“How do you know that?”
“I watched you and that other woman with the baby bring it down here.”
“If that’s so, why did you wait in the garage for me?”
“I’m not totally heartless. I would never hurt a baby, and your friend didn’t stay long enough to watch it. I only take care of necessary problems and you’ve become one.”
“So, Hayden isn’t involved? How did you get her to give you an alibi yesterday? You had to have been the one to attack me.”
“Shut up! That’s what I mean. You’re too mouthy. Hayden is easy to handle. I gave her a glass of wine, put something in it to make her fall asleep, and she thought we both took an afternoon nap together. Never knew I was gone.”
Yep. Total psycho. Ollie’s whine on the other side of the door turned into a low howl between long growls. She eyed the side door.
“Don’t think about it.” He had spotted where she’d been looking. “I locked the door. You rely on that dog a little too much. And as far as he goes, he’s becoming a real problem, too. But I need that DVD, and if I have to kill you and that dog to get it, I will. But I’d rather not kill the dog.” He grinned maniacally.
C’mon, Robinson. I’m running out of time here . . . She prayed Petie wouldn’t wake up.
“But if I have to, I will. So, here’s the plan. I brought Fido—”
“His name is Ollie.”
“Whatever. I brought the doggie a nice big bone with meat still on it, right here in my pocket. You will toss it in, in front of me, and then subdue the dog. If you don’t subdue him, I will have no problem pulling the trigger. None.”
She would not let him kill Ollie. But more importantly, she had to protect Petie. The little guy was inside sleeping. There was no telling what this madman was capable of.
“Do you understand me?” he growled, his face purple with rage.
She nodded, her stomach knotting into a mixture of fear and adrenaline. She tried to keep her hands steady and her knees locked because at some level she felt she could collapse, and there was no room for cowardice at a time like this. Think! And do it quickly! “Can I put the laundry basket down so that I can get the bone?”
He eyed her with an intensity that literally sent a shiver down her spine. “You want to put the basket down?”
“Yes. If I’m going to give the bone to my dog, we should probably start with me setting the basket down.”
“Are you being smart with me?” he yelled. “You think you’re so smart! You and your talk on wine! I could see how you think everyone is so beneath you! Now look at you. Bet you don’t feel so high and mighty now!”
She didn’t move.
“Okay, yeah, put the basket down.”
Nikki turned back around to set the basket on the washer. She wasn’t even thinking, knowing she had to act fast. This man was going to kill her.
“Just set the thing down, I said!”
With every ounce of strength, Nikki swung the basket around as hard as she could, which was enough to catch him off guard and cause the gun to come out of his grip and fly through the air, knocking it to the ground. It went sliding under the washing machine.
Nikki used a roundhouse kick on his knees. Higgins wobbled and then came up, lunging at her. He grabbed her arm and pulled her back toward him. His strength by far outweighed hers, but she had agility and speed on her side as she rounded her foot around his knee, causing him to fall off balance again. He let go of her arm and she darted for the back door. She reached for the handle as he grabbed her shirt and dragged her backward. She cocked her fist and, with every ounce of strength she could muster, pulled herself around and cold clocked him in the face. He brought a hand up to his eye. Now he was good and pissed off. “You bitch!” Not the first time she’d been called that before.
He charged her and pushed her hard. This time, Nikki was thrown off balance and into the back door. As Higgins started coming for her again, she turned the handle on the back door and Ollie rushed out and jumped Higgins, knocking the man straight to the ground.
“What the . . . !”
A glass window in the side of the garage crashed to the ground. Robinson stood outside the door yelling, “Nikki! Nikki, are you okay?”
Ollie had Higgins pinned. Nikki hit the open button on the garage remote and saw Robinson, gun pointed at Higgins, as the door rose up. Nikki sank to the floor. Ollie found the dog bone in Higgins’s pocket, tore the pocket off, and with instructions from her, got off the man so that Robinson could cuff him and cart him away. “Yeah. I’m okay,” she replied.
Ollie came over, licked her face, and then went back to his bone. She wrapped her arms around him. Boy, did she love this dog.
Thirty-six
PETIE slept through the entire ordeal. Robinson had called in backup and transferred Higgins into the squad car to be taken to the jail and processed. It would be a long time, if ever, before Higgins saw the light of day.
Once Robinson took Nikki’s statement, he turned personal. “I shouldn’t have asked you to get involved in this.” He put a friendly arm around her and gave her a noogy on the top of her head. “You get yourself in deep shit every time so there better not be a next time, Sands.”
“I’m fine, and I’m glad that you did ask me to help out. I’m starting to believe that everything happens for a reason, like Alan Sansi says.”
“Oh, yeah? What do you think the reason is behind all of this?” He shoved his hands into his jeans and rocked back onto his cowboy-booted heels.
She shrugged. “Well, for starters, you would never have met Alyssa if this hadn’t happened. I mean I didn’t think I’d see you again after what happened last year. You know, I figured that was just one of those things. Then you were back at your job and I was at mine.”
“Which job would that be? Vineyard employee or amateur sleuth?”
“Funny. No, I do not plan to go into detecting full-time. I like managing the winery and I have plans for the future.” She sighed.
“Sounds heavy.”
“Kind of. But I’ll fill you in if we’re going to be seeing you more often around here, which from the look of it, is the case.”
His cheeks reddened a little as he glanced down at his hands and nodded.
“Are you blushing, Robinson?”
“No. Hey, where’s the kid?”
“Petie? He’s still sleeping.”
Nikki showed him to the back room, where Petie was just waking up. She picked him up and he said, “Mommy.”
Oh, that twang in her heart!
“Want Mommy.” He grew a little louder.
“I can take him up to her.” Robinson reached out for Petie.
“You don’t have to do that,” she replied.
“I know. I want to. I want to ask her out to dinner.” He smiled widely. “I think we could have some fun together.”
She patted him on the shoulder and handed Petie, who didn’t fuss, over to the detective. “I think so, too.” Petie leaned his head on Robinson’s shoulder. “Would you look at that? Guess you two bonded the other night.”
“I think so.” He stroked Petie’s hair.
He looked like a dad, and a good one, too. It made Nikki think of Derek.
She walked Robinson out the door and helped him get Petie in the car. Robinson went to the trunk and took out a car seat from the back.
“You always carry a car seat?” Nikki asked.
“Always.”
“Oh.” She had the feeling that the seat had belonged to his son, but she didn’t ask.
“In my line of work you never know when it might come in handy.”
“Right.” She buckled Petie into his seat.
Robinson flashed another movie star smile at her and slipped his shades on. “You’re real good, Sands. I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again—real good.”
She watched Robinson drive up the hill to the hotel. She’d have to head up there herself, have a tall glass of cold water, and take a m
inute to breathe. Nikki wanted to be there when the Sansi family returned from their lunch so she could tell them what had happened. It was not something she looked forward to, but it was better they hear it from her.
The Sansi family took the news somewhat in stride. At least Alan remained his usual self and didn’t get too excited or angry or anything. He just put an arm around his daughter and said, “I’m so sorry, honey.”
Hayden didn’t remain as calm as her father. She lost it. “You’re kidding? How? What! This is impossible!” Tears rolled down her cheeks and in between sobs she continued to question everything that Nikki told them. She explained it all a few times before Hayden collapsed into her mother’s arms, finally accepting this horrible news. Lulu stroked her hair. Alan wrapped his arms around his wife and daughter and spoke in hushed tones. Nikki knew that this was one of those blows that would take a long time to heal. Luckily the woman had a supportive, loving family to help her get through it.
Sierra hugged her sister, too.
After some time they pulled apart. Alan and Lulu escorted Hayden to the car.
Sierra and Jen came over to Nikki. Sierra shook her head. “My poor sister. She doesn’t deserve this. I could kill that guy for doing this to her.” She brought a hand to her mouth, realizing the faux pas she’d made. “I mean I could do him some serious damage.” She frowned and stretched out her hand to Nikki. “Thank you for everything. You’ve been wonderful, and I’m sure this hasn’t exactly been easy. I can’t believe Rich would do such a thing. I thought he was a jerk, but a killer? I had no idea,” Sierra said.
“It’s good that you two are figuring things out after what you’ve been through, as well. You belong together.”
They smiled. “We think so, too,” Jen said.
Despite what had transpired, Sierra did look amazingly well. Only days earlier, Nikki had pegged her for a bit of a lush, or at least a lost soul. The benefits of true love had helped heal her. Now she was sobered up and had a glow coming from her.
Alan settled Lulu and Hayden in the car and came back to let Nikki know that he’d be in touch with Derek in the next week to take care of the negotiations about the licensing agreement with the spa products and wine. With Lulu caring for Hayden, Alan walked Nikki back down to her place.
“I’ll call the other members personally and let them know what has happened.”
“Thanks,” Nikki said.
Alan gave her a hug. “Life is good, Nikki Sands. You will get all that you wish for. I can guarantee it. Good comes to those who do good.”
She nodded. “Yeah. I think so, too.”
She closed the door behind her, walked straight to her bed, and lay down for a long nap with Ollie alongside her.
Thirty-seven
DEREK made it home right before dinner and immediately smothered Nikki with care. He made a bubble bath, poured her a glass of wine, and cooked her a homemade meal of his famous chicken-fried steak, cheesy biscuits and gravy, and green beans drenched in butter.
“I do most of the cooking around here because if I eat like this very often, I’d have to either give in and grow large or run a lot more often, and frankly, I don’t want to run more often.”
“It’s good, though, right?” He winked at her.
“Oh, my God. Do you have to ask?” She rolled her eyes and smiled. It was wonderful to have him home. “Do you see anything left on my plate?”
Over dinner they talked about what had happened while he was gone. She found out from him that the reason his notes on the meeting had included a mention of Iwao’s VisionScope was because Derek had been thinking about doing a book on his belief in organic farming and how they go about it at the winery. Alan had suggested talking to Iwao about it, knowing that Inspiritus didn’t do any type of horticulture books.
As the evening wound down, Derek took her hand in his while they plopped down on the sofa together.
She leaned her head against his chest and let out a sigh worthy of the stress she’d endured over the week—now all gone. Almost. There was that thing—the baby thing that the doctor suggested she talk to Derek about.
“You know,” he said, “you really have to stop putting yourself in danger the way you do.” He kissed the top of her head. “If I’d been here, this wouldn’t have happened. I could kill that guy for hurting you. To think I could have lost you. No more troublemaking.” He squeezed her hand. Robinson had pretty much told her the same thing. “Because I’m never leaving you alone again.”
“I don’t go looking for trouble.”
“I know. It somehow finds you.”
They chuckled, knowing it was true.
“I’ll try to avoid it from now on,” she replied. “Really, I will.”
“You will because, like I said, I’m going to be right here with you.”
Ollie sidled up to the couch and nudged her hand. She scratched the top of his head. As soon as she’d stop, he’d nudge again. Now this was perfect.
“Speaking of trouble. I have something for you.” Derek removed his arm from around her shoulders.
“You do?” She lifted her head and smiled. “And why would that remind you of trouble?”
“You’ll see.” He got up and went back into their bedroom and came back with a floral printed gift bag. “For you. I trekked through the cold and snow because a man can’t come home empty-handed to the woman he loves, right?”
She sat up straight, taking the bag and moving the pink tissue aside to pull out an exquisite Tiffany blue negligee complete with panties. It wasn’t lacy or racy, but simple, pretty, and definitely something she could wear to get the two of them into trouble. “It’s beautiful.”
“No. It’s hot. You had me going the other night with visions of you in blue and lace. But I think we’ll have to wait a few days before we can put it to good use.”
She laughed. “Oh, I don’t want to wait.”
“You have no choice. Tonight, you put on those old pajamas of yours and let me hold you. Your body still has some healing to do.”
“That does sound good,” she admitted. She closed her eyes momentarily. Waiting to tell him what she needed to would be foolish and unfair. He should know. The sooner the better. Just in case . . . “I have to tell you something,” she said. “It’s about what the doctor told me.”
He faced her looking worried and anxious. She relayed to him what the doctor had said. They sat in silence for a minute.
“Perfect timing. I think you missed something.” Derek pointed to the gift bag.
“What? Didn’t you hear what I said? Don’t you have any thoughts? Or feelings about this? I mean, I may not be able to conceive, and if I can, we have to get started now. That is, if you want a baby with me. I don’t how you feel about this. It’s serious.”
“In the bag,” he replied.
“Derek! We need to talk about this.”
He sighed. “You can be so petulant. Look in the damn bag.”
What was he up to? Nikki peered back into the bag and moved the tissue aside again. There it was—that little blue box. She gasped. It was a Tiffany box. Oh wow.
He took it from her, and got down on his knee. “I was going to wait and do this all romantic like, but after the last few days and then you being hurt, I don’t want to wait. I want you. I love you and I want you to be my wife, and I want a family with you. I don’t care how we have a family, and if we need to start now, great. I’m ready. Let’s get you feeling better because it sounds like we might be busy here real soon. I mean, if you say yes.” He winked at her. “I’m going to ask you again, because nothing can come between us. Nikki, will you please do me the honor of being my wife?”
She wiped the tears from her face. “Yes. Definitely. I will marry you.”
Chicken-Fried Steak, Biscuits, and Gravy with Luna Pinot Grigio
There is nothing like down-home cooking and a romantic evening—sort of. A five-star restaurant also sounds good, but at least Nikki didn’t have to cook this time. It’s doub
tful she’s complaining about this recipe of chicken-fried steak and that sweet added ingredient of a wedding proposal. No one ever said that Nikki and Derek were traditional. Fingers crossed, these two will make it to the altar. Never know what kind of trouble could be ahead for Nikki Sands. For now, though, this author is happy to see her ride off into the sunset with her dream man.
A beer typically goes down well with this meal, but for the wine lover’s purpose, something in the light, white wine category would be fitting for this heavy meal like Napa Valley’s Luna Pinot Grigio. The Luna Pinot Grigio has a deliciously sensual nose of pear, peach, and apricot. With a swirl of the glass, the wine lover will experience an added bouquet of citrus and pine nut flavors. On the palate, there are flavors of apple, pineapple, and dates with a tinge of oak. The wine has a full body on the mid-palate and finishes out with notes of orange and thick honey.
EASY HOMEMADE BISCUITS
⅓ cup butter, softened and cubed (may substitute ⅓ cup
shortening)
2 ¼ cups self-rising flour
1 cup buttermilk
3 tbsp melted butter
Cut softened butter into flour with a pastry blender or 2 forks just until butter cubes are coated with flour. Using your hands, gently combine until mixture resembles small peas. Stir in buttermilk with a fork just until blended. (Mixture will be wet.)
Turn dough out onto a generously floured surface, and pat to ½-inch thickness. Cut dough with a well-floured 2‘ round cutter (avoid twisting cutter—it will seal the edges and prevent proper rising). Place on lightly greased baking sheet.
Bake at 450° for 9-11 minutes or until lightly browned. Removed from oven and brush warm biscuits with melted butter. Serve immediately.
EASY CHEDDAR BISCUITS
Corked by Cabernet Page 22
