“You heard what I said? That was a private conversation.” Her chastisement was ruined by the catch in her throat. Geez. She never cried. Why now? She reached into her pocket for the handkerchief then remembered she’d left it in her other pants. Using the sleeve of her jacket, she wiped the tears from her cheek.
“I’m sorry, I wasn’t listening on purpose, but I heard what you said.” He slipped his arm around her waist and drew her close. His body was warm, the smell of the outdoors clinging to him. She should have protested, but she hadn’t the strength. How pathetic was she? Breaking up with one man and falling into the arms of another.
“Breakups suck. I know, I’ve gone through a few of them myself. It’s normal to cry and maybe get a little drunk…”
“I don’t cry.” She sniffled, giving truth to the lie.
Niko cupped her cheek and wiped away a tear with this thumb. “Allergies, right?”
“Right.” She nodded, her mouth going dry as his gaze drifted to her mouth. He leaned in to kiss her forehead, his lips gentle, soothing against her cold skin. Need hummed through her at the contact of his warm mouth and her mind screamed to pull away, yet she stayed rooted to the spot. He dropped a kiss on the tip of her nose, before his lips moved to the corner of her mouth. She waited, aching to move her head, to accept more from him than comfort.
Niko paused shy of kissing her, and stepped back. He turned his head until she could read the tattoo on the back of his neck that read Chloe, and sighed. “We should catch up with Hallie. Chloe’s chomping at the bit to show you the tree she picked.”
“Sounds good.” Alice strolled next to him down the path, the past few minutes stuck in her mind. Time spent in his company had already blurred the lines. Men came and went from her life, good men, sexy men, gorgeous men. Richard had been a model before he switched careers. Niko, however, touched something inside of her, something she didn’t want to let out: she couldn’t let out.
Could she?
Chapter Thirteen
What in the hell was he thinking? So what if she’d broken up with Richard? She was in town for a few weeks to film a show and he was a contestant, something he shouldn’t forget. He didn’t have time for a life, let alone one with a woman in it.
“If you’re worried about the space, don’t be. I’ll take care of it. My dad and I can knock down the wall. It’s not load-bearing and it’s drywall, not brick, so it should be a cinch.”
“You’re going to knock down the wall?” She gaped at him, no longer avoiding eye contact, a good sign. “Do you even know how?”
“Of course I know how. It’s not rocket science. And it’ll cost you, of course. It’s in the contract, any additional labor needed… et al.” Ignore the plumpness of her lower lip and remember your goal is to make enough money to help save Chloe’s life, not to seduce Alice.
She glanced down at her feet, a small tug at her lips. “The wall has to be down by tomorrow afternoon. Don’t you have to work at one of your countless jobs?”
“You dare mock me? For your information, I have two jobs, the second one is divided between waiting, bartending, and catering.” He would have to switch his schedule around to do the construction but it was doable.
“We found one, we found one.” Chloe waved at them, jumping up and down. “Come look, Alice, come look.”
Niko’s heart warmed at the healthy color in Chloe’s cheeks. She looked like her old self, full of energy and enthusiasm. Taking her on an outing had been a good idea. She’d spent more and more time at home as the illness progressed, missing school several days a week due to side effects of the chemo treatments.
Chloe clasped Alice’s hand and walked her around the Douglas fir, chattering as she went. “Which one are you gonna get for the set? And can I help decorate? Please, please?”
“We have to use an artificial tree for the set, but you and the other contestants’ kids can make some decorations and garlands to hang on it. What do you think about that? We can make a day of it.”
“Can we use glitter? I like glitter, and…I…” Chloe wiped the back of her nose with her hand. She stared down at her glove, streaked with blood, and her face fell.
Fuck. Not now. Not today.
Tears formed in her eyes and she began to cry. Niko’s heart skipped a beat and he lifted her into his arms, terrified as he always was when she exhibited signs of the disease. “Alice, do you have a tissue in your purse? She gets these nosebleeds. It’s okay, Chloe. Tell me what you’re feeling.”
Alice rooted in her purse until she found a crumpled tissue and shoved it into his hand. Concern wrinkled her brow and he offered her a reassuring nod. She was freaked out and he couldn’t blame her one iota. It was a traumatic experience for him. He couldn’t imagine how an outsider might deal with it.
“I ruined my glove and they’re my favorite.” Chloe laid her head on his chest while he applied pressure to her nose.
“I’m sure they’ll wash.” Gloves were the least of his worries when it came to Chloe.
“Is she all right? Do we need to get to the hospital?” Alice asked, the strain in her face reflected in her question. He laid the back of his hand on Chloe’s forehead but she didn’t feel hot. “No, she’s had a busy day. Time to go home. Please get Hallie and Ronan. I’ll be in the car.”
Niko put Chloe in the back seat and had her lay her head back. He turned on the car and started the engine, cranking up the heat. Nosebleeds had been her first symptom of the disease and the unexplained bruising had followed. She’d been a normal kid one day, then the next she was diagnosed with leukemia.
The door opened and Hallie climbed into the back of the car, pale in the dim overhead light. She placed her hand on Chloe’s forehead before she dug out the ever-present thermometer she carried with her. Gliding the tip along Chloe’s temple, Niko waited for the beep.
“Normal,” Hallie said, the relief in her voice doing much to calm his own nerves.
