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Nia
Present…
“This place is amazing, Nia.”
I glance up from the shelf I’m organizing to look at Simone. She’s twirling on the spot to take everything in and beaming. She’s not wrong, this place is everything I could have dreamt and more. And it’s mine—my own little slice of heaven.
“It is great, isn’t it?” I grin as I say this.
I’ve wanted my own antiques store for as long as I can remember. I collected bits and kept them in the garage when I was married to Thomas, but he never really liked my hobby. Then again, he never really indulged anything I wanted.
She stops spinning and stares right at me, her eyes glistening. “I can’t believe you’re really doing this, girl. I’m so proud of you.”
I can’t help but smile. The past twelve months has been difficult, so her saying that means a lot to me. Especially since I look up to Simone as a sister, rather than the cousin she is.
She may be three years older than me, but we both tapped in heavily to the Walker side of the family. In fact, we look so alike people sometimes mistake us for siblings. She’s three inches taller than my five foot three, but like me, she has dark tightly curled hair and deep brown eyes. Her nose slopes the same way and we have a similar jawline. She’s also the closest in age of all my cousins, which means we hung out a lot as kids.
“I’m really doing it.” I stand, dusting off my jeans with my hands. This place needs a good cleaning, but nothing can dampen my good mood—especially not a little grime.
Simone comes to me and wraps her arm around my shoulders. “You’re really doing it, Nee. Did I mention how proud I am of you?”
I snort. “Once or twice.”
Glancing around the small shop floor, I can’t help but feel my own pride swell. This is all mine. My own little empire.
Over the years I’ve collected furniture, decorations, even old letters. Since my separation from Thomas, they’ve been sitting in a storage unit in town, but I wanted to display these items, let others find the same joy I got from buying them. I kept the pieces I liked and the rest of it will form my first stock in the store.
“Hey, Nia, who is the tall, dark, Mr. Handsome guy next door?”
I move over to the window where she’s peering out and see what has her gawking. He is tall, like crazy tall, and has a hint of dark scruff covering his jaw. Even from here, I can tell he’s muscled beneath his coveralls.
“I don’t know. I haven’t met all my neighbors yet.”
I have a florist on one side of me and a garage on the opposite side of the road, which gives us a direct view into the workshop (and of the man she’s staring at). He’s clearly a mechanic from his garb, but I have no idea who he is. Simone is right, though, he is very handsome.
She nudges me in the ribs. “Go and introduce yourself.”
I splutter out a “No!”
“Girl, if you don’t get out there and say hello to that sexy as sin specimen, then I will.”
She will, too. Simone has never lacked confidence. I, on the other hand, am far more reserved. I guess that’s one thing we don’t have in common. Either way, I’m not parading my ass out there to drool all over the hot guy.
“I’m off men, remember?” I tell her, turning away from the window and continuing to stack the shelf I was working on.
Simone leans her hip against the register counter and folds her arms over her chest.
“Thomas is a jackass, but that doesn’t mean the rest of the male population is. Nee, you need to get back on the horse, meet someone new who will show you a damned good time.”
I cock my brow at her. “How long have you been practicing that sermon?”
“Ever since you got rid of that waste of space.”
“I’m not even divorced yet.”
Although I’ve tried. Thomas is putting up a fight and making things difficult. He doesn’t want it; I do. I have my lawyers working on getting things finalized.
She sighs. “Honey, I want you happy and settled—far from that jerk.”
