“How’s everything looking?” Sam asked.
Nikki glanced at the to-do list she’d given Sam, and the boxes crossed off. With the residents fully aware they’d have to move to a different site, a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She didn’t have to worry about asking her grandma to keep her mouth shut, or dodging some of the residents’ sneaky questions concerning their future.
Besides a couple of complaints, most of them understood and were on board with the change. “Good,” she said.
“Great. Have you seen the courtyard yet? We set up the tables and stuff for the meeting tomorrow.”
“Oh, yeah.” Steinberg would come to visit with the residents and take questions. Nikki tugged at her ear. Cole would come too, probably. She hadn’t seen him in over two weeks, since their fallout. At this stage, she didn’t have much communication she needed to exchange with him, and his assistant had contacted hers with a couple of questions.
A sense of loss assailed her. Not only had Violet still not returned, but Cole had remained absent from her life—if not from her mind. She chewed on her lower lip. The intensity with which she missed him scared her. One thing she’d learned about goodbyes was every day was supposed to get a little better. But in her case, she missed him more, like each day provoked the opposite reaction in her. She’d caught herself staring at her cell phone, hoping he’d call. When would the longing for him come to an end?
Sam brought her palms together in a soundless clap. “You should see it now. They’ve added some new stuff.”
Nikki waved her off. She had way too much to do. “I’ll stop by on my way to lunch.”
Sam shook her head. “No, you don’t understand. I got a text from the supervisor about a couple of nurses fending off an unruly patient and Zach is off property. You should go now.”
“Oh.” Nikki grabbed her walkie-talkie and placed it on her belt. The manager on duty had called in sick, so she had to fulfill his obligations too. She used the stairs and made her way down swiftly, walking briskly through the lobby until the sun greeted her outside. She lifted the walkie-talkie, her gaze swinging from side to side to spot the troublesome patient and nurses.
She found the maintenance men working up on ladders to put up special lanterns swinging from side to side with strings of lights. She clicked on the walkie-talkie. “Brady here. Where’s 402? Over,” she asked, saying the code they used for unruly patients and problems on the ground.
“Make a left,” said a deep, manly voice she knew all too well. Every part of her woke, sizzled and perked at Cole’s sexy baritone on the other side of the device. Was he back already? Maybe he’d dropped by to check on the arrangements for the event the next day.
Surely this reaction happened because she hadn’t seen him in a while. It’ll get better, she told herself inwardly. I hope it’ll get better.
She followed his command, turning into the left pathway leading her to the recreational grounds. Had the argument escalated and now the nurse and patient had moved to the pool area? The pulse in her neck jumped, her blood pressure skyrocketing. She cleared her throat, unsure if the uneasiness came from a possible conflict or the fact she’d face Cole again so soon—and unexpectedly.
Who was she kidding? She dealt with conflicts every damn day. She finger-combed her hair, wishing she’d put on more makeup. Just because they were no longer together didn’t mean she shouldn’t want to look her best.
“Then a right,” he said.
Anticipation whispered underneath her skin, goose bumps raising on her arms. Every step she took in his direction, a blend of excitement and dread knotted her stomach, making it hard to breathe. Worse than wearing a wet Spanx.
She strode through the gardens until she entered the pool area. With two large pools—one designed for swimming and the other one, for lounging— the space had several residents sun bathing, some talking to each other while others read a book or checked their phones. Her gaze darted to the station where nurses or employees would usually work, but all seemed fine. No one running or talking in a loud tone, or even the slightest hint of trouble.
“Nikki,” Cole called her, walking between the lounge chairs. “We need to talk.”
She raised her hand to her chest in a futile effort to keep her heart from galloping out of her ribcage. Instinctively, she ran her fingers through her hair again. Why did he have to be so fucking handsome? He shortened the gap between them, doing nothing to slow down her heart rate. If things continued like this, next time she met him she’d need to pop a Xanax beforehand.
“What is it? Is there an emergency for you to be here? Why wasn’t I contacted earlier? Sam told me—”
“I asked her to tell you. Otherwise you wouldn’t come.”
She wouldn’t come? “So there’s no emergency?”
“There is, just a different one.” He lowered his head, eyes boring into hers. “I miss you.”
She sucked in a breath, achingly aware of his nearness. Her breasts felt full and heavy, her nipples tightening. Her body betrayed her, recognizing the enemy and trying to sleep with him at all costs.
I miss you too. She bit the tip of her tongue. Agreeing would be fatal. Despite how he made her feel, nothing had changed. He’d still be way too invested in earning his father’s love, and living across the country from her.
“I get now what you said about my father. You were right, Nikki, and I couldn’t see it.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. Damn it, a part of her wanted to believe him, but what if he missed her and told her what she wanted to hear? Sweat sheened her forehead. She glanced around them, people paying attention to their exchange, quietly looking at them and falling into silence. Was their relationship so obvious to everyone? “I don’t know, Cole.” She uncrossed her arms and rubbed the back of her neck, unsure. “I have to think of the boys and can’t have someone going in and out of their lives. What if you change your mind tomorrow? It’s easy for you to move on. You’re a single guy.” He had no attachments like she did. He could come and go as he pleased—
“I won’t change my mind. Here, let me show you,” he said, yanking her from her thoughts. Determination laced his voice. He removed his shoes and socks and tossed them to the side.
She watched him as he rolled up his pants and approached the pool. He stood on the border for a moment, and the muscles of his shoulders must have gone rigid because they stretched the fabric of his suit. Excitement fluttered inside her. She wanted to shout he could do it, he could make a splash into that pool, but pragmatism kept her lips shut. This was his moment and she couldn’t disrupt him.
When his gaze found hers again, she had to squeeze out a breath. A deep, warm, soulful energy passed between them, even with the few feet of distance. A glint of concern flickered in his eyes and she had to curl her fingers into fists at her sides not to run to him and cheer him on. Hug him.
Her feet tingled like she’d been stung by fire ants, and she shuffled her weight, moving but still not leaving her spot. Come to me, she said to him silently in the exchange of stares. Come to me and stay. Forever.
His jaw clenched, his neck vein jumping enough for her to notice. He glanced down at his feet again, blinked his eyes and stared at her. This time, he moved, sliding inside the pool. A big man like him, using the steps instead of diving to the deeper part, could be intriguing to some—especially while he wore his three-piece suit.
Not to her. With her heart in her mouth, she kept her focus on him, only him. Always him.
“I’m moving back to California. I want to be with you, and I told my father I’m not interested in working at Myler Enterprises anymore. If getting the stocks comes with all those strings, I’m out.”
She swallowed, feeling her internal temperature rise. She heard voices from people in the swimming area, some squeals perhaps from a couple of well-intentioned female residents. But all the voices and sounds fell in the background. “I can’t believe you said that. How did he react?”
“He was speechles
s. Still is, probably, but I don’t care.”
So many questions popped into her mind, the emotions overwhelming her and leaving her lightheaded like she’d lain under the sun for too long. “When you say you’re moving to California—”
He walked deeper into the pool, the water at his waist. “To Tulip. To be with you and the boys if you’ll have me.”
“Really?”
“Yes.” He reached into his pocket and produced a small, velvety box.
The water now surrounded his shoulders, but he didn’t show any signs of fear. He curled his lips into a devastating smile and opened the box. “Will you marry me, Nikki Brady, and continue to be the best thing that’s ever happened to me?”
Air sucked out of her lungs. Even from a few feet, the diamond sparkled under the sun. She rubbed her forehead, telling herself to not die. He came back for me. An invisible balloon of joy burst inside her. Not only he’d come for her, but he’d come for good. She touched her neck, her pulse racing under her touch.
Impulsively, she took off her shoes, kicking them to the side. She dove into the pool, swimming to him. To hell with conventions. The water slicked her pants and blouse against her body. When she reached him, she gasped, “Yes!”
He pulled her to him, thank God she didn’t have to worry about treading water. She heard a slew of applause and whistles. But even the attention on them didn’t penetrate the bubble of intimacy linking them together.
He removed the ring from the box, then put the box on the water, the little ripples around them making it sail away. “I imagined this differently. I talked to your grandmother and asked for her permission. She said she wanted to be part of it, so that’s why I decided to ask here.”
“Not in the pool?”
He smiled. “Not in the pool. Now, I can’t think of a better place.” He slid the beautiful ring with a ginormous emerald-cut rock in the middle in her finger. She shivered, and flexed her fingers, getting used to the weight of the ring.
“It’s gorgeous. Thank you.”
He pulled her into a kiss, his mouth exploring hers. His tongue stroked hers, and a zing of desire bolted through her, sizzling all her nerve endings. “I missed you so much, baby.”
She wrenched her mouth from his and rested her forehead against his. “Me too. I can’t believe this is happening.”
“We’re all happening. I love you, Nikki. You’re the most important thing in my life and you taught me instead of worrying how I can be a better son, I prefer to worry about being a good stepdad to your kids, and a dad to our future children.”
“Children?” She chuckled. Joy rocketed through her, sending her nerve endings into a hormonal overdrive. She stared into his gorgeous green eyes, whose shimmer darkened the sun. “As in plural? You’re very ambitious.”
He kissed her nose. “And you love me for it.”
She brought his head closer to hers, resting her forehead against his. A deep sense of belonging warmed her up from the inside out, and she sighed with pure happiness. She knew Cole would never leave her—she’d found home, and he was right in front of her. “Yes I do. With all my heart.”
Epilogue
Two years later…
* * *
“How’s the turkey coming along?” Cole asked, popping into the kitchen.
Nikki closed the oven, the smell of gravy and sweet potato inundating her new home. They’d purchased an enormous estate in Tulip, not too far from her friends and family. They’d need all the rooms—besides Henry and David, she’d given birth to a baby girl a year ago. She’d named her Charlotte Sue. “All according to schedule.”
He kissed the top of her head. “Good. Your grandmother said her back hurts, so I’ll drop by the pharmacy to pick up some pain killers.”
“I told her not to hold Charlotte so much. She’s crawling and will be walking soon.” Her grandmother had been more than willing to visit their home on long weekends and holidays to spend time with her great-granddaughter. Hell, even Cole’s father had reached out to him and offered an olive branch to meet his granddaughter. Those two had a lot to work on, but once every four months, Craig Myler flew to Tulip for a visit. And Cole prioritized Nikki and the kids more than anything else—even his work. He’d resumed his creative leadership at the vending machine business, and his profits had been so high a couple of people even offered to buy his business.
“Well, she made it clear she wanted to get all the hugs before your father flies in,” he said.
“Yeah, those two tend to be competitive.”
He pulled her too him, encircling her with his arms. “Which benefits us.”
“Hey, I wasn’t complaining… maybe this holiday we can start thinking about giving the kids another sibling,” she said, voicing what she’d been thinking in the past few months. Why not? Cole was a terrific father, and her twins loved their baby sister. If there was a right moment to expand their family, this was it.
He ran his finger down her nose. “Is that so?” he asked with amusement.
A ripple of excitement traveled down her spine. “Yeah. Try for one more girl to level the playing field.”
“I’m all in,” he said, holding her tighter. “Tonight is as good a time to start as any…”
* * *
Did you enjoy Nikki and Cole? Pre-order Brit and Damian’s story now. Here’s the first chapter:
* * *
“C’mon, c’mon,” Brit talked to her car, flicking her key relentlessly until the engine started. She drew in a breath, then exhaled in short spurts like she was in labor and not sitting inside her fifteen-year-old Nissan, begging it to work.
After a couple of minutes, the automotive gods heard her prayers and she heard the thump, then a loud purr and at last, green lights appeared on her display. Phew. She sighed out loud, blowing her bangs out of place. “Shit, it almost didn’t start.” She made a mental note to take it to the auto shop.
“That’s a bad word, Mom,” her daughter Libby said from the backseat. Leave it to a six-year-old to keep her honest.
She slanted her a look, straightening her shoulders. “Yes, it is, honey. I was making sure you flagged it when I said it.”
Libby lifted an eyebrow, unfazed. “Sure, Mom.”
Why does she have to be so smart? Brit took off from her driveaway and began driving to the other part of town, where her friend Violet lived. Well, used to live. For the past eight months, Violet had left her home, including husband Damian and two children, Trevor and Amanda. She had been dealing with some depression, but also had requested a divorce before she left for treatment at an unknown facility across the country. Truth was, no one was sure why Violet left and she didn’t get into details with Brit and her friends Lara and Nikki, members of the Bad Housewives Club. That’s what they called their support group where they met every week and shared laughs, glasses of wine and daily anecdotes.
Well, so much for support now. Brit couldn’t avoid the salacious thought. She’d always shared almost every part of her life with her friends, even the embarrassing ones, like her financial status. Out of the four, she’d always been the one with less money.
Thirty minutes later, she parked her car in one of Tulip’s most exclusive gated communities. The janitor waved at her, opening the gate, a hint she’d been coming here way too often lately. When she’d come up with a taskforce to help Damian with his two kids, she thought Violet would return soon. But days turned into weeks, then months, and while Damian had hired a full-time nanny for the children, a lot of times, he was called for emergency surgeries and needed someone out of the blue. Besides, the children enjoyed seeing Violet’s friends, and the kids in the group all played together.
Brit slid her car into the community, driving until she arrived at the last mansion-like residence to the right. She parked the car, internally praying for it to be silent, but of course the motor had other plans, releasing a gassy hiss. Groaning, she turned it off. “Let’s go, Libby.”
“Mom, you know this car is
on life support and at some point, you need to pull the plug.”
She rolled her eyes at her shrewd daughter. Damn it, she needed a lot of things—a better car, a hot boyfriend to save her from the longest man drought on Earth, and most of all, enough money to attend a coveted conference for makeup artists in New York. She’d love to bump shoulders with Lady Gaga’s stylist and network with the best in the field. She’d be able to show the prototype makeup line she envisioned.
Libby didn’t wait, rushing ahead to ring the bell of the home. Brit glanced over her shoulder, still seeing some smoke sneaking out of her motor. She’d taken it to the shop but the guy said he’d Band-Aid it. Well, she doubted that would do.
The door swung open, and Amanda, the six-year-old, greeted them, hugging Libby and spinning her out of the door. “Lib-bey! You’re finally here!”
“Ssshhhh.” Damian appear behind her. “Trevor finally went down for a nap.”
Libby whispered something in Amanda’s ears, and they dashed into the house, giggling.
“Problems with the car?” Damian asked, pointing at her vehicle.
Oh no. He’d seen her arrive or worse, heard it die at his driveway. Embarrassment pinned her to the spot, and when he fished the key from her hands, her palms slicked with cold sweat. Sure, she’d trusted her girlfriends with her money situation, but… Damian?
She watched him march to her car. Even in the evening, with the sun setting not far away, the impressive outline of his shoulders stretched the shirt he wore. She avoided looking at his back, because usually her gaze traveled lower to his ass, and her mouth watered.
Bad Brit. Bad friend.
Technically, he and Violet were separated and there was no coming back, but still. Violet had always been the good girl, the most conservative one in the group and she wouldn’t forgive Brit if she knew Brit had scorching hot dreams of Damian.
She’d never kissed a man with a trimmed beard before. What would it feel like? Would it make her cheeks itch, or would it tease her flesh, setting her insides on fire? A jolt of excitement bolted through her.
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