by Molly McLain
Nicole glanced back to Ally, who nibbled on her bottom lip expectantly, and just like that, the day looked a whole lot brighter. “I’d love to spend some time catching up,” she said, “but obviously we can’t while you’re working. Maybe we can meet up later?”
“I’m off at two o’clock. I’ll come by.” Ally clapped her hands together and bounced on the balls of her feet.
Gladys snorted. “What’d I tell ya?”
Swatting at her coworker, Ally returned to her unattended muffins. “Quit harassing me and get the poor woman a cup of coffee already. From what Luke told me, she needs it.”
“Ugh. I’d rather not be reminded.” Nicole dug a twenty dollar bill from her purse—her coffee fund for the weekend—and considered her options carefully. She might as well go big since she’d be homebound later. Despite Luke’s offer, she didn’t like the idea of using his truck for anything more than getting home. “How about a venti iced caramel macchiato with an extra shot of espresso?”
Gladys winked. “Hitting it hard this morning, huh?”
“I need all the liquid motivation I can get.” One, to not call her father and beg him to come pick her up like a some scared teenager and, two, to not second guess her carefully crafted plan to wipe the slate clean and start over again once Gran’s house was in order.
Ally stuck the last muffin in the case—a divine looking carrot one with an inch of cream cheese frosting and pretty, crystalline sugar—and rang up Nicole’s drink. “Anything else? You’re eyeing up that muffin like you wanna make cute, little carrot babies with it.”
“Since I can feel my ass getting wider just looking at it, I’ll pass.” Also, splurging on baked goods would mean less frou-frou coffee for the next couple days and that was a sacrifice she wasn’t willing to make.
“Please.” Ally took Nicole’s money and rolled her eyes. “Your ass is perfect. The men in this town are gonna line up at your door like dogs when they hear about the pretty new blonde in town.”
According to Derek, the only men her ass could attract were dogs...
Nicole cleared her throat as Gladys lifted the whipped cream to the drink. “You know what? Skip the topping today, please.”
“Suit yourself.” Gladys capped the drink and slid it across the counter.
“Thank you. So I’ll see you this afternoon, Ally, and I’m sure we’ll meet again, Gladys. Probably daily.”
“Countin’ on it.” The older woman gave a thumbs-up and then shifted her attention to a pair of ladies about her age who’d strolled in. “Please tell me you have an update on Helen,” she said to the women, her smile turning to a frown.
“Heart attack,” one of the ladies answered. “She’s in surgery right now.”
Gladys made the sign of the cross. “Thank goodness she wasn’t babysitting little Brianna at the time.”
The natural caregiver in Nicole perked up, but since it wasn’t polite to eavesdrop, she gave Ally a finger wave and left.
Outside, she sipped her drink, which was phenomenal even without the whipped cream, and paused to adjust her scarf. It was a nice day, but the wind was still chilly and getting sick right now wasn’t an option.
An extended cab truck with big tires and a shiny red paint job cranked into the open parking space before her and, with a grain of annoyance for the unnecessary speed, she hung back to avoid being flattened.
A country song thumped from the truck’s speakers and she muttered beneath her breath about crazy, small town drivers, when the vehicle’s door opened and a pair of big, rugged work boots hit the pavement.
All the snarky words died on her tongue as the driver rounded the door and filled her field of vision with nothing but tall, lean, gorgeous male.
Well, hello there, crazy, small town driver.
She bit her lower lip to contain her grin, but allowed herself the feminine pleasure of taking in the man’s fluid grace and the confident manner in which his long, denim-clad stride carried his big, athletic body. His boots screamed down and dirty work ethic, and his black hoodie, though bulky, did amazing things to his deliciously broad shoulders.
It took a conscious effort to keep her eyes moving upward, past the dusting of stubble on his strong, slightly squared jaw, to the tattered baseball cap sitting atop a mess of thick, dark chocolate hair that curled haphazardly around his ears. Her fingers flexed and she barely resisted the urge to reach up and touch.
Gran, if you’re taunting me, so help me God, I’ll give everyone in this town a copy of your secret double chocolate chip cookie recipe.
The man halted before her on the sidewalk and, for a moment, all Nicole could do was blink. Did she have a leaf in her hair? Latte foam on her nose? Was she drooling?
“Hi,” the delectable hottie offered in a lush voice that sent shivers racing to her toes.
“Hi,” she exhaled back, because, holy crap, he had the richest, deepest brown eyes she’d ever seen. Even if they happened to have tired, gray shadows beneath them.
“Is the coffee good today?” he asked, his full lips twisting into a crooked smirk.
She frowned and glanced down at the cup in her hand. Oh, right. Coffee. Her favorite. Along with dark eyes and long eyelashes. “Yes. Very.”
“That’s what I like to hear.” The devious grin turned into a wide, white smile that only accentuated his bad-boy rugged facial hair. “Mind if I go in and get some?” He motioned toward the door.
That she was standing smack in front of.
“Oh, God.” Her face flushed hot and she took a big, uneasy step out of the way. “I’m so sorry. I obviously need more of this.” She shoved her cup into the air, sloshing liquid through the straw hole on top and onto her white sweater.
Drop-dead Sexy continued to grin as he reached for the door. “I’ll leave you to that then. Have a nice day.”
She pasted on a reciprocating smile and nodded like a bumbling idiot as he walked his fine rear end into the coffee shop.
“Go get that muffin!” said the little devil on her shoulder. “And his number while you’re at it!”
“Tsk tsk, silly girl,” said the more practical angel. “Eye candy is not on your diet.”
“Don’t I know it.” The breeze sent her hair flitting around her face and she pushed it back with a sigh.
Eight weeks. All she had to do was get through the next fifty-six days and, not only would she have a job and regular income again, she’d have access to the hospital gym and a whole city full of cute guys.
Eight weeks.
She had this.
Chapter Two
“Hey, it’s Carissa. Do you have a minute?”
Phone to his ear, Tony held up a finger and excused himself from his so-called “break” with his boss Josh Hudson, the county building inspector Reed Fletcher, and a handful of board representatives who’d taken time out of their busy Saturday to be a total pain in his ass.
The old geezers were completely clueless about historical preservation and, despite his efforts to explain it to them—repeatedly—they couldn’t seem to grasp that the courthouse was on the historical registry; therefore they couldn’t just knock out this wall and that and “modernize” the place. It was actually a pretty simple concept, but he was getting a goddamn migraine beating his head against the wall trying to make them understand.
“Yeah, I’m free,” he said to Brianna’s impromptu babysitter, who was also his boss’s fiancée and his good friend. Taking a seat on the marble staircase that lead to the third floor courtroom, he stretched his legs and welcomed the reprieve. “Everything okay with Bri?”
“Yep. Just finished her green beans and peaches.”
“Whoa, she ate the beans?”
“Like a champ.” Carissa laughed and he heard his daughter try to mimic the sound in the background.
“Maybe I should bring her over more often. Even Mrs. R. couldn’t get her to eat beans.” The sound of smacking kisses popped in his ear and his daughter let out a high-pitched giggle that sent
butterflies flitting around in his stomach. God, he was a sap for that kid.
“I’m happy to have Bri over when I’m not working. Unfortunately that leaves you in a bind for weekdays.” She paused. “I hate to say this, but even if Helen does make a full recovery, are you going to feel comfortable leaving Bri with her? Now that her health is in question?”
Not a chance, and he’d spent every spare second this morning dwelling on that very issue. Problem was, he didn’t know anyone else reliable and trustworthy enough to watch Brianna on a fulltime basis, save the local daycare with a waiting list a mile long. He’d put Bri on the damn thing as soon as he’d won custody of her four months ago, but realistically, they wouldn’t have room for her until next summer—if he was lucky.
“No, I won’t feel comfortable.” He took off his ball cap and pushed a hand back through his hair. “Hate to think how much it’ll piss off Josh, but I might need to take some vacation time until I can come up with another option.”
Carissa made a thoughtful sound. “First of all, if Josh gives you even an ounce of grief, send him my way. Second, I have an idea that might help in the meantime.”
Anything would be better than nothing at this point. “Shoot.”
“Why don’t I draft up some flyers for a sitter? We can post them around town and see if anyone bites. There’s got to be someone willing to lend a hand, especially with this little angel.” More kissy sounds and more giggles filled his ear.
“Yeah, but you know how I feel about just anyone watching her.” It had taken him a solid two weeks to feel comfortable with Mrs. Riley and she was a former Kindergarten teacher.
“This is River Bend, Tony. You know just about everyone in town.”
True enough. “Okay,” he sighed. “If you wouldn’t mind pulling something together, Bri and I’ll post them around town this afternoon.”
“Actually, we have to run to the grocery store, so I can do it. It’ll save you time later.”
And that was why he loved living in a small town—his friends were amazing. “You rock, Car. I owe you.”
She chuckled again. “You can repay me by sending my man home in a good mood today. I have plans for the evening and when he’s crabby, he’s less willing to experiment.”
“Experiment?”
“I believe you heard me correctly.”
Tony rolled his eyes. “On that note, goodbye. And keep the kink away from my daughter.” Tucking the phone into the pocket of his hoodie, he hung his head in his hands and blew out a breath.
This single father gig was hard. Emotionally just as draining as his Marine Corp training and his tour in Afghanistan five years ago. And then coming home and going straight to his father’s funeral...
Shit.
He dug his palms into his eyes and prayed for more sleep tonight. No, he hadn’t expected fatherhood to be easy—he knew exactly what he was getting himself into when he’d petitioned the court for full custody of Bri. She’d needed a parent, for Christ’s sake. Particularly one she got to see more than every other Sunday from behind glass at the Adams County Jail. But raising her alone? Not for the faint of heart.
“You gonna sit there all day or are you gonna work for the money I pay you?”
Tony single-finger saluted his boss as the man approached. “I was on the phone with Carissa actually. Making plans to meet up later, after your sorry ass falls asleep.”
Josh snorted. “Good luck with that, because by the time she and I are done tonight, she’ll be too tired for you.”
“You two need to stop sharing.”
“And you need to quit being such a whiny bitch. Get your ass out of the house. Find a woman of your own.”
Right, because he had so much free time to look, let alone pay a woman the kind of attention she deserved.
The blonde from this morning had his blood pumping like it hadn’t in months, but he didn’t know how he’d even manage a single night right now—never mind more, and she was most definitely a woman who’d make him want more. So he’d walked away, kicking himself for not being man enough to deal with his own needs while making Brianna’s a priority, too.
Fuck.
Pushing to his feet, he shook off the wishful thinking and went back to work. With any luck, the flyers would snag some interest and he’d regain control of at least one of the balls he was juggling.
If not, he might have to resort to the one thing he swore he’d never do—ask his mom or Shannon’s mom, Bri’s other grandma, for help.
***
Do not hyperventilate. Do. Not. Hyperventilate.
Nicole stuffed the ATM receipt into her wallet and considered sitting down on the bench beside it to stick her head between her knees. Obviously the suckage that was her financial situation was an issue she was already well-acquainted with, but seeing the numbers printed out in black and white, leaving little room for hope she’d miscalculated the bottom line in her head, was always humbling.
With a sigh, she made quick work of perusing the grocery store, choosing a chicken that would give her plenty of leftovers and a pot roast she could eat from for a couple days, too. Buying produce felt like conceding to highway robbery, but she hadn’t worked her butt off to lose twenty pounds the last six months for nothing. Choosing health over practicality, she added lettuce and fruit to the cart before heading to the check-out, where she cringed every time the clerk ran an item across the scanner.
Bags in hand, she pasted on a smile, bid the woman a good day, and headed toward the exit.
In the breezeway between the sliding glass doors, a community bulletin board caught Nicole’s eye and she paused to browse. She needed to gather phone numbers for real estate agents anyhow, and this was as good a time as any to start.
Setting her purchases on the floor, she pulled her phone from her purse to log what she found. As she stood, a flyer front and center and on pink and purple paper snagged her attention:
Reliable childcare needed ASAP. Generous wage. Must have references. Call Tony at 308-555-6159.
A generous wage, huh?
Her heart beat a little faster as an idea took shape in her head.
She hadn’t planned on working while in River Bend; mostly because she thought she wouldn’t need to. But that was before she’d been nickeled and dimed to death, and before she found herself considering an embarrassing SOS phone call to her parents back in Denver. Something she hadn’t done since her divorce six years earlier.
A job didn’t fit into her schedule right now, but she didn’t have enough cash to get through the next two months without making herself prematurely gray either. Not unless she started selling off Gran’s things and just the thought made her sick to her stomach. It was one thing to part with them because she didn’t need them, but it was something else entirely to sell them because she was hard up.
Chewing on her lip, she considered the flyer once again. A few hours here and there wouldn’t completely derail her timeline at Gran’s and the extra cash would definitely help her sleep better at night.
Pulling back her shoulders, she snapped a picture of the flyer.
Chapter Three
“Do you have any idea what this is?” Ally held a porcelain and lace ballerina in her hands, petting it like it was a tiny kitten just rescued from a gutter.
“Not a clue.” Nicole motioned around the outdated kitchen where they’d laid out all of the knick-knacks they’d found strewn throughout the equally archaic house. “About any of this.”
“It’s a Marco ballerina.”
“Cool. Put it in the estate sale pile.”
Ally guffawed. “Don’t you want to keep it? Any of it? These were your grandmother’s things. Obviously she wanted you to have them.”
Nicole shook her head. “I’m pretty sure Gran left me in charge of her estate because she knew I was the only one who’d actually come back to Nebraska to tend to it. My dad travels a lot and my mom... Well, given the opportunity, my mom would’ve hired someone to come in and clean th
e place out without batting an eye.”
“Ouch.”
“My mom and Gran never got along. It’s why I always came here as a kid instead of Gran coming to Denver.” It was also why her grandmother had died here alone, six hours away from her only family, and the reason why Nicole refused to treat her inheritance as a cash cow.
“That’s really sad. Your grandma was a wonderful lady.”
“She was. And she’d be very happy to know you’re helping out. She always liked you.”
“Well, yeah. I am pretty awesome.” Ally grinned from ear to ear as she set the ballerina aside for the auction.
Nicole laughed. “So, who else from the old crew is still living around here?”
“No one that we hung out with. A few of Luke’s friends are still here, but most of them have girlfriends or fiancées from elsewhere. We should invite them out for drinks one of these nights so I can introduce you. I need a night to flaunt my ass around town anyhow.”
Despite her gorgeous curves, Ally didn’t come off as the flaunting type, so Nicole lifted an eyebrow. “Do I even want to know why?”
Ally shrugged. “Long story short, my love life sucks. My no-strings fling apparently decided I no longer exist. I’m pretty sure I need to rile him up. Go hang on another man or something.”
“Hmm, that could be dangerous.”
“That’s the point. You know, get him all pissed off so he realizes how good he had it.” Ally sighed, then her eyes flew open and the corners of her mouth curved up, all devious like. “Oh, my God, I can’t believe I didn’t think of it sooner—I’ll enlist Tony! He’ll piss Mark off for sure.”
“Mark?”
“Sheriff Dunn? I’m sure you’ll see him around town eventually.”
“Holy crap, you and the hot sheriff?” She’d run into him in the parking lot of the grocery store earlier. He’d stopped her to ask who she was and why she was driving Luke Barrett’s truck. One embarrassing phone call to Luke later, he’d welcomed her to town and bid her good day.
“Oh, yeah.” Ally gave a wistful sigh, then immediately shook it off. “I mean, he’s alright, I guess.”
