Page 89 of Operation K-9 Brothers

Chapter Twenty-Five

Three days after Jack had apologized and then told her he loved her, Nichole’s brain and heart were still raging war.

Brain:You know you can’t trust our heart’s judgment.Heart has been wrong too many times.

Heart:Shut up, stupid brain.I want him.

She laughed at the conversation going on between those two organs, because, seriously, what else could she do?Cry some more?God, she missed him.Her phone chimed Eric Clapton’s “Little Rachel.”Just the person she needed to talk to.

“Hey, Rach.You did it again.”

“What’s that?”

“You knew I needed to talk to you.”

Her friend laughed.“You keep assigning magic powers to me.I was simply thinking about you, so decided to give you a call.”

“Deny it all you want, but you’ll never convince me otherwise.How’s the movie going?”

“We’re wrapping up tomorrow.Why do you need to talk to me?”

She told Rachel about Jack’s visit and what he’d said.“I’m just really confused.”

“Do you love him?”

“Yeah, I do.”Crazy loved him.

“Then what’s the problem?He apologized, explained why he acted like a jerk, and he told you he loves you.”

“I’ve always had a tendency to choose the wrong men, and I don’t trust my judgment anymore.”

“From what you’ve told me about him, he’s not Lane or like any of the guys you’ve dated in the past.Does he treat you with respect?”

“Yes.”

“Has there ever been any hint that he’d get violent with you?”

“Jack would never hurt me like that.”She knew that to the bottom of her heart.

“Does he make you laugh?Look at you like he wants to gobble you up?Make your girly parts tingle?”

“Yes, yes, and oh God, yes.”

“I think my work here is done but tell you what.You decide you don’t want him, send him my way.”

“He’s mine!”She grinned when Rachel laughed.Rachel could always cut through her BS.

“You just growled at me.”

“Don’t be silly.”She totally had.It was the first time in her life she’d ever growled over a man or even wanted to.

“So, you’ve punished him with your absence for three days now.What you gonna do, ghostbuster?”

“Go get my man.”

“Atta girl.”

“Thank you for helping me get my head on straight.I love you, bestie.”