Shifter Romance: BODHI (LOST CREEK SHIFTERS NOVELLAS Book 4) Page 5

  Natalie shrugged and tried to be coy.

  “The space next to Arlo’s wasn’t suitable, but he showed me another one and it was perfect, but I haven’t got any prices yet. I think it’ll be way over my budget.” She sighed and sat down at the center island.

  “Well, you never know,” her mom said. “Plus, your dad and I can help you ̶ ” She hadn’t even finished speaking before Natalie cut her off.

  “No, this is something I’m doing on my own. No handouts are being taken.”

  “Nat ̶ ” her mom went to speak, but Natalie raised her hand to silence her.

  “Just let me have this meeting with the guy who owns it and see what he has to say…” She nodded with authority and then she bounced to her feet. “I’m chatting to him tonight, so I should know one way or another before the day is out.”

  Her mother smiled and rubbed her shoulder.

  “I’m really proud of you,” she said. “Coming home, I know that can’t have been easy… But you have so much direction, vision and you’re going after your goals. I wish I’d had the guts when I was your age.”

  There was a distinct sadness behind her eyes, but Natalie could tell that mostly her mom was just really proud of her. And it meant a lot.

  “Thank you,” she said.

  Her mother leaned in and hugged her, and for a split second, Natalie felt close to tears, but then she reminded herself of who she was meeting in a few hours and it made the smile spread wide across her face once more.

  “Well,” she said as she skipped toward the hallway door. “I have a few things to do before I head back out later.”

  “Okay dear,” her mom said before she started humming and placing a big batch of brownies into the oven.

  Natalie ran to her bedroom door and threw it open before she dove inside, slammed it behind her, and turned on her stereo as loud as it would go. She picked up her cell phone and texted Carly straight away…

  You’ll never guess what… I have a date tonight!

  Even as she hit send, she still couldn’t believe what she was writing, but the excitement was building so much within her that she just had to tell someone or she felt as if she was going to explode.

  She went over to her closet and opened the doors. Inside, there was a pretty sorry selection of clothes that she had bought when she had first moved to the city but had never gotten around to wearing. As she leafed through them, all the memories of her first frightening two weeks in the city came flooding back to her, and it was a strange realization knowing how weak she had been back then.

  She pulled out a flowing black dress with long sleeves and a pair of sharp, black courts. It was so cold outside all she wanted was to wear something thick and warm, but when it came to meeting up with her sexy stranger, she knew she wanted to make a significant impression.

  “I don’t even know his name,” she suddenly said aloud.

  It made her laugh. She had agreed to go on a date with someone and she didn’t even know what he was called. It was clear to her that she was certainly experiencing a new lease of life.

  She walked over to the bathroom that adjoined her room and turned on the shower. As the room steamed up, she slipped off her clothes and jumped underneath the warming water. She had been so exhausted the previous evening, and she still didn’t feel totally recovered. If things hadn’t been getting so exciting, she knew the last thing she would be doing was heading back out into the cold, she would be climbing into bed and sleeping for as many hours as possible.

  When she had finished in the shower, she wrapped herself up in a big fluffy white towel and went back into her room. The heat was on high and it felt warm and toasty in there as she sat down on the bed and began to moisturize.

  There was so much to think about and yet, there was no time to think about it. She had to take one step at a time and enjoy the ride.

  She raced to get ready, knowing full well that if she didn’t, she would find herself being late. She had to get all the way back up to the empty store, and she also had to do it in the ridiculous heels she was planning on wearing when she headed over to the sports bar afterwards to meet her date.

  When she had finished glossing and making herself up, she took one last look in the mirror. It had taken her hours and she had enjoyed every second of it, and true to form, she had spent at least an hour of that doing her nails to absolute perfection.

  “If I’m going to open a nail salon… the last thing I can be doing is walking around with nasty nails,” she whispered as she looked down at her long and sculpted pink talons and smiled.

  She grabbed her purse and slipped her arms into her coat before she belted it at the waist. It was nipped in perfectly and made her look like she was as delicate as a doll. It had been such a long time since she had felt so good, and she wanted to savor every moment.

  After she psyched herself up again for the big night ahead, she took a deep breath and headed toward the door.

  “This is it,” she whispered. “This is the first step on the path to completely changing your life.”

  Her heels clicked across the icy ground and she walked slowly to make sure she didn’t lose her footing. The town was alive with festivity and cheer, and all of the wooden buildings were filled with laughter and light. It sounded as if every tavern and bar was full of plenty of skiers who had finished a tough day on the mountain and stopped for drinks on the way back to their log cabins and hotels. And Natalie was desperate to get in there amongst them. She let her eyes trail over to Arlo’s Bar as she walked up Main Street and her heart did a little dance in her chest. In just over an hour, she would be making her way back to that very place to meet him…

  She bit her lip and continued walking. Even though she wasn’t supposed to meet her date for over an hour, she still couldn’t help but look around and think she would see him. Ever since he had saved her from being run over, she had imagined bumping into him in various different situations. But none of them had ever actually gone how it had happened in real life.

  She could see the intersection up ahead and as she squinted, she could see that a light was already shining from within the empty shop. Her nerves began to mount but it made her walk faster, and before she knew it, she was skidding along the sidewalk heading straight toward the door.

  As she pushed it open, she saw Arlo right in front of her, and he turned and smiled warmly.

  “Evening,” he said.

  Natalie was slightly out of breath and she stepped inside slowly and rubbed her cold hands together. The air outside was so chilled she could tell her nose would be frozen red.

  She closed the door behind her and instantly felt the warmth return to her hands and cheeks. Arlo was flipping through some paperwork at the back of the room and tapping a pen against his front teeth.

  “So…” Natalie began.

  “So,” Arlo put the paperwork down and crossed his arms over his chest. “I had a chance to speak to a couple of the guys I run my properly business with….” He trailed off for what seemed to be dramatic effect.

  “And?” Natalie took a step further into the room.

  “And they like the sound of what you want to do,” he said. “We’ve had a few tenants in these places who aren’t very respectful… But you have a genuine vibe about you… I can tell you’re not going to cause me any trouble.”

  Natalie smiled and felt her shoulders slacked with relief. However, he still hadn’t told her how much he would be charging her… And really, that was the make or break.

  “And I said we don’t need a nail bar in Lost Creek…” A voice cut in from the left hand side of the room from somewhere in the dark. It was a low, gruff voice, almost like a growl.

  Natalie jumped and put her hand against her chest. She had thought they were alone, but someone else was there with them, listening to their conversation and now contributing. She could see their silhouette which was eerily familiar, and her heart began to race as the owner of the voice stepped forward, out of the dark, and
into the light of the main room of the shop.

  When she saw him and the way he was snarling at her, her head went into a tailspin…

  It was him… The man who had saved her… Her date.

  Natalie tried to smile, but the way he was looking at her, she could tell he wasn’t in a friendly mood, and in an instant, she was transported right back to where she had been earlier that day when she had left the empty store for the first time. He had been rude to her then, and he was being rude to her now. But she had a date with him in less than an hour.

  What the hell is going on… she thought painfully.

  “Excuse me?” she said as she crossed her arms over her chest. She popped her hip out to the side and tried to look as confident as she was attempting to sound.

  “I said it was a lame idea,” he said again nastily. “But Arlo here is all for it.”

  “It’s the perfect location for that kind of enterprise,” Arlo snarled at him.

  “Well, if you say so.” He got to his feet and snorted as he picked up a packet of cigarettes and clamped one between his teeth.

  “Wow,” she said as she breathed out. “Well, thanks…”

  He looked at her and shrugged, as if he couldn’t care less and it was so wounding it felt like he had just slammed a door right in her face.

  “Hey!” Natalie said as she felt the tears welling up behind her eyes. “Am I missing something here? Is this some kind of joke?”

  He turned back to glare at her and his dark eyes looked so different to the ones that had charmed her the previous day and earlier in The Hideout. It was as if he was two different people in the same body, and it was so confusing it was bringing her to the verge of tears.

  Arlo stepped forward and grimaced.

  “Please, ignore Kodhi’s attitude,” he hissed as he looked back to the arrogant man that Natalie honestly thought that she had had a connection with.

  She felt as if she had just been slapped in the face and she found herself wrapping her arms tightly around herself, almost like a barrier.

  “Attitude?” Kodhi sneered. “I’m just being realistic. What this town needs is more places for men like us.”

  “What this town needs is someone willing to invest in it,” Arlo said sternly.

  Natalie felt uncomfortable, as if she had just walked in on the middle of a blazing fight. She was like a rabbit caught in the headlights, with both men staring at her.

  She found herself looking at Kodhi. And she couldn’t believe, after the way they had met and all she had felt for him, he was being such a jerk.

  “I don’t know who you think you are,” she said calmly. “But I don’t appreciate the way you’re speaking to me right now.”

  She kept her cool and wouldn’t let her emotions get the better of her.

  Kodhi looked at Arlo with a smirk and then back to Natalie.

  “Me?” he asked. “I’ve got nothing against you, sweetheart, I’m just trying to do the best for my company.”

  “What’s best for your company is to secure a tenant in this store,” Arlo interjected.

  “Are you insane?” Natalie laughed with disbelief. “You’re like two completely different people! Yesterday, you were nothing but a gentleman, and then this morning, you were obscenely rude, quickly followed by a nice, charming guy again… who then turns into… this! And I don’t even know what to class this as… You’re being a complete asshole! Especially considering we’re supposed to be having drinks in a little over half an hour.”

  Kodhi’s brow unfurrowed and Arlo rubbed his eyes and started to laugh. They both looked at each other as if they were in on some hilarious joke that she was being left out of, and then they looked to her again and shook their heads as if they were trying to say they were sorry, but they couldn’t get the words out.

  Natalie felt her face burning bright red and as she looked at Kodhi and Arlo in fits of laughter in front of her, mocking her when she felt her most vulnerable, she knew she couldn’t take it anymore.

  “Oh, fuck you both,” she said as she turned on her heel and stormed toward the door of the store.

  “Natalie!” Arlo called after. “No, don’t go, just wait!”

  “No thank you,” she spat as she turned back to face them. “I don’t know who you both think you are, but I was genuinely looking to start a business here and you’ve done nothing but laugh at me… and he… has been nothing but rude and disrespectful!” She shot daggers at Kodhi out of the corner of her eyes as she turned to face him.

  “Wait,” Kodhi said as he took a step toward her. “I can explain…”

  But before he managed to say another word, the door to the store opened wide and a set of heavy footsteps came clunking in.

  A familiar sensation rippled over Natalie’s body, and as she turned to face the doorway, she couldn’t have been any more surprised. She felt her jaw sag as her eyes settled on him… and she felt the shock rise within her.

  “What… the…” she whispered.

  She was looking at the exact same man. The one who had saved her life, the one she had asked out… and the one who had been rude to her less than ten seconds before…

  Except, they weren’t the same person at all.

  Because there was two of them.

  Kodhi took a step forward and wrapped an arm around his carbon copy, and Natalie’s head was spinning harder than ever.

  “This is Bodhi,” Kodhi said with a wry smile. “My identical twin… And by the sounds of it, you two have already met…”

  Natalie looked up to Bodhi and saw his familiar warm smile, and knew then what must have happened. And even though her nerves felt as if they were about to crumble, she had never been more relieved in her entire life.

  7.

  Standing together, the pair of them looked like a force to be reckoned with, and Natalie’s heart was pounding harder than ever before. They were both so big and burly, so handsome, rugged and different, it was hard to believe that two of them could even begin to exist side by side.

  She could tell her mouth was gaping open, but she just couldn’t find it within her to stop staring.

  “We certainly have,” said Bodhi warmly.

  His friendly nature shone through and it pulled Natalie back into the moment. It felt so good to see him there and be in the presence of his genuine kindness, as opposed to Kodhi’s harsh and abrasive attitude. Up until she had seen them together, and realized she had been speaking with two different people, she honestly thought he could have been crazy. A Jekyll and Hyde. The relief that he wasn’t was almost overwhelming.

  “I think I need a minute,” Natalie laughed with a sigh as she leaned back against the wall and rubbed her temples.

  Arlo shook his head and smiled and Bodhi took a step closer to her.

  “Are you all right?” he asked.

  She looked up into his eyes and felt the pull toward him.

  “Yes,” she smiled. “I am now.”

  They could have been the only two people in the room, and she felt more alive than ever before. She almost forgot she was supposed to be in the middle of a business meeting, and she had even more questions now that Bodhi and Kodhi were involved.

  “So, are you all business partners?” she asked tentatively, not wanting to overstep any boundaries.

  “We sure are,” Bodhi said. “And when Arlo came to me earlier today and said there was a new girl in town hoping to rent out one of our spaces on Main Street, I did wonder if it could possibly be you…” He didn’t take his eyes off her for one moment as he was speaking and it made her insides quake.

  “How did you two meet?” Kodhi asked with a sneer as he lit a cigarette and began to exhale long plumes of smoke into the air.

  “Come on, Kodhi,” Bodhi snarled as he shot his eyes down to the cigarette. “Not in here, okay?”

  Kodhi shrugged and turned on his heel before he walked toward the front door and went out into the night. Natalie watched as he leaned back against the window and continued smoki
ng, shaking his head. She had no idea what Kodhi’s problem was, but he was seriously pissed about something.

  “Ignore him,” Arlo said.

  “Yeah,” reiterated Bodhi. “He’s my brother and I love him, but he’s a fucking asshole.”

  Natalie couldn’t help but laugh.

  “So,” Arlo asked. “Are you still interested?”

  For a moment, her heart skipped a beat, it was incredibly forward for Arlo to ask her outright if she still wanted to go on a date with Bodhi, and her face must have told them that that was exactly what she was thinking because they both cracked up into laughter.

  “I mean, about the store… obviously…” Arlo winked.

  Natalie felt her face burn with embarrassment again and she covered her eyes.

  “Oh God,” she cringed. “Yes,” she said firmly as she took her hands away. “Of course I am, I just need to know how much and then I can see if I can make it happen.”

  Arlo scrunched up his face as if he was thinking, but then Bodhi took hold of him by the elbow and led him to the side of the room.

  “One moment,” he said as he looked back over his shoulder to Natalie.

  She watched as they stood huddled together furiously whispering and she could see that Bodhi was pitching some idea, but they were just too far away for her to hear exactly what. Arlo began nodding and then they both turned and looked back to her. And Arlo grinned before he reached out and slapped Bodhi affectionately on the back.

  They both turned and began to walk back toward Natalie and Arlo raised his hands into the air, palm up.

  “For now, there’s no charge,” he said.

  Natalie looked at him blankly, as if surely she had misheard what he had just said.

  “Excuse me?” she asked with disbelief.

  “The space is yours, and we don’t want any money from you. We all know how tough it is starting a new business, especially in this town,” Bodhi said as he crossed his arms over his chest.

  Natalie looked from one of them to the other, waiting for them to burst into fits of laughter again, assuming they were clearly playing a joke on her, or trying to make her feel like an idiot for the hundredth time. But with each passing second, it was becoming clearer to her that they meant every word.