For The Love Of Nick

15

TODAY, DANIELLE THOUGHT, striding up a trail on a particularly steep hill, trying to release some of the terrible tension that gripped her. The records from Laura Lyn would arrive today.

Then she’d be free to leave. To walk away.

Which was exactly as she wanted.

Mostly.

Oh, damn Nick Cooper anyway, making her yearn and burn for things that she couldn’t have.

She’d so carefully schooled herself to be alone, to not depend on or trust another. Yet his love shimmered and glowed like a beacon, tempting her in ways nothing and no one else ever had.

He was so different from the people she’d let into her life. Not temporary. Not selfish. Not out for only himself.

What would it be like to have someone like that in her world? Someone who cared about her hopes and dreams, and was right there by her side while she achieved them?

But what right, she wondered, kicking a rock, did she have to even think about things like romance and love, when her life was in such a mess? She had to fix things first, because only then would she be free to go after what pleased her.

And Nick Cooper pleased her, no doubt about that. She sank to a large rock and put her hands over her suddenly racing heart. If only…

No. No more if onlys. Soon as she got the records, she’d go straight to the police. If things worked in her favor, then soon she could be on the way to the rest of her life.

Whatever and wherever that life may be. She’d start over, make her life work out this time. She’d go to school. She’d become a vet. She’d-

“Danielle.”

At the low, unbearably familiar voice, Danielle took a deep breath and turned. It was Nick, of course, looking uncharacteristically ruffled, as if he’d run the entire way from the inn for her, desperate-

Hauling her into his arms, he pressed close. So close she could feel his heart racing.

Or maybe that was hers.

His hands closed over her, stroking, soothing, though she thought maybe he was comforting himself, which made no sense.

“God.” He pressed his face to her neck. “I couldn’t find you, I thought-”

“Nick?” Startled by his fierce possessiveness, the way he was holding her as if he’d never expected to see her again, she brought her arms around him as well, thrilling to the way she felt against him.

His hands cupped her head, and he rubbed his cheek to hers, relief and fear still deeply etched in his face. “I have what you need,” he said. “I can help you go back.”

“The records from Laura Lyn? They came already?” She pulled back with a smile, which slowly faded at the serious intent on his face. “Tell me,” she said, heart pounding. “What’s the matter?”

“It’s not the records.” He ran his hands down her arms. “They’re not here yet.”

“Then…what?” He was looking at her so solemnly, his hands still gripping her arms as if he never wanted to let her go. “Nick, you’re scaring me.”

“I had Maureen run Ted through the system.”

“You what?”

“She found aggravated assault. He was fired from two different jobs for it. Danielle, this is what you need to give your testimony weight.”

“Oh my God.” For the first time in as long as she could remember, the fist in her chest loosened a bit. “I was just sitting here, making the decision to go back no matter what. Whatever it takes. Fines. Jail time. I want my life back, no matter what.”

His eyes shone fiercely. “Fines we can manage.”

That “we” again. Oddly, the fist loosened all the more.

“And you won’t go to jail,” he said, determined.

“Nick-”

“I love you, Danielle. Remember that.” He ran his thumb over her jaw. “I think you love me back.”

She couldn’t breathe. “I’ve only known you a week.”

“A lifetime,” he corrected. “We’ve lived a lifetime in that week.”

“But there are things I don’t know about you.” She could hear the fear in her voice. “Things you don’t know about me.”

“I know enough.” In a jerky move, he stepped back, breaking her heart. “But apparently you don’t.”

“I’m sorry, I-”

“Yeah.” Expression unreadable now, he said, “there were footprints in Maureen’s garden, outside the house. As if someone was watching from the outside.”

Danielle stared at him then turned away. “I gave Laura Lyn this address for the records. Another stupid move, huh? I shouldn’t have trusted-”

“Danielle.” With a sigh, he started to step close again but the radio at his hip crackled. “Maureen insisted I take the two-way.” Lifting it to his mouth, he said, “Got her. Safe and sound.”

“Good.” Maureen’s voice filled their little clearing, her worry coming through loud and clear. “You guys have Sadie, right?”

“She’s asleep in the garden by the sunflowers.”

“No, she’s not.”

Nick looked at Danielle, his eyes filling with tension as he spoke into the radio. “How about the veggies? Is she there?”

“No.” Maureen’s voice caught. “Nick, we can’t find her anywhere. She’s gone.”

“We’ll be right there.” He hooked the radio on his belt and reached for Danielle’s hand. “We’ll find her.”

Danielle thought of Sadie in Ted’s hands and barely felt Nick’s fingers in hers. “I failed her after all.”

“Not yet, you haven’t. This isn’t over. Let’s go.”

Even in her own misery, she was able to detect his, and marvel at it. His feelings for Sadie weren’t something he faked. Nor did they have anything to do with how much Sadie was worth, or the awards she could bring. He’d simply fallen in love with the dog. And because he had, he’d do anything to help Sadie, to get her back.

She wondered if the love he claimed he had for her meant the same thing.

Wondered if she could ever be half as sure of it as he was.

FROM THE DECK Nick glanced at Danielle. She stood about twenty feet away from him, facing the steep hills and trails, calling for Sadie. The wind blew her hair back from her face, which had gotten some color from the sun. Her lithe, toned legs were bare, as were her arms.

Nick figured he’d never get tired of looking at her. Wanting her. But the wanting went far deeper than the physical. He craved her voice, her laugh. Her thoughts. And he wanted her to feel the same.

“Oh my God, there she is!” Danielle suddenly cried, pointing.

Sadie came barreling out of nowhere, stopping short at the sight of them, head cocked, as if trying to figure out what the fuss was all about.

But twenty minutes later, inside, she was still panting for air, still drenched in sweat, looking the worse for wear.

Not to mention the rope burn around her neck, where someone had clearly tried to restrain her.

“Bullmastiffs are incredibly strong,” Danielle said, inspecting the rope burn. “She could easily snap a tie if she didn’t want to be held.”

“And someone definitely wanted to hold her.” Nick kneeled beside the dog and tried to get a better look. Instead, he got licked from chin to forehead for his efforts.

Danielle was running her hands over Sadie carefully, and when she got to her chest, the dog whined and turned, putting her bottom in Danielle’s face. When Danielle persisted, Sadie actually growled.

Nick tried, and got the same reaction, though Sadie added a big, sloppy kiss to soften the sound.

“Oh boy,” Danielle whispered.

“What?”

“It’s not an injury that she’s hiding.”

“What is it?”

“Her nipples seem to be tender.”

“Um…okay.”

Danielle bit her lip and looked at Sadie. Then, covering the dog’s ears, she leaned closer to Nick. “I think that’s a sign that she’s in a very early stage of pregnancy.”

“What? How will you ever tell?” he asked, looking at Sadie’s considerable chest and belly.

“You’ll be able to tell soon enough, a dog’s gestation period is only two months. But this is going to put Ted over the edge, you know. Her pups, from that rogue mutt in the hotel, will be worthless.”

“Hey.” Nick covered Sadie’s ears himself this time. “Don’t let her hear that.”

“This isn’t a joke,” she said, rubbing her cheek to Sadie’s. “I don’t have enough money to take care of myself, much less puppies. But I can’t let anyone know that. I can’t let her go back to Ted simply because of money. Look what he did to her neck.”

“Yeah, we’re going to get a record of that.” Nick looked up at Maureen and Clint, both of whom nodded.

“Already called the police,” Maureen said, holding up her cell phone. “I reported the footprints, too.”

Clint stroked Sadie. “It looks like it’s time to take a stand, huh, girl?”

Danielle looked at Nick. “Yes,” she said cryptically. “It’s time to take a stand.”

“And then there’s the upcoming wedding,” Clint added. “We’ve got to clear everything up for that.”

Danielle’s eyes widened as she apparently remembered at the same time as Nick that they were supposed to be engaged.

To each other.

“The wedding.” Danielle forced a smile. “Clint, about that-”

Jerking upright, Sadie let out a sharp set of barks, then leaped over the back of the couch to press her huge face up against the window. Continuing to pierce everyone’s eardrums with the pitch of her barking, her entire body quivered.

“He’s out there,” Nick guessed.

“The ex?” Maureen asked.

“Yes.” Danielle stood, moved toward Sadie. “But this ends today. It ends now,” she said, shrugging off Nick. “I’m going out there to do something I never did before. I’m going to tell him what I think, and how this is going to end. I’m going to take a stand.”

“Not alone, you’re not,” Nick said, firmly pulling her away from the window.

“Nick-”

“Yeah, yeah. You hate the ‘we,”’ he said, disgusted, not caring that both Maureen and Clint were watching and avidly listening. “Screw that. You’re not alone, so forget it. After this is over, when it’s all said and done, then fine. Go be as you want. Alone. More power to you if you can do it without regret.”

“Nick-”

“You’ll have your damn life back, and-”

“Nick.” Danielle swallowed hard and put her hand on his arm. “I meant we. We’ll take a stand.”

“Is Ted armed?” Maureen asked, while Nick stared at Danielle, unable to process that she’d just said we.

“No, he worries about his image.” Danielle still held Nick’s gaze, as if she was trying to tell him something. “He’d never carry a weapon. He just wants Sadie. We can set a trap, put Sadie out on a lead rope. He’ll come, he’ll threaten her and I’ll have witnesses this time.”

She looked around hopefully, appealing last to Nick with those wide, beautiful eyes he could never resist. “You’ll see,” she said to him. “This will work because the police will believe all of you.”

Nick shook his head. “You sound as if you want us to stay back while you face him alone.”

“Yes. Exactly.”

“No-”

“You’ll be right there. Waiting. What can happen?”

Only anything. “Danielle-”

“I want to do this,” she said firmly. “I’m going to do this. I’m sitting out there with her. We’ll wait together, Sadie and I, and then it’ll be over.”

NICK SAT on the darkened deck watching as dusk turned Danielle and Sadie-alone and vulnerable out in the open-into shadows.

She sat on a bench about twenty feet away, surrounded by the newly planted gardens that were Maureen’s pride and joy.

He knew his cousins were just on the other side of the house, watching. Waiting. Helping keep his “fiancée” safe. He knew Danielle wouldn’t get hurt, that this had to be done.

Logically he knew all this, but as he watched her cuddle the damn dog he’d grown to love too, he couldn’t help but feel it was the beginning of the end.

Soon, it would be over. She’d be safe, and on her own. And he’d be on his own, too.

Good. Great. He could go home and catch up with the meaningless dates he’d planned. He could have one every night if he so chose.

But there was just one he cared about right now and she…

And she was watching a man approach her from the trail below.