Page 88 of Nate

“Alright. Let’s start down here and then we’ll tackle the upstairs once he’s gone.” Markie grabbed Nate’s hand, and they began their count of how many locksets were needed.

As they made their way through the house, Markie couldn’t help but feel grateful for Nate’s presence. Without him, her mother would have to call a locksmith and who knows how long that would take. The locks needed to be changed now.

They shared a knowing look and grinned when they heard the front door slam shut, signaling Jarrett’s departure.

Later, as they roamed the aisles of the hardware store, Nate loaded the cart with the necessary locks while Markie pushed it along. They quickly returned to the house.

“I’ll get started on these,” Nate said as he passed through the kitchen, his hands full with tools and locksets. “I’m not sure I’ll get the upstairs finished tonight, but I will get these down here done.”

“Okay. I don’t think there’s any way he could get up to the second level anyway.” Markie leaned in to kiss Nate’s lips softly. “Thank you for doing this.”

“It’s my pleasure, darlin’. Go spend time with your mother and aunt. I’ll be around here somewhere.”

“Do you need any help?” Markie asked anxiously.

Nate chuckled. “Do you know how to install locks? Deadbolts?”

Markie blushed. “Uh, no.”

“Then no, I don’t need your help,” Nate teased with a grin as he set to work on installing the new locks,

Markie laughed and headed back to the kitchen, grateful for Nate’s calming presence in this situation. She entered the spacious kitchen, her eyes immediately drawn to the island where her mother and aunt sat with a bottle of deep red Merlot. The warm glow from the hanging pendant lights cast an inviting aura over the space. She couldn’t help but smile at the scene, as it reminded her of countless family gatherings.

“How long have you been working on that?” she asked, nodding toward the nearly empty bottle.

Lola laughed heartily. “Since you and Nate left. And we plan on opening another one. Grab a glass and take a seat, sweetie.”

Markie complied, walking toward the cupboard and retrieving a wine glass before settling onto a stool beside her mother and aunt. Lola expertly poured the rich liquid into her glass.

“Where’s that good-looking man of yours?” Lola asked teasingly.

“He’s putting the new locks on the doors,” Markie replied with a smile.

“That’s so nice of him,” Lola commented, pointing a finger at Markie. “That man is very sexy. If I were twenty years younger, I’d give you a run for your money.”

Markie laughed along with them, feeling grateful for their easy banter. “That does not surprise me one bit,” she said affectionately, then turned to her mother. “And you, what was with the flirting at the restaurant with Brooks Reeves?”

Stella gasped in shock. “I did no such thing!”

But Lola just laughed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I do know my sister, and she’s definitely lying.”

They all shared another round of laughter as Lola topped Stella’s glass with more wine. Markie raised her glass to take a sip when Nate unexpectedly entered the kitchen, causing all eyes to turn toward him. He flashed them a grin before heading toward the back door to finish changing the lock. The women couldn’t help but laugh again.

“Damn, he makes me wish I was younger,” Lola said wistfully, her eyes following Nate’s retreating form.

Markie couldn’t help but glance over at him as well, watching intently as he kneeled in front of the back door, expertly removing the old lock before setting it aside. As he stood up and bent over to inspect something, she couldn’t deny the way his tight Wranglers hugged his toned ass, causing her pulse to quicken.

“Don’t you just love a man who can fill out a pair of jeans like that?” Lola sighed dreamily, making Markie and Stella chuckle once more.

“He probably knows how hot women find him,” Markie remarked with a smirk. “But he’s not cocky about it.”

“I can tell he’s a good man,” Lola said with certainty. “You’d better hang on to that one, Markie.”

“Oh, I’m definitely going to try,” Markie replied with a contented sigh, before launching into the story of how she first met Nate and what she thought of him at the time. As she finished her tale, both Lola and Stella stared at her with their mouths agape.

“You cannot be serious!” Lola exclaimed in disbelief. “He is nothing like Jarrett. Absolutely nothing at all.”

Markie couldn’t help but smile at their reactions. “Well, I know that now. But you have to remember when I first met Nate, I hadn’t been in Clifton for very long and my reasons for getting away from here were still fresh in my mind. So, when he made that comment about the foal being a filly due to how long the birth was taking, it rubbed me the wrong way. And don’t even get me started on that infuriating smirk of his.” She paused, shaking her head in amusement. “But now, I wouldn’t change a thing about him.”

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