Page 24 of Dirty Rumors

Nikki’s eyes are huge. “Carson, he sometimes paid off people’s entire mortgages if they were down on their luck. Or paid all their bills for six months. This wasn’t just sending a single mother a few bucks for groceries.” She grabs my hand. “Your grandfather literally changed people’s lives.”

I have no idea what to say to that. “Huh.”

“The thing is, there’s no indication that he ever stopped. For all we know, he’s still doing it.”

Staring down at the sidewalk, an old memory floats to the surface. “I once dropped in on Grandpa unexpectedly. He swepta bunch of paperwork from the dining room table into a huge basket and stashed it in the bedroom. Everything had been laid out in neat piles, and he just shoved it out of sight in a heartbeat. I was only eighteen at the time, so I didn’t think much of it, but…”

“I won’t tell anyone, I promise.” Nikki grabs my hand. “I just think it’s a really sweet family secret. I mean, your family has a real life Santa Claus, kind of.” Her teeth begin to worry her bottom lip again. “But it does go to show that sometimes rumors are true. And men do collect their secrets, don’t they?”

Lifting her hands, I kiss the back of her knuckles. “Nikki, I’m crazy about you. In case it’s not painfully obvious, I want you.” Reaching out, I spin my finger in a circle over her head. “Every time I see you, there’s this halo of birds and flowers floating around you.”

She smiles, then flinches slightly when she notices a dozen people strolling around, fetching their lunches, some of them staring at us.

“Nikki, you promised yourself you wouldn’t date until you’re twenty-five, when theoretically you would know more about yourself and your life goals. I understand you having that rule because other shitty men did shitty things to women that you know.” She nods. “I’m over thirty. I have my ducks in a row. A really, really straight row. These ducks are incredibly well trained.”

She squeezes my fingers and smiles, giving me the nerve to ask the question. “Is there a single red flag about me?”

“No.”

Thank goodness.

“Okay. So at this point in our wild secret operation, can we assume that there is a possibility, no matter how big or small, that you might consider a real relationship with me at some point?”

“You mean moving here to become a wild mountain woman?”

“Yes. And my girlfriend. Eventually, when you decide you’re ready, my wife.”

Nikki is perfectly still for several seconds. Then she nods. “Yes. There’s a distinct possibility. But I think I need to at least sleep on it.”

Clutching her hand, I hold it to my heart. “Look at what you’ve just done. It’s racing a mile a minute. Now I’m all frazzled and might have to take the afternoon off work.”

“Don’t you blame me for that, big man. You just want to get back to your basement to…” She trails off as she looks around conspicuously, clearly wondering if anyone can hear us.

“It’s almost like this public conversation should be private, right?” I laugh, then kiss her forehead before whispering, “I’m sorry that I met you four years too early. I will totally wait for you if you want. But my life is an open book to you, kitten. Search my family history. Rifle through my house. Interview my brothers. I will have no secrets from you – I want you to know every part of me.”

My lips catch hers in a brief but heartfelt kiss.

“Because every part of me already belongs to you.”

15

NIKKI

My eyes open slowly, staring at the sunlight dancing on the wall as it filters through the nearby trees. I’ll never get tired of being surrounded by the forest up here on the mountain.

Rolling over slowly, I see that I’ve woken up twenty minutes before the alarm. Plus, I slept well and deeply. Considering that I told Carson yesterday that we could have another discussion once I’d slept on it, I didn’t think I’d sleep at all.

That’s definitely a sign, I think.

He comforts me. Makes me feel whole. And as he pointed out, there’s not a single red flag in sight.

Just because other women I know picked ridiculous losers when they were my age doesn’t necessarily mean that I will. Maybe I’ve learned from their mistakes – I’m certainly looking at the situation with my eyes wide open.

Carson is stable. He comes from an established family with a lot of land, he owns a third of an essential business, and really loves his job. Plus, he’s even got a relaxing hobby that makes extra money on the side, just in case.

He’s a man who plans ahead. Who thinks about the future and works toward it now.

Honestly, I would still find him sexy and interesting and an incredible boost for my self-esteem even if he were completely penniless and working a minimum wage job. But for the long term? He’s quite the catch.

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