by Marie Force
Perhaps she could work it into conversation when her grandmother called tomorrow to check on her, as she’d vowed to do every day, since Nikki was there alone.
Conversely, she hadn’t heard a word from Jordan, which was indicative of an all-consuming reunion with Zane. It wasn’t the first time the two of them had gone deep underground. Nikki could only hope that Jordan was using good judgment and not allowing her larger-than-life husband to push her around with the sheer force of his personality.
Nikki had to force herself not to text Jordan. The impulse was so ingrained in her as to be automatic. She resisted, telling herself that as a grown woman with her own life to lead, Jordan could handle whatever came her way. Or so Nikki hoped…
A car door closing outside alerted her to Riley’s arrival. Throughout the day, she’d tried not to think too much about him, the date they had planned for tonight—the first real date she’d been on in years—or anything beyond the next few minutes. But when she’d gotten his text, her heart had skipped a happy beat from knowing she would see him again soon.
In that moment, she’d realized he represented the first significant threat to the rules for dealing with men she’d made for herself years ago—rules that had only been reinforced by the nightmare her brother-in-law had perpetrated upon her sister.
Men, she had discovered at an early age, were not to be trusted. Her parents had split after it came to light that her dad had a whole other family with another woman. Almost fifteen years later, Nikki still found it hard to believe. And after the sordid tale had come to light, she and Jordan had been forced to live with him and his new family after the court gave him primary custody over their emotionally erratic mother.
That was the first time she’d learned that men were not to be trusted, but it wasn’t the last. As she went to the door to admit Riley, she vowed to enjoy his friendship without expecting anything from him. Keeping her expectations low, she’d learned, went a long way toward protecting her from things she couldn’t handle.
Jordan had once accused her of being an emotional cripple. The words had hurt to hear, mostly because they were true. As she opened the door to Riley’s handsome, smiling face, she wished things were different and she could be the kind of young woman to get excited about the prospect of a new guy in her life, especially a sinfully handsome, sexy, sweet man like Riley.
But Nikki wasn’t a typical young woman and hadn’t been for a long time. Her plan for the moment was to enjoy Riley’s company until he decided she wasn’t worth the effort of continuing to come around for something that wasn’t going to happen.
“Hey,” he said, bringing the scents of fresh air and appealing cologne in with him. “You look pretty.”
“Thank you.” She wanted to tell him he looked good, too, but she needed to be cautious about encouraging anything more than platonic friendship with him. Though it was nice to have a friend on the island, she had no idea how long she would be here, and it wouldn’t be prudent to get overly involved with him.
Friendship she could handle. Romance? Not so much.
He wore a brown sweater with well-faded jeans that fit him to perfection. Not that she was looking as he led the way to the living room, where the tree waited for finishing touches. She wasn’t looking. Well, not really…
“How was your day?” he asked, picking up where they’d left off on the tree the night before when they’d both started yawning.
“It was good. I went for a long walk out at the bluffs, took some photos, baked some vegan pumpkin bread. Nothing special.”
He glanced at her. “You’re vegan?”
“No, but Jordan is most of the time, so I bake like one.”
“Ahh, gotcha. What does vegan pumpkin bread taste like?”
“Want a piece?”
“Uh-huh.”
Amused by his enthusiasm, Nikki went to cut him a healthy slice of the bread. She’d spent years experimenting with recipes and thought the pumpkin bread had come out particularly well, but she’d have to see what he thought. She delivered it to him with a tall glass of milk.
“Thank you,” he said, taking the plate and glass from her and placing them on the coffee table. He broke off a piece of the bread and popped it into his mouth as he continued to add ornaments to the upper branches of the tree. “That’s really good.”
“Glad you like it.”
“So Jordan is vegan some of the time? What’s up with that?”
“Who knows? She’s a fad dieter. One day it’s vegan, the next it’s Paleo and then South Beach. I can’t keep up. Vegan has lasted the longest, and I got so I preferred vegan baked goods. When there’s less sugar and carbs, you can have more of whatever it is.”
“That’s true,” he said, popping the last of his slice into his mouth. “Is there more pumpkin bread?”
“There is,” she said, appreciating his enjoyment. “Will you still be able to eat dinner?”
“Sweetheart,” he said, smiling, “one thing you should know about me is that there’s never a time when I can’t eat.”
Flustered by the endearment as much as the devastating grin, Nikki said, “Gotcha. More pumpkin bread coming right up.” She went into the kitchen and cut him another healthy slice of the bread, telling herself to stop being so easily flustered. You’re out of practice, she thought. It’d been years since she’d spent time alone with a guy.
Not since…
No.
Her entire body went cold at the thought of the guy who’d changed her forever.
Nikki had no idea how long she stood staring out the window over the sink, lost in memories she would give anything to forget, before Riley came to find her.
“Hey,” he said softly. “Are you okay?”
Rattled to have been overtaken by unpleasant thoughts that could invade her mind at even the best of times, Nikki forced a smile. “Sorry, yes. Here you go.”
He took the plate from her and placed it on the counter. “You don’t look all right. Is something wrong?”
“So many things,” she said softly before she could take the time to decide whether she should say such a thing to a man she barely knew.
“What things?” he asked, looking at her with concern.
“It’s nice of you to want to hang out with me, but you should know… I’m kind of a mess.”
His brows furrowed adorably. He was so damned handsome and sexy, the kind of guy who might be capable of changing her opinion of men in general. “No, you’re not.”
She released a huff of laughter. “I really am. You have no idea.”
“Could I tell you something that might surprise you?”
Crossing her arms, she glanced up at him, curious to hear anything he wanted to tell her. “Of course.”
“After you left in October?”
She nodded.
“I was super bummed. In fact, I kinda went into a funk, if my brother is to be believed.”
Nikki had no idea what to say. He’d been that sad to see her go?
“If you don’t say something, I’m going to think you think I’m a weirdo.”
“I don’t think that,” she said. “It’s sweet of you to say you were bummed that we left.”
“Not you as in you and Jordan. You as in you, Nikki. I was sad that you left before I had a chance to really get to know you.”
“Oh,” she said, venturing another glance up at him to gauge his sincerity. “Really?”
“Really. And this so-called funk lasted until I saw you again, when I seemed to miraculously shake it off.”
Nikki had no idea what to do with that information.
“So please don’t tell me you’re a mess or anything else that’ll make me sad again, because I’m really, really happy you came back to the island so I don’t have to be in a funk anymore. According to my brother, I’ve been a total bore for months.”
His earnest sweetness made her smile. How could it not? “You’re very sweet, Riley McCarthy.”
“Nah.”
/> “Yes, you are.”
“If you say so.”
“I say so,” she said emphatically, relieved that he hadn’t chosen to ask her why she called herself a mess. If she had her druthers, he’d never know the reasons behind that statement.
“What do you say we get this tree of yours finished so we can go get some dinner?”
“Lead the way.”
He took the plate with the second piece of pumpkin bread with him when he returned to the living room where she’d left the TV on, set as usual to her favorite network.
“Oh, I love these beach shows,” she said, eager to get back to a lighthearted vibe. “I can’t believe the deals these people get for houses right on the water.”
“That’d never happen here.”
“Right?” Real estate was at a premium on Gansett. Her grandmother’s home, bought nearly fifty years ago for forty thousand dollars, was now worth millions. Or it would be if it was updated. “I love what they do with these places.”
“I’ve never watched any of those shows,” he said, winking. “It’d be like a doctor watching medical stuff.”
“You don’t know what you’re missing. I can watch HGTV for hours and never get bored. I wish I knew how to do all that.”
“All what?”
“Renovations. I dream about getting my hands on this place and updating it.”
“I could show you how.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah,” he said, laughing at her wide-eyed reaction. “I’ve been working construction since I was sixteen. If there’s one thing I know, it’s that.”
“Don’t tempt me. Before you know it, you’ll be knee-deep in coaching me through a new kitchen and bathrooms, hardwood floors, paint.” Nikki shuddered with ecstasy at the thought. And when she opened her eyes, Riley watched her with thinly veiled desire that arced between them like a live wire.
Realizing he liked her as more than a friend made her nervous, but she didn’t feel the need to run away like she would have with almost anyone else. Since the first time he’d come to her rescue when the roof had been leaking, he’d given her no reason to be wary or afraid of him. He’d been what her grandmother would refer to as a perfect gentleman in every way. And yet, even with all her instincts telling her she could relax around him, deep inside where her darkest fears lay, she retained the healthy fear that had kept her safe from men who would do her harm. She’d found out the hard way that even men she trusted could turn into monsters.
She’d known him for a full year before she’d realized that underneath the charming surface of a friend and boyfriend lurked a darker side he kept well hidden. Nikki shivered. Thoughts of him never failed to chill her to the bone, which was why she tried very hard never to think of him.
“Are you cold?” Riley asked, misinterpreting her shiver.
“I’m good.”
They worked in companionable silence to hang the rest of the ornaments her grandmother had acquired over the years. When she’d sold her home outside of Boston and bought her condo in Florida to spend winters in the sunshine, her grandmother had sent most of the Christmas decorations to Gansett. Nikki had never spent a Christmas with her grandmother, as that holiday had belonged to her father, so she’d never seen most of the ornaments before now.
“I like this one,” Riley said, holding up a miniature Gansett Island ferry.
“It looks just like one of the real ferries.”
“Here’s some McCarthy family trivia for you: My cousin’s husband owns the company.”
“That must be a fun business.”
“It’s a lucrative business when you consider that just about every person and thing on this island got here on one of his boats.”
“True.”
Riley checked his watch. “We should get going to make our reservation at Domenic’s. If you still want to go.”
“I do want to.” She was hungry and didn’t feel like a night alone. He was sweet and had been kind to her, which made her want to get to know him better.
How much better remained to be seen.
Chapter 5
Riley held her coat, which earned him more points, along with the door to his truck that he opened for her. The front of the black pickup boasted a plow blade.
Nikki had never been on a date in which the guy opened her car door. Her grandmother would wholeheartedly approve of Riley McCarthy. Hell, she already did after the excellent job he’d done on the roof.
When they were on their way to Domenic’s, she said, “I meant to tell you that the roof looks really good.”
“I’m glad you think so,” he said. “As roofs go, that one was a bit of a beast with all the cutouts and dormers. Not to mention the sheer size of it. But we got it done.”
“My grandmother was very happy with the job you guys did.”
“That’s good to hear. My cousin Mac says she’s a really nice lady.”
“She is. She had young kids to raise on her own after her husband dropped dead at work. He just keeled over at his desk. They said he was dead before anyone realized something had happened. She raised her kids on her own, including my mother.”
“That’s really admirable. I can’t imagine having to raise kids on my own.”
“She was a trouper. Fortunately, my grandfather had good insurance and owned a successful company, so she didn’t have to work while they were young. But later, when they were all in school, she ended up taking over the helm of his company and ran it for thirty years.”
“That’s amazing. What kind of company was it?”
“Manufacturing. They make components for jet engines. My aunt is the CEO now.”
“Very cool. Did your grandmother ever remarry?”
“Nope. She’s never even been on a date since my grandfather died. She said she had her great love and no one could ever take his place.”
Riley sighed.
And that sigh caused something inside Nikki to shift to accommodate the possibility that he might be different, better than most of the men she’d known in the past.
“I’m sad for someone I’ve never even met,” Riley said, further cementing her instincts where he was concerned.
“There’re pictures of them together at the house. You can tell just by looking at them that they were so happy.”
“I’d love to see them.” He turned the truck into the parking lot at Domenic’s and pulled in next to a large black SUV. “You’re going to get to meet my cousin Mac and his wife, Maddie,” Riley said, nodding to the SUV.
“Oh cool. Gram loves him—and his father.”
“Everyone does.” They met at the front of Riley’s truck, and he placed a hand on her lower back to usher her into the restaurant.
She told herself not to overreact to the proprietary gesture that was probably ingrained in him, but it gave her a flutter inside that she hadn’t felt in so long, she almost didn’t recognize the emotions coursing through her for what they were—excitement, desire, anticipation. Among the other diners, Nikki recognized Riley’s cousin right away due to an obvious family resemblance. Like Riley, Mac had dark hair and piercing blue eyes.
After he checked in with the host, Riley took hold of her hand and led her to his cousin’s table.
“Hey,” Mac said, smiling up at Riley. “Fancy meeting you here.”
“Hi there,” Riley said. “This is Nikki Stokes. Nikki, my cousin Mac McCarthy and his wife, Maddie.”
“Nice to meet you,” Mac said, standing to shake her hand.
“You, too,” Nikki said, shaking hands with both of them.
“You’re Mrs. Hopper’s granddaughter, right?”
“That’s me, the one with the leaky roof.”
“She’s a doll,” Mac said. “I love working for her.”
“She likes you, too. She says you’re a handsome devil.”
“Oh dear God,” Maddie said, groaning. “Do not tell him that. He’ll be even more unbearable than he already is.”
While Mac scowl
ed playfully at his wife, Nikki and Riley cracked up laughing.
“How’d you score a get-out-of-jail-free pass tonight?” Riley asked them, adding for Nikki’s benefit, “They have three kids under the age of six.”
“Yikes,” Nikki said.
“You know it,” Maddie said, taking a healthy sip of her wine. “My mom and Ned hosted a sleepover, so we could get a night off. I told Mac we could do anything as long as I didn’t have to cut anyone’s food.”
“You don’t have to cut Mac’s food?” Riley asked.
“Not anymore.” She smiled up at her husband, who was an older, equally handsome version of Riley. “He’s coming along nicely.”
“You’re a miracle worker,” Riley said. “You even got him potty trained.”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” Maddie said.
“I can hear you two,” Mac said, making Nikki laugh.
“We’ll let you get back to your date night,” Riley said. “See you in the morning.”
“Bright and early,” Mac said.
“Yeah, yeah.” With his hand on her lower back, Riley directed her toward the table the host pointed to, where menus had been left for them. Riley held her chair and waited for her to get settled before taking his own seat.
“They’re funny,” Nikki said.
“Yeah, they are. We all love her. She’s perfect for him.”
“He looks like you, or I guess I should say you look like him.”
“Ew, I do not.”
“Yes, you do,” she said, laughing.
“I thought you liked me.”
“I do like you.”
“Then don’t say I look like Mac,” he said, making a face.
“That’s not exactly an insult. He’s not exactly ugly.”
“Yes, he is.”
As she cracked up yet again, she realized she’d laughed more in the last hour than she had in years.
* * *
He loved her laugh, loved being the cause of it, loved the way she let go of the tension that was such a big part of her when she wasn’t laughing. As he studied the menu, he wanted to keep her laughing so she wouldn’t think about whatever had troubled her earlier. When he’d walked into the kitchen and found her staring out the window, lost in thoughts that were obviously upsetting, he’d wanted to wrap his arms around her and make it better.