“Drop her arm or you get the flamingo.” To my shock, her friend is indeed holding up a pink plastic yard flamingo.
“Jen, where did you even find that?” Natalie asks as she falls into a fit of giggles.
“It was in the umbrella holder.” She shrugs and then starts giggling too.
“If you two are finished, we have some business to discuss,” I tell Natalie, and she rolls her eyes. “Say goodbye, Jen.”
“It'll be five minutes,” she tells her friend but willingly comes along with me. “Keep an eye on Bear.”
“She’ll be longer than that,” I call over my shoulder and hear Natalie huff.
Having her this close to me and feeling her warmth against my side nearly burns through my clothes. How is this little woman affecting me this way? She’s hardly a weight in my arms, and I wonder what it would be like to carry her. Could I reach down and scoop her up in my arms and carry her over the threshold? The thought comes out of nowhere and nearly knocks me over.
The Bear Mountain Inn is a small house at the end of town with an incredible view of the snowy hills below. It’s a little way away from downtown and feels nearly secluded. There weren’t any other cars in the parking lot, so I wonder if there’s even another guest here. We walk down a long hallway, not saying a word until we come to a gold door at the end. I use the key to unlock the door, and before I have time to talk myself out of it, I toss Natalie over my shoulder and carry her inside.
“What are you doing!” she squeals as she wiggles on my shoulder. “You can’t just throw me around like a piece of luggage.”
“It’s for good luck.” When I place her on her feet and close the door, I see her face is bright red. “You wouldn’t want us to get off on the wrong foot, would you?”
She makes the cutest growling sound and actually stomps her foot. “Tell me what it is you want to say so I can turn you down and get out of here.”
“Are you hungry?” My question surprises her, and she opens her mouth and then closes it again. She thinks it over and then shrugs.
“Yeah, but they don’t do room service here.”
“Then it’s a good thing I come prepared.” Just then there’s a knock on the door, and I walk over to open it up. “Right on time,” I say to the young guy from the diner.
“No problem. Thanks again for the help with my dead battery.” He holds up the bags of food and hands them to me, along with the drink holder.
“It was my pleasure.” I hold out some bills, and he takes them with wide eyes.
“Wow, thank you.” He looks behind me and sees what has to be a fuming little pixie. “See ya, Natalie.” He waves and then heads back down the hallway.
“Is this whole town against me?” She throws her hands up in the air as I brush past her.
“Maybe I’m just that wonderful.” Placing the food on the table next to the window, I pull out a chair for her and motion her over with my chin. “Come sit down and find out.”
“Are you always this impossible?” She turns her nose up in the air but comes over and sits down.
“Only when it comes to you.” My fingers brush over her shoulder as I slide her chair in for her, and it sends heat all the way up my arm.
Fuck, I am so screwed.
Chapter Seven
NATALIE
I’ve never met someone so charming in my life. I have no clue how he does it. I can’t even be mad at the rest of the town because here I am breaking bread with Walker, and it didn’t take much to get me to do it. I should be out the door and halfway home by now.
“Is that the Frisco burger?” My stomach growls. It’s my favorite from the diner, and it even looks to be made the way I order it, with extra cheese and sauce.
“Yes it is.” I watch as he pulls more things out of the bags.
“Onion rings and fries,” I mutter, scrunching my nose. He got both? What is this sorcery? Then when he places one of the Styrofoam drink containers in front of me that has a giant S written on it, I know there's a rat over at the diner. “That better not be a strawberry shake.”
Walker pushes a straw through the lid and smirks.
“Is that a problem? I can drink it if you don’t want it.” He goes to grab it, but I beat him to it.
I want to smack that grin right off his face. I might want to kiss it too, but that’s never happening.