by Jenna Mindel
Beth shifted. “Only once.”
“And Corey?”
“I didn’t wake up at all,” Corey said.
Nick glanced at Beth and Mary, who confirmed it with nods of agreement. “I didn’t hear a thing.” Mary finally sat down to eat.
“Good. I’ll take off, then. I can take Peanut with me.”
“I’ll bring her,” Beth said with a wave of dismissal. But she wouldn’t look at him. “Go home and sleep.”
Nick nodded. Funny, but he felt as if he was already home. He looked at the dog they’d had for nearly a week now with no claims made on her. She slept with Corey, and Nick hadn’t heard a peep out of the boy ever since. His son used to stir and get up a couple of times during the night. On occasion, Corey had called out for his mom before drifting back to sleep. Those nights had torn Nick in two.
He ruffled his son’s hair. “See you later, bud.”
His son smiled up at him. “Bye, Dad.”
His heart full, Nick glanced at Beth. “You’re going to need directions to my house.”
“You’re right. Let me get some paper and a pen.” She hurried into the dining room like a flash of light. What was wrong with her?
He followed her.
She snatched what she needed and turned quick, almost running into his chest, and wobbled.
He steadied her by gently grabbing her shoulders. “You okay?”
“Yeah, why?” She sounded breathless. Agitated.
“I don’t know. You seem...different.” He slid his hands down her arms before letting them drop away from her. Before he pulled her close.
She cleared her throat. “Nope. I’m fine.”
He narrowed his eyes but didn’t press her. “Okay.”
“Here, draw me a map.” She handed him the paper and pen and backed away a few steps, absently rubbing her arms.
He looked at her closely, giving her a chance to tell him what was wrong.
“Directions?” She pointed to the paper.
He leaned over the dining room table and drew. Then he wrote down his address. She already had his cell phone number. “It’s not far.”
“Oh. I know where you live. I didn’t recognize the street address, is all.” Beth looked like her normal self again.
Nick wanted to shake his head. Women were a mystery he’d never solve. “Have you thought about how I can even up the score?”
Her pretty blue eyes clouded over with confusion.
“I owe you big-time, remember?”
She smiled. A big, bright and beautiful smile. “Oh, I’m thinking.”
“Make it good.”
Her eyes widened, and then she looked worried all over again. “I’ll try.”
Chapter Eight
Later that afternoon, Beth drove a few miles out of town with her windows down. It was hot for the first week of May and that probably boded well for a warm summer. Nick didn’t live far from the northern lake of Lake Leelanau. She spotted a public-beach sign and smiled. North Lake had the best sandy beaches.
Beth loved the beach. Any beach. She had plenty to choose from, too. Living on the Leelanau Peninsula, which was surrounded by Lake Michigan and split in the middle by Lake Leelanau, Beth took advantage of the water every chance she could. Give her sun, sand and a book and she was a happy camper. She hoped Corey would enjoy those things, too, especially books.
Beth glanced at the boy buckled into a booster seat that her mom had purchased before Nick could intervene. Her mother had given Nick a lecture on the ease of keeping a seat at their house and wouldn’t hear another word about it.
It wouldn’t be long before Corey turned eight and wouldn’t need a booster seat. It wouldn’t be long before the school year ended and Corey wouldn’t need her, either. The thought of not seeing the boy every day brought a sharp squeeze deep in her chest.
She’d lost her teacher mode for sure. And maybe Diane had been more concerned about her and how much it would hurt if she got too close to this little boy who’d stolen her heart from the get-go.
Too close to his father, who’d done the same thing.
“Looks like we’re here,” Beth said.
Peanut lay in Corey’s lap, but her ears perked up when they pulled into the driveway. Did the dog know they were home? Her new home?
“This is it, right?”
“Yup.” Corey got out and set Peanut on the grass. They both trotted toward the front deck.
Beth looked around. The yard was vast with mature oak trees lending shade to the south end of the house. And what a cute house! Nick had bought a ranch with a peaked roof addition on the front that gave the place a cape-cottage look. Tan with white shutters and an ornamental white picket fence in the front, it was somewhere she could easily see herself.
This was what Beth wanted, only she didn’t want to share it with a man in law enforcement. She let out a sigh and walked toward the house.
Nick came out of the garage wearing khaki shorts and a faded T-shirt. His face and arms shone with sweat. The stubble along his jaw looked pretty good, too. “Hey. Wow, is it that time already?”
Beth nodded. “What are you up to?”
“Putting in a fence for the dog.”
“You were supposed to sleep.” The breeze played with her hair, so Beth anchored it behind her ears.
“I did. For a bit.” He gestured for her to follow him. “Come on, I’ll show you.”
Corey and Peanut must have gone inside, because they were nowhere in sight. Beth walked behind Nick into the backyard, which seemed to go on forever. “How much land do you have?”
“Couple acres. I own to the edge of those woods.”
He’d been putting in welded wire fence anchored by wooden posts. By the looks of the posts sticking out of the ground, he planned on fencing in a good-sized area, too.
“It works for now. Eventually, I’ll get picket fencing for the whole backyard, but with the puppies, I’m worried they might slip right through the slats.”
Beth’s heart melted even more. Nick Grey was pure mush. “You’re doing this for the puppies?”
“And Peanut. No one’s claimed her, so she’s ours. She’ll need a safe place to run around outside.”
“Can I help?”
Nick gave her a shocked look. “You’re kidding, right?”
“I wouldn’t offer if I didn’t want to.”
He narrowed his gaze as he took in her striped capris and white T-shirt. “You’ll get dirty.”
Beth laughed. Did he think she was afraid of a little dirt? “So? I wash well.”
He gave her that lopsided grin that made her stomach flip. “You smell good, too.”
“We’ll see about that after we’re done.”
Nick gave her a nod. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” Beth rationalized her offer to help. The dog and the forthcoming puppies made as good an excuse as any, but she knew better.
She wanted to stick around and help Nick because it meant spending time with him. And that brought her closer and closer to breaking the vow she’d made not to date cops.
“Come on inside. I’ll show you the house before we get started. Is your mom expecting you back?”
“No.”
Beth’s mom had practically tossed her out the door with orders to take her time. Obviously, her mother already liked Nick and had no qualms about what he did for a living.
They stepped into the house from the back deck. A huge kitchen done in white cupboards and pale blue walls with a dining area greeted them. Beth found herself smiling again. “Nice. This is really nice.”
He looked at her. “All I need to do is fill it.”
Surely he meant with furniture. The place was pretty bare. No knickknacks or artwork on
the walls. A table with chairs in the dining room, louvered blinds instead of curtains gracing the windows. In the living room, Nick had a recliner with a floor lamp beside it, a TV and a coffee table in front of a sofa. On that sofa a little boy lay curled up around a pregnant dog. Both were sleeping.
Nick stopped and stared a moment, his eyes softening at the sight of his son. “Why’s he wiped out?”
Beth hoped Nick didn’t mind. “We stayed up sort of late watching a Disney movie last night. And then Mom made a small turkey for lunch. Which reminds me, I have leftovers for you. They’re in a cooler in my car.”
Nick shook his head. “She doesn’t have to do that.”
“Trust me, you’re doing her a favor. She loves to cook.”
Her mom had taken the Grey boys under her wing. Cooking was something Mary Ryken enjoyed, and making sure Nick and Corey ate well gave her mom purpose. Or maybe it was feeling needed that seemed to stave off her mother’s shopping sprees. Would that change come summer when Nick found other arrangements for Corey?
Beth could volunteer to watch him, but that wasn’t a good idea. Spending the summer with Corey meant slipping right into a mom role. Beth wouldn’t mind a bit, but how fair could it be to act like a mother to Corey if she wouldn’t accept his father?
“Want to see the rest of the house?”
“Of course. Lead the way.” Beth followed him.
Nice finished basement. Nice bedroom for Corey, bathroom, and then finally, they ended up in Nick’s room. It was a large bedroom with a sliding glass door that opened onto the back deck. Okay. She officially loved his house. “Nice.”
“I think so.” He foraged through a dresser drawer and then tossed a dark blue T-shirt at her. “Here. You can wear this while we work. Do you want a pair of jeans or shorts?”
Beth clutched his T-shirt and raised her eyebrow. “Your shorts won’t fit me.”
He cocked his head and studied her hips. “Sure they will. Might be baggy around your waist, though.”
She felt her cheeks heat. He was crazy but sweet. And his comments made her feel small and feminine. “The shirt is fine. I’ll be a minute.”
Beth dashed for the bathroom to change her top. A splash of cold water might be in order, too.
* * *
It didn’t take long before Beth met him in the kitchen wearing his shirt. It hung on her shoulders. Her cheeks were still rosy. She was the most beautiful and caring woman he’d ever met.
“What?”
He shook his head. “Nothing. Would you like some lemonade?”
“Please.” She looked away.
He poured, wondering what they were doing dancing around each other this way. He handed her a glass and noticed her feet. They were pretty, too, and in flip-flops. “Those won’t do.”
“Huh?”
“I’ll get you a pair of work boots and socks.”
A nervous-sounding giggle slipped out of her. “Okay.”
Back in his bedroom, he retrieved the protective footwear. Passing the bathroom, he noticed her pristine white T-shirt folded and draped over the towel rack. The sight stopped him cold.
The fierce longing for the right woman to share in raising Corey cut him in two. But Beth didn’t want to get involved with a cop, and he shouldn’t get involved with anyone right now. Right?
That conviction didn’t ring true anymore. Not with the attachment Corey had for Beth.
He returned to the kitchen and spotted Beth peering out of the sliding glass door. “Boots might be big, but they’ll keep you safe from injury.”
She turned and smiled. “Thanks.”
“No, thank you for your help. It’ll go much faster with two of us.”
She opened her mouth and then closed it. Something was definitely on her mind.
Nick’s gut tensed. He hoped it wasn’t about Corey. “What?”
Beth bit her bottom lip and then cleared her throat. “I have a favor to ask you.”
“Name it. I owe you big-time, remember?”
“This is big.”
He stepped closer, looking forward to what she might ask of him. “It should be.”
“Will you go with me to a wedding I’m in Saturday?”
He blinked. “That’s it?”
“Guys hate weddings, or so I’m told.”
Wearing a suit and tie, making small talk with people he didn’t know and would probably never see again—yup, weddings were a drag. “You’re in it?”
“A bridesmaid for my friend Eva. You met her and her fiancé at the pizza place.”
Even worse. He’d end up standing around and waiting. Why was there so much waiting around with weddings? But dancing might be involved. With Beth. Nick wasn’t opposed to that. He suspected holding her close would be worth it.
“Sure. I’ll go.”
She smiled. “Great. I thought Corey could come, too, since the whole thing is outside in a cherry orchard. My mom will be there, so she can help keep an eye on him. It’d be a great chance for you to meet some people in the community.”
Nick chuckled. Dancing didn’t sound promising in an afternoon garden wedding. It might be boring, too. “You don’t have to sell me on it. I said I’d go.”
“Right.” Beth took the boots and socks from him and then sat down to put them on. Her cheeks blazed.
“What time?” This wasn’t a date. Far from it. But then, if it was a garden-party thing, what did she need him for?
“The wedding’s at six in the evening. You can meet me there. Maybe pick up my mom? She knows where to go.”
“This is an outside wedding at night?” In May. In Northern Michigan.
Beth had laced up each boot. They were too big. Along with the baggy T-shirt, she looked as if she’d been caught playing dress-up in her father’s closet. “In their cherry orchard that’ll be in full bloom. It’s quite a sight to see, too. Don’t worry, there will be tents set up for dinner and the band. But it’s not supposed to rain according to the forecast.”
Even though he’d lived up north for a short time, he knew forecasts changed on a dime. There was a saying he’d heard in the department: if you don’t like the weather, just wait, it’ll change.
Anything could change in less than a week. Including his resolve to wait until he knew Beth better before asking her out. A band meant dancing, and he really liked the sound of that.
“I’ll be there.”
“Thank you.” Beth smiled, looking relieved.
He smiled back. “Let’s wrestle the fence.”
“Okay.” She peeked into the living room to check on Corey. “He’s still asleep.”
“Maybe we can get this done before he wakes up. With you helping, it shouldn’t take too long since the posts are in.” Nick handed Beth a pair of work gloves.
She took them without a word and followed him outside.
“I need you to pull the length of fence tight against the posts so I can hammer staples in and attach it. Sound good?”
Beth nodded. “Good.”
They worked in silence at first. Together they’d unravel the length of twelve-gauge wire fencing and straighten it. Beth held it firm while he hammered it in place. She was strong and capable even clomping around in his oversize boots. They worked well as a team, nailing one post after another. She moved with him and didn’t flinch when he brushed against her.
“Thanks for doing this.” He slammed a staple in place.
“No problem. Glad to do it.”
Nick sat back on his haunches and looked up at her. She’d pulled her hair back into a messy ponytail. “That’s what amazes me.”
She wrinkled her nose. “This? No biggie.”
“My wife would never have done this.”
“No?”
He shook his head. “No.”
“What happened?”
“To her? Or to us?” Nick couldn’t believe he was going there.
“Both,” Beth whispered.
They unrolled the next length of fence. “She was killed in a car accident, but our marriage was a wreck long before that.”
Beth’s gaze flew to his. “I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, me, too. I rushed into it without really knowing her.” He stopped rolling fence. “Remember what I told you about Susan breaking the plates?”
Beth nodded. “Yeah.”
“Looking back, I wonder if there wasn’t more I could have done to help her cope. Things had really deteriorated that last year. Frustration had grown into resentment.” He blew out his breath. “Maybe if I’d been around more at night, I could have seen what was happening to her. Made her get help. I don’t know.”
Beth laid her gloved hand on his. “Didn’t her folks notice anything?”
“Her mom said it was anxiety and stress. Susan worked part-time while Corey was at school. I don’t know where the stress came from, unless it all came from me.”
He’d been working an undercover case he couldn’t walk away from. Not then. He’d planned on going to a day shift, but the case had dragged on, and then Susan was killed.
He glanced back at Beth. “Sorry to unload.”
Her eyes shone with compassion, and she gave him a bright smile. “Don’t be. We’re friends, right?”
“Right.” She was naive to think so. He didn’t know what they were.
“Hey, Dad, can Peanut come out?” Corey stood on the back deck rubbing his eyes.
“Sure, son.” Nick glanced at their fence. Only two posts left to go to finish enclosing the backyard. He’d have to build a gate somewhere, but he’d figure that out later. “Keep an eye on her while we finish up.”
“Okay.” Corey ran in the backyard with Peanut at his heels. She moved pretty fast for a pregnant dog.
“He’s settling in here, isn’t he?” Beth’s voice was quiet as they pulled the fence tight on the last post.
“I think so. Having the dog really helps. And you.” Nick checked his watch. “You want to stick around for dinner and then do some reading together with Corey?”