“And?” she asked.
He stood up straight and moved to stand next to her. His eyes scanned the horizon.
“The will is to be read on Christmas Day.” He sighed before looking over at her.
She frowned. “Christmas?”
He took another deep breath. “You’re cold. Let’s go in.”
She stopped him from walking away by laying her hand on his arm. “Nick. Talk to me.” Her eyes scanned his but only found sadness there.
Suddenly the back door burst open, and Wilbert strolled through it, followed closely by Willy.
“There you are, my boy.” Wilbert smiled brightly and walked over to slap Nick on the shoulder.
The man’s attitude the entire day was that of pure joy, even though his brother had just died.
“Uncle,” Nick said with a strained tone.
“I think it’s time we did ourselves some business.” Wilbert glanced towards Kara. “Willy, why don’t you keep Miss Montgomery company while my nephew and I have ourselves a little chat.”
Willy smiled and moved over to throw an arm over Kara’s shoulders and pulled her in tight to his chest. Kara would have kneed the guy, but the entire town was standing on the other side of the windows, watching the show.
Nick dislodged his uncle’s hand from his shoulder and walked over to them. Willy removed his arm, and Kara stepped closer towards Nick.
“Any discussion we may need to have can wait until tomorrow,” Nick said firmly. He took Kara’s hand in his, and she followed him as he started to walk inside.
“Tomorrow then, boy. I’ll be knocking on the door bright and early,” Wilbert said loudly behind them.
“What was that all about?” Kara asked Nick when they stepped inside.
“Nothing,” he mumbled. “Let’s get you some food.”
Nick was surrounded by well-wishers while she shuffled off to get a plate of food with Liz.
“This is crazy,” Liz said when they’d found a place to sit down, each of them balancing a paper plate of food on their knees.
“What is?” Kara asked after taking a bite of a roll. Her stomach was still upset, and she didn’t want to push her luck eating something that might cause her to rush home and be sick.
“The fact that the entire town can fit in this house,” Liz answered as she motioned to the room with her drumstick before taking a bite out of it.
“I don’t think the entire town is here,” Kara said.
“Oh, I’m pretty sure they are. Everyone knew and loved Nicholas Howe. Did you know he donated money to pretty much every charity in town? Not to mention he helped build the new library.”
Kara nodded. “Yeah.” She did know. The man was as generous as he was kind.
Liz leaned closer and lowered her voice. “It’s going to be crazy if Wilbert and Willy get their hands on this place.”
“I don’t think they will,” Kara said, setting down her half-eaten roll.
“Rumors—” Liz started.
“Are just that. Rumors,” Kara pointed out. “Let’s let things settle before starting any more.”
Liz pouted for a moment then cheered up. “So, is it true then?”
“Is what true?” Kara asked.
“That you were with Nick when his father passed?” Liz asked.
Kara held in a groan. “Yes, I was here.”
Her friend’s blonde eyebrows shot up. “Doing?”
“Having dinner,” Kara said, glancing around the room for any signs of Nick.
Liz nudged her knee with her own, almost dislodging Kara’s paper plate.
“Hey,” Kara said, nudging her friend’s knee back.
“Doing what?” Liz hissed.
“I lost a bet,” she admitted, not sure she wanted it all over town that her first date with Nick had ended in a death. She was looking at her friend when Liz’s eyes turned to a person standing in front of them.
Kara turned her head slightly to see Nick standing directly in front of her.
When her eyes met his, she could see hurt join the sorrow.
“I…” Nick started but turned to leave.
Kara dumped her plate on her friends lap and followed Nick through the house, finally catching up with him at the base of the stairs.
“Hey,” she said, taking his hand. “Are you okay?”
He refused to look at her, and she had to tug on his arm to get him to turn around.
“I’m not sure how to get everyone to leave,” he said, not giving her a chance to speak.
She swallowed the apology she’d wanted to give him. Was he hurt that she hadn’t told her friend they had been on a date? It hadn’t really been a real date. Had it?
“I can help,” she said, wanting to smooth things over with him.
He glanced back towards the living room and nodded, still avoiding her eyes.
“Nick?” she said, looking down at their joined hands. “I—”
Just then there was a loud bang followed by a couple shouts.
They rushed down the hallway to the kitchen, where Willy stood over Daryl, who was laid out on the kitchen floor with a bloodied lip.
“You’re the help,” Willy shouted. “You don’t talk to the boss like that.”
Nick rushed to Daryl’s side and bent to help the man up.
Out of all the hired hands, Daryl Conrad was the only one that Kara knew and liked. The man had always been at Howe Ranch. He was older than Nicholas had been but in far better physical health.
“Out.” Nick made a sound close to a growl. She’d never heard anything like it from him before.
“Yeah, you heard that, nigger, you’d better—” Willy started, but Nick stood up quickly and went nose to nose with his cousin.
“I said, get out,” Nick said in a low tone. “If you ever talk to anyone on this property like that again…”
Nick’s fists clenched, and she swore she saw Willy wince.
“You’ll what?” Wilbert walked into the room.
Nick didn’t even spare the older man a glance. “Daryl, would you like to press charges?” Nick asked.
“No.” Daryl stood up and took Nick’s shoulders. “We all know it wouldn’t do any good.”
Nick turned to Wilbert finally. “Get your son out of here. When you come back to talk business, leave him at home. Where he belongs.” Nick turned back to Daryl and ran his eyes over the man’s face. “Maybe Kara can help you clean up?” he asked, and she rushed forward to take Daryl’s arm.
“Come on,” she said, pulling the older man along with her.
“Out,” Nick said firmly again, this time to the crowd watching the show. “Everyone. The party’s over.” He motioned towards the front of the house while she and Daryl walked into a bathroom.
For the next few minutes, she helped the older man clean up his bloody lip. They could hear the sounds of the entire town leaving Nick’s house.
“I didn’t do nothing to provoke that kid,” Daryl said with a sigh. “That one’s just… off.”
“Yeah, he is,” Kara agreed as she wiped the man’s bloody lip.
“I can do this, myself. It’s not the first time I’ve been bloodied. Nor, I fear, the last.” Daryl smiled.