Page 34 of All Wrong
Nick shrugged. On the surface, the guy was squeaky clean, but Nick’s gut wasn’t convinced.
“Lacie had nothing but good things to say about him.”
Nick wasn’t interested in what Lacie Callaghan thought. She’d known the guy what, a few weeks at most? And while she was a sweet woman with a big heart, she didn’t have the best track record when it came to spotting psychopathic tendencies in others.
“She’s even trying to fix Corinne up with him,” Nicki added, as if that was a good thing.
“Are you going to have Ian check him out?”
“Already called him. But I don’t expect him to find anything. Buckman’s references are impeccable, and the school district’s checks are pretty thorough.”
Nick grunted. “References can be faked.”
Nicki crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. “All right, are you going to tell me what you have against this guy?”
Not a chance.“Nothing. Just a feeling.”
“A feeling,” she echoed, but she couldn’t refute what hefelt. Raised as they had been, they’d developed damn good instincts.
“What are your instincts telling you?” he countered.
“That you’re not telling me everything,” shereplied instantly. “This wouldn’t have anything to do with the fact that Lacie set him up with Corinne, would it?”
Yes.He furrowed his brows, as if confused, but he couldn’t deny it outright. Nicki would sense the lie and pounce on it like a ravenous cheetah on a lame gazelle.
“Why would I give a fuck about that?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe becauseyouhave a thing for her.”
He stiffened. “Corinne McCain can handle her own business. She doesn’t need me, or her sister, or anyone else poking their nose in it. The ones we do need to worry about are the kids being targeted in our own backyard.”
“Are you seriously suggesting Brett Buckman is a drug lord?”
“I’m not suggesting anything,” Nick said gruffly. “I’m saying, just because he has a fifty-dollar haircut and looks like the poster boy for organic protein shakes doesn’t mean he’s a good guy. You of all people should know that.”
“I do,” she agreed soberly, nodding. “All right, we’ll dig deep. But we could use the extra hands around here until school starts up, and the guy doeshave an impressive résumé when it comes to working with kids.”
Nick couldn’t argue that. Not only had Buckman taught health and PE in several inner-city schools over the past decade and a half, but he’d also been actively involved in multiple community and church-sponsored youth centers as well.
Which, as far as Nick was concerned, were just more reasons to hate the guy.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CORINNE
Corinne was in her pajama shorts and a loose tank top, deep into the third season of her favorite biker drama. She should be packing, but after the week from hell, she figured she deserved some me time. She had a lot of snacks leftover from her previous weekend binge, and she was putting a serious dent in them now.
The knock on her door came right at a really good part. She ignored it. Her favorite biker character had one of his brothers against the wall with a knife at his privates because the brother had offered to give a woman a ride, and that meant something. Something possessive and territorial.
She wondered if that was a real thing or just a common theme among drama series and MC romances. Specifically, she wondered if there had been a deeper, hidden meaning behind Nick’s offer to give her a lift home. That was followed quickly by wondering if giving women rides was something he did often. Every time she’d seen him in and around town, he’d been riding solo.
The knock came again, louder this time. Corinne scowled at the interruption. She wasn’t expecting company, and it wasn’t like anyone came to see her for the hell of it. She didn’t have friends who dropped in, unannounced.
Unless …
She shook her head and dismissed the idea. Nick wouldn’t just show up like that.
Although … he had been outside the café earlier. What was that all about?
