Page 51 of A Forgotten Heart
He was aware—too aware—that the reason for his insomnia was asleep upstairs in the girls’ room.
As the coffee boiled, Nick looked through the kitchen window over the sink, staring at the silver moon glowing off the white landscape. It seemed so peaceful he could almost believe they were safe.
But it was an illusion.
Just like the past four years disappearing from his memory had been an illusion.
It was as if, for a few days, his mind had created an alternate world where his hopes and dreams had come true.
And her kiss. His eyes slid closed, remembering.
It hadn’t been like the kisses they’d shared years ago. This one had come from Elsie the woman. Gone was the innocent, naive Elsie. But who was this older version of the Elsie he’d known? He didn’t know her. But some part of him wanted to.
Which was why he couldn’t sleep.
The coffee boiled over with a hiss, and he roused himself back to the present.
He couldn’t focus on her kiss. Yes, it had really happened, but so had their argument in school. Her words still rattled his core, spoken with such venom he could almost smell its vitriol.
It’s not like you mattered that much anyway.
He ground his teeth together. Those words had hit their target and made him bleed, but they competed against the memories of her snuggled close to his side in the doctor’s clinic. And of her saving his life.
The vulnerability in her eyes when he’d said he loved her?—
Nick jerked himself to the shelf with tin mugs. Anything to keep his mind from going there.
The coffee steamed as he poured, warming his inner chill.
If only she hadn’t agreed to testify against Quade. Why had she done that, anyway?
A need to protect her flared within his gut.
Ah, drat. How had he let her get under his skin? Again.
The kitchen door swung open, and Nick startled, his coffee almost sloshing over the rim of his cup.
Isaac slipped inside. He must’ve assigned himself first patrol. His hat was pulled down low to keep the wind out of his face.
He did a double take when he caught sight of Nick standing in front of the kitchen counter next to the window.
Isaac stepped close enough to whisk Nick’s coffee mug out of his hand. “Shouldn’t you be sleeping?”
Isaac hadn’t missed a thing at dinner. Nick had shown too much. Having Elsie close was like a burr under his saddle. “I didn’t make that coffee for you.”
Isaac ignored him and sipped the coffee. Nick felt the scrutiny of his brother’s direct gaze.
“So, are you going to tell me about Elsie?”
Nick rubbed his forehead to ease the persistent headache he couldn’t rid himself of. He leaned against the counter. Maybe he should forget the coffee.
“There was a time when I was lost over Clare, and you set me straight.”
He should’ve known Isaac would push.
“How come none of us knew about Elsie?”
Nick had helped Isaac muddle through his feelings for Clare, but that didn’t mean Nick needed the favor reciprocated. He didn’t want to have feelings for Elsie.
