A Heart to Rescue Read online

  The incident had happened so quickly that she couldn’t process it. The only thing she knew was that Nate had saved her. What had started out bad would certainly have gotten worse. The worst part was she didn’t know if Max would have tried to help her before things were totally out of control. Horrible visions of what could have happened danced through her head.

  Collapsing into a chair, Mel dropped her head into her hands wondering what the hell she was doing with her life. Six months ago had marked the end of her old life. She had nothing new to cling onto, except a crap job in a crap bar on the road to nowhere. She was lost.

  A few minutes later, she heard the front door open and close. She shot to her feet, wondering if Nate had left her. Then the door to the kitchen swung open, and Nate poked his head around it. He took in her disheveled, tear-stained face.

  “I told the loser behind the bar that you quit. Let’s go.”

  Mel’s eyes widened. “What? I need this job.”

  “You may need a job, but you don’t need this job. Let me take you home.”

  Mel started to protest, but Nate held up a hand. “I have a lot of contacts in the restaurant industry. I’ll find you another job to replace this one. C’mon.”

  She wondered if she had somehow been transported into some kind of fairy tale; the kind where the white knight saves the young princess and they ride off into the sunset together. It was an immature, illogical thought, but staring into Nate’s blue eyes, Mel felt the stirring of something else she thought she had long since buried.

  Then she thought about the fact that she hated working at the Rumbling Rock. She had since the day she was hired, but somewhere along the way, she convinced herself that was where she belonged. Now Nate was offering her a way out, and with it came hope.

  Mel slowly nodded. She reached up on the shelf next to the door and took down her purse. “Okay. I better be getting a sweet raise with this new job.”

  Nate’s face broke out in a smile. “Guaranteed.”

  She followed him out into the main bar area. Max looked as if he was about to spit nails. His mouth opened, but a glare from Nate closed it. At the back booth, the two Parker brothers were quiet and subdued. They didn’t even look in her direction as Nate escorted her out the door.

  Outside, a black sedan was sitting at the curb with the engine running. As soon as they emerged from the bar, the driver jumped out of the car and came around to their side. He opened the back door and gestured to them.

  A hand on the small of her back pushed her gently toward the car. Mel’s thoughts were frozen. Too much had happened in the last ten minutes. It was as if she was in some kind of dream.

  She ducked her head to get into the car, and waited until Nate settled in next to her and the driver closed the door. She turned to him.

  “What did you say to them?”

  “It’s nothing you need to worry about. Suffice it to say, if they feel the urge to put the urge to put their hands on another server again, I will find out and come back to kick their asses.”

  It had been a long time since a man had stood up for Mel, so she had no idea how to react. On one hand, she was slightly mortified by the whole macho show, but, on the other hand, it kind of turned her on. “Who the hell are you?” she asked.

  “You helped me today, Mel. Now I’m going to help you. That’s really all you need to know for now.”

  “That seems too simple,” Mel said suspiciously. She was sure if she blinked the car and the mysterious man beside her would disappear.

  Nate shrugged, “No ulterior motives here. I hope you don’t mind me saying so, but you seem to have trust issues.”

  Mel did have trust issues, but she wasn’t about to tell Nate that.

  “Where to?” the driver said as he slid into the front seat.

  Nate looked at her.

  “224 Park Place,” Mel said after a short pause.

  Nate’s eyebrows shot up, but he said nothing. Mel knew what he was thinking. Park Place was home to many of Spring City’s young, up and coming professionals. Rents were high, the condos were small, but the street was modern, chic, and exclusive. Everything that Mel used to think was important.

  Not willing to engage in any more small talk with Nate in front of the driver, Mel tried to relax into the luxurious leather. She had a lot of things to work through, not the least of which was trying to forget the stink of Bud’s breath as he closed in for the kill.

  As the car turned onto Park Place, Mel felt her heart start to beat faster. She didn’t know what to expect from Nate at the moment, and her mind was still reeling from the fact that she had been assaulted and allowed herself to be talked into quitting her job in the same afternoon.

  The car glided to a stop outside her condo’s building, and she felt Nate’s hand cover hers. “You okay, Mel?”

  A rush of tears to her eyes surprised her. She wiped them away and nodded. “I’m fine. Thank you for helping me. Those guys are complete morons.”

  “You never have to see them again. Besides, I did what anyone would have done,” Nate replied.

  “Except for Max.”

  “Max didn’t seem like the type to help anyone but himself. You’re better off out of there.”

  Mel couldn’t disagree. There was a short pause, and she started to fidget. Deciding that she couldn’t delay the inevitable any longer, she reached for the door handle, but the door opened before her fingers could grasp it. The driver moved fast she thought with chagrin.

  Nate’s grasp tightened on her other hand, drawing her attention. “I still owe you a job.”

  “I’ll find one,” Mel said nonchalantly. The job at Rumbling Rock had been perfect for her because it had allowed her to hide from everyone in her old life. That would be the hard part to replace. She was confident she could find a waitressing gig just about anywhere. “It’s fine.”

  Nate reached up and cupped her chin. “I’m not the type of guy to shirk my responsibilities. Let me take to you dinner, and we’ll discuss it. Once I know what you’re looking for, I’ll line something up. It’s no problem.”

  Mel’s brain short-circuited the moment that his skin touched hers and so his follow-up comments barely registered. As soon as they did, she tried to figure out what they meant. Was his invitation a date or a job interview?

  “Who are you again?” she asked.

  “Again, just a guy helping you out because you helped me,” Nate said with a chuckle. “Are you free later tonight?” His hand dropped away from her face.

  “Um, I was supposed to work until 9pm tonight, so I guess so,” she said uncertainly.

  “Good. I have to go back to the office and take care of a few things. How about I pick you up at 7:30pm?

  “Okay.” Mel felt as if her life was spinning out of her control.

  “I’ll take you to one of my favorite places. Nothing fancy, but definitely a few steps up from the Rumbling Rock.”

  Mel groaned, “That’s doesn’t take much.” She was already cataloging her closet trying to figure out what to wear. That exercise alone could eat up the hours until Nate came back to get her. “I guess I’ll see you at 7:30pm then.”

  Mel started to lift her foot out of the car, but then stopped. “How about you at least tell me your last name?”

  Nate smiled. “Only if you tell me yours.”

  He was flirting with her. She was sure of it. “Jenkins.”

  “Billings. Nate Billings,” he said with a smug grin.

  The name was familiar, but she couldn’t immediately place it. She couldn’t wait to get to her condo and scour the internet for information on this man who seemed to good to be true.

  “Thanks again, for today,” she said.

  The smile fell from Nate’s face and was replaced with one of concern. “You don’t need to thank me. I’ll see you later.”

  “Bye,” she said with a small smile and then pushed herself out of the car. She nodded to the driver and made her way around the car to the building entran
ce.

  The doorman, Peter, was watching her with a mixture of interest and suspicion. She knew from experience that he was the biggest gossip in the building. By nightfall, everyone would know that a mystery man in a black town car brought her home.

  “Ms. Jenkins. You’re home early today,” Peter said with a nod as he opened the door for her.

  She looked back over her shoulder and saw that the town car still sat there. It was oddly comforting to think that Nate was ensuring she made it safely inside. She had no idea where he had come from, or what brought him to the Rumbling Rock that afternoon, but she was glad for the reason, whatever it was.

  “Thank you, Peter,” was her only reply. She wasn’t going to give him one iota of information for him to spread to her nosey neighbors.

  For the moment, Nate Billings was the only thing on her mind. She hurried to the elevator. She didn’t have much time to investigate her white knight.

  PART II

  Mel glanced at the clock. 7:20pm. She fidgeted with the hem of her skirt and then dragged her hands away. She pushed herself up off the couch and went into the bathroom for the third time to check her make-up. The mirror revealed the same image that it had on her previous trips.

  She had taken to wearing her hair up in messy ponytails around the same time she went to work at Rumbling Rock. Tonight, she let her chocolate brown locks hang loose, coerced by a curling iron into large bouncing tendrils that framed her face. Her hair fell just below her collarbone and she knew it was one of her best features.

  Her make-up was flawless, although she dabbed a bit more gloss onto her lips from the tube in her purse. She smoothed the lines of her dress down her body and over her hips. Although she tried to run at least four times a week, there had been a slight thickening in her waist and an extra roundness to her breasts that wasn’t there six months ago. The lavender sheath dress accented her curves, but she was still annoyed with herself for not monitoring her food and exercise as religiously as she did before.

  Of course, if this wasn’t a date, then she shouldn’t care if Nate liked the kind of thin, emancipated waifs who graced the magazine covers versus a woman with luscious curves. Mel had never lacked for male attention, but it had been a long time since she was around a man like Nate, and her skills were rusty. She hoped that she didn’t make a fool of herself.

  Leaving the bathroom, she glanced at the printouts on her desk next to the computer. Nathan Billings name rang a bell in her memory earlier because he was the owner of the three newest and hottest restaurants in town. She remembered eating at the flagship store, Desert Palms, right after it opened. The unique thing about Desert Palms was that once the dinner service was done, the restaurant turned over into a nightclub. She vaguely remembered going there right after it opened and drinking too much and dancing in the middle of the crowded dance floor until the wee hours of the morning. Those were the days when she did everything she could to avoid coming home because she and her ex, Harrison, were almost constantly fighting.

  Shaking off that memory, Mel reviewed what else she learned about Nate Billings. He was from California, but had moved to Spring City after his divorce was final about eighteen months ago. His success with the three restaurants in town wasn’t by coincidence. Over the last decade he had cultivated a reputation as a highly-paid, in-demand restaurant consultant. He had opened and operated more than two dozen restaurants and clubs in various parts of the country. His expertise was in high demand, and when he decided to settle in Spring City and open his own chain of restaurants under his personal brand, the restaurant industry was miffed.

  On the romantic front, over the years, he had been linked to several actresses and models. There was always a lovely young woman on his arm at every grand opening event. Then about three years he got married, and then was divorced just over a year later. Mel couldn’t find anything at all about the reason the marriage ended almost before it began.

  The net effect was that Mel had no idea what would have brought a man like Nate to Rumbling Rock that Monday afternoon. But when he said he had industry contacts and could help her get a job that was obviously true. Mel figured that he would try to offer her a job in one of his restaurants, which she planned to refuse. She wasn’t sure how she felt about the idea of working for him.

  The buzz of the intercom rang out and caused her to jump. She crossed the room and pressed the button next to the door. “Yes?”

  “Do you want me to come up?” The question, spoken with a heavy undertone, brought a wave of desire crashing over her. She wondered if he had any idea the effect his voice had on women.

  “No, I’ll be right down,” she mumbled. She didn’t invite him up because she couldn’t trust herself not to do something stupid like throw herself at him. She snatched one more look at herself in the hallway mirror, smoothed an imaginary strand of hair down, and then grabbed her clutch from the small table underneath the mirror.

  Riding down the elevator moments later, she reminded herself to breath. It was just dinner. It wasn’t an official date. She had to calm down. The elevator doors slid open, and she found Nate leaning casually against the security desk. He straightened as he saw her and a pleased grin crossed his face.

  “You look stunning,” he said as he presented her with his arm.

  “You don’t look so bad yourself,” she said. It was an understatement. Nate looked downright mouthwatering. He had exchanged his pinstripe suit for black slacks, a button down blue shirt that matched his eyes, and a black sport coat that had a silver pattern design spiraling along its lining and collar. He looked casual but chic all at the same time.

  Peter ogled them as they swept out the door, but for once Mel didn’t care what he thought or would say about her. She was on the arm of a gorgeous, successful man, and she was going to enjoy her evening with him.

  Outside, a small silver sports car waited for them. “I ditched the driver for tonight. I hope you don’t mind,” Nate said as he helped her into the car.

  “I like going fast,” she replied as her fingertips danced across the seat’s Italian leather.

  “I’ll remember that,” Nate said with a wink as he brought the car’s engine to life.

  Mel realized what she said and felt the rise of color across her cheeks. “That’s not what I meant.” Was she flirting with him? She didn’t know. She felt a bit lightheaded being in such proximity to him. His large form filled the driver’s seat, and in the small cockpit of the two-seater, her arm brushed against his no matter what position she’d sit in.

  Nate just smiled and didn’t reply. He deftly guided the car away from the curb and into traffic.

  “So where are we going for dinner? Desert Palms, Gallian’s, or Blue Pointe?” she asked casually.

  “So, you’ve been checking up on me,” Nate said without taking his eyes off the road.

  “I’m not the kind of girl to have dinner with a complete stranger,” she said. She took the opportunity that his eyes were focused on the road to study him.

  According to her research, Nate was about five years older than she was, but they didn’t come from dissimilar backgrounds. They both attended Ivy League colleges. They were both divorced with no kids. They were both well-traveled and enjoyed sumptuous dining. He was exactly the type of guy she thought she was looking for two years ago when she met Harrison. Harrison had been the exact opposite of Mel, which ultimately meant that together, they made mud.

  “As a matter of fact, I’m not the kind of guy who has dinner with a complete stranger either,” Nate said.

  Mel realized with a start that Nate had probably done similar research on her background. The idea froze her insides. “Oh,” was the only thing she could think to say.

  “You worried I dug up some skeletons in your closet?” His tone was amused.

  “I don’t have any skeletons,” Mel said, crossing her arms over her chest.

  “We all have skeletons,” he said with a solemn glance in her direction. “The good thing for me i
s you already know mine.”

  Mel remembered their earlier exchange at the bar. She wouldn’t have brought it up, but Nate seemed comfortable talking about it. “You’re an alcoholic.”

  “Lots of late nights and free flowing liquor for countless number of years definitely contributed to it. In the end, I made the decision I didn’t like the guy I became when I drank. So I quit.”

  That was something that Mel could understand. “Then what made you want to drink today?”

  “I told you, tough day,” he said, avoiding the question. “Ah, here we are.”

  Mel looked out the windshield and saw that they were parked in the lot of a small restaurant with a striped green and yellow awning. The name “Ardore Jazz Club” stretched across the awning. Heavy curtains covered the large windows that faced the street. She looked at Nate. “I thought we were going to one of your restaurants.”

  “I told you,” Nate said, leaning over and dropping his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “I am taking you one of my favorite restaurant. Now, don’t get me wrong. My restaurants are fantastic, but this place,” he pointed out the window at the restaurant, “This place could put me out of business in a heartbeat. Now I’m trusting you to keep my secret.”

  Mel smiled and crossed her heart. “No one will hear it from me.” Secretly, she was also relieved. The possibility of running into someone she had known in her previous life was now next to nil. Those people would never be caught dead at a place like the one in front of her.

  “Good. I hope you’re hungry.”

  Mel’s stomach answered for her in a low growl, and they both laughed. Nate unfolded his tall body from the inside of the car and then was next to her door seconds later, holding it open and offering her a hand up. So far, Mel was impressed with how attentive Nate appeared to be; it was like he was always thinking about how to take care of her.