Erin she could handle, but her now-husband Cole? He was another story. Nicole still vividly recalled him bursting into the small interrogation room at the police station, yelling at her and demanding answers. Only Sam’s presence had reassured her, and though Cole had eventually come to believe that Nicole only wanted to help, he was still intimidating enough that she’d like to avoid him if she could.
She turned away from the couple and toward the bar, only to hear Erin call out her name.
Okay then. She’d have to deal with them after all.
Straightening her shoulders and tightening her grip on her purse, Nicole turned to find Erin walking up to her.
“I thought it was you,” Erin said, her tone welcoming. “Sam and Macy said you’d moved to town. Somehow I missed seeing you at Joe’s, but I heard you were there.”
Nicole was unable to hold back a smile at Erin’s warm rambling. It didn’t seem like she held a grudge about her sister. “How have you been?” Nicole asked, still wary.
“Great. Motherhood is amazing. You have to meet my baby girl.”
At that, Nicole relaxed her muscles and her guard. Erin had been pregnant last time Nicole had seen her. “Congratulations. What’s your daughter’s name?” she asked.
“Angel. And she is one. Unless she’s crying.” Erin laughed, but the love and maternal devotion in her eyes caused an unexpected lump of emotion to settle in Nicole’s throat.
“I’m glad things are going well for you,” Nicole said, meaning it.
“Thank you. I’m happier than I thought I could be. Marriage is amazing,” she said with a wink.
“That I wouldn’t know,” Nicole murmured. She’d broken her engagement in Manhattan and had every intention of leaving both thoughts and discussion about it there. “But I’m happy for you. After everything you went through, you deserve smooth sailing.”
Erin met her gaze. “So do you. I’m not sure I ever got the chance to thank you for coming here in the first place to warn me about your sister. That was . . . brave, and it couldn’t have been easy.”
Nicole sighed. The truth was she hadn’t known Erin or anyone in Serendipity when she’d driven here to warn her. Her goals in doing so had been twofold, and she might as well be up front with Erin.
“All I wanted was for my sister to get the help she needed, and I didn’t want anyone to get hurt.” And she definitely hadn’t wanted her twin to do anything she couldn’t undo, or would have to live with for the rest of her life.
Erin nodded in understanding.
“I should thank you for advocating for Victoria’s mental health,” Nicole said to the woman who, at the time of the incident, had also been an assistant district attorney. As the victim, she hadn’t been in charge of the case, but Nicole knew Erin had pushed hard for her sister to get help. “You could have just come down on the side of putting her in jail.”
“It was the right thing to do,” Erin said.
A low growl behind her told Nicole that Erin’s husband didn’t agree.
“Cut it out,” Erin said. “It’s over and done with. Nicole’s living here now, so let’s all play nice.”
Cole wrapped his arms around her waist and nodded at Nicole. “Welcome to town,” he said, sounding as if he just might mean it.
“Thank you.”
“Hi, all!” Macy brought her bubbly personality, taking the pressure off Nicole of dealing with Cole and talk of Victoria’s illness.
“Hi,” Erin and Nicole said at once.
“Everyone looks beautiful!” Macy hugged each of them. “Well, not Mr. Sullen, but you are looking handsome.” She pulled the gruff man into a hug.
“I’ll take that as my cue to mingle,” Cole muttered, extricating himself from Macy’s grip.
Erin rolled her eyes. He patted her cheek and walked away. “You scare him,” she said to Macy.
The other woman laughed. “How’s that sweet angel of yours?” Macy asked. “Get it? Her daughter’s name is Angel,” she explained to Nicole.
The new mother beamed and launched into a description of things only a new mother would appreciate. Any time Tyler had brought up babies, Nicole would lapse into panic mode. Now she understood why. She had only to look at Erin’s beaming face when she looked at her husband to know—Tyler hadn’t been the right man for Nicole to start a family with.
“What table are you sitting at?” Nicole asked, when they’d finished their conversation.