Chapter 3 #2
My cheeks were burning now. Was he flirting with me or was I projecting?
The door swung open again. I was still focused on listening to Evie curse in the back of the bakery, but finally glanced over.
And froze.
No fucking way.
Nick Steele stood in the doorway wearing dark jeans and a bright white T-shirt.
His tanned skin was covered in countless tattoos.
Sunglasses tugged at his collar, exposing the top of an inked four-leaf clover on his collarbone.
In his right hand, he held a cat carrier?
A pair of lime-green eyes reflected behind the bars, spewing as much hatred at me as Nick’s held.
My spine straightened and I rolled my shoulders back, glowering.
Matthew glanced between us. “Uh. Know each other?”
“No,” I growled. “If we knew each other, then he’d be welcome. Instead, he’s buying up the fucking town and turning it into some sort of pyramid scheme.”
Nick laughed. “God, Austin, is that really what you think I’m doing? This town could use the extra business I’m gonna bring.”
“You’re not gonna bring extra business here. Also, is that a cat? You can’t just bring a pet into a food establishment.”
He held up the carrier, and the cat hissed at me. “Lucky doesn’t appreciate you trying to tell us what to do.”
“Lucky should not be in the bakery,” I snarled.
A loud curse echoed from the back, followed by a clatter and a cry. Fuck. Nick set his cat carrier on the counter, the three of us moving. But I was faster, rushing past the bakery case to the kitchen.
“Evie.”
She was sitting on the floor clutching her arm. The oven door was open and one of the racks was jammed there, tilted on its side. Several hot trays were on the floor around her, waves of heat radiating through the room.
I kicked them out of the way and knelt beside her. “Are you okay? Let me see.”
Evie pulled away, tears rolling down her cheeks. She was shaking, and her arm was clutched to her chest in a way that was scaring the fuck out of me.
“Go,” she sobbed. “I don’t want you here.”
Nick crouched behind her. “Evie? We’re right here, baby. Let us see.”
Baby? What? No. Surely I’d imagined that.
Evie’s head whipped around and she paled. “Fuck. Nick? What the fuck?”
My heart rate shot up. “You two know each other?” I asked.
“Fuck.” She winced, another sob shaking her. “I can’t do this right now.”
“Both of you get out of the fucking way,” a firm voice said behind us.
Matthew’s expression was deadly serious, but I didn’t want to leave her, and clearly Nick didn’t either.
“Just show us your arm,” Nick said gently. “We can—”
“Leave. Both of you,” Evie cried. “Fuck. I can’t do this. I just want Matthew here. Go.”
My ego was bruised by that. I’d known Evie her entire life. Our lives were so enmeshed, I couldn’t imagine her not being in it. Why wouldn’t she want me here? Why wouldn’t she let me help?
“Evie—” I started.
Evie shoved me back, revealing her arm. My heart stuttered to a stop. The burn was bad. Really fucking bad. My ears started to ring as she growled at me.
Every time someone I cared about was hurt, I started to spiral. It wasn’t like she was having a heart attack, but my brain still automatically jumped to my dad and how he was here one moment and gone the next. My breaths shortened as I stared at her arm.
“Evie, let me help,” I rasped. “Please.”
“God, Austin, do not do the older brother thing right now. Get the fuck out of my bakery.”
Nick stood up quickly and leaned over, turning the oven off. He grabbed my shoulder, but I shook him off, standing abruptly.
Oh god. Evie was hurt. All the alarm bells went off in my head. Every fiber of my being told me to stay. I couldn’t leave her when she needed help. Why—
“I’ve got her,” Matthew said sternly. “Go wait out front. Maybe help customers if they come in.”
“Yes,” Nick agreed. “We can do that.”
“I can do that,” I snapped at him.
Nick glowered at me, but followed me back to the front of the bakery. I glanced back at Matthew and rubbed my chest as pain bolted through. Evie’s sobs were killing me, but he was talking softly to her. Of all people to hold her right now, he was probably the best.
“She got burned bad,” Nick said under his breath.
I turned all my ire on him. I grabbed his shirt and shoved him hard against the wall once we were out of earshot. I heard another hiss from the cat on the counter.
Nick smirked. “I know he’s my child because he automatically despises you. He’s a pretty good judge of character, by the way.”
“Fuck. You. What in the fuck are you doing here, Nick? And how in the hell do you know Evie?”
Nick cocked his head. “Seems like one of us has grown up and the other has kept his head all the way up his small-town ass. Evie and I went on a date. That’s how I know her. Now take your fucking hands off me, or I’m going to put you on the ground, Whynot.”
“Fuck you, Steele.” I released him as a customer stepped into the shop. “Get the cat off the counter. You’re nothing but bad news. And stay away from Evie.”
“Not a chance in hell, Whynot.”