Page 58 of The Morning After (Savannah 2)

For a second Charlene’s chin wobbled, then she looked into her daughter’s eyes. “So, you think I’m crazy, too.”

“Not crazy. Depressed.”

“Isn’t it the same thing?”

“Not at all. There’s a big difference.” Nikki tried to be kind. But it was tough when the truth had to be said. “It’s just that you seem so unhappy, Mom.”

“Well, there’s a brilliant observation,” Charlene snapped angrily, then caught herself and extracted her fingers from Nikki’s grasp. “I’m fine. Fine. Don’t worry. Please.”

Heavy footsteps sounded in the hallway and again her mother’s lips pursed slightly, as if she could barely stand to be in the same room with her husband. She managed a tight, forced smile just as Big Ron walked into the room carrying two short glasses. Ice cubes clinked in a pale gold liquid. “Here ya go,” he said, handing one glass to Nikki.

“She said she didn’t want a drink,” Charlene said.

“Did she?” He winked at his daughter. “Guess I didn’t hear that.” Clicking the rim of his glass to Nikki’s, he said, “Here’s to more big scoops and bylines on the front page.”

“Thanks.” She took a tentative sip, found the drink tolerable, and tried to ignore the tension in the air.

To mollify her mother and because she was starved, she stayed for dinner, listening to her father’s golf stories and fishing stories and trying to lure Charlene into conversation to no avail. They took dessert in the family room, eating the pie and sipping coffee while Nikki tried not to notice how late it was getting. She’d nearly finished when it hit her that she’d forgotten all about Simone. Again. Good Lord, she was turning into one of those flaky friends she hated. “Oh, geez, I’ve got to run,” she said, leaving half a piece of pie and all her coffee on an end table.

“Where’s the fire?” Her father was seated in his favorite worn leather recliner. His legs were raised, his shirt unbuttoned and he’d lifted a pant leg to unbuckle the holster he wore at his ankle. He’d always carried a hidden weapon after an attempt had been made on his life, the result of a particularly unpopular courtroom decision.

“I told Simone I would meet her at the gym,” Nikki explained as she picked up her purse. She glanced at her watch. “If I hurry, I can still make it.”

“But we never get to see you,” Charlene complained as Big Ron rubbed his calf muscle. He’d placed his holster and pistol upon the coffee table.

“Pick that damned thing up,” Charlene said, jabbing a finger at the gun. “The last time you left it out Lily came over with Ophelia!”

Big Ron didn’t move except to change the channel on the big screen with his remote.

“Oh, for the love of God.” Charlene’s mouth drew into an unhappy, persecuted line.

Nikki hated to leave. A fight was brewing. “I’ll be back. Soon. Promise.” She dropped a kiss on her mother’s head, then gave her father another hug before streaking out of the house. Her parents had come to an uneasy truce. They’d be okay. Yet, she crossed her fingers.

How had she forgotten her friend? As ambitious as she was, she didn’t believe in work to the exclusion of all else. Family and friends were important. And yet she was ditching out on her folks, hadn’t called her sister back in two days, had left Trina to deal with Aimee and Dana the other night and now had nearly stood up her best friend. “Oh, yeah, Gillette,” she reprimanded, “you’re a great friend.”

She drove home pushing the speed limit, stopped by the owner’s apartment where she was handed two shiny new keys and was told that the new locks were “guaranteed to keep unwanted boyfriends out.”

“Thanks,” she’d said, flashing a smile and racing up the stairs. She hesitated as she slid one key into the new lock, but the door swung open and her cozy little apartment was just as she’d left it. At least, she thought so. Agilely, Jennings hopped down from the kitchen counter to rub around her legs. She took the time to pet him, give him some new food, and change. She then called Cliff Siebert on his cell and explain that she’d meet him at the Weaver Brothers truck stop, but that she was running late because of her date with Simone. Then, with only a modicum of guilt at leaving the cat again, she locked the door securely behind her before flying down the stairs. She had five minutes to get to the gym before the class started.

Unfortunately, it was a twenty-minute drive.

CHAPTER 14

“…that’s it for tonight. Thank you.” Jake Vaughn bowed, clapped his hands together and smiled at the class as he straightened. Nikki, her body drenched in sweat, felt muscles she hadn’t remembered existed. She’d gotten to the kickboxing class ten minutes late and missed stretching, but had managed to squeeze into a vacant spot next to Simone as her friend had worked out and ogled the instructor.

“You’re embarrassing,” Nikki said, swiping at her face with a towel as most of the other class members gathered their gear and walked out of the gym with its gleaming hardwood floors, high ceilings and basketball hoops.

“You think?” Simone laughed. Her black hair was pulled atop her head in a loose, seemingly casual knot that Nikki suspected took half an hour to get just right. Her skin was a natural golden tone, her cheeks flushed from the exertion of the workout, or from being so close to Jake, Nikki wasn’t sure which. “I didn’t think anything could embarrass you,” she said, dabbing at her forehead with the ends of the towel she’d draped around her neck.

“You were wrong.”

“Then, prepare yourself for being mortified.” After shooting a “watch this” look at Nikki, Simone walked boldly ov

er to Jake who was stowing some of his athletic gear into a nylon Nike bag.

Nikki couldn’t hear the conversation but assumed Simone was asking him out. He was smiling broadly, nodding, then shaking his head. Letting Simone down easy. What was wrong with the guy? Simone was a knockout in her leotard and tight little shorts. Jake had to be gay. Why else would Simone be interested in him? She was always attracted to the guys who were unavailable—either married, recently divorced, or somehow emotionally damaged. This was the first time that Simone had been interested in someone who wasn’t physically interested in her. A real blow to her ego. Except the guy was probably just not interested in women.

Nikki slung her towel over her neck as Simone and Jake parted ways. “He’s busy,” Simone said, her good mood replaced by confusion. Her dark brows were knit, her lips compressed.

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