From This Moment On - By Debbi Rawlins Page 0,46

been smart to take her out to dinner, see what happened. Right now, he couldn’t even remember her damn name. Hanging around Nikki did that sort of thing to him. Made no sense. Until he’d met her, he even preferred blondes. What was that about?

Clenching his jaw, he noticed the way her shoulders had slumped. She was still rocking, and he wanted to grab the phone from her and stop whatever was making her unhappy. The riding in on a white horse crap wasn’t his style, either. He liked things nice and easy. More than once he’d been accused of hiding behind his “trademark smile.” Not that he gave a damn. Why mess with something that worked just fine?

“No, Mom, really...I swear you did exactly right. I’ve got to go, though. Say hi to Edward for me, and I’ll talk to you before you leave for Mexico City.” She disconnected the call and with a sigh, dropped the phone onto the seat beside her.

“You okay?”

She scooted back, found his arms and pulled them around her as she leaned against his chest. “The clouds are pretty with those streaks of pinkish-orange.”

Closing his eyes, he inhaled the floral scent of her hair. His arms rested loosely just below her breasts. She only wanted comfort, and he wanted to give her that but, damn, she wasn’t making it easy.

“Trace?”

“Hmm?”

“Thanks for being a friend,” she said softly.

He smiled, feeling more than a little deflated, and kissed her hair. Okay, so maybe he’d grown bored of nice and easy. Besides being gutsy, loyal, independent and sweetly vulnerable, Nikki was by far the most complicated woman he’d ever met.

11

NIKKI CROSSED THE THRESHOLD into the small stone church and froze. God help her, why were there so many people? Most of the pews were filled. Up front was the dark cherry casket Matt had chosen. She’d gone with him to be supportive and agreed on the style while barely sparing a glance. Vases of flowers had been set on either side and in front of a podium.

Lucy, Matt and Rachel had driven together and were already seated in the first pew. Nikki took a deep breath and pulled her shoulders back, ready to make her way down the aisle when she saw the portrait of Wallace. Taken when he was a much younger man, the blown-up head shot sat on an easel to the right of the casket.

That was it for her. She couldn’t seem to make her feet move. Vaguely she recalled Matt and Lucy discussing which picture to use, but Nikki hadn’t seen it. Not this one, anyway. Her mom had once had a similar photo. She’d kept it in a silver frame she polished every day, sitting on a nightstand in the shabby bedroom she’d shared with Nikki. Right after Nikki started kindergarten the photo had disappeared. Just like the man himself had vanished two years prior.

“Nikki?” Trace touched the small of her back. She looked up at him and he smiled. “Let’s find our seats.”

She nodded, took the arm he offered, and then leaned on him the whole way to the front pew. Matt stood, kissed her cheek and indicated the seat next to him. She saw the rest of the McAllisters and Hilda sitting directly behind and gave them a shaky smile before sinking down to the hard wooden bench. A moment of panic nearly set her off, but she relaxed when Trace sat on the other side of her and squeezed her hand.

The minister took his place behind the podium and started with a prayer. Nikki had no idea what he was saying. Her goal was to avoid looking at the picture of Wallace. It stirred up too many bad memories. Of course the stupid easel stood only a few feet away. She couldn’t even look straight ahead without being aware of Wallace’s image. But each time she felt her chest tighten, she squeezed Trace’s hand and he squeezed right back. That’s all it took to calm her, which in itself should’ve terrified her.

That, and how since Wallace’s death she’d been thinking of him as her father. Before it had been easier to think of him as Matt’s father and not hers, or the dying man down the hall. Mostly she realized she’d been better off without Wallace in her life. Matt had been the unlucky one. But somehow she had to get through the service, so she decided to focus her thoughts on Trace...thoughtful, dependable, handsome Trace with his killer