by Lara Lacombe
The thing was, she didn’t want to quit. This job pushed her work to the next level, and her professor loved it. “You’ve really managed to capture something special here,” he’d said at their last meeting. “Your direct observations of these shift workers enhance the quality of your research, and make your project shine.”
Could she really walk away from such a promising avenue for her work? There were so many repercussions to think about. The better her thesis research went, the better her dissertation would be. And a strong project would make her a more competitive candidate for one of those ever-elusive faculty positions. The work she did here and now had the potential to affect her entire career, something she couldn’t dismiss just because she’d had an unnerving experience last night.
No, I can’t stop, she decided. But taking a few days off wouldn’t kill her. And maybe she could get to know Nate a little bit better in the meantime.
He seemed like a nice guy, from what she had seen. But then again, so had her father. So had his friends. And they’d all turned out to be cheaters.
“How did you stand it?” she’d asked her mother, years later. “Knowing he was with those other women.”
Her mother had merely looked at her, sadness and understanding in her eyes. “I loved him,” she said simply.
Fiona shook her head. “But what about your self-respect?”
Christine had smiled then. “It wasn’t about that. It never was. I loved your father, and he was so good to us. No one is perfect.”
That much was true, but still, Fiona couldn’t bring herself to understand why her mother had stayed. Her father had put his relationships with those other women above his relationship with his own family. That was something Fiona couldn’t forgive and refused to overlook. And while her father had never brought his girlfriends around, she’d known about them just the same. The lipstick on his clothes. The unfamiliar perfumes that sometimes clung to his skin. And the arguments her parents used to have, always behind closed doors, their voices muffled and low. Fiona had sat, her ear pressed to the door as she’d strained to make out their words. And she’d heard everything. Her mother’s accusations. Her father’s confessions. She’d been too young to understand at the time, but she’d figured it out eventually.
Sometimes, she wondered what would have happened to her relationship with her father if he hadn’t died. Would she have been able to hold her tongue? Or would she have pulled away from him, her disappointment in his actions overshadowing her love for him? Was it really her place to judge? After all, he hadn’t cheated on her. Her parents’ marriage was between the two of them, something separate from their relationship with her. Still, she couldn’t help but feel betrayed that her father would look outside their family for fulfillment. As if she and her mother weren’t good enough for him.
It doesn’t matter now, she told herself. Rehashing the marital problems her mom and dad had experienced wasn’t a good use of her time, especially this morning. And it wasn’t exactly fair of her to assume that Nate would betray his family in the same way, just because her father had. She had to find a way to keep her father’s actions from affecting her own, especially when it came to relationships.
Thirty minutes later, the doorbell rang. The sound made her stomach flutter, and she took a deep breath to calm her nerves. “He’s the same guy from last night,” she muttered. “One kiss doesn’t change anything.” It was true, but her body didn’t seem to realize that.
She opened the door and smiled up at him. He looked even better in the light of day, if such a thing was even possible. His mossy-green eyes warmed as he looked down at her, and an answering smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “How’s it going today?” His voice was a deep rumble that thrummed through her, making her skin tingle.
“I’m okay. A little tired, but otherwise fine.”
His brow furrowed slightly. “Did you have trouble sleeping?”
Yes, but not for the reasons he thought. Truth be told, that almost-kiss had wiped all thoughts of the robbery from her mind, and she’d spent the night tossing and turning, imagining a scenario where Slinky hadn’t cut things short between them. “I didn’t have nightmares, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“There’s no shame if you did,” he said, his tone reassuring. “Like I told you last night, you had a hell of a scare, and it may take some time to recover.”
Her chest warmed. He really seemed to care about her well-being in the aftermath of the robbery, which was sweet, considering they really didn’t know each other that well. “I’m okay,” she told him, trying to sound convincing. She didn’t want him to worry about her or feel sorry for her. There would be no second kisses if he pitied her, and while she wasn’t yet sure how much further she wanted to explore this thing between them, she definitely wanted to keep her options open.
“Do you want to come in for a cup of coffee?”
Nate tilted his head to the side. “Actually, I was wondering if you maybe wanted to grab a bite of breakfast on the way back to your car?”
Fiona nodded before he had finished asking the question. “That sounds great! Let me grab my jacket.”
A few minutes later they were on their way. Fiona settled back into the passenger seat and inhaled, smelling remnants of coffee and the faint hint of Nate’s soap. “So...” Nate said, trailing off. “How’s Slinky this morning?”
Fiona smiled. “Well rested, as usual. Not much gets to him.”
Nate huffed out a laugh. “That must be nice.”
“I have to admit, there are times I wish I could embrace his philosophy of napping away my problems.”
“It would be a heck of an approach,” Nate agreed.
“Do you have any pets?”
“No,” he said, sounding somewhat wistful. “My parents have a dog, but I don’t get to see him too often.”
“Aw, that’s sweet. What kind of dog is he?”
“A golden retriever. His name is Parker. They got him my last year of high school, so he’s getting a little up there in years.”
“I bet he’s still excited to see you, though.”
Nate nodded. “Oh, definitely. That tail gets to going back and forth, and anything within striking distance is susceptible. Sometimes, I think he’s happier to see me than my own mother.”
Fiona slid him a glance out of the corner of her eyes. “You’re kidding, right? I’m sure your mother is overjoyed to see you.” What kind of mother didn’t want to be near her own son, especially one who had turned out to be such a great guy?
He lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “I’m not so sure. I have to miss a lot of family functions due to my job, and she doesn’t always understand. She tends to take it personally.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” she replied, not knowing what else to say. “Do you have any siblings?”
“My sister, Molly. She’s about nine years younger than me. In fact, it was her birthday yesterday.”
“Where does she live?” Probably out of town, since he hadn’t mentioned getting to see her.
He hesitated before responding. “She’s on the other side of Houston with my parents. I sent her some flowers, but didn’t get a chance to drop by.”
Something about his answer made her think he didn’t want to talk about it, so she didn’t press. “Ah. Sorry about that.”
“Not your fault,” he responded quickly. “The day was already a bust in the family-visit department. Par for the course.”
He sounded matter-of-fact about it, but there was something in his tone that made her think he wasn’t immune to his mother’s censure over missing out on family moments.
“What about you?” he asked. “Didn’t you tell me last night you’re an only child?”
“Yep, that’s right.” Her stomach did a little flip, and she was inordinately pleased he’d remembered. “Like I said last night, my parents were on the older side when I was born—they didn’t even think they’d be able to get me, so a sibling was completely out o
f the question.”
“What was it like, growing up like that?” He sounded genuinely curious. “I mean, Molly and I lived in each other’s pockets when we were kids—we pretty much had to, as our house was small.”
“Did you fight a lot?” Fiona could only imagine how annoying that could be. No privacy, no space to truly call your own. She’d never had to share like that, and as an adult, it sounded like a recipe for disaster.
“No,” he replied. He took a deep breath, as if bracing himself for a hit. “Molly has Down syndrome, so she’s very loving and happy. There’s not a mean bone in her body.”
Fiona wasn’t sure how to respond to this revelation. He was clearly sensitive about the issue, and she didn’t want to say anything that would offend him. “She sounds lovely.”
Nate smiled, and she saw his eyes soften. “She’s the best. But what about you? Weren’t you lonely growing up without a sibling?”
“Well, no. I mean, I didn’t know anything different. I had friends at school, and that was nice. But I always liked having time on my own. I’m not sure what I would have done with a sibling.” She had to admit, though, the idea of having a brother or sister was appealing, especially now that she was grown. It would have been nice to have had someone to talk to Mom about, and she could have definitely used the help taking care of Mom after she got sick.
“That makes sense.” Nate pulled into the parking lot of a small diner. “It’s not much to look at,” he said, cutting the engine. “But they make the best pancakes in the city.”
Fiona’s stomach growled. “I have to admit, I’m so hungry right now I’ll eat just about anything.”
He held the door open for her with a smile. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”
They had just sat down in a booth when his phone rang. He gave her an apologetic glance. “I have to take this, it’s work.”
“No problem,” she said, using the opportunity to peruse the menu. Eggs, pancakes or waffles? Why not a combination?
Nate’s voice was a low murmur in the background, and she tried to ignore him, wanting to respect his privacy. He wrapped up the call quickly and tucked the phone back into his pocket. Then he cast her a guilty look, one that had her clenching the menu a little tighter.
He’s got to go, she realized, her stomach letting out a howl of protest.
Confirming her suspicions, he laid his menu on the table. “I’m so sorry to do this,” he began.
Fiona merely nodded. “It’s okay,” she said, trying to hide her disappointment. “Duty calls, right?”
A look of relief passed over his features. “Unfortunately, yes. Can I take a rain check?”
“Sure thing.”
“Great. Let’s get you back to your car.”
Five minutes later, Fiona waved goodbye as Nate drove away. He’d been all apologies on the drive over, and he’d seemed to really feel bad about having to cancel their breakfast plans. While she didn’t think he’d blown her off, it was hard to shake her disappointment. First an almost-kiss, now an almost-date. Were they doomed to never truly connect?
Shaking her head, she walked toward the doors of the store. First things first. Talk to Ben and get a few days off. Then she could think about Nate and decide if her crush was worth exploring.
* * *
Ben Carter thrust a hand through his hair as he surveyed the piles of papers on his desk. Where were those damn photos? He’d looked at them again just the other day but had gotten distracted before he could return them to the store safe. He had to find them now, though—last night’s robbery attempt had been a little too close for comfort.
“Thank God, she didn’t let him back here,” he muttered. While it seemed the robber had only been after money, if he’d taken the pictures, too, Ben would have been out of luck.
There they were—buried under a stack of invoices. He scooped them up and fell into his chair, feeling light-headed with relief. These were his safety net, his protection against the wrath of Big Sal. It was a dangerous game he played, that was certain. As far as he knew, no one crossed Big Sal and lived to talk about it. But Ben wasn’t interested in bragging. He just wanted to be out from under the other man’s thumb.
After all, it wasn’t really his fault. He’d made those bets based on bad advice, advice he was convinced Sal had somehow controlled. The man’s influence knew no bounds, so it stood to reason he had his fingers in every sports-related pie in the city, if not the region. The guys who made their living off sports probably gave Sal a kickback or two so they could stay in business. How else could they continue to do what they did, making money off the backs of hardworking guys like Ben?
Most people paid up, figuring there was no other way. But not Ben. He was too smart to blindly do as he was told. Besides, if the result of his bet had been truly based on chance, he would have settled up, no questions asked. But he couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d been played, and he refused to pay a cheater.
No matter how brutal the man was.
He pulled a manila envelope from his desk and slid the photos inside. It was time to find a new hiding place, one that wasn’t as vulnerable as the store or his home.
A knock on the door distracted him. “What?”
Fiona poked her head inside. “Hey, Ben. Got a minute?”
“Sure, come on inside.”
She stepped in, glancing around his office. “Wow. Reorganizing?”
“Something like that.” He put the envelope with the pictures on top of another stack of papers. “I’m cleaning up, trying to impose order in here. I’ve got a lot of papers to take home.” He gestured to the pile. Better to sneak the pictures out in a collection of files; it would draw less attention than if he walked out with a single envelope.
“So how are you?” Did he sound appropriately concerned? Hopefully so. It would raise her suspicions if it seemed he didn’t care she’d been robbed at gunpoint last night.
“A little shaky. Last night was...” She blew out a breath, her cheeks puffing. “Intense,” she finished.
“I can imagine.” He’d gotten the story from the police and had promised his full cooperation in their investigation. Fortunately, it seemed like an open-and-shut case, and he’d given the cops no reason to look closer at his own personal affairs.
“You did the right thing,” he said, belatedly realizing she was waiting for him to say something.
“Thanks. Listen, I came to ask a favor.”
“What’s that?”
“I’d like to take a few days off. I’m not ready to come back to work yet—it’s still too fresh.” She shivered, and for the first time he noticed the dark circles under her eyes. She really did look shaken up, poor kid.
“That’s fine. Take the whole week,” he said, feeling suddenly generous in the wake of finding the pictures again.
“Really?” Her face lightened with relief. “Thanks so much, Ben. I really appreciate it.”
He waved away her gratitude. “It’s the least I could do. You had a quite a scare last night. We’re lucky it worked out the way it did.”
Fiona nodded, her expression sobering again. “Yeah, no kidding.”
A flicker of movement caught his eye, and he turned his attention to the security cameras that covered the store and the entrance. A tall figure was approaching the door, and something about his body language made the hair on the back of Ben’s neck stand up.
Fiona stood, and Ben rose with her. “Say, can you help me with something before you take off?” He gestured to the stacks of paper on his desk. “I need to get these to my car, and I could use a little help. Do you mind?”
“Okay.” She held her arms out, and he placed the stack with the manila envelope in her arms. Better to get that out of the store now, in case this new guy turned out to be a threat.
“I’ll be right behind you,” he promised, shooing her out the door.
He waited until she was gone before locking the door, then he turned his attention to the cameras ag
ain, his stomach twisting into knots. Whoever was coming, he looked like a man on a mission, someone who was looking for something and wouldn’t stop until he found it.
Was it one of Big Sal’s minions, sent to collect? He studied the video feed, concentrating hard as the man approached the door. Fiona walked out as the man walked in, and Ben held his breath, waiting to see if the man would notice her. But no... He let his breath out in a gust of relief as they passed each other without a second glance. The photos were still safe; he still had the advantage.
Belatedly, he realized the man was walking purposefully through the store heading in the direction of his office. His heart began to pound as the man approached, and he cast his eyes around the office, searching in vain for an escape that wasn’t there. He was trapped, but at least the door was locked. It was a solid barrier between him and trouble, and hopefully Big Sal’s man would give up and walk away once it became clear Ben wasn’t going to open the door.
He glanced at the phone on his desk, debating his options. If he called the police, the guy would be forced to leave. But did he really want to draw police attention to the store again, after last night’s events? Two calls in less than twenty-four hours was quite a coincidence, one that would draw additional scrutiny to the store and, by extension, him. He couldn’t afford to have the police poking around in his personal business, so he was just going to have to wait this guy out.
As if on cue, there was a sharp pounding on the door. “I need to talk to you, Ben. Open up.”
For a split second, Ben debated keeping silent and pretending he wasn’t there. If he didn’t respond, maybe the guy would think he wasn’t in the store and would just leave.
He glanced up at the monitors again and caught sight of the worried expression on Kevin’s face. The clerk on duty was a young man, still in high school, and he didn’t want the kid to become a target of this man’s rage.
