Then Holly had found out she was pregnant. Zak’s reaction, when Holly told him, was to say that he needed time to process the news. Then he stopped responding to her calls for more than a week. They’d been pretty sure he’d decided to ghost her when Zak had finally texted back, asking Holly to come by the bar he worked at before opening hours so they could talk about the baby.
“I think it’s your choice—and I support you no matter what you decide,” Nicole replied as diplomatically as she could. She didn’t say that she’d be surprised if Zak actually stepped up and wanted to be involved with the baby. She’d seen enough of him to know that he wasn’t exactly Father of the Year material.
“Thank you.” Holly rested her head on Nicole’s shoulder for a brief moment. “I need to do this. I owe it to Zak to at least hear him out. He and I weren’t meant to be, but he is the little bean’s dad, after all. And if he’s not interested in being a part of our lives…well, then at least I still have you guys.” She squeezed Nicole tight and threw her free arm around Charlotte to pull her into the hug.
Charlotte gave her a soft smile as she hugged Holly back. “Always.”
“Exactly,” Nicole agreed firmly. “We are going to be here for you, just like you two have always been there for me and Grant.”
Holly grinned and nodded as they approached McKinley’s, the hole in the wall where Zak tended bar. It looked like most of the lights were off inside, but when Holly knocked on the front door, there was a blur of movement before it swung open. Zak stuck his head out, all blonde, easy-going charm and a gleaming white smile. To be fair, it was a pretty great smile, all half-crooked and dimples winking. Maybe she could understand why Holly had tumbled into bed with him. He was cute—not the kind to make you weak at the knees, but he definitely had an older-brother’s-best-friend vibe that he was working to maximum effect. That smile probably tipped a lot of people over the edge. Wicked and playful, it was the kind of smile that said not to worry about anything, you could figure it out tomorrow. His grin dropped away, however, when he saw Nicole and Charlotte.
“I was hoping we could talk. Alone. Just the two of us,” Zak said to Holly, a smile slipping easily back across his face. “If you don’t mind,” he added pointedly to Nicole. “This is kind of personal.”
Nicole grinned back at him. “Oh, I absolutely mind.”
“Holly asked us to come,” Charlotte said, her voice quiet but firm.
Holly nodded. “Whatever you have to say to me, you can say in front of them. We’re a package deal, Zak.”
“That’s not what you said when we were dating. Joking,” he said quickly, holding his hands up before Nicole could say anything. He didn’t look happy about it, but he stepped back and held the door open. “Come on in—all of you—and grab a seat. I just gotta finish cleaning up before we open.”
The bar was empty, and almost dark except for a few spare lights. The tables and bar gleamed wetly under the dim lights, as if they’d recently been wiped down, and there was a mop and bucket resting by the door. Several large black trash bags were piled up by a door at the back of the bar, with a sign that read STAFF ONLY.
Zak ran a hand through his artfully tousled hair. “You ladies want something to drink?”
A quick looked passed between the women, including some heavy-duty eye rolls. Holly pointed at her stomach. “Pregnant.”
“I know that. I meant like a soda or something. Can you have soda?” he asked Holly, a slightly worried look crossing his face.
The strain in Holly’s face softened for a moment. “Soda’s fine. Maybe a ginger ale?”
“Coming right up.” Zak poured one for Holly, then gave Charlotte a grateful look as she gently requested a club soda. Nicole simply stared him down. Zak shifted awkwardly, then headed towards the back door. The rusty hinges screeched as he heaved it open, propping it with his hip as he grabbed the trash bags. “I’ll be right back. I just gotta take out the trash. Hey, uh, Nicole? You mind giving me a hand?”
Nicole blinked in surprise. “Me?”
When Zak and Holly had been dating, Zak had never wanted to be within ten feet of her, as if he expected her to flip out at any moment and go for his throat. It had been pretty funny, actually, the way he seemed so terrified of her. She figured a lot of it was the “mom” look that she had perfected—as her ten-year-old son could attest. The mom look was a great weapon against anyone with a guilty conscience.
And if some of it was the brass knuckles she had “innocently” shown Zak, mentioning that she always kept them in her purse, well…that was their little secret. Nicole was from New Jersey. She knew how to take care of herself, along with everyone else that she kept under her wing. And while Holly was strong and tough and fierce in her own right, she also had a big heart that left her vulnerable to getting hurt. Nicole wasn’t going to let that happen on her watch.
“Yeah.” He nodded toward the trash bags. “You mind?”
She glanced over at her friends. Holly gave her an exaggerated shrug, but it was Charlotte’s soft nod that convinced her. She was curious—and the Mom in her couldn’t stand to have trash bags just standing around. She strode over, balancing a bit precariously on her high, skinny heels as she dragged one of the full, heavy trash bags into the alley. As a mother and a business-owner, Nicole’s wardrobe tended towards both practical and professional, but her one indulgence was her shoe collection. The bright red power heels she had on today were one of her favorite pairs, a celebration gift to herself after the salon had exceeded their sales goals last year. They probably hadn’t been the best choice of footwear considering the weather—or the fact that she was now hauling out trash bags—but they always made her feel like Wonder Woman. And besides, if she had to give Zak a couple of good hard kicks, she’d wanted to wear something that would leave a mark.
Zak followed, the back door screeching shut behind him. “Look, I get it, okay?”
Nicole stood and dusted off her hands. “Get what?”
“Why you don’t want me and Holly to get back together. I get it. I’m a screw up. But I can do better.” Zak crossed over to her. “I’m serious about this, Nicole. I’m going to get my shit together, be a good dad, a good man for Holly. But she loves you, and she trusts you and Charlotte more than anybody. I’m not going to get anywhere if you’ve already made up your mind about me.” Zak met her gaze, all smiles gone. “All I’m asking for is a second chance.”
Nicole swallowed back the bitter taste in her mouth. She knew someone once who didn’t believe in giving people second chances. Not that she ever tried for one, but still. Never thought I’d end up like him. “Okay. It’s up to her,” Nicole said quickly when his expression brightened. “You two need to talk this out, together. And you’ve got a lot of proving yourself to do before I’ll believe you’re anywhere close to being ready to be a father. But I won’t stand in the way.”
Zak flashed her that playful grin again, something relieved and excited in his expression. “Thanks, Nic.”
She forced herself not to smile back, jabbing a finger at him. “Do not call me that. I hate that nickname.”