Page 4 of Fools in Love

“All the time,” he admitted. “Is this about your sister coming home?”

Nick shrugged. “She spent her entire life aiming for one thing. Then”—he snapped his fingers—“poof, it’s gone.”

“Is her injury that bad?” he asked, concerned.

“Bad enough that she’ll never be a prima ballerina again.”

“But she can walk?” he asked.

“Sure. I mean, right now she’s on crutches. She had surgery, but the doctors think that she’ll be fine. May even dance again someday. But once you’re out, you’re out.” He shook his head.

“That sucks,” he agreed. “Still, she was lucky to reach the level of fame she did.”

“Oh, she never wanted the fame.”

“Then what?” He didn’t really understand. He thought that all professional dancers did it for the glory and recognition. Why else would anyone subject their bodies to so much… torture.

Nick shrugged. “Kate’s not…” He glanced over at him. “Kate’s hard to explain.” He chuckled. “Hell, most of our childhood she was shuffled from one dance class to another. Then she went away to school, and we only saw her during her breaks or on stage.”

“I thought you said you two were close?” he asked.

“Oh, we are.” Nick smiled. “I’d take out anyone who hurt her. Which is why it killed me when my folks wouldn’t let me go to New York to get her.”

“You wanted to take out the guy who did this to her?” he asked, totally understanding after hearing the rumors about what had happened.

Nick nodded. “Wouldn’t you?”

Tom pulled over into one of the spots where they hung out to catch speeders before answering. “If I had a sister, I don’t think even the cops could have stopped me from hunting down who had hurt her.”

Nick pointed to him. “See, you get it.”

“It’s still a good thing your folks stopped you from going,” he added. “You’re a cop.”

“Ugh!” Nick groaned, holding up the radar gun as a car sped by them. They both paused and looked at the screen before returning to their conversation. “I know you’re right, but still, I’d like to drop the skinny guy from a balcony seat or something.”

Tom chuckled. “I’m pretty sure most of those guys are in better shape than we are.”

Nick glanced down at himself then over at Tom. “What are you bench-pressing now?”

Just like that, the conversation moved on. Nick was easy to talk with, and the boring time stuck doing speeding tickets went by quickly.

By the time they walked into the station at the end of their shift, they’d handed out more than a dozen tickets and had helped change a flat tire.

“Hey.” Nick caught up with him as he was walking out. “You up for shooting hoops tonight?”

“Sure,” Tom answered as he tossed his bag over his shoulder. “Eight?”

“You know it.” Nick slapped him on the shoulder.

As he drove home, he thought about his and Nick’s conversation. As he ate dinner alone, he wondered if he’d done everything he could for his mother and Ryan before their deaths. Even now, Tom still felt as if he’d failed them.

The darkness threatened to seep into his mind once again. He was thankful that he’d agreed to meet Nick and the usual gang down at the Boys and Girls Club for a basketball game.

When he’d moved into town, he’d agreed to play because he’d needed something to help draw him from the darkness. Sort of like a therapy session. He had only committed to playing a few games, but he’d kept playing, and it had become more than therapy. It had become fun.

Chapter Two

She didn’t know why she’d allowed her brother to talk her into going with him to the gym. Maybe it was because for the last two days she’d done nothing but sit on her parents’ sofa and watch television. Mostly professional dancing.