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“They’re not open yet.” Heather pointed to the sign on thedoor. “They don’t open for another fifteen minutes. Do you want me to knock?”
It was only fifteen minutes. She could wait. She sank downon the top step. “It’s fine. I thought I would get out here early. I guesssmall towns run on a different clock than the city.”
Heather sank down beside her, setting her gorgeous bag ather side. “Where I come from, time definitely runs slower.”
“I thought you came from here.”
She shook her blonde hair. “No. My mom moved here after Iwas long grown. We actually lived up in New York most of my life, but then Itraveled a lot and ended up in this little town for a job.” Her lips hadquirked up like she was remembering something lovely. “I fell for that town. Itwas a while before I could live there, though. After my husband and I finallygot our shit together we moved there, and we’ve been building a business eversince. You should come sometime. It’s mountains and weirdness and surprisinglygood coffee.”
She would love to be able to visit. But she didn’t want toget her new friend’s hopes up. “I’m afraid I’ll be working a lot soon.”
Heather turned to her. “I know. Your dream job. I’m excitedfor you.”
“I wouldn’t call it a dream job.” More like her never-endingnightmare. She wasn’t handling this conversation the way she should, but shefound she couldn’t work up the will to fake it around this woman.
“Oh. I guess I thought because you moved your whole life forit that it was something you’d always wanted.” Heather seemed to think about itfor a moment. “Okay, then I have to ask. Why? Does it pay that much better thanChrista’s?”
She should never have opened this up. Nicole scrambled.“Yes. It’s a good bit more money and lots of room to get promoted.”
“Is it more important than the guys you’re seeing?” Heatherasked. “Sorry. I know that’s intrusive, but I feel like I’ve gotten to know youand it’s so obvious to me you’re crazy about those men. And from what I’veheard from my mom, they’re good men. I mentioned I have a new friend who’s inan odd dating situation and she knew exactly what I was talking about. She saidshe’s been hoping Josh and Grim could find someone nice to settle down with.She said we haven’t had a good wedding here in a long time and when those boyssettle down, she expects fireworks. I think she meant that literally, liketheir dads have promised a ceremony the town won’t ever forget.”
It was good to know they had at least one fan rooting forthem, but she could also see why Jack and Sam might have said that. “I bettheir own wedding wasn’t a big affair. I heard this town was hard on Jack andAbby and Sam.”
Heather sobered. “Yeah, I got that story, too. Mom didn’tmove here until after they’d been married for a while. She said things settleddown, but people still talked. Is that why you want to leave? Are you afraid ofall the gossip?”
Nic snorted at the thought. “I don’t care what anyone thinksexcept the people I love. I care very much what they think, but I tend to makeup my own mind. I spent too many years not able to make my own decisions.”
“Because of your ex-husband.”
Nic nodded. It felt good to vent. She wouldn’t talk aboutthis with Josh and Grim because there was a possibility that the guys would goall alpha-male, protect-our-woman on her and try to find her ex. Who was deadand buried. And that could open a whole line of questioning she was trying toavoid. So Heather was her go-to girl when it came to venting about her previouslife. She’d decided it was safe enough. After all, she wouldn’t see the womanagain in a few days no matter how much she wanted to. Heather felt like familyalready, like the mom she’d wished she had. And she only said that becauseHeather had a son who was a mere three years younger than she was. Big sister.That was probably a better way to go. “Micah didn’t like it when I disagreedwith him. He was a my-way-or-the-highway kind of guy. Except when I tried totake the highway, he punched me in the gut. Never the face. That would haveinvited questions. But he learned where he could hurt me.”
“Honey, I’m so sorry about that,” Heather said, putting ahand on her.
It was easy to be with this woman. Willow Fork, for all itsproblems, was making her soft. She leaned against her friend, reveling in allthe affection she could get because the world would be cold again soon. “I gotout. Eventually.”
“I can’t imagine how much that cost you.” Heather was quietfor a moment. “How did he take the divorce?”
Normally she would feel like she was on a sheet of ice thathad cracked under her feet, but she was sure Heather was merely being kind. Itwas right there, the impulse to talk to someone about what she was goingthrough. How many times had she longed for someone who could help her workthrough the problem? Maybe if she was careful she could get some advice. “Notwell. He’s the reason I had to move.”
“I was wondering about that. Does he know where you are?”
Nic shook her head. “I’d like to keep it that way.”
“Are you worried he’ll try to hurt you again?”
“I’m worried he’ll try to kill me.” Now she wasn’t talkingabout Micah. She also wasn’t lying. She definitely worried that Ted would killher if only to keep his own culpability in his brother’s murder under wraps.“I’m afraid the whole family took exception to me leaving.”
“In a kill you way?” Heather sounded horrified.
“Well, they were an intense family. What I didn’t know atthe time was that they have ties to some nasty people. Like criminals. Theylook like the perfect American family from the outside, but when you scratchthe surface, there’s so much corruption.”
“Seriously? Like what kind of crimes?”
“I don’t know if the business was used for crimes, but Iknow my husband had mafia ties that had to do with his gambling,” Nic said witha sigh. “Ted told me he took a lot of money from the company. Enough to get theattention of the feds. He did it to try to pay off the people he owed. Not thatI could prove it. If I could have, I would have gone to the cops. Instead mychoice was to get a divorce. It was scary, but I’m on the other side now.”
She would never be on the other side.
“It doesn’t sound like you are,” Heather said quietly—almostcautiously. “You’re still making decisions based on what could happen. Do youthink they’re looking for you?”
