Page 15 of Christmas In Love

He was a catch. Why the heck hadn’t anyone informed Nat?

He fumed all the way to the car, but by the time the engine warmed enough that his fingers were no longer freezing, his frustration similarly melted. And in its wake came the things he usually kept so well buried. The uncertainties and lack of confidence he hated.

What was wrong with him? How could he have taken so many of the right steps in life yet still feel like he wasn’t good enough?

And why did Nat apparently agree?

Chapter 6

Natalie

Withhercookback,Natalie was able to sleep in longer, but that morning she took the liberty to the extreme and didn’t climb from bed until breakfast was well and over with. It was probably closer to lunch than breakfast, honestly.

She could only hope no potential guests had stopped by the inn while there was no one there to greet them. Usually, if Natalie had to be away for any amount of time, she asked the shop owner next door to keep an eye on the place, and then locked the door and left a sign in the window with her personal number. All current guests had their codes to the place, so she didn’t have to worry about locking one of them out. And the town was so small she could make it back quickly if someone did call.

Sleeping in meant she hadn’t taken any of those precautions. Another check on the list of reasons Natalie was a poor businesswoman. April’s suggestion to hire someone was looking better and better every day. Even if it would severely hurt her finances.

Her phone rang as she hurried to the closet. She glanced down at it before answering.

“Hey, April.” Natalie pulled out a sweater and pants as she tucked the phone between her shoulder and ear.

“Hey, I’ve got our double date planned. You available in two nights?”

Natalie almost groaned as it all came rushing back. The challenge and Cade; her embarrassment and his returned iciness. She dropped the clothes onto her bed and fell back into it face-first. She shouldn’t have even gotten up. “Two days? I gave you like two weeks.”

“I’m an overachiever.”

“You’re telling me. Well, I have the bed and breakfast.” Her words were muffled by the comforter, but April understood.

“See, I have that covered too, because I asked Beth, Janie’s daughter—you know Janie—to watch the place. She’s seventeen, and a really good kid. Plus, she needs to get community service hours for a school project due next semester, and I told her we could count this.”

Natalie laughed; her eyes still closed. She shifted to her side. “Well, I guess I can’t say no now. Which was probably your plan all along.”

“It was. I’ll be over to get ready at five, and our dates need to pick us up at six. Sound good?”

“Good is a relative word. How am I supposed to find a date in forty-eight hours?”

“You could always ask Cade.”

“I’m not asking Cade.”

April sighed. “Then download a dating app. I promise you’ll find someone within an hour. Remember, your list of requirements isn’t long. I, however, spent five hours vetting various guys to make sure they didn’t play a sport or have a fantastical need towatchsports every weekend. Plus, I compiled a list of all the things the last three guys I dated had in common. I had to ensure my prospective dates have siblings, a career not just a job, and don’t have dark hair or a beard. Most of the guys now think I’m a psycho.”

Natalie suppressed a laugh. April had probably sent a legitimate questionnaire over to each guy. She only wished she could read all of their responses.

“So, for you to find any random guy should be easy!”

Natalie’s smile dropped and she groaned. “I have a bad feeling about this.”

“Don’t.” April sounded too optimistic. “I’ll see you in a couple of days!”

Then she hung up before Natalie could protest, which was too bad because Natalie had some first-rate objections queued up.

After another two minutes of lying in bed being a bad businesswoman, Natalie forced herself up, got dressed, and pulled her hair into a ponytail before heading out through the kitchen. She caught her reflection in the microwave as she passed, and grimaced. If she couldn’t keep Cade at arm’s length on her own, the way she’d deteriorated in the last few years would.

She stopped, scowled, and mentally reprimanded herself. This lady she followed on social media kept saying words were powerful. And Natalie was using some pretty mean words.

With immense effort, she squeezed her eyes shut, knowing she looked ridiculous. Agh—negative words again! She squeezed her eyes tighter, prepping some affirmations she’d heard were supposed to cure one’s inner mean girl.I’m beautiful, I’m strong, I’m capable, I’m… really hungry.Her eyes popped open. That had to be enough, right? Yeah… she felt a little better, which was a good sign. Now she could go get food.

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