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“Not that I had much of one, but yes, I had a few friends.And I didn’t call them when things went bad because it had been too long. And Iwas ashamed.” She hadn’t been able to pick up the phone and admit how wrongshe’d been, how she’d let Micah take over her entire life. “He did a great jobof isolating me.”
“Watch the new guys,” Heather advised. “I would bet theywon’t do anything to keep you away from friends. I would bet they would be asprotective of your friends as they are of you. At least that’s what I heard. Imight have asked around about them.”
They were great guys, but the truth was she’d screwed up solong ago. “It doesn’t matter. I’m not staying.”
“You going to explore more of the world?” Heather asked.
“Something like that.” She should stick to what she’d toldthe rest of Willow Fork. “I have a job coming up. I won’t have much time forsocializing. That’s why I shouldn’t worry about falling into some trap they’relaying. I think I’m going to get all the good stuff and escape before anythingbad can happen.”
She said the words with a jaunty smile, but it was easy tosee Heather wasn’t buying it.
“Or you could understand that the past isn’t a road map ofthe future. You could give it a shot. Like I said, I asked around about Joshafter this morning. He seems like a good man to know. His family isinfluential.”
She’d been down that road. “So was Micah’s.”
“All right, Josh’s family seems beloved,” Heather corrected.“I heard a lot of crap about their lifestyle, but almost everyone had somethingnice to say about them. They have helped this community a lot. I heardsomething about one of the kids in town getting into legal trouble and Joshbailing them out and helping his family find the resources he needed. Andapparently his brother is some kind of grumpy saint who heals all animals. Theydon’t sound like bad guys.”
“They’re not. His family is great.” She’d started theevening intimidated by Jack Barnes, but he was nothing more than an olderversion of Josh. Calm. In control. Ready to protect his family.
Would he protect his family from her?
“All I’m saying is it seems like a relationship you mightwant to pursue,” Heather said.
Nic shook her head. “No. I’m having fun. Nothing more.” Shewasn’t, but she had to start wrapping her head around this fact. She wasleaving. She wasn’t the magical one for them. “I don’t think I could handle twomen long term. How can any woman?”
“Happens more often than you would think,” Heather murmured.“There are whole towns of trios. Or so I’ve heard. Anyway, I wanted to check onyou. I don’t suppose you want some company. I know it’s late, but…”
“I would love some.” She didn’t want to be alone. It didn’tmatter that there was a decent explanation for why the door had been open. Shewas still anxious. She still felt like someone was watching her.
“Cool, because something is going on in the room next tomine and while I have decided that it’s consensual, I don’t need to hear it.”Heather made herself comfortable.
Nic went and locked the door. It was nice to have somecompany.
* * * *
Grim glanced down at the clock and was happy hehadn’t done what he’d wanted to and tied up Nic and brought her along. Maybenot tied her up but made her stay close. It was three in the morning, and hewas exhausted. And covered in stuff she would not find sexy. Nope. Maybe heneeded to keep some parts of his job hidden from her. To maintain a certainmystique. Let her think he sat around giving puppies vaccinations rather thanspending most of his time with his hand in some part of a cow it shouldn’t haveto go in. Doctors wore delicate gloves that covered their hands. Vets ended upwith a full-on sleeve to protect them because they were almost always more thanelbow deep.
“She seems stable,” Josh said, yawning behind his hand.
“Yes, she does.” Gail Settlemanwore jeans and a sweater, her hair piled high on her head. “She looks likeshe’s been seen by a proper vet who knows what he’s doing and not some weirdpsycho who wants to pray over her.” That bit was said toward her father. Sheturned back to Josh and Grim. “Not that I don’t believe the Lord can workmiracles. But I think he also expects us to be sensible enough to use the toolswe’ve been given.”
It had taken him some time to piece together the fact thathe wasn’t entirely welcome here. Which was odd. When he and Josh had finallymade it out to the ranch, Gail had been waiting with her father, Tom, hangingaround in the background, watching him like a hawk. One of their hands had beenthere waiting to help out along with Gail, but Tom hung back. Usually he was ahands-on kind of guy and they seemed to get along.
“She does seem better,” Tom allowed.
“Is there something wrong?” Josh crossed his arms over hischest, frowning Tom’s way. “You know you can always find another vet if youdon’t like how he works.”
Grim closed the big leather medical bag his par…Jack and Samand Abby had given him during his last year in school. It was expensive andwell crafted. Made to last. He would be hauling this thing around when he waseighty. Of course if Josh did too much of the protective big-brother routine,he might not have a job at all. “It’s fine. It’s late and we’re all tired.”
Gail paled, ignoring him completely and making her plea toJosh. “No. I adore Grim. He’s the best. Don’t mind my father. There’s notanother large animal vet for miles. We’re so grateful to have Grim.” Shefinally turned his way, a pleading look in her eyes. “We wouldn’t know what todo without you.”
“And I’m grateful to have the work.” He still wasn’t surewhat was going on.
There was a subtext he was missing. Maybe it was because hewas so damn tired.
Maybe it was because now that he’d gotten through thecrisis, all he cared about was Nicole. If it wasn’t so late, he would stop backby her room and make her pack up for the night. But he suspected he woulddefinitely be the asshole if he woke her up and made her drive twenty minutesto get to their place, and then she would have to get up early to work hershift and he would have to drive her twenty minutes back.
She should move in and they could find her a job with thecompany. Then he didn’t have to worry about her being in that rattrap motel. Ifhe could get her a good enough job, he might not have to worry about herleaving Willow Fork at all.
