Read Online Lost in You: Petal, Georgia, Book 2 by Lauren Dane - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lauren Dane
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with his head for a long time. Everything he thought was true had been challenged. He’d seen so much death. So much destruction. He felt for the people in Iraq. Felt for the soldiers.
Sometimes he still woke up with his hands shaking, sheets wet from his sweat. But he was alive and he had all his limbs, which was more than some of his friends could say. And he had come back with a skill.
“It sucked. I learned a lot. They kept me longer than I’d have stayed given any choice at all. But it’s over and I have a skill I can use to pay my rent. That’s something. I never thought it. Not when I was young. I figured I’d have some shitty job out at the mill. If I was lucky.”
The night air hung with the scent of flowers, of warm earth and bark from the trees all around them.
“I’m glad you’re back.”
He smiled because she meant it. It was a tease, yes, but she was being honest and it was really, really nice to be wanted.
“How’d you end up owning a salon?”
“I don’t remember much. Not before I was nine or so. Tate says it’s probably because of…well of how things were at my house. But I never did well at school. I got by. To have done any less would have been hard on Tate, and God knows she had it hard enough. Nathan, well, he always saw college as a way out. A way up. I never saw myself going to college. But after high school I took some accounting classes at the community college. Mainly to pass time. I had a bunch of crappy secretarial jobs. Anyway, I found out I was good with numbers and math. I liked it. I liked making things balance. Numbers make sense. There’s a right answer. So I got this job at a medical office in Riverton. I saved my money, thinking about buying a house. Anne and Tate bought the salon, and I helped with the books. Volunteering at first. Helping with the ordering and that sort of thing. The whole family worked on the building. Painting, new drywall, stuff that would have been really expensive to have paid for. They got in about six months and needed more capital to keep going. I proposed to come on as a third partner. I had my nest egg, and boy let me tell you, it took a week of constant arguing with Tate to get her to do it. But in the end I bought in.”
“Looks successful. My mom gets her hair done there, she said.”
Beth laughed. “She does. I don’t know her very well. Tate does her hair. But she seems like a very nice lady. We do all right. I manage things. Tate and Anne are the talent, so to speak. We have a nail person who comes in a few days a week and two others who have stations for cuts and color. Tate did a special class on how to do facials and that stuff, so she does a spa day two days a month. Those are popular. I have a good life. I never dreamed of it when I was a kid, you know? But it’s a good life. I work with my sisters every day. I see my family all the time. I can pay my bills. My car is in decent shape. I have no real debt. And now there’s this super-hot guy who’s come back to town and things seem to be moving in a good direction.”
He sat up, hungry for her. “We should go back.”
She yanked on his arm. “Why? There’s no one out here but me and you.”
He kissed her slow and deep. “What I want to do to you might be illegal in Georgia. We should do it behind a closed door.”
She laughed. “Put that way…”
He stood, tugging her to her feet. But then he swayed, holding her to his body. Dancing to music she made just by existing. He was tall, but so was she. She fit him so well.
They danced for some time as the night closed in all around them. Until he tipped her chin up and fell into that mouth once again. Until need raced through him, beating at him.
He broke away, handing her a helmet.
Then his phone rang.
He groaned and looked at the screen. “I’m so sorry. I have to take this.” He turned his back and answered his mother’s call.
He’d had a terse, quiet conversation before turning back to her, telling
Sometimes he still woke up with his hands shaking, sheets wet from his sweat. But he was alive and he had all his limbs, which was more than some of his friends could say. And he had come back with a skill.
“It sucked. I learned a lot. They kept me longer than I’d have stayed given any choice at all. But it’s over and I have a skill I can use to pay my rent. That’s something. I never thought it. Not when I was young. I figured I’d have some shitty job out at the mill. If I was lucky.”
The night air hung with the scent of flowers, of warm earth and bark from the trees all around them.
“I’m glad you’re back.”
He smiled because she meant it. It was a tease, yes, but she was being honest and it was really, really nice to be wanted.
“How’d you end up owning a salon?”
“I don’t remember much. Not before I was nine or so. Tate says it’s probably because of…well of how things were at my house. But I never did well at school. I got by. To have done any less would have been hard on Tate, and God knows she had it hard enough. Nathan, well, he always saw college as a way out. A way up. I never saw myself going to college. But after high school I took some accounting classes at the community college. Mainly to pass time. I had a bunch of crappy secretarial jobs. Anyway, I found out I was good with numbers and math. I liked it. I liked making things balance. Numbers make sense. There’s a right answer. So I got this job at a medical office in Riverton. I saved my money, thinking about buying a house. Anne and Tate bought the salon, and I helped with the books. Volunteering at first. Helping with the ordering and that sort of thing. The whole family worked on the building. Painting, new drywall, stuff that would have been really expensive to have paid for. They got in about six months and needed more capital to keep going. I proposed to come on as a third partner. I had my nest egg, and boy let me tell you, it took a week of constant arguing with Tate to get her to do it. But in the end I bought in.”
“Looks successful. My mom gets her hair done there, she said.”
Beth laughed. “She does. I don’t know her very well. Tate does her hair. But she seems like a very nice lady. We do all right. I manage things. Tate and Anne are the talent, so to speak. We have a nail person who comes in a few days a week and two others who have stations for cuts and color. Tate did a special class on how to do facials and that stuff, so she does a spa day two days a month. Those are popular. I have a good life. I never dreamed of it when I was a kid, you know? But it’s a good life. I work with my sisters every day. I see my family all the time. I can pay my bills. My car is in decent shape. I have no real debt. And now there’s this super-hot guy who’s come back to town and things seem to be moving in a good direction.”
He sat up, hungry for her. “We should go back.”
She yanked on his arm. “Why? There’s no one out here but me and you.”
He kissed her slow and deep. “What I want to do to you might be illegal in Georgia. We should do it behind a closed door.”
She laughed. “Put that way…”
He stood, tugging her to her feet. But then he swayed, holding her to his body. Dancing to music she made just by existing. He was tall, but so was she. She fit him so well.
They danced for some time as the night closed in all around them. Until he tipped her chin up and fell into that mouth once again. Until need raced through him, beating at him.
He broke away, handing her a helmet.
Then his phone rang.
He groaned and looked at the screen. “I’m so sorry. I have to take this.” He turned his back and answered his mother’s call.
He’d had a terse, quiet conversation before turning back to her, telling
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