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Ethan slowly backed up, then made his way to the kitchen. What had she meant by “get away”? What had happened between her and her husband? Questions multiplied in his head.
Pouring a cup of coffee, he stared at the dark liquid, relieved that seeing Nicki and the baby today hadn’t triggered any memories. He released a slow breath. Perhaps yesterday’s reaction had been a result of surprise. But he’d still have to be on guard. The threat of a flashback lurked in the shadows of his mind like a mountain lion poised to attack.
“Good morning.” Nicki joined him at the coffeemaker. “I thought I heard you come in.”
He glanced at her briefly before spooning sugar into his coffee. “Where’s the little one?”
“I put her down for some tummy time.”
Ethan had no idea what that meant. His expression must have given him away.
“She’s playing.”
Nicki reached across him for a cup, surrounding him with the scents of gardenias and baby powder. The light from the ceiling fixture danced off her yellow hair, making it shimmer as she moved. She grasped the coffee carafe and he couldn’t help but notice her small hands. He allowed his gaze to skim over her. The print dress she wore nipped in at her waist and flared softly over her hips. The word delicate came to mind. But even though Nicki may appear delicate, he knew underneath she was a woman made of strong determination and grit. He returned his focus to the coffee in his cup and not the lovely woman beside him.
“Ethan, about yesterday...”
He braced before turning to look at her. Curiosity reflected in her eyes. He did not want to talk about his reaction or explain about his PTSD. He’d learned the hard way that it triggered fear and distrust in many people.
“I want to apologize. I was an emotional mess and unloaded on you. My only excuse is that I wasn’t prepared for the news my friend gave me.”
He stared. That was what she wanted to talk about? The tension in his shoulders eased. “You have a lot on your plate right now.”
“True, but what I need is action, not tears. I’ve got to stay focused on my goal.”
“What goal is that?”
“Getting out of Dover.”
Disappointment settled heavily on his shoulders. He’d barely come to know her and she was making plans to leave. An old ache resurfaced. No one in his life stayed for long. They were all only temporary. Apparently Nicki would be another one on his long, long list.
“Which brings me to another subject.” She took a sip of her coffee, looking at him above the rim. His heart caught in his throat. “I’d like to train you on the cash register today. With all the paperwork, and keeping an eye on Sadie, it would be a big help if we could both handle customers.”
He added creamer to his cup, watching the dark coffee turn a caramel color. He’d hoped this part of his job wouldn’t come until later. Why had he ever thought working here would be simple? Two days in and he was facing all the things he’d wanted to avoid.
He glanced at her briefly. “I’m not much of a salesman. I’m more of a behind-the-scenes kind of guy.”
“You’d be my backup, not a full-time salesperson. It would help me out a lot.”
The hopeful look in her eyes punctured his reluctance. He’d promised himself when he’d come to Dover he’d step out, embrace life. Here was his first test. “Okay. Sure.”
“Great. I’ll go get the till and we’ll do it right now. And don’t worry about helping the customers. Everyone here in Dover is friendly. Just flash that great smile of yours and the customers will be happy. Meet me out front when you’re done with your coffee.” She hurried out of the kitchen.
Ethan stared after her. She thought he had a great smile? He let that thought settle for a few moments before joining Nicki at the register. He looked over her shoulder, inhaling the gardenia scent again and fighting to keep his mind on her words and not the way his senses reacted to being near her.
“It’s a simple system. I don’t think you’ll have much trouble learning it. It pretty much runs itself.”
She ran through the steps, letting him count the till and practice a few sales and returns and closing out at the end of the day. She smiled, brushing the bangs off her forehead. “You’re a quick learner.” She patted his arm. “I knew you would be.”
The warmth of her hand seeped through the fabric of his shirt and traveled along every nerve in his body. He nodded, finding it hard to pull his gaze from her sweet smile. She looked into his eyes for a moment, then stepped back.
“There’s a shipment of fashion cell-phone covers coming in this morning that I think the teens will love. I want to get them on the floor quickly. I’ll let you know where I want to display them and give you the price point later.”
“I’ll keep an eye out for it.”
Once he was back in the stockroom, Ethan took a deep breath, struggling to dispel the lingering effects of Nicki’s nearness. She evoked feelings he’d ignored for a long time. Feelings that had no place in his life right now. But he just couldn’t walk away and leave her in the lurch.
When he’d talked with Paul last night, his friend had reminded him to focus on service, and that was what he intended to do. Paul had also reminded him that avoidance was not the way to deal with his situation. He prayed he was right because he’d taken another step deeper into Nicki’s life. Letting Nicki down was a more distasteful prospect than facing her and the baby. But he’d have to keep his barriers up. Something about Nicki penetrated his defenses and he wasn’t sure he could let it go.
* * *
Nicki hung up the phone, sighed, silently gave a prayer of thanks and then leaned back in her chair. She’d negotiated new payment plans with most of her father’s vendors, which would give her breathing space for the next few months. Of course, that didn’t put a dent in the bill for the supplier who had suspended shipments or cover the merchandise she’d already ordered before she’d known the extent of the store’s financial trouble. She suspected her dad had tapped out his savings to keep the store going, which worried her, but also made her more determined than ever to save the store.
Soft gurgles from the other room told her Sadie was awake. Lifting her daughter from the crib, she held her close, kissing her little head. Her baby girl was particularly cuddly when she woke up. “How’s my sweet girl? Did you have happy dreams?” After putting a fresh diaper and a new polka-dot onesie on Sadie, Nicki placed her in the bouncy chair on her desk. She liked to keep her close so she could talk to her and touch her while she worked. It wasn’t an ideal situation, but she couldn’t bear to let her out of her sight. She touched Sadie’s hand, smiling when the little fingers curled around her index finger.
A faint noise drew her attention and she paused, listening for the bell on the front door of the store. When it didn’t come, she sighed, tapping Sadie’s toes lightly. “Business is slow today, sweetie.” Her early back-to-school sale had gone well, but she needed more foot traffic if she was going to turn business around. She needed to place an ad in the Dover Dispatch and let people know Latimer’s was having a makeover.
Now that Ethan knew how to work the register, she could take more time to come up with ideas. The thought buoyed her spirits. He’d suggested a plan B, but she’d been too busy, and too stunned by Gary’s report, to even consider one.
Nicki tried to go back to work, but it was hard to concentrate when all she wanted to do was hold her precious little girl. She never dreamed she’d feel this way. She’d searched her whole life for a place where she fit, a purpose, and she’d found it in one tiny person. She thanked God every hour for her sweet Sadie. The love she felt was so powerful, sometimes she feared she couldn’t hold it all inside.
By noon, Nicki had come up with a dozen ideas to revitalize the store on a small budget and discarded all of them. What she needed was someone to brainstorm with.
When she heard a light tapping on the door frame, she looked up and saw Ethan standing there, filling the space with his broad shoulders and long legs. He certainly was an attractive man, though a man of mystery.
He slipped his hands into the back pockets of his jeans. “I’m heading out for lunch.”
She reminded herself to take advantage of the resources at hand. “Ethan, I could use your help with something.”
“Name it.”
She chewed her lip a moment. “Plan B.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Okay. What exactly do you need?”
“A plan B.”
A full-blown smile appeared on his face, softening the sharp angles, turning his dark eyes to warm cocoa and easing the squared-off shoulders into a curved position. “Let me go get one from the stockroom for you.”
Nicki blinked at his unexpected teasing. In the few days he’d been at the store, he’d rarely smiled and never revealed a lighthearted side at all. She liked this side of Ethan Stone. “I wish it were that simple.”
“I’m not sure how I can help.”
Nicki looked away. The compassion in his dark eyes was having an odd effect on her nerves. “I need to brainstorm ideas with someone—ways to revamp the store without a lot of money. With running the store and taking care of Sadie—” she bit her lip “—I’m not thinking as logically as I usually do.”
“All right. My brain could use a challenge.”
“Thanks. I brought enough lunch today to feed a baseball team. We could talk while we eat, unless you have plans.”
“Nope, no plans.”
“Good. Well, give me a minute and I’ll get it all set up.” He nodded and walked away. Nicki expelled a pent-up breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. Being around Ethan always left her feeling like a teenager with a crush on the new boy in school. Ridiculous. Besides, there was a dark, edgy quality about him that made her uneasy. But then he’d do something thoughtful and she’d catch a glimpse of a different Ethan. Her curiosity grew by the moment, even though she’d sensed that, like her, he had things in his life he had no desire to share.
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