Nicole looked at the flowers again. How had she let that man back into her head? No more. He was dead to her. She opened the card.
Congratulations on the Dirty Ankle Public Library’s one-year anniversary!
Mayor Haskins
“It’s from the Mayor.” Later maybe, Nicole would examine why she felt disappointed reading the Mayor’s name inside. She handed Lisa the card and went to the back, away from the daisies until her heartbeat returned to normal. The rest of the day Nicole kept herself busy and far from the flowers on the front desk.
On the drive home Nicole refused to let her thoughts wander to anything other than the wide expanse of Alaska that always soothed her. The winters were hard and fierce, but that had been just what she’d needed at a time when she’d needed it most. Alaska wasn’t for the weak. By depending only on herself for her very survival, Nicole had had no choice but to toughen up and leave the insecure and gullible girl from years ago behind.
Nicole fixed a solitary meal of Ramein noodles and curled up on the couch with her book, Dirty Deeds. After only five minutes she tossed the book aside. The urban fantasy was a recent release by one of her favorite authors, Christy King. She’d been waiting for it to arrive, but she couldn’t get into the story. Not the book’s fault. She was the restless one.
Back in the kitchen she poured herself a glass of wine, pushed the sliding glass door opened to the patio, sat down, and let the night wash over her and calm her. When half the glass was gone, Nicole rested her head on the back of her one patio chair and finally began to relax.
Nicole’s body became aware of the fragrance long before her brain registered the familiar scent. A shiver ran through her as she tried to locate the smell. Will. She jumped to her feet, knocking her chair over in the process. She paced the tiny patio space searching for the source. It was his cologne, but mixed in was the undeniable scent that was only Will. It couldn’t be bottled or reproduced; it was simply Will.
Was she losing her mind? Why did everything remind her of him? He meant nothing to her anymore. She rinsed out her glass, turned the lights off in anger, and went to bed, though it was only eight thirty.
At seven the next morning, her phone woke her from a dead sleep. After tossing and turning all night, she’d finally fallen asleep only an hour earlier.
“Hello,” Nicole answered, fighting through the grogginess.
“Hey, Sugar, you’re not up?”
Nicole grimaced. Lisa sounded way too perky this morning. “Hi, Lisa. No. I didn’t get to sleep till late. What’s up?”
“Girl’s night at my house at seven tonight.”
Nicole pushed the hair from her face. “Perfect. Can I bring anything?” She sat up and threw her feet over the side of the bed.
“Nope. Babs is handling all the food. Just bring your beverage of choice. The guys are on call as usual if anyone over indulges.”
She chuckled. “Yeah, that never happens. What’s the agenda tonight?” She searched the floor with her feet for her house slippers.
“Well, Polly met a man on her trip last week. That will definitely be on the agenda, and Robyn thinks her husband is seeing someone. But mostly we’ll just drink around the fire pit and eat all the goodies Babs brings.”
“Count me in. I need a gab night with the girls.” As Nicole hung up she decided that today would be a normal average Friday. She’d go to work and then hang out with the girls. She had no idea what was going on in her head, but enough was enough.
Tomorrow she would do laundry and finally clean her nasty oven and refrigerator. She’d been putting those chores off for a while. Then as a reward she would go into town and get a pizza for dinner. She would even get a movie. But not a chick flick. Nope she would get an action or even a horror movie. She wouldn’t even go into the chick flick section at the movie store.
That was tomorrow. Today, she needed to get a move on to make it to work on time.
The rest of the day was thankfully uneventful. By the end of it Nicole’s sunny disposition had returned in full force, and the things that had happened early in the week were only memories.
“See ya tonight, Sugar!” Lisa said, as they locked up and headed to their trucks.
“I’m looking forward to it.” Nicole raced home for a shower and a change of clothes before the party.
Later at Lisa’s house, a much calmer Nicole filled her plate with goodies from the kitchen table while listening to Polly fill them all in on the man she met in Anchorage.
“He looked a little like Mike. You know, the guy last year that passed through with the gold-hunter television show.”
“Dark hair, beard down to here,” Lisa commented, holding her hand below her chin.
“Yeah,” Polly said. “That’s the one.”
Nicole sat down on a bar stool and took a sip of Bab’s lethal margarita. The cold, fruity liquid went smoothly down her throat, and the extra tequila Bab’s added caused Nicole’s insides zing. She made a mental note to sip on only one drink. She’d never developed a liking or tolerance for anything alcoholic.
Still half listening to Polly’s retelling of her encounter with Mike’s lookalike, she picked up a cookie, chewed for a moment, and then froze. “Babs, where did you get these cookies?”
“I found that recipe in a cookbook. I never would have thought to add cinnamon and applesauce to a chocolate chip cookie. They’re good, aren’t they?”
“Delicious.” She turned away as a tear fell from her eye. Will’s mom made hers the exact same way. If Nicole closed her eyes, she could imagine she was back in the treehouse, sharing a plate of cookies with Will.
She tossed everything in the trashcan without a moment’s thought. Memories, she could do without. She chugged the rest of her margarita and poured herself a refill. Her one-glass quota forgotten.
***
Will shut the truck door and walked up to the cozy log cabin. He was thankful Babs had called him to pick up an unusually drunk Nicole from their girl’s get-together. He grinned. Nic never could handle more than one glass of wine before she started getting tipsy. After two glasses she’d be out till the next morning. This wasn’t how he’d planned to come back into Nic’s life. He felt only a smidge guilty she’d never know he took her home. He rubbed his hands on his jeans. He was nervous and anxious to finally see Nic again after all these years. He couldn’t seem to get his lungs to do the standard in-and-out procedure to give him the oxygen he needed.
The moment he entered, every eye in the house glared at him. He felt like a new germ strain swimming around in a petri dish under a blaring microscope. With their arms crossed each woman gave him what his brother Matthew would call “the stink eye.” As far as intimidating body language went, these women had it perfected.
Will decided to go on the offense and speak first. “Good evening, ladies. I’m Will Harrison.” He held out his hand, but none of the ladies seemed receptive to shake it. Instead their glares intensified.
A petite brunette spoke up first. “So, tell us why we should let you leave with our friend?”
“Yeah.” A tall blonde took a step towards him. “For all we know, you could kidnap her and we’d never see her again.”
Will’s smile dissolved. “She never mentioned me?”
“Nope, not a peep.”
The second brunette had seemed a little too happy about telling him that, but Will’s heart took a beating over the fact that Nic had moved away from home and never mentioned him again.
“Will, you’ll have to forgive Sugar’s friends,” Babs finally spoke up. “We take care of each other around here. We all knew something bad had happened in her past, but folks around here don’t butt into other people’s business. Well, at least not the deep hurtful kind. We only have Nic’s best interest at heart. We love that girl, and that’s why I called you because you do too, don’t you?”
Will nodded, his voice suddenly trapped in his throat.
Babs smil
ed sadly at him as if she knew the grief he’d been through and then turned to the other ladies. “And girls, he is who he said he is. I checked him out. You know Bernie who’s on the force in Anchorage. He did a background check for me, and while I don’t know what the scalawag did to hurt Nic, I do know that his heart seems to be in the right place. And he owns the most sought after security company in the world, with a bank account that’s through the roof.”
Will didn’t know if he should be impressed or offended by her intrusion into his life. He’d need to get his men working on exactly how she was able to scout out that information so easily or hire her on the spot.
Babs led him into the den where the first thing Will saw was the beautiful auburn hair he’d missed so much. She wore it shorter now, and the wild array of curls that always bobbed around her face were tamed and straightened. He frowned and picked up a lock and ran her soft hair between his fingers. He missed her curls.
He went down on one knee, picked up her limp hand and held it to his cheek as his eyes ran voraciously over her body. Nic was thinner and her cheekbones were sharper. Her sweet lips were every bit as enticing as they’d ever been to him. Pouty and full perfection. They’d spent many hours simply kissing. He wanted with all his heart to see her iridescent green eyes shining up at him.
Will pressed her hand to his heart and brushed her hair back from her face. His eyes began to sting and he blinked to hold back tears from the emotional roller coaster he felt. Finally, he had his girl back. Not yet, but soon he’d have her back.
“You take her on home, Will. Her truck will be waiting on her in the morning. Robyn’s husband Clint will drop it off at Sugar’s house in the morning. From the looks of it, she won’t remember much. So your secret is still safe.”
Will was so caught up in seeing Nic he never noticed the group of women behind him, wiping away tears of their own.
***
Nic didn’t stir at all during the thirty-minute ride back to her house. Will’s eyes kept straying to the woman he’d given up so many years ago. Even with her mouth opened and smashed against the window, she took his breath away. Will chuckled over what she had on. The flannel shirt and jeans were worn, and if he was correct, there were holes in the knees. Nic never would have owned anything remotely like what she had on. Her grandmother had tutored her from an early age about the importance of presenting a polished image at all times. The Nic lying comatose beside him would make her grandmother cringe. He kinda liked her new look. But her curls…he missed her curls.
Pulling into her driveway, he cut the engine and got out. He opened the passenger door and Nic fell into his arms. Just where he wanted her. Being under the scrutiny of the women earlier hadn’t given him the opportunity to really look at Nicole. He picked her up and carried her inside, remembering the feel of her in his arms. She felt lighter than she used to. She had lost weight. She always used to think she needed to lose weight, but he thought that came from her grandmother’s berating more than anything else. She was perfect and he savored proving it at every opportunity he had.
Will laid her on the bed and took her shoes and socks off. He debated for a moment about whether or not to undress her. He turned the small bedside light on and sat down beside her. His hand reached out and brushed a few wisps of hair from her face. She was just as beautiful as ever. He brought a handful of her auburn hair to his nose and closed his eyes, letting the coconut fragrance invade his senses. He loved that smell and it would forever remind him of Nic.
He traced the curve of her cheek down to her lips with his finger and ran his thumb back and forth over her bottom lip. He closed his eyes and tried to calm the emotions rushing up inside. He needed to get out of there before he did something he would regret. Nic was going to be mad enough at him; he didn’t need to add to it.
He turned the light off and took one last look at his girl. There was no way he could leave without dropping a kiss on her forehead. As he turned to leave, he heard a faint mumble.
“You promised me forever.”
Nic’s whispered words cut him straight through the heart and laid him open, bare and bleeding.
“Oh, Nic.” Will felt his eyes begin to water. He quickly left her room and pulled her door quietly closed. Leaning back Will raised his head to the Universe. “Please, don’t let it be too late to make good on that promise.”
CHAPTER TEN
Nicole got out of her truck and checked the map Babs had given her. By her calculations she should head directly north. She slung her backpack over her shoulder; she never went anywhere without it. It wouldn’t be safe to wander in the woods without bear spray and her other emergency-stash. She picked up the food ordered from the diner and walked in the direction indicated on the map. She grimaced at the greasy smell wafting up from the bag. It had been over a week since her over indulgence of Bab’s special Margaritas and her stomach still felt queasy.
Babs shouldn’t have taken a delivery from someone this far out, even if she did know the guy. After walking for thirty minutes, Nicole sat the bag of food down to rest. It was beautiful being surrounded by the trees. Looking straight up she could barely see the blue sky peeking through the forest trees. Her gaze moved down to survey the forest floor. Pine needles blanketed the ground with an occasional fallen tree scattered around. All was serene and quiet, with only an occasional bird calling to its mate or a rustle in the underbrush marring the silence.
Rested and renewed, Nicole picked the bag up and headed once again towards her destination. Her footsteps crunching on the pine-needle carpet were the only sounds in the vast forest. Babs had said to walk due north, and when she came to a small river, to turn east. By the sounds ahead of her, she was nearing the river. Nicole broke through the trees and had to stop to appreciate the sight before her. The slow moving river was picture perfect. To the left a waterfall of about six feet fell into the basin of the river. Wild flowers dotted the landscape, putting the final touches on an already serene picture.
Nicole raised her face to the sun, soaking in the warmth before she resumed her trek. She’d only walked five minutes when she stopped once again, her destination directly in front of her. “Wow,” she said, awed by the sight before her.
When Babs had said to deliver to a treehouse in the woods Nicole assumed it was someone in a hunting shack. But no, the grand treehouse in front of her could never be mistaken something so rustic.
Her eyes scanned the outside. It was high, about thirty feet, and between five massive trees. But that was where the term treehouse stopped. The natural wood siding and green tile roof blended in perfectly with the forest. The house had a front door and even windows, and if she wasn’t mistaken, a chimney going through the roof.
Nicole shook her head at the tremendous amount of money someone spent on building such a grand house in the middle of nowhere. Babs said to leave the food in the house. Not seeing any vehicles around, Nicole hoped the house wasn’t locked. She pushed the handle of the food bag over her hand and onto her wrist. With both hands free she began to climb the wooden ladder to the top. Her backpack made the climb off balanced so she took it off and left it at the base of the ladder. It was a good thing she didn’t have height issues.
Once at the top Nicole set the bag down and gazed at the amazing view of the mountains in the distance. From that height she could see clear through to the snowcapped peaks. She picked the bag up again and cautiously opened the door. Inside was another visual treat. The front door opened into a living area with two leather chairs surrounding a black potbelly stove. A little further into the room was a built-in couch beneath a huge picture window, and to the left of the couch was a ladder constructed into the wall going to what she assumed would be the bedroom loft. Nicole walked past the ladder and entered a small kitchen with a dining bar and two wooden carved stools. She spotted a door off the kitchen and couldn’t stop herself from investigating. The white and gray bathroom she found came complete with a clawfoot tub. It was p
erfect!
Just as she turned the bathroom faucet on to see if there was actually running water, she heard the front door close. She cringed; she’d been caught snooping. She quickly shut it off and made her way into the front room to apologize.
“I’m so sorry…” Nicole’s whole body began to turn ice cold. Blood drain from her body as if she had been gutted. She grabbed onto the bathroom door frame to keep herself upright. She never thought she would lay eyes on the person standing so calmly and still so handsome before her, the person who had ripped her heart.
He looked just the same, only different, harder, older, more mature. Her breath caught in her throat, and she had to dig her fingers into the wood to keep from running into his arms. Nicole shook her head. No. She couldn’t do that anymore because he had ruined everything.
“Hi, Nic,” Will said casually, while drinking in every inch of her body.
“No!” Nicole breezed by him as she headed for the door. There was no way she would share the same air space as that man. Never again. She wrenched the door opened and screeched to a halt. The ladder was gone. She searched the perimeter of the small front porch for any means of escape. Nothing. There was no way to get down. Her backpack with her cellphone leered at her from the bottom or she could have called Babs to rescue her. As she contemplated her survival rate if she jumped, she felt his presence behind her.
“Nic, come back inside,” Will said softly.
“No.” Nicole pressed her hands to her ears. She didn’t want to hear his voice. “No, no, no.”
“Nic, come back inside and let’s talk.”
No matter how hard she pressed, she still heard his voice. “The ladder. Where’s the ladder?”
“It’s gone, and it’s not coming back till we talk.” His voice remained calm, trying to soothe her.
“No.” She refused to turn and look at him. If she did, that would make him really there. And she wasn’t ready for that. She would never be ready for that. In her mind she was far away on another porch, sitting in a rocker, watching the driveway, and waiting. Waiting for someone that never came.
You Promised Me Forever (The Dirty Ankle Series Book 1) Page 11
