Page 14 of A Package Deal

“Really?”

“Yes, you can tell by the er, rough texture,” Chet said, saving Nelie from creating an explanation. She bit her lip to keep from laughing. For a non-fiction kind of guy, he was trying hard at this make-believe stuff.

“Can we go check out the animals, Dad?” Ava asked, pointing over her shoulder. “And, um look for more clues?” Everyone was playing thelet’s not be disappointed in the melted ice castlegame, and Nelie loved it.

“Okay, but make sure you can always see us. You don’t want us to get lost.” The girls ran toward the animal pens, with the adults following behind.

“Hurry up,” Nelie said, pulling him behind her. Every time she’d tried to loosen his grip, he’d held tight.

“Slow down.” Chet dug in his heels. “You’re either off or moving at warp speed. Let’s give the girls some freedom.”

“And you think you can hold me back?”

“I prefer to think of it as anchoring you.” Nelie snorted at his egotistical statement.

“But it’s more like dragging dead weight.” He had the audacity to laugh.

“It doesn’t matter what you call it; I’m not letting you go.” His voice pitched low and serious and the warning bells chimed in Nelie’s head. She knew he wasn’t talking about hand holding.Maybe if you confess, he’ll stop chasing you?

Chapter 9

“Well,youcan,becauseI’ve forgiven you,” she said. Chet’s warm smile threatened to melt the ice castle’s remaining walls. “But I trust you about as far as I can throw you.” Shivers cascaded down her spine as he tugged her to face him.

“Have I ever lied to you or not followed through?” he asked through clenched teeth. Nelie knew better than to poke at his integrity, but his hopeful smile had blinded her. She needed to put them,him, back in his place. Chet didn’t wait for her answer. “And I verified my suspicions. The conversation I overheard between you and Emily was akin to the mulch pieces Piper showed you. It hinted at a possibility, but I followed up and found facts.”

He moved into her space, and they were almost nose-to-nose. “And if Emily and Jackson had been forthcoming to the voters about her pregnancy, I wouldn’t be the bad guy and we’d still be together.” She felt his warm breath on her cheek. “You know that, right?” he asked gently. Nelie stood still, warring with herself. She wanted to believe him so badly, but believing him was an enormous risk.

“And you weren’t the only one hurting. I lost you, and the few close friends I thought I’d made in Haven gave me the cold shoulder and a wide berth. But I had to do what was right. People had a right to know.”

“Would you do it again?” she asked.

“In a heartbeat, but I’d do it differently. I’d try harder to warn her campaign. I should have kept calling Jackson and Miller until they returned my calls. And I should have warned you. Having you see it first in the paper must have hurt.”

Nelie nodded. She’d felt betrayed when Jackson shoved the front-page article under her nose. Nelie had wanted to throw up and crawl into bed, but she wasn’t a coward. She’d faced the ire and accusations of her friends and had finished her shift. Ironically, the only one not mad at her had been Emily, who’d blamed herself for getting them into this mess.

“A warning would have been nice,” she said. “But if you’d given us a better one, then you would have had to warn the incumbent with the information you’d given Emily for the debate. You gave us a fighting chance.” It would be easier to stay mad at him if she didn’t respect him. He might struggle with dragon-tales, but Chet was a straight shooter with the truth and fairness.

“Can you give us one?” He looked into her eyes. His were warm and earnest, and his lips quirked to the side. Nelie wanted to feel them on hers. Wanted to muss up his neatly trimmed hair and lightly scratch her fingers through the scruff on his face. Unable to stop herself, she tilted her lips toward his.

“We found them!” Piper said, running toward them. Nelie jerked away as cold surrounded her body and common sense slapped her back to reality. She’d almost kissed him. In public. Nelie looked around nervously.

“Found what, kiddo? More dragon scales.” Chet asked, his voice tinged with disappointment and missed opportunities.

“Better.” Her eyes gleamed. “Nelie’s cookies. Can we go buy one and get hot chocolate?”

“Just one?” he asked, sounding amused. Nelie loved the way his brown eyes lit when he teased the girls.

Piper laughed. “No, one for each of us. Come on!” she said over her shoulder. Nelie followed, grateful for the reprieve.

Could she give them a second chance? Before, they’d just slid into romance, but this time deciding to give them a second chance would be deliberate. Chet asked illuminating questions, making her think about her life and putting a spotlight on her decisions. He made Nelie question her safe, comfortable world. Chet was both a risk and the opportunity of a lifetime, and Nelie didn’t know what to do. Stay in the known or reach for more, knowing she’d risk upsetting the apple cart.

“Can you speed it up there, slowpoke?” she asked, looking back at him. Chet grumbled something about lousy timing and karma, but he sped up and they soon joined the girls in line. Ava elbowed Piper, and the little girl’s chin jutted out. Nelie hoped they weren’t heading for a meltdown. Ava tilted her head between Nelie and Chet several times before Piper’s face cleared, and she nodded quickly. Nelie wondered what trouble those two were up to.

Piper tugged on Nelie’s parka to get her attention. “There was something I was going to ask you, and I forgot, but now I remembered it.”

“What is it, honey?” Nelie looked between the two girls before steering them out of line. Chet was placing their order, and they could wait for him over by the picnic tables, away from overzealous ears.

“Can you buy my dad?” Piper asked as they neared the tables.

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