing that you have no lights. Quite the storm.” He bent down and picked up another flashlight and a radio from the stoop. “Since you like music, this operates on battery power.” He shoved his hand into his puffy coat, which he was now wearing, and held a few batteries in his hand. “In case you run out in whatever device you decide to use this weekend.”

  I scowled at him and tried to hide my smile, but seeing the spark in his eyes made it nearly impossible.

  “You like playing the part of the hero?” I joked.

  “Is that how you see me?” His gaze turned a shade darker, and his eyes raked over my flannel pajamas as if he was imagining what was underneath.

  My cheeks blushed.

  “So far, you’re the perfect neighbor,” I promised him, dismissing the look in his eyes. I took the radio from him, and he propped the extra flashlight inside my door. “Thanks again. You should get back to your friend.”

  “Oh?” he asked, surprised.

  I froze in embarrassment.

  How was I supposed to know he brought someone back?

  Oh, yeah. I wasn’t, unless I was spying on him. I wanted to slap my palm against my forehead and slam the door he hung in his face, but instead, I did the adult thing and lied.

  “I was just on my way to make sure I wasn’t overfiring the stove when I saw you pull in with your guest.” I bit my lip, waiting for a response.

  “Is that so?”

  “Yup.”

  “Well, thank you for being concerned about her wellbeing.”
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  “Of course. Any friend of yours is a friend of mine.” I forced down the thick amount of saliva that had accumulated in my throat and made me sound like a frog. “Are you sure you don’t need one of these flashlights?” I pointed at the one he propped inside the door.

  “Nah. I’ve got a generator.”

  “Seriously?”

  He nodded. “I learned early on what’s important to me. Electricity is one of those items.”

  “What are the others?” I asked, setting the radio on the carpet and standing back up to look at him.

  The light flickering from the fireplace made him look insanely gorgeous, which was exactly not what I wanted to be reminded of. His thick lashes outlined his deep brown eyes as he watched me fidget.

  To distract myself, I held out my hands, and he dumped the extra batteries in my cupped palms.

  “I guess you’ll find out in time.” He winked, and it felt like I’d just walked off the teacup ride at Disneyland.

  “Thank you.” I took a step back and took in a deep breath. “For everything.”

  “Absolutely. If you need anything, you can call me or walk on over to the house.”

  “Even with . . .” I paused, unsure of what I was actually going to say.

  “Yes. Even with one of my best friends visiting,” he finished.

  “Best friend?” I asked in disbelief.

  “Why is that surprising?” He crossed his arms and looked thoroughly amused.

  “Just with everything I’ve heard.” I bit my lip. “I mean, I haven’t heard anything. I just asked around a bit. Well, I didn’t ask. You happened to come up in conversation, and I learned you’re not really into—” I stopped talking once I saw him shaking his head and laughing. “What?” I demanded.

  “So you’ve been asking about me?”

  “No.” I cleared my throat. “I only wanted to make sure you aren’t an axe murderer since you saw me in my bra and live across the street.”

  “That was the question you asked? Is Nick, my neighbor, an axe murderer?” He looked completely amused, which was somewhat infuriating.

  “That’s precisely what I asked.”

  “And?”

  “It sounds like you have a lot of interests, but chopping people up isn’t one of them.” I cringed internally, wanting to sneak back into my Manhattan mode—sure of myself, dressed in a suit and heels, and ready to cut anyone down who dared look at me wrong.

  Where did that girl go? Actually, I never liked that side of me, but she was handy to have on call.

  “Good. I’m glad my secret’s not out yet.” He grinned wider and took in a deep breath, placing a sticky note with his number on top of the batteries I was still holding. “You know where to find me if you need me. Have a nice night, Holly.”

  “You too. Enjoy your best friend.”

  Enjoy your best friend?

  I shut the door before he even had a chance to turn around and quickly put the batteries on the floor so I could shut the curtains with one big heave.

  The dust circulated into the air, and I let out a huge sneeze, followed by several more.

  “Bless you, Holly.”

  “Thanks, Nick.”

  “Anytime.” In between more sneezes, I heard his footsteps finally crunch onto the snow as he made his way down my driveway while I was left wondering if that really was his best friend.

  Chapter Four

  After eighteen long hours without power, the fun of camping by my stove had long since passed. When I woke up, Nick’s truck wasn’t in his driveway, and he never returned throughout the day. Not that I was standing and staring, but I happened to look when I was restocking the fireplace.

  I organized my kitchen and emptied a couple of boxes that didn’t involve repacking once the new floors came in. I still managed to feel super productive even though there wasn’t any electricity. Maybe stacking bowls and plates wasn’t rocket science, but it was nice to get something out of the way for the week, and it kept me from wondering about Nick.

  My sister’s power had come back on an hour ago, and she invited me over for dinner, which I happily agreed to. I hadn’t showered since yesterday morning, and I desperately wanted to stand under warm water before changing into a new set of pajamas.

  My phone beeped, and I glanced at the text from my sister.

  Is it okay if my friend, Jewels, joins us? Her fiancé is out of town, and she wanted to drop off some books for me.

  I typed back quickly.

  Sure! As long as she doesn’t mind that I’m only using you for your shower and will be dressed in pajamas.

  My sister texted another response.

  She won’t even notice. Promise!

  The fire in the stove had gone out, and I put the potato chips back in the kitchen, rolled my sleeping bag, and tossed my pillows on top. It wasn’t hard to tidy up when there wasn’t much stuff lying around.

  I didn’t really have a ton of possessions. It wasn’t like I was trying to make a statement or anything, but I had a small space back in New York and most of my money went to rent and food. Whatever I had left, I managed to save for a rainy day. I just hadn’t expected that rainy day to turn into a torrential downpour where I lost my job and all desire to continue working as an investment adviser.

  But whatever. I was moving up and on with my bad self. Besides, my thrifty ways helped get me into this little charmer, and so far, living on the edge like this had been fun until the lights went out.

  That being said, I liked to think I’d come home and the power would be on. I zipped my goose down coat over my pajamas, pulled on a red knit hat, and grabbed a bag with a new set of flannel pajamas inside. I was upgrading to a penguin print for the next round.

  The snow had stopped several hours ago, but the temperatures were still frigid. It wasn’t ideal to go out on the roads, but it was still light out, and I’d driven in the snow all the time in New York.

  Well, not all the time, but a few times, and things worked out just fine.

  Besides, I needed to see humans and I needed to shower, not necessarily in that order.

  I glanced around my small living room before stepping outside and braving the cold weather on my way to my little Fiat. It looked even smaller sitting in a blanket of snow. I shoved the snow off the windshield and over my door so I could slide in without an avalanche. I glanced at Nick’s driveway and noticed he must have left early because his tracks had been covered with the morning’s snow.

  I slipped in the driver’s seat and started my little car’s engine, hoping I’d be able to back right out of the driveway. As I slowly stepped on the accelerator, my car rolled backward, and I navigated onto the main road without issue. I saw two utility trucks down the road and excitement zipped through me at the thought of actually coming home to power.

  There was a real chance!

  As I made my way toward town and my sister’s house, I gripped the steering wheel tightly and noticed how much it seemed like an eerie ghost town.

  To get my mind off the deadness, I thought about all the things I wanted to do before my parents arrived for Thanksgiving. The floors would be a huge chore out of the way, and painting the paneling certainly helped, but it didn’t exactly scream cute. I’d have to come up with some decorations that did, or my mother would sniff out uncertainty and make me wish I’d never left Manhattan.

  I loved my parents. I really did, but my mother was high maintenance and my father didn’t dampen that tendency. Growing up, there was never a spontaneous moment to be had. All events were documented, orchestrated, and properly celebrated. Whether it was a birthday party or a vacation, by the time it rolled around, the fun had been deflated because every detail had been planned to death.

  No, thank you!

  I’d much rather land in a city with no idea where I was headed or what I wanted to see until I stumbled upon it. Getting lost was always part of the adventure, part of life.

  I slowed as I turned into my sister’s driveway, the back of t
he car sliding slightly as I put my car in park and let out a deep breath.

  I’d made it.

  It didn’t look like Jewels was here yet so maybe I could get in and out of the shower before she arrived. She was the town librarian. I’d only met her once when I first got here, but she was super sweet.

  My sister opened the front door, and the beaming lights behind her beckoned me inside. I gave her a quick wave, grabbed my bag, and bounded out of my car toward her house. She had several pots of chrysanthemums that were now mounded with snow.

  Winter had definitely arrived early.

  Maddie gave me a quick squeeze and shut the door behind us. The smell of onion and garlic wafted through the home.

  “What in the world are you making?” I asked, taking in a deep breath.

  Her entry had a wine barrel that she’d turned into a table, with an autumn arrangement sitting on top, and a small bench next to it. All the walls were a soft yellow, and it screamed my sister.

  She took my jacket from me and hung it in the closet.

  “I’m making stuffed peppers.”

  “My favorite.” I grinned and she nodded knowingly.

  “I thought it was only fair since you moved all the way out here and had to suffer through your first power outage in the middle of nowhere.”

  “It wasn’t that bad.”

  “You got supplies beforehand, right?”

  I laughed and shook my head. “I tried. I really did, but the store was out of everything except chips, cookies, and crackers. Naturally, I stocked up.”

  “You’ve been sitting in the dark since yesterday?” My sister looked horrified. “How in the world are you tripping your way to the bathroom?”