Nikki and Trey
Nikki knew who it was from without even opening it. Her heart hammered in her chest at the thought that Ryan knew where they lived. He’d been there! Thankfully, she’d not had to face him. It wasn’t that he’d hurt her, no. She just didn’t need his messed-up life to interfere with hers. What father couldn’t get his son’s name correct? She walked in the house behind Jakob and tossed everything on the coffee table. Jakob had a questioning look on his face at the irritation on her own expression. She shook her head no and continued to undress Travis. Jakob lay him down in bed and the two backed out of the bedroom as silently as possible.
“Everything okay?”
“No, the card is from Ryan.”
“Ryan? As in Travis’ real father?”
“He isn’t a father,” she said bitterly. “What father doesn’t know his own child’s name?”
“You’re kidding,” his voice full of disbelief until he looked at the card on the table. “You are not kidding!”
“I can’t deal with his drama right now. Let me let the animals out for a bit,” she said, backing away from the card. “Open it if you want, but I don’t want anything to do with him. In fact, put it in the trash.”
Nikki walked away angrily and let the animals out into the back yard. The pungent smell of cat litter hit her like a wall of bricks. “I’m going to be a few minutes,” she hollered over her shoulder and began to clean the litter pans. Nothing elegant or fancy, just mundane old me, she thought. A beautiful night absolutely ruined by a simple slip of paper. Ryan had been gone forever and a day, but now at her happiest time he was trying to creep back into her life. She was smarter now and knew better.
She walked back into the house and washed her hands thoroughly. Jakob stood there in the tiny living room looking shell shocked, holding the card in his hands, his face pale and eyes bewildered.
“Nikki, I think you need to read this.”
“Nope, I don’t,” she said firmly. “The man has always lied and twisted his way to get what he wants – and the moment he does, he’s gone, leaving a path of destruction in his wake. Ohhh, maybe he is a hurricane too?” grinning, she got out two glasses for them. She’d splurged and bought a small bottle of wine for them for Christmas. Pulling the cork out, she muttered, “Hurricane Evelyn and Hurricane Ryan!”
“He wants to marry you and be a family,” Jakob said tightly, his face still in shock.
“WHAT?” she shrieked, dropping the bottle as the cork freed itself from the neck. “Are you serious? That’s low, even for him.” Nikki grabbed a few paper towels to clean up the spilled wine and poured two small glasses.
“Jakob, ignore it. He’s lying. When he called he said he had a girlfriend – and now he wants to marry me? Lies, all of it.”
“And what if they aren’t?”
“Then he’s too late,” she said simply, handing him a glass of wine. She saw that his hand shook just a bit when he took the glass. “Jakob, sit down. I am not, nor will I ever, be interested in Ryan. He is destructive and doesn’t realize it. I have found someone that I love, someone who’s wonderful to me and my son.”
“It’s his son too.”
“He’s never even met him. He left when I was pregnant and never bothered to show again.”
“Don’t you think he should? If it was my child, I’d want to know him,” Jakob said softly, staring at his hands that held the wine glass she’d given him. “I hope I am blessed to have a child someday. Someone like Travis, you know?”
“That’s the difference between you both,” she told him fiercely. “You love Travis and it’s obvious in everything you do. The moment I was pregnant, he was done with me. He was never there for my morning sickness or sonograms. I was all alone in the delivery room with not a soul wondering if I was okay or if the baby was. No one cared enough to check on us,” she told him bitterly. “I tried to reach out to him, tried to get him involved, and after my letters went unanswered? I gave up. I knew Travis deserved better and I swore to be everything to him.”
Travis walked out of the hallway, rubbing his eyes. “Mama, I can’t sleep.” He was disheveled from where she’d tried to undress him without waking him. His little shirt was untucked, and pants unbuttoned, his little bare feet sticking out.
“Let me get a pajama, sweetie and I’ll tuck you in,” she told him tenderly and got to her feet. Heading quickly to Travis’ bedroom, she pulled a cotton pajama from the top drawer of his dresser. She stepped on a car and silently cursed as it hit her injured toe just right. She flipped on the light and noticed that her sneaky child had rolled them haphazardly in the direction of his toy box, but hadn’t actually picked them up. She rolled her eyes and sighed. It was too late for this mess tonight. She picked up the cars and threw them in the toy box for him. As she walked back into the living room, she stopped and held the pajamas, frozen by the sight before her.
Jakob held Travis against him, his head nestled against his chest – both sound asleep. It was late, and she knew Jakob had pulled a shift at the hospital late into the evening the night before. Combined with spending the day with his family, he was bound to be exhausted. Instead of waking the duo, she grabbed a quilt and shut off the lights. Crawling onto the couch beside him, she put her head on his shoulder and shut her eyes. They would all sleep in their clothing tonight and maybe she could deal with Ryan’s lies tomorrow.
* * *
“Shhh buddy, let your mama sleep,” Nikki heard Jakob whisper. “Let’s make breakfast and surprise her, okay?” She almost grinned as she heard the toddler began to clap joyfully and Jakob reminded him to be quiet. Being quiet for a three-year-old was quite hard. She lay there on the sofa, covered in the quilt she’d covered the three of them in, and simply listened trying to identify the sounds she heard. Toaster, cracked eggs, something being poured in a glass. They must have gotten up and left her here to sleep. This was so unusual for her, so out of the ordinary, and pretty darn wonderful. Unable to stand the suspense, she sat up and gave a huge, exaggerated yawn, stretching her arms.
“Where did my guys disappear to?”
Jakob and Travis’ heads appeared in the small pass-through window to the kitchen. Both looked extremely disheveled from sleep, and both had cowlicks in their hair. She assumed Travis was sitting on the counter, so he could see what Jakob was cooking.
“Mama! Go back to sleep,” Travis commanded. Nikki laughed and lay her head back down against the couch arm rest and let out a fake snore.
“Travis, you must have a gift because that snore sounded just like what woke me up this morning,” she heard Jakob tease.
“Hey! I don’t snore,” she argued, sitting up and trying to calm her hair down. She was pretty certain that her hair might be standing on end like theirs was. Jakob walked in the living room with a cup of coffee with Travis behind him, carrying a single flower folded out of a paper towel.
“Wow buddy, this is beautiful,” she crooned, kissing him on the top of his head and ruffling his hair. Jakob handed her the cup of coffee and kissed her cheek, taking a seat beside her.
“Good morning beautiful. Sorry I fell asleep.”
“I have to admit I liked waking up with you in my arms,” he murmured softly as he nuzzled her ear. “I’d prefer to have rested in a bed since I have a crick in my neck, but I loved it just the same.”
“I want hugs too,” Travis announced and threw his arms around her, causing the coffee to slosh just over the top.
“Hang on a second sweetie, let me set this down,” she told him and hurriedly put the coffee cup on the table. Nikki grabbed Travis and pulled him across her lap, tickling his stomach. Jakob joined in, tickling both of them.
“Here, lets finish breakfast and let her drink her coffee,” Jakob announced, swooping Travis onto his shoulders. Glancing outside, she was stunned to see that flurries were coming down and sticking to the grass. That was something they didn’t get very often here was snow. Just then, Travis saw the snow and she heard the
deafening shriek of happiness as he ran out of the tiny galley kitchen, pressing his face against the sliding glass door.
“It’s cold out, let’s get you breakfast and then you can go play once you are bundled up,” Nikki bartered, knowing there would be no stopping him. He was a lot like her in that aspect, and then stopped midway raising her coffee cup to her lips. She had to deal with the issue of Ryan, or lack of, in her mind. You couldn’t simply be gone all the time and cause havoc when you chose to. She wouldn’t let it ruin her holiday, nor Jakob or Travis’.
Travis shoveled his food into his mouth quickly, causing a shared smile between Nikki and Jakob. She knew he was remembering what it was like to be young once too. He leaped from his seat and ran into his room to get his coat. He had a tiny giraffe coat hanger in the corner of his room that was small enough for him to access it himself. Sure enough, he ran back in the living room trying to desperately put it on himself. Jakob surprised her by standing and zipping him up. He put on his shoes and opened he back door.
“Leave it a crack so I can hear him. It’s cold out and I bet he won’t be out there long.” Nikki opened the curtains and looked out on the yard that was surrounded by a wooden privacy fence. Several of the dogs were outside, running around Travis as he tried to catch snowflakes. She stood there at the glass watching him and felt Jakob walk up behind her. He handed her the cup of coffee and wrapped one arm around her middle, sipping on his own cup.
“We didn’t talk about Ryan,” he said softly.
“No, we didn’t.”
They stood there for a few moments and she just enjoyed being in his arms. Jakob made her feel stronger than ever, like she could do anything with his support. They felt like a family already even though they were still fresh in a relationship. Things were so wonderful between them.
“What if…” he began, and Nikki sighed.
“You aren’t going to let this go, are you?”
“No, because if I knew I had a chance with you – I would fight tooth and nail to keep you in my life - plus, Travis? The man, any man, in his right mind would fight for you both.”
“I’ll get an attorney and get this settled, but I promise you this is just another fluke of his. He is notorious for making a mess and disappearing when things get tough. I won’t let him destroy mine or Travis’ life.”
“Marry me instead,” Jakob whispered in her ear, tightening his arm around her waist. Nikki swallowed hard, coffee going down her windpipe, choking her. She began hacking wildly, covering her mouth as she gasped for air.
“What?” she gasped.
“If there is a chance I could lose you, I would do anything to keep you both in my life.”
“It’s not necessary. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Then what is the problem?”
“I don’t want you to marry me out of obligation or pity – I want…” Jakob pulled her into his arms and kissed her. He picked her up and kissed her thoroughly against the wall; she could feel the passion building between them and it was explosive, consuming, and simply perfect.
“That,” Jakob said suddenly, breaking the kiss and licking her neck, tickling her, “Is not pity or obligation. It’s pure desire for the woman I love more than anything in the world,” he told her firmly and released her. “I love you and Travis more than I ever thought I could. I want you for my wife and I would hope you’d let me adopt him, so I could be a real father to him.”
Nikki stood there dumbfounded as she watched him get down on one knee. Part of her panicked and part of her was beyond ecstatic. Travis opened the back door and saw Nikki leaning against the wall and Jakob on one knee. Jakob grinned conspiratorially at Travis.
“Hey buddy- want to grab that special present you made yesterday?”
“Now?”
“Yes now.”
“What are you doing?”
“I asked Travis’ permission if I could marry you first,” Jakob said, taking a deep breath. “I couldn’t ask your father, so I thought I would ask the guy that meant the most to you.”
“You did what...?” she breathed and swallowed hard, feeling tears well up. Jakob had to be the sweetest man she’d ever met in her life. Travis walked in the room with two heart-shaped cookies.
“Got them?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Okay, now tell mama what they are.”
“This one is my heart and that’s his. I made them for you,” Travis said, giving her the odd shaped cookies. Jakob dug in his pocket and brought out a ring.
“You’ve stolen my heart from the first moment I saw that fierce love. I want you to love me that intensely. Marry me, Nikki. Let me be the best husband I can be to you and let me be a father to Travis.”
“Travis?” she looked at him and saw him nodding, his arms wrapped around Jakob’s neck, nearly choking him. Jakob looked no worse for the wear; in fact, he looked deliriously happy.
“Yes,” she breathed as Jakob slipped a delicate ring onto her finger. She glanced down and was thrilled with the old-fashioned setting. It was simply perfect, and she couldn’t imagine anything more beautiful or fitting.
“It was my great-grandmothers,” he whispered, getting to his feet. “All the men of my family propose with this ring and we’ll pick out something you like. Someday, Travis will ask the woman he loves to marry him with it, I hope.”
“I love it,” she breathed. “And I love you.”
Epilogue
So much had changed over the last few years. Nikki and Jakob were married in a tiny ceremony with family members present, making it a fairly large gathering at the courthouse. She didn’t want a fancy dress and all the frills because it seemed such a waste; thankfully Jakob didn’t insist, claiming he just wanted her to be happy.
Instead of a large elaborate wedding, they hired a lawyer to file papers for the adoption of Travis by Jakob. Her initial hunch had been correct regarding Ryan: he never responded to the attorney’s letters, making it that much easier for Jakob to adopt Travis. Things were finally settling down between the trio and they were falling into routines that fitted their lifestyle. She’d even given in, picking out a minivan for the family to ride together in comfortably. It had been her suggestion one evening when they were alone, and his head resting on her flat stomach. She loved the little things Jakob did unknowingly. He hadn’t said anything, but having another child had been on her mind a lot lately and that would be the next step.
Today would be another first: she had a surprise for him and was nearly bursting at the seams. She’d passed a house on the way out of town towards his mother’s house. The agent was putting a sign up in the yard of a home she’d admired over and over again during the years. When they’d married, he’d let his apartment go and put his things in storage or moved some to her home. Now, her tiny home seemed to be almost overwhelmingly small.
This house was much larger than her own and when she’d stopped the agent, he’d immediately shown her the place. A large wrap around porch surrounded the front of the home. Tall doors with transom windows flooded the home with light. A stone hearth just beckoned you into the living room that was open to the kitchen. The house had been refurbished with new plumbing and electrical over the last few years, making the older home compatible with the increased electrical demand. The first floor had an office, powder room and an enlarged master suite that had a small private stone patio.
It was like something out of a storybook. A large white picket fence surrounded the property, dotted with trailing vines of morning glories and clematis. It was peaceful and splendid. The thing that sold her on the house was the second floor. Two large bedrooms, a playroom and a nursery. There was a boy’s room that would be perfect for Travis, completely decorated in primary colors, and the nursery was in pale shades of yellow. Nikki rested her hand on her abdomen with a knowing smile.
“Nikki?” she heard Jakob’s voice carry up the hallway. Nikki had gone to her mother in law, Hurricane Evelyn, and set her on the path. She’d been
so very excited to have them closer and immediately took action, putting the house on hold so it wasn’t sold out from under them. ‘Force of Nature’ seemed like such a weak description when the woman put her mind to something. She’d come up with the idea of bringing Jakob to the house, while Nikki waited inside. “Honey, are you okay?”
“Jakob, I’m fine,” she told him, her voice carrying down the stairs. She immediately heard him running up the stairs to her and saw a panicked look on his face.
“My mother said it was urgent. Are you okay?”
“What do you think of this place?”
“What? Here?”
“Yes. Do you think it would be a good place to raise a child?” she said softly with a warm smile, her hand still on her stomach. Jakob stared at her, comprehension dawning on his face. His beautiful eyes teared up as he fell to his knees.
“A baby?” he whispered, stunned. “We are going to have a baby?”
“Yes. I just got word Monday from the doctor. I wanted to meet you here and talk to you about maybe a bigger place for our family,” she explained, walking to him. She gathered him into a hug, his arms wrapped around her midsection. “If this is not the place for us, that’s fine but I think…”
“It’s perfect. You are perfect,” he interrupted, lifting her shirt and kissing her stomach tenderly just above her navel. “I love you already,” he whispered softly, kissing her again. His lips tickling her midriff and making her stomach flip-flop happily. Nikki felt herself tearing up with unspoken emotion.
“My hormones will be a mess for the next few months,” she told him as she sniffled. “But it will be well worth it. We’ll tell Travis together when the time is right; I don’t want him to worry or be jealous.”
Perfectly Matched: Opposites Attract (Match Made In Heaven Book 1) Page 8