Page 32 of Frosting and Flames

Kyle:You’re really hanging out with Nick? I thought you were kidding about that.

I close out of the text, not responding, and set my phone back on the table as another shiver washes over me, this time for an entirely different reason. How did he know Nick was over here? Did he drive by and see his truck? Are my neighbors spying on me and reporting stuff to him?

I run my hands down my arms, trying to will away the goosebumps. Why does Kyle even care who I’m spending time with? He cheated on me. He chose to do that. He doesn’t get a say in what I do with my life anymore.

I shut my eyes, thinking again about how clueless I was. How I didn’t see any signs of what was going on. How I might have stayed completely unaware of his extracurricular activities if Autumn hadn’t become pregnant.

How he left me for her.

I blow out a breath, hating this antsy feeling in my stomach, and check Jae’s text, grabbing onto the lifeline she sends me when she asks if I want to come over and eat pizza and watch a romcom.

Yes, that’s exactly what I need. Carbs and fictional men who always end up doing the right thing.

Two things that have yet to let me down.

CHAPTER EIGHT

NICK

Iscrub a hand over my face, the familiar bone-deep weariness running through me after a twenty-four-hour shift.

I was able to sleep a few hours last night until a call for a carbon monoxide alarm came through, and though I should go home to nap, there’s something else I’d rather do first.

I got an answer from Chief yesterday about the fundraiser ideas, and to no one’s surprise, he loved them all. Seems I’m finally out of the doghouse for my fuckup at the bakery the other week. I can’t tell Rachel enough how grateful I am for her help.

Sure, I could call or text her with the news that we’re good to go to plan more, but it’s just after seven in the morning. If she has the day off, it’d be too early to call. And if she’s at the bakery, she’d already be there.

At least, that’s the reasoning I use as I walk the two blocks there. I’m definitely not using it as an excuse to see her in person again.

I’m still half-afraid she’ll bolt, something skittish lurking beneath the surface. I have to take every opportunity I can for fear it’ll be the last.

This hold she has on me… I can’t explain it. Back as a teenager, it was her quiet beauty and intelligence. A solemness surrounding her that felt weighty. Meaningful. Something to break through, if only you could get close enough.

And maybe something I recognized in myself at the time, too.

That was a lifetime ago, though. I know I’m a different person than I was back then. How much has she changed, too?

She’s still beautiful. Her long, dark hair. The green and gold-flecked eyes. Her full lips…

I clear my throat, looking around the sidewalk, but no one’s paying attention to me.

There are the things I’ve discovered in the past couple of weeks, too. The way she helps others without expecting the same in return. Her work ethic. Her smiles that feel hard-earned.

That solemness has grown into a protective wall, with only a few let inside. Her sisters. Her best friend.

And one day, I could slip behind that wall, too, if she keeps letting me hang around.

But maybe that’s wishful thinking.

I continue the rest of the way, past the diner where the daily special of meatloaf and mashed potatoes is written in chalk on the sandwich board out front, and the hardware store with its cluttered window display of garden gnomes and lawn flamingos.

Mrs. Montour exits right as I pass the hardware store and she cheerfully waves me down, clutching a new bird feeder in her hand. I’m half-surprised her dog isn’t with her. They’re usually attached at the hip—or rather, the leash.

“Oh, Nick, I hate to be a bother, but my lawn mower has been acting up. Do you think you could take a look at it?”

I give her an indulgent smile, knowing I’ll probably end up mowing her lawn for her. “Sure. I should have some time this afternoon.”

When my roommate and best friend, Tanner, and I had moved into the house across the street from Mrs. Montour, we had no idea what would be in store for us.

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