Nic

by J. M. Stewart

She glared at Nic. “What is it with you? Do you have a thing for taking in strays or something, Mr. Rossi?”

  “My name is Nic, and yes, actually I do. My nonna used to roll her eyes every time I brought home a stray cat or dog.” Amusement laced his tone, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

  God, did nothing faze the man?

  His expression sobered. “Let me help, Sarah. Because I can.”

  She blew out a defeated breath. “Why do you even care?”

  “Why do I scare you so much?”

  Touché.

  Nic released her arm and folded his hands on the table instead. “You want the God’s honest truth? That’s why I give a damn. Because I terrify the both of you, and I hate it. Every time I look at your daughter, I see my own.”

  She wrapped her arms around herself. The man left her feeling open and exposed. He offered her something she didn’t know if she could ever repay: human decency. “I can’t ask you to do that for me.”

  “Then do it for her.” He nodded in Lacey’s direction. “You’ve obviously been through something, and I can help. There’s a shelter nearby, up in Oak Harbor. Let me call the woman who runs it and see if she’s got a bed free.”

  Deep down, she knew there were decent people in the world who wanted nothing more than to stand by your side in love and friendship. She’d met a few since she left Tony three years ago, strangers who saw something in her she obviously failed to hide.

  If Nic were a tiny old lady, like the one she’d met in California, she wouldn’t even be having this conversation with herself. She’d have accepted for exactly that reason—Lacey deserved better.

  She nodded. “Thank you.”

  “Excellent. Give me a minute.” He reached down, pulling a cell phone from his pants pocket, and punched a couple of buttons. “Hey, Wanda, it’s Nic. Got any beds free tonight? I’ve got a woman here with a small child who could really use one. The motel’s full. Otherwise, they’ll be sleeping in the car, and that doesn’t sit right by me.”

  He paused, listening. After a moment, he frowned and set his forehead into his hand, fingers massaging as if he had a headache.

  “Damn. I’ve got two spare bedrooms in Nonna’s place, but I’m not sure I’d trust me if I were her.” Another beat of silence passed, then Nic looked up and held out the phone. “She wants to talk to you.”

  Anna took the phone in trembling fingers and held it to her ear. “Hello?”

  “Hi, sweetheart. I’m Wanda. I run a women’s shelter in Oak Harbor.”

  Anna swallowed hard and darted a glance at Nic, who watched her with worried eyes. Crap. She’d assumed he meant a homeless shelter. If he was calling a women’s shelter, clearly she wasn’t holding it together as well as she thought. “Nice to meet you, Wanda.”

  “The first thing you should know is you’re safe. You could not have ended up in a better place tonight than Aldo’s. Nic’s been one of our volunteers for going on four years now. Comes in at least once a week. Loves watching the kids, and they love him. I’m afraid, honey, we’re the only shelter in the area, and we’re full up right now. So, we’re going to need to find you another place to stay.”

  Anna straightened her shoulders. “I appreciate your kindness, but my daughter and I can just sleep in my car for tonight …”

  “Yes, honey, you could, but wouldn’t you rather your daughter be warm and safe? Listen. Ask to talk to Beth. If I remember right, she should still be there. She’s one of the waitresses. Can’t miss her. She’s the bubbly blonde. Probably singing if I know her.”

  Anna twisted at the waist to scan the room. A small blonde stood on the other side of the restaurant, a broom in one hand, using it as a makeshift dance partner between sweeps. She was the one who’d let her in. “Yes, I see her.”

  “Ask her to tell you about Nic. She’ll confirm what I’ve told you. He’s got a place where you can stay, but it requires a bit of faith on your part, and neither one of us expects you to just trust him.”

  Anna turned back around, glancing at Nic. “And this place is where?”

  “I’ll let him tell you. But talk to Beth first. Do you have a pen and paper, honey? I’ll give you my number. You can call me for anything. Any time of the day or night. It’s my cell number, and I always answer.”

  Anna held the phone away from her mouth, grabbed Lacey’s unused second napkin from the table, and looked to Nic. “Pen?”

  Nic picked up a blue pen from beside the stack of papers he’d been going through and held it out to her. Anna smiled her thanks and held the pen poised over the napkin.

  “Okay.” Anna scribbled down the number Wanda gave her then shoved the napkin in her right front pocket. She drew a deep breath and released it. With it, some of the knots in her stomach unfurled. “Thank you.”

  “Anytime, honey. I’ll talk to you soon. I’ll call as soon as soon as a room opens up, or if I come up with anything else. Stay safe, all right?”

  “I will. Thank you.” Anna disconnected the call and handed the phone back to Nic. “She says you have a place we can stay, but I’m to talk to Beth first.”

  “Ah.” Nic nodded and slid from the table. “Let me know when you’re ready. I’ll clean these up.”

  He stacked their plates and picked them up, then hooked the three tumblers in one hand and strode from the table. Anna approached Beth. She had on headphones, and, as Wanda suggested, was singing quietly to herself. Anna tapped her on the shoulder.

  She glanced up, her gaze landing on Anna, and pulled an earbud from her ear. She flashed a smile that would’ve put the sun to shame. “Hi. Did you get the job?”

  Anna twisted her hands together. “I spoke with a woman named Wanda, from the shelter in Oak Harbor. She told me to ask you about Nic.”

  Beth’s smile faded, somberness rising over her. She nodded. “I met Nic at Wanda’s shelter. I finally worked up the courage to leave that piece of crap boyfriend of mine, but I had nowhere to go. Wanda helped me find a place to live, and Nic gave me a job. When I started here, I’d never waitressed before, but every time I screwed up, he was right there with nothing but encouragements. Even loaned me the money for a down payment on my apartment.”

  So Nic had done it before, taken someone in.

  Before she could think of a proper response, Beth bubbled on.

  “Don’t let Nic’s size intimidate you. He’s as harmless as they come. A giant teddy bear.” Beth playfully rolled her eyes. “He’s a fantasy around here. You should see all the women who come in at lunchtime, just because they know he’ll be here. He’s out here in the dining room chatting up the regulars for the entire lunch rush. This place does so well in large part because of him. Luc cooks. He’s the foundation of this place, but Nic? He’s the heart.”

  Anna let out a breath she wasn’t aware of holding, her relief so profound she didn’t know if she wanted to laugh or cry.

  Beth took hold of one of Anna’s hands, gripping her fingers hard. “He’s a good man. I wouldn’t be where I am without his generosity.”

  A large shadow fell over her, and the undeniable scent of clean, warm male floated around her. Anna turned sideways to look at Nic.

  Beth pulled her notepad and pencil out of her apron pocket, scribbled something on it, and then handed it to her. “My number. Call me. For anything.”

  Anna pocketed the number, and Beth resumed sweeping the floor.

  Nic tucked his hands in the pockets of his slacks, but didn’t otherwise push for more. He seemed to be waiting her out. So, she drew a deep breath and faced him. “Wanda said you had somewhere we could stay. Where?”

  Nic smiled. Beth’s teddy bear reference suited him. Harmless, handsome, like the boy next door. “My place. Which is why Wanda suggested I let you talk to her first. Used to belong to my grandparents. I have two bedrooms that sit empty. You and your daughter are welcome to one. We can find you somewhere more suitable tomorrow.”

  Anna straightened her shoulders, drew a deep breath for courage, and no
dded. “Okay.”

  She now had to put her faith into the hands of strangers. Into the hands of a man. Something she hadn’t done since she’d left Tony three years ago. If she ever wanted to be truly free of him and his influence over her, she needed to get past the fear of men he’d instilled in her. She needed to take herself back, and part of that was this moment right here—allowing herself to accept a man’s kindness.

  Chapter Two

  Anna hugged Lacey tighter to her as she followed Nic, who carried his daughter in one beefy arm, up the front walk of a two-story house. They’d stopped by his brother’s to pick up his daughter before coming here. She assumed this was Nic’s place. It was quaint. Plants hung from hooks in the fascia. A porch swing sat off to her right. The light beside the door washed the large porch in a soft glow. Judging by the high-pitched barking coming from the other side of the door, he had dogs as well. They created a racket in the otherwise silent night and confirmed what her heart screamed at her: this wasn’t just a house. This was somebody’s home.

  Yet despite Wanda and Beth’s reassurances, terror still had a firm hold on her chest. The idea of following a stranger into his house went against everything her instincts told her to do.

  Nic unlocked the door and pushed it open. Two dogs barely bigger than a loaf of bread scampered out onto the porch. The lighter of the two danced around Nic’s feet, whining and begging for its owner’s attention. The darker one darted around Nic and stopped at her feet, barking and growling.

  Nic dropped his gaze. “Dino, leave it. Get inside, guys.” When the dogs did as told, he shot her a smile. “My grandmother’s dogs. They’re unruly little beasts, very spoiled, but Ella adores them.”

  She turned to the open doorway. The cavernous darkness of the house’s interior stretched beyond her. Her heart pounded so hard her blood roared in her ears. Every nerve stood on end, as if a live wire ran through her system. She was about to walk into the lion’s den.

  Lacey shifted on her shoulder, snuggling deeper into her neck, snapping her from her panic and reminding her why she’d come in the first place. She couldn’t afford to look a gift horse in the mouth. Not when it came to Lacey.

  Nic flicked a switch on the right wall. The foyer illuminated, filling the interior with welcoming warmth. Light oak floors that gleamed. Cream walls dotted with pictures. The dark wooden banister of the stairway across from them offset the plush white carpeting. On the floor inside the doorway, a mat read “welcome” and to the right, shoes littered the foyer. Toys lay scattered at the base of the staircase, several running up the stairs themselves. The place seemed warm, welcoming, and filled with life.

  Presumably, if he had a babysitter, he wasn’t married. Nor had she noticed a ring on his finger. Which begged the question, where was the girl’s mother?

  “Home sweet home.” Nic turned sideways to face her, flashing his ever-present smile.

  Remember why you’re doing this. Lacey. Always for Lacey.

  It would make her feel better if there was another woman somewhere in this house. “I don’t know how to thank you. Are you sure your wife won’t mind?”

  His easy smile melted from his face. “I’m not married.” He nodded in the direction of the interior of the house. “Come on in. Let me go put her down, and I’ll show you where you’ll be sleeping.”

  She paused on the welcome mat, staring into the interior. No wife.

  She drew a fortifying breath and stepped over the threshold, nudging the door with her elbow before pushing it closed securely with her bum. Nic led her up the staircase, around the banister, and down a long hallway filled with closed doors. Halfway down the hall, he turned the knob on one, and pushed it open. He flicked a switch on the left wall, and a small table lamp lit up beside a twin-sized bed.

  He laid his daughter on the bed, pulled off her shoes and set them on the floor, then covered her with the quilt. He squatted, one elbow resting on his knee, caressing the sleeping girl’s hair. After a moment, he pressed a lingering kiss to the girl’s forehead, then pushed to his feet and padded toward Anna. He flicked off the light and stepped out into the hall with her, leaving the door ajar. Without a word he moved to the last door at the end of the hallway and shoved it open.

  “This is my room. Ella wakes me up in the morning. She gets up at the crack of dawn, so I don’t lock the door. If you need anything, this is where I’ll be.”

  She nodded, but she wouldn’t need anything.

  He moved past her, back the way they’d come. At the last door at the opposite end of the hall, he stopped, pushed it open, and flicked on the light. As he stood peering into the room beyond, his shoulders rolled forward, as if the weight of the world pressed down on him. “You can stay in here.”

  Anna peered into the dimly lit space. Pink covered about every surface, from the quilt on the bed and the frilly lampshade right down to the collection of teddy bears lining the top of a white dresser. Each one wore some form of a pink dress. Lacey would adore the space when she woke tomorrow morning.

  She’d assumed a bedroom this pink would’ve belonged to his daughter, but Ella’s room was two doors down. He’d mentioned a sister earlier, but she’d only met his brother.

  “Thank you.” She looked over at him. “May I ask why your sister called you Big Bird?”

  One corner of his mouth hitched in a sad half smile. “It was an inside joke. Nic is short for Nicolo. It’s actually my middle name. My family’s Italian, in case you can’t guess. It’s a tradition in our family to name children after family members. My sister Gia was named after our grandmother’s grandmother, Gianna. Luc, short for Luciano, was named after our grandfather, Aldo. Hence the name of the restaurant, as well. I was named after my grandmother’s grandfather, Elmo.” He shrugged. “The Sesame Street name kind of stuck.”

  She clamped a hand over her mouth in an effort to hold back her giggle.

  Nic nudged her with an elbow and chuckled. “Yeah, go ahead and laugh. I’ve heard it all over the years. Ask me where Grover and Cookie Monster are.”

  Charming and completely disarming, his smile made butterflies dance a jig in her stomach. He had boyish good looks she suspected could charm the pants off any woman he directed his thousand-watt smile at. She couldn’t remember the last time a man had made her feel anything but fear.

  Memories bombarded her faster than she could stop them. All those nights she lay in bed as a child, wishing just once Daddy would give her a hug and tell her a bedtime story instead of retreating to the den and closing the door against her.

  Then, as an adult, coming home from the grocery store to find Tony’s car in the driveway. Standing in the doorway, her heart beating like a drum in her throat, as she listened to the house around her. What kind of mood was Tony in today? Would he be sober and jovial? Kiss her sweetly and suggest they go out to dinner? Or would he rage, fists and angry words flying, because she’d forgotten one of his many “rules?”

  Tony had made her his entire world, forbidding her to see anyone but him.

  Lacey grew heavy in her arms, and Anna shifted and hugged her tighter. If it hadn’t been for Lacey, she might not have survived her marriage to Tony. Her daughter had given her something to live for. “I don’t know how to thank you. As soon as I can, I will repay you.”

  Nic backed out of the doorway, nodding in the direction of the hallway. “Feel free to make yourself at home. Bathroom’s the first door on the right. Towels are in the cabinet over the toilet. Kitchen’s downstairs if you get hungry or want a drink. I keep the doors closed up here so the dogs don’t get into stuff. Rocco’s fond of tissues, and if Dino got his way, he’d de-fluff every one of Ella’s teddy bears.”

  He turned and moved silently down the hallway, but the question beating around in her brain wouldn’t leave her be. She had to know.

  “It takes courage to take in a stranger, especially when you have a small child.” She swallowed hard, her heart thumping. “How do you know I’m not an axe murderer?” />
  He turned, gaze soft, unassuming, and clasped his hands behind his back. “I’ve been dealing with the public since before I could reach the counters. I’ve gotten pretty good at reading people over the years. If you’re an axe murder, I really am Big Bird.”

  He walked backward down the hallway, his gaze set on her. All sense of teasing left his features.

  “By the way, the bedroom door locks, and I can’t open it from this side without taking off the knob. Found that out the hard way when Ella locked herself in once, when she was small.” When he reached his bedroom doorway, he paused. “Besides, it takes as much courage for you to bring your daughter into my house. I figure we’re even now. Sweet dreams, Sarah.”

  Anna waited until he disappeared into his room before turning to hers. She closed and locked the door behind her.

  • • •

  Tony’s large frame loomed over her. His reddened eyes narrowed into thin slits. Anna braced herself for the ache of his anger, the hard strike of his fist to her flesh. His face flushed, and a sheen of perspiration beaded his forehead. He opened his mouth, and the scent of alcohol rushed her nostrils. “You stupid little bitch…”

  Hunkered on the floor, she prayed for a miracle as his large hand stretched toward her, closing around her throat…

  Anna jerked awake. A beam of moonlight sliced through the room’s darkness. Shadows from tree branches danced on the ceiling. A large shadow loomed overhead, perched near the foot of the bed. Darkness cast his face in shadows, but his broad shoulders mixed with the ugly images from her dream, and her chest constricted. He’d found her. How? How had he found her?

  She scrambled upright and pushed herself back on the bed, shoving at the sheets and blankets tangled like coiled snakes around her legs. She had to get Lacey….

  She bumped the headboard behind her, and the corner of the nightstand jabbed her hip, halting her retreat. Trapped. She was trapped on the corner of the bed. No escape.

  “Oh, God please no.” Hot tears escaped, slipping down cheeks. She squeezed her eyes shut and covered her face, prepared for the pain of his strike, praying Lacey had managed to find somewhere to hide. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”