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She didn’t like the thought, but it explained the situation.“That makes sense.”
“You okay? You were gone all day. I wanted to make sure thatcowboy didn’t break you.”
“Break me?”
“In the best of ways,” she replied with a grin. “He remindsme of a lot of the guys I know. I hang out with a lot of cowboys andex-military men. They can be awfully possessive, if you know what I mean.”
“Well, he did toss me over his shoulder when I didn’t comewith him.”
“I got the feeling you didn’t mind that. Should I haveprotested?”
“No. That’s kind of Josh’s love language.” And Grim’s wastying her up and feeding her treats. “I’m sorry for freaking out. I’ve been inbad positions before.”
“It’s okay.” Heather put a hand on her shoulder. “Do youwant to talk about it? Sometimes that helps. When I was younger, I had this guywho decided he owned me. I thought we were friends. He wanted something moreand wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
“Yeah, I know the type. He ever hit you?”
Heather nodded. “Yep. He shot me once.”
Nic felt her jaw drop. “He shot you?”
Heather dropped the left shoulder of the robe she wore,revealing a tank top and the beginnings of an old scar right above her breast.“Well, he didn’t do it himself, but I totally blamed him for it. When he wasstalking me, I assure you I checked every bathroom. All I’m saying is I knowwhat a bad relationship looks like, and I would say you’ve had one in thepast.”
Nic sniffled, the events of the day coming down on her.Would it be so terrible to talk to someone? Heather seemed nice, and it wasn’tlike she would see her after she left Willow Fork. “I was married to a man whoenjoyed hurting me. Now I’m dating a couple of guys who are into spanking and Ilike it. Is that perverse? Shouldn’t I be afraid of them?”
Abby wouldn’t be able to give her an outsider’s opinion.Neither would Olivia. They were both too invested in the lifestyle. Shedefinitely wouldn’t talk about this with her boss. It would be too weird. Butmaybe she could open up to Heather.
“What you are describing is two completely differentthings.” Heather sat down on the edge of the bed.
“I don’t know. I’ve heard the word control used alot. That’s what Micah was trying to do,” Nic said quietly, admitting herfears. That Josh and Grim’s sweetness was a front, and they would turn intosomething else. Something hard, something that would drain her until she was ahusk of her former self.
Like her sister-in-law had been.
Heather seemed to think about the situation for a moment.“Control is the object of the abuser. Your husband used pain and terror tocontrol you. In the case of that cowboy, I would bet control is a tool for him.Control is a way to enhance… Are we talking about sex?”
Nic felt herself flush. “We don’t have to.”
Heather seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. “I’m more thanhappy to. I only wanted to make sure we’re on the same page. So they like toplay games?”
Nic nodded. “But what if the games are to set me up forsomething else?”
“What if they’re just there to enhance your pleasure? Toexplore the relationship in a way a lot of couples never do?”
“Micah was sweet in the beginning,” Nic admitted. “He didn’thit me until after we got married. I didn’t have anyone to talk to back then. Iwas scared, and I believed him the first time when he said he was sorry andwouldn’t do it again.”
Heather patted the place beside her. “How old were you whenyou got married?”
“Twenty-one,” Nic replied, sitting down. Heather was easy totalk to, and she wasn’t as worried about screwing up like she had earlier whenshe’d mentioned Childswood. Heather was just thewoman next door. She wouldn’t think about delving into Nic’s history. “Myparents weren’t around, so I suppose I was desperate for a family. They hadmoney, so it felt like security. I still don’t know why he picked me.”
“Picked you? To marry?”
“Yeah. There were so many other women, and if he didn’t loveme, I don’t know why he would pick me.” It was something she thought about alot. Why out of all the women he’d known had he picked her?
“Maybe it was because he knew you didn’t have anyone else,”Heather pointed out. “Did you have any friends at the time?”
She thought about her friends from time to time. Not thatthere had been many. “Yes, but I kind of lost touch with them after we starteddating.”
Heather nodded as though she knew what came next. “Becausehe wanted you in his world. He was a predator, and he was looking for theperfect prey. So he did what he needed to do to separate you from your supportsystems.”
