Page 50 of Breadwinner
“Face down in a motel in Atlantic City with an empty bottle of Percocet?” Nate offered dryly.
She turned, giving him a wry smile. “I was going to sayhaving a moment, but yes. That.”
Nate chuckled. “Yeah. And then you showed up, dragged me out, paid for rehab, offered me a job I didn’t deserve, and took care of me.”
“You do what you need to do for your family.” Nell shifted her weight from one foot to the other, still not turning to look at Nate. She inhaled deeply, trying to summon that part of her that was still able to be vulnerable. Nate had always brought that side out of her. “You were the only person who stood by me when everyone else turned their backs. I figured it was time I returned the favor. Especially considering my parents had you arrested for beating the shit out of Charlie.”
“Yeah, well, he deserved it after the vile shit he was saying about you. Funny how a large sum of money made that all disappear.” A sad silence settled between them. She knew exactly where Nate’s mind had drifted—to the same place hers did. To the memories of the years they had spent as children, their families and lives so intertwined. So many plans had been made for them without a single consideration for what she or Nate may have wanted.
“You were always too good for them, Nell,” Nate said.
“I was, wasn’t I?” she mused sadly, her eyes drifting to Nate, studying him. He’d always been handsome—no doubt his father’s strong genetics—but the resemblance ended there. They’d grown up together, weathering the expectations that came with wealth and status while both plotting their escape from it all. He had always been by her side.
“You sure you’re ready for whatever’s happening with Sarah?” he asked.
She didn’t answer him. Not right away, at least. Looking back out the window, she considered his question:Am I ready for whatever is happening with her?She brushed absentmindedly over her ring finger, always purposefully bare. Was she ready?
“I don’t know,” she said honestly. Because she really didn’t know how she felt. Not yet, at least. “But I do know that I like spending time with her, and I care about her.”
“Oh yeah? What’s that you say about caring about people? What’s the return-on-investment on caring these days?”
“Hard to quantify,” she said dryly, examining her nails, a smirk already tugging at the corner of her mouth. “But some of my best investments have been the riskiest. Just look at you,” she shot back quickly, with an unbothered shrug.
Nate smiled as he stretched, standing up. “You know best.” He crossed the room in a few strides, grabbing his jacket from the back of the door. “I’ll go do a final sweep, make sure the drive’s clear, the kitchen staff are squared away, and your girl doesn’t get mobbed by your silly murder-peacocks when she gets here.”
“They’re runner ducks, Nate. I’ve told you a hundred times. And they aren’t silly!” she called after him. “They help with the snails!”
“They sound like demons, whatever they are. They have no business waking me up so early in the morning,” he said, giving her one last look from the end of the hall before disappearing through the door.
Alone again in the quiet of Nate’s office, she lingered by the window, eyes sweeping over the trees. Sarah was on her way there right at that very moment, and Nell was finding it impossible to focus on anything else.
Mortimer trotted in with a high-pitched meow, his tail twitching as he jumped onto the arm of the chair next to her. “I know,” she murmured, stroking his fur. “I’m excited, too.”
The security alert pinged from her phone. The front gate had opened.
By the time the car rolled to a stop in the circular drive, Nell had made her way outside to wait. She approached, opening the rear passenger door with a smile she was unable to contain.
Sarah stepped out, adjusting her coat, but her focus was on the house, taking it in.
“Beautiful,” Sarah said, more to herself, but Nell felt it immediately—that familiar warmth that spread through her whenever she was in Sarah’s presence, like a part of her was coming alive. Right on cue.
“I know I am, thank you.” She couldn’t help the gentle tease in her tone or the way she leaned toward Sarah. “It’s good to see you again.”
She toyed with the idea of wrapping Sarah in a hug, but immediately second-guessed herself as she stood frozen, watching Sarah step just far enough away to decide for her.
“It’s good to see you, too.”
She watched as Sarah’s fingers flexed, tightening briefly around the strap of her bag. The movement she recognized from when Sarah had first arrived at the Hamptons, months before. Was she nervous being here?
“I’m glad you came.”
“I’m glad you invited me.”
Nell registered the quietness in her voice, the care behind her words. She had been so pleased when Sarah had told her she was going to come after all.
She closed the car door with a thud and led Sarah into the house. “Welcome to Greystone Hollow.”
“Greystone Hollow,” Sarah repeated. “What is it with affluent families naming their estates?”