A Time to Live (6 page)

“Good night, Michael.”
Nikki closed the door behind him and managed to toss her sleeping bag on the floor. She tugged off her boots and collapsed. Abruptly, she groaned. “I hate it when I do that.” She hauled herself up, went to the kitchen cupboard and pulled out the pill bottles. After swallowing enough medication to keep the pharmacy in business for the next decade, she stumbled back to her sleeping bag and fell asleep.

The next morning, Michael paused at Nikki’s front door, certain he was insane.
He knew better than to do this. Hadn’t everything that happened taught him a lesson? Whatever possessed him to offer his help repairing the roof of this crazy place?

He sighed softly.
Nikki possessed him. Never had he known a woman like her. He had sensed her struggles last night. No doubt she heard Emma’s voice warning her to stay away from him. He knew the awful stories the townsfolk loved to tell. But instead of judging him, Nikki had bravely asked questions. She was not taking anyone’s word at face value but seeking the knowledge to make her own decisions. Michael admired that trait.

Nikki had been a pleasant surprise.
Her words and attitude had been kind and Michael sensed a good heart within her. The terrible coughing he had heard worried him though. Was she sick? Still, his sharp instincts denied illness. So what was it?

For an instant, he closed his eyes remembering the strange feeling coiling within him when she spoke his birth name with fine French inflection.
Abruptly, he shook himself. What was happening to him? He pushed his thoughts away and knocked on the door.

Michael frowned when she didn’t answer and knocked louder.
“Nikki?”

The door opened and she stood before him, bleary eyed.
“Michael, I’m sorry. I overslept.”

He would have smiled if her face hadn’t looked so wan.
Her blonde hair with red-gold highlights streamed about her shoulders and her green eyes appeared glazed. She stood before him fully clothed, trembling, with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. He abruptly realized she had slept in her clothes.

“Are you all right?”

“Yes. Come in. Let me fix a pot of coffee and I’ll be ready to go in a few.”

Michael followed her inside and felt the chill in the cabin.
The hearth fire was embers. Either Nikki was not a morning person or something was wrong. When she walked in the kitchen and abruptly sank into a chair, trying to find the energy to continue, his worry grew.

“Nikki, what’s the matter?”

“I...sometimes it’s hard for me to get moving in the mornings.”

Michael sighed
, but did not push. “Stay put. I’ll fix the coffee.”

She directed him to the proper cabinet and soon the drip maker perked away.
Michael watched Nikki pull the blanket tighter around her. Quickly, he moved to the fireplace and put in more wood, stoking the embers alive.

“Thank you.”
She smiled wryly. “I guess this is what happens when the tree limb wins.”

He almost grinned back.
The coffee finished and he poured them each a cup. “Cream and sugar?”

“Please.”

Michael sat down with her. Nikki drank her coffee with a shaking hand.

“Breakfast?” he asked, lifting his cup to his lips.

She shook her head. “I don’t eat breakfast. And don’t go telling me how it’s the most important meal of the day. I am so sick of hearing that crap.”

He laughed
, but choked on his coffee instead, grabbing a napkin and wiping his mouth. “Okay, I won’t.”

Nikki stared at him, almost in wonder, then a slow smile spread across her face.
“I knew you could.”

“Could what?”

“Laugh. That’s the closest you’ve come since I’ve met you.”

Michael shook his head, ashamed he had let his emotions slip.
“It won’t happen again.”

“You ruin all my fun.”

He was serious, but she obviously took it all in jest. Her energy seemed to return with a strange giddiness he found contagious.

“That’s my job,” he replied dryly.

She barked a laugh and winked at him. “No wonder people don’t know what to think of you. You are downright morose when you want to be. Ease up, Michael, life’s too short to take it so seriously.”

Michael blinked in surprise.
“Now who’s being morose?”

Nikki giggled again and he found he enjoyed the sound.
“True.” She sat back, her humor fading. “Let me take a shower. Since I’ve had my coffee my pulse is kicking in.”

“I’ll move the tree branch.
Did I see a chainsaw on your porch?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll cut it up. Then we can get started on the roof.”

“I’ll have to go to town first and get some supplies.”

“Marlowe opens his store early.”

She nodded and rose.
Surprisingly Nikki grabbed his hand and squeezed it. “Thank you for helping me with this, Michael.”

“No problem,” he replied, startled at the warmth infusing him.
“Now go take your shower before we waste the whole day.”

****

Michael had cut the limb into firewood and then he drove her Bronco to town for roofing supplies. Nikki wanted to go with him but when her medicines made her nauseated, she mumbled a silly excuse and handed him enough cash to choke a horse. Let him steal it, she didn’t care. But Michael did not question her. He simply took the money and her keys.

About a half hour later, her nausea faded, like it always did and she began to wash the dishes left over from last night.
The sink promptly clogged.

“Oh give me a break,” Nikki muttered, fetching her tools.
“A fixer is one thing, but don’t you turn into a money pit on me.” She crawled under the sink, brandishing a pipe wrench.

Michael returned a short time later and opened the door.
“Nikki?”

“In here.”

He walked in the kitchen and crouched beside her. “What happened?”

Nikki grunted then abruptly tossed the wrench down.
“The drain clogged on me, but these fittings are probably older than I am. I can’t break them loose.”

“Let me try.”

She crawled out and Michael took her place, hefting the pipe wrench easily. Yet she heard him grunt as well.

“Good grief, Nikki, you’re right. These things are wielded together.”

She laughed and looked under the sink. Michael set his jaw and hauled on the pipe wrench again. Nikki stared in open amazement as muscles sprang to life. Ever so slowly the fitting began to turn when suddenly it came loose. Michael dropped the wrench and closed his eyes for a moment, panting.

“The worst of it is,” he said, gulping a breath. “There’s not much room to maneuver down here.
Give me the bucket so I don’t get soaked.” She did so and he unscrewed the fitting. Water poured into the bucket and he tossed the trap in as well.

Nikki took the bucket, cleaned out the trap, and gave it back to him.

“Could you get the Teflon tape, please? This thing will probably start leaking if we don’t use it.”

“Sure,” she said and grabbed it from her toolbox, crawling under the sink with him.
She wrapped the Teflon tape around the threads, only realizing her mistake when she moved slightly to get a better angle and the length of her body pressed very intimately against his.

Michael froze at the same time Nikki did.
Her heart lurched and battered her ribs as his amber eyes locked on hers and blazed golden. A strange heat roared through her. Nikki tried to force herself to back away, but she couldn’t move. His gaze mesmerized her and held her captive.

Slowly, his hand moved.
His fingers touched her cheek, brushing away a tiny wisp of hair and sending an electric tingle through her skin. The power of the sensation broke the spell and Nikki launched herself backward. She smacked the back of her head on the sink.

“Ow!”

Michael almost flew out from under the sink. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” she said, rubbing the back of her head, a hot blush crawling up her cheeks.

Again his gaze caught and held hers, but a shadow flickered over his features and he abruptly dove back under the sink. Nikki stood, thoroughly unnerved, and left the kitchen to find something else to do.

A few minutes later, she heard water running in the sink and poked her head into the kitchen.
Michael ran the faucet crouching to watch the drain. His chuckle was absolutely wicked. “I came, I saw, I kicked it’s a—”

“Ahem!”

He jumped and looked at her guiltily. “Well, you can’t blame a guy, can you?”

She laughed, glad that the strange moment between them seemed to be forgotten.
Michael chuckled and washed his hands before turning off the water.

“Now,” he said, raking his hand through his dark hair.
“I think we have enough time to get started on the roof.”

Nikki was sorely grateful for Michael’s help.
She wasn’t strong enough to heft the plywood and huge rolls of tar-paper by herself. She and Michael stripped off the old shingles and tossed them in a pile next to the house.

The day shone bright and clear, the air was cold
, but the sun brilliantly warm. As they worked, Michael soon stripped off his shirt.

Nikki struggled not to stare.
His huge chest, arms, and flat stomach were a study in perfection. He would make a wonderful model for her photography. Michael’s form did not come from lifting weights. His eternal tan told her he was accustomed to hard work outside. His hair flew like a wild mane about his face. She turned her back on him. He was the most beautiful man she had ever met.

Nikki forced her attention toward her work and ripped off a stubborn shingle.
As beautiful as he was, she wanted no attachments, no friendships. Why make friends when she would only leave them behind in a couple of months?

She felt a warning twinge in her chest and quickly reached for her inhaler.
Normally, she would try to fight the fits off, using the medicine as the last resort. But she couldn’t afford to let Michael see her like that again. Once he realized something was wrong, the questions would start. A secret such as hers could not be kept long in a small town and she had no desire to have everyone on Shadow Mountain to know her sob story.

Fortunately, Michael continued his work without missing a beat.
The sun approached its zenith and Nikki’s stomach started rumbling. She had a chicken roasting in the oven. It should be done soon. Nikki slowly stood but paused when she heard an engine. A Jeep pickup drove on a trail alongside her land.

Michael also stopped working and frowned.
The Jeep slowed and stopped. Nikki saw a number of men in it but could tell nothing more.

“Taylor,” Michael growled. “And the idiots from the café.”

“What are they doing here?”

“Taylor and his friends used to hunt on Stafford land.
They obviously didn’t realize you bought the place.” Michael moved to stand on the peak of the roof in full view of the truck. His expression was flat, his posture challenging. He glared at the vehicle until it backed up and drove away.

Nikki sighed.
“Do you think the man last night was Taylor or one of his toadies?”

“It’s possible
, but I’m not sure. After the incident in the café they may be trying to scare you.”

“That’s what I was thinking.”

A slow smile lifted his lips. “Although, they should be thanking you. I was ready to put Rod in the hospital.”

She arched an eyebrow at him.
“Perhaps they will stay away now.”

Michael shook his head.
“They’ll be back, Nikki. Taylor is bad news.”

S
he giggled and he looked at her startled. “I’m sorry,” Nikki quickly said. “But Emma used those exact words about you. I think she was sorely mistaken.”

He studied her a moment then flashed her his lopsided grin.
“I’m not what they say,” he replied, but sobered. “Taylor is, Nikki. Don’t cross him or you might get hurt. Believe me, I know, we’ve tangled once before.”

“Emma said you two were feuding.
Is this another version of the Hatfields and the McCoys?”

Michael shook his head.
“Taylor runs a hunting lodge up here with some pretty high dollar customers. A few years ago, he arranged a special hunt for his elite customers in which they could kill endangered species, primarily wolf and grizzly.”

Nikki’s anger sparked.
“You’re kidding me.”

“I caught him at it and reported him to the feds, but Taylor’s crafty.
They couldn’t get enough evidence so I worked with them and we nailed him.”

“Wow,” she said softly.
“How did you manage that?”

His lips tugged upward in a wicked smile.
“The only thing that can catch a good hunter is a better hunter. Except, I was armed with a video camera. I would report everything to the feds, show them the videos, then they would collect the evidence of shell casings and things like that. It took us four months, but they busted Taylor.”