Page 4 of One Kind Soul

“Are you sure you don’t mind?” Tessa asked for the billionth time in the past five minutes as Christian finished the sandwich he’d assembled in his brother’s kitchen.

“I honestly don’t mind, Tessa. I’ve got about a hundred decisions to make in my remodel of Shepherd’s farmhouse, but I need time to ponder those decisions.” He threw away the napkin Tessa had given him when he’d started eating. “Driving is great for pondering.”

“I can’t thank you enough, Christian.” Tessa threw her arms around his neck and squeezed. Damn. Donovan was so lucky to have scored her. Why didn’t Christian ever meet chicks like Tessa? Sure, he found nice women and he dated many of them, but somehow it always ended in friendship instead of him finding his soul mate. He loved flirting. No denying that and he was good at it too. Just once, however, he’d like to truly connect, as Tessa and Donovan had. As his other brother, Landon, and his wife Aliza had. As a whole bunch of his friends in Maplehaven had.

When the hell would it be his turn?

“Nicole texted me that she’s at a pub near the airport called McCormick’s,” Tessa said.

Christian pulled his phone from his pocket and typed in the pub’s name. “Okay. I’ve got an address and directions here.” He filled a glass with water at the sink, chugged, and handed Tessa the glass. “And I’m off.”

Tessa put his glass on the countertop. “Wait!”

He skidded to a stop. “Why?”

“Let me text you a picture of Nicole so you can find her.”

He supposed that was a good idea. “Don’t want me to bring back the wrong honey?”

“No.” Tessa narrowed her eyes at him. “And don’t think of my Nicole as a honey.”

“I think of all women as a honey, honey.”

“Maybe this is a bad idea.” Tessa chewed on her bottom lip, her phone in her hand and her eyes still narrowed as she looked up at him.

“Relax, Tessa. I’ll behave.” He held up his hand. “I swear.”

Tessa mumbled as she searched on her phone. “Nicole will hand you your ass if you don’t behave and then I’ll do the same when you get back here.”

“Noted.” His phone buzzed in his hand and he opened Tessa’s message to see a slim female with long, dark hair, standing on the beach with sunglasses covering her eyes. A beach cover-up was folded around her, but he could tell she had a rocking body under there. “Oh, wow. How have I not already seen a picture of your best friend? She’s hot.”

“Oh my God, Christian.” Tessa swatted his arm with the back of her hand. “Think of yourself as merely a chauffeur. Nicole is off limits to you.”

“And what’s so wrong with me?” He might be getting a little offended at Tessa’s insinuation he’d be no good for her best friend.

“There’s nothing wrong with you.” Tessa’s expression softened. “I didn’t mean to imply there was. I . . . I don’t know . . . I don’t picture you and Nicole making that kind of connection.”

Neither did any of the women he’d dated so far. Sigh.

“Well, if she doesn’t get the right cheese curls, I’m leaving her in Boston anyway.” Christian took one more glance at Nicole’s picture then stuffed the phone into his jeans pocket.

“Don’t you dare. I need my bestie. I miss her so much.” Tessa’s shoulders sagged.

Christian rested his hands on her shoulders. “I promise to bring her back.” He released her. “But I make no promises about flirting with her.”

“Christian!” She’d yelled, but she was also laughing. “Thank you so much. Truly.” Tessa followed him as he walked to the door that led to the garage. Which made him consider adding a garage onto Shepherd’s farmhouse, but that would entail an additional set of decisions he wasn’t ready for. Plus, he had the barn below the loft apartment he was currently using as his residence. Part of the barn boarded horses, but the other part had room for vehicles. Did he need a garage on the house?

Maybe. Now his mind wove around the pros and cons of a garage as it had multiple times already. Yeah. This nearly four-hour ride to pick up Tessa’s friend was necessary. Hell, it might not be a long enough ride for the thinking he had to do even with the return four-hour drive back to Maplehaven.

“And don’t call her Nicki, Christian.” Tessa followed him. “She hates that. Her sister called her that.”

Christian raised an eyebrow. “And she and her sister . . .?” He motioned with his hand for Tessa to fill in the blank.

Tessa shrugged. “All I know is Nicole and her sister don’t talk to each other. The sister is completely out of the picture. Like doesn’t even see Nicole’s parents.”

“Huh? Okay.” Christian couldn’t imagine being at odds with his family. Even with his youngest brother, Jackson, who traveled for work all the time and didn’t live in Vermont, and his parents who lived in Ireland, the Henleys were a tight group. “I’ll go easy on the Nicki references.”

“Don’t call her that at all.” Tessa put her hands on her hips.