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Julia pursed her lips. “Out of sight, I think. But close enough to intervene if it gets ugly.”
“Will do. I’ll make sure Flynn stays, too. Just in case. And you know I’m always armed.”
“Just don’t shoot her,” Julia said.
One side of his mouth curled up in a smile. “There are other ways to disarm someone. I’ll throw something at her, if I need to. Dust off my rusty quarterbacking skills.”
Some of the tension flowed out of Julia. Knowing that Nico would be there, that he’d be ready to act if need be, settled her. “Thanks, Nico.” She wanted to go up on her toes and kiss his cheek. But anyone could walk past the short hall to her office, so she had to be satisfied with squeezing his wrist.
Nico must have seen the desire in her expression, because his eyes darkened. But he stepped back and said, “I need to help setting up. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Yeah. Thanks,” she murmured as he walked through the swinging door.
At ten-thirty that evening, Julia was pacing the still-bright dining room. She didn’t want to sit in the dark with Carole. She didn’t trust her and wanted plenty of light on the woman.
“You want something to drink?” Nico murmured. The last line chefs were finished cleaning and were getting ready to leave. The back door opened and closed a number of times.
“No, thanks,” Julia said, shaking her head. “I don’t want alcohol slowing my reactions or fogging my memory.”
“Good thinking,” he said. He cupped her elbow in his palm and steered her toward a four-top table. “Sit down before you make me dizzy. I’ll need all my faculties to pay attention when you’re talking to Carole.”
Julia flopped down in one of the chairs, suddenly exhausted. She hadn’t been sleeping well, knowing Nico was in the other bedroom and wishing he was in her bed. She’d done her best to keep her feelings to herself, but she suspected she wasn’t doing a very good job. When she looked at Nico unexpectedly, she saw the same yearning in his expression that she knew he saw in hers.
When the clock ticked over to ten forty-five, Julia shoved the chair away from the table and began to pace the room. She looked at her phone. No texts. “Was she just shining me on?” she asked Nico. “Yanking my chain?”
“You talked to her,” Nico said, leaning against the wall. “Do you think she was trying to trick you?”
Julia stumbled to a halt at the front door and looked out at the mostly deserted street. No sign of Carole. “I would have sworn she was sincere,” she said quietly. “I thought I heard desperation in her voice. Maybe even fear. She insisted she had something important to tell me. And she said she and Harper are going away after she talks to me.”
“She’s scared,” Nico said. “Afraid of something. Or someone. Dawson? Maybe she’ll tell you when she shows up.”
She glanced at her phone again. Only two minutes had passed.
Nico ran his hands up and down her arms. “Easy,” he said quietly. “Doesn’t mean something’s wrong if she doesn’t show up.”
“She was pretty insistent that she talk to me.” Nico stroked her arm again, and Julia shivered. She wanted to lean closer. To lean against him and absorb his warmth. His strength.
“Maybe she changed her mind,” he said. “Maybe she wanted to get out of town with Harper. She might call you tomorrow.”
“Or maybe she can’t call me,” Julia muttered.
Spence stuck his head through the door. “The hostess is a no-show?”
“Looks that way,” Nico said. He glanced at the watch on his wrist. “Should we give her until eleven?”
“Might as well,” Julia said. “That’s only ten more minutes.” Carole wasn’t going to show up. Worry rolled through her as she paced the dining room, straightening tables that were already perfectly aligned.
She felt both Nico and Spence’s gazes on her, but she didn’t look at either of them. She didn’t want to get into a discussion about Carole.
Finally, when the clock ticked over to eleven, she said, “I’m going to call Carole.” Pulling out her phone, she pressed on Carole’s cell number. It went directly to voice mail. Then she tried the land line. It rang ten times before Julia ended the call.
“Not answering her phone?” Nico asked quietly.
“No.” She slid the phone into her front pocket, fingering the case. “Let’s go,” she said abruptly. “We’ll drive by Carole’s building. See if there’s a light on in her apartment.”
“Sounds good,” Nico said.
Flynn went to set up his cot, and she followed Nico to the back door. He eased it open and studied the darkness of the parking lot. “Stay here for a moment,” he murmured.
