Well, you tried.
That was no consolation. She wished she’d had the time to fly to Paradise and beg for Nate’s forgiveness in person, but she’d had rehearsals all week, and her manager was already annoyed that she’d taken a week off to attend the reunion. She was stuck in New York, and in two days, she’d be leaving for Boston then Providence, Portland, and a handful of other cities along the Atlantic Seaboard. Colorado was not on the schedule, which meant zero opportunity to see Nate for at least a month.
Sighing, she was about to move away from the window when she caught sight of a taxi screeching to a stop by the curb in front of her building. Her pulse sped up, but she forced away the hopeful reaction. It was just a cab, a cab with some random person in it, a person who wasn’t— Nate!
Her heart soared high in her chest as the familiar head ducked out of the vehicle, followed by the long, muscular body that made her shiver. He wore jeans that hung low on his hips, a black T-shirt that hugged his broad chest, and his dark hair gleamed in the late-afternoon sun.
As he bent into the passenger window to pay the cab driver, Charlotte ran toward the front door and burst out into the hallway, unconcerned with her appearance. She rode the elevator down in her old Julliard T-shirt, green yoga pants and bright pink socks, and she didn’t care if anyone raised a brow or recognized her. Let her tacky outfit be plastered in a newspaper. Right now, she only cared about one thing. One man.
The elevator door dinged open. Charlotte stepped out of the car just as Nate entered the spacious, well-lit lobby. A crooked grin reached his mouth when he saw her. His pace quickened. Seconds later, they stood in front of each other, oblivious to the curious eyes of her doorman Fred.
“You came,” she said, unable to control the joy flooding her body.
“I came,” he confirmed.
Still, he made no move to pull her into his arms, and she just looked at him, waiting for him to continue, to say the words she desperately hoped to hear.
“Lexie told me she came to visit you,” Nate finally said, his voice dry.
“She did. It was…interesting.” Shame swept through her. “Apparently I was the bitch in high school, not the other way around.”
“You were on guard. I understand why you were suspicious of her.”
Nate, always her biggest defender.
Warmth slid into her belly. “Nate,” she started.
He quickly cut in. “Wait. Let me tell you why I’m here first.” He gave a shake of the head. “I still think what you were planning was pretty crappy, but I get why you felt it was something you needed to do.” His voice grew husky. “Just tell me one thing, Charlie—did you mean it when you said you loved me?”
“Yes.” The word came out without any hesitation. “I meant it with all my heart. I do love you, Nate. I always have.”
“Okay.”
When he didn’t go on, she raised one eyebrow. “Okay? That’s all you have to say?”
He scrunched up his face in a seriously adorable way. “You know I’m not good at talking about my feelings. I…I love you too, Charlotte.”
Happiness danced up her spine. “You do?”
“And I want us to try again,” he added in a gruff voice.
“Me too,” she whispered.
With a grin, he yanked her into his arms and kissed her, eliciting a shocked gasp from the doorman. Charlotte looped her arms around Nate’s neck and smiled up at him. “Will you come to my show tonight?”
“Of course.” He hesitated. “I could do more than that if you want.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, I could move here. To the city.” His throat bobbed as he swallowed. “I don’t want a long-distance thing. I want to be with you all the time.”
“No.”
His head lifted in surprise. “No?”
“No, I refuse to let you move here,” she elaborated. Her smile widened. “I was actually going to suggest I move home.”
“But you hate it there,” he blurted out.
“Not anymore.” Her heart squeezed with pleasure. “And besides, you’re happy running Bishop’s Corner. I couldn’t ask you to stop doing that for me. I was thinking…you know, that I could live in Paradise, with you, and maybe only tour a few months of the year. That is, if you’re open to the idea.”
“Oh, I’m open to it.” A grin lit up his handsome face. “Are you serious about all this?”
“Dead serious.”
With that, he kissed her again, deeper this time. Charlotte whimpered as his tongue slipped through her parted lips, as her heart thudded and a lazy rush of desire moved through her body. They were both breathless when they pulled apart, and Nate was laughing softly.
“Will this end up in the tabloids?” he asked, discreetly nodding in the direction of Fred the doorman.