The Silent Witness

“I will.”

Alex heard the sound of the deadbolt being turned in place. He stepped out to meet her. “Thanks, Nicki. You okay?”

“No!” She glared at him. “What are you doing here, Alex? Why are you carrying a gun? Who was firing at me? And why?”

“I wish I knew, Nicki.”

“That’s not an answer.”

“It’s the best I can do right now. I heard the shots, but I didn’t see who was doing the shooting.”

He rubbed his eyes, more tired than he could remember being in a long time. He was getting too old to stay up all night.

“Officer Jackstone wants me to wait before I open the store.”

“I heard.”

“That means he’ll be coming back.”

“Are you worried about me, Nicki?” He took a step closer, liking the sudden nervous awareness in her eyes.

“Take your gun and go, Alex.”

He reached out to stroke a tendril of hair. Her lashes fluttered closed in reaction. Such long, pretty lashes.

“I can’t do that, Nicki. They’ll arrest me.”

She stared at him, her concern palpable. She moistened her lips, reminding him of how sweet they could taste. He could smell the faintest hint of gardenias on her skin and he took another step closer, wanting to inhale the scent of her.

Remembered passion shimmered in her eyes, stirring to life each exciting memory of how it felt to hold her, to kiss her, to touch all those hidden—

“What sort of trouble are you in, Alex?”

She stepped to one side, opening the distance between them. A distance that should be a chasm, he thought ruefully.

“Nothing that concerns you. Go ahead and get your store ready to open. Pretend I’m not here.”

“My pleasure.”

He realized his curt answer had hurt her again. He didn’t want her hurt.

Nicki swallowed hard and managed a glare. How dare he send out such mixed signals? One minute he was devouring her with his eyes and the next he acted like she didn’t mean a thing to him and never had.

“I must have been really stupid at sixteen.” It would have made a terrific exit line. Too bad she couldn’t fade to black. Instead, she walked up front where he couldn’t follow without the risk of being seen by someone outside.

Alex made a sound of frustration. Good. Did he think she’d stand by and let him toy with her emotions? She hadn’t been pining all these years for Alex Coughlin.

“Why a craft store, Nicki?” he called softly from the shadows of the hall.

“Why not a craft store?” She picked up a duster and pretended to be busy. She did not want him to know how badly she’d wanted to taste his kiss again.

“I thought you wanted to go to college and become a teacher.”

“Yeah, well, we don’t always get what we want in life, do we, Alex.”

“What happened?”

She thought about telling him it was none of his business, but decided that was childish.

“My stepmother died in a car crash. I had to leave school and come home and help Dad. Hope was only fourteen and Brent and Gavin were still in high school. Someone had to run the house while Dad ran the business.”

“I’m sorry.”

“So was I, at the time. But things worked out okay. There was a financial settlement from the accident and Dad gave each of us a share. Mine was enough to buy into Millie’s Craft Shop before Millie retired. Millie taught me what I needed to know about running the store and eventually I bought her out. So I teach crafts instead of reading. How come you didn’t go to college like you planned?”

“Who says I didn’t?”

She turned and regarded him, letting her slow perusal express what she wanted to say. Nicki would have sworn he blushed.

He crossed his legs at the ankles and leaned against the wall. It bothered her that he could look so sexy and so at ease when she was so desperately aware of him on every level.

“Life may not have turned out like either of us thought it would,” he said, “but you could still go to school now.”

“So could you.”

“Nicki…” he sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

Alex had great hair. She remembered how much she’d liked running her fingers through his thick waves.

“You’re still very beautiful,” he told her.

The unexpected compliment left her speechless. Especially since he sounded so sincere. His eyes watched her with a hooded expression as he tucked a thumb into the waistband of his jeans.

“Do you ever think about us?”

The slow drawl of his voice sent remembered shivers of awareness skittering along her nerves.

“No.” The lie tripped off her tongue. He tipped his head to the side in an expression that clearly said he didn’t believe her.

“I have. More than once. You were the only good memory I took with me when I left Fools Point.”

Before she could reply, someone hammered on the rear door. Alex slipped inside the bathroom without a word.

Nicki opened the back door, expecting Officer Jackstone, and came face to face with Thad Osher.

“Ms. Michaels.”

Nicki squelched a shudder of distaste.