“Nikki, it’s me, Andrew,” the voice on the other end said. Nikki turned pale. She would know that drawl anywhere. It was her ex-husband. He had abandoned her in Atlanta to move to California with a woman Nikki had never met. After all that time, Nikki had never heard from him. Andrew had not contacted Nikki until now.
“I have nothing to say to you,” Nikki said, starting to hang up the phone.
“Nikki, listen to me,” Andrew pleaded. “I have something to tell you. It’s important. It could impact you and Seth.”
Nikki hesitated. She thought about just slamming the phone down, but then she reconsidered. If what he had to say impacted Seth, she needed to hear Andrew out. She put the phone back up to her ear.
“What have you done?” she asked.
“It’s not like that,” Andrew said. “I’m in town and want to meet with you.”
“Why?” asked Nikki. “What could be so important? We haven’t talked since you left, and now suddenly you call out of the blue and want to meet?”
“Can we meet tomorrow?” Andrew asked, evading Nikki’s questions. Nikki didn’t want to meet with Andrew. Not tomorrow, not ever. However, he said this could concern Seth. She had to meet with Andrew to find out what was going on. She thought for a moment and then replied.
“Okay, but I’m not coming alone. We’ll meet in a public place. You are not to see or talk to Seth,” Nikki replied.
“That’s fine,” Andrew said.
“We are not going to meet in my shop. That is my shop. It has not been stained by your presence. There’s a park in the middle of town. There’s a bench there near a table. I will meet you there at noon tomorrow. Then I don’t want to ever see you again,” Nikki said.
“Okay, we will meet then,” Andrew agreed, “at the bench by the table. Thank you, Nikki.”
Nikki hung up the phone and fell into a chair beside Seth.
“What is going on, Mom?” Seth asked. “Was that really Dad?”
“I’m not sure what’s happening, and yes, that was your father,” Nikki replied. “I’m meeting him in the park tomorrow at noon.”
“I want to go with you,” said Seth. “I don’t trust him.”
“Absolutely not,” retorted Nikki. “He does not deserve to see or speak to you. I need to meet with him and find out what he wants.”
“Okay, but I don’t want you going alone,” said Seth.
“I won’t,” said Nikki, picking up her cell phone. She placed a call.
“Hawk?” she asked. “I need to talk to you. Andrew called. He wants to meet with me.” Hawk merely told her to stay at the shop, and they hung up. About a minute went by, and a car screeched to a halt outside the shop. Hawk flew in and picked Nikki up in his arms. He held her close and whispered in her ear. Nikki put her head on his chest and started crying. Hawk just held on to her. He comforted her and after a few minutes Nikki stopped crying. Hawk handed her his handkerchief. She wiped her eyes and blew her nose.
“You know I’m going to that meeting with you,” Hawk stated. It was not a question. Nikki’s eyes glistened.
“Thank you,” she whispered and hugged him hard. Hawk held on to Nikki for a little while longer. When he knew she had stopped crying, he relaxed his hold. Nikki sniffed and wiped her eyes.
“What does he want?” asked Hawk.
“I don’t know,” Nikki said. “He evaded my questions and wouldn’t tell me why he was here or what he wanted.” She was frustrated and scared, but she was glad that Hawk was there.
“Well, we’ll find out together then, won’t we?” reassured Hawk. “You’re safe with me.
“Thank you,” said Nikki. It was nice to have Hawk in her corner. She felt a little better about meeting Andrew at the park the next day.
“Okay,” said Hawk. “Now, what do I need to do here to help get this store ready to open tomorrow?”
Nikki looked at him. “What about the mystery woman?” she asked.
“She can wait until the morning. I have a real woman I need to take care of right now,” Hawk said, smiling. Seth put a pot of coffee on, and they continued to clean up the store. Hawk and Nikki took the shelves, and Seth cleaned up the flour and sugar.
“I could have made so much candy with that flour and sugar,” Nikki mused.
“I’ll go to the store early tomorrow morning and pick some up for you,” offered Seth.
“Thank you,” said Nikki. She was glad she could rely on Seth.
When they put the last canister back on the shelf, Hawk got a call. He walked into the front of the store. Nikki could hear him talking. She followed behind him.
“Hello? Yes? Thank you, I’ll tell her,” Hawk hung up and looked at Nikki.
“That was Leah,” he told Nikki after putting his cell phone on the table. “She said there are no breaks in the case, but they’ll continue working on it tomorrow.”
“I am glad they are so committed to helping us.”
“That is their job,” said Hawk.
“Yes, but Leah and the forensic team are going above and beyond basic work,” said Nikki.
“She just wants you to be safe,” Hawk told Nikki.
“I appreciate that,” Nikki said. Seth told her he was done sweeping the kitchen. Nikki thanked him and told him it was time to go home.
“We need to sleep as much as we can. It’ll be a busy day tomorrow,” she said.
Seth agreed. He turned out the lights, and Nikki and Hawk followed him outside. There was a police officer standing there. Nikki looked at Hawk for answers.
“That is just a precaution. You can’t lock your shop, so Richard here will be watching it until he is relieved in a few hours.”
“Thank you, Richard,” Nikki said.
“It’s my pleasure,” Richard replied.
“Can I get you a cup of coffee?” Nikki asked.
“No, thank you. I filled up before I came on duty,” Richard replied.
“Okay, but the next time you’re in the shop, the coffee is on me,” insisted Nikki.
Nikki and Seth started to walk to her car.
“Would you like me to follow you home?” asked Hawk.
This time Nikki did not refuse. Hawk followed them, and Nikki made up her sofa. Hawk told her he was going to read a bit and then go to sleep. Nikki made her way up the stairs and to her bed. She was not sure she would be able to sleep, but she was glad that Hawk was there to watch over her and Seth.
The next morning, Nikki made breakfast for Seth and Hawk. Hawk was usually the first one up, but Nikki had trouble sleeping the night before. She kept waking up with visions of Andrew in her head. Finally, Nikki decided to make breakfast. She went downstairs and crept by Hawk sleeping on the sofa. She walked quietly into the kitchen in her sweats and socks. She looked out the window and saw the sun starting to rise. It was quiet in the house, and the birds were just waking up outside. A tired squirrel scampered across her lawn and found a nut to bury. Nikki smiled at the scenery. She started some coffee and pulled the eggs and bacon out of the fridge. She mixed the eggs with some milk, salt, and pepper, and pulled out the frying pan. Nikki put the bacon in the frying pan and cooked it. By this time, she thought she heard Hawk stirring in the front room. She poured two cups of coffee and finished cooking the bacon.
“Good morning,” she heard Hawk say as he walked into the kitchen. His hair was rumpled, and he had slept in his clothes from the night before. Hawk had stashed some of his clothes at Nikki’s house, though, so at least he would look presentable at work this morning.
“Good morning,” she replied, turning around and giving him a quick kiss.
“Let me take over breakfast,” he suggested.
“Okay,” Nikki said. She was too tired to put up an argument. Nikki sat at the table and watched Hawk finish the bacon and start the eggs.
“You did not sleep well,” Hawk said.
“How could you tell?” she asked.
“You got up before me. That never happens unless you’re stressed about something.”
“That’s what I get paid for.” Hawk smiled and turned off the stove. “The eggs are ready.”
“Did you say the eggs are ready?” asked Seth as he walked into the kitchen wiping his eyes. He had on shorts and a t-shirt.
“Yes. Pull up a chair, and I’ll get you a plate,” said Hawk. Seth thanked him and poured a cup of coffee. He refilled Hawk and Nikki’s cups. They all sat down and ate quietly thinking about the day ahead.
“So, I figured I would go into work this morning and meet you at the shop around 11:30. Will that work for you?” Hawk asked Nikki.
“Sounds good,” she replied. She was nervous, but she didn’t want to show it in front of Seth.
“I’ll pick up those groceries,” said Seth.
“Why don’t you go back to bed,” suggested Nikki. “Lidia and I can open the shop. One of us can run out for flour and sugar. Tori can swing by and pick you up on her way in.”
“I know you can handle yourself, but I’m concerned that it will just be you and Lidia there,” said Seth. Nikki knew he was concerned about Andrew. She didn’t know what to expect, so how could Seth?
“Actually, she’ll have an officer outside the shop,” said Hawk.
“Okay,” said Seth, Hawk’s comment seemed to calm him. He got up and hugged Nikki. “Thank you, Mom. I really am tired…and I didn’t even go to the concert…” He went back upstairs, and Nikki cleared up the breakfast dishes.
“Let me help you with those,” said Hawk. Nikki thanked him. Hawk washed, and Nikki dried and put them away. They got them done in no time.
“I’ll get dressed, and we can go,” said Nikki.
“Okay. I’ll get changed, and I’ll call the station to see if they’ve got any leads yet.”
Nikki got dressed and went back downstairs. Hawk told her there were no new leads, but he would be working on finding the mystery woman that morning. Nikki thanked Hawk, and he drove her into work.
Nikki got in and found Lidia in the front of the shop getting ready to open the store. Nikki had called her the previous night to fill her in on what had happened. When Lidia saw Nikki, she walked over and gave her a hug.
“Good morning,” Lidia said. “Do they know who did this?”
“Good morning,” Nikki replied. “Not yet. The police are still working on it.”
“Okay,” said Lidia. “I figured you would want to open despite what happened. People will want chocolate either way.”
You know me so well, Nikki thought. “Absolutely,” she said, putting on an apron.
“We will need to get some more flour and sugar this morning.”
“I’ll be happy to pick it up in a bit,” said Lidia. “I guess this does put a damper on the whole milkshake fountain idea.”
“No,” said Nikki determinedly. “I’m going to make that happen.” Lidia smiled at her, and Nikki smiled back.
The front door opened, and a man walked in. Nikki flinched, but it was not Andrew. Will I be like this all day, she thought. The man walked over to Nikki and introduced himself.
“Hawk sent me over to hang around inside the shop. I’m an undercover detective. Would that be convenient for you?” he asked, showing Nikki his badge.
“That will be fine,” said Nikki. “Why don’t you sit in this corner table? It offers a good view of the shop and the front door.”
“Okay. Are there any back doors?” he asked.
“Yes, but it’s kept locked and dead-bolted during the day.”
“Okay. I’ll sit here and stay out of your way,” the detective said. Nikki smiled. She felt quite reassured by the presence of the detective, and she was glad Hawk had thought to send him. She grabbed the detective some coffee and a muffin. He thanked her.
The door opened, and a familiar customer walked in. The detective sat up, but Nikki told him she knew this customer. It was the mother of the young boy who had run through the shop the other day.
“Hi, I wanted to apologize for my child’s behavior the other day,” she said to Nikki.
“It’s no problem. I have a son, although he’s a lot older now, and I know how wound up they can be at that age. Add sugar to the mix, and they’ll be running for hours.”
“Thank you for understanding,” the woman said. “I would like to get a pound of chocolate for my mother. It’s her birthday today. Do you gift wrap?”
“Yes, we do,” said Lidia coming over from behind the counter. “Let me show you what we have today.” Lidia led the woman to the counter, and Nikki went into the kitchen. There were a few special orders to be made, but Tori could handle them when she and Seth came in. Nikki sat down and put her head in her hands. I’ll just shut my eyes for a bit, she thought. A few minutes later, she heard Lidia calling her. She got up and went into the front of the store. Hawk was there.
“Why are you here so early?”
“Early?” asked Hawk. “It’s 11:30.”
“What?” asked Nikki. She was shocked. She looked at Lidia.
“You fell asleep. I didn’t have the heart to wake you up. Tori and Seth are here early, and we handled the customers. I picked up the sugar and flour after they got here.”
“Thank you, Lidia,” said Nikki. “I guess the stress has gotten to me.”
“Seth filled us in about Andrew. I will keep an eye on Seth and Tori when you go to meet him,” Lidia promised.
“And, my detective will be here the whole time,” reassured Hawk.
“Thank you, both,” replied Nikki getting two mugs of coffee. “Would you like to sit down while we wait?” she asked Hawk.
“Sure,” he replied, pulling out a chair for Nikki. They sat down together and Hawk filled her in on his morning. “We canvassed the neighborhood, and no other buildings were broken into. We believe this was targeted at you.”
Nikki shivered and then stopped. She did not want Hawk to worry about her. He had too much else on his mind. And, she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. She had been doing it for many years. Still, Nikki was worried. She could not figure out who would want to break into her shop. There were some suspects but no motives or evidence. That woman could have been scoping the shop, she thought. What if Andrew had done this? She sighed. The door opened, and another customer walked in. She waved to Nikki. Nikki waved back. Seth greeted her and helped her at the counter. Nikki looked at the clock. It was almost noon.
“Well, are you ready to do this?” Hawk asked.
Nikki nodded, but she doubted herself. Nope, she thought. “Sure,” she told Hawk out loud. Hawk helped her out of her chair and took her hand. They walked toward the door.
“Mom, are you sure you don’t want me there?” Seth asked.
“Yes. Whatever he wants, I don’t want you to be involved. I’ve known him long enough. This might be something small, but it could also be something that could rock our world.”
Seth nodded. She knew he understood. Andrew had made their lives miserable. Nikki was not too excited to see him again. However, she had Hawk with her, and that almost made everything okay. Nikki squeezed Hawk’s hand, and they walked out of the chocolate shop.
Chapter Five
Nikki and Hawk walked out into the sunshine and cool breeze. Nikki looked across at the park and squinted to try to see the bench. She knew the bench was too far away for her to see, but she wanted to try anyway. There were a few people in the park but not too many. Some mothers were gathered with their children having a picnic. A couple walked along the trail holding hands. A father threw a football with his son. That’s something Seth missed out on thanks to Andrew, Nikki thought. Hawk took Nikki’s hand as they walked across the street. Nikki scanned people’s faces as they walked, bracing herself for her first glimpse of Andrew. People she knew said hello to her. Hawk said hello to someone he worked with. Nikki kept looking around. They crossed the park and looked toward the bench. There was no one there. Nikki breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe he’s not coming, she hoped. Then she looked
at a nearby table. There was a man sitting on the table looking at his cell phone. He had dark wavy hair. The man looked up, and his blue eyes pierced Nikki’s heart. She gasped. Hawk looked at her and then glanced over at the table.
“Is that him?” he asked.
“Yes,” said Nikki. Her mind was suddenly flooded with memories. She remembered her first date with Andrew. They had gone to the movies and ended up making out in the parking lot afterwards. Her mind raced forward, and she remembered when Seth was born. Andrew had rushed her in Atlanta traffic to the hospital. He got her there just in time for Seth to be born. The look on his face when he first held Seth was priceless. Nikki felt tears coming to her eyes. Then she remembered the last time she saw him. He had waved goodbye and vanished into the night. He had told her he was going out for drinks with the guys, and she never saw him again until now. She had raised Seth to be the man he was despite Andrew leaving them. Nikki had struggled and had finally made something of herself in Maple Hills. She had a house and her son was in college. She had a wonderful man in her life. It angered her that Andrew would show up here in this place she now called home. She could feel her anger mounting as she approached the table. Hawk held her hand and gave it a squeeze. The small gesture was enough to help Nikki calm down a bit.
Andrew stood up. His hair was still dark and wavy like she remembered, and he was dressed in a suit. He had a gold chain around his neck and some rings on his fingers. Nikki recognized his high school ring. She noticed there was no wedding band.
“Hello, Nikki. It’s been a long time,” he said as he started to move towards her. Nikki stopped, and Hawk moved a bit in front of her. He did not block her entirely, but he made it known that Andrew was not going to get close to her. Hawk held out his hand to Andrew.
“I’m Hawk. You must be Andrew,” he said, halting Andrew in his tracks. Andrew was not as tall as Hawk, and Nikki found it amusing that Andrew had to look up at Hawk when he was talking to him. She smiled.
“I am Andrew,” he replied, obviously uncomfortable around Hawk. Andrew reluctantly shook Hawk’s hand.
Bear Truffle Murder (A Maple Hills Cozy Mystery Book 10) Page 3