Betrayed Hearts (16 page)

She whirled around, hand at her throat. “Nick. You scared me half to death.”

“Sorry, I'll have to remember to knock now that you're no longer comatose.” He grinned, his relief at seeing her so improved making him giddy. “I'm glad you didn't try to go in to work today.”

She plucked the teabag from her cup and threw it in the trash. “Not quite up to that yet. Doc said I could go back for a few hours tomorrow.”

“That's good news.” He held up the dish in front of him. “I thought you might be getting sick of soup, so I brought some homemade mac and cheese.”

“You have to stop spoiling me like this, Mr. Logan.”

The sound of her light laughter did crazy things to his pulse.

“Maybe I like spoiling you.” He opened the fridge and placed the casserole inside, then stuffed his keys into his pant pocket.

Lily watched him, cup in hand, a solemn look on her face. Devoid of all makeup, the pureness of her inner beauty shone through. Nick couldn't fathom how she viewed herself as a bad person.

“Could we talk for a few minutes?” she asked.

“Sure.” He grabbed a bottle of water and followed her into the living room, where he took a seat beside her on his old green couch.

“I need to ask you about something Chloe told me.” She curled one leg underneath her.

Her somber expression sent warning bells off in his head. “Go ahead.”

“Chloe said you want to open a shelter for women.”

“That's right.”
So far, so good
.

“Which is totally admirable. I understand how important that would be to you because of your childhood.”

Nick sensed a major “but” coming and chose his words with care. “Exactly. I want to provide a haven for victims of abuse—something my mother and I never had.”

Her brown eyes were direct and honest. “Why didn't you tell me you're planning to use the Strickland house for your shelter? That's why you were there that day, wasn't it?”

Nick was momentarily stunned. He had no idea Chloe knew anything about the property. “Chloe told you that?”

Lily cupped the mug in her hands. “She told me you had an abandoned house in mind. I just put it together.”

Relief coursed through him. Chloe didn't know the gruesome details of her family history. Not yet anyway. On the other hand, he had to explain his actions to Lily without ruining the delicate trust that had developed between them. He twisted the cap off the bottle. “I'm sorry I wasn't completely up front with you. That day, I was too busy trying to process the fact that the house had been your childhood home. I didn't think it appropriate to tell you my plans right then. Especially since you'll now be a co-owner with Chloe.”

Her eyes widened. “I never thought of that.”

“Look, don't worry about the house. If it's God's will, He'll help me find a place when the time is right. That's a few years off yet anyways.”

She took a sip of her tea, silent for several seconds, as if digesting his words. “How will you run a church and a shelter?”

He took her interest in his future plans as a positive sign. “I'm not sure. I may have to hire someone to manage it if I don't have time to do both.”

She nodded. “I wish there'd been a decent shelter when I left home. Things might've been a lot different for me.”

The pain on her face swamped Nick with sympathy, and he fought the urge to move closer to her. “Where did you go when you left your father's?”

Maybe she'd share some of her past with him, now that she trusted him more.

She shifted on the couch to set her tea on the side table. “At first I stayed with a friend from school until her older brother started making moves on me. By then, I was working at a donut shop, and the lady there let me rent a room from her. That didn't last long either. She hated my boyfriend and wouldn't let him come over.” She paused, and her gaze slid away.

He sensed her discomfort, but he needed to know all she'd been through in order to understand her better. “What did you do then?” He took a pull of water from the bottle.

She picked at her sleeve. “Danny had his own place, so I moved in with him.”

Nick clenched his jaw together, trying to hide his dismay at the thought of such a young girl having to choose between the streets and living with some low-life boyfriend. “I take it things didn't work out,” he said carefully.

She shook her head, tucking a wisp of hair behind one ear. “Danny got involved with drugs. I ended up moving in with another guy I worked with. I thought Todd was a friend, but he wasn't much better.” Her troubled gaze lit on his face for a second and then skittered away. “You sure you want to hear all this?”

A band tightened around Nick's chest, and he squeezed the bottle in his hand. For both their sakes, he had to. “What happened next?”

She drew her knees up under her chin. With no makeup and her hair coming loose from the bun and falling softly around her face, she looked as innocent as a child.

“Todd got drunk one night, and when I wouldn't do what he wanted”—a flush spread over her face—“he beat me up and threw me out.”

Nick's free hand curled into a white-knuckled fist on his lap. The thought of anyone beating Lily made him want to forget his Christian beliefs and show the jerk just what it felt like to be a victim.

“I eventually got a better job at a tavern,” Lily continued. “The owner, Hank, was a decent guy. He made sure no one bothered me. The tips were great, and I was able to rent a small apartment. It wasn't much, but at least it was mine.”

Nick's own childhood seemed idyllic compared to this brave girl out in the world on her own, facing danger and depravity. “What changed?”

She shrugged, her eyes trained on the floor. “The usual. I got involved with another loser. I loaned Curtis money a few times, which he never repaid. Then one night he came over, spoiling for a fight. He wanted more money, but I didn't have any since he'd already drained my account. So he got rough. Put a hole in the living room wall. The landlord freaked out and had me evicted.” The death grip of her hands clenched around her knees belied her matter-of-fact tone.

Nick couldn't stay seated. He rose and paced to the other side of the small room. “What about your father? Did you ever go to him for help?”

Lily's face hardened, her lips pressed into a thin line. “Once. But he refused. Called me a whore and told me never to come back again.”

“I'm so sorry,” Nick whispered. His heart wrenched with pain for her. Rejected by her father, she'd had no one in the world to trust or love. He longed to offer her comfort, but her body language screamed “do not touch.”

“No wonder you're skeptical of religion. Sounds like your father has a twisted version.”

Lily pushed to her feet. “I don't want to talk about my father.” She snatched up her cup and strode out to the kitchen.

His mood plummeted. He'd tried so hard to say the right thing, but he'd still upset her. He found her at the sink, rinsing the cup with shaking hands.

“Lily.” He moved toward her, fueled by a need to show her how much he cared. To make her understand she was no longer alone. He came up behind her and rested his hands on her shoulders. “I hope you know how much I…we all…care about you. It can never make up for what you've been through, but…”

Her muscles stiffened beneath his palms. Then she pulled away and turned to face him. “I appreciate everything you've done for me, Nick. Really I do. I've never had friends like you before.” She took another step back. “And I'd like to keep it that way.”

Nick straightened, feeling the sting of rejection but recognizing the cause. She simply wasn't ready for anything more. The fear in her eyes told him that. “I understand,” he said at last. “Just know I'm here if you need anything.”

“Thank you. And thanks for the macaroni.”

“You're welcome.” He forced himself to resist the overwhelming urge to touch her cheek, to kiss away the sorrow on her face. “Take it easy, OK?”

She nodded, avoiding eye contact.

His soul heavy, he turned and left the apartment.

 

 

 

 

14

 

On the night of the next scheduled youth meeting, Lily arrived at the church hall early, hoping to catch Nick before the others arrived. Her footsteps echoed through the basement as she crossed the tiled floor of the eerie, empty room. The carefully wrapped package tucked under her arm weighed almost as heavily as her guilt over the way she'd treated Nick. Guilt that demanded restitution. The gift wasn't much, but she hoped it would go a long way to soften her rejection.

Under a flickering florescent light, she debated whether to leave the package on the table or wait and give it to Nick another time.

“You're early.”

She whirled around to find Nick in the doorway. He looked so wonderful in his jeans and sports jacket, his hair ruffled from the wind, that it hit her anew, like a physical ache, how much she'd missed him. “I wanted…I have something for you.”

“You do?” An expression of pleasant surprise crossed his features. He paused to set some papers on the front table and then came toward her.

Tentatively, she held out the package. “My small way of saying thank you for everything and to apologize for the way I acted the other day.”

He stared at her without moving. “You didn't have to do that.”

“I wanted to.” She pressed the gift into his hand. “I hope you like it.”

The hall seemed to shrink in size as she waited for him to open it. The overhead lights buzzed, breaking the silence. She'd never given away one of her paintings before, a gesture far too personal. Now, as she waited for his reaction, she felt naked and vulnerable.

He slid a finger under the wrapping, folded it back, and stared. Not a smile, not a frown, not a blink.

She stuffed her hands into her pockets to hide her nerves. When at last he raised his eyes to hers, the intensity of emotion there stalled her breath.

“One of your paintings?”

She could only nod. She'd painted a small landscape from their time at Rainbow Falls. She hoped it would mean as much to him as it did to her.

“It's stunning. You captured the very essence of my favorite spot. The spiritual beauty there.”

A jumble of relief and elation spilled through her. Right away, he'd understood what she'd been trying to portray.

“I love it. Thank you.” His eyes bored into hers. “I know how hard it is for you to share your work.”

She nodded again, still mute. Her pulse stuttered as he took a step toward her and leaned in to kiss her cheek.

“I will treasure this always.”

The now familiar scent of his aftershave teased her senses. She managed a shaky smile. “I'm glad you like it.”

A noise from behind them broke the intimacy of the moment. Lily tore her gaze from Nick in time to see Sarah Jane enter the hall, her face as rigid as the metal cake pan in her hand. Lily's mood plummeted. She'd forgotten about Sarah Jane's hostility.

Lily threw a desperate glance at Nick.
Please don't show her the painting
, she pleaded silently.

As if reading her mind, Nick wrapped the paper back around the canvas and slid it into his bag under the table. “Hello, Sarah Jane.”

This time Nick's words weren't laced with guilt. He was calm and pleasant, as he would be with any member of the group.

“Hello, Nick.” The iciness of Sarah Jane's voice spoke volumes. She turned to Lily. “I see you've recovered from your illness.”

“Yes. I'm feeling much better. Thank you.”

Sarah Jane marched over to place her dessert on the table, and Lily followed Nick.

“Can I do anything to help?”

His smile was worth enduring Sarah Jane's unpleasantness.

“Sure. You can put one of these sheets on each chair for me.” He handed her a pile of papers.

Glad to be busy, Lily made her way around the circle of folding chairs. Halfway through, a deep voice bellowed through the hall, startling her. A tall, middle-aged man with graying hair and a well-trimmed goatee clapped Nick on the back. The two men hugged and laughed. Whoever he was, he seemed far too old for the youth group.

Then Lily noticed his police uniform. Her body went numb as icy fingers of panic clutched her throat.

Nick led the officer in her direction. Papers fluttered from her nerveless grasp.
Run
, an inner voice screamed. But fear held her frozen to the spot.

“Lily, this is my good friend, Mike Hillier. Mike, Lily Draper.”

The man smiled and extended his hand. She swallowed hard and forced herself to accept it.

“So this is the new girl in town.”

Why did his tone sound ominous?

Nick bent to retrieve the papers from the floor. “Mike's our police chief. He's giving a talk tonight on ‘Youth and the Law.'” Nick winked at her. “I like to scare the pants off the kids at least once a year.”

Mike's hand went to his holster. Lily swallowed again, trying to ignore the beads of sweat that snaked down her spine.

“Are you OK?” Mike's eyes narrowed. “You look a little shaky.”

Lily couldn't afford to make him suspicious. Or Sarah Jane, who stood at the far side of the room watching her every move. She managed a weak smile. “I'm fine. Still getting my strength back after that flu.”

Nick frowned. “Maybe you'd better sit down. I'll finish handing these out.”

Lily didn't argue. “Thanks.” She moved to sit on one of the chairs and forced herself to take deep, calming breaths. He wasn't here to arrest her. Only to give a talk to the kids.

A few minutes later, Maxi and Chloe arrived. Lily had never been so happy to see them.

“Hi, Lily. Glad you could come.” Chloe dropped into the vacant chair beside her. Then she spotted Mike and groaned. “Oh, no. Not the ‘scared straight' talk again.”