Restoring Hope (17 page)

“It worked?” Abby replied, but Hope was too busy thinking about what Rose had said to catch her meaning.
Had Nic filled her with hope, helped her to dream again?
It had been so long since she’d had anything to dream about except staying alive, she’d missed the moment when her thoughts turned to more than just survival. How had that happened in one night? She’d been lonely for so long, trapped inside a hell that she’d forgotten how to dream. But Rose was right, as she stood there cooking she was dreaming about the future, one that included all of them,

“You tell Maman it not work. She got da’ look of someone wit’ purpose, wit’ a reason to fight instead of run.”

Hope looked back and forth between the two women and finally tuned into what they were saying. “You two plotted against me didn’t you?”

No,
Cher
, plotted for you,” Rose smiled then put bother hands on Hope’s face and leaned in, kissing her forehead. “Plotted for da’ both of you,” then she turned on her heels feeling like she’d won the lottery and patted herself on the back at another job well done.

Hope watched as Rose left the kitchen and then turned to Abby, “So, you were forced into service were you?”

“Please, I saw how he looked at you when you served him. And when he came to your rescue? Have mercy, I almost took a picture and updated my Facebook status. That was like something out of a romance novel.”

“He was being a gentleman.”

“He was protecting what was his.”

“Abby, he’d just met me.”

“Hope, clue in, Nic’s a man’s man, he took one look at you and decided you were it. He may not have known it at that moment, but his caveman did,” Abby laughed.

Hope smiled at the mention of Nic being a caveman and thought back to him throwing her over his shoulder.

“Okay, the caveman bit I believe,” she admitted feeling good to just laugh with a friend. It was all so normal, something she hadn’t had in a very long time.

“Grunts does he?” Abby asked.

“Grunts, growls, manhandles,” Hope answered looking around to make sure no one was listening.

“Sounds like a good time to me,” Abby laughed and then she leaned in, “You deserve this; he deserves this, take care of it. A man like Nic, sugar—you won’t know a day of unhappiness if you take care it, let him take care of you.” Nodding her head, she smiled at Abby and then waved as her friend went back into the restaurant.
Take care of it, huh?
She might need help in that department; she had no clue how to take care of a relationship.

She was biting her lip deep in thoughts about the how’s of taking care of a relationship when Big Daddy shouted from across the kitchen.

“
Bebe,
you give da’ man what he needs, let him take care of you and you give him da’ truth. Dat’ recipe for
amour
.” Hope smiled at Big Daddy and then ducked her head when she thought about the lie she’d knew she’d have to tell.
No way would a man like Nic want her if he knew the truth.

Her chest tightened when she thought about John hurting any of the people she cared about, and she thought again about running to keep them safe. Her chest tightened further at the idea, and she became nauseous just thinking about it. One month, that’s all it took. How had it happened so fast? One minute she was passing through and the next minute she’d fallen in love. Hope froze when she realized she loved Nic. But, it was true; she felt it deep in her bones. His moving her in, the morning coffees, the rides from work, all of it had paved the way for what happened last night, and now she was in so deep she didn’t want to surface.

Feeling sweat break out across her forehead, she wiped it away with a towel. She looked back at Big Daddy, and he burst out laughing, “Don’t look so scared,
Cher
, love never killed anyone.” Closing her eyes, she shook off his words and prayed to God that he was right. ‘Cause if he was wrong she knew it would be her who died fighting to protect it.

The night was busy, the traffic steady so Hope didn’t have time to worry about what would happen next, only what meal needed to be prepared. Mid-way through the evening Rose handed Hope a ticket. When she looked at it, instead of a number indicating a menu selection, there was a message. As she read the words, she started giggling.

“Angel, fix me something fiery like you.”

Hope looked up at Rose and saw the old woman smiling her know-it-all smile, and she rolled her eyes at her. Grabbing a bowl, she ladled up a steaming bowl of gumbo filled with spicy sausage, shrimp and crabmeat. She added Big Daddy’s special cornbread and a big slab of bread pudding, drizzling a warm buttery caramel topping over it. She took off her blue chef’s coat, pulled off her hairnet so she didn’t look unappealing, and then picked up the tray she’d set the food on and headed to the floor.

She backed into the door, pushing it open with her bottom and then turned as it opened wide. She saw Nic at the end of the bar; a seat she was coming to figure out was his spot and headed towards him. He was lifting a bottle of beer to his lips when he saw her coming, then paused before the bottle reached his lips and his grin appeared. His gaze moved down her and then back up as she got closer, and when she reached him and put his plates in front of him, he reached out, grabbed her at her neck and brought her in for a kiss. It wasn’t sweet; it was claiming, toe curling and when he released her, she took a step back and blinked several times. In a daze, she looked at him and saw his smug look; his eyes turned to her right, and he said, “Henri, another beer?”

Hope turned and saw Henri standing there with his arms crossed, watching Nic’s little show. He had no expression on his face and then he grinned, raised his hands in surrender and mumbled, “Message received loud and clear big guy.” Nic nodded once and then turned back to Hope.

“Did you just throw down?”

“Sure did, sugar.”

“That’s kinda hot just so you know,” Hope replied and leaned on the counter. Nic grinned, leaned in and kissed her sweetly this time, and then she watched as he picked up his spoon, winked at her and then spooned the spicy gumbo up ready to eat it. They both heard, “Dad,” shouted from behind him, and Nic turned around and found Nicky and Kat both standing at the entrance again. Nic looked back at Hope, and she knew he didn’t want to eat with his ex-wife, but wouldn’t say no to his son. She grabbed his hand and squeezed it to let him know he should go and then it hit her. If Nic could throw down why couldn’t she? When he turned to speak to Nicky, she stopped him. He looked back at her with a questioning look, and she grabbed his face and kissed him for all she was worth.

Nic’s hand came up and held her mouth to his, consumed by her kiss and felt her own possessiveness. He recognized what she was doing and wasn’t about to stop her. He stroked her tongue, gave her what she needed, letting her know she had nothing to worry about from his ex-wife, and then slowly ended the kiss, trailing two more quickly across her lips when he finished. Then, he placed his forehead on hers and stared back at her, giving her even more. Giving Hope him.

“Will I see you later?” Hope whispered, hoping he’d say yes.

“Angel, I’ve had a glimpse of heaven and tasted paradise, if you think I’d be any place else you’d be wrong.”

“Okay, see you later,” Hope replied and smiled brightly at him. Just for an instant, he thought he could drown in those eyes; they’d turned the color of the bluest ocean after his kiss and the result left him wanting. Releasing her, he kissed her nose and said “Later, angel,” as he stepped back.

Turning to greet the smiling face of his son and the eyes of a woman who looked like she would explode at any moment, but wouldn’t in a crowded room, so Nic smiled at his son.

“Does this mean you’re more than friends?” Nicky questioned.

Nic didn’t say anything back to Nicky. He needed to put a stop to any ideas Kat had about running her mouth off about Hope in front of his son. He grabbed Kat by the arm and walked her away from Nicky’s ears then leaned down, making sure he had her eyes. He tilted his head to the right and with a serious tone said, “Are we gonna have problems or can you act like an adult for once?”

Kat narrowed her eyes at him, looked over his shoulder at Hope as she pushed through the door of the kitchen and shot lasers of heat at the retreating woman. She smiled tightly, and then through gritted teeth said, “We just thought you might like to eat together, but I can see you have plans.”

“Got no plans till Hope gets off shift, you wanna eat together we can eat together, but I’ll warn you now, not one word out of your mouth about Hope. Nicky likes her, and it wouldn’t go over well if you bad mouth her.”

“Then we’ll agree not to talk about your,” she paused to look for the right word and decided on, “Slut.” He knew she had to get a word in before Nicky joined them she couldn’t help herself. She wasn’t wired to keep her mouth shut. But, no way in hell would he let that slide. He leaned in and bit out on a growl, “I’d watch who you call names, Kat. I’m not the type of man who’ll stand for it, and you know it.” Nic then turned and walked away after his parting shot and curled his arm around his son’s neck. She wants to eat he’ll eat. He’d do anything for Nicky, including keeping peace with his mother.

Chapter Thirteen

With the kitchen finally clean and the prep work for the next day’s business complete, Hope was ready to head home and kick back with Nic. They’d been a couple for more than a week now, and she still got excited thinking about seeing him each night when she got off work. She’d get butterflies in her stomach when it was time to leave and realized she felt like a schoolgirl with her first crush, and Nic was like the captain of the football team.

Looking back on her time being courted by her husband, she realized she hadn’t felt the same about him. The blaring difference in attitude and feelings was obvious now she had something to compare it to. She’d known then he was dangerous, but she’d chalked up her nervous stomach to butterflies and ignored her own subconscious. After years of being alone, shuffled from one foster home to another and no money for college, at eighteen, she’d set out on her own. She’d worked retail at a high-end boutique and tried to better herself taking classes at night. Then the Cummings brothers had walked into the store where she worked, looking for a gift and all of that changed. Her husband’s perverse fascination with her, his possessiveness that she now saw as unhealthy had felt good after being alone. Now when she looked back, she remembered wringing her hands in nervous energy whenever he came to pick her up. At the time she’d worried he would find her lacking, but now she knew it was because she saw the darkness just under the surface. With Nic, she just felt connected, wanted, maybe even loved a little.

The past week and a half had been nothing short of amazing. They’d spent every night in each other’s arms until it was time for Nicky to stay with Nic. Then they’d spent each night she was off work hanging out with him playing games or helping him with homework. She’d cooked for them; they’d cooked for her and each night when she’d closed her eyes, whether it was in Nic’s bed or her own, she’d felt a contentment she’d never known in her life.

Grabbing her purse to leave, Hope waved at Abby and Henri as they finished their work for the evening. When she opened the front door of the bar, she found Nic leaning against his car like he’d done every night this week. Arms crossed over his chest; legs crossed at the ankles, looking down at the pavement in quiet reflection; Hope’s breath caught when she took in all that was Nic. He was in jeans, his black biker boots and another black T-shirt that read, “Cajuns do it in the swamp.”

Hearing the door close, Nic raised his eyes, and his gut tightened at the sight of Hope. There was something about her that called to him; she was delicate, fair, and almost innocent in nature. His need to protect her was strong, instinctual, like whatever essence made men the protector of women was tripled when God designed Nic.

Rising from his car, he grinned when she stopped and stared at him. She may have just gotten off work, but he wasn’t takin’ her home until he had the answers he needed about her past, and he figured a beer, some music and laid back people was just the ticket to get her to open up to him. He’d waited long enough for answers, giving her time to adjust to their relationship and spend time with him and Nicky, but they’d been together for more than a week now and he was done waiting. He couldn’t protect her if he didn’t know what the hell to look for or who.