From This Moment On - By Debbi Rawlins Page 0,78
it would burst. Did Matt know she was married? Rachel?
It didn’t matter because every time Nikki had kissed him, each time they’d made love, she’d lied to him. Not just words gave a lie teeth and she’d taken plenty of bites. What hurt worse was that they’d confided in each other. She’d confessed some pretty heavy stuff, so had he. To think he’d been humbled by her trust... How could he have missed it? He’d thought he knew her. More than any woman he’d ever met. The irony was, he’d finally made up his mind that tonight was the night. He was going to come right out and prove to her that he was in this thing one hundred percent.
He’d believed with everything he had that Nikki was not only brave and strong and independent, but honest down to the bone. It’d never once occurred to him that she could be hiding so much of herself. Not after all they’d been through.
He stuck the key in the ignition and started the truck. His gaze went back to the Watering Hole door. No one had left since him. She was still in there with that guy. Her husband.
As he pulled out of his spot, the fire inside him turned cold. He should have listened to his instincts. Realized he wasn’t thinking straight. Twenty-seven was too young to go all in on a relationship. Maybe not for some guys, but for him? His gut had warned him, but that voice had been drowned out by his damn hormones.
He drove slow, careful. Everyone in the bar had just seen him get squashed like a bug. By tomorrow morning, he doubted there was anyone in town, hell, in the county who wouldn’t have heard about how she’d made him look like a fool. Just thinking about facing Sam again made Trace’s insides crawl.
Why hadn’t she told him? Was it because she’d known all along she was going to go back to Luis? Did she love the guy? Is that why she’d made such a point of warning Trace not to get serious?
His cell rang. Nikki’s tone. He could have answered the call, but he was too damn angry. So angry, he’d pulled over on the side of the road not too far out of town. Listening to her voice mail telling him she wanted to explain made him ache with disappointment and embarrassment all over again, and he wanted to throw the damn cell out the window. She’d had the chance to explain when he was standing next to her in front of everyone.
Trace sat in the dark, trying to make sense of things. Was that guy still at the bar? She clearly hadn’t wanted him there. Dammit. How was Trace supposed to run off in his righteous fury if Nikki needed him?
Maybe he was the biggest fool in Montana but he couldn’t just leave. She hadn’t wanted Luis there, and no matter what, Trace wasn’t about to drive off without knowing she was okay. For all he knew, Luis had abused her, and that’s why she’d left him.
“Well, shit.” Trace slammed his hand against the wheel. That was another possible angle. But she still should’ve told him. Trusted him with the truth.
He turned the ignition again, and made a U-turn to get himself back to the bar. To Nikki. It would be hell walking into the Watering Hole, but there was more at stake than his pride.
He needed to make sure she was safe.
* * *
“DON’T YOU GET IT? I’m not like that anymore. I worked all these years—”
“Luis, look, I’m happy for you,” she said, as she stared down the street, hoping to spot Trace’s truck. She didn’t see it, but at least they weren’t having this conversation in front of half the town. She turned back to Luis. “And I’m proud. You’ve done everything you said you would. But it’s been a long time.”
He snorted and curled his hands into fists. “You think it was easy getting out of that life?”
“I know it wasn’t. It hasn’t been easy for me, either. And I wasn’t—”
“Using. Or in the gang.”
She nodded. “Listen, what you did took courage. And you’ll do great at the body shop. But not with me.”
Luis exhaled sharply. “I suppose it was too much to hope for. But I had to try.”
“It wouldn’t work anymore. I’m not that girl.”
He reached up and touched the side of her face before he turned and walked down the street. She watched him climb