Chapter 15
Nina
After her mother was settled at home, Maci and her friend, Ember, came to help with our angel.
Skylar was comfortable with Lauren and me.
We were motherly figures for her. Lauren and I did all the talking.
It was just random stuff and silly stories about our childhood.
Skylar would smile briefly at times, and nod or shake her head at others.
I considered it progress. My heart breaks for the poor girl.
It really helped seeing two women closer to her own age.
Maci and Ember turned tonight into a girls' slumber party. They’re upstairs with Skylar now.
They’ve gone all out with a blanket fort and everything you’d expect for a teen slumber party.
It might be a little childish, but if it helps this girl, I’m not about to say no.
“Hey, Sissi.” Lauren joins me at the kitchen table.
“You did great with Skylar. “ I swirl the spoon around in my bowl of ice cream. Maci insisted we have an ice cream bar. She set it all up.
“Are you okay?” Lauren adds whipped cream and sprinkles to her bowl of chocolate ice cream.
I nod. “She scared me for a while.”
“You still fear she could hurt herself, though.” She sits across from me with her elbow on the table and her chin in her hand.
As a nurse, I’ve seen many cases where a woman was mentally broken beyond what their mind could handle. Some got the help they needed, and their lives greatly improved. Others couldn’t break free. They took their own lives or tried to. A few ended up in mental institutions.
“Wherever we send her, she’ll need a strong support system.” I’ve requested a meeting with Mack before he talks with Skylar about her next steps.
We sit in quietly for a few minutes, eating ice cream and pretending the problems around us don’t exist. If only things could stay like this.
“Your birthday is coming.” Lauren smiles.
“It is.” It’s less than three weeks away. I’ve tried to detour the conversation when she brings it up. “And you want to celebrate.”
“I really do.” Her entire face lights up. “We could shop in town, have lunch at Angie’s, and stop by The Cupcake Cottage. We can ask Lily to come with us.”
She wanted to be brave and bold and have a girls’ night with as many of the ole’ ladies as we could get and go partying in Nashville. I shut that down quick. I wouldn’t mind doing something with just us and Lily.
“I’ll consider it.”
“Really?” Her eyes widen.
“Yes. I’ll seriously think about it. No promises, though.” I scoop up a large spoonful of caramel and pop it in my mouth.
My considering it was a mistake. She proceeds to tell me about all the new shops in town. It’s a longer list than I expected. It sounds like a lot changed over the last ten years. My sister’s plans for my birthday would cover three days, not a few hours in town.
A thump sound causes us to freeze. It comes again. We turn in our chairs and stare at the back door. Someone walks around on the park porch but doesn’t knock.
“Expecting someone?” Lauren asks.
“I asked Darin if a prospect could be close tonight. Guess he’s staying in the guard room.” It’s what I call the bedroom on the back porch. I’m not sure what the club calls it.
“What’s up there?”
“What?” I jerk my head around to face her.
“With Worley.”
I swallow hard. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Come on, Nina.” She lays her spoon down. “I see the way you watch him. You like him.”
“I don’t watch him.” It’s a lie. She raises an eyebrow. Great. She really did catch me. “Okay. I admit it. I’ve looked.” I shrug one shoulder. “He’s a good-looking man, sexy. Who wouldn’t look?”
She lightly laughs, and her smile widens. “Yeah, Sissi. You should totally pursue that man.”
“You’re insane.”
She holds her hands up. “Just saying.”
“Well, don’t. He doesn’t think of me like that.” I’ll always be the first broken angel they rescued. None of the Vikings will see me as a woman.
“Then change his mind.”
Oh my gosh. She needs help. Maybe she should change his mind. No. No way am I suggesting that.
“He’s older than me.” I drop my eyes to my bowl of ice cream.
“He’s definitely a silver fox, but he’s not that old.” She laughs again.
“You’ve read too many romance novels.” She has enough books for a freakin library. Right now, I want to throw one at her.
“Still true.” She finishes her ice cream and puts the bowl in the dishwasher. “I’m going to check on the girls.”
“Thank, Sissi.” I wait until she leaves and lean back in my chair.
If my sister knows I’ve been fantasizing over Darin, has anyone else figured it out?
Has he noticed? I didn’t come back to Willow Creek to get tangled up with a man.
Still, it’s hard to watch so many couples falling in love and not consider it for myself.
Lily and Jack are amazing together. Mack and Nanny set a standard so high. It’ll be hard for anyone to match them.
The door to the guard’s room opens and closes.
It’s about eleven o’clock. A little early for a Viking to be turning in for the night.
Of course, it’s Sunday, and there’s no party at the Den tonight.
Darin probably sent Patches. He seems to be their most trusted prospect.
His hand and wrist are in a cast, but it’s not stopping the boy. With his loyalty, he'll patch in soon.
There’s a mini fridge and microwave out there. However, I forgot to stock the fridge and cabinets today. Skylar was my main focus. I’ve had enough ice cream. I set the bowl in the sink and grab a couple of reusable bags. I can’t let Patches starve or thirst to death tonight.
We have more than enough fried chicken left over from dinner to share.
I fill the shopping bags with snacks and sandwich supplies.
I have extra peanut butter and jelly. There’s way too much ham and cheese here, too.
The dinner plate has three pieces of chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, and green beans.
Rolls. He needs bread. I grab a pack from the pantry.
We ate all of the biscuits Lauren made. He has a Keurig out there, so I toss in some extra K-Cups of coffee and a few of hot chocolate.
Oh, bottled water and soda. That should do it.
I’ll text Darin when I go to bed and thank him for sending Patches. Hopefully, we won’t need his help tonight.