Out of the Wreckage (3 page)

“
Thanks.” She says as she pulls a cobbler out of the oven and replaces it with a cake.  Sitting the cobbler down to cool, she pours herself a coffee and sits next to Nate.  He reaches over and strokes her cheek, making her shudder.

“
You had some meringue.” Nate says as he licks his finger, his brown eyes flickering with heat.

“
Oh thanks I…um.” She stops as Nate stands to his feet and pulls her up so that they are toe to toe. 

“’
Drea, I…” He starts, then curses, “Oh I am going to go to hell for this.” Cupping her jaw, he crushes his lips to hers.  She sighs and pulls her hands through his hair.  After a moment of weakness she pulls back. 

“
Nate, we can’t ah…I can’t… I’m sorry.” She says as she goes lax in his arms.

“
I should be apologizing.  I would if I could remember my name.  Wow!  I mean I… um sorry ‘Drea. I am going to get back to painting, thanks for the donuts.”

As he turns and walks to th
e door she calls to him. “Nate…” As he turns she continues, “I said I can’t, I didn’t say that I didn’t want to.  I am just out of a bad break-up and well…”

“
It’s OK, ‘Drea, we all have our pasts.” He says and then he is gone.

             
Hours later ‘Drea finishes baking, boxes everything up and stores it in the cooler, except for the butterscotch pie.  She boxes it up to take to the house for dessert hoping to clear the air with Nate.  As the thunder explodes, the rain starts pelting down in sheets.
Oh this walk ought to be fantastic!
Glancing out the window, she sighs as she watches the rain pour down and lightning flash across the sky.  Nate had finished painting hours ago, and left to go out and put things into the shed in the orchard. (Not that she was watching him or anything.) ‘Drea looks out through the trees as the lightning stretches across the sky, and squints looking to see if she can see Nate.  Surely he is at the house waiting on his supper with Grams.  Telling herself she is silly for worrying, she pours herself a mug of coffee and sits at the table picking at a donut. Suddenly, the door flies open and ‘Drea jumps knocking her chair over, jerking around she sees Nate standing at the door trying to shake out of a raincoat. 

“
Nate, are you alright? You should be up at the house waiting on supper, not out here in this weather.” ‘Drea says as she pulls up the chair she knocked over and pours him a cup of coffee. 

“
Ms. Ruthie went into town to play Bingo at the fire house.  She packed up dinner for us and said I should come down here and make sure you eat, since you have been down here since early this morning.” He explains as he sits the bag on the island and begins unpacking the tubs of food. “There are pork chops, fried potatoes, biscuits and honey. Your Grams sure can put together a meal.  You two should add on to this store and open up a restaurant.”

“
Don’t think I haven’t thought about it.  I just don’t want her over doing it.  She hasn’t really told me much of what the doctor says about her arthritis.  I know she is supposed to ease up.  So, baby steps you know.” ‘Drea says as she makes plates and places one in front of Nate and sits down at the table with him.

“
So what else did you bake today?  The smells coming outta this place today were heaven.  I was almost sad that I was finished painting because I couldn’t linger to enjoy them.” Nate says as he spreads honey on a biscuit and sips his coffee.

“
I made a blackberry cobbler, cakes, cookies, and a butterscotch pie with meringue that I made from scratch.  I had so much fun in here today!”

“
That meringue was amazing, I tasted a bit.” He says with a wink as he bites into his pork chop.

‘
Drea flushes, “Yeah, we should talk about that.  I left New York to help Grams Nate, but it was convenient timing.” She starts.

Nate stops and watches her eyes for a moment and smiles, “Well that’s a good thing right?”

‘
Drea nods, “I worked in a high-end restaurant as head chef, and my fiancé was the owner.”

“
Was?” Nate eyes her with curiosity.

“
I walked in on him and a waitress, well one of his many waitresses.  Needless to say, it is over. Far passed over and I was glad to have a reason to leave.” ‘Drea says sighing into her coffee.

Nate shakes his head, “’
Drea I am sorry, but he doesn’t deserve you.  No one should be treated like that.”

‘
Drea blushes at the protective tone in Nate’s voice. “Well, it doesn’t matter now, I am home and I am actually enjoying it.  Do you want dessert?” ‘Drea asks as she stands up and gets a pie server and small plates.  Nate tops off their coffees as ‘Drea places two pieces of butterscotch pie on the table.

Nate bites into the pie and his eyes glaze over and close. “
Oh ‘Drea, this is amazing!” He groans.

“
Thanks.  It is Grams’ recipe, my Grand-dad’s favorite.  I was feeling sentimental.” She replies as she takes a bite. “Wow, yeah I have missed this.”

Nate smiles at how
‘Drea’s face softens at the mention of her grandparents. “She is an amazing lady.  I didn’t know your Grand-dad but, he had to be one hell of a man to deserve her and this pie.” Nate says with a wink.

“
Yes.” ‘Drea starts and her eyes go misty. “She made this for them on their first date.  Grand-dad said he knew right that very night that there was no one else for him.  He walked her through the orchard every night for months and proposed to her out there.  Even opened the store for her to bake in, they had something special.”

“
Yeah, go all their lives without finding anyone.  No wonder she won’t run off and marry me, she already had it all.” Nate says as he touches her hand. “Can I ask you something about the ex ‘Drea?”

‘
Drea tenses, “Um, yeah and his name was Phillip.”

Nate secretly wishing a man in New York named Phillip would rot in the seventh circle of hell with a flesh eating crotch disease smiles at his own
private joke and continues, “OK.  Phillip? Were you in love with him?  I mean honestly you had to be shooting for the whole she-bang after watching your grandparents all these years.”

             
‘Drea sighs, she felt things for Phillip.  They were comfortable with each other, shared interests, they had the business, shared a condo, but did she ever really love him? “No, I guess I didn’t.  I never really thought about that, we looked good together, I mean there was the restaurant and it was comfortable.  No, it was nothing like Grams and Grand-dad.”

Nate sighs, unexpectedly relieved, “
Well, good thing you got out while you still could.”

“
You know I never really thought about it.  I wasn’t into planning the wedding, we were engaged for over a year and I hadn’t even started looking.  When I caught him I was hurt.”

“
Of course you were, you trusted him.”

‘
Drea holds her hand up and exhales, “Wait you didn’t let me finish.  I was hurt of course because everyone knew it was going on but me.  I was embarrassed.  The biggest part of me though was relieved.  I think I knew it was over and I was a coward and needed a reason to leave.  It was comfortable and I didn’t know how to just walk away.  Seeing him with her, and the fact that it was over came so easily to me.  He didn’t really try to fight for me.  So I packed up, emptied my bank account and here I am.”

Nate reaches over and intertwines her hand in his, “
I am glad you are here ‘Drea.”

‘
Drea swallows the lump in her throat, as her eyes meet his.  Those deep brown eyes burning into hers making her blush…and want…and need.  Pulling her hand from his she smiles, “Well I better clean up the dishes.” Standing she turns to the sink and washes the plates stacking them in the rack to dry, as Nate turns the music up.

“
You have Boston on your IPod playlist?” He asks with a smirk.

“
Guilty.  I am a classic rock junkie.  My Momma wouldn’t listen to anything else.”

“
Oh Sugar, you were raised right.” Nate teases.

“
We would take these longs drives through the mountains on the weekends, crank the stereo and sing along.  She couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket but we didn’t care.” ‘Drea says, her voice cracking. “Jesus why am I talking to you like this?  I have never told anyone this stuff, not even Grams.”

Nate walks over and wraps his a
rms around her waist and kisses her hair. “Maybe you need to get this out ‘Drea, maybe you feel like you can trust me.” Nate squeezes her to him and lowers his voice to a whisper, “You know you can, Sugar.  You can trust me.” She whips around, facing him tears streaming down her face.  His face falls as he looks into her green eyes full of pain. “’Drea?”

“
The night after my graduation we went up into the mountains and we were singing along with Styx.  She was going on and on about how proud she was of me. I was going to do such big things and she couldn’t wait.  I told her I wasn’t going away to school, that I wanted to stay here.  She exploded and I didn’t let down either, we were arguing and we didn’t see the truck.  We went through the guard rail…”

Nat
e pulls her into his arms and she cries softly. “We were in the car over the cliff for hours.  I kept talking, about everything…anything… Finally help came, but it was too late.  Momma was already gone, internal bleeding.”

Nate
’s chest tightens, his heart breaking for her. “Oh Sugar.  I am so sorry, so damned sorry.” He says stroking up and down her back.

“
After the funeral, I packed up and left.  Grams and Grand-dad begged me to stay.  I didn’t even come home when he passed; it hurt too much to even be here.  Everything reminded me of her.  It is different now, I want to remember.  I want to be here.” ‘Drea says as she sniffles and pulls back. “Oh Nate I’m sorry…I didn’t mean to…”

“
Hey it’s OK.” He says soothing her. “You can unload on me anytime.” He says sweetly as he strokes her cheek with his thumb.

‘
Drea’s breath hitches, every inch of skin Nate touches comes alive and she gasps, “Nate…”

“
Still can’t?” Nate asks as his thumb brushes her bottom lip.

“
We shouldn’t you know it will complicate things…” She says shakily as her eyes flutter closed, “We should think about it first.”

“
Well, you think about it Sugar, and I will…” Nate starts as he brushes his lips over hers.  Soft and warm, the kiss was tender.  ‘Drea melts into Nate, her hands run up his arms and around his neck.  Nate pulls her chin up and deepens the kiss, running his tongue along her bottom lip, a silent plea for her to open up to him.  As his tongue meets hers desire explodes like fire.  ‘Drea moans softly as she tugs at his hair.  Finally, Nate pulls away breathless, looking into those emerald eyes he has been careful not to drown in.  Yet.  “’Drea?”

“
Yeah?” She replies, her body still humming from his hands and mouth.

“
Still thinking?” He asks as he tucks her hair behind her ear.

“
Um…” She starts but he pushes his lips to hers again.

“
You keep thinking Sugar, and I will be waiting.” Nate says turning and walking out the door, leaving ‘Drea nearly in a puddle.

Chapter
Three:

Taking
Chances

Over the rest of the week, ‘Drea say little of Nate.  He had been busy in the workshop in the orchard, building the display cases.  She had baked and cooked until her cooler was full, even sending Mr. Vanover a weeks worth of suppers and desserts.  In return he had been making deliveries so she didn’t need to leave the store to go into town.  ‘Drea was in the middle of mixing up frosting when her Grams walks in and sits at the table in the kitchen.

“
Sugar, you have been a busy bee.”

“
Thank you Grams.” ‘Drea says as Ruthie pours coffee and helps herself to cookies cooling on the rack.  Ruthie watches smiling at her one and only granddaughter as she ices a black forest cake and places it in the cooler.

“
Dessert tonight Sugar?” Ruthie asks.

“
Yes, what are you planning to have tonight Grams?”

“
I have chicken and dumplins going on the stove and will ask Nathan to join us.”

“
Oh?” ‘Drea asks unable to hide the flush that steals across her face.

Ruthie smiles and sighs, “
Sugar, he is a good man.  He comes from a hard past, but he is a good man.  He thinks very highly of you.”

“
Does he?  Well we don’t really know each other very well do we?  He has been very helpful and is working very hard.  We will be ready to open the store in the next week or so at this rate.” ‘Drea pops a cookie in her mouth and continues, “I have ordered more from the grocery, which should be here tomorrow.  I also paid up all the bills until next month.”