Nila's Hope (6 page)

Two hours later, Nila switched on the television in the basement family room and tucked her feet under her on the sectional couch.

Moments later the story of the princess, her hero, and their true love filled the screen. Dave had teased her the first time they'd watched the movie together because the actor playing the hero looked somewhat like Will. Of course, Will's curly blond hair, extra height, and easy smile made him much more attractive. But the actor's deep-set eyes definitely resembled Will's.

Halfway through the movie, Nila's eyelids drifted shut, and she became the princess in a long, elegant gown. She'd been kidnapped by the dread pirate Nick, who vowed he'd kill her before he'd let her leave him. Her hero, Will, followed their trail and fought to save her, but his strength could not match the hatred of the pirate. One thrust of the pirate's sword broke through his defenses, and Will fell, rolling down a long, unending hill. “As you wish.” His cry grew fainter and fainter as he rolled out of sight.

“No!” Her cry woke her, and she sat up, rubbing her eyes. The credits rolled on the television. She'd missed the happy ending. The nightmare pressed in, bringing a shudder. “As you wish,” still echoed in her mind.

She got up and unplugged her cellphone from its charger. She pressed the “on” button, and it immediately beeped to signal a text message.

Nila opened her phone, stared at the small screen, and clamped her hand over her mouth. She hurled the phone onto her bed and ran out of the room. As though that would help. The message had instantly etched itself into her mind.

I'M WATCHING YOU.

 

 

 

 

 

6

 

Monday morning Will unplugged the block heater from his truck, stashed the cord, and backed out of the driveway.

That was another good reason to get that bed moved. Then he could park in the shop.

As he drove the pre-dawn streets of Saskatoon, he felt a shiver of apprehension. He hadn't seen Nila since the wedding. Would that spark still be there? Would it be uncomfortable working together, or could they continue being just friends? Was she really all right, or was she sick?

Traffic at that hour was light, and he soon pulled into Dave and Lydia's driveway. Before the truck came to a complete stop, the front door opened and Nila stepped out. At least he assumed it was Nila. Bundled up in a bulky parka, a toque and scarf, it could have been any small person coming toward his truck in the dark.

She opened the passenger door, and Will caught a whiff of her shampoo. Its sweet aroma made him want to lean closer.

“Morning.” It sounded like a growl. He cleared his throat and tried again. “Good morning.”

The eyes above the wrapped wool scarf twinkled. “Good morning. I brought a treat for our coffee break, spritz cookies Lydia and I baked yesterday.”

Will grinned. “Sounds good.”

He tilted his head as an idea hit. He slid his glance up and down Nila as she fastened her seatbelt and loosened her scarf.

“What?” She sounded worried.

“I was just wondering…”

“What?” Now she sounded irritated.

“Well, you've gotten pretty strong in the last year.”

“And…?” Her chin lifted.

He smiled an apology. “Do you think you could help me move the bed Daniel built? It's in the shop, so I have to park outside, and it needs to be moved before they get home. But it's solid wood. Really heavy.”

In the dim light of the truck cab, Nila's breath whooshed out in a breathy laugh. “Yes, I'd be happy to help. And you're right, working with you guys has made me stronger. It feels good.”

The rest of the drive out Highway 11 to Warman was quiet. Will glanced at Nila a few times, but she seemed lost in thought.

He hoped she wasn't sick after all. Maybe she was embarrassed about the wedding. If she wanted to pretend nothing happened, two could play that game. Probably better that way.

By the time Will turned off the highway into town, the usually companionable silence felt stilted. He parked in front of an older bungalow, shut off the engine, and said a little too loudly, “Here we are. Ready to work?”

Nila finally met his eyes. Her startled look melted into a smile. “You bet. I can't wait to see how that bright red paint looks on the kitchen walls.”

As they walked to the house, she said, “I'm glad we got the primer on last week. What else do we need to do today?”

“The cabinets are getting installed tomorrow, so the main thing is getting the walls done. If you'll cut in, I'll use the roller. While the paint dries, we can work on the trim in the living room. I doubt two coats of the red will be enough, though, so it could be a long day. You OK with that?”

They'd reached the front door, and Nila rang the doorbell. “Sounds good.”

A hugely pregnant woman opened the door and beamed at them. “Good morning, you two. I'm so glad you're here. Do you need anything before I go? Coffee? Breakfast?”

Will chuckled. “Morning, Claire. No, thanks, we're ready to work. By the time you get home this evening, your kitchen walls will be bright red instead of that dull primer.”

“Wonderful! I can't wait until it's all done and I can cook upstairs again. Blake is getting a little tired of microwaved food. And of being my chauffeur, but he won't let me drive alone anymore.”

“How many more days until you start maternity leave? It's next week, right?”

“Yes, just nine more days. Do you think you'll be done?” A little crease marred her forehead. “I'm so anxious to see the finished product. And getting it done before the baby arrives is a huge relief.”

“It's going to look great,” Nila spoke up. “I'm anxious to see it finished, too.” She glanced up at Will. “We'll be done by next week, won't we?”

He nodded. “If not earlier.”

“Great. Well, we've got to get to work. How were the roads?”

“Good. Nice and clear, no drifting snow. See you later.”

As their clients drove away, Will and Nila placed their tool belts onto the kitchen's paper-covered floor and shrugged out of their outerwear and into their coveralls. Nila was zipping up her paint coveralls when Will looked at her.

He froze. “Your hair. What did you do to your hair?”

Nila blanched and touched her short cap of waves. “You don't like it.”

He stepped back and tilted his head. “Actually, I do. I like it a lot. I was just surprised. Looks good.” Made him want to touch the short waves. Find out if they were as soft as they looked. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his coveralls.

Color returned to Nila's cheeks. “Thanks. I like it, too.” She knelt beside the cans of paint. “Hopefully, it won't be bright red at the end of the day. Do you see my hat anywhere?”

Will chuckled, swooped up her painter's cap from the far corner and plunked it onto her head. “Here you go. We don't want to turn you into a redhead.”

The combined kitchen-dining area wasn't large, and a short time later, the first coat of paint was done.

“Sure is bright.” Will wrapped the brushes and roller in plastic to keep them from drying out.

“It is, but that's what Claire wants. Does Jim expect to get all the cabinets in tomorrow?”

Will nodded. “He has to. The countertops are coming first thing Wednesday and so are the appliances.

“So if we could get the trim and backsplash installed, we could be done this week.”

“Yep. That's the idea. Then I can start work on my man cave in Daniel's—my basement.”

Nila glanced up at him. “I didn't know you were planning that. Have you done the design?”

Will shrugged. “I drew up blueprints for the building permit, but I haven't figured out things like colors and fixtures.” He grinned. “Know anyone who might be able to help with that?”

Her whole face lit up. “Really? I'd like that a lot.”

“Good. I hoped you'd agree.” They might be back to co-workers and friends, but at least they were still friends. Anything more could wait. And that was probably for the best. He handed her one end of the tape measure. “Here, let's get the living room measured so we can make the cuts for the baseboard.”

“Sounds good, but I call dibs on the mitre saw.”

Will chuckled at her eagerness. “You do like power tools, don't you? All right, you make the cuts, my power-hungry little friend.”

Nila's grin disappeared, and she seemed subdued as she knelt in the far corner of the living room, measuring tape in hand.

What did he say? His mind replayed their short conversation, but nothing clicked. He clamped his mouth shut and recorded the measurements.

Darkness had fallen by the time the third coat of paint glowed on the kitchen walls. Creamy white paint highlighted the baseboards and window trim, and pale yellow graced the walls of the nursery.

As they carried paint cans and equipment downstairs to the storage room, Nila finally smiled. “It feels good to be ahead of schedule for a change.”

Will nodded. “You worked hard. I could barely keep up with you today.”

“Thanks.”

And she'd hardly spoken to him, either. “I'll go start the truck.”

“All right. I'll finish cleaning up.” She paused. “Will, I'm sorry.” Her eyes shimmered.

Tears? What for? He barely touched her shoulder. “We'll talk on the way home, OK?”

 

****

 

Nila kept silent until the lights of Saskatoon illuminated the truck cab. Her thoughts tumbled wildly as she fought with her conscience.

How much should she tell him? What would he do if she told him Nick was out? If she said he had threatened her? But then she wouldn't be the only one in danger. She knew Nick too well.

She took a deep breath as they passed several auto dealerships. “I'm sorry I wasn't a good friend today. It wasn't your fault.” She swallowed hard. “Well, I guess it was something you said.”

“What?” Confusion filled Will's voice.

Nila sighed and closed her eyes. “You called me power hungry.”

Will drummed his gloved fingers on the steering wheel. “I didn't mean that as an insult, Nila. I was just teasing.”

She looked at him, and her heart twisted at the unexpected tenderness on his face. She shook her head. “I know that.” Another deep sigh. “It's just that it made me think about Nick and how he always has…had to prove his power over me.”

Will took his eyes off the road and glanced at her. “But he's in prison. You've got a new life now. He
is
out of your life, isn't he?”

Nila waited until he looked back at the highway. “Yes, of course.”

He took one hand off the wheel and touched her arm. “That creep's never going to bother you again if I have anything to say about it. You've suffered more than enough already.”

That was why she couldn't tell him. She couldn't put him in danger, too. She slumped in her seat and gazed out the window without seeing anything. Where was her Savior? Was He ignoring her because she couldn't forgive?

“Do you want to give Lydia a call and see if we have time to move that bed before dinner?” Will said. “Or are you too tired?”

She sat up straighter and bit her lower lip. “Um, could I use your cellphone? I left mine in my room.”

Will's brow puckered. “Yeah, sure. It's in my pocket. Just a sec.” He steered with one hand and dug into his pocket with the other. “Here. You must have really been in a hurry this morning.”

Nila turned toward the window again. “Um-hm.” The frost on the side window seemed to glow:
I'm watching you.

Unease vibrated through her. She wondered what would happen if she changed her phone number? Would Nick find out? And if he did, then what?

She shivered as she removed her gloves to dial Lydia's number. “Hi, Lydia. Work went well; we're all ready for the cabinets tomorrow. Do I have time to help Will move Daniel's gift over to their house? Good, thanks. I'll see you later.”

She listened for a moment, and a shiver of alarm started in her toes and traveled up her spine. “No, I wasn't expecting anything. I've got to go. Good-bye.”

Apprehension flooded her like a bucket of ice water, and Nila rubbed her arms, thankful for the darkness inside the truck.

“Everything OK?”

She swallowed past the tightness in her throat and nodded. “Yes. Lydia said supper won't be for another hour. That's enough time, isn't it?”

He barely glanced at her. “Depends on how strong you really are.”

A short time later Will backed up to the overhead door of the shop. “Wait here while I open the door.”

Nila hadn't seen the completed creation, and she gasped when the big door lifted and revealed Daniel's work of love. Eyes wide, she slid out of the truck and entered the shop as though into a holy place, hands clasped in front of her. “It's so beautiful.”

“Yeah, it's pretty special, isn't it?” Will grabbed a drill off the workbench and knelt beside the footboard. “If you'll hold this piece, I'll get it detached. Don't want to let anything get scratched.”

Nila removed her gloves and held the footboard with both hands. “Do you have an extra blanket we can put in the back of the truck? Maybe some for between each piece, too.”

“Good idea.”

Before long the bed was disassembled and ready to load.

Will held the headboard steady. “How do you want to do this? Shall we load this piece first? But wait until I back the truck in closer. You got it?”

Nila nodded and tightened her grip on the headboard. “Got it.”

Once the truck was as close as possible, Will took one end of the solid oak headboard. “Are you sure about this?”

“If I have to set my end down, I promise I'll warn you. Let's do it.”