Hometown Girl (10 page)

“Like you never backwashed your Coke. At least she doesn’t hunch over her plate anymore.” She picked up Nicki’s bagel. “Are you going to eat anything?”

“I guess I should. She didn’t lick anything else, did she?”

“You should be safe. She’s had all her shots.”

He fixed a monster bagel while Bree made another for Nicki and grabbed a juice box.

“Where’d Pop find Nicki?”

Bree shrugged and pulled out a few sandwich bags. “You need to talk to Pete about that. All I know is one day Nicki was here. Pete said he’d known her mom years ago and that she couldn’t care for Nicki anymore, so she signed over all parental rights and left Nicki with him.”

“Who’s her mother?”

Bree stashed the food in the fridge. “I don’t know, but it doesn’t matter. Right now, it’s more important for Nicki to know she has a real home where she’s loved and wanted.”

Storm’s straight, dark brows drew together as if he didn’t believe her. Well, that was his problem. She didn’t owe him anything, but she owed Pete her life. Pete had been her father’s lifelong friend and partner on the force. He’d taken her under his wing after her dad’s death, loving her and supporting her like a surrogate father. Pete gave her a safe place to escape her mother, he gave her guidance, and eventually he gave her a job and a home. She’d do anything to protect Nicki and Pete.

At the thought of Pete, she realized Storm was going to have one hell of a shock when he saw him.

Bree stopped what she was doing. “Storm, Pete’s changed a lot. He’s aged. He’s not the same big guy you saw six years ago.”

“People don’t change that much.”

“They do after open-heart surgery.”