His heart went out to her regarding her mother’s illness, although he sensed there was a lot more resting under Harlow’s surface. What made her tick? Why was she so unwilling to put herself out there? She piqued his curiosity, and Nick had been looking forward to peeling away her layers, but that seemed unlikely now.
Nick had no intention of seeking her out again. As it was, his ego was slightly crushed.I don’t mind going out with you.Dang! As if he would be a pity date. He should have told her about all the women in Mistletoe who’d been trying to date him for the last three years. He wasn’t some lovelorn loser desperado. Was he open to finding love again? For the first time in three and a half years he could honestly say yes. The fog of deep grief had finally lifted and from what he could see, Miles was well-adjusted and happy.
Nick let himself into his house, slightly startled by how quiet it was when Miles wasn’t around. Normally their home was a hotbed of noise and movement. Zeus was at doggy day care until Van picked him up after his class got out. Luke had surprised Nick by arranging for six months of doggy day care—four weekdays for half a day—and paid for it. Something told him Stella might have twisted his arm. Whichever way it had gone down, Nick appreciated it. Having a still environment all to himself for a few hours would allow him to recharge his batteries after a draining day.
After a quick shower and a change of clothes, Nick headed to the den, where he turned on the television and sank down on a comfy oatmeal-colored sofa.
He landed on a ridiculous reality show where one man was accused of fathering four different babies. The show was a train wreck, but oddly enough, watching the unfolding drama made him feel really good about his own life.
“You are not the baby’s father,” Nick said out loud in unison with the host. Nick laughed so hard he had a stitch in his side. The sound of his doorbell pealing drew his attention away from the screen. Maybe he should just ignore it. With his luck it was a door-to-door salesman selling timeshares. With a groan, Nick reached for the remote to turn the television off before heading to his front door.
Who was ringing his bell in the middle of the day?He was usually at work right about now. Maybe someone had seen his vehicle in the driveway and decided to pay him a visit. If it wasn’t someone he knew and liked, Nick would just tell them to kick rocks. This had already been a day from hell.
Nick opened the door, letting out a sound of surprise as he came face-to-face with an old friend. Gary Shirtock was a local prosecutor in their county. Tall and completely bald, Gary reminded Nick of the actor Stanley Tucci. He had put Frank Baker, the individual who’d killed his wife, behind bars. He’d deserved much more time than his ten-year sentence to rot in prison, but Nick was well aware that all too often drunk drivers got a slap on the wrist.
“Hey, Nick. Sorry to come by unannounced, but I took a chance you might be home.” Gary had an excellent reputation for prosecuting the bad guys and making sure the community was safe. He was a hero for justice in Nick’s eyes.
“Come on in, Gary,” Nick said. “It’s been a while.”
Gary walked inside and turned toward Nick. “I didn’t want to tell you this over the phone. I knew that I owed you a face-to-face meeting.”
Nick frowned. A very bad feeling swept over him. Gary hadn’t come all the way over to his house to shoot the breeze. “What’s going on, Gary? You don’t look so great.”
“I’m so sorry to tell you this, but Baker’s been released from prison,” Gary said, his features pinched in anger.
A tight feeling spread across Nick’s chest. He felt almost light-headed. “That’s not possible. He’s been locked up for only two years. He was sentenced to ten.”
Gary let out a frustrated sound. “The system doesn’t always work the way it should. Believe it or not, his sentence was shortened due to overcrowding. He qualified for early release due to so-called good behavior.”
Nick felt as if his head might explode. He let out a growl. “Good behavior? This punk killed my wife and robbed my son of a mother. The system is broken at its core to even entertain the notion of letting him out.” Bile rose in his throat.How was this actually happening?“I thought that I would be notified in advance of anything like this taking place. Was there a parole hearing?”
“Nick, you should have been informed that this was in the works several months ago. But with all of the overcrowding issues, this case slipped through the cracks.” He held up his hands. “I know how you feel—”
“Do you? Really?” Nick asked in an explosive tone. “Unless your life was ripped apart the way mine was, you cannot possibly understand how this feels.”
Honestly, his knees felt weak, and for a moment, he thought they might give out on him. All the air seemed to have left his lungs.Am I having a panic attack?
Silence hung in the air between them. Nick tried to take deep calming breaths. Getting upset would only serve to hurt Miles if he was carrying this type of anger around.
“Tell me what I can do to help,” Gary said. “You’re a friend, Nick. I hate this situation more than words can express.”
“I’m sorry for going off on you,” Nick apologized. He began pacing back and forth on the hardwood floors to expend some of this negative energy. “More than anyone else, you fought for Kara to make sure her death wouldn’t be in vain. I know this isn’t your fault.”
Gary nodded. “I know this is devastating news. It’s beyond unfair, but I’m asking you not to take matters into your own hands.”
“What are you talking about? How would I even do that?” Nick asked, feeling confused by Gary’s comment.
His friend’s mouth hardened. “He’s living in the Mistletoe area. It’s one of the reasons I came over. I didn’t want you to be blindsided if you crossed paths with him.”
Disbelief crashed over him. “You’ve got to be kidding me! Of all the places in Maine he could live, why pick Mistletoe?”
Gary placed a steadying hand on his shoulder. “I know, Nick. Try not to let this bring you down. You’ve come so far over the last few years. You and Miles both.”
After Gary left, Nick focused on centering himself. He wasn’t sure what was up with the universe today. The hits kept coming. But Gary was right. Nick had come too far over the past three years to risk backsliding. He was angry about Baker’s release, but he couldn’t wallow in it or let Miles know that he was torn up about something. Nick refused to have his son’s world rocked by this news.
By the time he picked up Miles after soccer practice Nick was in a better frame of mind. When Miles spotted him waiting outside his car and ran toward him at breakneck speed, Nick thought his heart might crack wide open. This was all that truly mattered. If Miles was good, everything would be right in Nick’s world.
“How was your day?” Miles asked from the back seat.
