Nickels

by Karen Baney

  Digging through his closet, he found a small bag that would hold a change of clothes. He grabbed something that he hoped went together and stuffed it in the bag. Then he did a mental check to make sure he had everything he need.

  He rushed out the door and back to his truck.

  Kelly hadn’t given him much information when she called. Only that Alana was in the ER and that she might have a broken bone. She sounded too hysterical for him to pry any more details out of her.

  Lord, please watch over my girl.

  Within twenty minutes he arrived at the airport. He parked in short-term parking, grabbed his bag, and headed straight for security.

  The hour flight to Colorado Springs seemed to take forever. He hadn’t thought to bring a book or music or anything. All he had time to do was worry and think.

  He hoped Niki would be okay—not just about the accident, but also when he told her about Alana. He should have told her already.

  Mentally, he slapped himself for his words. We need to talk. That was a horrible phrase. She must be going crazy wondering why he needed to talk to her. Unless…

  Maybe Marcy already told her.

  Naw. If she had, Niki probably would have said something. She couldn’t know.

  When the plane touched down, he waited impatiently for his turn to exit. Once outside, he dialed Kelly’s number.

  “I’m here—at the airport.”

  “Good,” she said. “Can you take a cab? I don’t want to leave her.”

  “Fine.” He hadn’t expected her to come pick him up.

  The cab ride to the hospital wasn’t too bad.

  When he entered the hospital, he asked where his daughter was.

  “Third room on the left,” the nurse said, pointing down the hall.

  He hovered in the doorway of his daughter’s room. Kelly’s back blocked his view of Alana. He cleared his throat. Kelly turned around at the sound. Her face was pale and she looked beyond tense.

  “You made it. Alana, honey, your daddy is here.”

  “Daddy!” She tried to wiggle down off the table, but the doctor caught her.

  “Whoa there, princess,” the doctor said, “You stay put right here. I’m almost done.”

  Kyle caught a flash of bright pink as he moved past Kelly. He looked down at Alana’s arm covered with the vibrant cast. He kissed her on the forehead before he started asking questions.

  “What happened?”

  “She was playing with some friends down the street. One of them has a tree house. She lost her grip and fell on her arm. It’s broken,” Kelly explained.

  “Where were you?” he asked as a sudden protective streak surged within him.

  Kelly frowned at him then looked at Alana. “Sweetie, mama will be back in just a minute.”

  She grabbed his arm and pulled him into the hall. “Where do you get off using that tone of voice with me? I’ve been raising her for years when all you’ve done is contribute a portion of your paycheck. Then you show up six years later all changed and acting like you suddenly want to be a father. Don’t you ever question me and my parenting! You have absolutely no idea what I’ve gone through for her.”

  Kyle swallowed hard. He hadn’t meant to question her parenting. “Look, I’m sorry. I was just trying to understand what happened. That’s all.”

  “Why, so you could shove it back in my face? Maybe tell me what I’m doing wrong?”

  “No.”

  “Look, it was against my better judgment to let you into her life. I still don’t trust that you want to really see things through as a dad. But I figured a girl has the right to know her father.”

  He ran his fingers through his hair. Almost every conversation with Kelly over the past few months sounded the same. She didn’t trust that he really changed.

  “I’m here. I just left my girlfriend who went through some really rough stuff the last few days so I could be here. I don’t know how else to show you that I care for Alana and want to be a part of her life.”

  She narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms. Several seconds ticked by in silence. Finally, she spoke.

  “Go in and talk to her.” She uncrossed her arms. Her voice filled with resignation. “She’s missed you.”

  Kyle walked into the room and stood next to Alana. For the next ten minutes, she told him her version of how she broke her arm.

  His heart rolled over when she turned her blue eyes toward him. They were filled with excitement and love—something he didn’t deserve, but welcomed all the same.

  Chapter 35

  Shortly after ten that night, Niki’s phone rang with Kyle’s signature ringtone. She almost gave up on hearing from him.

  “Hey,” she answered. “How’s Alana?”

  Kyle blew out a loud sigh. “Fine. She was climbing a tree and fell. Broke her arm. She’s tired and a little dopey from the medication they gave her. We’re taking her home now.”

  “You know your sister is going to want to know if she can still be in the wedding.”

  “Yeah. Tell Marcy that she’ll be there. She should get the cast off a week or two before then.”

  “How old is she?”

  “Six. She thinks it’s kinda cool and can’t wait to get back to school to show all her friends.”

  Niki laughed. “She sounds sweet.”

  “She is.”

  “You’re pretty close, aren’t you?”

  Kyle cleared his throat. “We’ll talk more when I get back. I promise.”

  Again, the odd end to any discussion about Alana.

  “You doing okay?” he asked.

  “Yup.”

  “Good. I’m sorry I can’t be there for you.” His voice sounded tense.

  “Don’t worry about it.”

  “I gotta go. I’ll talk to you soon.”

  “Night, Kyle.”

  “Night, Nickels.”

  Niki stared at her now silent phone, watching the back light dim then eventually go black. What wasn’t he telling her?

  “How’s your girlfriend?” Kelly asked as she came back into the living room after having put Alana to bed.

  “She’s fine.”

  Kelly sighed. “I’m sorry I jumped all over you at the hospital. It’s just… I’ve been doing this single parent thing alone for a long time. I never thought you’d show up one day ready to be a father. I’ve never had any help. It’s been just me and her.”

  “I’m sorry. I should have—”

  “Don’t say it. We both know a marriage for her sake alone never would have worked—especially with you being in the Air Force. Moving from place to place all the time isn’t good for kids.”

  She flopped down into an oversized chair. Kyle fidgeted with the handle of his bag, trying to figure out if she was finished talking. When she remained silent for a few more seconds, he stood.

  “I should go find a hotel.”

  She stayed seated. “It’s fine if you want to crash on the couch.”

  “I… I don’t think I should.”

  “It’s fine. Really. If she wakes up, you can go be with her.”

  Kyle studied her face for a minute. She looked serious. “Are you sure?”

  She nodded and stood. “I’ll get you a pillow.”

  When she returned with it, she said, “For what it’s worth, I’m glad you came for her. She loves you so much already.”

  His eyes burned with an unexpected jolt of emotion.

  “Goodnight,” she said, walking back down the hall.

  “Night.”

  He sank onto the couch. There was a time when he had been good friends with Kelly—before the one night that changed their lives. He never had romantic feelings for her. It was just stupid hormones and alcohol. Maybe they could learn to be friends again.

  The next morning, Niki drove with Marcy to church. On the ride in, she asked, “What is Alana’s connection to Kyle?”

  Marcy stiffened in the passenger seat. “I’m guessing if you’re asking he hasn’t told you.�
��

  Another person avoiding the question. “He just says we’ll talk when he gets back.”

  “Leave it at that, Niki.”

  She frowned.

  Marcy sighed. “Look, you can trust him, okay? It’s just not something you two should discuss over the phone. If he said you’ll talk, then you will.”

  She pulled into a parking spot and killed the engine. As she opened the door, Marcy added, “Don’t worry about it.”

  Niki pasted on a smile, wishing she could shake off her worries. Marcy’s answer only added to them.

  The worship helped lift her spirits. She let go of her worry about the Alana thing. She felt more assured that her job situation would work out. By the last song, she felt more confident that things were going to be fine.

  Following the service, their Bible study group went to lunch together. Each of them asked how she was doing and sincerely listened to her answers. The only thing missing was Kyle.

  During the afternoon, she helped Marcy pick out wedding announcements. Then she spent some time in the pool. Eventually her restlessness drove her to sit in front of the TV and veg out watching movies. As she picked a chic flick from her collection, she thought back to the time Kyle brought her two favorite movies. She smiled. She missed him.

  At eight-thirty her phone rang. Kyle.

  “Hey, I’m hopping on my flight shortly. I won’t get home until after ten, so we’ll have to catch up later in the week.”

  “Okay,” Niki said, trying not to let her disappointment show. She thought he might be home already.

  “You still going to work tomorrow?” he asked.

  “Yeah. Wish me luck.”

  “I’ll do better than that. I’ll keep praying for you.”

  “Thanks, Kyle. I’ll pray for you, too.”

  “You sound good.”

  “I feel good.”

  “See you soon, Niki.”

  She wished him a safe flight then hung up. He sounded better—less nervous than yesterday’s call.

  Monday morning, Niki prayed before leaving her house. She prayed on the way to work. She even said a short prayer walking down the hallway to Brian’s office. Each time she prayed, some of her anxiety lifted. By the time she knocked on Brian’s door she felt ready to face whatever would happen.

  “Come in,” Brian motioned her to a chair. “Didn’t expect you until later in the week.”

  “You know how much I like to work.” She laughed.

  “So,” he said, getting up from his desk. He closed the door before returning to his large leather executive chair. “I have an update from Helitronics this morning.”

  Niki swallowed. “Oh?”

  “Looks like Melissa, the pilot, went home yesterday afternoon. Broken leg and some bruised ribs. Other than that, she’s fine.”

  “That’s good.”

  “Doug’s been working through the weekend. They found no evidence that the accident was caused by the software.”

  She released the air from her lungs in a whoosh.

  “Several sources are pointing towards pilot error.”

  “I suppose that’s good news.”

  “For us, yes.”

  As Brian went silent, he propped his elbows on his desk, tenting his fingers together. “It’s also good for Global Axis Systems.”

  Niki fidgeted with her phone, waiting for him to continue.

  “Because they will finally get what they’ve spent the better part of four months pressing for.”

  “Which is?”

  “You.”

  She should have seen that coming. Of course they still wanted her. “Give me the run down.”

  “Actually, I’ve got to head out for a client meeting. Here,” he said holding out a brand new laptop. “Don’t worry about your old one.”

  She took the offered computer.

  “Joe knows you’re coming, so just call him when you’re at the security desk. He’ll get you situated.”

  Niki stood. She was ready to be on her way to start her new assignment.

  “Before you take off,” Brian said. “Just wanted to let you know you should see a bonus in your next check.”

  “For what?” I got fired, remember?

  “For the great job at Helitronics. It was a tough assignment and you did great.”

  She thanked him as she left his office. Brian must be crazy, giving her a bonus for that job. But, she’d take it.

  Twenty minutes later, she dialed Joe’s number from the front lobby of Global Axis Systems. Funny how one day could change her perspective on this place. She had been so focused on the dream of Helitronics that she forgot how much she liked working at Global. Though the company boasted over 2.5 million in revenue last year alone, the founder and CEO, Roger Greene, worked hard to keep a family atmosphere. A plaque in the lobby declared Global as one of the top ten employers in the Phoenix Metro area.

  Not much had changed in the last year. Back then she worked on a short three month project for converting their in-house ordering system to an ecommerce platform. Brian told her that project alone provided a nearly one hundred twenty percent increase in sales. No wonder they wanted her back.

  “Niki Turner.”

  She turned toward the sound of her name. “Justin Greene,” she held out her hand as she greeted the Vice President of Sales and Marketing—Roger Greene’s oldest son.

  “I heard rumor that we reeled you back here.” Justin smiled, his brown eyes glittering with excitement.

  “I heard a rumor that you made an offer too good to refuse.”

  His face went red. “Ah, you know how Dad—er, Roger—likes to make sure we hire the best.”

  I’ll bet, Niki thought. She remembered Justin’s persistent interest in her at the post implementation party last year. Even though he was only four years older than her, she wasn’t interested. Still wasn’t.

  “Well, perhaps I’ll see you around,” she said hoping he would take the hint and move about his business.

  “You certainly will.” He guided her towards the camera for her photo ID badge. “Didn’t Brian tell you?”

  “Tell me what?”

  “I’m the project sponsor. You’ll be working on the new sales lead system.”

  She managed to wipe the frown from her face a second before the security guard snapped her picture.

  “Name?” the guard asked.

  “Niki Turner,” she replied, spelling it out for the rather impatient man.

  Justin continued, “We’ll be working very closely together on this project since it’s my primary initiative for this fiscal year.”

  She took the offered ID badge from the security guard and clipped it on the waist of her skirt. Too bad she hadn’t worn some ugly baggy pants and a mismatched blouse. The last thing she needed was to draw more attention from Justin. Too late, judging by his thinly veiled appraisal. Hadn’t she had enough drama in the last three days to last for awhile?

  “Where’s Joe?” she asked.

  “Oh, I asked him to tell me when you arrived. He had a meeting this morning. Besides, I wanted to give you the grand tour.”

  “That’s not necessary.”

  “Just want to make sure you haven’t forgotten your way around the place,” he said, leading her to the elevator. He pressed the button for the second floor, the obvious choice since there were only two buttons.

  Stepping from the elevator, Niki scanned the open expanse. The floor-to-ceiling glass windows somehow managed to keep the heat out and let the natural sunlight in. The lower cubes allowed the coveted natural light to filter through to each desk. It was quite a difference from the tall, drab cubes and artificial light at her last assignment.

  “This way.” He led her down the side of the building that housed the executive offices, stopping in front of Roger’s office.

  “Dad, you remember Niki Turner?” Justin said.

  She moved to the side of Roger’s large cherry wood desk.

  “Of course, hard to forget someon
e so instrumental in boosting our sales.” Roger smiled as he extended his hand. Niki shook it firmly.

  “Roger, how have you been?”

  “Fantastic. Business is good.”

  “And in a recession, too,” Justin piped up.

  “Well, that’s because Justin is becoming a real visionary,” Roger bragged on his son. “Which is where you come in, Niki. This sales lead software is critical to improving the efficiency of our sales calls, everything from tracking cold calls, to purchased lists, to managing our long time customer base. But, I’ll let Justin fill you in on all the details.”

  As Roger sat down at his desk, Justin motioned her towards the door.

  “It was good to see you again, Roger,” she said.

  Roger smiled before his ringing phone cut off any response.

  She followed Justin down to his office. Though she met him briefly the last time she worked on site—and at the party—she’d never been to his office. The glass wall to the outside provided an unobstructed view of the western side of the McDowell Mountains.

  “I don’t think I’d be able to get any work done with a view like that,” she said, in awe of the sight before her eyes.

  “I’ve gotten used to working around such beauty.”

  When she glanced back at him, she noticed he wasn’t looking at the view. Instead his eyes were roaming up and down her figure. Heat rushed to her face as she took the seat opposite from his cherry wood desk. She leaned her laptop bag against the leg of the chair. Resting her hands in her lap she waited for him to speak.

  “You look great, Niki.”

  Now she remembered what she didn’t like about this guy. Maybe her subconscious was trying to keep her from taking the job here because Justin was—he seemed way too interested in her a year ago. So far, it wasn’t looking much better.

  Choosing to ignore his comment, she redirected the conversation back to work. “Do you have a cube I can steal?”

  “Always eager to get to work.”

  “Well, that’s why you’re paying Elite the big bucks,” she said wryly.

  A light knock came from the door behind her.