Page 39 of Act of Brotherhood
Clara cleared her throat. “Oh yes. I meant another state. Sorry. I’m still stunned by you announcing you brought a man home with you.”
Nicolette stilled. “Hold on, did you suggest I call my uncle and tell him I’m having a random hook up with a guy I barely know?”
Clara snorted. “When you put it that way, no. Maybe phrase it different.”
“The minuteI have a boy in the houseleaves my mouth, my uncle will descend upon this place. You know how he is,” said Nicolette.
“I do. And I knowwhyhe is the way he is,” she said before taking a deep breath. “Question. If you’re on the phone with me, where is the Viking-Cupcake Dude? Tell me you didn’t forget about him like you forgot about opening the window and not closing the door.”
A line of French curses came from her. She’d forgotten Garth was downstairs waiting on her which was ironic seeing as how she’d called Clara in the first place to talk about the man.
“You never used to be this bad. What’s been up with you lately?”
“No idea but I have to go.”
“Text me sex updates. And I’d advise that you refrain from licking any of that cupcake off his body. It could be hazardous to your health,” said Clara with a laugh.
Nicolette hung up on her friend and put her phone in her back pocket. She then did her best to wash away any remaining cupcake residue from her arms, hands, and the ends of her hair. It was greasier than it should be, and she began to wonder if Garth was right. Had he saved the children from certain demise by ruining their treat?
She stepped back from the bathroom sink and looked at her reflection in the mirror. A stranger stared back. A wild woman who was about to go downstairs and do something totally out of character.
A slow smile spread over Nicolette’s face.
About time.
Another thought hit her, and she lifted her Viking T-shirt to see what bra she had on. She then peeked down the front of her jeans, wondering if her panties and bra matched. As luck would have it, they did. And they were a set that was actually sexy, unlike a number of her panties that had inspirational phrases on them. She’d found a great sale on the under items and had bought the place out. She loved the positive messages.
Clara took every chance she could to threaten to burn them. Apparently, they were anything but sexy to men.
The set she was in now had been a gift from Clara, so they’d work perfectly. She breathed into her hand next, making sure she didn’t have offensive breath. Sinking to a new low, she lifted her arms and sniffed her pits. With all the colliding into hot hunks and speed walking from the square, she wanted to be sure she didn’t smell like sweat.
She didn’t.
She looked in the mirror. “Clara, I’m glad you’re not here. You’d never let me live this down.”
With mustered courage, Nicolette left her bathroom and glanced out the window as she heard something that sounded like thunder in the distance. She went to the window to ensure it was closed tight and then tried to lock it—only to find the lock was broken. Had it always been that way?
She couldn’t remember. She’d never had a need to lock it before. Her gaze drifted to the back corner of the yard, and she paused when she saw the back lights were burnt out again. The things went through light bulbs like they were going out of style.
Something else to add to the list.
Satisfied that if a storm came, rain wouldn’t get in, she backed away from the window and headed downstairs again. She found Garth in the living room, looking at framed photos that adorned the mantel above the fireplace.
He glanced back at her—and then quirked a brow at the sight of her shirt. “What is that?”
She tugged at the shirt. “If you tell me it’s hideous, I’ll make you leave. It’s my favorite T-shirt. I’ve had it for years and I already told you I have a thing for Vikings. It’s old, but it’s perfect for me. Vintage.”
“Kind of like I am.” He brought his glass of wine to his lips and looked to be doing his best to avoid laughing.
She crossed the room to him and he handed her a glass of wine. Nerves got the better of her, and she gulped it down as if it were water and she a parched man in a desert.
Garth grinned more. “I like a woman who can hold her spirits.”
Instantly, heat flared up her neck. “I’m nervous.”
“You don’t have to be. Nothing is going to happen that you don’t want to have happen, okay?” The concern in his green gaze moved her and helped to calm her nerves slightly.
She nodded.
