Once she entered Baxter’s, the sound of blues music immediately reached her ears. The rhythms were upbeat and pulsing, giving her a New Orleans vibe. Harlow knew instantly this was no recording. A live band was playing on the premises. She craned her neck and spotted the band on a small stage. Patrons were dancing on a makeshift dance floor and enjoying the music.
“Harlow!” Stella was calling her name and waving her over to a table where she and her friends were seated. “I’m so glad you came by,” she said as Harlow reached the area.
“This place is great,” Harlow gushed, looking around the establishment. She was secretly looking for Nick, who wasn’t seated with the group. Luke was here. He greeted her with a warm smile and a hug. Troy, Dante’s younger brother, was there along with his wife, Noelle. Stella introduced Harlow to all of her friends seated at the table.
“It’s nice to meet you, Carolina. Eva,” Harlow said. Both women were lovely. Carolina was petite and curvy with dark hair while Eva was a statuesque blonde.
“Eva owns the movie theater, Casablanca’s,” Lucy said. “When she came back to Mistletoe she renovated it into a classic theater that the entire town adores.” Harlow had seen the building on Main Street and she’d been promising to treat herself to a day at the movies. Maybe she should invite Nick to join her. Miles too if he wanted to come.
“It was a labor of love,” Eva said. “I’m wild about classic film stars like Dorothy Dandridge and Cary Grant.”
“And Carolina works with me in the trenches at Mistletoe Elementary. She also teaches second grade,” Stella explained.
“Stella’s the sweet teacher while I’m the salty one,” Carolina said, emitting a throaty laugh. They all laughed along with her. Carolina seemed bubbly and fun while Eva seemed to be kind and steady. They matched up exactly with the way Stella and Lucy had described them.
Suddenly, Nick was standing next to her, looking a bit tired but still eye-catching in his gray pullover and slacks. Usually he wore more casual clothes, so seeing him leveling up like this was a treat for the eyes. The scent of cedar rose to her nostrils, providing Harlow with an olfactory rush. She resisted the urge to press herself against his chest just so she could breathe him in.
“How was your day? Your lips must be exhausted,” Nick teased. She liked the way he laughed, showcasing pearly white teeth and little indents at the side of his mouth. His brown skin was flawless. One of these days she was going to cave and ask him for his skincare secrets.
“It was hectic, what with smooching all those pets,” she responded. “I was definitely in need of a night out, so coming to Baxter’s was a nice way to unwind. The music alone is incredible.”
“That band is called Switch,” Nick said, jerking his chin in the direction of the stage, “and they’ve been playing here for at least ten years. They’ve gotten pretty famous but they still do gigs here.”
“That’s fantastic. Loyalty is everything.” The older she got, the more she realized how important it was to be surrounded by people who had her back. On a few occasions, she’d been blindsided by so-called friends who didn’t have a loyal bone in their body. Being back in Stella’s company reminded her of what a good friend she’d always been. Supportive, kind, and loving. It was depressing to admit, but she didn’t have a single friend like Stella back in Seattle.
“Let me get you a drink,” Nick offered, leading her toward the bar. “What’ll you have?”
“Sangria with lots of ice,” Harlow said. “If they don’t have it, a wine spritzer.”
A few minutes later Nick held two drinks in his hand—a beer for himself and a sangria for her. He led the way back to their table. Most of the group had headed over to the dance floor, which gave Harlow and Nick some privacy in a crowded setting.
“So, how are you?” She reached out and smoothed worry lines from his forehead. “You look like you’ve been through it.”
“I can’t complain,” he said with a shrug. “Feeling wrung out is part of the job. Not just physically, but emotionally as well.”
Harlow took a sip of her drink. “Actually, you can complain. I’m listening if you need to talk or vent. You work in a high-stakes job, Nick. Self-care is important.” Nick was all smiles and easy charm on the outside, but the loss of his wife and raising a child by himself, as well as the demands of his profession, could put his mental health at risk.
Nick nodded at her. “I appreciate your mentioning that. I’m really in tune with taking care of myself and I make sure to immerse myself in things that bring me joy. Music, books, exercise. And lately, a certain curly-haired beauty who keeps me on my toes.”
Harlow was flattered. Nick was letting her know she was important to him, which knocked her off her feet. She honestly didn’t know what to say. Right about now she would normally make a joke to deflect from the comment. But the snappy comeback died on her lips. She didn’t want to shut this moment down for anything in this world.
Instead, she murmured, “That’s nice to hear.” She couldn’t pretend that she didn’t get a little kick out of hearing Nick say kind things about her. His sweet words made her feel a little giddy. Or maybe it was the sangria. Harlow hoped it was the fruity wine rather than Nick himself.
She already knew she was falling for Nick’s considerable charms. It was happening so fast, she could barely think straight. Frankly, she wanted to suspend time so her head could catch up with her heart. She refused to be led by raw emotion.
Slow down, she warned herself. You didn’t come to Maine to fall for a gorgeous single dad.Stick to the plan, Harlow. Stay footloose and fancy-free.
Chapter Sixteen
Harlow liked seeing this relaxed version of Nick. Although he was normally a chill guy, there was an ease about him tonight being in these surroundings with all of his friends.
She watched as Nick took another swig of his beer, finishing it off in record time. He set the empty bottle down on the table, then splayed his hands out in front of him. “So, here’s the deal. Luke and I worked together on a search team today. An older gentleman wandered away from his home in Deerfield, and we were tasked with locating him.”
Harlow swallowed hard. “D-does he have dementia?” Thoughts of her mother being vulnerable and lost washed over her. Before she’d been placed in a facility, Harlow’s mother had wandered from her condo numerous times. Each incident had been nightmarish. Even though Malcolm had been living with her, it had still been difficult to keep constant watch over her. In those frantic moments when they hadn’t known if she was alive or dead, she and her brother had been desperate and full of fear. Harlow’s heart went out to the family. She knew firsthand about guilt and fear while dealing with a loved one suffering from dementia.
Nick nodded. “Yeah and he’d been missing for hours. He’s eighty years old. We ended up finding Walter down at the beach. He was running through the waves and crying like a newborn.” Nick winced as if he were reliving the incident. “When I waded into the choppy water to get him, he held on to me like he wasn’t ever going to let go. He was completely defenseless.”
Harlow made a tutting sound. “Oh, Nick. That must’ve stayed with you well after the rescue.” Nick had set the scene so vividly that Harlow saw it in her mind like a movie reel.
