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“She’s obviously delusional.” And would probably causetrouble if Nicole was staying around long term. Of course, all of this would bea problem in the long term. She was sure Josh’s parents would want to knowabout any woman who was with their son for more than a few weeks. People likethis could hire private investigators because they wanted to keep their kidssafe from people like her.
But it wasn’t like she was meeting their folks. She was herefor breakfast and sex, and there would likely be a football game in theresomewhere since it was Sunday in Texas. She glanced over to the big house. Itwas probably a five-minute walk away. They would hole up in this house andlikely no one would even know she was here.
So she should relax.
“Do I need to talk to her?” Grim asked.
She wasn’t sure she wanted to know what Grim would have tosay to Alyssa. “No. I handled it. Everything’s fine, and the entire churchdowntown knows I don’t care what they think of me.”
“What exactly happened?” Grim’s brow furrowed in obviousconsternation.
She didn’t want to go over it. Now that she was here, shewanted their time together to be peaceful. “It doesn’t matter. I’m sorry Ithought you guys had left me high and dry. I slept really hard and don’tremember Josh telling me you had to leave. So I woke up and decided to headover to the café to see if Christa needed any help with the church crowd. I waswalking with the lady in the room next to me when the Alyssa person decided shecould scare me. She can’t. I’ve been around way bigger bullies than her.”
She’d been around truly dangerous people. She’d seen realevil. Alyssa was a selfish princess who thought the world revolved around her.She was young. The world would grind her down and she would either figure itout and grow or become bitter and take it out on everyone around her. Likelythe latter.
“You said she called her out in front of everyone.” Grimlooked Josh’s way, but his arm went around her shoulders.
He was such a warm man. She found herself leaning into him,but she didn’t think this was as big a deal as Josh seemed to. “It was somechurch people. And Heather. She’s the new girl. She was surprisingly cool aboutit. She seems real solid.”
Heather hadn’t looked embarrassed at all. She’d stayed atNicole’s side rather than trying to get out of the line of fire.
“It was the entire congregation,” Josh explained. “There’sgoing to be gossip.”
Grim cursed under his breath. “Then my father’s going toknow.”
“It’s not like we were going to hide her,” Josh replied.
She wasn’t sure she completely understood, but she needed tocalm her guys down. “I’m sure everyone has forgotten about it by now.”
“Nicole.” Olivia was jogging across the gorgeously greenlawn, waving a hand. She was in jeans and a T-shirt, her auburn hair shovedinto a baseball cap. “Holy crap. I got off the phone with Emmy. Did you pullout Alyssa’s hair? I knew it was fake. No one’s hair grows a foot in a month.Wait. That sounds like I’m shaming but I’m not. Like girl, do you, but she liesabout it and makes other women feel like shit, so I can be happy you pulled herextensions out.”
“What?” Nicole stepped away from Grim, surprised to seeOlivia. Way more surprised to hear what she was saying.
Olivia was out of breath when she finally made it to thesmall house. “I just got off the phone, and it’s all anyone is talking about.How Alyssa tried to pull her mean-girl act but Nicole punched her in the faceand pulled her hair out. Did you keep it? Like a trophy? Because I would.”
“I didn’t punch anyone.” What had happened? How did Oliviaknow? “I talked to her about twenty minutes ago.”
“And then I heard Josh told everyone he would wreck theirlives if they said another word about you.” Olivia was grinning like this wasthe best thing that had ever happened. “And the preacher at the First BaptistChurch held a session to pray for Josh’s soul. Now I heard that, but I alsoheard one where he’s actually trying to find a way to exorcise you. I don’tthink he knows what that really means.”
“It means he thinks I’m the devil, and he’s right when itcomes to this,” Josh said.
“Josh didn’t threaten anyone.” Mostly. He’d beenintimidating, but she wouldn’t call it threatening, exactly.
“Oh, I’m sure he did,” Grim countered. “You remind them whoruns this town, brother?”
“I did, and I believe my point was made,” Josh affirmed.
Who runs this town….
Who do you think runs this town, Nicole? It’s certainlynot you, so you can try to go to the police or a judge, but my family owns themall. So get back in the house and keep your mouth shut.
A chill went through her.
“It wasn’t made very well if they still talked about her,”Grim pointed out.
Josh shook his head. “I can’t stop gossip and you know it.All I can do is make it clear that she’s protected.”
“He’s right about the gossip. This town runs on it,” Oliviaadded. “Hey, it’s not a big thing. Believe me. As the focus of so much gossip,I happen to know that something else will happen and they’ll…well, I wouldn’tsay forget, but they will move on. I heard Andrew Kohl is coming back from LAwith his tail between his legs and a potential venereal disease, though I’mpretty sure his momma thinks you get that from crossing the border intoCalifornia. She’s not very cosmopolitan, if you know what I mean.”
