Page 43 of Timeless Pages
"And yet here I am. Wide-eyed, bushy-tailed, and hungry for all the things," I chuckled.
Nate emptied the coffee pot into a giant mug, poured my favorite salted caramel creamer into it, and then brought it over to me. "First, good morning, Little Bell," he said, bending down to give me a good morning kiss. "Second, why don't you take your coffee out onto the balcony and enjoy the morning views while we finish up breakfast. It shouldn't be too long, and we'll bring everything to you."
I accepted the mug and took a sip with an appreciative moan. "Fine," I replied, "but I think I might like the view in herebetter." Nate winked at me, and as he turned to head back to the stove, I smacked his ass. I giggled as he turned to me in shock and scurried out the door before he could react. I stepped out onto the balcony, where obviously expensive and insanely comfortable-looking patio furniture littered the deck, creating a cozy and relaxing space designed to entertain flawlessly.
One piece of furniture called to me more than the others: the giant egg chair. It was meant for more than one person, which meant I could get lost among the cushions. I placed my coffee down on the table beside the chair and climbed in. Once I had gotten myself perfectly burrowed in the pillows, I reached for my coffee and took another soul-satisfying sip of the warm magic bean water.
I had to admit, the view was spectacular. It was still early enough that the forest was quiet. Just starting to wake up as the sun burned off the rest of the morning chill. A deep peace filled me, and I understood why Nate kept making offers on this place. It was heaven on earth—the perfect escape from the stresses of everyday life. And considering how stressful my life had become, I never wanted to leave.
Unfortunately, hiding wouldn't accomplish anything, and there were too many things I needed to address. Starting with the fact that I lost all of my possessions in the fire. When we got back, I needed to call Daniel and find out how it went with getting the conservatorship overturned, and make sure that I'm allowed to spend the money Uncle Jay left me. I know the guys would gladly pay for anything I needed, but I didn't want to have to depend on them financially. They've already done so much for me. I needed to stand on my own two feet, if only to prove to myself that I could.
I would also have to deal with the aftermath of the fire. I didn't know the first thing about filing an insurance claim, but luckily, I knew three intelligent and business-savvy men who did. Hell,the rest of the properties that burned belonged to them, so I'd just hop on their insurance train. With endless possibilities for what to do with the property, I will likely rebuild. Not just for Uncle Jay or me. Not just to prove to my father that he can't control what I do, but because Timeless Pages meant so much to so many. It wasn't just my home, it was Dave's home too. And I owed it to him and every other sweet customer who came into my store week in and week out, spending their hard-earned money, to bring Timeless Pages back to life.
My thoughts of the future were interrupted as the doors opened and my guys came through carrying trays of food and more coffee. I smiled up at Evan as he placed his tray on the table and came over to me.
"You look cozy," he commented.
"I am cozy,' I replied as I handed him my coffee and stood. "I like it here." I joined them at the table, and after we had all taken a few bites, decided to let them know my decision for Timeless.
"I've decided to rebuild the bookstore, and I'm going to need your help if you're willing, because I don't know the first thing about how to get it done."
"We can help," Nate assured me.
"Good. That's a big weight off my chest," I said honestly. "What do you guys plan on doing with your properties?"
They exchanged guarded looks before Dom replied. "We're still tossing some ideas around and working through the logistics."
"I'm sorry. I'm sure not being able to buy Timeless put a wrench in your plans." I did feel bad for that, but not bad enough to sell them the property. Hopefully, that didn't drive a wedge between us.
"Trust me, Beauty, you didn't put a wrench in our plans. If anything, you made them better."
"He's right," Evan said. "Messing up our plans isn't anything you should ever worry about.”
I looked at Nate, and he winked at me. "Now that we're on the same page, how do you feel about building a cabin of our own? As much as I hate to admit it, I don't believe Grant will ever sell this place to me, so we'll have to build."
"Really? You'd do that?" I asked in surprise. I knew money wasn't an issue for them, but I didn't expect them to casually mention building cabin mansions over breakfast, as if we were discussing what movie to watch later.
"Without blinking an eye," Nate replied.
"I love the idea,” I admitted.
"Then it's settled," Dom said excitedly. "I'll start looking at real estate."
"Just make sure it's somewhere private," Nate advised, shooting a heated look my way. "We wouldn't want any nosy neighbors seeing anything they shouldn't."
"Definitely not," I agreed, thinking about last night. "Or hear anything they shouldn't."
Nate gave me a salacious smile. "I never said that, Little Bell. I'd happily let the world hear who you belong to."
Before I could unpack that comment, we heard the sound of car doors. Evan jumped up and looked over the railing. “Looks like we have company, or rather, the owners have arrived.”
”What are you doing here?” Nate asked when we went inside to greet them.
”Sorry, brother,” Grant replied. “Nova heard you guys were up here and demanded we come too.”
”Sure did,” Nova said as she bounded toward me. “Isa and I have to get to know each other better.” She wrapped her arm around my waist and started walking me toward the bedrooms. “Hot tub? Ben makes the best sangria, and he’s going to whip upa batch for us. We can float between the pool, the hot tub, and the cabana all afternoon.”
Nova wasn’t giving me much of a choice as she dropped me off at my room on the way to hers with orders to change into my swimsuit, and she’d be back to pick me up in five minutes.
