Page 36 of One Kind Soul

“Mostly verbally, but physically a few times. Always out of earshot of my parents too. She was a crafty bitch.” Nicole pulled the sides of her sweater closer together, feeling the need to cover up. She hated that Lynda had created that complex—The Princess Uggers Complex—in her, but even seeing a counselor back in her early twenties hadn’t healed much. Lynda had left her mark pretty deep.

“You don’t talk to your sister anymore?”

Nicole shook her head.

“Where is she now?”

Brushing a stray blade of grass off one boot with the heel of the other, Nicole said, “Jail.”

“Is it insensitive if I say I’m glad she’s in jail?” He tugged Nicole into a hug. “I don’t know her, but I don’t like her because she hurt you.”

Nicole leaned her head back a bit so she could see Christian’s face. “You’d think I’d be over her treatment of me by now. After all, I’m the one who got her put in jail.”

Christian’s eyes widened. “Holy shit.”

“She married someone who was more fucked up than she was. This guy named Tim Broaks. He got her involved in money laundering out of the fast food joint he owned. I worked at the place for a short time because my parents thought it would be a great idea and I stumbled upon his operation.” Nicole stepped back from Christian and pulled her sweater tighter again, needing a shield. “I wasn’t going to say anything about it. I planned to quit, but then my parents got on my case about responsibility to the job and weren’t Lynda and Tim wonderful to let me work there, so I had to tell. That’s when my dad first voiced his suspicions about that dead birthday bunny.” Nicole waved a hand. “Anyway, the police got involved and Lynda and Tim have been in jail since then.”

“But that doesn’t bring you the healing you need, does it?”

“I sure wish it did.”

Christian hugged her again. “Thank you for trusting me with that story, Nixen.”

“It’s a heavy one for only the second time we’ve seen each other, but . . .” She took his hand, needing to touch him. “I’m pretty sure a man who uses his own body to protect me is not like any other man I’ve ever met.”

“I told you I’m an original, didn’t I?” He leaned down and dropped a light kiss to her nose. “You’re an original too. A masterpiece.”

Nicole rolled her eyes and Christian immediately frowned, shaking their joined hands.

“You might not realize you’re a masterpiece, Nixen, but I realized it the minute you beat that red-headed dude at checkers in the pub.” He slid his free hand up to her neck, his fingers burrowing into her hair. His kisses were soft, gentle presses to her lips, her jaw, her cheek, her neck. He certainly made her feel like a masterpiece.

Even if it wasn’t true.

“Show me the house,” she whispered as he flicked her earlobe with his tongue and made her legs wobble. “Then show me what’s under your clothes.”

A low rumble sounded in his throat as he released her earlobe. After a press of his lips to her cheek, he bent and scooped up the two gray cats.

“I find house tours are more fun when holding cats.” He handed her one and let the other one sit in the crook of his elbow as he turned the knob on the front door. “You’ve got Roxie.”

Nicole followed Christian into the house. She stroked Roxie’s soft gray fur, laughing when a loud purr buzzed. “You can’t be stressed with a vibrating kitty in your arms, can you?”

“Nope.” And that was probably why he’d given her the cat to hold.

She trailed after Christian as he entered a lovely kitchen with a gorgeous copper sink and a tall faucet. “Oh, that’s beautiful.”

Christian followed her gaze to the sink. “This house screamed for a copper sink.” He ran his hand along the faded red brick-like tiles on the backsplash. “We did this today.”

“We?”

“Ben and Jared who work at the farm swung by to help me.”

“Well, you guys do phenomenal work. This looks amazing.”

“Yeah? You like it?”

“I love it.” She peeked out the kitchen doorway. “Show me more.”

Christian held Pebbles up to look at the cat head-on. “Where should we take her next, Pebbles?” He pretended to listen to the cat. “Ah, yes. Good call.” He peered at Nicole. “This way, ladies.”