Seth escorted Natalia into the Wolf Den, his hand resting at the small of her back. He felt her go stiff against his palm before she went pliant. When he’d told her that we need you, he had included himself in that equation. He didn’t want her as a girlfriend but as a friend. It had been a few years since he could count a woman among his friends.
The conversations among those seated at the bar stopped when customers spotted him with Natalia. The locals were used to seeing him come in wearing his uniform, but rarely in street clothes or with a woman. He nodded and exchanged greetings with those with whom he had reconnected since returning to The Falls. Transitioning to life as a civilian had gone smoothly for Seth, which he attributed to frequent trips home. He didn’t know what it was, but there was something about his hometown that drew him back again and again. Even when his mother announced that she was moving to Savannah, Seth had the option of reenlisting or becoming a federal agent with the Marine Corps Criminal Investigation Division. He had taken advantage of his GI education benefit to obtain a bachelor’s in criminal justice and had six remaining credits to complete to obtain a graduate degree in the same field.
He had been truthful with Natalia when he told her he’d wanted to return to live in Wickham Falls, but only after he retired from the military and law enforcement. If he’d served in the corps for twenty years and another twenty as a federal agent he would be fifty-eight, still young enough to enjoy fishing, traveling and tinkering around his house. Not once had the notion of having his own family figured into his future plans once his divorce was finalized.
Seth had known when he married Melissa, life would be challenging for his young wife. She had complained that she felt like a nomad packing up their apartment and moving whenever he received orders to transfer to a different base. The final straw came when he was deployed to Afghanistan. When he returned to the States, it was to discover his wife was carrying another man’s child. Her excuse that she was lonely and he wasn’t there for her fell on deaf ears. Seth filed for divorce, ending their three-year marriage, and then signed up for his second deployment.
“Hey, Seth, where have you been hiding yourself?” the bartender shouted.
One of the regulars, a retired postal worker sitting at the bar, raised his mug of beer. “Fletcher’s right. Me and the boys were talking about not seeing you around. We thought you had re-upped.”
Smiling, Seth patted the older man’s back. “It’s called a vacation, Jesse.”
“Good for you and good for us. Sheriff Jensen would be up the creek if he lost you.” The others sitting at the bar echoed his sentiment. “By the way, who’s your pretty girlfriend?”
Seth stared at Natalia when she glanced up at him. He was suddenly aware that being seen with her would generate some gossip. He lowered his head. “Do you want to introduce yourself?” he said in her ear.
* * *
Natalia knew it was only a matter of time before all of Wickham Falls would know who she was, not as Seth’s girlfriend but as Dr. Franklin’s assistant. “I’m Natalia Hawkins, and Seth and I are just friends,” she added, smiling.
“If that’s the case, I’m available if you’re looking for a boyfriend,” called out a man with a shaved pate, a full strawberry blonde beard and both arms covered with colorful tattoos.
Natalia laughed along with the others. “I just got rid of a boyfriend so I’m really not looking for another one right about now,” she said truthfully.
Seth’s arm curved around her waist. “Let’s find a booth before someone puts a ring on your finger.”
Natalia wanted to tell him someone had put a ring on her finger, and if she could turn back the clock she never would’ve accepted it. “Do women who come here always get propositioned?” she asked Seth.
He waited for her to slip into the booth before sitting opposite her. “I’ve never witnessed it before. I’m glad you took it all in stride because they’re really harmless.”
She smiled, and then lowered her eyes. “I wasn’t insulted.” Natalia wanted to tell Seth that she’d found it flattering that men would flirt with her because it had been much too long since she’d thought of herself as pretty. Wearing scrubs and no makeup had become the norm for her rather than the exception. Even when she’d dressed up for Daryl’s firm’s New Year’s Eve party, what she’d felt inside was reflected in her demeanor when she refused to smile and join in the festivities. It was then she realized no amount of makeup or haute couture could mask the instability of a doomed relationship that was evident by her expression, and now knew moving to Wickham Falls was one of the best decisions she had made in her life, thus far.
The people she’d met were friendly, unpretentious and weren’t afraid to speak their minds. She’d experienced countless catcalls from men who felt it was their right to say whatever came to their mind, but something communicated to Natalia that the men in the Wolf Den were different. She was certain if she had revealed she was Seth’s girlfriend, then the flirting would’ve ended immediately.
“Now that they know you’re not my girlfriend, news is going to spread like a wildfire that you’re available,” Seth said in a quiet voice.
Her eyes met his. “Whether I’m dating anyone or not is not a problem for me because I’m not looking to get into a relationship.”
“Is it true you just got rid of a boyfriend?”
She paused for several seconds, and then said, “He wasn’t a boyfriend but a fiancé.”
“What happened to…” Seth’s words trailed off when a middle-aged waitress with fire-engine red hair came over and placed two menus on the table.
“Hey, handsome,” she crooned, winking at Seth. “I missed seeing you last week.”
* * *
Seth smiled at the woman who’d recently switched with her daughter from the lunch to dinner shift. “I took some time off to visit my mother and sisters.”
“By the way how is your mom?” the waitress asked as she set napkins and place settings on the table.
“She’s well, Sharleen. Thanks for asking.”
“Please send her my regards.” She paused. “Where are your manners, Seth? Aren’t you going to introduce me to your lady friend? Or should I’ve said your girlfriend?”
Seth wondered how many more times he and Natalia would have to deny they were romantically linked; since he’d returned to live in Wickham Falls no one had seen him with a woman. “Natalia, this is Sharleen Weaver. Sharleen, Natalia Hawkins,” he said introducing the women and deliberately ignoring the waitress’s reference to Natalia being his girlfriend.
Sharleen rested her hands at her waist. “It’s nice meeting you, Natalia. Will we get to see you again?”
“I’m sure you will,” Natalia replied.
“Is there anything I can bring you good folks to drink before you order?” Sharleen asked.
Seth angled his head and stared at Natalia. “Do you want anything from the bar?”
“No, thank you. I’ll just have water.”
Sharleen nodded. “Seth, should I bring you your usual?”
“Please, Sharleen.” Leaning against the back of the booth, Seth waited until Sharleen left before focusing his attention on Natalia. She’d mentioned a fiancé and he wondered who’d initiated the breakup. “I’m sorry folks think we’re a couple.”
A slight smile played at the corners of her mouth. “It’s not about me as much as it is about you, Seth,” she countered.
“Why would you say that?”
“You claim you don’t have a girlfriend or a wife, so it’s apparent when people see you with a woman they assume she must be special enough for you to be seen in public with her. And it doesn’t bother me what they say or think because we’re neighbors and nothing more.”
Seth knew Natalia was right about them being neighbors. “That’s something we both can agree on.” A beat passed before he asked, “How did you get the name Natalia?”
“My mother taught college-level romance languages and literature, and had decided if she had children they would all have Latin names. I’m Natalia, which means ‘nativity’ because her due date with me was December 25. My sister is Serena, but everyone calls her Rena, and my brother is Justin.”
“Should I assume Justin implies justice?”
“Not so much justice as just or upright.”
Seth rested his forearms on the table. “Were you born on Christmas Day?”
“No,” Natalia said, smiling. “I came two days earlier but still close enough to Christmas for Mom to keep the name.”
“Where are you in the birth order?”
“I’m the middle child. And before you ask, I never went through the middle child syndrome. My parents treated all of us the same. But if you listen to my pompous brother, he’d tell that he’s their favorite because he’s the firstborn and male.”
Nodding slowly, Seth flashed a Cheshire cat grin and winked at Natalia. “I think I like your brother.”
“Please don’t tell me you’re older than your sisters.”
His grin became a wide smile. “Bingo. I was responsible for protecting my sisters and carrying on the Collier name.”
“Do you have a son or sons?”
“No, but—”
“But nothing,” Natalia said, cutting him off. “If you don’t have a son, then you can’t say you’re carrying on the Collier name.”
“That’s not to say it won’t happen one of these days.”
“When you’re fifty?” she teased.
Seth narrowed his eyes. “So the doctor has jokes.”
Natalia’s expression mirrored innocence. “No. Either you’re forty or close to it, and you profess not to be married or have a girlfriend all which translates into either you’re commitment-shy or you plan to become a baby daddy.”
“You’re wrong on both counts. I’m not afraid of committing because I was married once. And I have no intention of ever becoming a baby daddy.” He saw Natalia’s face crumble like an accordion and wondered if she was comparing her failed engagement with his unsuccessful marriage.
“I’m sorry if I prejudged you,” she whispered.
Seth flashed a smile. “There’s no need to apologize. Some things just don’t work out the way we’d like.”
“How true,” Natalia remarked.
“Is he the reason you moved here?” The query was out before Seth could censor himself. He’d just met Natalia and he didn’t want to turn her off by prying into her love life.
She averted her eyes. “He wasn’t the only reason, but I’d rather not talk about that now. I haven’t eaten since this morning, and I’m ready to order everything on the menu.”
Seth laughed under his breath. “So, you’re not one of those women who eat like a bird because they’re monitoring everything that goes into their mouth?”
Natalia rolled her eyes upward. “That’s sexist, Seth. There are men who also are just as finicky when it comes to their diets. And do I look anorexic to you?”
Seth knew he’d put his proverbial foot in his mouth and had to be careful taking it out. “Um…no. I’m sorry I mentioned it.”
“How much weight I gain or lose has never been a concern of mine. There were occasions when I worked eighteen hours in the ER that I’d take time out to drink a smoothie or grab a salad because it saved time. But whenever I had several days off I’d make all of my favorite dishes and sit down like a normal person to enjoy my meals.”
“I suppose all of that will change now that you’ll be working with Dr. Franklin.”
* * *
Natalia nodded. Her entire life had changed since leaving Philadelphia. “Yes, it will.” She opened the menu binder and perused the selections. “What do you recommend?”
Seth pointed to the chalkboard on the opposite wall. “Everything’s good, but I usually order the day’s special.”
She glanced at the board. “I’m going to order the smothered chicken with steamed cabbage and rice.” Natalia paused. “How’s the white bean soup with ham?”
He smiled. “It’s excellent. You must have been reading my mind because I was going to start out with a cup.”
Natalia closed the binder. “I’m also going to have one.”
Sharleen returned with her water and Seth’s club soda, and took their dining selections. Minutes later, she came back with their soup. The mouthwatering aroma wafting from the cup was a blatant reminder of how long it had been since Natalia had eaten breakfast.
She took a spoonful and closed her eyes. When she opened them she found Seth smiling at her. “You’re right. It is delicious.”
“Everything they make here is incredible and that’s why the Den has managed to survive after so many years when restaurants in other towns have gone out of business.”
“Good food and the fact that there are no fast-food restaurants around here,” Natalia said once she swallowed another mouthful of the soup made with navy beans and pieces of smoked ham.
“Fast food notwithstanding, if the Den didn’t offer palatable dishes it wouldn’t have survived.”
“What about Ruthie’s?” Natalia asked.
Seth picked up his spoon. “Ruthie’s is good if you’re looking for variety. And because what they offer is not processed and prepared daily, it is much healthier than fast food. Another good thing is the owners of Ruthie’s and the Den donate all leftovers to our soup kitchen.”
“There’s a soup kitchen here in Wickham Falls?”
“Yes. It’s a part of the church’s outreach.”
Seth gave Natalia a steady stare. “Poor farming techniques and the loss of jobs to mechanization in the mining industry have led to out-migration, and coupled with that, Appalachia has always had a problem with tax revenue and absentee land ownership has left many counties with hard-core pockets of poverty.”
She lowered her eyes. “I suppose I’m going to have to study up on the history of my new state.”
“You may not have to study too hard because I’m willing to bet your patients will give you an earful. Everyone has a tale to tell about their grandmother or grandpappy.”
Natalia finished her soup and laced her fingers together on the Formica tabletop. “How was it for you growing up here?”
Seth closed his eyes as a dreamy expression flitted over his features. “It was great. I didn’t realize we were poor because there was always food on the table and a roof over our heads.”
Sharleen set their orders on the table and over dinner, Natalia listened to Seth talk about three generations of Collier men working in the mines until his father was forced to choose another vocation once the mines began closing down. She pretended interest in the food on her plate because each time she glanced up, she found Seth staring at her.
“Dad’s number came up in the draft several months after he graduated high school. Once he returned to The Falls, he hired himself out as a handyman, extending credit to those unable to pay in full. Folks called on him to repair a leaky roof, busted pipes and rewire their home. Even though we had a little more than many other families my mother drummed it into our heads that we were no better than those who bought their food with government-issued stamps, or kids that wore hand-me-downs.
“I started going with Dad to his jobs once I entered high school. He wanted me to work with him after I graduated, while my mother insisted I go to college. It was the only time I witnessed my parents arguing with each other. I decided to enlist and have the military pay for my college education. I managed to give both my parents what they wanted when I earned a degree in criminal justice and whenever I came home on leave I’d spend that time helping Dad.”
Natalia took a sip of water. “That sounds like a win-win for everyone.”
Seth nodded. “Yes, it was. Enough talk about me and my family. Have your brother or sister made you an auntie?”
“My brother has. He and his wife became parents for the second time last year. My sister just celebrated her second wedding anniversary a couple of months ago, and she and her husband have decided to wait a few years before they start a family.”
“Are you one of those aunties that spoil their nieces or nephews?”
“I will when they’re old enough. My nieces are still too young for them to help me bake cookies or have sleepovers.”
“Speaking of cooking, what do you plan to make tomorrow?”
“Look at you,” Natalia teased, smiling. “You just ate and you’re already talking about more food.”
“What can I say? I like to eat. However, I do work out to stay in shape for my job.”
Natalia wanted to tell Seth that during her second trip to Wickham Falls to secure housing she saw a deputy with a conspicuous potbelly that indicated he wasn’t as physically fit as he could’ve been. “Where do you work out?”
“I’ve set up space in the basement to use as an in-home gym. You’re welcome to come and use it whenever you have time.”
“Thanks for the offer, but I packed my bike along with some other things I wanted to bring with me.” Daryl had turned her on to biking and she had taken to it like a duck to water. “Riding a bike around here is going to test my stamina because of the hills.”
“We have the Appalachian and Allegheny Mountains running through the state, so you won’t find too many places where the land is flat. What else do you do for relaxation?”
A wry smile touched her mouth. “That’s about it.”
Resting an elbow on the table, Seth cradled his chin on his fist. “Have you ever gone fly-fishing?”
“No, but it’s something I’d like to do.” She’d gone fishing with her Scout group but never caught anything.
“Maybe one of these days I’ll take you fishing with me.”
Natalia felt a shiver of excitement eddy through her. Now that she wouldn’t be required to work around the clock, she would have time to do some of the things she’d dreamed about doing. She’d always been an outdoorsy person from the time she’d joined the Girl Scouts. Hiking, canoeing, sleeping outdoors in a tent and roasting marshmallows over a campfire were the highlights of her childhood.
“I’d love that. You have to let me know where I can buy some equipment.”
“You don’t have to buy anything. I have all of the fishing tackle we’ll need. I’ll even bait your hook for you.”
“Do you really think I’d be afraid of a worm when I’ve treated people with injuries where their entrails were hanging out of their bodies?”
Seth put up both hands. “My bad!”
“Outwardly I may appear to be a city girl, but underneath all of this” she pantomimed running her hand over her body “I’m a country girl at heart.”
“Where does your country come from?”
“Attending medical school in the South made me aware of my Southern roots. My grandfather was born and raised in DC. He attended Howard University and then their medical school. Once he became a doctor he moved to Philly and set up a practice. He married his nurse and together they had four boys—all of whom became doctors.”
With wide eyes, Seth stared at Natalia. “Are your siblings also doctors?”
“No,” Natalia said, laughing. “Justin is an urban planner for the city of Philadelphia and Rena an underwriter for an international insurance company.”
“Where did you attend medical school?”
“Meharry College School of Medicine in Nashville, Tennessee.”
Seth’s eyebrows lifted slightly. “Why didn’t you go to Howard like your grandfather?”
“Once I realized Meharry is the first medical school in the South for African Americans and also the oldest and largest historically black academic health science institution, I knew it’s where I wanted to go. Did you know that less than five percent of the doctors in this country are black?”
“No, I didn’t. Those numbers are pathetic.”
“That was one of the reasons I wanted to be a doctor and to become a role model for little girls who look like me. I used to watch the faces of young women I’d treated and they would light up once I told them I was Dr. Hawkins and that I was going to try and make them feel better. Some even questioned whether I was really a doctor and I had to convince them that I was.”
“Can I say that Philly’s loss is The Falls’ gain?”
“Hopefully you’re right about that.” Natalia knew working in a private practice would be a dramatic change from the ongoing chaos in a large city hospital’s emergency room. She doubted whether she would have to treat a number of gunshots and knifings, but that did not exempt her from medical crises stemming from household accidents or responding to drug overdoses. Seth had confirmed what Dr. Franklin had told her about the increase of abuse of opiates in the town.
The noise in the restaurant escalated appreciably when several couples walked in. “I think it’s time we leave to free up the table unless you’d like dessert,” Seth said.
“No, I’m good.” And she was. Not only had Natalia enjoyed the food but also her dining partner. Seth was a refreshing change from going out with Daryl who felt it was his divine right to select the restaurant because he had an expense account while also attempting to order for her, and whenever she refused he’d spend the time sulking like a spoiled little boy.
It was only after their breakup that she’d questioned herself as to why she had stayed in their relationship so long. She’d convinced herself she was in love and attributed the ongoing tension between them to the stress in their careers. It had taken less than twenty-four hours to conclude after Daryl walked out that she had been liberated from a prison without bars.
Seth settled the bill and then escorted her out to the parking lot packed with vehicles. It was Friday and date night. Natalia stared at the sky and inhaled a lungful of cool, crisp mountain air. How different, she mused, nightfall in the mountains was from the city. The sun had slipped behind the mountains leaving streaks of orange and bloodred color across the darkening sky.
“Spectacular, isn’t it?” Seth whispered in Natalia’s ear as he moved closer to open the passenger-side door for her.
The heat coming from his body, his moist breath caressing her cheek and the seductive scent of Seth’s cologne wrapped Natalia in a comforting cocoon from which she did not want to escape. “Yes, it is,” she whispered.
Seth took a step back and she slipped into the car. “Do you want to go for a drive before I take you home?”
Natalia glanced up at him. “Perhaps another time. I still have some unpacking to do, and I also have to figure out what I want to cook tomorrow.”
The seconds ticked as he stared at her. “Forget about cooking for me. It was selfish of me to put that pressure on you when you’re trying to settle in. Please let me finish, Natalia,” he said in a quiet voice when she opened her mouth. “We’re going to be neighbors for the next year and hopefully I’ll get a chance to sample your home cooking at least once during that time.”
Her smile successfully concealed her disappointment because she was looking forward to spending more time with Seth. She’d felt more comfortable with him than she had with any other man in years. Nothing in his demeanor indicated he was trying to come on to her which had put her completely at ease.
She suspected, after she’d mentioned she’d had an ex-fiancé, that he probably wanted to know what had happened but did not pry for which she was grateful. Talking about Daryl always put her in a funk that left her in a bad mood for days. Natalia didn’t blame her ex as much as she did herself. She had free will and the option of continuing to see him or end their toxic relationship. However, she had deluded herself when she said it would get better, that he would change. But instead of getting better it got worse and worse until she knew it had reached a point where it had to be resolved. Days before he walked out, Natalia had confided in her sister that she was going to break up with Daryl before Valentine’s Day. Rena applauded her position while admitting she never liked her fiancé because he was full of himself. Thankfully Daryl’s leaving made the break drama-free, because when it came to drama, her ex could take it to another level.
Natalia buckled her seat belt when Seth slipped in behind the wheel. They exchanged a glance and smile before he started the engine and backed out of the parking space. She had no way of knowing when she rented the little house on Stewart Avenue that she would live next door to a gorgeous, hunky lawman.
There was only the humming sound of the car’s powerful engine during the drive back home. Natalia wanted to remind Seth that he was exceeding the town’s speed limit but held her tongue when she realized the chances of him being pulled over for speeding were nonexistent because he represented law enforcement.
“You were speeding,” she said when he opened the door to assist her. She placed her hand in his and he eased her to a stand.
“So you noticed?”
“Shame on you, Seth. You took an oath to uphold the law and meanwhile you just broke it.”
Tightening his hold on her hand, Seth led her across the lawn and up to the porch. He lowered his head, and dropped a kiss on her hair. “Good night, Natalia. Now go inside and lock the door behind you.”
The porch lights had come on and provided enough illumination for her to see him trying not to laugh. “Good night, Seth.” She unlocked the door, entered the house and locked it behind her.
Resting her back against the door, Natalia closed her eyes and slowly let out her breath. Her first twenty-four hours in Wickham Falls had just become a little more interesting. Not only did people recognize one another on sight but they also appeared privy to their personal lives. Seth was greeted by other diners who appeared genuinely surprised to find him dining with a woman. He’d admitted that he had been married and Natalia wondered if she had also been a local girl.
She shook her head as if banishing all thoughts of Seth. When she told him she wasn’t looking to get into another relationship, it was a reminder to her and a subtle warning to him that they could never be more to each other than friends and neighbors.
Natalia removed her makeup, and then changed into a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt before she tackled the task of opening boxes and putting things away. It was close to midnight when she finally crawled into bed and fell asleep within minutes of her head touching the pillow. She did not wake again until ribbons of sunlight slipped through the slats of the blinds.