At nine, Babs declared breakfast over. The diner cleared out, and Nicole cleaned and prepped for the next day. In less than an hour, she slipped her coat and rubber boots on and told Babs goodbye.
Dirty-Ankle time had been a hard thing for Nicole to adjust to over five years ago when she’d first rolled into town. Dirty Ankle was on a different time schedule than anyone else in the world. The breakfast rush could last for two hours or six hours; it all depended on Babs and her translation of quitting time.
The only grocery store in town may or may not be open. It depended on how Sal felt that day, or if the fish were biting. Sal earned his moniker by landing a huge salmon, barehanded. Folks tell, he toted the huge fish in the diner and couldn’t even get it through the door. Two men had to help him carry the big fish inside. They’d dropped it on the counter and told Babs to cook it up. The story also kept getting bigger and bigger. The last time Nicole heard it, the fish covered the entire counter. Which she knew was impossible.
“Hey, Sugar!” Babs called.
Nicole stopped and looked at the back door longingly before she answered. She’d been so close to escape. “Yeah.”
“Heard Parker Boydt was in town.” Babs poured herself a cup of coffee and planted herself on a stool at the counter.
Nicole knew she might as well get it over with. She hung her coat back up and joined Babs. “Yeah, I heard that too.” Nicole emptied the pot into her own cup.
“You planning on seeing him again?”
“Not planning on it.” She took a sip and grimaced at the strong bitter taste, much like her feelings for Parker Boydt. She didn’t think she would ever grow to like the stuff.
“Heard tell he’s going to be here for a spell. Some money bags from the lower-forth-eight’s building a lodge up on Sutter’s Ridge. Also heard tell Parker’s bringing a wife and kid with him this time.”
Nicole’s cup stopped halfway to her mouth, paused, and then reversed. Her hand shook, and the cup rattled against the saucer as she tried to set it back down. “A kid? Do you know how old?”
“A baby. Still in diapers.” Babs eyes never left Nicole’s, a world of understanding passing between the two. “Sugar, you didn’t know. Around here you have to go by what a person tells ya. Parker Boydt was a low-down skunk for not telling you he was married. Why, nobody around here knew he had a wife back in Juno either.”
Nicole cringed and lowered her eyes. Babs knew entirely too much. But she didn’t know what actually happened with Parker, and that was the way Nicole wanted to keep it. She’d been in town for two years when Parker came around to build a new library for the city. Since she was the librarian, they were thrown together daily for six months, and Parker simply wore down her defenses with his persistence. Dating was the last thing on her mind. She came to town, determined to never let her guard down. Parker was the only one to ever slip through.
She wished she could say Parker had meant something to her, but he hadn’t. Nobody and nothing would ever invade her cold lifeless heart again. She had tried to use what Parker freely offered and then couldn’t go through with it at the last minute. When she had said no, Parker lost it and let slip that he was married. Nicole had been devastated. Marriage vows may have meant nothing to Parker, but to Nicole, they did, and she had been shattered that things had gone as far as they had.
In all the conversations she and Parker had while he worked on the library, never once did he happen to mention he was married. The next day it was all over town that Nicole was a home wrecker. The false accusations simply rolled off of her. She had been fodder for gossip before, but on a much grander scale. Words could no longer hurt her.
Parker finished the library, left town, and eventually the talk died down. Nicole stood her ground and fought back. Never again would she run. She finally had a somewhat dysfunctional home and family for herself, and she wasn’t leaving.
“I know, Babs. I’m okay with Parker and his family being in town.”
“Well, then, go on and get to the library. It would be terrible if you were late. Thanks for filling in today. Cookie will be back tomorrow.” Babs laughed and drained her cup.
“No problem. I enjoyed being back in the trenches.” She paused. “Thanks, Babs,” Nicole said quietly, and smiled at her friend before taking their cups to the back and letting herself out.
Nicole took down the “Closed” sign on the library door and switched on the lights. It never failed. Every time she walked into the library and smelled the unmistakable scent of leather and polish and saw all the shelves lined with books, she couldn’t help but feel proud of what she had accomplished.
She’d only been in Dirty Ankle for two years when the town received a grant to build and stock a new library. The only stipulation had been they were required to hire a librarian. Nicole had been the only one qualified and had jumped at the chance. She had been involved from the start.
It was her library as far as Nicole was concerned. From meeting with the architect to shelving the last book, the completion had taken almost a year to accomplish, and Nicole had been there through it all. She’d been sad to leave the diner, but she knew the library was where she was supposed to be.
“Morning, Sugar!”
“Good morning, Lisa.” Nicole hung up her coat and pulled off her rubber boots. She’d learned long ago to never leave home without her boots.
“Did you hear? Some millionaire is building a mansion on the ridge.” Lisa was giddy with her news.
Nicole laughed. “Yes, I heard, and before you ask, yes, I know Parker is back in town along with his family.”
“And you’re okay with it?” Lisa asked.
“Perfectly. Now can we get those boxes that just came in unpacked and shelved?”
“I’m on it boss.” Lisa gave her a mock salute and hurried to the back room.
Nicole turned on the computers and walked around getting things in order for the day. The pre-school class would be in shortly for story time and to check out books. She loved it when the little ones came in. They were so free with their hugs and kisses, things Nicole craved, but wouldn’t allow herself to think about having.
She should have had several children of her own by now. That had been the plan. She picked up a stack of books and froze in place. Where had that thought come from? She shook her head to clear it, dismissing it from her mind, and walked around the row of tiny chairs, placing a book in each one.
Less than an hour later, the library was crawling with five-year-olds, and Nicole loved every minute of it.
“Miss Suga,” a little voice said, as he tugged on her jeans.
Nicole looked down, and her heart did a flip. The little boy looking up at her reminded her of... He had the same sandy brown hair and shocking blue eyes as someone she once knew. She had to stop her hand from reaching out and smoothing the flop of hair away from his eyes. Just like she used to do to…
“Ms. Suga, I wanna book about pwanes.”
“Planes?” The person whose name she refused to say or even think, his son would be about the age of the little boy looking up at her. “Yes, we have just the book for you.”
An hour later the children were rounded up by Kate and Alison, their teachers, and herded back to school. Peace and quiet once again reigned. That made Nicole a little sad. She loved the hustle and bustle of having the children underfoot. She’d never gotten around to asking Kate who the new little boy was.
The child had stirred up memories; at least, that was the excuse she was using. That was why, during a break, she pulled up Facebook on the computer and typed in Matthew Harrison. His brother’s name. It had been three years since she had punished herself by lurking on Matthew’s page. In her quest to find out what had happened to him, Nicole had run across pictures of a barbeque at Matthew’s house.
He had been there, with his arm around a woman, a very pregnant woman.
In the picture he’d been laughing at something the woman said and reac
hing for her cup. He had a gold band around his third finger, the same finger that Nicole had worn his engagement ring on for almost four years. That had been one of the reasons for her desperate exit from the town she grew up in. It had been obvious why he had left her the way he did, and Nicole couldn’t take the chance of ever running into him or his…wife. She couldn’t have bled anymore that day if someone had taken a knife and filleted her open.
Once she moved to Dirty Ankle, she had few opportunities to revisit those heartbreaking pictures. She didn’t have a computer, but the few times she had access to one, she would pull Matthew’s page up and search for more glimpses into Will’s life. She had wept at the sight of the new baby held lovingly in his arms. She saw his parents doting on the little fellow as he learned to walk. The child had black hair and dark brown eyes and looked nothing like, him. She didn’t know the nationality of the exotic woman beside him in many of the pictures, but she was beautiful.
In all the pictures he looked happy. His life looked perfect. He had wiped Nicole from his life, easily replaced her, and moved on without a single backward glance. It took her almost two years to come to that revelation. Nicole promised herself to never look at the pictures again and to move on with her own life.
Around that same time was when she’d made her colossal mistake with Parker. She found out that she couldn’t replace him as easily as he had her. She had absolutely no desire to, but a part of her had wanted to.
Nicole had wanted to lie in Parker’s arms and let him make her feel the same things she had felt with him. Instead, Parker’s touch felt foreign and cold. His kisses left her wanting to wipe her mouth and retch. The final straw had been when Parker removed her dress and she stood in front of him in nothing but her bra and panties and burst into tears. That had been when she’d known she couldn’t go through with it, and that she’d never experience those mind numbing feelings in the arms of anyone else but Will. Because if it wasn’t Will’s hands touching her, caressing her, and taking her over the top, then it could be no one’s. The night had been a total disaster. One she vowed never to repeat.
She closed the page, stepped away from the computer, and went to find Lisa so they could eat lunch together. A promise was a promise, and she wasn’t going to put herself through that again. He was as good as dead to her.
The next day as she was shelving the books that had been turned in that morning, she received a most unexpected visitor.
“Parker Boydt,” she called out even before the door closed, “you can just turn around and march yourself right back out.”
Parker stopped and held his hands up in surrender. “Sugar, please. I just wanted to apologize.”
Nicole stared into his eyes and saw nothing but remorse and sincerity. “I know I’m going to regret this, but come on in.”
Parker grinned and took off his cap as he joined her. “Thanks, Sugar. I’m going to be in town for a while now working on a build.”
“I heard somebody with more money than brains hired you to build a monstrosity on Sutter’s Ridge. I also heard you brought your wife and baby. Could be you’re feeling a bit anxious about me filling your wife in on a few things.”
Parker looked her straight in the eyes and answered honestly. “Yes. That is the project I’m working on, but it’s not going to be a monstrosity, and you can’t tell my wife anything I haven’t already told her. She knows everything, Sugar. She even knows I didn’t tell you I was married.”
“And you’re still breathing?” Nicole couldn’t believe it. Her opinion of Parker just changed.
Parker laughed. “Yeah. Crazy, isn’t it? It took me almost losing the woman I love before I woke up and realized how badly I was hurting her. She forgave me, which I didn’t deserve, and we’ve moved forward.”
“I’m glad, Parker. I’m really happy for you. But why are you here?”
“I wanted to apologize and clear the air, so to speak. We’ll be here for about three months. I think you would really like my wife, but that may be too much to ask.”
“A person can never have too many friends, Parker. At one time I considered you one.”
“Yeah, I did you as well. I guess I messed that up.” Parker ran a hand through his hair. “Listen, Sugar. About what happened between us that night, I know it’s not my place to say anything, but I know hurt when I see it. Whoever hurt you that deeply, well, you’re better off without him. Anyone that could let you get away isn’t worth a single one of your tears.”
Nicole was too busy fighting the emotions threating to erupt to see Parker leave and join his wife and son in the parking lot.
Nicole switched off the lights and closed the library on auto pilot. It wasn’t even noon, but it wouldn’t matter. Folks were used to Dirty-Ankle time and would just come back tomorrow.
Once she was in her cabin, she let the tears come. She thought nothing else could hurt her. She thought she had no more tears inside to cry over him. It had to be the little boy yesterday that upset her so and got her to thinking about those times. What she had lost and would never have.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Nicole stood at the back of the church on her grandfather’s arm. Through the veil covering her beautiful face, Will could see her biting her bottom lip; a nervous reaction to being in the spotlight of all their family and friends that packed the pews. He waited patiently for her to scan the crowd and finally she found him. Their gazes met; her body visibly relax. She smiled and mouthed the words, “I love you.”
Will smiled back. “I love you too.”
Music transitioned into a piano and cello instrumental of A Thousand Years by Christina Perri. Nic took her first step toward him and their life together. The congregation obscured his view of her for a few moments.
Will’s heart swelled as she kissed her grandfather and her past life goodbye and then her grandfather placed her hand into his, signifying her new life with him. Will helped her up the three steps to join the minister. He gently grasped her veil and moved it over the top of her head and it fell down her back.
She looked up at him her green eyes sparkling with love. He was lost in the moment. They’d waited so long and now Nic was finally his.
The minister nudged him and cleared his throat and nodded. “Now repeat after me.”
“I, Grant Erin Markus, take you Nicolette Mary-Margaret Montgomery to be…”
Who? Will tilted his head, questioning what the minister said.
Nic prompted him. “It’s your turn, honey.” She squeezed his hand and smiled, her green eyes filled with love and trust.
He smiled back, nodded, and turned back to the minister. Again the minister said, “I, Grant Erin Markus, take you Nicolette Mary-Margaret Montgomery to be…”
Will shook his head and frowned at the confused minister. “No. That’s wrong.”
Will looked to Nic, “Tell him, Nic. Tell him he’s wrong.”
“Grant, honey, you’re scaring me. What do you think he got wrong? He only said our names.”
“Grant…I’m not Grant.”
Suddenly he was at the back of the church and no longer in his grey tuxedo. Nic and a man walked by, hand in hand. They stopped right in front of him and kissed. Nic wrapped her arms around the man. “I love you, Grant. I can’t wait to tell everyone about the baby.”
Baby? What baby? Nic’s pregnant? With someone else’s baby? Before he could tear the man away from Nic, the two of them disappeared through the door.
Will’s parents walked by. His mom dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. “I told you this would happen.”
His father shook his head and swiped at his eyes. “You waited too long.”
Will ran out the door. It couldn’t be too late. Nic belonged to him. No! Nic! Come back! Nic!
Will awoke with a start, his body covered in icy sweat. He threw his legs over the side of the bed and scrubbed his hand over his face. Even with his bedside clock reading three in the morning, he knew he wouldn’t ge
t back to sleep. He never did; it was useless to try. He’d been having that same damned nightmare for three years. The frequency now several times a week. Grant—his mental tormentor, a threatening reminder that he had taken Nic and their forever/life together for granted.
He bent over and rested his elbows on his knees and held his head in his hands. His one terror through the last five years had been that Nic would fall in love with someone else. If she had…. Above all else, he wanted Nic to be happy. He’d put her through so much. If she found someone to give her what he’d taken away, he would want her to take it. Wouldn’t he? Selfishly, he didn’t. He had to have faith in their love and know neither one of them could love anyone else.
His plans weren’t ready. Things weren’t in place but he didn’t care. Pushing up from the bed, his decision was made, and the first true smile he’d felt in five years stretched across his face. Operation “Get Nic Back” was about to begin.
Hours later Will set behind his desk in his New York office with the phone to his ear. His smile had turned into a snarl. “I don’t care how much it cost, just do it. I hired you, Parker, because I was told you were the best. I want the side project finished in one week. Furnished and fully stocked as I designated.” Will hung the phone up and ran his hand through his hair before leaning back in his chair and closing his eyes. He was getting closer, but things were still not moving fast enough for him.
He pushed up from his chair and paced to the window, looking down on the busy street. His house wouldn’t be ready for another month, and he didn’t want to wait any longer. He was tired of waiting. He had been waiting for five years, and he couldn’t wait one moment more.
He picked up his phone and pushed a button. “Callie, I’m moving the timeline up. Clear my calendar, starting immediately. Once I set up base in Alaska, I’ll be back online but until then, just handle everything. Call Stewart. Have him downstairs in thirty.”
You Promised Me Forever (The Dirty Ankle Series Book 1) Page 9