Nick reached for her hand. “Harlow, I’ve got your back. So will Stella and Luke. Whitney too. The truth has a way of rising to the surface.”
Nick’s words sounded like white noise. He didn’t seem to get it. This was her whole career on the line. This entire mess was dredging up painful memories of the embezzlement accusations lobbied against her father. She’d been twelve years old when the cruel whispers about her father had rocked their small New England town. Because of lies, her family had lost everything they held dear. Harlow couldn’t help but think history was repeating itself.
All of a sudden, she couldn’t hold it in any longer. “I’m angry, Nick. Pissed off. As my mother used to say, I’m fit to be tied.” Harlow clenched her hands at her sides. Her head pounded and she wanted to smash something to smithereens. “I’ve tried my entire life to avoid being in this position. Trust me, I’ve seen this stuff up close and personal. My father was a victim of these types of vicious whispers. Smears.”
Nick’s eyes widened. “This must bring up painful memories. What exactly went down with your dad?”
Harlow’s entire body was trembling. All she could think about was her mother warning her and Malcolm against small towns like Chestnut Ridge. Petty people stirred up lies and gossip just for kicks. Lives were ruined in the process. Why hadn’t she heeded the warning? She should have stayed back in Seattle, where she belonged. She’d made herself vulnerable by believing that she could become a part of this community.
“My father’s professional reputation was ruined when he was falsely accused of stealing large sums of money from his medical group. Those allegations completely shattered him and destroyed everything he’d worked so hard to achieve.” She choked back a sob. “In the end, those lies cost him his life in a car crash.”
***
Harlow’s words cut to his core. He could hear the hurt and pain laced in what she’d just told him. This was too deep of a conversation for them to be having in front of Casablanca’s in a public area. Anyone passing by could overhear snippets of their discussion. He didn’t want that for Harlow. He knew how deeply she valued her privacy. Rumors were already flying around, and he didn’t want this to spiral any further out of control.
“Let’s go somewhere quiet and sit down to talk this over,” Nick suggested. “We could grab something to eat at the Starlight Diner.”
“I’m not hungry. To be honest, I just want to head home and get under the covers. I won’t be very good company tonight.”
Nick wanted so badly to comfort her. He dipped his head down and brushed his lips against her temple, then swept some tendrils of hair away from her forehead. “You only have to ask if you want some company. I’d love to join you.” Snuggling with Harlow under the covers sounded amazing, but instinct told him she wasn’t in the mood for any type of intimacy. She was hurting and seeing her so broken caused him pain.
“I’m just not up to it,” she admitted, looking at him with moist eyes. “I really want to be by myself. I’m sorry, Nick.”
“I understand,” Nick said, trying not to sound too disappointed. This wasn’t about his feelings. This moment was about lifting up Harlow and making sure she felt supported so she didn’t bolt back to Seattle and leave Mistletoe behind in her rearview mirror. The thought of her leaving…it wasn’t something he wanted to think about at all.
“I hate this!” she said, fists clenched at her side as if she were about to fight someone. “I have no control over what’s happening. I’m not used to feeling so useless.”
“I know what that’s like,” he said. “Sometimes life hands us situations that we think might break us. But they don’t, Harlow. This won’t break you unless you let it.”
For a few beats, silence stretched out between them. Harlow just stared at him without saying a word. He wasn’t sure she had really heard him. Her eyes looked a little vacant.
“Night, Nick,” Harlow finally said, walking off toward her car. Nick had missed the opportunity to kiss her good night, but she had walked away with a determined stride that let him know she wanted to be by herself. Even though he didn’t want her to be alone, Nick knew that he needed to give her space.
Nick let out a hiss of air as he watched her drive off.What was going on?Nick personally hadn’t heard any nasty gossip about Harlow or Paws. But he wasn’t part of the rumor mill in town. With his busy schedule, he was rarely in Mistletoe during weekdays, while weekends were spent with Miles, Harlow, and his family. In general, he tended to run in the opposite direction if people were talking smack about others. Now, as a result, he was completely out of the Mistletoe loop.
Who did he know here in town who was privy to town rumors? Tess Marshall, Miles’s buddy, was a serious ear hustler. She was constantly getting in trouble for spreading gossip and eavesdropping on adult conversations. But he couldn’t drag a little girl into this mess. Stella and Lucy wouldn’t appreciate him involving their little sister.
Stella!As a second-grade teacher, his sister-in-law came into contact with all kinds of people. Coworkers. Parents. Delivery people. Photographers. She had a pulse line on what was going on in Mistletoe. Nick made the short walk toward his car and hopped inside. Feeling like a man on a mission, he dialed Luke’s number and asked if he could swing by.
“Of course you can. Jade’s waking and sleeping hours are all mixed up, so there’s no telling when she’ll go down for the night.” He let out a chuckle, letting Nick know he was taking it all in stride.
“Thanks, bro,” Nick said. “I’ll be there in ten.”
On the drive over Nick thought about Harlow’s situation. He hoped that he hadn’t minimized her concerns. She’d been so upset and on edge. Although he had known there had been issues surrounding her childhood, he’d been blown away by what she had revealed to him about her father. Of course Harlow distrusted small towns after what she’d experienced! He didn’t blame her one bit after what her family had been through.
But Nick knew this town like the back of his hand. He’d lived with the people of Mistletoe his entire life. Yes, gossips lived here and sometimes things got out of control, but he refused to believe that they were evil or had intended to ruin Harlow’s life. This, like most issues, could be straightened out. Harlow had a chip on her shoulder about small towns due to her father’s experiences, so she was bringing a lot of baggage into the situation. Maybe if he could get to the root of the innuendoes, he could help calm things down before they spiraled out of control.
Luke opened his front door the moment Nick’s feet hit the front steps.
“I thought you had a date tonight with Harlow,” Luke said as Nick stepped over the threshold. Nick took a moment to breathe in the scent of spiced apples. Nick and Stella’s place always exuded a warm and cozy vibe. Located right on Blackberry Beach, the cottage had belonged to Stella before she and Luke were married. Stella had purchased the beachfront property as a fixer upper and shed blood, sweat, and tears renovating the place. Their family of three was perfectly content in the cheerful, airy abode with a view of the ocean that stretched out before them for miles.
“Our movie night didn’t go as expected,” Nick said with a ragged sigh. “Which is why I’m here. It seems that the rumor mill has been whirling about Harlow.” Luke led him into the kitchen, where Stella was attempting to feed a rebellious Jade. Nick couldn’t hide his grin as he watched his niece spatter her food around.
“Hey, Nick,” Stella said, pausing in her duties to greet him. Nick, poised to duck any incoming splats of mashed peas and carrots, bent down and kissed Stella on the cheek.
“Hey there, Stella. What’s good?” Nick asked, resting his hand on her shoulder.
“Not this one, if I’m being honest,” Stella admitted, jutting her chin in the direction of her daughter. “She’s determined to fight me tonight.”
