“Brunch. Remember that? At the mayor’s house?”
With a groan, Nate shook his head. “I think I broke a toe last night. Or maybe it was an ankle.”
Terri was going through hangers of Nate’s trousers and stopped at a black pair with a crisp crease down the front. “Nothing on you is broken and you can’t get out of this. You have to take a shower. You smell like beer and smoke.”
That made Nate give a snort of laughter and he threw back the cover. The only thing he had on was a pair of blue boxers.
Terri watched him walk into the bathroom. Legs! Was every part of him big and strong and hard? It wasn’t until Nate disappeared around the doorway that she let out her breath.
“There are no towels in here.”
“Look under the sink.”
“I used all of them last night when the Wilson kid got sick. Elaine put them in the washer and later I stuck them in the dryer.” Nate looked around the door. “Could you get me a couple? Please?” He went back into the bathroom and turned on the shower.
Terri took off running down the hall. She and Nate had had to adjust to each other’s laundry. She’d learned to search his pockets. “You washed this paper and I can’t read it,” he’d complained. “It’s the model number off that broken pump that’s under cabin sixty-two. Now I’ll have to slide back under there in that filth to read it again.” Her request was that he not put her br
as in the dryer. “They’re expensive and the dryer destroys the elastic. Just sling them over the shower door.”
She got two towels out of the dryer, hurried back down the hall and got clean underwear out of his chest of drawers. She’d put them in there the day before.
The bathroom door was ajar and, keeping her eyes off the shower, she put her load on the counter. She paused by the door, her face turned away from him. “So what did you want to know from Della? The dirt on Bob Alderson? Your competition?”
“Does everyone think I was after something from her?”
That question startled her enough that she turned around. Ah. Nate naked behind a piece of frosted glass. She could see the silhouette of him. He was shampooing his hair. But it was so short that maybe he was using bar soap. It seemed odd that there was something she didn’t know about him. “Who else asked you? Wait. I bet it was Uncle Frank. I saw him watching you flirt with Della. Anyway, what did you find out?”
“I wasn’t flirting.”
She saw him pause under the water as he rinsed his body. His strong, hard body. She had to get out of the room! But Nate’s voice made her stop. “What have you heard that’s bad about this guy Alderson?”
Terri was silent as she watched him. He was making her body ache.
“Are you still there?”
Terri saw him lean forward as though he meant to look out. Quickly, she sidestepped and left the room, then hurried to the closet to rummage through his few pieces of clothing.
When Nate came into the bedroom, he had a towel around his waist. It wasn’t a Dad towel that fastened high above the belly button. No, it was way down low on his hips. She did her best not to look at him—and she began talking fast. “Pick me up at five and we’ll go get something to eat and I’ll tell you about Widiwick. Tomorrow is what Dad calls the Day of Demons.”
“Is that what they were talking about when they said D Day? I thought that was about WWII.”
“No. It’s about tomorrow. The sellers come to put up booths and tents. It’s chaos and tears and fights and too many accidents. Either Dr. Kyle or Jamie will be here.”
“If it’s a war, Jamie will show up. But what’s this about? I thought it was a festival.”
“I’ll tell you everything later, but we have to be back at six thirty for Dad’s meeting.” Her voice was rising. Nate was just feet from her and wearing only a towel! “You can’t wear one of your T-shirts to a meal with the mayor’s family. And no jeans! Here, these will look nice.” Stepping around the bed, she held up the black trousers, blocking her view of him. “I can’t decide if you should wear a towel or not.” Instantly, she realized what she’d said. “I meant a tie.” When he was silent, she looked at him. He was staring at her in an odd way, almost as though he was angry at her.
“You need to put some clothes on.” His voice was a deep-throated growl.
Terri looked down at herself. She had on an oversize T-shirt and underpants. While the top half of her was covered, nearly all of her legs were bare. “Sorry. I ran down here.” Across a chair was a pair of his gray sweatpants and she quickly pulled them on. They were huge on her and she had to tighten the drawstring to keep them up. “Better?”
Nate didn’t smile. “Some, but I wish I didn’t have a memory.” Shaking his head as though to clear it, he dropped his towel to the floor. All he had on were clean boxers.
“Hey!” Terri said, frowning. “If I’m to cover up, why isn’t it the same for you?”
With a shrug, Nate picked up his trousers. “You want me to explain the inequality of the world to you? Can’t do it.” Trousers on, he reached for the shirt she’d laid out for him.
Terri was holding two black belts, one very dressy, one with visible lacing. “Hmmm. Since it’s a brunch, maybe the less formal belt will do.”