Page 94 of His Curvy Distraction

“Absolutely, sweetheart.”

“Will you stand next to me and take over if I freak out?”

“Yes, but I don’t think I’ll need to. You got this.”

She smiled, her eyes lighting up with confidence. “Thank you.”

“This is all you, Natalie. Go out there and be you, and it’ll all be great.”

She surged upward, surprising me with a firm kiss. Her arms went around my neck and pulled me down.

My hands went to her hips and held her close, letting her lead the kiss and take it where she wanted it to go. When she parted her lips and licked mine, I groaned and slicked my tongue alongside hers. She kissed me back, inhaling and bringing her chest into contact with mine.

When she eased back, I released her without hesitation. She rested her head on my chest and shivered.

“Let’s get you back inside. It’s cold, and you have a crowd to address,” I said, kissing the top of her head and turning her back toward O’Kelley’s.

Natalie nodded, looking far more sure of herself than when we walked out. She nodded to the man at the door, then took my hand and led the way inside, going right to the bar.

Hudson was talking to a very worried looking Daisy and nodded toward Natalie. They both made their way over. Hudson reached us first.

“How’s it going?” he asked.

“Good. Daisy said you have a microphone for me,” Natalie said.

Hudson nodded, glancing at me before reaching under the bar. “You’re welcome to climb up on top and address everyone. If you want. The ceiling is high enough.”

Natalie nodded. She turned to Daisy and smiled, then turned to me. “Thank you.”

“All you, Natalie. I’m right here if you need me.”

She nodded, then took my hand and climbed on the stool in front of her. She sat on the edge of the bar, then positioned herself to stand.

Once she was up, Hudson handed her the microphone.

Natalie tapped on the end, the sound echoing through the bar and quieting the crowd.

“Hello, everyone!” Natalie said loudly, her voice making the speaker screech.

“Argh!” the crowd replied.

“Sorry about that,” Natalie said softly. “For those of you I haven’t spoken to or met yet, I’m Natalie Edwards.”

A few cheers went up from the crowd, making Natalie blush.

“Thank you, everyone. Um, I just wanted to say thank you to all of you. For supporting the summer camp. For being here tonight. For proving what an amazing community we have.”

Everyone clapped, cheering for Natalie and her words.

She was amazing, just like I knew she would be.

“I’d like to offer a special thank you to Harry and Sue, who donated the property we will be using for the new summer camp.”

The crowd cheered loudly, even though Harry and Sue weren’t there. It was a nice touch from Natalie, and no doubt something they would hear about.

“Summer camp was always my favorite time of the year. I loved being able to play while I was learning. I loved having a chance to share my passion for that with your kids. This camp, and the things we’re planning, will help us to be able to expand that to more kids this year.”

Again, everyone cheered for Natalie.

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