Reed smiled in agreement before launching into the other fundraising details.
Amy, who had been walking the grounds, came up to them. “I’m gonna go in a bit. I promised Sarah that I’d meet her and Aaron for lunch at Lot 28,” she excused herself.
“Do you want me to take you?” Nikki asked with concern.
“No, it's fine. They’re picking me up on their way over there,” Amy reassured her.
“Okay,” Nikki responded, relieved.Just then, the honking of a car horn caught their attention.
“Gotta go. Bye.”
“She is really a lovely young woman,” Reed complimented, bringing Nikki’s attention away from her niece's retreating back.
“That she is.” Nikki smiled proudly. “About the cat…” she said, launching into another topic of discussion.
“Oh yes. We have room for her now. You can bring her back when you’re ready.”
“I was actually thinking about keeping her. She’s grown on me,” Nikki revealed.
“Even better,” he replied, pleased. “Let’s get you some pet ownership forms to sign, and you can pick out a name tag for…”
“Tabby.”
“For Tabby.”
And just like that, Nikki was a cat owner.
* * *
Ding!
Nikki put down the book she had been reading, stood to her feet, and walked out of the living room. She managed to open the door after the second ring. Her heart rate quickened and her face automatically broke into a smile at the sight of Paul standing before her.
“Hi,” she greeted, her voice coming out a little breathier than she’d intended.
“Hi,” Paul returned, reaching over to envelop her in a hug. His musky cedarwood and allspice scent penetrated her senses. She caught herself before she snuggled closer to him and moved out of the embrace with a smile.
“I came by to check on the restaurant and thought I’d check on you too.”
Nikki moved back, allowing him to enter, then closed the door and walked him to the living room. She excused herself to get them a cool drink of lemonade. After handing Paul a glass, she settled into the couch opposite the one he sat in. She watched as he put the glass to his lips and tipped his head backward as he took a long drink of the cold beverage. His Adam’s apple bobbed with every gulp.
“I saw Sarah and Amy by Lot 28 having lunch on my way over here.”
“How did she look?” Nikki asked, leaning forward in her seat.
“They were laughing about something when I was leaving,” he responded. “Amy looks happy…comfortable. Sarah really likes her. She said that if she had a little sister, she would like her to be like Amy.”
Nikki smiled broadly. “I’m really happy to hear that. She needs some positive influence in her life,” she commented before her shoulders drooped and her brows furrowed in regret. “We weren’t there for her when she needed us, and she had to grow up the way she did.” Her eyes clouded over.
“After all of that, she deserves some good in her life. She needs some good role models to help her heal from what her adoptive parents put her through…what that lowlife did to her.” Her hands tightened on the armrests, causing her knuckles to go white at the vision of Jake holding her niece roughly with his other hand raised and ready to strike. She wished she had been able to do more to keep him away from Amy.
“I hope he stays in jail for a long time. He could rot for all I care,” she spoke with much venom.
Paul’s pursed lips and the look in his eyes made her uneasy. “What’s wrong?”
“Jake is out on bail. His mother came to bail him out and left town with him as soon as he was released,” he spoke regretfully.
Her heart hit the bottom of her chest. “What?” She stared at Paul with dread.
