Chapter Twenty-One

The warmth of the Ship Inn barely touched the chill in Nate's bones. After an evening of distributing and hiding the goods, the encroaching winter weather had eaten deep inside. Red gave a shudder and tugged off his gloves to make the most of the heat that filled the old medieval building.

Nate ducked under a low beam and led the way to their usual spot, near the fire. The table and four chairs were empty. Everyone knew this was where they spent their time and with a man like Knight on their side, no one dare take their spot.

Knight opted for the chair by the window, always keen to be able to see what was happening in the room. Nate, Red, and Drake occupied the other chairs and Drake threw up a hand to motion to one of the barmaids. Knight took a moment to survey the room. Nate knew little about him—none of them did—but they all trusted him with their life. He worked harder than any of them and had been known to use his great size to get them out of sticky situations once or twice.

However, just because he trusted Knight it didn't mean Nate did not wonder about him. Why did he always look as though he was on guard? Who was he expecting to see? Unlike the rest of them, Knight had no cover. He was no nobleman nor a captain like Drake. Knight was the face of their smuggling ring and he did a perfect job of it. No one would dare hand him over or question his activities.

Louisa made her way over to their table, a tray of ale and whisky ready for them. She handed out the drinks and propped the tray under one arm. "Cold night?"

"The temperature is dropping," Drake agreed. "It will make life harder for the next few months."

"So long as we don't get damned snow, I'll be happy," said Red.

"If you're having trouble...um...moving things on, you know I have space here," Louisa offered.

It would not be the first time she had helped them. There had been a time or two when they'd needed to hide from the customs men or stow their goods elsewhere but they avoided bringing Louisa into their business as much as they could. The fact was that if either he or Red were found guilty of smuggling, they'd probably get a light tap on the wrists or have to pay a fine. The rest of their group would not be so lucky and they certainly did not want Louisa to pay the price for their activities.

Red shook his head. "There'll be no need for that. If the roads get blocked, we can manage."

"Well the offer is always there," she said with a smile.

Nate peered at Knight, only just realizing how quiet he was being. Which was not at all unusual but there was something in his manner that drew Nate's attention. He appeared more uncomfortable than normal in his huge body and… Nate stared harder...bloody hell, was the man blushing? Knight swung a quick look up at Louisa then cast his gaze quickly away. A smile quirked Nate's lips. The man with a heart of stone had a fancy for Louisa. Who would have thought it?

Louisa glanced around the room. "I hear there's a few broken-hearted girls in the village now."

Drake held up his hand. "It was not me. I did not touch them."

Laughing, Louisa shook her head. "I meant because both Kingsley men are now engaged. Funny, I never thought Patience Grey to be your type, Nate."

"Well, I—" She was right of course. Patience was not his type until, well, she had become his type. He was beginning to suspect she was now his only type.

"Oh, I had better dash. Rosie looks swamped." Louisa ducked away leaving Nate with the aftermath of her words and several stares from his friends.

"What is it?"

"You're still engaged?" Drake asked. "I thought you were going to have her call it off."

"I tried," he muttered. "The damned woman won't do it."

Red leaned in, cradling his whisky. "She won't do it? She wants to hold you to it. I did not take Patience for the sort to wrangle a marriage in a dishonest manner."

"No, it's not like that. She says it will disappoint her brother too much. She told me I have to be the one to call it off."

"Well why have you not?" his brother asked.

"Because it will ruin her. It's far better she call it off, you know that," Nate snapped.

Drake shrugged. "If she is willing to put up with the aftermath, you might as well call it off. At least it saves you some pride."

"I don't care about my pride."

The captain laughed. "Oh we know that. You would not have charmed half the population of Cornwall into bed, had you cared."

Nate shot him a look. "Says you, Captain Drake. You've bedded the other half."

A smug smile crossed his face. "And then some."

"I do not know why you two need to be in competition to bed the most number of women. You need to keep your cocks in your breeches and your heads in the game." Red leaned back and folded his arms. "You don't see Knight running off with a new woman every night."

"He must be a eunuch." Drake jabbed an elbow into Knight's side.

Knight grunted. "I bed women," he protested.

Nate eyed the man. He had never seen him with a woman and as far as he knew, Knight had zero ability to charm one. "Scaring women away with your scowl does not count as bedding them."

"Not all women fear me." Knight swung a glance past Nate and he was convinced it had to have been to look at Louisa. Christ, the man had it bad.

"Anyway, we were discussing Nate here and the wife he has somehow nearly gained," Drake said. "To be honest, she's a pretty thing. A little rough around the edges but those breeches she likes to wear." He made a noise in the back of his throat. "They cup her just..." He lifted both hands. "Not to mention those ti—"

Nate cut him off with a punch. Drake tumbled back, his chair toppling over and sending him to the floor. Before Nate could do anything else, Knight had stepped between them both leaving Nate nursing his sore knuckles.

Drake came to his feet and clutched his jaw with a grin. "I was only telling the truth."

Nate narrowed his gaze at the man and sucked in a long breath. He had never struck out at his friends—did not even consider himself to have a temper really. All he knew was that when Drake began talking about Patience like that, a red mist had descended. What was this woman doing to him?

Red put his hands out to either side and made a lowering motion. "Let us finish our drinks. Drake will watch his mouth and Nate will watch his fists."

Drake nodded. "I'll watch them carefully. Did not know you had it in you, Nate."

"Maybe it will knock your obsession with tits from you," Nate said through gritted teeth.

A laugh escaped Drake. "Never."

Nate could not help grin. "Was worth a try."

"Can we get back to our drinks?" Knight asked, motioning to the table.

Nodding, Nate sat and the rest followed suit. "I will not apologize." He directed this at Drake.

"I did not expect you to. Though you might want to think again about persuading Patience to call off the engagement. If she can make you lose your temper, she must be quite a woman." Drake picked up an ale, drained it and motioned for a second.

"She is. That does not mean I should marry her."

"Does it not?"

Nate eyed Knight. He tried not to be taken back by the brute's inference. "There are many women like Patience out there."

"Is there?" Knight's face remained expressionless.

"Yes, damn it." There had to be. Surely if he continued searching, remaining a bachelor and enjoying all the opposite sex could give him, he would find another woman like her?

"Are you certain?" the giant of a man pressed.

"Since when do you ask so many questions?" It had to be the most amount of words Nate had ever heard from the usually silent man. Why was everyone so bloody interested in his affairs suddenly?

"I think Knight's point is that we have never seen you quite so invested in a woman before," Red said. "You've certainly never been ready to kill a man over a woman before."

"I wouldn't have killed Drake," he grumbled.

"Not even if I mentioned her tits again?" Drake gave a flash of teeth.

Nate thrust a finger at the captain. "Never mention them ever again."

Drake threw up his hands. "See? He's as lost as you were when you met Hannah." He motioned to Red.

"I was not lost," his brother protested. "But, yes, Nate is in deep. Even if he does not know it yet."

Nate slammed down his jug of ale, making it slosh over the sides. "Goddamn it, stop talking about me like I'm not here."

Red fixed him with a serious look. "Face it, Nate. You never lose your temper over a woman and you are never grouchy. There is something about this woman, obviously. You could end this all with ease and yet you choose not to. Now you must decide if whatever this is is worth pursuing. God knows this bachelor act is getting old."

"You're technically still a bachelor," Nate pointed out.

"Not for much longer and I certainly never indulged in the lifestyle like you did." Red leaned in. "Think carefully, Nate. Do you have any interest in any other woman at present?"

"Well, no, but there's hardly a huge variety here."

"And if there was, would you want any of them over Patience?"

Nate paused and considered. The fact was that if Patience was in a room full of beauties all dressed up and primped to within an inch of their lives, he would only be interested in her. He was only interested in her.

And that had to mean something.

"I'll be damned," he muttered under his breath.

Red slapped him on the back. "Looks like your balls finally dropped. Welcome to the world of being a man."

The other men around the table laughed. Nate only felt numb. He'd never considered what would happen if he fell for a woman. Certainly he had held great admiration for many, and undoubtedly plenty of desire, but never anything like this.

He supposed there was only one thing for it. He would have to persuade Patience to make their engagement real.