One Step Away (Hazel Green Book 2)

by Cindy Kirk

  Was that really what he wanted? Heather was part of his history. In order for him and Nell to successfully take their relationship to the next level, they both needed to be honest and upfront about their pasts.

  Clearing his throat, Leo took Nell’s hand in his. “Heather and I were engaged.”

  Chapter Eight

  For several long seconds, Nell kept her gaze fixed on Leo’s face. She knew her expression gave nothing away. Inside, her stomach roiled.

  Now that he mentioned it, she did recall reading about an engagement. But in all their months together, this was the first time Leo had mentioned the woman to her.

  Nell immediately chided herself. There were many things she hadn’t mentioned to him. Things that were a whole lot more significant than an ex-fiancée.

  Nell shifted her gaze to the tai chi group to see a man kick with his right heel in slow motion and the rest of the group follow.

  “You’re probably wondering what happened.” Leo’s voice was raspy, like a dry hinge that hadn’t been oiled in a long time.

  “Don’t tell me if you don’t want to.” After slipping her arm through his, she rested her head against his shoulder.

  “I want to tell you.”

  She nodded.

  “Heather and I met when we were seniors in college. We hit it off right away and began dating.” His voice sounded like he was giving a report. “We became engaged. My brothers and I had launched the real estate development firm, and Heather was busy with her job being a PR spokesperson for a large Chicago health system.”

  “Sounds like she was your perfect match.” Nell kept her tone light. “Were there any warning signs the relationship was in trouble?”

  He stilled, as if the question surprised him.

  The truth was, Nell wasn’t sure where the question had come from. Maybe she asked because it just seemed to her that often people overlooked obvious signs, refusing to notice anything amiss until they’re in too deep to get out.

  “I don’t believe so.” He paused for a long moment. “We were both busy, but we both made time for each other. Then one of the hospital’s ER physicians was accused of sexually assaulting a patient. That incident occurred during the time the hospital was still reeling from a nurse posting a picture on her social media of a prominent patient recovering from a car accident.”

  “Both PR nightmares.”

  Leo nodded. “Heather did a good job containing the fallout from both incidents, but it was difficult.”

  “Knowing how you are, I’m sure you were there for her.”

  “I was. She worked a lot of hours, and the hospital board was thrilled with her performance.” His eyes took on a faraway gleam. “Then a position opened up doing PR for a large international corporation in Chicago. They needed someone with Heather’s skill set. It was her dream job. She was over the moon when they called and offered her the position.”

  There was a wistful quality to his voice. “The next day, I received word there’d been a helicopter crash in the Grand Canyon caused by wind gusts. The pilot, along with my sister, Kit, and sister-in-law, Danielle, died in the crash. Wells had only minor injuries.”

  Nell straightened. “I’m so sorry,” she said, her voice thick with sympathy.

  “Thank you.”

  She squeezed his hand. “How did it happen?”

  His eyes now held a sheen. “My sister had moved to Tucson to work for the university’s athletic office. Even more than any of us boys, Kit ate and breathed sports.”

  “What about Danielle?” Nell didn’t want to press, but she sensed Leo needed to talk.

  “The complete opposite. Dani was quiet and not very athletic, but she was nice and one of those people who’d do anything for you.” Leo raised his free hand and wiped it across his face. “Sophie was four. Dani and Wells had been trying for a second child, and Dani had finally gotten pregnant. Then she miscarried. I think Wells hoped the trip would cheer her up. They left Sophie with my parents. It was the first time they’d gone anywhere without her.”

  “Thank God they didn’t take her with them.”

  Leo expelled a breath. “Wells told me Dani hadn’t wanted to go on the helicopter ride. She was scared. She was always saying she didn’t have an adventurous bone in her body. Wells and Kit convinced her it would be fun.”

  Nell felt his fingers tighten around hers.

  “We were all devastated.”

  Nell wondered if “we” included Heather.

  As if he’d heard the unspoken question, Leo continued. “Heather hadn’t spent much time around Kit, and she and Dani were at far different places in their lives.”

  A picture formed. Leo grieving two women he’d loved and Heather attempting to be solicitous but failing to comprehend the magnitude of his grief.

  “It was difficult for her to understand what you were going through.”

  “She tried,” Leo said, as if trying to convince Nell. “But it was such a happy time in Heather’s life. In the same way she wasn’t there for me, I wasn’t there for her.”

  “You’re referring to the parties, the galas, the events where she wanted her handsome fiancé on her arm.”

  For a time, Gloria had been into art, or rather stealing art. Nell knew her way around galleries and the events they hosted.

  “I tried.” Leo’s gaze shifted to the group of seniors doing tai chi. His lips lifted slightly. “Lilian is there. See? She’s the one on the end.”

  Nell obligingly looked and spotted the elegant Lilian de Burgh, dressed in black stretchy pants and a blue cotton shirt. She watched as the woman did a left heel kick, then Nell turned back to Leo.

  “Heather told me she understood what it was like to go through something horrible, but sometimes you just have to shake off the grief and move on.”

  Nell cocked her head. “She’s lost family members?”

  It was an important part of the story. Nell wondered why Leo had omitted it.

  “She meant the PR fiasco at the hospital.”

  “Oh.”

  “Three months later, she gave me back the ring.” Leo’s tone turned matter-of-fact. “I wasn’t moving on from my grief as quickly as she wanted—needed—me to. We parted friends. I was invited to her wedding the following summer.”

  “No wonder you were interested in a relationship with me that was just about sex.”

  “I agreed to that arrangement because it was the only option you gave me.” His blue eyes met hers. “And because I understand what it’s like to not be able to give another person everything they need at a specific moment in time.”

  He brought her hand to his mouth and placed a kiss on her knuckles. “I’m glad that’s changed.”

  I’m glad that’s changed.

  The next morning, Leo’s words still circled in Nell’s head. She was back at Lily Belle’s. Ice cream had always been her go-to food when she felt stressed.

  The taste of chocolate and coffee ice cream came together on Nell’s tongue. If the mocha mud pie didn’t completely erase the tension in her shoulders, it came pretty darn close.

  On her way back to her office from the courthouse, Nell had detoured to Lily Belle’s. She was the only customer. Apparently, ten a.m. on a weekday wasn’t a high-traffic time. Nell had taken her selection to one of the outside tables.

  Her solitude ended less than five minutes later when Rachel Grabinski dropped into the seat opposite Nell. “Mocha pecan mud pie? It’s ten in the morning.”

  Nell lifted a brow. “Your point?”

  Rachel flashed a quicksilver smile. “That it’s a fabulous idea and I’m going to join you. If I may?”

  “You definitely may.” Nell waved a spoon. “In fact, I insist.”

  Like a jack-in-the-box, Rachel sprang up and scurried inside.

  Nell watched her go. Rachel was one of the group of friends she’d amassed since moving to Hazel Green. With her cream-colored hair—there really was no other way to describe the odd but natural shade—and dark eyes e
nhanced with amber-framed glasses, the food bank volunteer coordinator reminded her of the hot librarians in the porn videos her mother’s boyfriends liked to watch.

  Rachel was back in seconds with a tray containing her own mud pie and two cups of coffee. She placed one of the cups in front of Nell before settling into her seat. “They’d just brewed a fresh pot of Ethiopian blend. I seem to recall that’s a favorite of yours.”

  “Thanks, Rachel.” Nell found herself touched by the kindness, but not surprised.

  Rachel was one of those people who thought of everyone else first. Probably because raising her younger siblings after their parents died had forced her to be a mother figure at an early age.

  It suddenly struck Nell that Rachel’s unexpected appearance had been fortuitous.

  “I suppose you’re wondering why I’m not at the food bank.”

  Actually, Nell hadn’t given it a thought. But now that the woman mentioned it, it was strange.

  “Okay, I’ll bite.” Nell took a sip of the steaming brew and smiled. “Why are you not at work?”

  “Today’s my birthday.” Rachel’s cheeks pinked. “I took the day off so I could do whatever I like.”

  “Your birthday is the eighteenth.” Nell had it on her calendar. “I have your gift wrapped and ready to give to you tomorrow.”

  Rachel laughed. “Nell, honey, today is the eighteenth.”

  Nell pulled out her phone, glanced at the date and groaned. “You’re right, and I’m a bad friend. Happy birthday, Rachel.”

  “Thank you, Nell.” Rachel had brought out both a fork and a spoon. She studied them thoughtfully.

  “I’ll drop your gift by your house tonight.”

  “No worries.” Rachel waved an airy hand, then picked up the fork.

  “I’m glad we can celebrate by enjoying mud pie and coffee together,” Nell said.

  “I can’t imagine anything better than spending time with a friend.” Rachel dug the fork into the pie and took a big bite.

  Spending time with a friend.

  Nell’s heart swelled. Friends hadn’t been part of her life before coming to Hazel Green.

  “I didn’t roll out of bed until eight this morning,” Rachel confided, dabbing chocolate from the corner of her mouth with a paper napkin. “After a leisurely shower, I decided to go for a walk. I’m having lunch with a couple of my sisters at Matilda’s, then Marc and I are going out for dinner this evening. I’m not sure where. It’s a surprise.”

  Up until Rachel mentioned her boyfriend, the day had sounded wonderful. Nell didn’t like nor trust Marc Koenig. Especially with her friend’s heart. “Sounds like you’ve got a wonderful day planned.”

  The gratitude in Rachel’s eyes made Nell glad she’d held her tongue. Until she had enough information on Marc to bury him, she would continue to keep her mouth shut. Rachel was aware that none of her friends cared for Marc, but the only thing voicing those concerns had accomplished had been to drive the two closer together.

  “You know, Rachel, I have a case that’s troubling me. I’m hoping you might be able to help.”

  Rachel’s eyes widened. “But I—”

  “It’s okay if you prefer not to talk business.” Nell lifted a hand. “It is your birthday.”

  “I’m happy to do whatever I can. But I don’t have a legal background, so I’m not sure how much help I can be.”

  “Let me be the judge of your expertise.” Nell inclined her head. “When your parents died, you had to go to court to gain guardianship of your minor siblings.”

  Rachel nodded.

  “I’m assuming there wasn’t a provision in their wills nominating you to be their guardian.”

  Rachel sat back in her chair and expelled a breath. “They were young and healthy. I’m sure the thought of dying together never occurred to them.”

  A good estate attorney would have discussed the possibility with them and come up with a plan. But no purpose would come of mentioning that fact now.

  “I also assume the probate court appointed a guardian to care for your siblings and a conservator to oversee the financial details of the guardianship.”

  “Aunt Jane, my mother’s sister, came to Hazel Green after the car accident.” Rachel’s eyes grew distant with memories. “Initially, she was appointed both temporary guardian and conservator. But as much as she loved us, she was single and devoted to her career. She was willing to help out, but she had no desire to raise her sister’s five minor children.”

  It struck Nell as odd that she’d heard the story of how, at eighteen, the girl had taken over the raising of her five younger siblings, but had not learned the specifics. “Were any other relatives interested?”

  “Nope.” Rachel dug into the mud pie with extra gusto. “Just me.”

  “They probably would have been split up and placed in foster care if you hadn’t been willing.”

  “I could never let that happen.” Rachel sighed and set down her fork. “You know how it is with siblings. You might fight, but there’s always the love. I guess I’ve never asked, do you have brothers or sisters?”

  Actually, Nell recalled, Rachel had asked in the past. Several times, in fact, but Nell had always skirted the question. “I have one brother.”

  “Well, you know how it is, then. The connection. The love. You’d do anything to protect them.”

  Nell thought of Dixon. They shared a special bond. Her and him against the world. More specifically, her and him against their psycho mother. The tie had been severed when Nell had taken off at seventeen and left him behind.

  The lifesaving act of self-protection had come with a price. Dixon had been left behind to pay it. For years, Nell had tried to avoid thinking too hard about that fact.

  Unlike Rachel, who’d taken on the care of multiple younger siblings, Nell had left the only one she had behind. The situations weren’t the same, but Nell still felt guilty.

  “Tell me about your case.”

  Grateful for the reprieve, Nell blinked away the past and refocused on the present. She picked up her spoon, more to buy herself more time than a desire to eat.

  While the mud pie was amazing, thoughts of Dixon had dampened her appetite. Perhaps she was as narcissistic as their mother. Recalling how Gloria had often referred to her as a Mini-Me—when she wasn’t claiming they were sisters—torpedoed the rest of Nell’s appetite.

  “Does the case you’re handling involve siblings?”

  “It does.” Nell glanced around, pleased to see that all the tables were still empty. She wouldn’t give her friend any specifics, but she didn’t want to be overheard. “While judges are supposed to rule in the best interests of the child—or in your case, children—some are more sympathetic to cases where an older sibling is attempting to gain custody of a younger one.”

  “Did the parents die?” Rachel pushed her own mud pie aside. She leaned forward, her brown eyes intently focused on Nell’s face.

  Nell resisted the urge to tell Rachel that wasn’t the issue, that the only thing she needed from her was the name of a sympathetic judge. Since she’d been in Hazel Green, she’d been able to present before all the judges. But this was the first case of this type she’d handled.

  “The father is unknown. The incarcerated mother’s parental rights were recently terminated.” Nell lowered her voice. “The minor female wants to live with her adult sister, who is willing to assume the responsibility.”

  “Does anyone else in the family want the child?”

  Rachel’s keen instincts—other than in regard to her current boyfriend—were one of the things Nell admired about her friend. “The mother’s sister and her husband.”

  Though they looked good on paper, Nell didn’t trust the couple’s motives. She’d done her own digging into their background. Based on her own past, several red flags had popped. Unfortunately, nothing she could use in court.

  “Judge Geoffrey Tomjack.” Rachel leaned back and took a sip of coffee, punctuating the name with a decisive
nod. “Though your case is different than mine in that there were no other family members interested in taking my siblings.”

  “I appreciate the name.”

  Rachel’s sunny smile was back. “Happy to help.”

  Thankfully, Rachel didn’t probe for more details as to why Nell didn’t see the aunt and uncle as a good fit. Instead, they spent several minutes discussing the upcoming Fourth of July extravaganza, where Nell would be making an appearance as Hazel Green.

  Rachel had just started telling Nell about her spa afternoon when she stopped talking and a smile lit her face.

  Nell turned in her seat. Her own smile froze.

  “Marc,” Rachel called out as he approached. “What a nice surprise.”

  Apparently feeling quite dapper in his brown suit and blue tie, Marc sauntered over. Just seeing the guy had Nell wanting to wash her hands. He was about her age with pale blue eyes and a receding hairline. Nell had found him repulsive even before he’d asked her out on a date while he was still married.

  Nell had mentioned that fact to Rachel, but Marc had already told his story first. He’d said Nell had misunderstood his question. He hadn’t been asking her out on a date. He’d merely wanted to see if she’d represent him in a divorce.

  “Happy birthday, sweetheart.” While keeping those creepy eyes locked on Nell, he bent to brush a kiss across Rachel’s cheek.

  “Where are you headed this morning?”

  Seeming to take Rachel’s question as an invitation, Marc pulled out a chair and sat. “Just finished a meeting with Lilian.”

  Everyone knew Marc had been trying to get his hands on the rich widow’s money since last year when Lilian had divested herself of some of her husband’s extensive commercial holdings. According to Rachel, Marc simply wanted to ensure she made the most of those funds.

  “I wasn’t aware Lilian had chosen to work with you.” Nell offered a pleasant smile. “Congratulations.”

  A muscle in Marc’s jaw jumped. “We’re still in the discussion phase.”

  There were so many ways Nell could have responded, but Rachel was her friend. This was Rachel’s birthday, and she would not spoil it by being snarky. Still, she really wished she could do or say something to wipe that supercilious smile from his lips without it being obvious.