easily forgotten, and the air, so clean and clear that taking a deep breath actually made her head light.
And the McAllisters…Nikki had never met a family like them. Their warmth and kindness was part of the reason she’d agreed to come back with Matt. At first she’d been wary. How could all three brothers and a sister be that well-adjusted? But then she’d met their mother. An hour spent with Barbara was all it had taken for Nikki to understand them. Oh, they weren’t perfect, not even close, but it was their unconditional love for one another and how they had each other’s back that impressed her.
Sadie had also made the short list. Nikki had only talked with her a couple times, but the woman sure seemed to know when to speak up and when to keep her opinion to herself. Nikki had been a wreck the night Matt had gotten into a fight protecting her. Every instinct had screamed for her to find the guys and get even, show them they couldn’t mess around with her or her family. Growing up, she’d learned to protect her own because no one else would.
But Matt had brought her to Montana so she could have a new life. Leave her troubled past behind. Sadie hadn’t known her circumstances, yet she’d seen the thirst for payback in Nikki’s eyes and in a few well-chosen words, convinced her it wasn’t worth it. When Nikki thought about it now, she had to hold back a shudder. The people here didn’t understand what she was capable of. Not even Matt got it. He hadn’t known her as a teenager.
That same night Trace had come into the bar with her, and to be fair, he’d played a big part in calming her down. He’d sat and listened and told her he wouldn’t blame her one bit for wanting to slap those guys into the next zip code. And then he’d reminded her that it wasn’t over—the men would be fired and the pleasure should be Matt’s.
God, it still bothered her that she’d told Trace little things about her past she wished she’d kept to herself. She’d known him less than a week, had never spoken to him one-on-one before that night. At the last minute he’d shown up to help Matt and ended up with a split lip. Not a big cut, just a small nick near the corner of his mouth. It had stopped bleeding pretty quickly, but every time she looked at him, she was reminded he’d been hurt because of her.
That was the only reason she’d opened up to him. Why she’d confessed that she hated Wallace more than she thought humanly possible, that he deserved to be sick, and how she was glad he was dying. She hadn’t censored her vile thoughts. They’d tumbled out of her mouth, and Trace had just sat there, without a hint of judgment.
Of course some of it wasn’t news to him. The McAllisters knew quite a lot from Matt because he trusted them. The scary part was, for those two rocky hours she’d sat with Trace, she’d actually trusted him, too.
That was enough to rattle her. She just didn’t put that kind of faith in people. She trusted Matt, but getting there had taken nearly a year of ups and downs. The only other person she completely believed in was her mother, who loved her no matter what. Her mom was the main reason Nikki was giving Blackfoot Falls a try. She’d met a businessman from Mexico City who wanted to marry her. But it wouldn’t happen, she’d never leave Houston as long as Nikki was there.
No, trust didn’t come easy for Nikki. Especially with men. They always disappointed her. And a guy like Trace with his looks, his family’s clout, money and a bright future…He was the worst kind of man to count on. Good-looking smooth guys like him couldn’t seem to help themselves. They had charm to spare and felt they owed it to the female population to spread it around.
She’d fallen for a man like that before, and she’d been burned. Badly. Just like her mom had been crushed by Wallace all those years ago. If nothing else, Nikki had learned a lesson from the experience. Or so she’d thought until that night she’d blabbed to Trace.
“You need anything else besides those tequila shots?” Sadie asked, with a glance at Nikki’s loaded tray.
“No, this is it. Thanks.”
“I wouldn’t worry about Trace.”
Nikki hefted the tray at the same time Sadie spoke and almost let the pitcher slide off. “Where did that come from?”
“You’ve been staring at the door the last five minutes. I figured you were worried about him.”
“Why would I be? That’s crazy.”
Sadie smiled. “My mistake.”
Nikki dropped off the pitcher first. She’d been carrying heavy trays and serving drinks since she was old enough to work. But something in Sadie’s smug expression had thrown her off and all she needed was for the entire order to crash to the wooden floor.
Her tips weren’t so good that she could afford to hand half over to Sadie.
She delivered the tequila shots to the two cowboys sitting in the corner and managed to give them a smile. They were nice laid-back guys whose names she really should remember. Both were good tippers and patient when she got slammed. She hated that all the other customers seemed to fade when Trace was in the bar. But what she hated even more was that he hung out with Sam.
Sometimes Sam was okay. He’d come in nearly every night since she’d started working for Sadie. He liked to flirt and tease, not just with her but with the Sundance guests. She knew that at least one of the women had gone off with him last week. For her part, Sam was the kind of guy she’d go a mile out of her way to avoid. He was good-looking, but too cocky and full of himself. Definitely a one-night stand guy. After checking on her customers, she stowed her tray and slipped behind the bar to wash glasses. The dishwasher had conked out three years ago and Sadie had gone without since. Last week she’d admitted to Nikki that she’d almost closed the bar a month before the Sundance opened their doors to guests. Business had gotten slow with so many layoffs in the area. the hired hands who were left had started going to Kalispell for their entertainment. Until all the young single women began arriving each week.
At the end of the bar Sadie made jukebox change for a customer and then grabbed a clean towel and joined Nikki. “I was gonna get to those glasses next, but thanks for pitching in. You’re a good worker, Nikki. And God bless you, you showed up at the right time. I would’ve been up a creek without anyone reliable to fill in for Gretchen.”
“She’s ready to have her baby anytime now, right?”
“Next Tuesday is her due date.” Sadie picked up a mug and dried it. “Claims she’ll come back to work in two months but I’ve got my doubts. Even if she does I can still use you two nights a week if you’re willing.”
Nikki nodded, though she’d been hoping for something more full-time. But then again anything could happen in two months. Her mother planned on relocating to Mexico City in three weeks. As soon as she was settled Nikki could start thinking about where she wanted to end up.
Cole’s girlfriend, Jamie, loved San Francisco, claimed it was one of her favorite cities, and she was a travel blogger who’d been around the world more than once. Maybe Nikki would go have a look for herself, see if she could find a decent job there. Although she was hoping to save more money before she left.
If she left. She really was trying to keep an open mind, but she couldn’t seem to imagine the Lone Wolf ever feeling like home. the huge two-story house was beautiful, nicer than any place she’d ever lived or most likely ever would. And the guest bedroom, which was now hers according to Matt, was almost as big as the apartment she’d had in Houston.
Most of the time the ranch was quiet, too. So still and quiet that at first it had creeped her out. In her old neighborhood it wasn’t unusual to hear gunshots in the middle of the night. Sometimes at the Lone Wolf if she kept a window open she’d hear a calf bawling or a rooster crowing. She hadn’t gotten used to that yet.
“Do you think Marge might need help at the diner?” she asked, and Sadie frowned. “I’d still work here whenever you needed me, but after Gretchen comes back, I wouldn’t mind picking up a few shifts over there.”
“I don’t think she needs anyone but it wouldn’t hurt to ask. Frankly, though, I think the tips are better