by Allie Able
“Mr. Nick?” She says my name as a question, like she can’t believe I’m standing here.
“Hey, Abbi,” I say quietly. My eyes move to Katie and I see she is looking at me like she wishes I didn’t exist. I deserve that, but it still hurts.
“Hi, Katie,” I whisper.
“Hi,” she responds tightly, as she lays a hand on her daughters shoulder and gently nudges her forward.
I didn’t notice that Summer had moved, but she is now standing at the register waiting to take their order.
“What can I get you ladies today?” she says cheerfully, trying to break the tension.
I take a few steps back and listen as they order. Neither of them look at me, again until they have their drinks and cupcakes. They are walking towards the door, when Abbi turns around and looks at me with tears in her eyes. I’m thankful that there isn’t anyone but Summer, Grant and Lexie inside the bakery, because I have never felt as small as I do right now.
“You promised,” she says.
“Abbi,” Katie says.
Abbi continues to look at me ignoring Katie.
“You promised,” she cries, louder this time. I watch a tear trail down her cheek and I step forward, needing to comfort her even though I have no right.
“No,” Katie says sharply, pointing at me.
I stop where I am and bring my hand up to rub my chest.
“Come on, Abbi,” Katie says quietly. She wraps her arms around Abbi shoulders and leads her towards the door. They don’t look back, but I watch them until Katie drives off.
“You are a fucking asshole,” Lexie says harshly.
I turn to look at her and nod my head. Sometimes you just have to stay silent, because no words could explain the shit going on in your mind and your heart. Right now is one of those times. I grab my wallet out of my pocket and toss some money onto the counter. I pick up my drink and turn around to walk towards the door.
“Nick,” Grant calls.
“I’ll talk to you later,” I say over my shoulder, as I walk outside. I make my way to my truck, trying not limp as my prosthetic rubs uncomfortably against my leg. Once I’m inside I shut the door and rub my hands down my face.
Fuck! I shouldn’t have come home. I knew it would hurt seeing them, I just didn’t know it would hurt this bad. I hope they one day realize that I’m doing this for them. They will find someone else, someone not damaged, but they will always be my whole world.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Katie
“DO YOU WANT YOUR CUPCAKE?” I ask Abbi while looking at her through the rear view mirror.
She shakes her head and wipes her face. “No, I’m not hungry,” she mumbles.
I sigh and look back at the road. Damn it! Why did I have to see him today? We were finally doing okay. Abbi rarely brought him up anymore. My heart still hurts and I still lie in bed at night and think of all the times he held me in his arms, but I was getting better at hiding my pain. I wish I could hate him, but I can’t stop my feelings for him. I can’t lie to myself either, my heart knows the truth. It’s hard to forget someone who you imagined spending forever with, and now he’s back in town. I know I will have to see his face and I just don’t know if I can do that. I don’t know if my daughter can do that. The worst thing he could have done was break up with me without an explanation. If you leave someone at least tell them why, because what’s more painful than being abandoned like yesterday’s garbage, is knowing that you’re not worth an explanation.
I look back at Abbi again and I see her little face is scrunched into a frown. There is no way I’m going to make her sit up at the clinic after what just happened. I pick up my phone and dial, as I turn around and drive towards my house.
“Cape Isle Animal Clinic,” Haden says, when she answers the phone.
“Hi, Haden, it’s me.”
“Girl, Lexie just called me. Are you okay?”
I peak at Abbi, but she is staring out the window. “I can’t talk about it now, but I didn’t know he was back. Is Dr. Sinclaire still there?”
“Yeah, he’s staying until close today. Why don’t y’all take the rest of the day off?”
“That’s what I was thinking. Will you ask him if that’s okay, please or you can transfer me to him?”
“It’s his asshole son’s fault,” she mumbles under her breath.
“Haden!” I scold. I know she is hating Nick as much as I am right now, but I don’t want Dr. Sinclaire to hear her.
“He won’t care. We close in an hour and a half and we only have one more patient for the day. Go enjoy your afternoon. I will call you if there is a problem.”
“Thank you so much,” I say, through a sigh.
“Call me if you need me, sweetie,” she says gently.
“I will.”
I hang up and toss my phone is the passenger seat, before looking back at Abbi.
“Do you want to spend the afternoon at the beach?”
She shrugs her shoulders and nods her head.
“Okay,” I respond quietly. Damn it, I wish I could hate him!
* * *
I sink my feet deeper into the sand and watch as Abbi runs through the waves. I knew Nick would be coming back home soon, but seeing him today just took me by surprise. I wasn’t prepared for it.
Even though I refused to ask, Lexie had been casually mentioning his progress over the past few months. I wonder if he is still going to be renovating his house or if he’s staying in his condo. I sigh and look up at the sky. Why can’t I stop thinking about him? Why does it still hurt so damn bad?
I hear my phone ringing from inside the beach bag and I pull it towards me, while looking over at Abbi. She’s out of the water and is building a sandcastle. I’m so glad I took the afternoon off, we needed this. I pull my phone out of my bag and look down at the screen. When I see that it’s Lexie, I almost send it to voice mail, but I don’t.
“Hello,” I say as put the phone up to my ear.
“Hey, girl. Are you okay?” she asks.
“Yeah, Abbi and I are at the beach.”
“Feel like having company tonight? I will bring the wine,” she says, hopefully.
“I don’t know, Lexie.” She has been by the house pretty frequently, since her brother broke my heart, but I have refused to speak ill of him to her.
“Come on, Katie. I just want to check on you. You don’t even have to talk if you don’t want to. We’ll just drink my wine in silence.”
I roll my eyes. I don’t think Lexie could stay quiet for two minutes without exploding. “Okay,” I concede.
“Awesome. See you around 8:30 pm?”
“Sounds good.”
We say our goodbyes and I disconnect the call. I know she means well, but hearing her talk about Nick is like rubbing salt on an open wound. She had better bring good wine.
I drop my phone back into the bag and stand up. I dust the sand off of me before walking down to check on Abbi and help her with the sandcastle. Maybe one day Nick will be a distant memory for both of us.
* * *
I’m cleaning up the kitchen when the door bell rings later that night. I walk through my living room and open the front door to see Lexie holding up two bottles of wine.
“I thought that one wouldn’t be enough for tonight,” she smiles.
“You thought right,” I respond. I open the door wider, waiting for her to come in. I take the bottles from her and walk back towards the kitchen.
“Where’s Abbi?” she asks, as she sets her purse down on the island in the kitchen.
“She just went to sleep.” I pull two wine glasses out of the cabinet and start uncorking the first bottle of red wine.
“Was she okay?” she asks, with a sad expression.
“She was really upset when we left the bakery. We came home and went to the beach. She seemed a little better at dinner. She’s just ten years old, Lexie, but she has already experienced her first heartbreak. She can’t understand why Nick would break his promi
ses to her, no matter how many times I try to explain. She’s angry and hurt.”
She nods her head. “Poor baby.”
I pass her her glass and sigh. “This is why I avoided getting into a relationship in the first place and Nick knew that. I didn’t want to see my daughter get hurt.”
She takes a sip of her wine and shakes her head. “I’m so sorry, Katie.”
“You have nothing to be sorry for, Lexie.”
“I know, but I kind of pushed you two together.”
“Nick and I would have happened either way.”
She nods her head again and we both quietly sip our wine for a few minutes. I can see the wheels turning in Lexie’s head and I try to prepare myself for what she will say next.
“He’s hurting,” she whispers.
I close my eyes and drop my head. “I know that, but he was the one who shut me out with no explanation. I’m hurting too.”
“I’m not trying to defend him. I just hate to see both of you so heartbroken.”
I swirl some of my wine around in my glass, before taking a drink.
“There is nothing I can do, Lexie,” I say quietly.
She nods her head looking torn. “Maybe it’s time for you to move on.”
I laugh humorlessly. “Do you think I’m not trying to do that? I can’t stop thinking about him. Even now, I still worry about him.”
She holds up her hands in surrender. “Just hear me out.”
I nod my head and refill both of our glasses.
“I know from experience that moving on and getting over someone is one of the hardest things you have to do in life. Especially if it’s with someone you saw your future with. It’s going to hurt like hell, but time will heal your wounds, Katie. One day you’ll wake up and you won’t miss him anymore.”
“That is so hard to imagine right now,” I whisper.
She gives me a sad smile and lays her hand on top of mine. “I know, sweetheart, but he’s going to regret losing you. Please try to stop worrying and try to move on. Forget the past, forget the pain and remember what an incredible woman you are. I bet you get hit on all of the time. Go have dinner with someone else. Remember what it feels like to have a man desire you.”
“Lexie,” I start, but she cuts me off.
“I’m not saying you should get into another relationship right now, but go enjoy the company of a man for a few hours and let him buy you dinner. I promise it will make you feel better for at least a few hours.”
I take another drink of wine and ponder her words. Why can’t I go out on a date? I don’t have to introduce anyone to Abbi. I won’t get her attached to another man, but I can certainly enjoy the company of someone new.
“I may do that.”
She has a weird twinkle in her eye, but choose to ignore it, as she clinks her glass against mine.
“To new beginnings,” she says, lifting her glass to her mouth.
I smile my first real smile in hours. “To new beginnings,” I repeat.
* * *
The next day I’m doing paperwork in my office, when Haden appears at the door.
“Hey, girl. Your next appointment is here.”
I smile and stand from the desk. “Sorry I lost track of time.”
She waves me off. “No big deal. He’s a little early, but I went ahead and stuck him in room three.”
“Thanks, Haden.”
She hands me the chart and I look through it as I walk down the hall. I smile when I see that it is a dog that was adopted from here a few months ago.
I open the door and walk into the room. My head is still down looking over what she needs today and when I look up, I freeze. Good Lord, this man is handsome. He looks vaguely familiar, but I can’t place him.
He sticks out his hand and smiles, “Hi, Dr. Fitzgerald. We met when I adopted Lady.”
Shit. How do I not remember him? I quickly look down at the chart and see his name is Zack Grantham.
I shake his hand and smile. “It’s nice to see you again, Mr. Grantham.”
He shakes his head and his smile deepens. “Just Zack is fine.”
“Call me Katie. So, Zack how is Lady doing?” I ask, as I let go of his hand walk towards the beautiful Labrador.
“She’s doing great. We just came in for her scheduled check-up.”
I pet Lady’s head and look back down at her chart. He adopted her about four months ago. That was right about the time everything happened with Nick. No wonder I don’t remember meeting him.
I check Lady over and give her annual shots to her, before sitting down and asking Zack if he has any questions.
“Actually I do,” he clears his throat, “Please let me know if this is inappropriate, but are you seeing anyone, Katie?”
I’m caught off guard for a second. Is this guy asking me out? “Um… No.”
He smiles and I notice a dimple on his left cheek. Wow. He is really attractive. The question should be, why isn’t he dating someone.
“Well, I wanted to ask you this when we first met, but you seemed a little sad and I didn’t want to bother you, but would you like to have dinner with me sometime?”
Holy Shit! He is asking me out. I stare at him in silence for a second, as I think about Lexie’s words from last night. Go enjoy the company of a man for a few hours and let him buy you dinner.
What the hell do I have to loose. “I would like that.”
His smile gets bigger and I feel mine do the same.
“How about tomorrow night?”
“I will have to call my parents and make sure they are free to watch my daughter, but I think I could do tomorrow.”
“You have a daughter?” he asks, with a shocked expression.
My back straightens as I answer his question. “Yes, she is ten.”
“Wow. Really? I bet she is just as beautiful as her mom,” he says, with a genuine smile.
I blush and briefly look away. “Thank you.”
He shrugs his shoulders. “I’m just stating the truth. So, is tomorrow at around 8:00 pm good for you?”
I smile and nod my head. “That sounds great.”
We exchange numbers and I give him my address, as I walk him to the front. I pet Lady one last time and watch as they walk out the door.
Haden turns to me with wide eyes. “What was that?”
“What was what?”
“Don’t play coy with me. Are you going on a date with him?”
“Yes. I am single, Haden, and I think it’s time I moved on.”
She nods her head and smiles, but as I walk back towards my office I hear her mumble something about shit hitting the fan. I ignore her and continue to smile. My heart may not be in it, but Zack seems nice and I’m excited about spending more time with him.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Nick
I PULL MY TRUCK UP to the Sand Bar and put it in park. It’s a Friday night so they are fairly busy. Tourist season always makes the bars and shops around here even busier. I sigh and rub my leg. When Summer and Grant asked me to come to dinner with them tonight, I started to say no, but I know I need to start getting out more. I don’t want to become some kind of recluse, but at the same time I really don’t want to have to deal with the stares and whispers. Reluctantly I cut my truck off and make my way towards the front door. It’s crowded and almost every table and bar-stool is taken. I know Grant and Summer like to sit on the back patio, so I walk towards the back of the bar. I pull my hat down on my head as I make my way through the crowd, hoping no one will notice me. I spot them almost immediately, sitting at a booth. Summer sees me first and she lifts her hand in a little wave. I smile, as I sit across from them.
“Hey! You started without me?” I ask, gesturing towards their drinks.
Summer looks down and frowns. “I’m sorry. That was rude of us.”
Grant kicks me under the table and gives me a look. I laugh as I look over at Summer’s sad face. “I was just kidding, sweetheart.”
Grant kicks me a
gain and gives me another look. I laugh and hold my hands up. “Quit fucking kicking me, dude. Can I not speak without pissing you off?”
“Obviously you can’t,” he grumbles, but I see his lips twitch.
The waitress walks over and takes my drink order. After she leaves Summer turns to look at me. “Are you okay?”
I roll my eyes and try to play it off. “Yes, mom, I’m fine.”
“I’m serious, Nick.”
I nod and adjust my hat, shielding my eyes from her.
“I’m serious. I’m totally fine.”
She sighs and sits back in her seat, as the waitress delivers my drink and takes our food order.
“Have you talked to any of the guys about working some overtime, yet?” I ask Grant, when she walks away.
“Yeah, I talked to a few of them. We’re all set to start next week.”
“Good.”
I hear her laugh, before I see her. I lift my head and look around trying to see where it’s coming from. My heart stops when I finally spot her. She is sitting in a corner booth next to Zack Grantham. I grind my teeth and my jaw gets tight, as I watch them together. She throws her head back and laughs again. That’s my laugh. I shake that thought away, because it’s not my laugh anymore.
“Fucking shit,” Grant mumbles under his breath.
I look over at him to see that he is looking at Zack and Katie. He glances back at me with pained eyes.
“I swear to God I didn’t know anything about that.” He looks down at Summer and she shakes her head, as looks over at me with what looks like pity. I hate that look.
“I swear I didn’t know either,” she whispers.
“It’s none of my business,” I say, as I pick up my beer and drink half of it in one gulp. So, if it’s none of my business, then why does my stomach drop at the thought of someone else having her?
“Nick,” Summer says, quietly. I look over at her and she looks nervous.
I tilt my head to the side curious as to what she wants to say.