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“What? He would be your wingman? How can you tell? It’s easy to fantasize about what he would have been like, but none of us know. Maybe he would hate your selfish ways. I doubt Keith would approve the way you favored him over me,” he spat the words like they were rotten food. Regret and pain blended around his heart, knotted it for a moment, released it, and a measure of relief laced his words.
Nikki had been right.
He’d prioritized mending fences for so long and lived in the fucking past. His guilt had weakened him, but this revelation would make him stronger.
“Watch what you’re saying, Cole. Some words can’t be taken back.”
“I know all about those words. I lived through them, I heard them. Sometimes they came from your voice, sometimes from your eyes. And I’m tired of idealizing a father-son relationship that will never exist,” he voiced the sentiment that lurked within him but he’d always been too afraid to let it take shape. Too afraid, like the little boy who had seen his twin brother die in front of him. Not anymore—just because Keith had left this world didn’t mean Cole had to live by his father’s rules. He felt his chest loosen, like the chains he’d locked around it had finally been broken.
His father stepped forward. Fear touched his eyes. The old man probably knew this time Cole fucking meant it. “What do you mean?”
“I’m done with you. You can have your stocks back, or hell, give them away. I’ve had to live with the ghost of Keith for too long—and I’m done being one.”
14
“How’s everything looking?” Sam asked.
Nikki glanced at the to-do list she’d given Sam, and the boxes crossed off. With the residents fully aware they’d have to move to a different site, a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She didn’t have to worry about asking her grandma to keep her mouth shut, or dodging some of the residents’ sneaky questions concerning their future.
Besides a couple of complaints, most of them understood and were on board with the change. “Good,” she said.
“Great. Have you seen the courtyard yet? We set up the tables and stuff for the meeting tomorrow.”
“Oh, yeah.” Steinberg would come to visit with the residents and take questions. Nikki tugged at her ear. Cole would come too, probably. She hadn’t seen him in over two weeks, since their fallout. At this stage, she didn’t have much communication she needed to exchange with him, and his assistant had contacted hers with a couple of questions.
A sense of loss assailed her. Not only had Violet still not returned, but Cole had remained absent from her life—if not from her mind. She chewed on her lower lip. The intensity with which she missed him scared her. One thing she’d learned about goodbyes was every day was supposed to get a little better. But in her case, she missed him more, like each day provoked the opposite reaction in her. She’d caught herself staring at her cell phone, hoping he’d call. When would the longing for him come to an end?
Sam brought her palms together in a soundless clap. “You should see it now. They’ve added some new stuff.”
Nikki waved her off. She had way too much to do. “I’ll stop by on my way to lunch.”
Sam shook her head. “No, you don’t understand. I got a text from the supervisor about a couple of nurses fending off an unruly patient and Zach is off property. You should go now.”
“Oh.” Nikki grabbed her walkie-talkie and placed it on her belt. The manager on duty had called in sick, so she had to fulfill his obligations too. She used the stairs and made her way down swiftly, walking briskly through the lobby until the sun greeted her outside. She lifted the walkie-talkie, her gaze swinging from side to side to spot the troublesome patient and nurses.
She found the maintenance men working up on ladders to put up special lanterns swinging from side to side with strings of lights. She clicked on the walkie-talkie. “Brady here. Where’s 402? Over,” she asked, saying the code they used for unruly patients and problems on the ground.
“Make a left,” said a deep, manly voice she knew all too well. Every part of her woke, sizzled and perked at Cole’s sexy baritone on the other side of the device. Was he back already? Maybe he’d dropped by to check on the arrangements for the event the next day.
Surely this reaction happened because she hadn’t seen him in a while. It’ll get better, she told herself inwardly. I hope it’ll get better.
She followed his command, turning into the left pathway leading her to the recreational grounds. Had the argument escalated and now the nurse and patient had moved to the pool area? The pulse in her neck jumped, her blood pressure skyrocketing. She cleared her throat, unsure if the uneasiness came from a possible conflict or the fact she’d face Cole again so soon—and unexpectedly.
Who was she kidding? She dealt with conflicts every damn day. She finger-combed her hair, wishing she’d put on more makeup. Just because they were no longer together didn’t mean she shouldn’t want to look her best.
“Then a right,” he said.
Anticipation whispered underneath her skin, goose bumps raising on her arms. Every step she took in his direction, a blend of excitement and dread knotted her stomach, making it hard to breathe. Worse than wearing a wet Spanx.
She strode through the gardens until she entered the pool area. With two large pools—one designed for swimming and the other one, for lounging— the space had several residents sun bathing, some talking to each other while others read a book or checked their phones. Her gaze darted to the station where nurses or employees would usually work, but all seemed fine. No one running or talking in a loud tone, or even the slightest hint of trouble.
“Nikki,” Cole called her, walking between the lounge chairs. “We need to talk.”
She raised her hand to her chest in a futile effort to keep her heart from galloping out of her ribcage. Instinctively, she ran her fingers through her hair again. Why did he have to be so fucking handsome? He shortened the gap between them, doing nothing to slow down her heart rate. If things continued like this, next time she met him she’d need to pop a Xanax beforehand.
“What is it? Is there an emergency for you to be here? Why wasn’t I contacted earlier? Sam told me—”
“I asked her to tell you. Otherwise you wouldn’t come.”
