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Chapter Three
The incident with Ethan replayed in Nicki’s mind as she carried her daughter to the kitchen and prepared a bottle. When she’d seen him in the office doorway, she’d been anxious to show off her beautiful little girl. But instead of the smile and compliments she normally received, Ethan had stared at her and Sadie with a look of shock and horror. He’d paled, and his eyes had glazed over, as if he were seeing something else. He’d mumbled something about lunch, then bolted.
There was no explanation she could think of for his odd behavior. Maybe he didn’t like children. Or maybe he’d lost a child and seeing Sadie had reminded him of his loss. Had she made another foolish mistake in hiring him? Maybe her mother was right after all. He’d provided only the barest of information on his job application. Social Security number and a birthdate that made him thirty-three as of a few months ago.
He’d listed his college, but not his degree. Why wouldn’t you want people to know what you’d done before? Maybe he had a criminal past. She should have done a background check on him first. She thought back to all the times her husband had kept secrets from her. She’d ignored her instincts and paid a huge price for it.
Brad had always made her feel off balance and uncertain. She didn’t get the same sense from Ethan. She snuggled Sadie a little closer against her. “I don’t think there’s anything sinister about Ethan, do you, sweetheart?” Mysterious maybe, and private, but she always felt safe around him. Something she hadn’t felt in a long time. She told herself to forget the incident. But she couldn’t dismiss the darkness she’d seen in his eyes.
With her daughter fed and happy, she put her down for tummy time, adjusted the volume on the baby monitor, then went out into the store. The bell hadn’t jingled once in the past forty-five minutes. But business was always slow on Mondays. Today that would work to her advantage. She wanted to have this sale set up and the sign posted. Maybe she could lure some bargain hunters in before the store closed.
As always, Ethan had completed his work. The lower shelves had been removed, and the tables were in place. All she had to do was put out the merchandise and pray it would sell quickly.
Taking the roll of tape and a pair of scissors from the drawer at the sales counter, she carried the long, colorful sale sign she’d dug out earlier and moved to the old-fashioned raised display window, using a small stool to step onto the platform. The sign was bulky and awkward. She was struggling with the tape when the bell chimed and Debi walked in.
“You having a sale?”
Nicki lowered the sign and nodded. “Yes. A clearance sale. I’ve got to get rid of all this old stuff so I can bring in new merchandise. Things people go to Sawyer’s Bend or Jackson for. I want to keep them here in Dover.”
Debi’s smiled brightened. “Sounds like a good idea.”
Nicki stepped down from the window and sighed. “But first I have to put up this sign and I can’t reach it.” She laid the sign and tape on the shelf. “I’ll have to have Ethan do it when he gets back from lunch.”
“Ethan?” Debi’s eyebrows arched.
“The guy I hired Saturday.”
Debi went still, her gaze directed toward the back of the store. “You mean him?”
Nicki looked around and saw Ethan approaching. As he came closer, she noticed his stiff shoulders and unreadable expression. He was suppressing his emotions. Something she was familiar with. Had seeing Sadie caused that, or had something else happened? She forced a smile, then introduced Debi. Ethan nodded, keeping his hands at his sides.
“Do you need help with that?” He glanced at the sign lying on the window shelf.
“Yes, thank you.” She picked up the tape and scissors and held them out to him. He took the tape first, his fingers brushing against hers and causing her breath to catch. She looked into his eyes to see if he’d felt something too, but his gaze was unreadable and his jaw was set in a hard line. When he lifted the scissors from her grasp, he touched only the handles. “Uh, I’d like it draped through the middle of the window.”
Inside the window area, he secured one side, then the other. Nicki watched his progress closely, telling herself she wanted to make sure he did it properly, but keenly aware that she couldn’t take her eyes off of him. Ethan moved with a fluid male grace that was pleasing to watch.
With the sale sign perfectly placed, Ethan stepped down from the display window and handed her the tape and scissors. “Anything else?”
“Thank you.” She tried to hold his gaze a moment to show her appreciation, but he looked away. “There are three boxes on the top shelf in the back corner of the stockroom. They probably have the word Keep written on the side. If you’ll bring those out, I’ll add them to the sales table.”
He nodded. “Nice to meet you, Ms. Gordon.” He walked off.
Debi sighed. “Yummy.”
“Hush. He might hear you.”
“Like he doesn’t know he’s dreamy?”
Nicki doubted it. He struck her as the type who would be embarrassed if someone called him “dreamy.”
Debi nudged her arm. “I want to know all about him.”
So did she. For a moment, she considered telling her friend about Ethan’s odd reaction to Sadie, but decided against it for now.
“You know, Nicki...” Debi nodded thoughtfully. “If you wanted to really increase business, all you’d have to do is have him stand in the front window. I’ll bet your sales would go through the roof.”
Nicki shook her head. “Oh, come on.” She noticed Ethan returning with two of the boxes and quickly changed the subject. “If you stopped by to see Sadie, she’s napping.”
“No, I came by to see if you’d heard about the break-in last night?”
“Another one?” She stepped aside to let Ethan place the cartons on the sale table, catching a whiff of his enticing aftershave. She forced her attention on Debi. “Where?”
“Durrant’s Hardware. They took the computer, some petty cash and several expensive power tools. That’s the fourth store to be broken into in the last two weeks.”
A twinge of alarm chased down Nicki’s spine. She’d worked late several nights since taking over the store. Now the thought of being here alone with the baby didn’t sound like a good idea. Her gaze shifted to Ethan as he walked away. Of course, with him here she’d feel perfectly safe. His muscular build and stern demeanor would no doubt deter any burglar who tried to break in. “Do the police have any leads?”
“Nothing solid yet.” Debi rested one hand below her throat. “I’m glad it’s still light out when I leave work. Otherwise I’d have Jerry take me home in his patrol car every night.”
Nicki studied her friend, noting the worry in her usually bright blue eyes. “How are you dealing with Jerry’s new job as a police officer?”
“Okay, I guess. I try not to think about it. There’s not much crime in Dover. At least not until these robberies started.” She shrugged. “But I do worry. I’ve met a few of the other officers’ wives. Captain Durrant’s wife, Ginger, is new to life as a law-enforcement spouse. We’ve talked a couple of times. It helps.”
“I’m glad. You know I’ll be praying for his safety.”
“Thanks.” Debi pulled her into a warm hug. “I miss you, Nicki. Before Sadie was born and your dad had his transplant, we used to have lunch and go shopping. Now we can only manage to steal a few minutes during the day.”
“I know. I miss that, too. But by the end of the day, I’m too tired to do anything but fall into bed. And you’re not exactly a stay-at-home mom.”
“I know. Carter and Zoe have both started soccer. I feel like I’m on the road nonstop. Promise me we’ll do lunch or dinner soon.”
“Promise.”
Nicki watched her friend leave and realized how much her life had changed since coming home. At times she felt trapped and alone, unable to break free to live her own life. While she loved her parents and was grateful for their help, she was completely dependent on them for everything. Even her job. The only thing that kept her going was knowing that eventually she and Sadie could leave Dover and start over.
The afternoon passed more quickly than she’d anticipated, allowing her to forget for brief moments about her meeting with her friend the accountant. A glance at the clock showed it was almost closing time. Gary would be here soon. As she walked back to her office, her gaze drifted to the stockroom. Ethan had kept to himself most of the afternoon. His reaction to Sadie still nagged at her mind, but she couldn’t bring herself to ask him about it.
She glanced up at the bright light illuminating her desk. She owed Ethan an apology. He’d tried to help her with the bulb. But his “Let me do that” statement had triggered something in her, and she’d lashed out. She wasn’t about to let anyone tell her what to do. She was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. But that didn’t justify rudeness.
Nicki went in search of her new employee and found him out front, replenishing stock. He turned, bracing his shoulders, his eyes guarded. Did he think she was going to press him about his reaction earlier?
She chewed her lip a moment, preparing her speech. “I’m sorry about the lightbulb thing. I know you were just trying to help.”
He picked up the carton he’d emptied and folded the flaps inward. His gaze met hers. “No problem. I like to do things for myself, too.”
How had he interpreted her behavior so correctly? The look in his eyes led her to believe he truly did understand. All of her life, people had been telling her to stop being so bullheaded and independent. No one understood the satisfaction she found in achieving things on her own.
“Well, I appreciate your help. Thanks.”
He nodded. “That’s what I’m here for.”
Nicki went back to her office. Ethan was right. She’d hired him to help. Tomorrow she would train him on the register. But today, she had to deal with Gary’s findings.
Picking up the new floor plan she’d sketched out for the store, she studied it again. Her training in marketing told her the plan to revitalize Latimer’s was sound, but as a daughter, she feared her plan might fail and cost her parents their business. If only she knew for sure. Her confidence was so fragile. One minute she thought she could conquer the world. The next, humiliation and shame would drag her back down into feelings of powerlessness and defeat. She couldn’t trust her own judgment, not after the mistakes she’d made.
“Nicki.”
She looked up to find Ethan in the office doorway. “There’s someone here to see you.”
He moved aside, and Gary Palmer stepped into the office. “Hey, Nichelle.”
Gary hadn’t changed much since high school. He was short and stocky with a head of unruly red hair, and his boyish grin eased some of her anxiety.
She rose and greeted him with a hug. “It’s good to see you.”
“It’s good to have you home again.”
Nicki glanced over his shoulder and saw Ethan watching her from the stockroom. The hard look on his face puzzled her, until she realized he was gauging the situation, watching out for her. The protective gesture pleased her. It was nice to have someone looking out for her. As long as it didn’t go too far.
Closing the office door, she gave her full attention to Gary. Seated at her desk, she took a deep breath. “How bad is it?”
Gary laid a folder on the desk and opened it. “Of course, I can only report on the information you gave me, but it appears that your father has been juggling accounts for some time to keep the store running.”
“What about the lump sum he deposited? Where did that come from?”
“Without access to the personal accounts, I can’t say, but I’d guess he’s tapped out his savings or mortgaged the house.”
“Bottom line?”
“Unless something changes, the store can limp along for six months, maybe a year, and then...” He shrugged. “I’m sorry. I wish I had better news.”
After Gary left, Nicki cradled her head between her hands, her thoughts tumbling with the news he’d delivered. Things were worse than she’d thought. Unless something changed, the store was facing bankruptcy within the next few months. Her father’s infusion of cash helped, but once the outstanding bills were taken care of, there wouldn’t be much left to upgrade the merchandise. Her grand plan was out of the question now. How had her father let things get so bad? And how was she going to keep it from getting worse?
Insecurity and doubt washed over her like a wave on the beach, sucking her confidence out from under her. A tidal wave of emotions swelled in her chest, but she had no strength left to fight them. Laying her head on her arms, she gave in and cried.
* * *
Ethan tossed the utility knife onto the worktable in the stockroom. Six o’clock. Time to leave. Time to tell Nicki Latimer he was quitting. He took a deep breath, resting his hands on his hips. His resolve had wavered slightly since this morning after he’d overheard Nicki’s friend telling her about the burglaries in town. A woman with a baby working alone at night wasn’t a good idea. He didn’t know Nicki well, but he’d learned enough to know she’d stay until her work was done, no matter how late the hour.
Those protective instincts that had been triggered early were growing. But that wasn’t his problem. Nicki wasn’t his problem. Nicki and Sadie together were the issue. He’d managed to keep busy all afternoon, and the few times he’d wandered out into the main part of the store, he’d been able to concentrate on his task and nothing else. Unless Nicki was there. Then he’d had to battle the wish to watch her while she worked. Another reason to leave. The lovely store manager messed with his mind. Thankfully, the baby hadn’t been with her those times or he would have had a different reaction. He’d heard the little one crying once, but that hadn’t bothered him. It was seeing the two of them together that would trigger the horror.
He wondered about the man who had stopped by. She’d hugged him like an old friend. Was there something more than friendship between them? A prick of unreasonable jealousy lodged in his chest. The man hadn’t stayed long, but the look on his face when he’d left suggested something serious.
Ethan rubbed his forehead. He had to remind himself that Nicki wasn’t his concern. His sanity was. The dark memories he’d locked away were trying to break free, threatening to pull him under again. He couldn’t stay. Scooping up his jacket, he set his jaw and headed toward the office. Best to end this quickly. She’d find more help soon enough.
He heard muffled sounds as he stepped to the threshold of the office. He looked in and his throat tightened. Nicki had her head down on the desk, sobbing. Her soft groans and sniffles pierced his heart. Had something hurt her? The baby? He glanced toward the back room, but he found no clues.
“Nicki?”
She gasped, but kept her head down.
“Are you all right? What happened?”
Slowly, she raised her head, keeping her gaze averted and swiveling her chair to keep from looking at him directly. “I’m fine.”
Clearly she wasn’t. He stepped into the office, stopping in front of her desk. “Beautiful women don’t cry when they’re fine.” That got her attention. She looked at him, wiping tears from her cheeks.
“I got some bad news today.”
“The man who was here?”
“Yes. He’s an old friend. An accountant.”
Snagging a folding chair, he opened it and sat. “And?” She wanted to tackle life alone. He recognized the symptoms.
Nicki looked away. “Nothing. I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Bad idea. Talking about a difficult situation is the only way to get past the problem.” She stared at him, and he could see her contemplating his suggestion. She shook her head and pulled a tissue from a drawer to wipe her nose.
“I have to save the store.” She kept her eyes on the tissue she was twisting in her hands.
He leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees. “Save it from what?” An uneasy feeling formed in his gut.
Her shoulders sagged abruptly, as if she’d lost all strength in her body. “Bankruptcy.”
Ethan forced his features to remain neutral and not reveal his surprise. Nicki needed to get this off her chest. The least he could do was listen before he walked out.
“Is that what the accountant told you?”
She slipped her fingers through her hair, grasping it at the back of her neck before letting it go. It fell in tangled strands across her shoulders, and he found himself wondering what her hair would feel like in his hands.
“He only confirmed what I’ve suspected for some time. The store is failing. I should have paid closer attention. I was dealing with...personal issues. I had a feeling something was wrong, but I didn’t want to know. Now I’ve got to find a way to keep this place going. It’s my parents’ only source of income.”
“Why is that up to you? Why aren’t they here helping you?”
“My father is recuperating from a kidney transplant. My mother is caring for him. When I came home after... they asked me to work at the store. Of course I said I would. I was pregnant with Sadie, but it was so nice to be busy again.” She sniffed. “Then Sadie was born, and Dad found a donor, and Charlie had to stay on to run the store until I could come back, and then he left, and now it’s all up to me.”
He tried to connect all the dots in her explanation, but one thing was certain: she was in over her head. “So your plan to change the store—moving fixtures around, bringing in new stock, giving it a hipper image—is your attempt to save Latimer’s for your parents.”
Nicki’s blue eyes darkened. “Yes. And it’s a good plan.”
He wanted to smile at her defensiveness, but didn’t figure that was a wise move. “It is a good plan. I think it’ll work.”
She blinked her eyes, still moist from tears. “You do?”
Her lack of confidence surprised him. She’d been clear and precise about what she wanted done. So why the doubt all of a sudden? “I do. But you can’t do it all by yourself. You need help.”
“I have you.”
But he was here to quit. He couldn’t stay and risk dredging up the darkness again. He might not survive a second time. “Yeah. If you don’t mind me asking, where is your husband? I would have thought he’d be here helping out.”
Her expression went from worried to closed off in an instant.
“Dead.”
The hollow look in her eyes hit Ethan like a blow. Nicki had been through something terrible.
She clasped her hands in front of her on the desk. “I know my plan will work, and with your help, I’m sure we can change the way people think about Latimer’s, and business will pick up, and by the time Dad is ready to come back to work it’ll be back on its feet. Then Sadie and I can leave.” She stopped, staring at the desktop before looking up again. “Well, it was a good plan.”
Leave? Was she planning on moving away from Dover? “What do you mean?”
She stared at the report. “My father didn’t tell me the whole story. Gary suspects Dad has been robbing Peter to pay Paul. Once I settle all the outstanding accounts, there won’t be enough money to redesign the store. I’ll have to work with what’s left, but I doubt that’ll be enough to turn things around.”
Ethan nodded and crossed his arms over his chest. “Sounds like time for plan B.”
“I don’t have a plan B.”
Her bottom lip quivered, filling him with a desire to pull her into his arms. “But you will.”
She met his gaze, her blue eyes wide. “How do you know that?”
“Because you made a plan A. You don’t strike me as someone who gives up easily.”
She looked away, fidgeting with the papers on her desk as if uncomfortable with his observation. “I’m just tired, that’s all. Sadie was up a lot last night, and I didn’t get much sleep. Things will look better tomorrow.”
Ethan tensed. He needed to get this over with. “Tomorrow.”
He saw her mentally gird herself. She looked up at him, her usual smile once more shining through. He doubted if anything could keep her down for long.
“Did you want to talk to me about something?”
He looked at her, his heart softening at the hopeful light in her eyes. Her face was a bit puffy, her nose pink, her mouth pulled into a small frown. Her vulnerability touched something deep inside him. She was counting on him to help her save her parents’ store. But he couldn’t. He thought about seeing her with the baby this morning and his gut twisted. He stood, sending the metal chair scraping along the floor. He couldn’t stay here. Period. But how could he leave her in the lurch like this? He opened his mouth to say the words, but then he remembered the robberies. He couldn’t leave them here alone. Which meant he couldn’t leave. Dragging a hand across the back of his neck, he sent up a prayer for strength and guidance. “So what do you want to tackle tomorrow?”
Nicki smiled, and the sun came out. “Come up with a plan B?”
“Sure thing.” He started to leave, then turned back. “You heading out soon? I don’t think it’s a good idea for you and...the little one to hang around here alone.” What if she worked late and the robbers showed up? He’d never forgive himself if anything happened to them. For some reason he didn’t understand, he felt responsible for them. Maybe because they were alone like him and no one else seemed to care.
She nodded. “I’m leaving right now. Thanks for listening, Ethan.”
He puttered around in the stockroom until she was ready to leave, then followed her out, keeping his gaze averted from the sight of her and the baby as she secured the infant in its car seat. He took his time getting into his car, making sure she was safely inside hers and driving away before he cranked the engine on his Malibu.
He leaned back in the driver’s seat, his heart beating double time. How was he going to do this? The Lord had thrown him a giant curveball. He’d wanted his new life in Dover to be simple; he’d wanted it to be a place where he could learn to manage his emotions and live in the moment. But now he didn’t know how he would get through the next few minutes, let alone remain here and work for weeks. Somehow he had to find a way to help Nicki, but avoid seeing her and the baby together.
Pulling out his phone, he scrolled through his contacts until Paul’s name appeared. He needed some advice, and he needed it fast.
Chapter Four
The gate blocking the railroad track slowly lifted and the line of cars crept forward. Ethan tapped the steering wheel as he waited, trying to maintain his composure and not let his nerves get the better of him.
If he had any sense, he’d call Nicki, tell her goodbye and move on. He’d spent last night questioning his decision, but always coming to the same conclusion. He couldn’t leave Nicki to run that store alone. Unfortunately, these thoughts had unleashed old nightmares. The only difference had been the endings. While they used to end with the explosion, then blackness, last night they’d ended with Nicki and the baby running away. From him. Maybe that was progress.
He knew better than to assign any significance to the dreams. They were only subconscious fears mixed up with his PTSD-scrambled brain. The real threat today would be doing his job and keeping a lock on his memories.
Nicki’s car was already parked behind the store when he pulled in. He went inside, hoping to slip into the stockroom unnoticed and get to work. But as he moved down the hallway, he heard conversation coming from the office. Wanting to make sure everything was all right, he stepped to the open door and glanced in.
Nicki was cradling the baby in her arms, talking softly, her back to him as she gave the little one her bottle. He ducked back out of sight, but couldn’t help overhearing as she talked to her daughter.
“I’m sorry that you don’t have a daddy, sweetie. Mommy really messed up on that. I wanted you to have a daddy like me. Someone to love you no matter what, who’ll think you’re special, someone to protect you. But your daddy wasn’t like that. Which is why we had to get away. So it’s just you and me, Sadie. But we’ll be okay. I promise.”