Watching Nick with the elder Boudreau raised the hackles on the back of their neck. What right did he have to walk about free when he’d shattered lives? Destroyed futures?
Through the scope of the rifle, it was simple to follow Nick’s movements, watch him follow the older Boudreau past the barn and disappear from view behind the house. Loathing surged through them, a fierce desire to exact revenge bubbling to the surface. Soon.
Quickly dismantling the sniper rifle and packing it carefully within its specially-designed case, they gave one final look toward the Boudreau manse. Maybe killing Nick would shatter their lives the same way he had shattered theirs, but they couldn’t allow that to matter.
The only thing that did matter was destroying Nick Vincent.
CHAPTER TWELVE
“I’m a wreck.I can’t believe I invited Nick to my place for dinner. Me! You know I’m a giant klutz when it comes to social stuff. What was I thinking?”
Gracie stood in the middle of her kitchen, the grocery bags from the store scattered along her kitchen counters. Her best friend, Nica, lounged on one of the kitchen chairs, her long blonde hair spilling across her shoulders. It wasn’t fair, she thought, that no matter what Nica did, she always looked like an angel. All that was missing was the gold halo circling her head to make the picture complete.
“You were thinking like a woman for a change instead of hiding from the world. Gracie, you deserve to have a life outside of work. And why not Nick? I mean, he’s gorgeous with all that blond hair and blue eyes. And those muscles, yum.”
“Nica!”
“What? I’m not blind. Just because he’s one of Momma’s Lost Boys doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate a good-looking man when I see one. Actually, all the Lost Boys are attractive. Anyway, back to dinner. Are you worried about having him here in your apartment, the two of you alone?”
Gracie shook her head, and then nodded. She wasn’t exactly afraid, not of Nick. No, it was more that she hadn’t dated much. Hardly ever, because she’d barely been out of high school when she’d met Jeremy, and that pretty much was the end of her social life. Before that her world revolved around school and grades. She’d worked harder than she’d ever worked before to get accepted to Texas Tech with a full scholarship. Studying took up all her time, except for what she spent working for a fast food place to make a little extra cash. Boys and dating hadn’t been on her radar.
“I’m not afraid of Nick. I know he’d never hurt me. Your mother swears he’s one of the good guys, and Rafe trusts him. It’s just—I’m going to sound like an idiot—I’ve never been with anybody but Jeremy, and I’m scared that I’m going to screw things up before they even start. Jeremy turned everything he touched toxic, so I don’t know what a normal relationship feels like from the inside. Does that make sense?”
“Yeah.” Nica drummed her fingers against the table, gauging her words. “I get it. Probably more than you think. My relationships haven’t exactly been what you’d call normal either. I’m not even sure you can call them relationships. I only brought one guy home from college. I’m sure you can imagine how that went with eleven overprotective big brothers and my dad.”
“Oh, yeah. Bet that was fun.” Gracie pulled a package of ground beef from a bag and put it onto a shelf in the refrigerator. “Is that why you haven’t told your parents about you and—”
“Yeah, partly. Can you imagine if my parents find out I’ve been seeing someone for the past six months and they didn’t have a clue? That fact alone would break their hearts. When they find out it’s somebody they know, somebody who lives and works in Shiloh Springs? We’re talking about Mount Vesuvius times eleven, no, make that twelve.”
“They like Gabe. Maybe…”
Nica gave a low chuckle. “Maybe monkeys will fly out of my butt. Gabe is my dad’s doctor, for crying out loud. He runs the clinic. Now that Doc Jenkins is finally officially retired, he’s pretty much the best doctor in Shiloh Springs. Can you imagine the explosion that’s going to happen if I tell my family I’ve been seeing him for the past six months, whenever he comes to College Station? Sneaking moments whenever I was home?” She flung her head back and looked at the ceiling. “I’m a dead woman walking.”
“I’d think they’d be happy that you found somebody they like and respect. I mean, things could definitely be worse, right?” Gracie grabbed the other perishables and tossed them into the refrigerator before pulling out a chair and sitting across from Nica.
“We’re not here to talk about me and my man troubles. You called because you, my friend, have a date. An actual date with a guy. Coming to your place for dinner. This is far more exciting than my long-distance relationship.”
Gracie quirked her brow. “Not so long distance anymore. Now that you’re back in Shiloh Springs, it’s going to be hard to keep your seeing Gabe a secret.”
“I know. I haven’t figured that out yet. Right now I’m burying my head in the sand and hoping I can avoid World War III when my brothers find out.”
“Have you told your mother, you know, that you’re seeing somebody?”
“No,” Nica answered softly, not meeting Gracie’s gaze. “But I think she suspects something. She’s been a bit…cautious…when asking about my love life. Gah, why is romance so complicated?”
“Good question. What am I supposed to do tomorrow? I get the cooking part, that’s not a problem unless I burn the place down. But making small talk? It’s not like I can tell him all about my life before Shiloh Springs, though he knows about Jeremy. Not everything, but enough to know he’s a threat.”
“Don’t let it be awkward. Didn’t you say you talked in the coffee shop earlier? Pretend it’s the same thing tomorrow. Just two people talking about work, friends. General stuff. You don’t have to go into in-depth trauma and triggers on your first date.”
Gracie picked at the bottom of her shirt, noting a tiny thread coming undone. “He said I was beautiful.”
“That’s awesome! A pretty good indicator that he likes you.”
“I like him too.” She drew in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “You don’t think I’m crazy for doing this?”
Nica leaned forward and pulled Gracie into a hug. “I think this is one of the best things you’ve done in a long time. It tells me that you’re ready to move on. Stop allowing the past to keep you from having a future.”
“Thank you for being my friend. For always being there when I needed somebody to talk to or a shoulder to cry on. For encouraging me to start Gracie’s Grounds. You’re the best friend anybody could ask for.”
