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Harlow’s eyes rolled, but she followed them out.
And he was left alone with Nicole.
“Do we just sit here?” she asked after a moment.
He looked over, and the dog had managed to down the treatwhen he’d figured no one was looking. It was a good sign.
Like Nicole willing to be locked in with him.
“The key is to get him used to people who aren’t going tohurt him,” Grim explained. “Dogs are a lot like people. You kick them too muchand they get real scared. You have to build trust before they’ll let you getclose.”
Her lips curled up. “Are you talking about the dog or me?”
“Maybe both.”
She was quiet for a moment. “It’s hard. I hate hurting youand Josh, but it’s hard for me to trust. Not you. I’m kind of getting over thewhole Josh sicced a PI on me thing. Harlow’s been asking me all kinds ofquestions during our self-defense lessons, and they made me think. Josh wasbeing Josh. The way Jack was being Jack. They’re overprotective men. Good menbut overprotective. He didn’t mean to hurt me.”
“He didn’t.”
“So what I’m really afraid of is everything falling apart.”
He pulled another treat out of his bag, handing it toNicole. “Toss it about a foot away from him. Just enough so he’ll have to moveout of the corner to get it.”
She did as he asked, and the dog’s head turned slightly butit didn’t move. “You’re trying to show him it’s safe to get closer to us.”
“Yep.”
“Was the car a dog treat, Grim?”
He snorted at the idea. “The car was repayment because mydad is a freak who likes to cube vehicles he finds offensive. He owed you thecar, Nic. You don’t have to feel bad about it. He knew he would be buying youone when he destroyed yours. He did it so Josh didn’t have to. Your car wasdangerous.”
“My car was worth maybe three hundred bucks. I can’t evencomprehend how much the Volvo cost. I still have sticker shock and I’ve beendriving it for two weeks,” she said with a frown. “He didn’t have to get mesome luxury vehicle. I was mostly kidding when I picked it. I wanted to shockhim.”
Grim shrugged. “Jack knows what it means to fight tosurvive. The same way you and I do. I want you to think about this. If you hadmore money than you could ever spend, would you spoil the people you love?”
“Of course I would,” Nicole agreed. “I guess it’s been solong since anyone loved me that I don’t recognize it. I spent a couple of daysthinking he bought it as a bribe.”
“A bribe?”
“So I would be nicer to you and Josh. He found out I wasn’tthe evil person he thought I was so he felt bad. And then I realized he doescare about me. He’s been teaching me how to ride. Do you know I don’t everremember a parental figure sitting down and taking the time to teach meanything? For my father I was a reminder of something he would rather forget.To my stepmother I was a bother. Being around Jack and Sam and Abby is thefirst time I feel like I have parents.” There were tears in her eyes.
He wanted so badly to reach out and drag her into his arms.
But he was being patient. “Do you ever wonder which would beworse? Having parents who loved you and losing them or never having them atall? I do. I don’t think about my mom as much as I did in the beginning. It’skind of like she died, too. I try to remember who she was before she metEzekiel. I remember how she would drop me and my brother off at the school theyhad out at the resort. She teased me and Josh about how close we were. She wasfriendly with Abby. They sometimes took me and Josh and Olivia to the pool forlunch and we would have chicken nuggets and French fries. And then it was allgone.”
She was quiet for a moment. “I think those memories aresweet, and I wish I had some. That’s what your parents are giving me.” A tearslipped onto her cheek. “Abby lets me help her in the garden, and Sam taught mehow to play pool. And Jack’s spent hours teaching me how to take care of thehorses and how to ride. I’d never ridden before. I didn’t know how free I wouldfeel.”
Grim couldn’t remember a time he didn’t ride. “I love beingout alone in the early morning. I sometimes take a chore way out on theproperty just so I can ride. I know I could take one of the trucks or the ATVs,but I prefer to ride. I’m glad you’re enjoying the lessons. How is it goingwith Harlow? You seem to be getting along. Are you still worried she’s in lovewith Josh?”
She shook her head, a smile on her lips. “No. She totallysees him as a brother. I like her. She was nervous about me and I understand.She told me about how some of her friends have used her to try to get to Joshbecause of his money.” She got solemn again. “I worry he’ll wonder about thatsomeday. I worry somewhere down the line he’ll figure out I don’t fit in.”
“He won’t because you do. Our family isn’t like theHolloways. Mom and Dad and Pops worked for everything they have. They knew howto raise their kids to work hard, too, to not take their upbringing forgranted. Harlow’s been asking you questions. I have a few of my own. Would yourhusband have encouraged his father to split his inheritance in half to give itto some stray they took in?”
“Never.” She obviously didn’t need to think about it. “Thewhole family is craven about money. From what I was told money was the reasonTed killed his brother. I know you’re not the same. I know it in my soul. I’mjust… I need to figure out if I can be enough for you. That’s about me, not youand Josh. It’s my insecurity. When it’s safe, Harlow wants me to come to Dallasand see this therapist friend of hers. He works with a group there, and hespecializes in surviving domestic abuse.”
Harlow was doing a good job with her. “I think seeing atherapist would be great. You should know Josh thinks we should talk tosomeone, too.”
“About?” Nic seemed surprised.
