Joyfully His(Sterling Canyon Book 4)(20)

“Well, maybe I’ll start with Andy. What’s he want from you? Blood?” She shook her head. “In fact, I’m half-tempted to tell him off for you right this minute.”

“Please don’t. The whole reason he’s leaving town is because he’s sick of being judged. If we pile on more accusations, we’ll only be proving him right.” That was the sad truth.

Despite her own disappointment, Nikki did want Andy to be happy. With the exception of the past two weeks, he’d been fairly miserable around Sterling Canyon since his arrest—the arrest she might’ve helped prevent had she not been so disappointed at his lack of interest in her then.

She could hardly blame Andy for her current misery, though. Her self-defeating insecurities had, once more, sabotaged things for both of them.

“Why do you always do that?” Amy asked.

“Do what?”

“When your mind wanders, you always touch your scar.”

Nikki hadn’t noticed that habit. And it must have been a habit for Amy to have picked up on it. She shrugged, embarrassed. “Sometimes I wonder if my life would be different if I were dainty and pretty, like you.”

“Really? And here I’m always wishing I were strong and capable, like you.” Her sister’s expression turned into a smile filled with wonder. “Isn’t that funny? Maybe everyone is always thinking someone else has it a little easier or better.” Trip’s hearty laugh from the pool-table alcove interrupted Amy’s musings. “Well, everyone except Trip Lexington. I doubt he’s ever wanted to be anyone other than himself.”

“Probably not.” Nikki chucked before swallowing her beer. “But, Amy . . . like Trip, you also have it better than most.”

Amy shook her head. “Why? Because I’m pretty? Pfft. Things like being pretty or rich or powerful can be a curse. You never know if people like you because of who you are. You always wonder if they’re just using you.”

Nikki set her bottle on the bar, knowing that the one thing she’d never had to question was whether people authentically liked her as a person. “I never thought of it that way.”

“Of course you didn’t. You’re so self-conscious about that scar, you forget to be grateful that almost everyone loves being around you because you’re fun and cool and kind. Most of the attention I get is because of my face, which I can’t even take any credit for. If I had to choose, I’d rather be you.” And then Amy wrinkled her nose and added, “Well, you, but with a better sense of style and more backbone when it came to sexual politics.”

Hearing the words sexual politics tumble from Amy’s pretty lips made Nikki giggle. “I do suck at both of those things.”

“You really do.” Amy grimaced, then sipped her cosmo. “But tonight I’ve taken care of the style part. Now you deal with the other. Right now. Go make Andy talk to you. Tell him how you really feel. What have you got to lose? You couldn’t feel worse. At least, if he still leaves, you’ll know you did everything you could to change his mind.”

“That’s true.” Nikki was considering Amy’s suggestion when her sister tugged at her arm.

“Let’s go. I’ll be your moral support.” Amy began dragging Nikki from the bar, and before Nikki could stop her, they were approaching the pool tables.

The crowd made the trek a bit of an obstacle course. She wondered how the guys had enough elbow room to shoot pool at this point. And although she would’ve thought nothing could be worse than fumbling around on her heels, the temperature in the bar had soared, thanks to all the body heat, making the tight angora sweater stick to her skin.

Trip was chalking his cue when he noticed them approach. “Happy New Year, ladies. Have you come to lose your money?”

Grey and Andy were setting down beer glasses, while Wyatt was engrossed in a conversation with some guy Nikki didn’t know. It surprised her to see Andy drinking so openly. Then she realized the unfairness of singling him out when everybody in the whole damn bar was already halfway lit.

Nikki went to answer Trip, but Billy showed up and interrupted. The last thing she needed now was for Billy B to start in on her and her “favoritism” when it came to Andy.

“Amy, I had a table for you. Why’d you leave?” Billy looked around, possibly to judge his competition for Amy’s attention, and saw Andy. “Oh, it’s you.”

“Hey, Billy.” Andy ignored Billy’s pissy tone and bent over to take his shot, sinking the four ball in the corner pocket.

Billy’s face colored, as if he resented Andy’s nonchalant attitude and lack of intimidation. He spat out, “You know, you cost me a couple hundred bucks.”

“Excuse me?” Andy straightened up.

Trip, who towered over Billy B by several inches, set his hand on his shoulder. “Take it down a notch there, Billy boy.”

“I can handle myself, Trip.” Andy came around the table. “What’s your problem, Billy?”

“You’re my problem. I finally got a high-paying private client in Millie, and then she disappeared.” Billy’s beer muscles were showing, and Nikki sensed this would end badly. Andy probably didn’t know that after the lawyers secured the release, Millie had been too embarrassed to come back to the ski school. “I don’t know what you did or said, but I know somehow you screwed me.”

“I don’t control Millie.” Andy turned away and lined up his next shot, but then he looked up at Billy before taking it. “If she didn’t want to work with you anymore, that’s on you.”

“Fuck you, Andy. I’m not the problem. I’m a great instructor. You’re the drunk convict who has to hit on the boss and guests to get jobs and clients.”

Trip set down his pool cue and puffed out his impressive chest, preparing for a bar fight.

Grey, who’d always been something of a gentleman, attempted to remove Nikki and Amy from the brewing argument. “How ’bout you ladies join me at the bar?”

Nikki had been privy to more than her fair share of bar brawls thanks to her career choice, so she wasn’t about to run away.

“No.” Nikki practically shoved Grey aside to get in between Andy and Billy. She stared straight at Billy and stiff-armed him in the chest, causing a hush to fall over the crowd. “You’re way out of line, Billy. Andy has always been one of the best employees, even before I became the head of the program. He shows up early and takes on extra responsibility. He’s polite to everyone on staff, and he’s friendly and patient with resort guests. He’s never acted entitled to one damn thing, not even when I got promoted over him.

“But everyone makes mistakes. In fact, if Andy hadn’t driven you home from the holiday party last weekend, you would’ve earned your own DUI or worse. As for Millie, she stopped lessons for her own reasons, not because of anything Andy did.”

If Nikki weren’t constrained by the nondisclosure language of the release, she’d have gladly embarrassed that woman in public after what she’d done. “No one has the right to judge Andy—or anybody else—who’s paid for a past mistake. It’s time for everyone to cut it out. Move on and find something better to do with your time. Stop expecting to be handed something you haven’t yet earned. Like my respect.”

Trip started clapping, which triggered a round of applause. Nikki felt her face flash with heat from having made a spectacle of herself. At some point during her tirade, Avery, Kelsey, and Emma had come into the room, but Nikki brushed past them all, beating a hasty retreat. She’d assumed her sister had followed her but quickly found herself alone in the parking lot.

Crap. Although this was not a resort-sponsored event, she was still Billy’s boss. That outburst had not been professional. Not in the least. Billy might try to make waves at work, now. She’d have to tell Don what’d happened and hope that he wouldn’t hold it against her.

At the moment, her big problem was finding the courage to go back in that bar and face everyone. Face Andy. Lord knew he’d be pissed at her for calling more attention to Billy and his remarks. Andy hated being in the spotlight, especially when it cast a negative light.

“Nik?” Andy’s voice called out.

Dang. She spun around, almost stumbling on the blasted heels. Having no idea what else to say to him, she blurted, “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry?” He slowed but continued coming closer.

Her heartbeat sounded like it had relocated to her ears. “For making a public scene. I should’ve let you handle Billy’s slur. He just made me so mad, I couldn’t help myself.”

“Actually, I appreciated the defense.” He stopped a few inches from her. She wanted to wrap her arms around his neck and hold him close but waited to hear what else he might say. “I came to say thanks. And to apologize for being so cold. For not talking things through. I treated you and your mistake exactly like I hate to be treated.”

“Oh.” She interlocked her fingers in front of her waist to keep from touching him. Her breath seemed to be coming in short gulps. “Well . . . sticking up for you now was the least I could do.”