Not Betting on Forever, page 3
He grabbed another cold beer from the cooler and strolled through the crowd. He needed some space from Melanie, from all the other people surrounding him. Joanie and Mitch waved at him from a colorful blanket spread out in the grass, and he waved back but didn’t stop. Eventually, he made it back to the picnic table and took the empty space on the bench next to Melanie again.
Nick was home, but he wasn’t. He was in that awkward in-between where he couldn’t follow much of the talk going on around him. He felt a little restless, a little out of touch. They were talking about people he didn’t know or didn’t remember. So he sat silently and let the conversations flow around him, with nothing to contribute. It would probably take a while to feel like he fit in with these people he’d known for a big part of his life. But he’d been gone for longer than he’d lived here, so there was bound to be a settling-in period.
Maybe he should have stayed home tonight. He should be home doing repairs, or at the gym going over the books, but he reminded himself that it was important for him to make an appearance at big gatherings like this too. Tomorrow, he would need to confront Lou, the manager his dad had trusted for years.
That wasn’t the only reason there were nerves dancing in his stomach. He didn’t understand the pull he felt when he looked at Melanie. She wasn’t the little brat he remembered any longer. She wasn’t the little sister he used to tease. But she had been his sister-in-law, and that put her into forbidden territory as far as his brain was concerned.
But his body didn’t seem to care.
As the evening went on, he relaxed, eating and drinking but rarely joining in the conversations. He sat back and listened, learning the new dynamics of Lakeside.
The fireworks were as breathtaking as he remembered. He stayed far away from Melanie as they looked up into the sky. Still, he could hear her exclamations of awe, and they seemed to vibrate through him.
After the grand finale, he noticed that a band had set up in the gazebo while everyone’s attention had been elsewhere. Strings of white lights now highlighted an area for dancing. “Did they do this when we were growing up?” he asked.
“I think so,” Noah said. “But we didn’t usually hang around the park once the fireworks were over.”
“True.” He’d expected to head right home after the fireworks, but he’d gotten talked into helping make the beer cooler lighter. Ginny and Josh left to pick up their baby, but everyone else was hanging around. That meant Melanie hadn’t left. That made him unreasonably happy, and he cursed the confusing messages going through his system.
The band started with a mixture of pop and oldies covers that had people singing along. At the first ballad, he decided it was time to leave. It was late, and he wanted to get to the gym first thing in the morning. The impromptu dance floor filled with couples.
Anita caught Nick as he got to his feet. “How about a dance?”
Nick glanced at Noah and saw him deep in conversation with a couple of men who looked familiar, but who he couldn’t place. He couldn’t turn her down.
“Of course.” He led her out onto the dance floor. “Thought you two took off on vacation every July,” he said, as she turned into his arms.
“Noah is a little nervous about the whole BoB thing. He didn’t feel right leaving town the first year. So we agreed on Japan in October. The autumn foliage is supposed to be spectacular.”
“Sounds like a great plan.”
Anita laughed lightly. “I’m glad you’re here to stay. It’s too easy for Noah to fall back into the workaholic habit. I’m going to depend on you to get him out of the house once in a while.”
Nick tipped his head. “Both my ex-wives have thrown around the word workaholic to describe me, I’m afraid.”
She rolled her eyes. “Oh, great.”
“Nothing wrong with a healthy work ethic.”
“Unhealthy, I say.”
“When you run your own business, you can’t let any little thing go. My dad taught me that years ago. I’m sure Noah grew up with the same lesson.”
Anita owned an art gallery in the village. He thought she’d understand. Instead, she sighed. “All work and no play… I’ll have to count on the ladies of Lakeside to keep you guys from getting too dull.”
“I heard that.” Noah’s voice came from behind him.
Nick turned to see Noah and Melanie dancing together. They shifted so that the two couples were dancing side by side.
“Dull, am I?” Noah asked.
“If the term fits, Mr. Mayor.” Anita’s lips curved, and she stopped dancing. “I even had to ask another handsome man for my first dance.”
Noah glanced at Nick. “I think that’s my cue to cut in.” Then he handed Melanie over to Nick and claimed his wife. They danced away.
“That was smooth of him,” Melanie said wryly. She dropped her hands. “I don’t want to dance anymore.”
He should be happy she didn’t want anything to do with him, either. But Nick surprised himself by catching her smooth hand with its sparkling nails and tugging her back to him. He slipped his arms around her waist and felt her tremble. “It’s only one dance. Half a dance, really. We can play nice for half a dance and not draw attention to ourselves.”
She let out a resigned sigh and placed her hands on his shoulders, leaving plenty of space between their bodies. He was too eager to feel her against him, and he didn’t like it.
“I didn’t think you’d care what Lakeside thought of you.” She met his eye, then looked away. “Guess we don’t know each other all that well anymore.”
“How well did we ever know each other? We were just kids.”
Her hands made it around the back of his neck, and she played with the hair at his nape as they swayed in place. Did she even know she was doing it? “Six years was a huge age difference back then,” she agreed.
He didn’t really know anything about Melanie back then, except that she was a tomboy who loved movies and popcorn as much as he did. And she loved that damn tree. “And I was in love with your sister.”
Turned out he hadn’t known all that much about Shelby, either.
Melanie caught his gaze, then dropped her hands back to his shoulders and put space between them again. “Yeah…”
He ran one hand up her back. He could imagine doing more than dancing with her, and that was the problem. Shit, this was unexpected. When was this song going to be over? “You think we’ll have a problem being next-door neighbors?”
She wrinkled her nose. “Neighbors don’t have to be friends. Neighbors can keep to themselves.”
“You stay on your side and I’ll stay on mine, right?”
She obviously knew how it had to be. “Exactly.”
The song was winding down, but neither one stepped away. He brushed a red-gold curl away from her face because he couldn’t stop his hand. Then he froze. What was he doing?
Their gazes met. Heat sizzled between them, a flash of something intense. They sure didn’t need intense. She was the smart one and stumbled away first. “Um… I have to get home… I’m exhausted.”
He frowned as he watched her practically run away from him. He followed her back to their table. The band was taking a break. Melanie said her goodbyes, but her friends were trying to talk her into staying.
“No, really, I didn’t sleep well last night. I can hardly keep my eyes open.”
Lucy shifted on the picnic bench. “I’ll give you a ride.”
Melanie grabbed a colorful bag and hiked it over her shoulder. “No. I’ll walk. It’s not far.”
“It’s dark,” Anita said.
“I’ll walk with you,” Nick offered. “Planning to head out anyway.” He was more gratified than he expected to hear the chorus of voices relaying their disappointment. If the gym didn’t take all his time, maybe he would be able to cultivate these friendships. Being the oldest had always meant it was up to him to take responsibility for the family. It was his duty to take care of the business first and foremost.
Melanie frowned, which made him more disappointed than he expected. “You don’t have to walk me home.” She might as well have said I don’t want you to walk me home.
He shook his head. “I’m not walking you home. I’m heading home too. Can’t help it if I live next door to you.”
Finally she rolled her eyes. “All right.”
They said their goodbyes and started down the sidewalk. Stars sparkled in the clear night sky, and he had to resist the impulse to take her hand. This hadn’t been such a good idea after all.
…
They walked to the corner in awkward silence. Almost as awkward as that dance had been. God, she’d been about ready to rub herself against the arrogant ass and start to purr.
“How’s Pam doing?”
Melanie blinked, shifting her thoughts away from sensual music in the air, strong hands on her hips, and their bodies brushing together. So he wanted to talk about their families, reminding them both of their history. They had all been so close when they were growing up. Nick was the oldest of the three Campagna boys, while Pam was the oldest of the Eckstrom girls. “Good. You probably heard that she and Mary got married as soon as they finally could. Their two daughters are all grown up already.”
“Time does fly. She still working at the bakery?”
“No. She got her teaching degree and teaches high school science in Buffalo.”
“Science? Never would have thought that.”
“I know. She says it’s not that different from baking. Something about it all being chemistry.”
“She made insanely good cookies. I still miss them.”
The hungry moan in his voice gave her tingles. She didn’t want tingles from Nick. “Maybe you could sweet-talk her into making some for you the next time she comes down.”
“Haven’t sweet-talked anyone much lately, but I’d be willing to give it a try for Pam’s snickerdoodles.”
Melanie shrugged. “She always had a soft spot for you.”
He cleared his throat. “What do you hear from Shelby?”
“It’s…um…complicated.” The blowout a few years ago had come out of nowhere. At least, that was how it felt to Melanie. For Shelby, it must have been building for a long while. According to her, Melanie had taken everything that had belonged to Shelby since they were kids. “Guess she started a new job in Binghamton.”
“She ever get married again?”
“Nope.” Melanie didn’t want to talk about Shelby, especially to Nick. “How about your brothers? They both still in Albany?” She’d been younger than all the boys, so she’d never known them all that well.
“Yep. Tony’s running our gym there now. He’s married and has three daughters. Can you believe it? He says he has to hang out at the gym all day to get his dose of testosterone.”
She chuckled lightly. “What’s Seb up to?”
“He’s a personal trainer. Works in the Albany location too. He’s married and has two boys.” They stopped at a corner and waited for a couple of cars to drive by. “So you have one daughter.”
“She’s fourteen. Traveling with her father this summer.” Hmm, Ava hadn’t called yet today. “You never had any kids?”
He shook his head. “Never happened for us.” He shrugged. “When Shelby and I were together, we figured we were too young.” They’d definitely been too young. “Diana and I both worked insane hours. And then we divorced, so…” He shrugged again. “Maybe it’s just as well.”
“Yeah, splitting up’s not easy, but Dan adores Ava. So we work it out.”
They’d been chatting non-stop the entire way home, catching up on their families, but Melanie didn’t get the feeling she knew anything more about Nick than she had before. That was okay. They were neighbors now, but that didn’t mean they’d ever be as close as their families were two decades ago. Things were different now. Life was different.
“What made you move back to Lakeside?” he asked her.
She stopped and turned to face him. “Ava and I left Rochester when things blew up with Daniel. That was four years ago. Then my parents retired and moved to Arizona. I bought the house, and here we are.”
“Here we are.”
She put her hand on his shoulder. “I mean we’re here. Home.”
He blinked, as if he hadn’t noticed where they were. “Home?” He looked around him, then back at her, and the way he said it sounded as though it was a personal jab at her. “Don’t know if this will ever feel like home again.” He glanced down at her hand on his shoulder and grimaced, as if he couldn’t stand her touch. As if they hadn’t just danced together not that long ago. She snatched her hand away, her face burning.
“I never thought you’d turn into one of those arrogant guys.”
“I’m arrogant?”
“You ignored almost everyone tonight, like small-town folks aren’t good enough. You can’t wait to chop down a beautiful tree from our childhood. You spoke down to me, and now you’re doing everything you can to keep your distance. I get it—you’re here for business, nothing else.”
A soft light shone from the front window, welcoming her home. But there was no one there. When he didn’t say anything, she huffed. “Well, I’m going in. This is my side.” She pointed past his shoulder to his house. “Yours is over there.”
“Wait.” His jaw tightened. “We have a problem.”
The way he said it made her heart pound and she wasn’t sure why. “Yeah, we do. We don’t have to be friends, but you’re making it very hard for us to be neighbors.”
He let out a soft sigh as he searched her face with his intense gaze. She shivered and rubbed her arms. “Nick…”
“I’m attracted to you.”
“What?” She almost laughed, but nothing about tonight had been funny. “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. After the way you treated me tonight?”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I’m not sure how to deal with this, but I am attracted to you.”
She didn’t know how to react. “Nick…” His slow words, the intense expression on his face, made her dizzy. How much wine had she had?
He lowered his voice and stepped closer. His face was full of shadows. “I didn’t expect it. I sure don’t like it. We’re not going to do anything about it, but—”
What? “Of course we’re not going to do anything about it. I don’t even like you. Didn’t we just talk about all the reasons? My family. Your family. God, the next-door-neighbor thing. And Ava. I have a young daughter. Why did you even bring it up?”
Was she deflecting? Was she trying to convince herself too?
No. There was no attraction. There couldn’t be. He didn’t say anything, so she kept going. She shoved her shaking hands into the pockets of her shorts. “I’m just a familiar face after all you’ve been through lately.”
“Doubt that has anything to do with this.”
For some reason, she had to keep arguing with him. Maybe because she felt the attraction too. And she was damned if she wasn’t happy about it. “Then it’s the thrill of the forbidden.”
“You feel that too?”
“We used to be related. At least by marriage. That’s forbidden territory.” As she said it, Melanie wanted to grab onto that soft shirt and plant a kiss on his mouth. Did she believe that the forbidden actually turned her on? It didn’t matter. He was right. They couldn’t go there. “We’re not really attracted to each other,” she repeated.
“Look, I don’t know what to do with this feeling, but it’s there. I’m not going to lie about it.”
“Nick, today’s the first time we’ve talked to each other in more than twenty years. It’s crazy to be talking about attraction. It can’t happen that quickly.”
“I’m not talking about love. I agree there’s no such thing as love at first sight, but attraction? That can happen in an instant.”
“It’s still not real.” It couldn’t be real. She couldn’t be getting aroused by his tall, broad body standing inches away, his intense gaze sweeping over her, his full mouth just begging for her to taste. Her tongue ran over her suddenly dry lips.
He tucked a stubborn strand of hair back behind her ear, and his touch sent shivers along her skin. “It’s real, all right. Not very smart. But very real.” He took a step back. “So stay away from me, and I’ll stay away from you.”
Stay away from each other? That was the best they could do?
His jaw tightened. “It’ll go away. Good night, Mel.”
Nick turned and continued down the sidewalk to his house without looking back. The moon was a bright ball hanging over the peak of his roof. She watched him until he disappeared through the front door.
She entered her house, her steps echoing off the hardwood floor. Her head was whirling. She didn’t know if it was because she was a little tipsy from the wine and dancing, or if it was from being with Nick.
She sank to the sofa, his words echoing in her ears. He was attracted to her. She was hell and gone attracted to him. It was a good thing he wasn’t the kind of guy she could fall for. She could just hear her family if she started something with Nick. Her parents and his had only recently gotten close again after Nick and Shelby’s divorce had ripped the two couples apart.
Shelby barely spoke to her as it was. What would she say if her little sister started a relationship with her ex-husband? Melanie could hear the explosion now.
And Ava. Melanie jumped to her feet and began pacing, hoping to work off some of this frustration. She’d actually been considering a quick fling while her daughter was out of town, but it could never be with Nick. How awkward would that be—to live next door to him after having sex with him?
No, it could never be Nick.
But she remembered the way she’d felt in his arms when they’d danced, and she couldn’t help but think it was a crying shame.
