Not Betting on Forever, page 1
Table of Contents
Content Warning
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Discover more August titles… Hottie on Her Shelf
Love Out Loud
The Sweetheart Deal
He’s with the Band
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright © 2022 by Natasha Moore. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form or by any means. For information regarding subsidiary rights, please contact the Publisher.
Entangled Publishing
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rights@entangledpublishing.com
August is an imprint of Entangled Publishing, LLC.
Edited by Wendy Chen
Cover art design by LJ Anderson/Mayhem Cover Creations
ISBN 978-1-64937-389-2
Manufactured in the United States of America
First Edition August 2022
At Entangled, we want our readers to be well-informed. If you would like to know if this book contains any elements that might be of concern for you, please check the book’s webpage for details.
https://entangledpublishing.com/books/not-betting-on-forever
To all the readers who believe that love can happen at any age.
Chapter One
She wasn’t actually spying.
Melanie Hayes had noticed Nick Campagna, her not-quite-new next door neighbor, striding toward the sprawling house out back, carrying a case of beer like it was a six-pack. And she’d been suspicious. So she’d headed for the tree that sat on the vacant land between their two properties to keep her eye on him. On things. To keep her eye on things. She wasn’t able to clamber up the trunk as quickly as she used to, but she did pretty damn good for forty-two.
Once she’d balanced on the familiar, thick branch, she took a few deep, relaxing breaths. This tree had been her sanctuary since she was a girl. Some people might think she was too old to be climbing trees, but she hoped she’d never be too old to do the things she loved.
When she opened her eyes, she saw him heading back across the grass from Herb McNabb’s place. She tucked herself among the thick red-maple leaves and hoped he wouldn’t see her spying on him.
No. She wasn’t spying. Just keeping her eye on the competition.
He whistled absently as he neared her tree, which was equidistant between his house and hers. Damn, he looked good. Long legs, dark hair shot with silver, desperately in need of a trim. His broad shoulders and muscled biceps stretched the sleeves of the black T-shirt with the Campagna’s Gym logo on the front. He obviously worked out at his family’s facility.
For some reason, he headed toward the tree instead of his house. She began to scramble to a higher branch, where the leaves were a little thicker. As soon as he got his butt over onto his own front lawn, she could climb down and escape into her yard.
But the branch she chose started to bow before she realized it wouldn’t hold her weight. In her panic to stay out of Nick’s sight, she’d reached too far. She lost her grasp and slid off the branch, squealing instinctively as she fell. The layers of leaves and branches slowed her descent, and she knew from plenty of experience that she wouldn’t get hurt.
But—of course—he was right there to see her. To catch her. His strong arms curled around her shoulders and caught her under her knees. His face was closer to hers than it had been in a couple of decades. Man, he looked even better than he had in his teens. His brows rose above dark-chocolate eyes, and his lips quirked.
“Well, hey, Brat.”
He’d called her that when he’d been dating her older sister, Shelby. The nickname had been okay when Melanie was twelve to his eighteen, but now…
She struggled in his warm, solid arms. “Let me down.”
He made no move to set her on her feet. “Can’t believe you still climb that tree.”
She’d have propped her hands on her hips if she’d been in a position to do so. “Are you saying I’m too old to climb trees?”
His gaze held some heat as it skimmed over her. “I wouldn’t dare.”
Crazy kinds of shivers ran along her skin. That look from a guy who was practically a stranger. And practically family. But it had to be from irritation. “Put me down, Nick.”
He set her on her feet and she self-consciously straightened her baggy shorts and T-shirt, then smoothed back the hair that had fallen out of her high ponytail. No wonder he still called her “Brat”. She looked like the tomboy she used to be. Not quite the same, though. There were wrinkles around her eyes, and her mom-bod was softer. She wasn’t as thin and wiry as she used to be.
But she could still get up the tree.
He turned his back on her and looked up at the branches, heavy with beautiful, dark-red leaves. “I remember you hiding up in this tree all the time.”
“I wasn’t hiding.” The denial flew from her mouth, even though he was pretty much right. She shrugged, winced. “It was more like escaping. You remember my sisters. They were both drama queens.”
He turned back and frowned down at her. “Yeah, I remember.” She began to back away to head home, but Nick leaned against the tree trunk, crossing his arms over that impressive chest. He’d only officially moved into his family’s old house next door a few days ago.
“This is the first time I’ve seen you home in the daylight,” she quipped. “Are you at the gym 24/7?”
“That’s why I’m in Lakeside. To take care of the business.” Nick jumped up, grabbed a heavy branch, and began doing pull-ups like it was nothing. Show-off. “Can’t believe this damn tree is still standing. Can’t believe Herb lets you up there.”
He obviously didn’t believe in much these days. “Herb doesn’t mind if I climb it.”
Nick dropped down and wiped his hands on his jeans. “He might if you fall and break a leg or worse. On his property. I don’t know why he didn’t take this thing down years ago. Then he could have done something with the property.”
She gasped. “Because it’s a beautiful living thing. There’s no reason to destroy it.” What a jerk. What happened to the fun guy she used to goof around with?
She propped her hands on her hips, because now she could. “Now that you mention it, did you just bring over a bribe to Herb McNabb?”
He cleared his throat. “Spying on me, Brat?”
“I wasn’t spying, and don’t call me Brat.”
“Force of habit.” He shrugged, lazy, cocky. “I can say hi to an old friend and bring him a case of his favorite lager.”
“Bet it didn’t do any good.” She wasn’t going to admit she’d brought Herb a loaf of banana bread or an angel food cake or a cherry pie every month since she’d bought the house. Did Nick think one case of beer would get the retired postmaster to sell him the land her tree grew on?
“It’s early days yet. What do you want to bet he’ll sell it to me now that I’m back in Lakeside?”
Herb was going to sell it to her. She was sure of it. It was just a matter of time. She flashed him a sassy grin. “It’s a little early for us to start betting, isn’t it?”
He studied her, his expression blank. Damn, she missed that crooked grin he used to give her. “Can’t believe you don’t still love a challenge.”
“You bet I do. But I’ll save my competing for the BoB.”
“Bob?”
“No one’s told you about the first annual Lakeside Battle of the Businesses?”
“Lou told me it’s not much of anything.”
“Not much?” She couldn’t wait to get into the competition. “There are almost two dozen events spread out over four weekends. All the local businesses are jumping in. Major bragging rights are involved, and we’ve already raised thousands of dollars for the food bank.”
Nick frowned, and for once she knew it wasn’t aimed at her. Evidently, the gym’s manager hadn’t been completely honest with him.
The Eckstroms and the Campagnas had been competing for anything and everything for as long as she could remember. Her win wouldn’t be as sweet without Campagna’s Gym participating in the BoB. “I’d think you’d be all over it.”
He narrowed those dark eyes. “I will be now. Who do I see about signing up?”
“Stop by the village office Monday morning. They should have all the info. The first team-leaders’ meeting is Monday night. I’ll be there.” She glanced toward the house Nick had been moving stuff into. She was going to miss his parents, Joe and Angie. “How’s your dad doing?”
“Better, I guess. Never used to like the heat, but as soon as he and Mom went to Ariz
“That’s good. I was so glad to see they’re friends again.” When Nick and Shelby’s marriage had blown up, it had affected more than the two of them. Their families had been friends for longer than Melanie had been alive, but when accusations started flying, family loyalties had kicked in and emotions had run high. “That whole thing was horrible, and being next-door neighbors made the tension even worse.”
Nick’s jaw ticked. “Yeah.”
Shelby had insisted her family take her side. Melanie had felt forced to hate Nick and the people who’d been like a second family to her. She’d been glad when a job and then marriage had taken her a couple of hours away to Rochester and she’d only come back to Lakeside for the holidays. Until her own marriage had imploded a few years ago.
He caught her eyes. “Hear they have their poker nights again.”
Melanie nodded. “And rummy nights. And domino nights.” She glanced at her watch. She only had an hour until she was meeting Ginny and Lucy down at the park for Fourth Fest. “Well, thanks for the catch.” She pointed up at the tree. “I’d have hated for Herb’s insurance premiums to go up.”
Nick flashed a quick grin that did something real stupid to her insides, but he dropped it almost at once, as though he’d forgotten himself. “See you around, Brat.”
Melanie bit her tongue as she watched her ex-brother-in-law stride away.
…
When did little Melly Eckstrom grow up? He’d wanted to brush her fiery hair away from her pretty face, stroke her soft skin, taste her pouty lips. What the hell was wrong with him? She was a complication he hadn’t expected. He had too much to focus on with getting the house in shape and keeping the business going without being distracted by his ex-wife’s little sister. The best thing would be to keep his distance.
He sensed her eyes on his back as he headed for the house. It felt strange to be living in Lakeside again. When he and Shelby had moved to Albany, Nick didn’t think he’d ever be back. Shelby had wanted to get out as badly as he had, which was probably the reason they’d decided to get married so young in the first place. His dad had wanted to start another gym in Albany and, as the oldest son, it had been Nick’s job to get it up and running. It had felt exciting and grown-up at the time. It had felt like freedom.
But real life had intruded on their fairy tale. The reality of jobs and bills took a huge bite out of their fun. And it took a lot of hard work to make sure the new branch of the family business did more than survive. He’d spent more than twenty-five years making sure Campagna’s Albany gym continued to grow. Now he was back in Lakeside to do the same.
As he climbed the front steps, he noted again the flaking paint on the porch railings. Another thing to add to the ever-growing list of repairs and updates to the family home. His home.
His phone rang, and he grabbed it from his back pocket and dropped onto the top step. It was his dad. Again. “Hey.”
“How’s everything, Nico?”
Since first thing this morning? “Just fine.”
“Are you at the gym now? Lou’s out of town.”
“I know, Dad.” Nick held back a sigh. Apparently his father didn’t know how to retire.
“Mitch and Joanie are good kids, but they’re not there by themselves too often. You should be there.”
Somehow his father could make him feel eighteen instead of forty-eight. And those kids were in their late twenties. “Don’t worry. I’ll check on them. We’re closing early for the Fourth, anyway.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
“Yeah. I won’t close if people are still working out. I’m heading over there now.” Nick said goodbye and hung up, and his phone immediately rang again.
Noah Colburn, a friend, former classmate, and now the freaking mayor of Lakeside, was calling. “Getting settled in?” Noah asked.
“Getting there,” Nick replied. “Place needs a little more work than I realized.”
“Well, don’t let it take over your life,” Noah said, as if he had firsthand knowledge. He probably did, since he worked for a family business too. “Wanted to remind you of Fourth Fest. Come find us for dinner and grab a seat before the fireworks start. Looks to be a clear night.”
He had too much to do. “I would, but I need to see if I can fix this old dishwasher. And I have to go down to the gym. Mitch and Joanie Washington have been there all day, and I want to check in on them.”
“I like those two. I’ve seen them in there more than Lou lately, but then I’m in there early.”
Nick was surprised to hear Lou wasn’t always at the gym when he was scheduled. He’d have to start managing the staff more closely.
Still, it would be a good idea to make an appearance at a big community event like Fourth Fest. He could find out more about this Battle of the Businesses deal. “Okay, but I need to stop by the gym at least.”
“Sure. Stop by, then get over to the park. I have a cooler full of welcome-home beer.”
“Yeah, maybe I will.” He could continue washing his dishes by hand for a while longer.
He strode through the house and headed to the kitchen for a long drink of water. He grabbed a pen from the mug on the counter and added “paint the porch” to the list stuck to the front of the refrigerator with a ladybug magnet. The kitchen was full of those damn ladybugs. Mom told him she’d taken most of them to Arizona with her, but “most” must have been a relative term. The little red-and-black bugs were everywhere.
Would she know if he got rid of them? Would she care?
He almost added it to the list, but decided there were more important tasks to worry about at the moment. The pile of cardboard boxes he’d broken down and stacked by the back door was in danger of falling over. He took a moment to carry them out onto the covered back porch and dump them in the recycle bin sitting next to the lawn mower, wheelbarrow, snow blower, shovels, rakes, and all the other home maintenance shit that should be stored in the garage. If he had a garage.
An hour later, showered and shaved, Nick left the house. His shiny red F-250 sat in the driveway. He’d had the truck for almost ten years. He debated driving it to the park, but it was only half a mile or so, and it felt good to stretch his legs. And if he had one too many welcome-home beers, it would be better to stay on the sidewalk.
First, he headed over to Campagna’s Gym, three blocks in the opposite direction. His father had worked his whole life to build this business, and Nick and his brothers had, too. He stepped through the wide doors of the brick building, and into a place that felt like home.
He’d grown up inside these walls. He’d played underneath the scarred desk in the back office when he was little, done his homework there, and helped out at the counter as soon as he could write and count change. The equipment might have changed over the years, but the scent of sweat, the clanking of the machines, and the soft grunts of physical exertion were as familiar as ever.
It was home. It was family. And it was up to him to make sure it thrived.
The gym was busy for the Fourth of July. Mitch was spotting a man on the weight bench and his wife, Joanie, was working the counter. She waved as he approached. “How’s everything going?” Nick asked.
“Smooth as silk,” Joanie said. The personable blonde had a wide range of fitness knowledge and was pretty much the face of the gym. In the short time he’d been here, Nick had recognized the easy give-and-take between the two trainers. He envied the kind of marriage they had, two equals helping each other out. He’d never found that in either of his marriages.
Mitch noticed Nick and straightened his shoulders, tension suddenly radiating off him. Sweat glistened on his dark skin, as if he’d been the one exerting himself. He looked as if he thought Nick was going to fire him any minute now. Everything appeared to be going as well as Joanie’s cliché, though, and the last thing Nick wanted was to make a good employee feel uncomfortable.
He strolled across the floor and introduced himself to the guy finishing his workout. The tall, bald man laughed. “You sat behind me in homeroom all four years. I can’t believe you don’t remember me.”
Another reminder that he’d been away for so long. He didn’t feel like he was home. Nick squinted. His voice was a little familiar. Then it hit him. “Bill Caldwell? I didn’t recognize you. Last time I saw you, you had bright red hair down to your shoulders.” And he’d been thin, with none of the muscles he now sported.
