Serena shifted her grip on her tray of drinks. “She snagged me and asked me a bunch of questions about the Rockwells. Her name is Felicity and apparently Nicole works for her.”
Kai frowned. “You mean, used to work for her?”
“No, works for her now. Like she’s at Rocky Peak Lodge because this woman Felicity sent her there. She only told me all this because she’s buzzed and I told her I’m new here.”
Kai forgot all about the race and looked over at the strange woman. She was gripping the edge of the bar and swaying back and forth. Every time she looked up at the TV with the bikes racing past, she looked closer to throwing up.
“Look, she’s pretty wasted, so I don’t know if she’s just talking trash. But from what I’ve been able to piece together, she works for a real estate investment company that buys underperforming properties, fixes them up and resells them. I just thought you should know.”
Kai wondered if he’d had too many Rolling Rocks, because his brain wasn’t putting things together. “But Nicole is a nurse.”
Serena shrugged. “I don’t know. It sounds nuts to me. Nicole is one of the nicest people I’ve met since I got here. Want me to try to find out more? I can’t give her any more liquor, though. I’m trying to get her to eat some crackers, but she keeps asking if they’re gluten-free.”
“Does she know that Jake is a Rockwell?” Kai asked.
“I didn’t tell her anything.”
“Thanks, Serena,” said Jake. “You get all my tips tonight.”
They looked over at Felicity again. She was busy with her phone, apparently trying to text something. It wasn’t going well. She dropped her phone into her almost empty cosmo glass, then fished it out, dripping, and grabbed a handful of bar napkins to blot it.
Kai and Jake shared a long, worried glance. “Some people probably shouldn’t drink,” Kai said.
“Yeah, and it would be good if those people were clearly labelled. I don’t like serving alcohol to people who can’t handle it. She probably has no idea she just gave away her so-called secret mission. What should we do?”
“You should make sure she doesn’t get into that Jag.”
“Goes without saying. But about Nicole?”
Kai set his jaw. A cold sense of calm came over him. If what the woman said was true, then Nicole had been lying ever since she’d arrived at the lodge. She was a liar. A deceiver. If she was working for a real estate investment company, was she even really a nurse?
Stop. Of course she was a nurse. A nurse aide, to be exact, certified and everything. He’d seen her in action, he’d called the references on her resumé. But she wasn’t just a nurse, apparently. She didn’t care about the lodge. She didn’t care about Max. She didn’t care about him. She was doing a job, end of story.
No wonder she didn’t want to “get involved.” No wonder she didn’t want to partner with him to run the lodge. She must have laughed her ass off when he made that offer.
A cheer went up throughout the pub. Amazingly, despite everything, Griffin had won the race.
Kai glanced at the TV screen just as Griff was unbuckling his helmet. Normally he’d be grinning like a fool after a hard-fought victory like that. But now the expression on his lean face was one of relief.
And maybe a touch of fear.
Jake was already on the phone leaving a message of congratulations for Griffin. Kai gestured to him. “Throw in a fist bump from me. Tell him I’ll call him soon.”
Then he pulled out his own phone and dialed the number of the woman he should never, ever have gotten involved with.
26
Nicole had never watched a motocross race before. Her eyes glazed over as she watched the motorcycles zip past the camera. It required more acrobatic skill than she’d thought, and also the apparent ability to defy gravity. She couldn’t tell which one was Griffin, but somehow Max could. His body leaned from side to side as he tracked his second son’s movements.
Even though Griffin was in the lead—according to Max’s yells—his father wasn’t happy with how the race was going. “Don’t hold back,” he kept shouting. “Attack the course! Attack! What’s wrong with you, boy?”
Nicole bit her lip to hold back her smile. Would Max ever be completely happy with anything his children did?
At any rate, she was just biding her time until the race ended and she could do the thing she’d been putting off for so long. She had to tell Max the truth. Even if it meant she’d have to leave Rocky Peak, even if he cast her out in a fury— the way he had with Kai— she owed him the truth.
This was the perfect time, she’d decided. Both Gracie and Kai had gone into town to watch the race at the Last Chance. There would be no chance of being interrupted. Max deserved to hear this before anyone else because he’d hired her. He was her patient.
She’d already texted Felicity about her intentions, just to give her a heads-up. Then she’d ignored the stream of responses that came back. Nothing was going to change her mind at this point.
Finally the race was through. The crowd on the TV was going crazy, and there was Griffin taking off his helmet. He had the Rockwell looks, smoldering deep jade eyes and charm to spare. His hair was a darker than Kai’s, nearly black. His face was leaner and more molded, not to mention very photogenic. She knew that he got lots of attention from women; Kai had told her that random women showed up at his hotel after every race.
But to her, Kai would always be more compelling in every way. He did something to her on a primal level—and had ever since the first moment she’d seen him.
And now she had to throw a big huge monkey wrench into that amazing connection between them.
“Max,” she said. “I need to talk to you about something important.”
Focused on the sportscaster sticking a microphone in Griffin’s face, Max waved her off impatiently. “Ask him why he hesitated at the turn, moron,” he muttered at the screen. “Ask him why he rode like an amateur.”
She tried again. “Max—” Her cell phone buzzed.
Saved by the bell. She whooshed out a breath. This wasn’t the right time for this conversation after all. She’d try again later, after the excitement over Griffin’s victory had died down.
“Hey Kai,” she answered, so filled with relief that she sounded extra happy. “Great race, huh?”
“You can cut the crap, Nurse Nicole.” The cold anger in his voice sent a chill through her entire body.
“Excuse me?”
“The part where you care about my family, you can drop that.”
She froze. “What—”
“There’s someone you know here at the Last Chance.”
“I know hardly anyone in Rocky Peak. I really haven’t spent much time—” What was she even talking about? Her ears were buzzing, her stomach clenching.
“She’s not from here. She’s from Seattle. Here to check up on you, apparently. Looks like you been getting the job done, whatever the job is. It wasn’t what we thought, that’s for sure.”
Felicity was here? But she hated the mountains. And she’d promised not to interfere.
The phone felt slippery. She clutched at it as if it were an anchor. But it wasn’t—it was more like a bomb exploding in her hand. “Listen, Kai, I can explain everything.”
“Oh, I’m looking forward to it. But first, put Max on the phone.”
She walked away from Max, who was still yelling at the TV, and stepped into the hallway.
“No. I’m going to tell him myself. I was just about to, actually, when you called and—”
“Would you please stop lying? I don’t need your bullshit. I want the truth. And I want to make sure my dad is safe.”
“Of course he’s safe!” Nicole felt tears spring to her eyes. She reached the reception area, with its vintage ski photos and “Welcome to Rocky Peak” sign over the desk. “He’s watching all the interviews and grumbling at the questions. Why wouldn’t he be safe?”
“Why would a nurse be working for an
investment group?” That hard edge in his voice felt like a stab right through her heart; but it also brought out her fighting spirit.
“Do you know how much nurse aides get paid? Do you have any idea how screwed up our health care system is?”
“So it’s all about the money.”
“How dare you! You have all this…family around you, this incredible place, this history. I have no one except…never mind.” She closed her eyes, feeling everything shift under her, as if she were walking through quicksand, every step sinking her deeper. “Kai, I know how this sounds. But if you could just try to understand.”
“So it really is true, then? I thought maybe your friend had it wrong. Or that she was talking about someone else. But it’s all true.”
Oh God, she could deal with his anger, but the hurt in his voice just about killed her.
In the background, she heard the sound of a door opening and the din of excited voices. Footfalls passed Kai, and someone said, “Helluva race, Rockwell.”
“Thanks for watching, man,” Kai answered. The door swung shut again and the background noise disappeared.
“Kai, are you still at the Last Chance? I’m going to drive down right now and tell you everything. I’ll explain from the very beginning.”
“You should explain it to Max first. He’s the one you’ve been deceiving since day one.”
“I’ve been taking care of Max, you jerk!” she cried. “ Jesus, Kai, do you really think I want to hurt him? Or any of you?”
“I don’t even know who you fucking are, Nicole. How should I know?”
“I’m the same person. Exactly the same person. There’s just a few blank spaces I need to fill in, that’s all. I’m heading into town right now.” She ran toward the mudroom to grab her jacket.
“Why should I believe you? You’ve been deceiving me this whole time. Was I part of the plan too? Sleeping with me?”
“Kai!” His name came out as a sob. “Stop that. You know that’s not true!”
She was in the mudroom now, pulling on her jacket. Her keys jingled in her pocket. “I’m getting in my car right now. Just stay where you are. I’ll see you at the Last Chance.”
Hands shaking, she ended the call. She had to get to the Last Chance, not just to see Kai, but to intercept Felicity before she did any more damage.
But what about Max? Crap. She’d almost forgotten about him.
She ran back into the media room and discovered that Max had dozed off in front of the TV, as he sometimes did. He hated being woken up from a nap and had given her strict instructions never to do so.
Gently, she tucked a blanket around him and scrawled a quick note on a stray Rocky Peak brochure. Zipped into town, be right back. Nicole.
Once she was inside her Jetta, she took a few moments for some deep breathing to calm herself. It wasn’t smart to drive upset. One step at a time. Find Kai. Explain as best I can. Then take it from there.
Her cell phone buzzed with a text. Felicity.
Surprise! I’m here. We should talk asap. There’s a hottie bartender here. Know his name? Enquiring minds…
Nicole gritted her teeth. She couldn’t deal with Felicity now. That would be Jake Rockwell, she texted back. Well done.
A string of emojis followed. Not the right moment to try to decipher tiny icons on a tiny screen. Felicity would have to wait.
Nicole shut off her phone and hit the road toward town. Coming from the city, the idea of driving down a road with no streetlights had stressed her out from the start. Add in the winding nature of the Rocky Peak road, and the way the thickly wooded forests seemed to crowd in from both sides, and she could understand why Max never wanted to drive into town. Especially at night. Especially on a moonless night like this one.
She switched to the high beams, which cast light farther ahead, so she could see where she was going. With the new angle of the headlights, she saw that a light mist hung in the air. It almost looked like snow. She shivered with anticipation. Would she get a taste of a Rocky Peak snowfall before she got booted back to Seattle?
Of course not. She’d be booted out of here in no time once they all knew the truth. What would become of her in Seattle? When she got back, she’d face exactly the same problems as before—and worse. Birdie had no roommate. Nicole would have no job. What if the Rockwells decided to get the word out that “Nurse Nicole” wasn’t exactly what she seemed? Would she be able to get another home health aide job? One that paid enough to keep Birdie where she was?
Her stupid decision to come to Rocky Peak had made things a million times worse.
“Idiot.” She hit the dashboard with her fist. “Sorry, car. It’s not you, it’s me. This is all my fault.”
If only she’d thought this through a little better. That was her problem. She jumped into things without factoring everything in. She should have known she’d get attached to the Rockwells. She should have known it would feel terrible to deceive someone. And the fact that she was doing it for Birdie was no excuse. Birdie wouldn’t want her to go against her principles like that. Birdie wouldn’t want her to live with this kind of guilt.
Well, maybe she would if it meant she could stay with her friends. Birdie didn’t think “big picture.” She thought only of the present moment.
But that was why Nicole had to do the thinking for both of them. And she was doing such a terrible job at it, she ought to be fired.
She smiled at the thought of Birdie firing her. That was the thing about a sister like Birdie. Birdie would never stop loving her. She could screw up to the extent of making them both homeless—with Nicole pushing her wheelchair down Pike Street—and Birdie would still love her completely and unconditionally.
Which was why she’d do anything in the world for her. Even sell out her morals and work for a sleazy real estate company.
But she couldn’t expect Kai to understand that. She’d potentially hurt his family to protect her own. He had every right to hate her.
She’d brought this on herself, and this pain in her heart…this horrible shattered ache…was the price she had to pay. Because even if Kai hated her now, she still loved him. Every tempestuous, challenging, fascinating, exciting inch of him.
Another car came toward her and she switched to the low beams out of courtesy. Was it Kai, racing up the mountain to confront her? She peered at the car as it passed. It was a Camry-like vehicle, definitely not Kai.
As soon as it passed, she put the high beams back on—just in time, too. She’d nearly missed the next curve coming up. She adjusted quickly, yanking the wheel back to the right. Her tires slid sideways on the road, and she realized too late that the mist had turned to a frozen sleet-rain that was coating the road.
She swung the wheel back to compensate, realized she was going too fast, and automatically touched her foot to the brakes. No. Wrong move. She knew it a split second after she did it, and yanked her foot off the brake. But it was too late and now the car was skidding across the slippery road, like a bucking bronco with a mind of its own.
She tried to turn the wheel but nothing she did had any effect on the direction of the car. Her Jetta was going wherever it wanted to go. And that was right off the side of the road toward a gap between two trees.
The car sideswiped one tree, then bounced off the other, like some kind of demented pinball game. Nicole knew this was bad—she was going off the road! That was bad!—but she didn’t feel fear. Instead it felt as if some force much bigger than her was taking charge. It was taking her on a wild ride, worse than any rollercoaster, and all she could do was hang on.
Then everything came to a sudden, jarring stop. The car jolted to one side and she was flung forward. The seat belt cut into her ribs and her head hit the door frame of her little Jetta.
Ow, she wanted to cry. That hurt. But she was saying it into the void, to nothing and no one, because the entire world was engulfed in silence and darkness.
27
God, he was a dumbass. Nicole had sounded genu
inely upset—even anguished—on the phone. And he’d believed her. He’d wanted to believe her. So where was she?
Alone at the bar of the Last Chance, Kai checked his phone for the hundredth time in the past hour. He didn’t want to send her a text while she was driving, but maybe there was a reasonable explanation for why she wasn’t here yet.
Unless—something else was going on. Now that she was busted, maybe she’d taken the opportunity to slip away. Maybe that whole spiel about wanting to explain in person was designed to throw him off.
Because she knew how much he still wanted to believe in her. That was what people like Nicole did. They played with their victims’ emotions. Like this alternating fury and hurt that kept rampaging through his heart.
And then the occasional whisper…had he been too hard on her? Had he reacted too harshly?
“Planning on spending the night?” Jake asked. He’d left Kai in charge of the pub while he escorted Felicity back to her hotel—the most expensive in town, naturally. Now he was back, wiping off the bar that Kai had already cleaned—but apparently not to Jake’s satisfaction.
“Just wondering why I’m such a fuckhead.”
“Hey. That’s my big brother you’re insulting there.” Jake reached over the bar and squeezed his shoulder. “Falling for someone doesn’t make you a fuckhead.”
“Falling for a con woman sure does. I never should have bought that sweet and innocent act.”
“Shouldn’t you wait and hear what she has to say?”
“That’s what I’m doing. That’s what I thought I was doing. Apparently I’m just hanging out like a fuckhead while she gets the hell out of dodge.”
“What?” Jake took a tray of beer bottles to the sink to rinse them out. “You think Nicole’s skipping town? I don’t believe it.”
“Why not?”
“Because…I just don’t.” He shrugged. Kai generally trusted Jake’s intuition about people. Either it came from being a bartender or it helped him be a great bartender—or both. “She wouldn’t just disappear without a word. Would she, Gracie?”
The Rebel Page 19
