That Thing You Do (A Crystal Lake Novel Book 2) Page 4

  It was four o’clock on a Sunday afternoon, and the place was busy. He spied Nash Booker behind the bar and would have headed that way to say hello, but Booker was currently in what looked like a bit of a disagreement with a sexy little redhead with more than her fair share of attitude. No way was Nate getting in the middle of that. He took a seat at one of the pub tables in the corner and ordered two large mugs of an IPA made from a local brewery he’d never heard of. The server, Pauline, highly recommended it, and who was he to disagree with a pretty lady?

  His cell buzzed at about the same time she delivered the frosty mugs. He gave her a large bill and told her to keep the change while he glanced at his phone. There were two messages. One from his brother that said he was running ten minutes late. The other was from Link Major. The footballer was out with a pretty severe groin injury and wasn’t scheduled to play until later this fall. His text was simple and straight to the point.

  Need a place to hide out. Can you produce?

  Nate called him back but got Link’s voicemail. He left a message with instructions to contact his assistant, Sam, at his convenience, and then he called Sam and told him to expect to hear from Link and to make any and all arrangements needed to get the footballer to Michigan. He’d figure the rest out when Link landed.

  Another person might have wondered why Link was looking to disappear, but Nate had been around athletes his entire life and knew better than to ask why, mostly because he didn’t want to know. At least not yet.

  Nate spied Beck and motioned him over before shooting off one last text message to Link, and then pocketed his cell. His brother grabbed the frosty mug closest to him and took a good long drink before wiping the corner of his mouth and settling back in his chair.

  “You look like shit,” Nate said, taking a sip from his own. His brother had the same athletic build as Nate, tall, with wide shoulders, and, despite a nearly three year age gap, they could pass as twins. Though at the moment, Beck was sporting at least a full week’s worth of facial hair, bleary eyes, and his hair was on the long side, with thick waves curling from under the ball cap and touching his neck.

  “I can always trust you for the truth.” Beck winced and stretched his arms over his head. “This is what running on about four hours’ sleep in the last three days looks like.” He paused. “You order any food?”

  “Nah. I’m headed to dinner in an hour.”

  Beck caught the eye of the waitress and ordered himself a burger and fries.

  “You just close a deal?” Nate asked.

  Beck shook his head. “Nope. I had an offer on the place I just finished renovating, which is what I was dealing with this morning, and then had to measure up a kitchen for a client.”

  Beck Jacobs was the best carpenter in Crystal Lake, which meant he was in high demand, and that allowed him to be choosy with his projects. As if he didn’t have enough on his plate, he flipped houses in his spare time, old relics that had fallen into disrepair. Like all the men in the Jacobs family, Beck was stubborn as hell and a bit of a control freak, and most of the time, he only had himself to rely on to finish a job. He told everyone he was fine with it, that he liked being busy. Nate was pretty sure Beck needed to be busy.

  “So why didn’t you sell?” Nate asked.

  “The place is too special to go to out-of-towners who’re most likely looking to rent it out to turn a profit. I don’t need to unload it at the moment, so I’m keeping my options open.”

  “Where is it?”

  Beck took another swig. “It’s the old Manchester place.”

  “That place is still standing?” That surprised Nate. “Wasn’t there a fire?”

  “More than one.” Beck nodded. “It came up for auction a few years back. Unpaid taxes. I got it for a song because the place was pretty much falling apart, and I’ve been working on it since then.”

  Hell. The Manchester place. It brought back a lot of memories, and Nate smiled.

  “I spent a lot of time in that house and the big-ass barn. Me and the guys and Molly. I don’t even know how many times we had to hightail it out of there because the cops showed looking to bust up trespassers.”

  Beck looked away. “Yeah. We all did. I told Cate once I’d buy it for her.”

  There it was. The ghost Beck had never been able to shake. After nearly ten years, the pain was still there. Nate heard it roll underneath his brother’s words, and for a moment, the two of them were silent.

  “She would have loved how it turned out.” Beck cleared his throat and downed his beer just as Pauline brought him his food.

  Nate nursed his draft while his brother ate, and they caught up on the things that mattered among men.

  Which team took home the trophy in the local men’s hockey beer league? The Pineys.

  Which guy got kicked out of the league for brawling first? Greg Danforth.

  How much cash did Harley Banks fork out for his new truck? One hundred and twenty grand.

  What the hell kind of engine was worth that kind of cash? The kind that Harley Banks could afford.

  Were the Raptors going to repeat their championship? No.

  Then there was the fact that Miles LeBlanc’s wife ordered him to give up both the men’s hockey league and his Thursday night golf foursome. He’d also bought her a new Range Rover.

  “I heard he cheated,” Beck said.

  “Not surprised. He’s always been a dog.”

  “Any new clients?” Beck asked.

  “I’m working on a deal with Link Major,” Nate said with a grin.

  “Who?” Beck frowned.

  “Unless you follow the Premier League in Europe, you probably won’t know him. He’s a footballer, and in that world, he’s top ten and only in his second season.”

  “You mean soccer player.”

  “No, I mean footballer,” Nate said with chuckle. “They take their labels very seriously over there.”

  “I think I’ve seen him on ESPN. He’s being talked about like he’s the next David Beckham.”

  “That’s him.”

  Beck was impressed. “That’s great news, Nate. I hope you land him.”

  Nate thought about it for a few moments and realized the answer to his current problem was staring him right in the face. “Hey, what do you say about me renting the Manchester place for a few weeks?”

  Beck’s eyebrows shot up. “You want to stay out there? Mom will kill you, you know that, right? She’s been talking about getting you back here for weeks. Told me point blank that you weren’t allowed to stay at my place because she wanted you all to herself.”

  Nate sat back and held up his hands. “I’m good at Mom’s. I need it for Link. He’s headed here to get away from things and needs some privacy.”

  Beck shrugged. “He can use the place if you need it. I’m actually happier to have someone living there than it standing empty. I’ve sunk a lot of dough into it, and I’d hate like hell for vandals to break in. I’ve got a security system with all the bells and whistles, but it’s still better to have a body inside.”

  They spent some time working out the details, and when Beck would have ordered Nate another beer, he shook his head.

  “Can’t. I’ve got dinner at the country club with the Malones, the Bakers, and the entire wedding party.”

  “That sounds like it could get interesting.”

  “Hopefully, it goes off without a hitch.” The Malones were pretty laid back, while the Bakers were…not.

  “Hey, what’s this I hear about Molly and Kyle Langley?” Beck asked, shoving his empty plate aside and signaling for the bill.

  Nate’s head shot up. “What? You know about that?”

  “I play ball with Kyle, and he’s chatting her up. At least that’s what I heard. Doesn’t seem to be Molly’s type, but then, she’s changed a lot, so who knows?”

  “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Nate all but growled.

  Beck frowned. “It’s not supposed to mean anything other than what I
just said. She’s all grown up now, and from what I’ve heard, there’s a lot of guys sniffing around the kennel so to speak.”

  “Like who?” This was news and not the kind Nate wanted to hear. Kyle, he could handle. The guy was a knob.

  Beck’s frown deepened. “Why the hell are you so riled up?”

  “I’m not.” But he was. What the hell was wrong with him? “I just… She’s Molly, one of the guys, you know? I look out for her. Kind of like a sister. That’s it. Nothing more.”

  “Did you interview Jessica before Zach started dating her?”

  “Don’t be an asshole.”

  Beck chuckled. “Well, I’m pretty sure Molly can more than look after herself.” He leaned forward, and Nate didn’t much care for the look in his eyes. “I have a feeling this is something else entirely.”

  Nate shook his head. “Not gonna do that, Beck. Don’t turn this into something it isn’t. Trust me, Molly might look different and maybe even act different sometimes, but she’s still the same girl where it counts.” He thumped his chest. “And the wrong guy will hurt her. That’s all.”

  His brother tossed his napkin. “I’m going to have to disagree with you on that one. Last fall, Dan McIntosh took her out for dinner—”

  “McIntosh?” Nate interrupted. “He’s got lead between his ears. Why the hell would she go out with him?”

  Beck ignored him. “Like I was saying, he took her out and then told a bunch of guys he’d…ah…that they’d…”

  “Yeah, I see where this is going,” Nate replied darkly.

  “Molly found out a few hours before the charity hockey game, the one we held to raise money for the new community center. Dan was the goalie on the opposing team, and Molly fired at least twenty slap shots at him, and you know the girl can shoot. The last one was so damn hard, it took off his helmet, and when he was in the corner trying to grab the puck to shoot up the ice, she and Zach checked him into the boards. Hard. I think he saw stars. Needless to say, Dan apologized.” Beck shook his head. “Don’t kid yourself. She doesn’t need you or anyone else, for that matter, looking after her. That is one lady who can look after herself.”

  Nate slid off the stool. He wasn’t in the mood to go around in circles with his brother. Besides, he had to head back to the homestead, grab a quick shower, and be back at the golf course across the river in less than an hour.

  “I’ll be in touch once I hear from Link.”

  “Sounds like a plan.” Beck held out his hand. “Glad you’re back.”

  They parted ways the same way they’d greeted each other. A slap on the shoulder followed by a fierce hug and a promise to get together properly.

  The house was empty when Nate got back to his parents’ place, and there was a note left for him.

  Golfing with the Andersons. Don’t worry, we’re at the public course.

  He grinned and tossed it before jogging upstairs to his old room. Nate showered quickly, pulled on a pair of light gray Hugo Boss slacks, and paired them with a black short sleeve dress shirt. He managed to make it to the country club with five minutes to spare and was still the last one to arrive, or at least that was what the hostess told him as she led him to a private room in the back.

  The room was full. There were at least thirty folks milling about, taking in the breathtaking scenery from the floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over the eighteenth hole, which in turn was set on a bluff overlooking the lake, and sipping on fancy cocktails garnished with fruit.

  If only there wasn’t so much damn pink. Seriously. Zach’s fiancée had issues.

  Nate was more of a scotch man, so he headed to the bar, where he spied Zach and Stu and the rest of the guys. He interrupted a conversation about the Bruins, gave his two cents on a couple of key players, and glanced around the room, looking for that one face he hadn’t spied yet.

  He was just about to ask Zach where his sister was when he noticed a woman across the room. She stood with her back to him, so it was the hair that caught his attention at first. Long and shiny, it hung nearly to her waist. The dress was a simple black number that showed off one hell of a figure and at least a mile of leg. She was chatting with Jessica, and something about the way she held her head or the way she gestured with her hands made him take note.

  Then something inside him stirred, something hot and fierce and kind of crazy. He gripped his glass tightly as his heart took off like a rocket.

  He nearly asked Zach who she was, but then he stopped himself from looking like a complete idiot, because in that second, he knew. Of course he knew.

  Jessica spotted him and waved, which in turn made Molly glance over her shoulder.

  Their eyes met and held, and for one hazy moment, Nate felt as if he was looking at a complete stranger. The Molly he knew didn’t fill out a dress like that. Hell, she didn’t even own a dress like that.

  Did Zach say something to Nate? Who the hell knew. He was already moving on. He crossed the room and gave Jessica a hug before turning Molly. That was when he noticed she was wearing lip gloss. The kind of shiny stuff that made her mouth look soft. Real soft. And then he wondered what it would feel like if he kissed her, which should have stopped him dead in his tracks, but instead, it made him think of that night in Vegas, which made him—

  She said something, and he yanked up his head.

  “What was that?” he asked, aware that Jess had just excused herself, leaving the two of them alone.

  “Are you okay?” she asked. “You have a funny look on your face.”

  “I’m fine.”

  She took a sip from the fancy cocktail she held. “Where’s Chess?”

  “Why would she be here?”

  “I assumed you’d bring her.”

  “I didn’t know it was an option. Not that I would have brought her.” He cleared his throat and tried to sound normal. “Did you bring a date?”

  She smiled at him. “Sure did.” Her voice was light, but the spark in her eye was something else. She turned slightly and smiled at the person behind him. Then she did something he’d never seen Molly do before. She stuck out her chest, which, to be honest, looked fucking amazing, and tilted her head in that way women did, the way that was kinda sorta provocative. When the hell had she learned that move?

  “Nate.” Kyle slid past Nathan and handed Molly another cocktail. He slid his arm around her waist and grinned at Nate as if he’d just won the damn Stanley Cup. Then he whispered in her ear, and Molly giggled, she freaking giggled, and, with a quick little wave, they left him and headed over to her parents.

  Nate wasn’t sure how long he stared at the four of them, but it was long enough for his jaw to clench and his fingers to cramp. He slowly transferred his scotch to his free hand and rubbed the back of his neck as he tore his gaze from Molly.

  What the hell was wrong with him? He was acting like a damn Neanderthal, and this stance he’d taken, this I’m-her-pal-and-just-looking-out-for-her thing, didn’t ring true either. There was more to it than he wanted to admit. He thought about Vegas. About all that creamy skin tangled up in all that silky hair. He thought of her mouth and what it felt like against his. Did she remember it? That kiss he’d pushed away and tried to forget because of some sense of obligation to Zach and his friendship with Molly?

  He looked her way and found her eyes on him. And the effect on him was damn weird.

  The air disappeared. His heart damn near beat out of his chest. Since when did stalking his best friend across a room become a thing? When the hell had things gotten all twisted up and wrong between them?

  “You look like you’re thinking real hard,” Zach said, appearing at his side with another scotch in hand. Not that Nathan was complaining. He grabbed the tumbler, downed the entire thing, and focused on the fire as it burned all the way to his gut.

  “Yeah,” he muttered as Zach followed his gaze.

  Kyle’s hand moved to Molly’s back, and Nate exhaled. It took everything he had not to march across the room and rip Langley’s h
ands off her. Which was insane, because this was Molly and she could do what she liked. She didn’t owe Nate anything. She was a grown-ass woman, and it wasn’t up to him to decide who she spent time with. Just like he should probably stop thinking about what they did with all that time they spent together.

  Kyle’s hand moved lower to rest on the small of her back, which the dress exposed. Why the hell hadn’t she worn a pantsuit?

  “What’s going on between you two?”

  “What?” Nate looked at Zach. “Who?”

  “You and Molly. Something’s up. Everybody can see it.”

  Nate scowled. “Who’s everyone?”

  Zach was silent for a few seconds and when he spoke, he was serious as hell. “You guys need to figure it out sooner rather than later, because if you don’t, it’s going to be a long two weeks.” He took a step back. “And Nate?”

  “What?” Irritated, he glared at his friend.

  “I saw you guys in Vegas. Saw her coming out of your room the morning we left. I don’t know what happened between you two, and it’s none of my business. But she’s my sister. Remember that.”

  The warning was subtle, but Nathan felt every bit of it, and for a moment, he was speechless. Where the hell was this coming from?

  “She’s one of my best friends. I’d never hurt her.”

  “I know,” Zach replied. “But that doesn’t mean it won’t happen.”

  Chapter Five

  Six in the morning was that sweet spot to run River Road and hook up to the trail that circled the lake because it was early enough that there wasn’t much traffic on the road. By the time Molly reached the trail, the sun was up and she’d found her rhythm. The air was brisk and fresh, the dew on the grass heavy, and the quiet fed her spirit. Mornings like this made her realize how special this part of the country was, and she knew she’d never leave.

  The trail was heavily shadowed and ran through the forest that hugged the lake, which was thick with stands of beech trees, red and sugar maple, and pine. Molly picked up the pace about three and a half miles into her run, and by the time she reached her turnaround point, she was ready to feel the sun on her face. She stopped at a bluff that overlooked the lake and took a water break, then walked a bit to keep her muscles nice and loose. This was her favorite spot. From here, she could see clear across Crystal Lake and the rolling hills beyond that sloped up to the Porcupine Mountains.