Page 2 of Home for Nathan (Secret Springs)

Chapter

Two

Z ion wandered down Main Street in Secret Springs, window shopping and learning the sights and sounds. He really liked the vibe of the place, and he thought it was going to be the perfect base for what he had in mind.

Which, partly, was to get out of the big tourist areas like Aspen, and the big cities like Denver. He was a mountain boy at heart but not crowded mountains.

It was time to go back to his roots, so to speak. But he wanted to settle someplace less conservative than Steamboat Springs, which was where he came from originally.

He saw a sign that said “Clinton’s Crapitorium”, and he had to wander in there, because it looked like a wondrous collection of antiques, vintage stuff, and junque. With a fancy script QUE.

A bell over the door tinkled when he walked in, and he glanced around, wanting to rub his hands together with glee. This was worth digging through.

He stepped to one side so the door was clear, and so he could plan his path of attack. And then a solid, warm weight settled against his legs, making him grunt and glance down. A stocky hound dog, maybe a beagle or basset hound mix, was leaning on him, staring at him with soulful brown eyes.

“Hey, bud. Are you the shop dog?” He leaned down to rub those silky ears.

“He is.” A smiling mom-aged lady came out from the back. “That’s Winston.”

“Hey, Winston. That’s a superlative name.”

“Thanks. I’m Carrie. Just browsing?”

Zion grinned. “I am actually getting myself a housewarming present.” And maybe he should get one for his new friend Nathan. Hot little omega friend. Who was pregnant.

Wow.

“Oh? Are you moving in?” She raised her eyebrows, then lowered them. It was grand.

“I am. A friend of mine convinced me this was the place. Kaleb Raleigh.”

“Ah the eccentric bazillionaire.” She winked. “He’s a nice guy.”

“He is! So. I love old sports stuff. Weird old radios. And I desperately need a hall tree or a console table for my entryway.”

“Oh my God, really? I have the perfect thing. Come on, come on to the back.” Carrie gestured to him, moving surprisingly spryly for someone who simply didn’t seem like she ought to be and was using a cane.

She led him through warrens of shelves and displays, and he saw at least twenty-seven thousand things he needed immediately. There were a couple of old baseballs, and there was a cricket bat and…oh my God, there was an entire wall of radios.

And she kept moving, tugging him along. “Come on, come on. Right back there.”

“Oh, but?—”

She shook her head at him. “This is special. You can look later. I promise it will all be there. You can have all the radios, I’m sure. She’ll totally sell them to you, but here, come here, come here, come here.”

She led him back to a room that had gorgeous furniture in it, and Zion kind of blinked. “What’s this?”

“This is where we keep the good stuff.”

All right. Confusing. “Um, why do you keep the good stuff in the back?”

“Because, silly, this is the Crapitorium. This is a junk store. It’s just sometimes we tend to get something really, really cool and that we kind of keep behind for people who need something really, really amazing. And I have a super wonderful, stunning antique Victorian tiger oak hall tree.”

“Okay.” All right, he had to admit, that sounded intriguing. She walked over and pulled down a sheet like she was unveiling a painting.

Standing there was this amazing Victorian monstrosity. It was carved, and it had hooks and a seat and arms and a mirror, and it was gigantic, and it had scrollwork and a cornucopia, and he was in love.

He was absolutely one hundred percent certain right now this had to be his or he was going to die in love. It even had feet. “How much?”

“Thirty-three hundred, but I can throw in three radios.”

“Sold. I want it.”

She bounced and nodded. “I love my job. I always know. It’s like my thing. That’s why I love to work here. Someone will come in, and I’ll know that this is the perfect thing. What’s your name again? Did you tell me?”

She was something else. “I didn’t? I’m Zion.”

“Hi, Zion. I know I told you I was Carrie. I’m going to mark this as yours, and then I’ll let you browse, and when you’re all done, then we’ll ring you up. And you’re welcome to look back here if there’s any more good furniture you need. Are you in town? Out of town?”

“I bought a piece of land on this side of the river, but out farther—like beyond the hotel?”

“You bought the old Stone house, didn’t you?”

“Yes, the one with the mill.” Which was wooden, not stone, just like the house, but the mill owners had been called Stone, so the Stone house it was.

“That’s so cool. Are you going to restore it?”

“I don’t know if I’m going to restore it, but I’m going to make sure that everything good stays. I love it. It’s got lots of room, and it’s near the mountain, but it’s still got some land. It’s just perfect. And this is going to go in beautifully.”

“I’m tickled. Seriously.” She clapped her hands together once. “Oh, wait. Before you go wandering off to look, I do have one more thing to show you.”

He had to wonder how much this was going to cost him. “I can’t wait.”

She buzzed around for a second and then suddenly waved him over to look. Propped against the wall was this huge, ornate frame.

“That’s a big mirror.”

“Oh, it’s not a mirror, it’s even better.

” She pulled this sheet off, and there it was, his mill house, the one that he’d bought.

The reason he’d bought the Stone property was because it was so beautiful sitting there with the river and knowing that it used to be what had powered the entirety of Secret Springs.

It was as if the river was literally pouring from the millhouse and down into the river valley.

Magic.

And now here was this beautiful thing—a painting of his mill house.

He thought he could just see his house in the background, or at least what had been the beginnings of what his house had been back in the day. “Do you know how old this is?”

She nodded. “Yep. 1892.”

“Wow. That’s seriously rad. Okay. I’ll take it.” He didn’t even ask how much. This was like…wow. “Can I leave it here and come back with my truck? I rode my motorcycle into town.”

“Of course. Look around. Who knows what else you might find. And I’ll call the owner, see if she knows of anything else related to your house.” Carrie was practically glowing.

“I would appreciate that. Hey, do you know how to get a reservation at Fuel? I was hoping to take another recent transplant to town there this weekend, but I haven’t had a callback yet.”

“It just so happens that my son is the owner’s best friend. I’ll call. I think maybe they’ve been shorthanded due to a few family things. Good ones, but family things nonetheless. But I know they’ll be open this weekend.”

This was the best stop he could have made. “Thanks, Carrie. I’ll wander now.”

“Have fun!” She headed to the front counter, and he browsed, contentment rising up. He sent Kaleb pics of the painting and the hall tree. He immediately got a call back.

“Dude. I am so jealous of the hall tree.”

“I know, but honestly, your house is too fancy.” Kaleb lived in a historic lumber or oil baron situation up on the mountain.

His foyer was all carved wood and giant chandeliers, where Zion’s faced right into the diagonal wall of the main stairs.

There was a perfect space of burgundy-painted wall right there for the hall tree.

“Yeah, yeah. We have side entrances.”

“Oh, sure, put my hall tree in your service entrance. No way,” he teased.

“You at the Crapitorium?”

“I am. This place is a treasure trove.” He picked up a pair of ancient cross-country skis and took them to the counter, Winston wagging along behind him. Carrie gave him a thumbs-up.

“Right? And if you tell Laura and Carrie what you want for the house, they will find it for you.”

“Cool, man. I’ve just been wandering downtown.”

“Stop by the tattoo shop if you’re still there late enough. Lukas is Carrie’s son, and he’s wicked talented.”

“You sold me. I’ll drop in. How’s Charlie and the kids?”

“Good, man. You should come up for dinner Saturday.”

“Uh… I have a date.”

“What? Already?” Kaleb was laughing hard.

“Yeah. Cute as a button. Works at the grocery store. Preggers, but says he’s unattached.”

“Oh, you’re talking about Nathan?”

Zion blinked. “Yeah, I’m talking about Nathan. How do you know him?”

“Dude. It’s Secret Springs. There’s like twenty people in the entire town. Of course I know him. I know everybody. Every single human being in this whole town. Already.”

“Well, that’s cool. I guess also weird, but okay.

” He wasn’t used to living in a place that was so small that you could literally know everyone in town.

Even Steamboat was bigger than that. He didn’t hate it, but he definitely wasn’t used to it.

“So what do you know about him since you know everybody?” he asked.

“Uh, he’s single. He had… You know what? Hold on just a second. Charlie, honey. Can you come tell Zion all about Nathan?”

“Why? Is he macking our new poor omega?” Charlie asked.

“Yes,” Kaleb said.

“No! Why did you say yes?” Lord have mercy. Nathan was not doing anything nefarious.

“Because you’re taking him out on a date.”

“A date already?” Charlie asked. “Zion’s been in town what, three days?”

“I think it’s five. He’s at the Crapitorium.”

“I didn’t meet him at the Crapitorium. I met him at the grocery store.”

“He’s at the Crapitorium now. They met at the grocery store.”

“Oh well at least that makes sense.” Charlie’s voice got closer. “I’m not sure I approve of you coming onto my new friend.”

“I’m not coming onto him yet. I asked the man out for food. I just wanted some info, since you guys know him.”

“You wanted intel because you’re ready to hump him. You think he’s hot. Don’t lie.”

“I’m not lying. I’m aggravated now. And of course he’s hot. And cute. And, okay, look, I’m at the antique store, and I’m busy. I just wanted to know what the deal was.”

Charlie chuckled. “Yeah, yeah. Don’t get mad. He had a bad breakup. He literally told his ex that he was pregnant, and the guy dumped him like right then and there. Bang. Told him it was his own fault for not using enough contraceptive.”

“God, because the guy who was dipping his wick didn’t have any responsibility there?” That attitude just pissed him right off.

“Right? I know, very aggravating. Anyway, he was one of Saul’s friends.

They waited tables together. Poor guy, he didn’t have anything.

He threw all of his stuff in storage. And he’s here, staying at the Merchante Spaces.

You know, the apartments Lucas put in for folks who need a hand.

Everybody at the grocery store loves him.

I think he’s really sweet. What else do you need to know? ”

“Well, I mean, if you think he’s really sweet, that’s really all I need.”

Charlie snorted. “Shut up. Seriously, what else do you need to know?”

“What I really needed to know was that he was actually single.”

“Actually single. Not interested if the baby daddy shows up. Not interested. This guy was a putz.”

“Did you just say putz?” He didn’t think he’d ever heard anyone say that out loud besides in a sitcom.

“I’ve been watching a lot of romantic comedies. Don’t ask.”

“Are you pregnant again?” Zion teased.

“You hush. If I am, someone’s going to get in trouble. Big trouble, Little China .”

He loved that movie. He heard, in the background, Kaleb whistling. That was never a good sign. “All right. Well. This was fun.”

“Seriously, man, Nathan is a sweetheart. Very, very adorable dorky guy, but I mean he’s been hormonal and pregnant since we’ve all known him, so who knows what he’s like not preggers, right?

He could be a raging psycho, but Saul says no.

And we trust Saul with our babies. We have to trust him with our friends. ”

“Right on.” Zion wasn’t sure he knew who Saul was exactly, but he could agree nicely. And go with that. Actually, the only people he knew in town were Charlie, Kaleb, Nathan and Carrie right now. “Where should I go for lunch?”

“Oh well, if you’re into pizza, David’s is great.

I recommend the half and half salad if you like salad.

Alicia’s is open for, you know, carry out, and she does like soup, sammies, wraps, that kind of thing.

If you want a pastry, sometimes if you’re lucky, the bakery will have a ham and cheese croissant that is wicked amazing.

Or you can always go to the hotel. Oh! Or the truck stop.

The truck stop has amazing patty melts. You could go there and get patty melts and onion rings and a large chocolate shake. ”

Personally, he thought that sounded like an order. Not like a demand, but like Charlie’s order for lunch. In fact, he’d bet good money that he could meet Kaleb and Charlie for lunch. Right now. “Want to go to the truck stop? We can meet there in say half an hour.”

“Can you give us forty-five minutes, and we can be there?” Kaleb asked.

Bingo.

“I can totally do that.” He grinned. Who knew who he would meet next, especially since Kaleb and Charlie knew everyone.

He headed up to the counter to pay Carrie. He would come back to shop again to outfit the house, and to pick up what he’d bought today.

One thing he was pretty sure of. He wouldn’t meet anyone more interesting than Nathan. His gut was rarely wrong.