Nick, p.7
NICK, page 7
“It’s not a bad idea,” Nick admitted. “The only reason I was allowed in the room was because of Vanessa. Without her, I’m afraid it’ll be folks waiting in the lobby.”
“I’ll set up shifts,” Kellan said.
“What about Rowan?” Nick asked, figuring if anyone knew his whereabouts it would be Kellan.
“No idea, man,” Kellan said, sounding defeated. “He didn’t say much about where he was going, for how long, or when he’d be back if he decides to come home again.”
“Is not coming back a possibility?” Nick asked, more than surprised his brother would up and leave forever without explaining himself further. Then again, nothing should shock him lately.
“You got me,” Kellan said. “Wouldn’t rule it out, though.”
Nick blew out a breath. “I guess the whole family dynamic is changing. Folks are pairing up, becoming families, getting married.”
Kellan was quiet after the last word was spoken. Damn. Nick realized his brother’s divorce had to still sting. He wasn’t trying to poke at a sore spot.
“Then there’s Uncle Brodie’s stroke and the reallocation of inheritance and work,” Nick continued, hoping to get the conversation back on track.
“It’s been a lot,” Kellan said after clearing his throat. “Not to mention the situation with our mother.” A pause came before, “Hold on. I think I see our father.” Another pause. “Yes, that’s him. I better go catch him up to date.”
“Maybe he can take the first shift,” Nick said sarcastically. The man abandoned his wife. No matter how much Keifer Firebrand claimed to have changed, he was still cut from the same cloth.
“We’ll see,” Kellan said with little hope in his voice.
“Watch your back, okay?” Nick felt the need to add.
“You too,” Kellan said. “We need you around here.”
The two exchanged goodbyes around the same moment Vanessa exited the building. One look at her face said she was frustrated or worried, or both. A sinking feeling took hold. Should Nick be worried about her expression?
“What happened?” Nick asked, his question was fair.
“Nothing,” Vanessa said on a frustrated sigh. “The judge is out playing golf.”
“Should we make a trip to the public course?” Nick asked.
“He’s at Pebble Beach,” she said, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Won’t be back on the bench until tomorrow afternoon.”
It occurred to her the day was getting away from her and she hadn’t eaten in more hours than she cared to count.
Nick started the engine. “You have a headache?”
“It’s from hunger,” she admitted. “But I’m fine. There’s a lot to think through and a whole lot to do.”
“We’ll get food first,” he said, starting the engine. “No one can think straight when they’re starved, especially not you. Remember the chem test you failed because you forgot to eat lunch and tried to power through the test anyway?”
“I failed because I studied for the wrong test,” she defended with a small smile.
“Are you kidding me?” he quipped. “You knew chem like the back of your hand. All you would have needed was a quick review, but you were hungry, so you weren’t thinking straight. Then, you blanked out in chem.”
“I got lucky that my teacher let me retake the test,” she said. “Those testing center teachers weren’t always so nice.”
“You did alright for yourself,” he said, which filled her with a sense of pride.
“I was practicing the kind of law that I wanted to before my father…” She had to stop for a minute so she could collect herself. “You know…passed.”
“I’m sorry about losing your father, Vanessa. I really am,” Nick said in a voice that almost had her believing he meant it. How could he? The two had been gasoline on fire. Although, to be fair, her father was most of the blaze. Nick was respectful. He had honor. He could get along with anyone if he put his mind to it. Her father had believed a relationship in a small town like Lone Star Pass would somehow corrupt her into wanting to give up on her dreams of becoming a lawyer.
Her father didn’t have the first idea of how supportive Nick had always been. Wouldn’t listen to reason either. He was convinced Nick would hold her back in the end. Of course, that wasn’t how he put it back in high school. He had to know she would have rebelled against the idea. No. Her father was smarter than that, and she respected him too much to go against his wishes for her.
Looking back, she couldn’t believe she’d been such a pushover. Then again, she’d loved her father and believed he wanted the best for her. The man had her convinced of it anyway. Vanessa had bought into his victim routine when it came to his relationship with her mother. He’d convinced Vanessa that her mother was the bad guy. He definitely brought out the worst in her mother. There’d be no argument coming from her there. It wasn’t until Vanessa was much older that she realized her mother never said a mean-spirited word about her father behind his back. At least, not to Vanessa. Not to mention the fact her mother had always had to be the serious parent since her father had apparently threatened to take her to court to get full custody if she didn’t comply with his requests. He was good at twisting words to benefit himself.
And wasn’t she just like him? Or at the very least dyed from the same cloth?
It made her wonder if this was the reason her past relationships hadn’t amounted to much. She’d convinced herself that she was too busy to put the time in. Looking back, she couldn’t help but wonder if that was true.
Hunger was making her think too much about the past. Keep looking in the rearview and her future would smack her in the back of the head.
Plus, this was probably her brain’s way of distracting her from the fact she’d been shot at today.
Vanessa bit back a yawn.
“You’re hungry and tired,” Nick said. “Not a good combination.”
“Nothing I haven’t dealt with before,” she said.
“It’s a good thing we’re heading back to the ranch,” he said. “Unless you want to pick up fast food along the way.”
“How long until we reach your place?” she asked. The last thing she wanted was fried food.
“Another half an hour,” he said after glancing at the clock. “Can you make it that long?”
“Sure,” she said. “If you don’t mind, I might lean my seat back and close my eyes.”
“Go for it,” he said, reaching for the CD player. He tapped a button, then the cab filled with soft jazz music. Her favorite artist. She must have given him a look because he said, “What? I like jazz every once in a while. You turned me onto it.”
“I can’t argue your taste,” she said with a small smile. And then she closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
8
When it came to Vanessa’s sleeping habits, not much had changed. She’d passed out inside his truck, and didn’t so much as blink while he carried her into the home he’d had built near Whispering Rock Lake.
This took him back to the weekends she’d slept this hard after a study binge. There was no waking her no matter how much he didn’t want her to go hungry. So, he’d always buy a box of donuts to leave in her room for when she woke up starving, searching for anything to fill the emptiness in her stomach. Glazed had been her favorite. She would text the silliest pictures that also managed to be damned adorable. His teenage heart had fallen hook, line, and sinker for her.
Taking her into his guest room, he managed to peel back the covers without disturbing her. Next, he slid her shoes off. They had a small heel that could be used as a weapon if need be. He set those next to the nightstand so she could easily find them if she woke scared out of her mind in the unfamiliar place.
After pulling the covers over her, he retrieved her handbag and laptop bag from his truck. She didn’t travel light. In fact, he could use them for weight training or weapons if need be. No wonder her arms had muscle definition. Must be from packing these around all day.
Nick glanced around the area, remembering how easy it had been for others to trespass onto Firebrand property. The truth was that fencing was for the herd, not stalkers or murderers. Having a fence around the area in which cattle could graze freely kept them from wandering into creeks, where they got stuck and sometimes met their demise. Others broke bones trying to get out of the mud.
Until recently, he’d never considered someone trespassing to do members of the family harm. Which reminded him, he needed to send out a group text that he couldn’t make a meeting happen tonight.
Once back inside, he sent the message, requesting to postpone until tomorrow at lunch. He had no idea how long Vanessa might sleep and he didn’t want to wake her unnecessarily. His mother was safe in the hospital now that a family member would be on rotation. Based on the group chat, it had been decided updates would be posted each shift. Every person, save for Rowan, signed up to work a two-hour shift. At least their brother knew what was going on if he was in cell range. He was the only one not responding to the group chat. Then again, he’d needed a break. Nick wouldn’t put it past Rowan to mute the group.
With everyone moving in different directions, it might be easier to have a Zoom meeting rather than trying to organize an in-person one.
Nick moved to the fridge, then located a container of his aunt’s famous meatballs. He took out enough of a portion to fill his plate, and then nuked the meal. The smell alone was enough to make his mouth water. Speaking of which, his mouth was dry as the soil. He needed to drink water.
Seeing food also made him realize how hungry he was. He ate at the table, his phone sitting on top in case anyone needed to reach him.
As much as he wanted to feed Vanessa, he didn’t want to wake her. The headaches she’d gotten when they were young had been no joke. She’d have to place cold, wet rags on her forehead and over her eyes while she slept in a room with black-out curtains. There was a special term if he remembered correctly. What was it? He snapped his finger as the answer came to him. Cluster migraines.
He didn’t wish them on his worst enemy.
After eating and cleaning up, Nick headed to the shower. It was dark outside and they were in for the night. Even if Vanessa stirred, there wasn’t much else they could do tonight. Ranch work started at five o’clock sharp. Most everyone would be asleep soon enough.
Nick realized he hadn’t signed up for a slot at the hospital. Rather than stir up the group chat, he decided to shower and hit the hay.
Twenty minutes later, he was ready for bed. Before he slipped under the covers, he needed to check on Vanessa. The guest room was in the same hallway as the master, so it didn’t take long before he stood at the door that was cracked. Vanessa had always been a heavy sleeper. There was comfort in knowing some things hadn’t changed as he heard her softly snoring.
He grabbed a water bottle from the pantry before setting it on the nightstand in case she woke up thirsty. He didn’t keep donuts in his pantry, so a banana would have to do the trick. Then, he got out of there so she didn’t wake up to him in her room. The last thing he wanted to do was scare her when she was half awake.
Nick headed down the hall to his room.
A lot of good it did to go to bed. Sleep was about as close as August to snow-skiing weather. He turned onto his side and clamped his eyes shut. The shooter invaded his thoughts. Again, he wondered why Vanessa had been certain the shot had been meant for her.
Nick tossed and turned for a solid half hour before he gave up on getting sleep. He didn’t want to chalk it up to the fact Vanessa Mosely was sleeping a few feet down the hallway in his guest bedroom, but she was even more beautiful than he remembered. Between her being here and visiting his mother, there was no way he was going to nod off.
He kicked off the covers and headed toward the kitchen. Halfway down the hall, he realized he had on boxers and nothing else. Doubling back, he tiptoed back to his room so as not to disturb her. The wood flooring in this house always creaked and groaned under his weight. He amused himself with the thought no one would ever be able to sneak up on him.
After sliding into a pair of jeans that he left unbuttoned at the waist, he headed back toward the kitchen. It was tempting to look in on Vanessa again, but he resisted. Instead, he kept his eyes forward until he reached the kitchen, where he put on a pot of coffee. Everyone had moved to those pods, it seemed, but he liked the way a pot smelled on the days he didn’t work the ranch.
Nick couldn’t remember the last day off he’d had. He’d been volunteering to cover for anyone and everyone in recent weeks. The smell of fresh brew perked up his mood considerably. He poured a cup and then sat down at the table with his phone. He researched Vanessa Mosely coupled with Mosely Law.
It took a while to scroll through all the entries but he finally found a blip of an article about her living off her father’s reputation. Was that the real reason she’d taken the case? To prove herself?
There were other articles featuring her and a man-of-the-month on a date in a society page. There was no denying her beauty. Dressed up. Dressed down. Earlier in the morning when he’d been pressed on top of her, breathing in her scent, which was a mix of spring flowers and rain, his first thought was how beautiful she was. To be fair, that had been his second thought. His first was questioning how the hell he was going to get them out of the park alive.
Bullets had a way of taking center stage.
Vanessa had said she’d taken the case for his mother, insinuating it had also been because of him. Did it really have to do with proving herself? Taking on an unwinnable case to prove she had what it took?
He didn’t want to doubt her intentions. And, honestly, he probably shouldn’t even care as long as his mother received the best possible defense. Except that it did matter. To him. The reason Vanessa had taken on his mother’s case was important.
He told himself that it was because she would cut bait if this went south. He tried to convince himself the reason he cared was for his mother and not some outdated sense of pride that had him wanting Vanessa to actually care.
Much more of this line of thinking and maybe he’d sign up for a poetry class so he could really wax poetic.
Who would want to hurt his mother in jail? Were they trying to silence her permanently? It occurred to Nick that Vanessa could request to interview the former ranch hand that had been recruited by his mother in the murder plot, Decks, to see if he knew of others involved.
He made a mental note as he sipped his coffee. Dark roast was his favorite blend and he’d gotten the roast just right this time. Taking the time to watch the sunrise kept him going during difficult times—and his family had had their fair share.
A minute into his thoughts, he heard the shower turn on in the guest bathroom. Vanessa was awake. Should he confront her?
A quick shower brought Vanessa back to life. During the last minute, she turned the water as cold as she could stand it. That always did the trick when she’d been up for two nights studying during law school finals or preparing for mock trial. There was no greater shock to the system than freezing cold water coming out of the faucet.
Looking back, she didn’t have any carefree happy memories after leaving Lone Star Pass for Houston or even after in Austin. Of course, Nick might argue she didn’t have a whole lot before leaving either, considering she’d stay in when everyone else was out having parties near the lake or driving to Austin for the weekend.
Living in Texas and never attending one Friday Night Lights game was probably considered a sin in most people’s book. Throw her out of the state if needed, but she’d never been football obsessed. She’d never wanted to be a cheerleader on the sidelines of the sport Texans saw almost as a religion. And she sure as hell never wanted to date the quarterback. Not the running back. Not the defensive linemen…
Ranchers were more her style. One, in particular had caught her attention. Nick. She remembered to this day the first time she saw him. She’d been sitting on the side of the pool at his high school the day he first approached her. She must have been the sight. Her goggles were sitting on her forehead, hair tucked into her rubber swim cap. Top it all off with a very unattractive one-piece swimsuit. To this day, she had no idea what he’d seen in her. Nick was tall even back then. He had more muscles than most despite still needing to fill out his frame.
He’d sat down beside her and asked her name. They talked for a solid hour before being kicked out of the pool area so the coach could close up. He’d asked her out but she’d said no. To this day, she was still trying to figure out the reason for the rejection. If she had to guess, she’d say that in an instant, she’d known this guy was different and that he had the power to make her want to change her plans.
Vanessa sighed. Nick had been the one person she could see building a different life with and it had scared her to the core.
But that was a long time ago.
She refocused, and realized she didn’t want to put her dirty clothes back on. So, she rummaged around in the bathroom to find something to wear. A clean-smelling bathrobe hung on the hook on back of the door, so she put the white cotton robe on and then hung up her towel so it could dry.
The robe fit a little too well. Did she want to know who it belonged to? Vanessa hadn’t asked if Nick was married or seeing someone. A gorgeous, intelligent man like him could have his pick.
It had always been that way. Again, she wondered why he’d chosen her. She’d been a little obnoxious with her know-it-all attitude. She could only hope time and maturity had tempered that trait.
Now, of course, she had to be right and maybe the smartest person in the room in order to mount a proper defense or innocent people went to jail. There was nothing smug about that. Life had very real consequences if she wasn’t on her game. Which brought her to Jackie Firebrand.
A clank in the kitchen reminded her that Nick was awake. She had no idea what he was doing up at this hour. Did the man ever sleep?
