by Jamie Beck
“Like I said, I’m really only here to clear my name. I’m not expecting anything more.” Andy extended his hand. “Thanks for letting me barge into your personal space uninvited.”
Don slapped him on the shoulder. “I understand. I’d be boiling mad if I were you. E-mail me a copy of that recording so I can forward it to the lawyers.”
“Will do. Thanks again.”
On his drive home, he thought to call Nikki, then decided not to. This little win didn’t change anything, because it didn’t change the fact that she’d doubted him when he’d needed her in his corner. A relationship where he’d be asked to prove himself all the time didn’t hold much appeal. Not even with someone he’d been excited about.
At this point, however, the idea of a fresh start held a lot of appeal, especially now that he’d exposed the truth and could leave with his head held relatively high. Avery would miss him and he’d miss her, but he had to look out for his own best interests. The problem was that he didn’t quite know what those were.
#
Nikki sat in Don’s office, listening to the confession Andy had managed to pull out of Millie.
Don shook his head. “It’s a shame when people go around destroying other people’s lives. Especially a privileged princess like Millie Tate Landry.”
“Perhaps I should’ve investigated a little further before bringing her claim to you.” Nikki’s hands balled into fists in her lap. Her insecurities and personal feelings had affected her judgment on the job.
“That didn’t matter, Nikki. You would’ve had to report it, even if you didn’t believe Millie. Legal has to be made aware of these things. There are plenty of baseless lawsuits that still need to be defended, sad as that is.”
Somehow that didn’t offer any comfort. “So is Andy back on the payroll?”
“I’m expecting Millie to sign a release in the next day or two. If so, we can bring him back starting January first.” Don tossed his pencil aside. “Why don’t you break the good news?”
“Sure.” She nodded, hoping her discomfort didn’t show. Andy hadn’t spoken to her since he’d stormed off two days ago. She both welcomed and dreaded a reason to call him. “Anything else?”
“Not at the moment.”
“Okay. I’ll go call Andy.”
Once Nikki reached her office, she closed her door before taking a seat at her desk. She placed her fingers against the pulse point in her neck, which throbbed wildly.
The fact that Andy had taken his evidence straight to Don instead of bringing it to her suggested that he no longer cared much about her opinion of him. If she wanted proof, she only need remember that he’d made no attempt to contact her in the intervening days, either.
The whole situation had an eerie similarity to the last time Andy got fired, when she’d also felt some guilt over her role in his fate. This time it was worse, because this time the possibility of a romantic relationship had shimmered in front of her just long enough for her to get her hopes up. Now her momentary lapse of judgment—of trust—had destroyed something she’d wanted more than anything.
She set her forehead on her desk and sighed before picking up the phone. When he didn’t answer, she forced an in-person meeting by leaving him a message to stop by her office to speak about resort business.
The intervening minutes and hours ticked by with all the speed of a sloth. The image of the disgusted look he’d worn the last time she saw him kept revisiting like a punishing ghost. Then suddenly, without warning, he knocked on her door.
“Hi.” She stood abruptly, fingers splayed on her desk. “Thanks for coming.”
“Why am I here?” He stood with his arms crossed, his signature grin noticeably absent.
“Don played the recording for me. The resort’s lawyers expect Millie to sign some kind of release as long as we don’t talk about what happened.” When Andy didn’t react or say anything, she continued. “We want to offer you a permanent position starting in January.”
She aimed for a bright smile, but not even Andy’s grin would cut through the tension—not that she could be sure, since he refused to wipe the indifferent look off his face.
“Thanks, but I’ll pass.”
She felt her brows rise. “Because you can’t work for me?”
Two heartbeats passed. “Not exactly.”
“What’s that mean?”
“I could work for you again. I just don’t want to.” He shifted his weight to one leg and leaned against the doorjamb, his jade-colored eyes staring straight through her.
“Andy . . .” Her throat grew uncommonly tight. “You love this job. I can’t believe you’re so mad at me that you’d give it up. Why bother going to Don with the tape if you didn’t want your job back?”
“To clear my name.”
God, she’d been an idiot to have ever doubted him. She knew she’d hurt him, but until that minute, she hadn’t quite realized the depth of his pain. “You still need to work.”
“And I will, wherever I end up.”
“End up?” Her muscles tensed, bracing for bad news. “What’s that mean?”
“I’m leaving after New Year’s.”
“Leaving Sterling Canyon?” Her skin turned colder than the slopes outside. She wanted to sit yet somehow remained upright. How could he leave everything he knew? Leave before they’d had a chance to work things out? “Why would you leave your family and friends?”
“I can count on one hand the few friends here who truly care about and believe in me.”
Without thinking about the definite “Back off” vibe he’d been giving her since his arrival, she crossed to him. She reached out to touch his chest but withdrew her hands before making contact. “I care. I believe in you.”
“If that were true, you wouldn’t have believed Millie, especially not after Christmas night . . .” He cleared his throat.
Aware of the open door, she reached around to close it. This conversation required privacy.
She faced him, this time grasping his forearm, which remained locked in place across his chest. “I’m sorry I let my own insecurities cloud my judgment.”
If she’d hoped he’d soften his stance, she’d miscalculated.
“I hope you work that out for yourself, Nik. For me, the bottom line is that I’m done trying to earn forgiveness from people who’ll never let me off the hook for my mistake. I’ll be happier with a fresh start.”
“So that’s it? You’re done with me and everything else?”
“Yeah, guess I am.” He paused, and she didn’t know what else to say. “If I’m going to get involved with a woman, she needs to know me. To have my back, unconditionally. I thought you did, but at the first test, you believed the worst of me. Blaming those doubts on your own insecurities doesn’t change what happened. So let’s part ways without a lot of drama, okay?”
“Can we at least part as friends?” She hated the weak sound of her voice, but in the moment, pride took a back seat to desperation.
He tipped his head, and a faint hint of his grin pulled at the left corner of his mouth. “Sure, Nik. You take care.”
No hug. No kiss. He just opened the door and walked away.
Chapter Ten
Once upon a time, Andy had loved New Year’s Eve. Rowdy parties and lusty tourists had ensured he could end one year and begin another with a bang.
Last year he’d still been on probation, so he’d skipped the festivities. At that time, he’d presumed that this year would be different. He supposed tonight was different because it’d be his last New Year’s party in Sterling Canyon. That could help explain his odd mood.
Still, he’d do his best to make it memorable, especially because his sister had been moping around since he’d mentioned moving.
“You look preoccupied.” Emma linked arms with him as they entered the bar. “I suppose you’ve got a lot of loose ends to tie up before you take off.”
“You could say that.” The only significant loose end involved transferring
his ownership of the house to Grey. If he were being honest, the fact that he’d been second-guessing his last conversation with Nikki for forty-eight hours might also have been worth addressing.
“We’ll miss you.” Emma tugged him tighter to her side. “I wish you’d reconsider. Come back to work for me while you get the remodel thing off the ground. You have people here who love you. Do you really think you’ll be happier in a town full of strangers?”
“Has Avery recruited you to guilt me into sticking around?” he teased.
“Nope. It’s straight from the heart.” Emma smiled. “Is it working?”
He held up his hand—thumb and forefinger separated by an inch. “A little.”
“That’s better than nothing.”
Trip had wandered ahead and cleared some space at the bar for their troop. Andy found himself squeezed in the middle, with Trip, Kelsey, Emma, and Wyatt on one side, and his sister and Grey on his other.
He made eye contact with Nikki, who was hanging out directly across the bar with her sister, Amy.
Smuggler’s Notch had always been “the spot” for New Year’s—particularly after its hip renovation a few years back—but seeing Nik there still stopped him cold for a second.
He glimpsed her peekaboo cutout sweater, sparkly earrings, and, judging by how exceedingly tall she looked amid that crowd, spiky shoes—none of which were Nik’s preferred style. Clearly, Amy had dressed her up for the night. He almost felt sorry for Nikki because he knew those clothes probably made her feel more self-conscious, not less.
It bugged him that she didn’t know her own worth. That her self-esteem had weakened to the point that she hadn’t believed he really cared about her. Given time, he would’ve been able to change that for her. Not now, though. He quickly turned his attention away from her and her snug clothes.
His sister elbowed his side. “That was rude.”
“What?”
“You didn’t even smile or wave.” She took the beer Grey handed her. “Why are you giving Nikki the cold shoulder after she offered you your job back? Why trash that friendship?”
Friendship. He’d thought they’d been more than friends, actually—not that his sister or anyone else knew about that.
“She believed Millie,” he said, a sour taste filling his mouth like it did anytime he remembered that fact. He turned fully around so that his back would be toward Nik and leaned against the bar.
“I get why you’d be pissed at Millie, but can you blame Nikki for thinking it possible you wanted to resume that old relationship? You’re a single guy and haven’t exactly been an altar boy when it comes to clients. Then that woman shows up making accusations that can’t be summarily dismissed, especially given Nikki’s job. I think you’re overreacting.”
“She doubted me even after I denied it.” He scowled.
“She apologized.” Kelsey batted his arm. “People make mistakes, Andy. You’ve needed a second chance. Doesn’t Nikki deserve one, too? In the greater scheme of things, she’s been a good friend.”
A good friend. Neither Kelsey nor anyone else knew the full scope of his relationship with Nik, which was why they couldn’t understand his reaction.
“How about we change the subject before we ruin the night?” Andy asked. He didn’t particularly want to think about Kelsey’s point. Certainly not here and now.
“Good idea,” Trip piped up. “Although Amy’s going to burn a hole in the back of your head.”
Andy barely resisted the urge to look over his shoulder. Had Nikki told her sister about them?
“I know that look.” Kelsey smirked. “That’s got scorned woman written all over it. When did you hook up with Amy Steele?”
Trip whistled and patted his shoulder. “Not bad, Andy.”
That crack earned Trip an elbow to the ribs from his wife.
“I didn’t hook up with Amy.” Andy rolled his eyes.
“You did something to her,” Kelsey said, her face lit with the typical glee she felt when sniffing out gossip. “Ooh, it’s getting good. Nikki’s gripping her sister’s arm. I think Amy wants to have words with you. Quick, tell us what’s going on.”
Kelsey and the rest of the group all focused directly on him, awaiting the story. He closed his eyes and swigged his beer, wishing he’d stayed at home tonight. But he was leaving town soon, so he had little to lose by fessing up now.
“Nik and I were . . . exploring something together.” He hoped his casual shrug fooled them into thinking he wasn’t upset about the fact it didn’t work out. “Then Millie happened.”
“Ooohhhh.” Kelsey’s feline smile appeared. “Now I see.”
“See what?” he asked.
Trip interrupted again, pulling Kelsey close. “Princess, if you want to put someone on the hot seat, take me home and we’ll make it fun. But let’s leave Andy alone.”
That elicited a few chuckles, which Andy used to change the subject. “How about a round of kamikazes?”
Emma smiled, letting him off the hook by going along with the shift in conversation. “A toast to new beginnings.”
“Wherever they might lead.” Andy nodded and ordered the round.
Avery rested her head on his shoulder, and he felt a moment of regret. She wanted him to stay, and even he had trouble picturing a life without seeing her every day.
While the bartender lined up their shots—and a seltzer for Avery—Kelsey leaned closer. “Don’t look now, but Billy Benton is hitting on Nikki and Amy.”
Andy’s grip tightened around his shot glass. Of course Kelsey noticed.
“Just what I thought. You still like Nikki, but she hurt your pride. What is it with you guys and pride? Love is more important than pride.” She tugged on his hair. “Don’t be stupid, Andy.”
“Okay, that’s it. I didn’t come out for a coffee klatch.” Trip stepped away from the bar. “Grey, Wyatt, Andy, let’s hit the pool tables for a bit and let the ladies gossip.”
“Sounds good.” Grey kissed Avery on the cheek. “See you in a bit.”
As they walked away, Andy murmured to Trip, “Thank you.”
Trip slapped his shoulder. “Having been the target of those ladies’ speculation for some time, I wouldn’t wish that on anybody.”
When they passed by the other end of the bar to get to the pool tables, Andy managed to refrain from pulling Billy away from the Steele sisters. Nik might not be exactly the woman Andy had hoped she was, but she was too smart to be charmed by that guy.
In truth, Andy no longer had the right to begrudge her getting involved with Billy or anyone else. One thing the burning in his gut confirmed, however, was that getting out of town would make it easier to live with that reality.
#
Nikki wanted to cry, and not only because her feet hurt. Andy had waltzed past her and Amy without a word.
Amy must’ve noticed her stiff upper lip about to falter, so her sister turned to Billy and lightly touched his arm. “Could you please go see if you can find us seats at one of the booths?”
In the face of her sweet-as-pie smile, Billy nearly tripped over himself in the race to accept his mission. Once he’d gone on the hunt, Amy whirled on her. “Nikki, explain to me again why you’re letting Andy go without a fight?”
“He made his feelings clear. I’m not going to beg.” She might beg for a bar stool, though, to get off her feet.
“Who said anything about begging?” Amy’s pretty blond brows pinched together. “If I were you, I’d march right over and tell him he’s an idiot.”
“You would not. You’d never tell anyone they were an idiot.” Nikki had to smile at her little sister’s bravado. Amy was about as aggressive as Lizzy Bennet’s sister Jane.
“Well, maybe I’ll start with Andy. What’s he want from you? Blood?” She shook her head. “In fact, I’m half-tempted to tell him off for you right this minute.”
“Please don’t. The whole reason he’s leaving town is because he’s sick of being judged. If we pile on more a
ccusations, we’ll only be proving him right.” That was the sad truth.
Despite her own disappointment, Nikki did want Andy to be happy. With the exception of the past two weeks, he’d been fairly miserable around Sterling Canyon since his arrest—the arrest she might’ve helped prevent had she not been so disappointed at his lack of interest in her then.
She could hardly blame Andy for her current misery, though. Her self-defeating insecurities had, once more, sabotaged things for both of them.
“Why do you always do that?” Amy asked.
“Do what?”
“When your mind wanders, you always touch your scar.”
Nikki hadn’t noticed that habit. And it must have been a habit for Amy to have picked up on it. She shrugged, embarrassed. “Sometimes I wonder if my life would be different if I were dainty and pretty, like you.”
“Really? And here I’m always wishing I were strong and capable, like you.” Her sister’s expression turned into a smile filled with wonder. “Isn’t that funny? Maybe everyone is always thinking someone else has it a little easier or better.” Trip’s hearty laugh from the pool-table alcove interrupted Amy’s musings. “Well, everyone except Trip Lexington. I doubt he’s ever wanted to be anyone other than himself.”
“Probably not.” Nikki chucked before swallowing her beer. “But, Amy . . . like Trip, you also have it better than most.”
Amy shook her head. “Why? Because I’m pretty? Pfft. Things like being pretty or rich or powerful can be a curse. You never know if people like you because of who you are. You always wonder if they’re just using you.”
Nikki set her bottle on the bar, knowing that the one thing she’d never had to question was whether people authentically liked her as a person. “I never thought of it that way.”
“Of course you didn’t. You’re so self-conscious about that scar, you forget to be grateful that almost everyone loves being around you because you’re fun and cool and kind. Most of the attention I get is because of my face, which I can’t even take any credit for. If I had to choose, I’d rather be you.” And then Amy wrinkled her nose and added, “Well, you, but with a better sense of style and more backbone when it came to sexual politics.”