lips pursed in irritation. She was definitely in a tough situation.
“Maybe I can help,” Nick offered. “Big Mama’s crazy about me.” She always had been. As a teenager, he’d spent more nights at her dinner table than his own mother’s. “Let me talk to her.”
“No, thanks. I’ll handle this myself. Besides, she’s so stubborn that not even your Kelly charm could budge her on this. It’s enough that you’re letting me whine.”
Dani had always been an independent female—except when it came to men. She fell in love fast, and tried way too hard to please whoever she was with.
Nick didn’t do love, period. What was the point of falling for a woman when love would ruin a man’s life? Because sooner or later, the relationship was bound to end. Women were fickle and not to be trusted—Dani excepted.
“Big Mama started her business forty years ago,” he said. “Anyone would have difficulty letting go.”
“And I get that, but it doesn’t make my working life any easier. I want her to trust me, Nick.” Dani needed her mother’s trust. Owning and running a restaurant wasn’t easy, and Big Mama wasn’t getting any younger. She deserved to retire and let Dani take over. “Okay, I’m through complaining—for now.” She switched gears. “Let’s watch a movie so that I can forget about work and Jeter.”
“Soon,” Nick said. “But first, ice cream with hot fudge sauce, if you have any. Let’s eat in front of the tube.”
Her eyes lit up. They were an unusual silvery-blue, the same color as Sly’s and those of their brother, Seth, whom Nick had met a few times when he and Dani had first become friends. But then Seth had left town, and Dani and Sly hadn’t seen or heard from him in years. They had no idea where he was.
“I like the way you think, Mr. Kelly. And yes, I happen to have bought a fresh jar of hot fudge sauce on my way home today—just for you.”
Nick had been to her apartment so often, he knew where she stored everything. In the pine cabinet to the right of the sink, he found the bowls. The drawer next to the stove yielded the ice cream scoop. Dani opened the jar of fudge sauce and heated it in the microwave. By the time he piled ice cream into the bowls the fudge sauce was nice and hot.
“I want first crack at that sauce,” Dani said with a teasing twinkle in her eyes. “Otherwise, you’ll eat the whole thing.”
Nick gave her a look of mock hurt. “I’d never do that.”
“Ha. Your sweet tooth is so big that mine dims by comparison. But you never gain an ounce, you lucky man.” She sighed. “I wish I could eat whatever I wanted and not put on weight. That’s the one good thing about my breakup with Jeter. I won’t have to diet anymore.”
Jeter had ridden Dani’s case about her weight but Nick thought he was nuts. “What do you care about some Neanderthal’s opinion?” he said. “You’re perfect the way you are.”
And she was. Curvy in all the right places. With pretty eyes and a plump mouth made for kissing, she could attract any man she wanted. Plus, she was warm and friendly, with a heart as big as the Montana sky.
Nick was crazy about her, but not in a sexual sense. As attractive as Dani was, he considered her a cross between sister and best friend. That was the whole reason they’d stayed close all these years. Sex would just mess up their relationship.
Dani finished drizzling a stream of hot fudge sauce over her rocky road. “Have at it.” She handed Nick the jar of sauce, but kept the chocolate-coated spoon for herself.
After slathering his ice cream with enough chocolate to satisfy his sweet tooth, he stuck his finger in the jar and scraped it clean.
Dani laughed. “Sure you got enough?”
Her smile was contagious, and Nick grinned. “For now. Let’s go watch a movie.”
They headed for the living room. “What DVDs did you bring?” Dani asked.
“Only the first two James Bond movies ever made—Dr. No and From Russia with Love.”
“James Bond?” She stuck out her lower lip. “Come on, Nick, my heart is broken. You know that when I’m sad my preference is for three-hanky love stories.” She brightened. “I haven’t watched The Holiday since last Christmas. I could put it on.”
Nick had seen the chick flick with her so many times he’d memorized most of the lines. He made a face. “After every one of your breakups, we watch movies that make you cry. You’ve cried too much over Jeter.”
Within weeks after they’d started dating, Jeter had hurt her by sticking her with their dinner tab at a restaurant and taking off with his friends. Nick had wanted to deck the loser and teach him some manners, but that would have infuriated Dani. Instead, he’d encouraged her to quit trying to make the bum happy when he wasn’t doing a thing to make her happy. He’d also suggested she break off with him. But she’d already been in love and Nick’s words had fallen on deaf ears. It was a relief to know that next time she’d choose a different kind of man.
“Why don’t we mix it up and try a spy film. How about it?” He tugged on a lock of her pretty brown hair, which she wore straight and almost to her shoulders, then picked up the two DVDs. “Trust me, either of these classic Bond flicks will take your mind completely off your broken heart and your bad day. But hey, if you’d rather cry instead and waste another box of tissues...”
“You’re right.” She squared her shoulders. “Okay, I’ll give Dr. No a try. But if I can’t get into it, we switch to The Holiday. Deal?”
“Fair enough.”
Dessert in hand, they shoved the four colorful throw pillows—Dani was big into bright colors—to one end of the couch and then sat down.
Looking hopefully at Dani’s bowl, the ridiculously named Fluff jumped up between her and Nick. “No,” she said in a stern voice. “The vet put you on a diet, remember? Besides, this stuff is bad for you.” She shooed the cat away.
Undaunted, he jumped onto the floor and then butted Nick’s shin, his yellow eyes pleading. Nick was unmoved. “You heard the lady. This sundae is all mine.”
Tail high, the offended tom stalked off.
Nick slid Dr. No into the DVD player, then dug into his sundae. With any luck the combination of the sugar jolt and the action would keep him awake for a few hours.
Within moments Dani was totally engrossed in the film to the point that her ice cream melted. It was obvious she wasn’t thinking about Jeter or the restaurant now.
Mission accomplished. Nick smiled to himself.
He watched the film for a while, but not long after he finished his sundae, his eyelids grew too heavy to stay open. He set the bowl on the coffee table. It was the last thing he remembered.
Dani opened her eyes. As entertaining and exciting as Dr. No was—and it was so dated that it
