Nicole clearly didn’t believe a word of it, but maybe because she was exhausted at having been at the hospital for hours, she let it go. ‘Why areyouhere, Jackson?’
‘My father.’
Nicole clasped a hand to her chest. ‘Is he okay?’
‘He’s fine. He had a heart attack.’
When Nicole stumbled, Jack was at one side and Evie at the other. They led her over to a chair.
‘Take it easy.’ Jack crouched down in front of the chair and held Nicole’s hand. ‘It was a mild heart attack. Sorry, I should’ve opened with that.’
‘You think?’ Evie muttered under her breath.
Jack shot her a look, which Evie saw fit to ignore. ‘Dad will be fine. He gave me one hell of a scare, and he’s going to have to make a few changes to stop it from happening again, but he’s as strong as an ox, remember.’
The colour returned to Nicole’s cheeks.
‘You could go up and see him, if you’d like,’ said Jack.
Nicole looked as though she was considering it, but she shook her head. ‘It’s been too long. No, Jackson. Too much was said that night, I can’t.’
Still crouched down in front of Nicole, he said, ‘What’s done is done, and I know he reacted harshly towards you that night, but I also believe he’s regretted it ever since.’
Nicole reached out with her good arm and put her hand to Jack’s cheek. ‘You’re a good man.’ She looked to Evie. ‘I need to use the restroom and then let’s go home. I’ll cook us something nice.’
‘You’ll do no such thing,’ Evie admonished. ‘You’ll put your feet up in front of the fire and I’ll wait on you hand and foot.’ She took Nicole’s handbag to make it easier for her to negotiate the restrooms.
‘Sounds like a good idea to me.’ Jack pushed himself to standing.
As Nicole left them alone, Evie wondered whether he thought it a good idea for Nicole to rest or a good idea that she became the servant for the night. She wanted to believe it was the former but doubted it very much.
‘Don’t worry, I’m not going to rifle through it.’ Evie indicated Nicole’s bag before Jack had a chance to say anything.
‘I didn’t say you were.’
‘I’ll bet the thought was there.’
‘Feisty little thing, aren’t you?’
‘Oh, fu—’ Her words stopped when he put his fingers to her mouth to stop her.
‘No need for that language.’
She only breathed again when he took his hand away to wave over to the doorway. The sensation left her lips tingling as she watched another man enter the foyer. He was dressed as impeccably as Jack had been before the coffee incident and something about him was oddly familiar. He was nothing like Jack though. Jack was tall, athletic, strong. This man was short, balding and had the paunch that told the story of the high life.
Evie took a seat and opened up her book again as she waited, but she didn’t lose herself in the words, only Jack’s accusations. She was a friend of Nicole’s because Nicole had opened her heart, and contrary to Jack’s opinion, their friendship had nothing to do with Nicole opening her purse. She was angry that Jack could think anything else, but more than that, she was angry at her reaction to his touch when he put his fingers against her lips. She’d wanted to hate it, but instead she’d found pleasure in it.
A shadow appeared over the page she was at, and when Evie looked up, the short, balding man was hovering over her, with Jack in the wings.
‘Can I help you?’ she asked.
‘Now there’s a question.’ He plonked his hands firmly on his hips.
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ Evie stood, unafraid of confrontation.
‘I know your type, you’re all the same.’
‘Braydon, let it go.’ Jack tried to usher him along. ‘Go up and see my father.’
