Page 56 of Shift Change

“Chuck’s always been a dreamer.” Nana gave methelook—the one where the smile in her eyes outshone the one on her lips. “That’s why good things come to him. He’s always a few steps ahead of the present, envisioning what he wants to do next.”

“That’s a fantastic trait.” Nate grinned at me. “Whatever it is, I hope it works out.”

My breath caught because the look in his eyes told me exactly what he meant. “I do too, more than I can say.”

Nate and I stared into each other’s eyes, and no one said anything else until a dog started barking next door.

Glancing at his watch, Nate said, “It’s getting late, and tomorrow will be a busy day. Ready to call it a night?”

My heart flipped because, as much as I loved Nana, I was ready to have him to myself. “Yeah. Let’s head up.”

We all stood, and Nana gathered our dessert plates. “I’ll take these to the kitchen before I turn in. Don’t wait for me. Sleep well, and let me know if you need anything.”

“I’ll grab a sleeping bag,” I said, already moving toward the basement stairs.

“Meet you upstairs, babe.”

Babe?I froze mid-step, then whipped around. Nana didn’t break stride as she disappeared into the kitchen, but my heart was hammering. I stared at Nate.

His eyes went wide, and he swallowed hard, his face blanching as he mouthed, “Sorry.”

I mouthed back, “What the hell?”, but there wasn’t time for more.

With my pulse thundering in my ears, I bolted down to the basement, took my old sleeping bag off the shelf, and collapsed into a chair. My hands trembled as I scrubbed them over my face. Had Nana heard? She hadn’t reacted, but calling someone “babe” had an unmistakable meaning, and if she had picked it up, her mind had to be doing cartwheels.

He hadn’t even said it quietly; he’d used his regular voice. Jesus.

After a few shaky breaths, I pushed to my feet and walked upstairs. Nate was sitting on the edge of my bed, shoulders hunched, head bowed like all the air had gone out of him. I closed the door, dropped the sleeping bag by the wall, and leaned against the desk. I needed a second to take him in.

When he lifted his head, the look on his face gutted me—pale and stricken, like he expected me to tear into him. His hand dragged over the back of his neck.

“I’m sorry, Chuck.” His voice wavered. “It just came out. I don’t know what else to say except I’m sorry.”

The tension I’d been carrying melted away. One look at him, at the guilt dulling his beautiful eyes, and it was impossible to stay irritated. I kept my voice quiet. “You’ve never called me that before.”

“I know.” His glanced away and stared at the old trophies on the bookshelf like they might explain what had happened. “Chuck?”

I crossed the room and sat beside him. “I’m here. Please look at me.”

When he turned, his eyes were wide and shiny. He pressed his lips together, then blurted, “I meant it. You’re right that I’ve never said it before, but I’ve thought it about you. I’ve used the word with people in the past, but…” He trailed off, breathing hard.

He meant it?My heart practically tripped over itself. “Finish what you were going to say. You’ve used the word before, but…”

He looked at me like he was afraid the rest of the sentence might destroy something. “But I never meant it like this. I like you a hell of a lot, Chuck.”

“I know. It’s the same for me. We’ve talked about this?—”

He shook his head, cutting me off. “Let me finish. I’ve got all these emotions running around inside me. I don’t even know what to call them, but they’re about you. I’ve always been good at denial. That’s one reason I get so goofy, you know? Deflect, distract, crack a joke. But this is too big to ignore.”

I nodded but didn’t know what to say.

He swallowed. “Iwantto call you babe, so I will. If you don’t like it…”

When he tried to look away, I caught his chin between my finger and thumb. His words had unlocked something I’d been trying to hide, and we had to settle this before I went there. “I likeyoucalling me babe, but not in front of Nana, okay? Not until we figure out what we’re doing. And not in front of the team either.”

He huffed. “You think I’m an idiot? It slipped out once, but I’m not about to go shouting it across the locker room. The word escaped, and I’m not cramming it back into my brain prison, but Iwillbe careful.” His voice trembled when he added, “Please don’t be mad at me.”

I slipped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him close. “I’m not mad. I told you I liked it. We already use our real names with each other, so call me babe except?—”

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