around. I don’t think it will happen, though.”
A soft knock on the door announced dinnertime and Nikki let the questions drop as Catherine arranged her tray.
“Nikki, I’m getting a little hungry myself. Do you think you’ll be okay if I run to the cafeteria? I’ll get a sandwich and bring it back with me.”
“Take your time.” Nikki poked at a square of bright, orange gelatin . “I’m fine.”
Nikki forced herself to eat, though she had no appetite. When the telephone rang, she shoved the tray aside and leaned over the rail to grab it.
“Hello?”
“Nikki?” a man’s voice asked. “Is that you?”
“Yes, may—”
“Oh, good!” he said breathlessly. “I was hoping you’d be the one to answer the phone. Are you okay?”
“I – who is this ?” Something about this conversation was setting off alarm bells in her head.
“Oh, I get it. You can’t talk right now. I understand. What were you doing in his truck? Never mind. We’ll straighten everything out later. Don’t worry about Jake. I’ll take care of things, just like I promised.”
Before Nikki could say anything, the line went dead in her hand.
Chapter 4
November 4
The morning sun burned across Jake’s face. He rubbed his eyes, rolled over on his stomach and pulled the pillow over his head.
Her pillow.
He caught the faint, floral scent of Nikki’s shampoo in the crisp white pillowcase. It was the first time he’d slept in this bed in days, but somehow he needed to be close to her.
Jake glanced at his watch and groaned. He needed to get moving. Reluctantly, he swung his feet over the edge of the bed and headed down the hall to the bathroom. It wasn’t until he swung open the door that he remembered the mess he hadn’t cleaned up last night.
The sound he’d mistaken for an intruder was a vase of flowers Nikki had sitting in the bathroom window. The wind from the open window had sent them crashing to the floor. Jake cleaned up the glass and the water, remembered to pick up the torn gown, then stumbled to the shower.
The cool water did little to wake him up, but he was feeling better a half a pot of coffee later – at least until Evan Stephens called.
At the sound of the man’s voice, Jake gripped the phone a little tighter. His dislike for his wealthiest client was so intense he had to struggle to keep it hidden.
“Jake, Evan Stephens here. How’s the wife?”
“She’s doing better.”
“The papers say Nikki has amnesia—”
Jake hated to hear the jerk say her name. He damn sure didn’t have any business asking about her. “What can I do for you, Mr. Stephens?” he interrupted. “Hank said the project’s coming along on schedule.”
“Yes, but I have a modification I’d like to speak to you about.”
Jake winced as he listened to Stephens. They were already pushing their luck with the weather. If they got off track now, they might not beat the first snow.
“Let me look over the plans, see if it’s possible, and Hank or I will get back to you,” Jake said when the man was finished.
“Great. And tell Nikki I hope she recovers soon.”
Jake hung up without replying and called Hank. The other man’s voice was instantly wary.
“Jake, you okay? Something else happen?”
“What – oh, no. It’s about Stephens.”
When Jake told him what Stephens wanted, Hank let loose with a string of colorful obscenities.
“Yeah, I know. I can’t stand him either, but he’s the man with the cash right now. We’ll have to figure out something.” Jake rolled his head around, making his neck pop.
“I can’t believe that guy. He showed up at the site yesterday with a girl that couldn’t have been much older than my Gracie. He was all over the poor thing. I wanted to put my fist through his face and send her home to her mama.”
“I know Hank, but we’ve already signed
A soft knock on the door announced dinnertime and Nikki let the questions drop as Catherine arranged her tray.
“Nikki, I’m getting a little hungry myself. Do you think you’ll be okay if I run to the cafeteria? I’ll get a sandwich and bring it back with me.”
“Take your time.” Nikki poked at a square of bright, orange gelatin . “I’m fine.”
Nikki forced herself to eat, though she had no appetite. When the telephone rang, she shoved the tray aside and leaned over the rail to grab it.
“Hello?”
“Nikki?” a man’s voice asked. “Is that you?”
“Yes, may—”
“Oh, good!” he said breathlessly. “I was hoping you’d be the one to answer the phone. Are you okay?”
“I – who is this ?” Something about this conversation was setting off alarm bells in her head.
“Oh, I get it. You can’t talk right now. I understand. What were you doing in his truck? Never mind. We’ll straighten everything out later. Don’t worry about Jake. I’ll take care of things, just like I promised.”
Before Nikki could say anything, the line went dead in her hand.
Chapter 4
November 4
The morning sun burned across Jake’s face. He rubbed his eyes, rolled over on his stomach and pulled the pillow over his head.
Her pillow.
He caught the faint, floral scent of Nikki’s shampoo in the crisp white pillowcase. It was the first time he’d slept in this bed in days, but somehow he needed to be close to her.
Jake glanced at his watch and groaned. He needed to get moving. Reluctantly, he swung his feet over the edge of the bed and headed down the hall to the bathroom. It wasn’t until he swung open the door that he remembered the mess he hadn’t cleaned up last night.
The sound he’d mistaken for an intruder was a vase of flowers Nikki had sitting in the bathroom window. The wind from the open window had sent them crashing to the floor. Jake cleaned up the glass and the water, remembered to pick up the torn gown, then stumbled to the shower.
The cool water did little to wake him up, but he was feeling better a half a pot of coffee later – at least until Evan Stephens called.
At the sound of the man’s voice, Jake gripped the phone a little tighter. His dislike for his wealthiest client was so intense he had to struggle to keep it hidden.
“Jake, Evan Stephens here. How’s the wife?”
“She’s doing better.”
“The papers say Nikki has amnesia—”
Jake hated to hear the jerk say her name. He damn sure didn’t have any business asking about her. “What can I do for you, Mr. Stephens?” he interrupted. “Hank said the project’s coming along on schedule.”
“Yes, but I have a modification I’d like to speak to you about.”
Jake winced as he listened to Stephens. They were already pushing their luck with the weather. If they got off track now, they might not beat the first snow.
“Let me look over the plans, see if it’s possible, and Hank or I will get back to you,” Jake said when the man was finished.
“Great. And tell Nikki I hope she recovers soon.”
Jake hung up without replying and called Hank. The other man’s voice was instantly wary.
“Jake, you okay? Something else happen?”
“What – oh, no. It’s about Stephens.”
When Jake told him what Stephens wanted, Hank let loose with a string of colorful obscenities.
“Yeah, I know. I can’t stand him either, but he’s the man with the cash right now. We’ll have to figure out something.” Jake rolled his head around, making his neck pop.
“I can’t believe that guy. He showed up at the site yesterday with a girl that couldn’t have been much older than my Gracie. He was all over the poor thing. I wanted to put my fist through his face and send her home to her mama.”
“I know Hank, but we’ve already signed
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