Nickels (22 page)

“You don’t know that.  You can’t know that.  You’ve never
lost family.”

Kyle stopped his pacing and stood in front of her, scowl on
his face.  “You don’t know what you’re talking about.  I may not have lost blood
family like you, but I have lost family.”

She couldn’t believe him.  There was no way he could
understand her pain.  “What are you talking about?”

“The accident,” he said, his voice taking on a far away
tenor.  “I lost my family.  Not my blood family like you did.  But those men
were my family.  We dropped into the worst of conditions together.  We trained
together.  We saved lives together.  Except for the day that my flying got them
all killed.

“No, Niki, they weren’t blood.  But, they were most definitely
family.  And God didn’t take them away.  It was simply their time to go.”

She stood there stunned at his response.  She wasn’t sure
which she found more difficult to swallow—that Kyle experienced such loss or
that God might be different than she thought.  Now she wished she hadn’t
brought up the subject.  She couldn’t really face this or the flood of
questions poised at the edge of her consciousness right now.

“I’m sorry.  I spoke out of turn.”

“God doesn’t hate you.”  His features softened.  “And He didn’t
intentionally hurt you.  He’s not out to make your life miserable.”

She had to end this conversation—it was too close to
breaking down her façade.  Taking the last swig of her soda she walked over to
the recycle bin to buy some time.

Kyle followed her.  When she turned around, he lightly
grasped her shoulders.  He ducked his head down to her level, looking her
straight in the eye.  “Please stop running.”

His expression looked pained, pleading with her for
something she could not face.  She broke eye contact and stared at the floor
until he released his hold.

“Okay.  You’re not there.  I get it.”

Not where?

He backed up a few steps.  As Kyle sat down on the couch
again, he asked, “You ready to watch the other movie?”

She shuffled her feet over to the other couch.  Lying down
on her side, she stuffed a pillow under her head and stared at the blank
screen.

“Sure,” she finally answered, willing her tears to stay
hidden.  A mindless movie would be the perfect distraction.

Kyle said she was running.  But running was familiar.  And
for two weeks, Niki maintained a successful pace in running from the questions
that troubled her heart.  Every time they pushed forward for attention, she
slammed the lid down tight and stuffed it in a deep hole.  Things were starting
to fall in place in her life—at least it felt that way—and she could not deal
with a shift in that fragile balance.

The big meeting with the Air Force was a tremendous
success.  As a result of the team’s work, and her work, the Air Force agreed to
push back the date for the live trials as she originally requested.  The insane
work hours actually paid off in dividends, building much needed credibility. 
Her work schedule changed into something more akin to a normal work week.

Of course, working fewer hours meant the weekends were long
and endless and unfilled.  She had too much time on her hands and it was
driving her crazy.  She needed to get out.  She needed a change.  Thankfully,
Marcy scheduled them hair appointments and pedicures.

As she downed the last of her coffee, Marcy padded into the
kitchen.  “You said you need a change.  I’ve got an idea for you.”

Niki cringed.  Marcy’s idea of change and her idea of change
were two entirely different things.  “Shoot.”

“I think you should get layers and some blonde highlights. 
It would really bring out the blue of your eyes.”

“Let’s do it,” she said with unusual bravado as she led the
way to her car.

In a few minutes, they were at the salon getting their hair
started.  Once they were both foiled and baking, they had a chance to sit and
talk.

“So, things going good with Chad?  Seems like the two of you
are joined at the hip all weekend every weekend.”

Marcy sighed and in her usual dramatic fashion, she clasped
her hands over her heart.  “He’s wonderful.”

“A wonderful accountant?”

Marcy nudged her with her shoulder.  “Yes, a wonderful
accountant.  Wonderful boyfriend.  Everything!”

“Okay, now I know you’ve lost your mind.  He can’t be
perfect.”

“Spoil sport.”  Marcy faked pouted.  “In all seriousness,
though, he’s a good man.  We share the same beliefs.”  Niki knew this to be at
the top of Marcy’s list.  Whenever Marcy dated, the first question she always
asked was how he got saved.  It was a deal breaker or deal maker.  While Niki
didn’t really get it, she supposed having different beliefs, especially when
one feels as strongly as Marcy did, could pose a problem in a relationship. 
And Marcy was definitely looking for a potential husband.

“What else?”

“We both want kids.  And he would be fine if I kept working
or if I stayed at home with the kids.”

“You’re talking
kids
?  How serious is this?”

“I’d say pretty serious.  I’m thinking a proposal is in my
not-too-distant future.”

A proposal meant a wedding soon, judging by her friend’s
excitement about the idea.  A wedding meant no more Roommate Marcy.  Things
would change.  Their friendship would change.

They had known each other for a long time.  Been roommates
for eight years.  What would she do without Marcy?

“Geez, Niki, you don’t have to look like it’s the worst thing
ever.  An accountant and product manager.  It’s not such a bad pairing.”  Marcy
laughed.

“Sounds boring.”

“You know me, I’m anything but boring.”

Niki sighed.  “You got me there.  So, after this proposal
and marriage, where are you going to live?”

“Chad has been saving up for a down payment on a house for
years.  He has enough set aside to furnish it also.  He’s really good with
money.”

“Hello?  He’s an accountant.”

“I know,” Marcy said.  Her eyes got dreamy.  “And such a
handsome one, too.”

“I think I’m going to be sick.”

Just in time, their stylists decided their highlights were
done and it was time for the cut.  In another twenty minutes, they were back
together again, ready for their pedicures.  Marcy picked a lime green color. 
Niki went with eggplant, despite the summer season.

“Put that back,” Marcy ordered when seeing the dark color.

“No.  I like eggplant.”

“Really?  It’s a winter color.  Go with,” she scanned the
choices and picked a hot pink, “this.”

“It’s for my toes, not a neon sign.”

“Just do it.  Remember, embrace the change.”

Niki caved.  Fantastic.  Now for their camping trip next
weekend she could just wear her flip-flops and her toes would light the path to
the restroom.

“So…  You were telling me about your dreamy man.”

“Yes, I was.  We’ve talked about where we want to live and
I’d like to stay in Chandler.  The schools are good, and it will keep me close
to you so I can keep an eye on you.”

“Interfere is more like it.”  Inwardly she was very relieved
and touched.  She didn’t know what she would do if Marcy moved to North Phoenix
or Glendale or…

“Can I hope for a long engagement?” she asked.  “Like three
years or something like that.”

“Not on your life.  I don’t think I can keep Chad’s hands
off me that long.”  Marcy smiled.  When she glanced over at Niki, her voice
became sympathetic.  “Don’t look so glum.  It’s life.  We pair off, have a
bunch of kids, and grow old with the man of our dreams.”

She stared at the sweet Vietnamese lady as she scrubbed away
her calluses.  Too bad it wasn’t as easy to scour them from her heart.

“You need more friends.  And maybe a man.  You don’t have to
isolate yourself so much.”

She leaned her head back against the cushioned head rest of
the plush pedicure chair.  “I know.  I’m just scared.”

“Of course you are.”  Marcy’s words caught Niki off guard. 
“You have lost the three most important people in your life.  It’s always going
to be with you at some level.”

Marcy reached her hand across the armrest to squeeze Niki’s
hand.  “But, the key is not to stay there.  Try to meet people.  Get out
there.  Make friends.”

Then suddenly, as if she remembered something important,
Marcy’s eyes lit up.  “In fact, next weekend is the perfect solution.  I forgot
to mention we’ve got a few more people for the camping trip.”

“I’m not surprised.”  Typical Marcy.  Always springing
things on her at the last minute.

Since moving to Arizona for college, the two friends
organized a camping trip for the Fourth of July weekend every year.  Marcy
booked the campground, invited the people, and handled the food.  Niki was in
charge of equipment and activities—the easy stuff.  It worked well for them.

“Who all’s coming?”

“You’ll see tonight.  We’re having a meeting to plan.”

Niki smiled.  Sometimes she wondered how someone so
organized could seem so spacey.  Or maybe she told Niki at the last minute so
she didn’t have time to back out.  It was probably the latter.

“Thanks for letting me know.  Here, I thought I was going to
waste this perfectly good hairdo with popcorn alone in front of the TV.”

“Not a chance.  I’d call Kyle and make him come over to take
you out before I’d let that happen.”

Niki’s chin dropped to her chest in utter disbelief.  Was
Marcy trying to set her up with her brother?  She
had
to know that would
never work.

“I don’t date clients.”

Marcy laughed.  “It’s just Kyle.  You know my pain of an
older brother.  It wouldn’t even be like a date, especially since the two of
you always seem at odds with each other.”

They hadn’t been last weekend when he brought over the
movies and popcorn.  They actually got along really well.  Of course she slept
through half of it.  Still, he had been really nice.  In fact, he had been nice
at work, too.

The more she got to know him, the more she thought the old
Kyle from high school was gone.  He turned into a pretty decent guy.

And he was really easy on the eyes.

Stop it, Niki.  It’s Kyle.  You can’t just forget all the
trouble he caused you in school.  And you don’t date clients.

She smacked her hand down on the armrest, resolving not to
think about him anymore.

“Well, it sounds like we already have plans for tonight
anyway.  No need to call in any favors for me.”

Marcy scrunched up her nose.  “It’s going to be loud and
noisy.  Wouldn’t you much rather be on a quiet date with a handsome guy.”

Niki frowned.  Now she was just pushing too far.  “No.  You
know I don’t date.”

The nail tech asked Marcy a question, distracting her for
the moment.  Good.  She really didn’t want her friend to get any more ideas
about her and Kyle.  That would never happen.  Not a chance.

Chapter 20

Niki folded the potatoes into the creamy mayonnaise dressing
for the potato salad while Marcy greeted their guests.  She had no idea what
possessed her to use her domestic skills today, but she had.  She made both the
potato salad and brownies from scratch.  She almost forgot she even knew how to
cook since most of her meals alone were some tasty salad or microwavable deal
from Fresh & Easy.

Kyle was the first to arrive.  “Don’t tell me you can
actually cook?” he teased.

“You’ll find out later when you eat this stuff.”

“And here I wondered if I’d have to do all the cooking.”

Niki felt the heat rise to her cheeks.  Why did he do
that—keep flirting with her?  Hinting at something more?  It bothered her even
more in light of her conversation with Marcy at the salon this afternoon.

“Mission accomplished,” Kyle announced proudly.

“Still embarrassing my best friend?” Marcy asked as she
punched his arm lightly.  “Why don’t you get out there with Chad and make
yourself useful at the grill?”