Chapter Thirteen
Gracie flung open the pickup truck’s door and jumped down onto the Boudreau drive the second Nica pulled to a stop. Barely waiting long enough to swing the door closed, she raced toward the house, pulling up at the last second when she reached the bottom of the front porch steps.
“Go on in, I’ll be right behind you,” Nica yelled before heading toward the side of the house. “Tell Momma I’m home.”
Gracie stood frozen in place, so many thoughts racing through her head. She wasn’t even sure why she was here. When Nica had gotten the call about the explosion, that Nick had been hurt, every instinct made Gracie want to race to his side, assure herself he was okay. The need to take care of him rode her hard. She couldn’t explain it, even to herself, why she needed to be at his side, to touch him, convince her mind that he hadn’t been lost to her forever.
“Gracie, hon, don’t stand out there. Come on in.” Ms. Patti pushed open the front door and waited. Climbing the front steps, Gracie met her in the doorway, and Ms. Patti pulled her into a warm hug.
“I came with Nica. She got the call about Nick and I…” She let her words trail off because she didn’t know what to say. That she was concerned? That she felt an overwhelming desire to pull him close, the same way Ms. Patti had pulled her close, only she was afraid if she did that to Nick, she might never let him go.
“He’s fine. Bumped and bruised and surly, but a few days of rest and he’ll be right as rain. He’s upstairs now hopefully obeying doctor’s orders, though I doubt we’ll be able to keep him out of action for long.”
“What happened exactly? Nica said something about an explosion, but she didn’t have a lot of details.”
Ms. Patti directed her toward the kitchen, the heart of this marvelous home, and pointed to a chair at the table. Filling two glasses with ice and sweet tea, she joined her. Gracie wrapped her hands around the glass. She really didn’t want it, but it gave her an anchor, something to hold onto.
“Nick’s going to be fine, I promise. From what I’ve gotten from him and Rafe, somebody planted a car bomb on his rental car. If he hadn’t used the remote starter…” Ms. Patti took a deep breath, and Gracie could see she struggled to regain her composure. “The energy from the blast flung Nick backward, knocked the air out of him.”
“I don’t understand. Somebody planted a bomb in his car? Is somebody trying to kill him?”
At Ms. Patti’s nod, she felt her world shift on its axis, like her whole world was topsy-turvy and up was down and down was up. “It’s a long story. As close as I am to Nick, I only know pieces. The things he’s willing to tell me.”
Gracie pried her hands off the glass and reached for Ms. Patti’s. The woman was hurting, though she did her best to hide it. Nick was one of hers, a son of her heart, and he’d been injured in a bombing—a bombing—and yet she was stoically trying to hold herself together for those around her.
“I’m sorry. You’ve been through so much recently, and I want to help. What can I do?”
“You’re here. That’s a big start.” Ms. Patti searched her face. “Why are you here? I didn’t think you even knew Nick.”
Gracie felt heat sweep across her cheeks. “I don’t know him well. We’ve talked a couple times. He…he caught somebody skulking around my apartment. He’s been keeping an eye on me—for Rafe I’m sure. With all the stuff with Jeremy, I guess they think I need protection.”
“I’m not surprised. All my boys seem to have gotten their protective streak from Douglas. I’m glad Nick’s watching out for you.”
Gracie looked down at their clasped hands. “I asked him out. Nick. For dinner. I’m going to cook him dinner. Tonight, well, obviously not tonight, not anymore. And I’m officially babbling. I’ll shut up now.”
The little laugh lines beside Ms. Patti’s eyes crinkled, her blue eyes sparkling. “Let me see if I understand. You asked Nick to dinner. You made a date with Nick.”
Gracie nodded, knowing her face had to be bright red. “Yeah. I don’t know what came over me. The words came out of my mouth before I knew it. Call it temporary insanity.”
“I call it the smartest thing you’ve ever done, sweetie. You’ve barely socialized since you got here. Big groups are fine, but you tend to keep to yourself when it’s one-on-one, especially around men. Even my boys, bless their hearts. Jeremy Brewster didn’t just break your heart, he broke you. I think you’re finally putting the pieces back together.”
“I hadn’t thought about it that way, but you’re right. I’ve felt broken for so long, it’s hard to realize that maybe I can be whole again. Nick is the first man I’ve felt anything for in a long time. Talking to him has helped. Because I didn’t have to hide who I am. He doesn’t know everything, but he knows about Jeremy. Knows I’m not squeaky clean, but he didn’t seem to care. It was like he’s the first man who looked at me and saw the real me. Maybe I’m projecting, wanting him to see the me I want to be without the past coloring my every move.”
“I’ve told you, you can’t let a mistake you made as a child, because that’s what you were, ruin your whole life. You atoned for your actions, took responsibility. You’ve paid a high price, changing your name and moving away from your family and everything you knew and loved, because of one man’s actions. His crimes. His choices. You did what you could to get justice for the victims. You’re a human being, Gracie, and human beings make mistakes. But we also have this wonderful gift called forgiveness.”
Gracie smiled. “I’ll try.”
“Good.” Ms. Patti stood and headed for the refrigerator and pulled out a big casserole dish. “I’m going to start lunch. Want to help?”
“I’d love to.”
Nick groaned ashe swung his legs over the side of the bed. The doctor had been right. Once he stopped moving and stayed still for a while, all the aches and pains settled in. His head felt like it was clamped in a vice, the boom, boom, boom inside his skull seemed to beat in time with his pulse. Even his eyeballs felt like they were vibrating. His body felt like he’d been hit by a Mack truck that backed up and rolled over him again to make sure it had done the job right. Every single part of his body ached. But he wasn’t about to stay in bed. He had things to do. Like figuring out who he’d agitated enough to want him eliminated permanently. Too bad for them because Nick had no intention of kicking up daisies any time soon.
Heading to the kitchen, he heard voices. As he drew closer, he recognized Ms. Patti’s right away, then froze at the sound of Gracie’s.
She was here.
Ms. Patti was the first to notice him frozen in the opening, and she tutted before rushing to his side and led him to a chair. “You shouldn’t be out of bed, you should be resting.”
“I’m fine. Dr. Stevens didn’t say anything about being stuck in bed all day. Just to take things easy.”
“Nick.” Gracie’s voice was almost a whisper and if he hadn’t been staring at her, he might not have heard it. She gnawed at her bottom lip with her teeth, a nervous gesture he’d noted she did, and he wanted to reach out and pull it free. Brush his thumb against the tenderness of her mouth. Feel the softness of her lips.
“Gracie heard about the explosion, and came to see how you’re doing.” Ms. Patti stepped past Gracie, and put some kind of dish into the oven, wiping her hands on the towel draped over the oven door’s handle. “If you’re feeling up to it, why don’t you both go out onto the back patio and visit. It’s a beautiful day outside.”
“Good idea.” Nick stood and took Gracie’s hand, leading her to the back door. Glancing back, he saw the tender smile on Ms. Patti’s face. Apparently, she approved of him seeing Gracie. Good thing, because he had the feeling he’d be seeing a lot of her. The woman was a born matchmaker, wanting to see all her baby chicks settled and happy.
Easing his hand against the small of her back, he guided Gracie toward the arrangement of comfy-looking furniture situated at the edge of the patio. Choosing the love seat, he slowly lowered himself down beside her, sliding his hand along the back of the cushion, so he could angle to face her.
“Are you alright? I heard what happened, or at least what little Nica could tell me. Something about a car bomb?”
“Appears so. I was lucky. Used the remote starter as I was coming out of the Creekside BB. I was still several feet away when it went off.”
She hadn’t met his eyes yet, continuing to stare at her hands, and it was driving him crazy. He needed to see her face. Reaching forward ever so slowly, he placed a fingertip beneath her chin and lifted it, felt her breath catch. There were unshed tears in her eyes, and he felt a gentle squeeze in the depths of his chest. She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, and he never wanted to see tears on her face. If there was anybody who deserved to be happy, it was Gracie.
“Nick, tell me the truth.”
“Always,” he whispered.
“First it was a bullet that hit Antonio and now this. Is someone really trying to kill you?”
“Yes.”
“Why? Who hates you so much they want you dead?”
“Hate to admit it but there’s a rather long list. You know I’m a cop back home in Australia? Well, I’m not exactly a regular cop. I handle special cases. I’ve done a lot of undercover work, things others can’t or won’t because it tends to be dangerous. I’ve been instrumental in putting a lot of bad guys behind bars for the rest of their lives, and they tend to hold grudges.”
She didn’t say anything for a long time, and Nick waited, letting her process what he’d shared. Watched her twine her fingers together, then worry at the edge of her blouse, pulling at a ragged thread.
“I knew a little about the Brashear case. Ms. Patti talked with me when Antonio was in the hospital. She was so happy to have found you again after all those years, but she was also scared.”
“Of me?”
“No, no! Afraid of losing you because of your work. Afraid that Brashear would somehow manage to hurt you because you betrayed him. And he’s just the tip of the iceberg, right?”
He nodded and could no longer resist, capturing one of her hands between both of his, stilling her frenetic movements. “I’m afraid so. My boss and good friend back in Australia, Grant Calvin, has been working on putting together a list of people who have the wherewithal to have made the attempt.”
“Is there anything I can do? That sounds strange, doesn’t it, asking if there’s anything I can do to help you figure out who’s trying to kill you? No, I mean now. Physically you’re hurt. What can I do to help?”
Lifting his hand, he brushed back the curls that had sprung to life in the breeze, loving the soft feel of her hair.
“I appreciate the offer. The best thing you can do for me is exactly what you are doing. Right here. Right now. Although I probably should tell you, I’m not going to make it to dinner tonight.”
Her soft giggle was like music to him. Lately it seemed like everything about her appealed to him. How was it possible he’d only known her a few short days and yet it seemed as if she’d been in his life for much longer?
“Raincheck?”
“I’d love that.” He leaned back against the cushions of the loveseat and felt a moment of shock when she snuggled against him. It felt amazing that she’d trust him enough to know he wouldn’t hurt her, especially after what she’d gone through with Brewster.
“Whenever you’re ready, you let me know and it’s a date.”
“Sounds nice. Let’s pretend we’re at your apartment. What are we doing?”
He toyed with the stray curl that kept twirling against her cheek, twisting it around his fingertip. In this moment, with Gracie, he felt more at peace than he had in a long time. She granted him a kind of serenity, and he was afraid the more time he spent with her, the more he’d crave it. Because it felt…nice.
“I hope you like Tex-Mex because I was making homemade guacamole with crispy tortillas. Then I planned beef enchiladas with beans and rice and a flan for dessert. My mother always said she won Daddy’s heart through his stomach.”
“Sounds like she’s right, because that meal sounds delicious.”
“It’s one of the few things that I can make well, so it ends up being my go-to meal when I have friends over. My mother taught me, and her mother taught her. It’s a family recipe.”
“Um, sounds nice. After dinner, what’s next?”
“Do you like to dance? I thought maybe we might—dance that is. You’ve seen my place, it’s small, but there’s enough room. It’s been a long time since I’ve even wanted to dance with anybody.”
He rested his chin atop her head, savoring the fresh herbal scent of her shampoo. Noting movement in his peripheral vision, he caught Nica sneaking toward the kitchen door. She shot him a thumb’s up as she tiptoed past. Glad to know he had her blessing.
“I haven’t danced in a long time. Not much time when I’m on the job. And not much inclination for it when I was home. There wasn’t anybody I cared to dance with.” He paused a second before adding, “But I want to dance with you, Gracie.”
“After we dance, then we’ll have dessert. Something sweet.”
“I admit I have a bit of a sweet tooth, though I usually limit it to the sugar in my coffee. What did you have in mind?
“I was going to make flan, but now I’m thinking brownies with…homemade ice cream. Nothing too heavy, but it’s chocolate. You can’t go wrong with chocolate. I thought maybe we could share a dessert. I might even throw in some hot fudge or whipped cream if you’re still craving something sweet.” She glanced at him through half-lowered lashes.
“It sounds perfect, Gracie. I’m definitely holding you to that raincheck.”
Straightening on the loveseat, she turned until she was facing him. “You know a bit about my past, from Rafe, right?”
“Only the bare bones. Enough to know Brewster is a threat.”
“I’d like to tell you about him. I’m just not ready yet. But soon, I promise. I made a lot of mistakes, but I’m trying to do better this time around. Shiloh Springs is my second chance. I have a new life, a new name. New friends. I’m not going to let Jeremy ruin everything. Can you give me a little time?”
“You can tell me whenever you’re ready, and I promise to listen with an open mind. Everybody deserves a new start, a second chance. Heaven knows I did.”
“We’re quite a pair, aren’t we?”
“Kindred spirits. Somehow, I feel like I have known you my whole life. I’m comfortable around you, and I’m rarely at ease around people unless I’ve known them for years.” Leaning closer, he brushed his cheek against hers and whispered, “Gracie, I’d like to kiss you, if that’s okay?”
Color flooded her cheeks and she nodded. “Yes, please.”
Taking her face between his hands, he brushed the lightest kiss against her lips, finding them softer than he’d imagined. Butterfly light, he pressed his lips against hers, felt her tentative response that grew with each touch of his mouth. Pulling back, he stared into her deep brown eyes, and saw the same yearning he felt.
He started to lean in for another kiss before he heard his name called from a distance. Groaning, he spotted Rafe and Chance headed toward them. “Looks like my reprieve is over.” Taking her hands in his, he raised first one and then the other to his lips, brushing soft kisses across the backs. “Thank you for coming and checking on me. I’m glad we finally got to spend a few minutes of quiet together, but I have to talk to them, give them my statement. You have a ride home?”
She nodded. “Nica’s going to take me back to town. Take care of yourself, and don’t push too hard. We need you in one piece.”
“I’ll do my best.” He stood and helped her to her feet. “I’m going to make good on that raincheck. Soon.”
“I’ll hold you to it.” She smiled at Rafe and Chance. “I’ll head back inside and see if Nica’s ready to go.”
Nick watched until she was out of sight before turning to Rafe. “You’re here for my statement?”
“Yes. You okay if I record everything?”
“Go ahead.”
Going over everything he remembered, Nick told them all he could, though his mind wasn’t on the slashed tires or the car explosion. No, it was on the quirky and enigmatic woman who was coming dangerously close to stealing his heart, and he honestly wasn’t sure he wasn’t ready to give it to her.