His Small-Town Family

“Dead.”

The hollow look in her eyes hit Ethan like a blow. Nicki had been through something terrible.

She clasped her hands in front of her on the desk. “I know my plan will work, and with your help, I’m sure we can change the way people think about Latimer’s, and business will pick up, and by the time Dad is ready to come back to work it’ll be back on its feet. Then Sadie and I can leave.” She stopped, staring at the desktop before looking up again. “Well, it was a good plan.”

Leave? Was she planning on moving away from Dover? “What do you mean?”

She stared at the report. “My father didn’t tell me the whole story. Gary suspects Dad has been robbing Peter to pay Paul. Once I settle all the outstanding accounts, there won’t be enough money to redesign the store. I’ll have to work with what’s left, but I doubt that’ll be enough to turn things around.”

Ethan nodded and crossed his arms over his chest. “Sounds like time for plan B.”

“I don’t have a plan B.”

Her bottom lip quivered, filling him with a desire to pull her into his arms. “But you will.”

She met his gaze, her blue eyes wide. “How do you know that?”

“Because you made a plan A. You don’t strike me as someone who gives up easily.”

She looked away, fidgeting with the papers on her desk as if uncomfortable with his observation. “I’m just tired, that’s all. Sadie was up a lot last night, and I didn’t get much sleep. Things will look better tomorrow.”

Ethan tensed. He needed to get this over with. “Tomorrow.”

He saw her mentally gird herself. She looked up at him, her usual smile once more shining through. He doubted if anything could keep her down for long.

“Did you want to talk to me about something?”

He looked at her, his heart softening at the hopeful light in her eyes. Her face was a bit puffy, her nose pink, her mouth pulled into a small frown. Her vulnerability touched something deep inside him. She was counting on him to help her save her parents’ store. But he couldn’t. He thought about seeing her with the baby this morning and his gut twisted. He stood, sending the metal chair scraping along the floor. He couldn’t stay here. Period. But how could he leave her in the lurch like this? He opened his mouth to say the words, but then he remembered the robberies. He couldn’t leave them here alone. Which meant he couldn’t leave. Dragging a hand across the back of his neck, he sent up a prayer for strength and guidance. “So what do you want to tackle tomorrow?”

Nicki smiled, and the sun came out. “Come up with a plan B?”

“Sure thing.” He started to leave, then turned back. “You heading out soon? I don’t think it’s a good idea for you and...the little one to hang around here alone.” What if she worked late and the robbers showed up? He’d never forgive himself if anything happened to them. For some reason he didn’t understand, he felt responsible for them. Maybe because they were alone like him and no one else seemed to care.

She nodded. “I’m leaving right now. Thanks for listening, Ethan.”

He puttered around in the stockroom until she was ready to leave, then followed her out, keeping his gaze averted from the sight of her and the baby as she secured the infant in its car seat. He took his time getting into his car, making sure she was safely inside hers and driving away before he cranked the engine on his Malibu.

He leaned back in the driver’s seat, his heart beating double time. How was he going to do this? The Lord had thrown him a giant curveball. He’d wanted his new life in Dover to be simple; he’d wanted it to be a place where he could learn to manage his emotions and live in the moment. But now he didn’t know how he would get through the next few minutes, let alone remain here and work for weeks. Somehow he had to find a way to help Nicki, but avoid seeing her and the baby together.

Pulling out his phone, he scrolled through his contacts until Paul’s name appeared. He needed some advice, and he needed it fast.

Chapter Four (#ulink_ee75aac1-3db2-557c-9bf7-2bcab36333ae)

The gate blocking the railroad track slowly lifted and the line of cars crept forward. Ethan tapped the steering wheel as he waited, trying to maintain his composure and not let his nerves get the better of him.

If he had any sense, he’d call Nicki, tell her goodbye and move on. He’d spent last night questioning his decision, but always coming to the same conclusion. He couldn’t leave Nicki to run that store alone. Unfortunately, these thoughts had unleashed old nightmares. The only difference had been the endings. While they used to end with the explosion, then blackness, last night they’d ended with Nicki and the baby running away. From him. Maybe that was progress.

He knew better than to assign any significance to the dreams. They were only subconscious fears mixed up with his PTSD-scrambled brain. The real threat today would be doing his job and keeping a lock on his memories.

Nicki’s car was already parked behind the store when he pulled in. He went inside, hoping to slip into the stockroom unnoticed and get to work. But as he moved down the hallway, he heard conversation coming from the office. Wanting to make sure everything was all right, he stepped to the open door and glanced in.

Nicki was cradling the baby in her arms, talking softly, her back to him as she gave the little one her bottle. He ducked back out of sight, but couldn’t help overhearing as she talked to her daughter.

“I’m sorry that you don’t have a daddy, sweetie. Mommy really messed up on that. I wanted you to have a daddy like me. Someone to love you no matter what, who’ll think you’re special, someone to protect you. But your daddy wasn’t like that. Which is why we had to get away. So it’s just you and me, Sadie. But we’ll be okay. I promise.”

Ethan slowly backed up, then made his way to the kitchen. What had she meant by “get away”? What had happened between her and her husband? Questions multiplied in his head.

Pouring a cup of coffee, he stared at the dark liquid, relieved that seeing Nicki and the baby today hadn’t triggered any memories. He released a slow breath. Perhaps yesterday’s reaction had been a result of surprise. But he’d still have to be on guard. The threat of a flashback lurked in the shadows of his mind like a mountain lion poised to attack.

“Good morning.” Nicki joined him at the coffeemaker. “I thought I heard you come in.”

He glanced at her briefly before spooning sugar into his coffee. “Where’s the little one?”

“I put her down for some tummy time.”

Ethan had no idea what that meant. His expression must have given him away.

“She’s playing.”

Nicki reached across him for a cup, surrounding him with the scents of gardenias and baby powder. The light from the ceiling fixture danced off her yellow hair, making it shimmer as she moved. She grasped the coffee carafe and he couldn’t help but notice her small hands. He allowed his gaze to skim over her. The print dress she wore nipped in at her waist and flared softly over her hips. The word delicate came to mind. But even though Nicki may appear delicate, he knew underneath she was a woman made of strong determination and grit. He returned his focus to the coffee in his cup and not the lovely woman beside him.

“Ethan, about yesterday...”

He braced before turning to look at her. Curiosity reflected in her eyes. He did not want to talk about his reaction or explain about his PTSD. He’d learned the hard way that it triggered fear and distrust in many people.

“I want to apologize. I was an emotional mess and unloaded on you. My only excuse is that I wasn’t prepared for the news my friend gave me.”

He stared. That was what she wanted to talk about? The tension in his shoulders eased. “You have a lot on your plate right now.”

“True, but what I need is action, not tears. I’ve got to stay focused on my goal.”

“What goal is that?”

“Getting out of Dover.”

Disappointment settled heavily on his shoulders. He’d barely come to know her and she was making plans to leave. An old ache resurfaced. No one in his life stayed for long. They were all only temporary. Apparently Nicki would be another one on his long, long list.

“Which brings me to another subject.” She took a sip of her coffee, looking at him above the rim. His heart caught in his throat. “I’d like to train you on the cash register today. With all the paperwork, and keeping an eye on Sadie, it would be a big help if we could both handle customers.”

He added creamer to his cup, watching the dark coffee turn a caramel color. He’d hoped this part of his job wouldn’t come until later. Why had he ever thought working here would be simple? Two days in and he was facing all the things he’d wanted to avoid.

He glanced at her briefly. “I’m not much of a salesman. I’m more of a behind-the-scenes kind of guy.”

“You’d be my backup, not a full-time salesperson. It would help me out a lot.”

The hopeful look in her eyes punctured his reluctance. He’d promised himself when he’d come to Dover he’d step out, embrace life. Here was his first test. “Okay. Sure.”

“Great. I’ll go get the till and we’ll do it right now. And don’t worry about helping the customers. Everyone here in Dover is friendly. Just flash that great smile of yours and the customers will be happy. Meet me out front when you’re done with your coffee.” She hurried out of the kitchen.