Page 26 of Falling for Nicole
I must eventually drift off because I wake to my alarm blaring out from under my pillow. Groaning, I stretch my sore body out under the duvet as I fight to keep my eyes open. I feel like I’ve only been asleep for minutes.
In my search for coffee, I find Lilly in the kitchen feeding the twins.
“Morning,” I grunt as I attempt to get her coffee machine working. She takes pity on my sad state and helps me out after a few seconds.
“Didn’t you sleep well?” she asks with an amused smile.
“Not really, I tossed and turned for hours.”
“Do you remember talking to me down here at about three o’clock?”
I look at her blankly. “No.”
“I didn’t think you were awake but you were talking like you were. I’d forgotten about your night time antics.” While she laughs, I groan.
“What did I do?”
“Nothing really. I heard banging and found you in the fridge. You had a mug on the side with coffee granules in. I guess you decided you couldn’t use that thing in your sleep.” I’m glad she’s amused about all this. “So what’s up? You only do this when you’re stressed.”
I’m pretty sure there’s only one thing that’s caused it, but I’m not getting into whatever the fuck is going on with Dec. “Just work, I guess. Yesterday was so busy.”
“You said it went really well though, so you can’t be worrying about it.”
“I guess I’m just apprehensive about being the manager and making the right decisions.”
“Dec won’t let you make the wrong ones.” Her comment is meant to be flippant but it hits a little too close to home. Won’t he? Thoughts of how I almost made a very bad decision last night won’t leave me as I get ready to start what’s inevitably going to be another hectic day.
I’m gobsmacked when I let myself into the shack later that morning to find all the cleaning I ran out on last night done.
“Hello?” I shout cautiously. I’ve definitely not had enough sleep to deal with a pissed off Dec this morning.
I let out a sigh of relief when there’s no response. Seeing as I’ve got less to do than I thought, I make myself another coffee and spend some time soaking up the morning sun on the decking while Bailey plays on the beach.
* * *
Dec doesn’t show his face all morning, but I can’t help but smile when I see two other familiar faces walking towards the bar as they look around at the place. Pride for what their son has achieved oozes from both of them.
“Nicole, angel, it’s so good to see you,” Susan says as she walks around to the gap in the bar so she can pull me into a bone-crushing hug. The second I’m wrapped in her arms, the tears come. Susan has always been like a second mum to me. Even after I left, I knew she would always do anything she could to help me, so being in her embrace again pushes me over the edge I’ve been clinging to.
“Hey now, enough of that.” Her palms come up to my face as we part and she wipes the tears from my cheeks. She tugs me back to her again, allowing me to pull myself back together.
When I step away again, I’m feeling a little more stable, like I’ll be able to face my customers.
“Lilly didn’t mention you were coming,” I say as I make them both a coffee and cut them each a very generous piece of cake.
“It’s a surprise. Lucas booked us a room and has been sworn to secrecy. They’re meeting us here in a few minutes. I can’t wait to see my grandbabies.” The love in her eyes is another reminder of what I’m not going to experience myself. Swallowing down my emotions once again, I focus on the job at hand. “Is Declan not here?”
“I’ve not seen him yet today, no.”
“How’s it going? I couldn’t believe it when Lilly said she’d suggested you two work together. I’m over the moon though with you kids all back together again. It’s where you belong.”
“It’s…uh…interesting.”
Right on cue, Dec walks through the front door, all sexy surfer and drawing every female’s attention his way.
The second he looks up, he finds me. Our eyes connect and the tension between us crackles as he slowly starts walking my way.
I’m completely lost to everything but him until some movement in my peripheral vision catches my eye. Looking down, I see Susan looking back and forth between the two of us with an amused smile on her face.
