by Carolyn Lee
"Fear of the unknown. I get it. You take down bad guys with rusty screw drivers though. Surely you can handle a little love? That man out there is hot with a capital H. If nothing else, you get to look at him anytime you want. That would keep me going for months." Sabrina laughed and patted her palm with some gauze. "I'm going to send the doctor in to do the stitches. Think about what I said."
Nikki nodded. As she was about to tell the nurse to send Keegan in, the curtain flew open.
"Henry! What are you doing here?"
"Are you okay?" Henry's ruddy complexion was an unhealthy shade of pale and the lines around his eyes were deep with worry.
"I'm fine. You didn't have to drive all the way out here, you know."
Sabrina looked from Nikki to Henry and back again. "Another one?" she whispered. "Damn, girl, I want some of whatever it is you got."
Before Nikki could reply, Sabrina slipped out of the space. Henry pulled up a chair by the bed and took her uninjured hand in his. "I'm sorry, Nik."
"For what? This is nothing."
"Not for that. For everything. For what happened at your house and—just everything."
Henry looked at her, his eyes so sad and distraught that her heart went out to him. "Don't worry about it, Henry, really."
"Want me to take you back to Virginia Beach?"
Good question. If she went back with Henry, she could avoid talking to Keegan. Of course, she was pretty sure he would hunt her down. Running away hadn't served her well before. She ended up kidnapped and injured.
"No. I'm fine. I'll ride back with Keegan and his brother."
A hint of sadness flashed across his face before Henry squared his shoulders and rose from the chair. "Okay. I figured as much. I’m glad you're okay, Nik. Give your pop a call, he is worried about you."
"You told him I was missing?"
"I thought he should know. I also told him they found you but he will want to hear your voice."
The doctor entered the room then. "It's time. Oh, hi. Are you her father?"
Henry smiled and stepped through the curtain. "Nope. Her boss. Just checking in. I'll be leaving now. Take good care of her, Doc."
"Sure will."
27
Keegan
When he saw Nikki's boss head in to the treatment area, it took all his self-control not to follow the man. As Henry walked back out, Keegan rose and went to greet him.
"Henry."
The other man gave a slight nod. "Thanks for finding her."
"There's no way I wouldn't have."
"I know." Resignation echoed in Henry's words. "Be good to her. Nikki is special."
"You don't have to tell me that."
"No, I suppose I don't." With a nod, Henry turned and walked away.
"Excuse me, sir?" Keegan turned and found a nurse standing behind him.
"You can go in now. The doctor is done sewing her up." The nurse smiled and pointed toward the ward.
"How did you know—?"
"Just tell her that Sabrina sent you in to take her home." She winked at him and left.
Keegan did as he was told and went to Nikki's room. She was by herself when he pulled the curtain back. "Hey," he said.
"Hey, yourself. The doc says I can leave. I've already signed the paperwork."
"Good. Let’s get you out of here. I'm sure Ma has cooked a feast for your return. She cooks when she is worried."
"Your mother is an amazing woman. I can't believe she showed up at the bust today."
"Yeah, she is something else all right." Keegan grinned and helped Nikki off the gurney.
An hour later they sat at Clara's table devouring roast and vegetables and all the other fixings. When her plate was empty, Nikki stood up and stretched her injured hand.
"Thank you so much, Clara. The food was delicious. I'm going to go outside and take a little walk. I need to check in with my dad."
"Want me to go with you?" Keegan asked.
"No, you stay here and finish eating. It's just a phone call. I won't disappear again, I promise."
He watched her leave the room, a piece of his heart going with her. Damn it, he had it bad.
"I told you we didn't need the dating site, Ma," Kaiden said when Nikki was gone.
Clara nodded. "I think you've found your one, Keegan."
"It's pretty hard to say that after only a week, don't you think?"
"Just ask Logan. When it's love, it’s love. He and Angie fell for each other in a couple of days. Look at me and Katie."
"I don't do things that way. I plan and prepare and weigh the options."
"Love is funny like that, son. It doesn't care about your plans and options."
"I guess I should talk to her. See where we go from here. This week has been pretty wild. You know she thought I was involved in an international drug ring? She was there, Ma, when I gave you the tour, scoping the place out. Turns out the barn was a drop spot for the guns that she thought were drugs."
"It was destiny, boy." Clara smiled and started clearing plates into a pile to take to the sink. "I'm going to clean up here and give Logan a call. That daughter in law of mine was something else today. I hope she finally put all that business to rest."
"I have a feeling arresting Salvatore Ricci has gone a long way in healing her," Kaiden replied. "I'm gonna hit the sack. Good night, all."
"Night, brother. Thanks for everything."
"Go find Nikki, I'll clean up in here," Clara said.
"I love you, Ma. You're a good woman."
He caught sight of her blushing as his mother turned away. "I'm not the woman you need to be telling that to."
Taking the hint, Keegan headed outside to find Nikki. She was sitting on the patio, leaning back and looking up at the night sky. He slid into the space next to her on the wrought iron love seat and picked up her hand. "How's your dad?"
She looked down at their hands then up at him. "He's fine. Unhappy with his best friend, but grateful to you and your family for finding me."
"Good. Maybe I have already won him over then."
"Why would you be worried about that?"
"Because it would be hard to share the woman I love with a man that hates me."
"Woman you love?"
"I know. It's only been a week and we have a lot of getting to know each other to do but the way I feel about you, the intensity and the panic that strangled me when I thought I had lost you to the marina and then today, well there is just no other explanation for it. I love you, Nikki. I hope that doesn't scare you."
"What scares me is that I am pretty sure I feel the same way about you. Except I have never been in love before so I don’t really know what it feels like."
Keegan released her hand and wrapped his arm across her shoulders, pulling Nikki in close. He held back a grin when she snuggled in close. "Want to work on figuring it out together?"
"I'm not an easy woman to be with. I have control issues and I like to be in charge."
"I think I can find a few ways to put those skills to good use." He leaned in and kissed her gently. "If you are up for it, that is."
"Is that some kind of dare?" Nikki asked, kissing him this time.
"I suppose it could be. I'm not the easiest guy to be with either. I'm set in my ways and I like to be in charge too."
"So, we have some things to work out."
"What couple doesn't?"
"True."
"So, what do you say we head back inside and maybe get to work?"
"I'm game if you are." She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close. "Or we could start right now. I've never made out under the stars at the top of a mountain before."
"You know, neither have I," Keegan murmured before pressing his lips to hers.
"Thank the good Lord! Kaiden, delete that dating profile we made!" Clara's voice carried through the darkness.
"Ma! What are you doing?" Keegan called to her.
"Just making sure you didn't screw this one up, son. I love yo
u but you are about as romantic as that bench you are sitting on!"
Nikki laughed and pulled him back to her. "Don't worry, I'll teach him a thing or two!"
"That's what I'm counting on, girly."
They heard the front door to the cabin close. Keegan sighed against her lips. "Did I mention that when you are with a James man, you are stuck with the whole family?"
"After what I saw today, there are worse things in life."
"Yeah, I suppose there are."
"Now, I think you have a dare to uphold."
"Oh, I intend to." He rose and pulled Nikki to her feet. "How about one more?"
"Okay."
"I dare you to love me."
"You don't need to dare me to do that."
"I'm glad you thought I was a drug lord."
Nikki chuckled. "I'm really glad I was wrong." A breeze kicked up and Nikki shivered.
"Let’s get you inside." He picked her up and held her close to his chest as he carried her back to the house.
"You really need to stop doing this."
"Sorry. I'm a bit caveman like sometimes. How about I promise to stop when you let me carry you across the threshold?"
"Was that a proposal?"
"Just a thought. I like to plan ahead."
"Well, all right then."
"I love you, Nikki."
"I love you too, Border Patrol."
"Woo hoo! I knew it!" Clara's voice echoed from somewhere deep in the house.
Keegan shook his head. "Be sure you know what you are getting into."
"Oh, I do. Now take me to your bedroom, we have some terms to discuss."
"I like a woman who knows what she wants."
"Be sure you know what you are getting into." Nikki turned his words back on him.
"I've never been more sure of anything in my life."
The Trouble With Hearts
Carolyn Lee and Allie Kay
My life is no fairy tale. No charming prince is going to sweep me off my feet and into his loving arms. After tragedy claimed my husband’s life, I don’t dream that big anymore. My life now is about needs, not wants. I have a son and more unpaid medical bills than an unemployed single mom can pay. And I need a job—desperately. The problem is… I live on Ferry’s End Island where jobs are as rare as princes.
Rumors swirl about Zach Lewis’ past, but I have a kid to feed and he’s the only person on the island willing to give me a job. From what I can see, Zach is nothing like what people say. And the more I get to know him, the more the lines between employee and boss start to blur.
When an argument with Zach leads me to impulsively accept a date with his sworn rival, Griffin Reilly, I go from un-dateable widow to having two handsome men vying for my attention overnight. While I’m busy trying to sort out my feelings for Zach and Griffin, my son decides to explore his adventurous side. It’s only when one of them risks his life to save my son’s that I can see my happily-ever-after. If my frog doesn’t drown before I can kiss him into a prince…
Available October 9, 2018. Pre-order your copy today.
About the Author
Science teacher by day, writer and mom by night, Carolyn Lee lives near the ocean with her husband, two boys, rescue puppy and two cats. She loves baseball, books, food videos and trying new recipes. The beach is her happy place and snow has become her arch enemy after years of living in New England.
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