Page 50 of Wild Abandon

Huh?

Nate is standing by the garbage can, putting our trash away.

“Platypus?”

“Yeah, you make this face when you’re deep in thought. It makes you look like a platypus.”

That’s it. I am officially becoming a nun.

chapter TEN

I haven’t seen Nate in a week. After our lunch at Gott’s, we went to a wine cave and then to a small boutique winery in Downtown Napa that also happened to be a microbrewery. We hung out and chatted for a few hours. The conversation was light yet stiff.

Nate wasn’t the problem.

I was the problem.

Knowing I would be driving home, I didn’t finish my tastings. My car was still parked at Henley’s. Nate offered for me to stay over, but I knew another bender with him would be a bad idea. If I got drunk around him again, I’d most definitely say or do something to out myself.

Yes, I have a huge crush.

On Nate.

And it’s bad.

So bad that I haven’t gone on a single date in a week.

It didn’t help that when I returned home after the wine tasting, Scarlet was standing on the porch with her hands on her hips and a foot tapping in accusation.

“Where have you been?”

“I went wine-tasting today.”

“And last night?”

“I stayed with a friend.”

“What’s this friend’s name?”

“Nate.”

“You stayed at a boy’s house overnight! When’s his birthday?”

“I don’t know.”

“Friends know each other’s birthdays. Doesn’t sound like much of a friend.”

“Scar, can I get past you?”

“Are you wearing yesterday’s clothes?”

“No.”

“Crystal, I am going to say this once. No man is going to buy the cow if he can get the milk for free.”

Naomi was no better. She asked a million questions, and I didn’t have an answer for most of them.

I’ve been preoccupying myself by working on the ranch, practically inventing projects as a distraction.