Chapter Twelve
“I’m a wreck. I can’t believe I invited Nick to my place for dinner. Me! You know I’m a giant klutz when it comes to social stuff. What was I thinking?”
Gracie stood in the middle of her kitchen, the grocery bags from the store scattered along her kitchen counters. Her best friend, Nica, lounged on one of the kitchen chairs, her long blonde hair spilling across her shoulders. It wasn’t fair, she thought, that no matter what Nica did, she always looked like an angel. All that was missing was the gold halo circling her head to make the picture complete.
“You were thinking like a woman for a change instead of hiding from the world. Gracie, you deserve to have a life outside of work. And why not Nick? I mean, he’s gorgeous with all that blond hair and blue eyes. And those muscles, yum.”
“Nica!”
“What? I’m not blind. Just because he’s one of Momma’s Lost Boys doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate a good-looking man when I see one. Actually, all the Lost Boys are attractive. Anyway, back to dinner. Are you worried about having him here in your apartment, the two of you alone?”
Gracie shook her head, and then nodded. She wasn’t exactly afraid, not of Nick. No, it was more that she hadn’t dated much. Hardly ever, because she’d barely been out of high school when she’d met Jeremy, and that pretty much was the end of her social life. Before that her world revolved around school and grades. She’d worked harder than she’d ever worked before to get accepted to Texas Tech with a full scholarship. Studying took up all her time, except for what she spent working for a fast food place to make a little extra cash. Boys and dating hadn’t been on her radar.
“I’m not afraid of Nick. I know he’d never hurt me. Your mother swears he’s one of the good guys, and Rafe trusts him. It’s just—I’m going to sound like an idiot—I’ve never been with anybody but Jeremy, and I’m scared that I’m going to screw things up before they even start. Jeremy turned everything he touched toxic, so I don’t know what a normal relationship feels like from the inside. Does that make sense?”
“Yeah.” Nica drummed her fingers against the table, gauging her words. “I get it. Probably more than you think. My relationships haven’t exactly been what you’d call normal either. I’m not even sure you can call them relationships. I only brought one guy home from college. I’m sure you can imagine how that went with eleven overprotective big brothers and my dad.”
“Oh, yeah. Bet that was fun.” Gracie pulled a package of ground beef from a bag and put it onto a shelf in the refrigerator. “Is that why you haven’t told your parents about you and—”
“Yeah, partly. Can you imagine if my parents find out I’ve been seeing someone for the past six months and they didn’t have a clue? That fact alone would break their hearts. When they find out it’s somebody they know, somebody who lives and works in Shiloh Springs? We’re talking about Mount Vesuvius times eleven, no, make that twelve.”
“They like Gabe. Maybe…”
Nica gave a low chuckle. “Maybe monkeys will fly out of my butt. Gabe is my dad’s doctor, for crying out loud. He runs the clinic. Now that Doc Jenkins is finally officially retired, he’s pretty much the best doctor in Shiloh Springs. Can you imagine the explosion that’s going to happen if I tell my family I’ve been seeing him for the past six months, whenever he comes to College Station? Sneaking moments whenever I was home?” She flung her head back and looked at the ceiling. “I’m a dead woman walking.”
“I’d think they’d be happy that you found somebody they like and respect. I mean, things could definitely be worse, right?” Gracie grabbed the other perishables and tossed them into the refrigerator before pulling out a chair and sitting across from Nica.
“We’re not here to talk about me and my man troubles. You called because you, my friend, have a date. An actual date with a guy. Coming to your place for dinner. This is far more exciting than my long-distance relationship.”
Gracie quirked her brow. “Not so long distance anymore. Now that you’re back in Shiloh Springs, it’s going to be hard to keep your seeing Gabe a secret.”
“I know. I haven’t figured that out yet. Right now I’m burying my head in the sand and hoping I can avoid World War III when my brothers find out.”
“Have you told your mother, you know, that you’re seeing somebody?”
“No,” Nica answered softly, not meeting Gracie’s gaze. “But I think she suspects something. She’s been a bit…cautious…when asking about my love life. Gah, why is romance so complicated?”
“Good question. What am I supposed to do tomorrow? I get the cooking part, that’s not a problem unless I burn the place down. But making small talk? It’s not like I can tell him all about my life before Shiloh Springs, though he knows about Jeremy. Not everything, but enough to know he’s a threat.”
“Don’t let it be awkward. Didn’t you say you talked in the coffee shop earlier? Pretend it’s the same thing tomorrow. Just two people talking about work, friends. General stuff. You don’t have to go into in-depth trauma and triggers on your first date.”
Gracie picked at the bottom of her shirt, noting a tiny thread coming undone. “He said I was beautiful.”
“That’s awesome! A pretty good indicator that he likes you.”
“I like him too.” She drew in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “You don’t think I’m crazy for doing this?”
Nica leaned forward and pulled Gracie into a hug. “I think this is one of the best things you’ve done in a long time. It tells me that you’re ready to move on. Stop allowing the past to keep you from having a future.”
“Thank you for being my friend. For always being there when I needed somebody to talk to or a shoulder to cry on. For encouraging me to start Gracie’s Grounds. You’re the best friend anybody could ask for.”
“Right back at ya.” Nica stood and grabbed Gracie’s hands, pulling her to her feet. “Now let’s go figure out what you’re going to wear for your big night.”
Morning came fartoo early. Yet somehow Nick managed to pry his eyelids open enough to look at his phone, and halt the incessant beeping of the alarm. He’d finally crawled into bed a little after five, having spent the previous night sitting outside Gracie’s apartment. At least this time he’d used his rental instead of Ms. Edna’s dilapidated classic, for which his backside was grateful.
He hadn’t mentioned to Rafe he planned to keep watch again. Several times during the night, he’d spotted sheriff’s cruisers driving by, doing a quick check. Those cursory checks might satisfy the sheriff, but then again Rafe didn’t have the kind of interest in Gracie that Nick had finally admitted to. She was his newly awakened fascination, and he couldn’t stop thinking about her.
Dressing quickly, he made his way downstairs and out the front door, bypassing the kitchen and Ms. Edna. He liked the feisty old woman with her quick wit and gravelly voice, but he wasn’t in the mood for chitchat and shared gossip this morning. No, he needed a caffeine fix and a chance to see Gracie.
Pulling the key fob from his pocket, he pushed the remote start button. Within seconds, a blast from the explosion flung him backwards, landing him several feet away and smacking the back of his head against the front porch stair. It hurt to breathe, the air knocked out of him when he’d impacted with the ground. Smoke plumed high and the sound of car alarms blared from the neighboring cars. He ducked as debris and shrapnel rained down near him, glass and metal hitting the ground. As far as he could tell, the cars parked close to his had sustained copious damage, with broken windows, as well as dented roofs and doors.
The husk of the car’s remnants stood like a skeleton stripped of its outer shell. Nick slowly sat up, looking around at the devastation. Raising his hand to his face, he wiped at his eyes, his hand coming away covered in blood.
A hand on his shoulder startled him, and he twisted to see Ms. Edna behind him, her mouth moving, but he heard nothing but the ringing in his ears. Shaking his head, he indicated with signs that he couldn’t hear, and she nodded, holding up her cell phone. Guess she’d called the sheriff, although he assumed Rafe or his staff would have already heard about the explosion and were on their way.
Struggling to his feet, he tried to make sense of what he was looking at. The acrid smell of smoke burned his nose and throat, and he coughed, trying to drag air into his lungs. Ms. Edna tapped his shoulder, smacked a wad of paper towels against his forehead, and guided his hand to hold them in place.
Swaying on his feet, he took a wobbly step forward, before he felt hands on his shoulders turning him, and guiding him back to the front steps of the BB. He had to admit he was grateful for the assist.
Within minutes, two sheriff’s cruisers pulled up and parked on the street in front of the BB. Rafe stepped from one and Dusty from the other. Dusty had angled his car to block most of the street off, and he motioned for two cars to drive slowly around him, making sure not to block the driveway.
Two fire trucks and an ambulance pulled up, and Nick spotted Brody Boudreau climbing from one of the trucks and head for the burning hulk of metal that used to be his rental. Rafe made his way to Nick.
“Looks like you caught another lucky break. Can you tell me what happened?” Nick could barely make out what Rafe said from the ringing in his ears. Being that close to an explosion, he hoped he hadn’t shattered his eardrums.
“Came out and used the remote ignition starter. Then bam.”
“Did you see anything before the explosion?”
Nick shook his head and instantly regretted it. The movement made his senses swim and he wanted to hurl. Good thing he hadn’t eaten yet.
“Okay, let’s have the paramedics take a look at you.”
Nick realized he was still holding the paper towels to his forehead and pulled them loose, startled at the copious amount of blood staining them. He could feel the warm trickle down the side of his face.
“Let me take a look at that, okay?” A female paramedic knelt beside him, taking the bloody towels from him and placing them into a plastic bag. With calm efficiency, she took his vitals, and bandaged his forehead. “We’re going to need to take you to the emergency clinic and have the doctor take a look at you, maybe get a couple x-rays.”
“Really, I’m fine.”
“Don’t care,” Rafe growled. “You know the drill. Especially since you’re a civilian in this instance, you follow the rules. Sharon says you need to see the doc, you see the doc. Let’s get you checked out first, and then we’ll get to the whole QA portion of events.”
“Unfortunately, I’ve got way too many questions and not enough answers.” Nick looked Rafe straight in the eye. “We both know this is probably the same person who slashed the tires and took a shot at me.”
“True, but whoever it is, they are starting to tick me off. Too much crime in my county. I have a reputation to uphold, and they’re making me look bad.” Rafe grinned. “Besides, Brody’s always wanted to investigate a car bombing. Not much call for that in Shiloh Springs—until now.”
“Let’s go, Mr. Vincent. The paramedic indicated the gurney which had been brought over to the steps.”
“I can walk to the ambulance.”
“No can do.” Sharon helped him stand. “My orders are clear; patients get a free ride in the back of my buggy. No exceptions. Not even for the cute ones.”
Knowing he wasn’t about to get out of riding in the ambulance, he complied, allowing them to strap him to the gurney and load him into the back, grimacing when he noted all the onlookers. He scanned the crowd, wondering if the bomber was in the crowd, watching his handiwork and realizing they’d failed once again to kill him.
Fortunately, the trip to the clinic was quick, and he was greeted by Dr. Gabe Stevens. He’d met the man once or twice, and remembered he was Douglas’ physician, the one who’d treated him after the cardiac episode.
“Mr. Vincent, can you tell me if you’re hurting anywhere?”
“Some ringing in my ears, a little difficulty hearing at first, but that’s improving. Landed on my back from the concussion of the blast, but I haven’t noted any injuries, other than the cut on my forehead.”
The doctor shone a light in his eyes, then looked in his ears, and palpated around his neck and shoulders. Other than some muscle stiffness, nothing hurt, though he’d probably have bruises tomorrow.
“We’re going to get a couple of x-rays. I’ll have the tech come and take you back and we’ll get you checked out. Okay? Do you have any questions?”
“How soon can I get out of here?”
Dr. Stevens laughed. “Let’s make sure nothing’s broken first, then we’ll see whether you can leave or if you need to go to the hospital.”
After what seemed like an eternity, and a lot of shifting around and moving his aching body for the x-rays, he was back in the exam room with Dr. Stevens. He already knew nothing was broken, because the tech guy had been so excited about the bombing, he couldn’t stop talking.
“There aren’t any fractures or dislocations, which is the good news. The bad news is you’re going to hurt like a son of a gun for the next several days. Don’t be surprised if you turn black and blue within the next few hours. You’ve got some muscle trauma, so you’re gonna hurt. The cut on your forehead doesn’t need stitches, just a couple of butterfly bandages should do the trick.”
“That’s good. Not that I don’t enjoy your company, Doc, but can I get out of here?”
Dr. Stevens looked down at his watch. “As soon as your ride gets here.” He’d barely got the words out of his mouth when there was a sharp rap on the exam room door. “Bet’s that’s them now.”
He pulled open the door to Douglas and Ms. Patti standing in the hall. Before he could slide off the exam table, Ms. Patti burst through the doorway, and wrapped her arms around him, squeezing tight. He didn’t have the heart to tell her it hurt. Nope, he’d exchange a little pain for a lot of loving by this woman.
“He’s all yours, folks. If he’s in pain, he can take some Tylenol or ibuprofen. If it gets bad, I’ll call in a prescription. Mr. Vincent, you need to take things easy for the next few days. Rest and sleep are the best medicine at this point. Feel free to call or text me if you have any questions.”
“Don’t worry, Doc, we’ll make sure he follows orders.” When Nick started to talk, Douglas stared at him, and he closed his mouth.
“Gabe, why don’t you plan to come to lunch after church Sunday? It’s been a while since we’ve sat down and talked.” Ms. Patti shot the good doctor a look, and Nick wondered what Ms. Patti was up to, because she looked like she had more in mind than a simple dinner. Oh, well, might be good, because if she was focused on the doc, it kept her attention off him.
Ms. Patti kept her arm wrapped around his waist the entire time they checked him out from the front desk, got a return appointment scheduled, and walked to the car. She insisted he sit in the front seat, claiming he needed the extra room. Realizing it was faster and probably smarter not to argue with her, he slid into the car and buckled in.
“Rafe asked me to give you the choice of coming into the station to answer questions, or heading to the Big House with us, and he’d meet us there later. Oh, and by the way, I had Ms. Edna pack your stuff, and one of the boys will pick it up and bring it to the Big House. You’ll be staying with us until we find out who’s after you.”
“Douglas—”
“It’s a done deal. Whoever this is, they’ve ratcheted up their game, and you need to be someplace where you’ve got better security. Which means the ranch. Dane’s had Destiny check and double check to make sure we won’t have anybody coming onto our property without us knowing about it.”
A vice grip in the middle of his chest squeezed, and Nick knew he couldn’t blame it on the bombing. No, it came from knowing he was cared for by these two wonderful people and, by extension, their entire wonderful family.
“Thanks.”
“We’re going home. Douglas, I’ll call Rafe and let him know to come to the house.”
He leaned his head against the headrest, listening as she quietly spoke with her son and let the quiet sound of the tires on the asphalt lull him to sleep.