“I wondered about that.” Niko was glad it was finally getting addressed.
“She’s given the money to women’s shelters, Ronald Mc Donald House, Feed the Children, dog rescues, GoFundMe causes for random people she saw online in need, but she never touched it for herself. She never wanted a dime of The Big Blond Wolf’s money.”
Niko couldn’t help but smile at Pops’ nickname for Brock. He’d never heard that one.
“And she used the money his aunt left her to fund a literacy program for underserved youth because they bonded over their love of reading when they were children. It was an escape for both of them.” Pops got tears in his eyes as he stared straight ahead. “I hate the burden I am on her. She thinks I don’t know she sold her car to get me into Golden Years, but I do know. Some nights I pray that God would just take me so I’m not a drain on her. I don’t want anyone havin’ to care of me. I didn’t want to get the surgery, but every time I tried to turn it down, that one…” Still looking at Tiana, he shook his head.
“She needs you.” Niko told him what he already knew.
“I know you paid for the surgery.” Using his thumb and forefinger, Pops wiped beneath his eyes, then looked over at Niko. “Thank you.”
“It wasn’t a…” Niko cleared his throat, feeling himself getting a little choked up. “I was happy to do it. I would do anything for her.”
Pops stared into his eyes, really stared, and then nodded back. A silent understanding passed between the two men. Unspoken, but no less communicated. Pops took a deep breath and tilted his head towards Tiana, who was speaking to Mr.Henley, the postman, and his wife. “Growing up, that girl was all alone.”
Niko glanced over. God, she was beautiful.
“She had you,” Niko pointed out.
“After school for an hour or two. She gives me a lot more credit than I deserve.” Pop continued, “She had to survive, being shuttled from place to place, no notice given, the only person she could count on was herself. She had to question everyone’s motive. Everyone’s agenda. Then the first man she loved was that dickweed.” Pops lifted his cane, pointing to Bartlett, then lowered it. “He did a real number on her. She says he didn’t. But she went from being this girl.” Pops took out his phone, tapped on the screen, and tilted it towards Niko. It was a kid’s drawing of a bridge with lights and what looked like maybe a prince and princess. He scrolled to the next one, and it was basically the same idea, except it was a different bridge. He had probably two dozen drawings, all romantic settings, seventy percent looked like they were on a bridge. “A little girl who dreamed of meeting a Prince Charming, her soulmate, now is shut down to romance, and it’s that shit weasel’s fault.” Pops put his device back in the right chest pocket of his shirt, then he motioned to G. “It looks like he’s doin’ the same thing to that young lady. He just extinguishes their spark, cause he can’t take it when anyone else shines. He’s an insecure little boy.”
The more Niko got to know Pops, the more he liked him. And he was right about G. Tonight, he didn’t even recognize her. Literally, the shape of her face was even different.
Luckily, he had a plan. The last event he had scheduled for Jessie’s PR revival was to co-Grand Marshall the Christmas Parade with Bartlett. If his plan worked, Bartlett would be heading back to Ohio alone, footloose and fiancée-free. And G would be footloose and fuckwad-free.
Pops turned to face him, his expression serious. “Son, trust is going to scare Tiny. Simple as that. Acceptance is going to scare her. Love,reallove,truelove,unconditionallove is going to scare her. It scares people who have always had and have a strong support foundation. People who have seen and feel what love looks like. Does she want love? Of course that’s what she wants, what she deserves. Who doesn’t? But she’s terrified.
“Those are big feelings, and that little girl spent an entire lifetime hiding, protecting, and denying big feelings. She had to, she couldn’t show any weakness. She developed instincts at a young, very young age—survival instincts. Those same instincts that kept her alive are going to try to protect her now. They don’t know the difference between your intention or anyone else’s. They just know how she’s feelin’ and that is settin’ off alarm bells in her. So she’s gonna try and protect herself.”
Fuck. Niko had never looked at it like that.
“Because if she lets someone in, then she’s vulnerable. They can hurt her. I know you wouldn’t hurt her, but she doesn’t know that. So it’s your job to stick around until she does know. Just keep showin’ up. And I’ll tell ya this for free: that girl’s walls might be Fort Knox, but once you scale ‘em?—"
“Yeah, I know,” Niko agreed.
“Also, just so you know, this talk…” Pops waved his hand between them.
“It stays between us.” Niko nodded. “I know.”
“No. It doesn’t.” Pops shook his head back and forth slowly. “Sometimes people need to hear what’s being said behind their back. Alright, I think it’s time for me to call it a night.” He used the cane to steady himself as he stood.
“Do you need a ride?” Niko knew that he was supposed to stay, but he wouldn’t mind taking a break and running Pops back to the home.
“I’ve got a chauffeur for the evening compliments of Golden Years.”
“Oh, right.” Niko forgot that they had the van there for the residents. “Okay, night.”
He watched Pops head across the room, and of course, his eyes then scanned to Tiana, who had walls as high as Fort Knox. It looked like he better get some emotional climbing gear.
28
Tiana feltthe energy in the room shift. She glanced over her shoulder and looked up and saw Jenna approaching her, looking sexier than she had any right to.
“Wow.” Tiana was surprised that any of the men’s eyes were still in their sockets and their tongues weren’t rolling out of their mouths like cartoon wolves and that there wasn’t a soundtrack of, “Awooga!”
Her friend wore a deep V-neckline red cocktail dress that molded to her body and hit her just above the ankle and showcased her pinup curves. Her long blonde hair fell in soft waves around her shoulders, and her striking blue eyes were popping with the dark liner, thick inky lashes, and smoky eye she’d applied.
In the eighteen months or so Tiana had known Jenna, she’d seen her dressed up at several other black-tie occasions. At the annual Fire and Ice charity ball, at a few weddings, and at a fundraiser. But she’dneverseen her like this.
