Chapter 13
Nick kept his eyes on Poppy, waiting for the reaction he knew was coming. Someone has been stalking her. Like she hadn’t already suffered enough in her life, some asshole decided he couldn’t take no for an answer.
“No, I’m not,” she said. “There are plenty of hotels nearby.”
“Yes, you are, so find furball’s carrier, and we’ll leave soon.”
“Not happening,” she said. “And don’t treat me like I’m your sister.”
The thoughts he had for this woman were nothing like what he felt for his sisters. The loose shirt she wore today had him wanting to slip his fingers beneath that hem and stroking the soft skin of her stomach.
“I am not staying with you, end of story.” She lifted her chin, like that made her look tough. To Nick, she looked small and vulnerable, and she was not staying in a hotel alone and unprotected.
“I’m looking out for you,” he said calmly, “because from where I’m standing, there’s no one else close by who can do that.”
She exhaled slowly.
“You’ve done a lot for me, Nick, and I’m grateful, really, but I’m not your problem.”
“Nice speech, but you’re still coming home with me. So shut up and pack the furball.”
“No!”
“Yes.”
“No,” Poppy said, turning and walking to the kitchen, where he guessed she thought she’d get support from the others, who had disappeared when they started arguing.
He followed. Nick would carry her out of here if he had to, but she was coming home with him where he could keep her safe.
“I’ve organized for patrol cars to drive by here tonight, Poppy, and we’ll get it all photographed and fingerprinted. Then Nick has a cleaning company he uses that can get through on Thursday,” Billy said.
“Thanks, you guys have been amazing,” Poppy said. “I won’t argue about the cleaning company because I need one, but I can take the rest from here.”
“We Athertons can be pushy sometimes, but it’s well meaning,” Em said.
“Poppy thinks she can go to a hotel. I told her she’s coming home with me,” Nick said from behind her. “Tell her it’s the right thing to do, Billy.”
“Is there anyone else you can stay with, Poppy?” his cousin asked her.
Nick moved so he could see her face. Watched as she debated and worked out how to tell them she had someone when she didn’t.
“I could call Aunt Jenny. She’d come.”
“And what about tonight? She won’t get here until tomorrow,” Nick said.
“My assistant lives in Manhattan. She would come?—”
“And also not arrive until tomorrow,” Nick added, making her frown. Did she really only have one friend and a single relative in her life? “Let’s go,” he said.
“I want to go to a hotel.”
“Okay, sure. You win,” Nick said, pushing her gently out the kitchen door. “What do you carry your cat in?”
“Really? You’re giving in?” She narrowed her eyes, studying him.
“I said so, didn’t I?”
She didn’t look convinced. Wise girl.
Fifteen minutes later, they’d coaxed her cat into the carrying case. Nick carried it, and Sam took Poppy’s and her cat’s bags of supplies out the door. Billy was now talking to her neighbors.
“Where is the nearest hotel?” Poppy asked. “I could drive there if it’s not far.”
“You’re not meant to drive after what you went through,” Em said. “So let Nick drop you.”
He intercepted matching stares from his brother and sister, which Nick interpreted to mean do not let her stay alone in a hotel . His siblings then left after another round of hugging Poppy. Nick could see she wasn’t exactly comfortable with the contact but put up with it.
He loaded her things in the back of his pickup with the now-pissed-off cat and got into the driver’s seat.
“You hungry? Want me to stop for anything on the way?”
“I just want to sleep, so please take me to a hotel, Nick.” Her eyes were closed, head resting on the seat behind her. “I can order room service later.”
“Sure thing,” he said, pulling away from the curb.
“Life was normal a few days ago,” she whispered.
“And it will be again. You need some rest, and things will look better,” he said. “How’s the body feeling?”
“Okay.”
“Liar.”
Nick turned on the music, and soon the soulful sound of jazz filled the cab.
“I figured you more for a heavy rock, bite-the-heads-off-chickens man.”
“You obviously did a lot of ‘figuring’ about me in college.”
“You were such an asshole that I was trying to work out what made you tick,” Poppy said around another yawn.
“Ouch.”
“Truth hurts,” she said. Minutes later, she was out, mouth open, snuffling like a small puppy.
“You are way too cute, Tinker Bell,” he whispered. Nick had had a few brushes with strong emotions where women were concerned. He couldn’t remember any making him feel like Poppy did, which was a scary thought, especially as they’d just reconnected with each other after years.
Turning into his driveway thirty minutes later, he pulled up outside the garage.
He’d bought this house five years ago for a bargain because it had needed so much work.
His family had helped him with that. They’d spent hours on it, and the result was a home he loved.
Probably too big for a single man, it had four bedrooms, two living areas, and a big yard out back, but he couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.
Hitting a button on the remote, he drove into the garage and parked. Poppy didn’t wake, so he leaned over and whispered in her ear, “Welcome to Hotel Atherton.”
She woke slowly.
Nick watched as she blinked several times. She then sat up and looked around her.
“Where are we?” Her voice was husky.
“Hotel Atherton.”
Her eyes went from him to the interior of his garage. Tools, a few toys, his motorcycle, and a Jet Ski. Nick was neat, mostly. Things usually had a place, but there was the corner to their left that had a bunch of stuff that needed rehoming. He called it his “get to it” space.
“I’m not getting out,” Poppy said, locking her door. “You promised you’d take me to a hotel.”
“I did. My family call this Hotel Atherton because if anyone needs a place to crash, this is it,” Nick said.
She turned her head and looked out the window. He wanted to laugh because she looked like an angry kid. Instead, he got out. He then opened the back door.
“Don’t touch my cat!”
“When you have your shit together, we’ll be inside.” He grabbed the carrying case in one hand, and the other bags in the other. Shutting the door with his foot, he then walked inside the house, leaving her steaming in the car.
His family—mainly the women—had a lot to say about the interior of this place. Especially the kitchen. There were appliances he’d never wanted but had to have, apparently, and a huge stove he’d fought not to get. He’d lost.
Heading into the living area, big windows gave him a view of the backyard. There were trees and some gardens that his sisters had planted. The kids in the Atherton clan had selected the swing and slide set.
Placing the cat cage on the floor, he went to check doors and windows were shut so he couldn’t escape. Then, going through the bags, he found a litter tray and a bag of stuff to put in it. Setting it up, he then opened the case.
“Out you get, furball.”
Heading back into the kitchen, he then got out the cat’s bowls and filled them with food and water. When this was done, Poppy still hadn’t arrived.
“I can do stubborn as good as the next person,” he muttered. She was safe and couldn’t go anywhere, so he headed upstairs to the spare room.
After putting clean sheets on the bed, he took a shower, which he rushed, even though he told himself not to. The cat was sitting on one of his stools when he walked back into the kitchen.
“Brace yourself, furball. She’s coming,” he said when he heard the car door slam.
“I fell asleep again.” She stood in the doorway to his garage, looking sleepy and pale.
“Thought you might have,” Nick said conversationally.
“I’m ungrateful, and I know you’re going out of your way for me, and I appreciate it, honestly. Sometimes I can be an ugly person, especially when someone takes away my control.” That entire speech was said while frowning.
He moved closer and ran a hand down her hair because he needed to touch her.
“My siblings would tell you I like control, and if you want ugly, check out Em when she’s tired and hungry,” Nick said.
Putting his hands on her shoulders, he urged her to the door that led to the living area.
“Now I’ll show you your room, and you can wash or crawl into bed.
I’ll throw something together for dinner. ”
“I can cook.”
“With your arm in a sling?” He placed a soft kiss on her lips.
“You shouldn’t keep doing that,” she whispered.
“I enjoy doing it.”
“I’m trying to remind myself what an asshole you were in college. It’s not working. You’ve been so nice to me, Nick.”
“Am I growing on you, Poppy?”
“Like a fungus, do you mean?”
“Ha-ha.”
“Yes, you are,” she whispered as he started for the door, “and that’s terrifying when I’ve hated you forever.”
Nick didn’t comment on the words, but he’d heard them, and for now that was enough.