by M K Dwyer
“Well, I think I patched things up with my stepmom, so there’s that.”
“Oh yeah? The reason you never wanted to be a stepmom? That’s awesome. Congratulations!”
She just stared at him. This guy kept surprising her.
“Yes. He shared that. He’s been a bit of an open book lately.”
Her eyes got bigger and her eyebrows lifted halfway to her hairline. What else had he shared with his roommates?
“Don’t worry, sweetness. None of the sexy stuff. The man doesn’t kiss and tell. He just needed to talk some things out.”
How did he keep doing that? Her poker face was glitching. She blamed the alcohol. Darn Long Island Iced Teas.
“What else, sweetness? Keep it coming.”
“All right. So, I guess he told you about the problems I was having with my ex too.” Jesus nodded. “He showed up again.”
Before she could continue with the story, Jesus stood up, glared at her, and shouted, “When?!”
In an instant, easy-going-Jesus was gone, and she saw Marine-Jesus, the persona he kept silent, but ever present, under the surface. She wasn’t scared or turned on. She thought it was sweet. What the beaver nuggets? What was wrong with her?
“Sit down and I’ll tell you.” Her calm answer deflated the rage behind his outburst. He sat on the stool with a thud, but his gaze never left her.
“He showed up at school the same day Joe started classes there.”
“That was two and a half weeks ago!” He wasn’t on his feet again, but his shout garnered the attention of everyone in the entire pub again—five whole people.
“Dude, chill. As much as I appreciate this protective Marine thing you’ve got going on, it’s not necessary.”
“Not necessary? Will told us about this fucker. He’s stalking you and wants you back. Will thinks he’s unstable, and I agree with him.”
“I think he got the message this time. I haven’t seen him since.”
“Damn, girl. I’m tempted to start following you around, myself, for your own good. I’m with Will on this. I don’t think he’s going to give up. We might have to pound the message into him.”
She hoped he was wrong, but she also still didn’t think Aiden would ever hurt her. Not physically. Emotionally, he’d already hurt her more than anyone else ever had. She wasn’t afraid of him, but she didn’t trust him anymore either.
As she was leaving the pub, her phone chimed with a text. She saw the unknown Berkeley number, another different one than the ones before, and rolled her eyes as she opened it.
Unknown:
You are such a whore. You just can’t help yourself. Can you?
She hated that the texts never made much sense and she especially hated the w-word. Hearing it come out of Aiden’s mouth was bad but seeing it in print was worse. She didn’t feel guilty and knew she wasn’t one, but that didn’t mean the word itself didn’t bother her. If Aiden was still stalking her, he would know she hadn’t seen Will in a while. But maybe he’d seen her talking to Jesus in the pub. She scanned her surroundings as she got in her car but didn’t see Aiden’s car or anything else suspicious.
The next morning, she was getting out of the shower when her phone rang. It was Will, and after speaking to Gloria and Jesus, she’d decided to answer the next time he called.
“Hello.”
Silence.
“Hello.”
“Holy shit. I thought I was dreaming.”
She smiled. “Nope. Not dreaming.” Liar or not, he was still a charming, endearing guy.
“How are you? Did you get my messages?”
“I’m all right.” Sort of. She wasn’t going to answer the second question. She’d listened to every single message, but he didn’t need to know that. “Can you meet me at the school today? Either during my office hours or after school? It’s time we talked about Joe’s progress and school work.”
“Yes. Absolutely. I just got off a shift so I’m free all day. What time do your office hours start?”
“10:15 until I take the kids to lunch at 11:05.”
“I’ll be there.”
“Great. I’ve got to finish getting dressed.”
“Okay. I’ll see you soon then. I miss you.”
She missed him too but wasn’t ready to say the words out loud.
“Bye, Will.”
“Bye, Nikki.” The smile in his voice was obvious and that made her smile too.
Chapter Twenty-eight
Will
He walked into the doors of the school, more nervous than he’d ever been in his life. Even the desert war zones of the Middle East were a cake-walk compared to what he might find behind those doors. When she wasn’t speaking to him, he imagined being apart caused her as much pain as it caused him. But when she’d answered the phone that morning, she’d sounded so cold and calculated. He was sure she was never going to forgive him. The tiny part of him that still had hope was the only thing keeping him on his feet as he went to the office. He needed a visitor pass to meet Nikki in her classroom, and every step between the office and her felt like walking the green mile. He was either going towards his end or his salvation.
The door to her classroom was open and he saw her sitting at her desk typing something into her computer. He was a little early, so her students were still at their desks as well, writing in notebooks. He noticed a writing prompt on the board, and Joe immersed in the story pouring from his pencil. He stood there for a moment just watching her in her element. She looked so confident, like she was born to teach. He would probably run screaming from a room of eight-year-olds, but she not only embraced them, she loved them.
Looking up from her computer, she smiled at him. I’ll take that as a good sign.
“Class, it’s time for music. Pencils down. You’ll have a few more minutes this afternoon to finish the prompt if you need it.”
The students lined up by the door and began to file out of the room. Amazing. He’d never seen a group of kids act with such order in his life. She has them ready for boot camp. He chuckled at the thought and smiled at Joe as he passed. Joe gave him a thumbs-up. The kid was a ham and very astute. He’d guessed Will’s feelings for Nikki soon after that fateful day when she’d walked Joe out to Will’s truck. At first, he worried how Joe would react to him dating again, but he should’ve known he didn’t need to. Joe wasn’t one of those kids with dreams about his parents getting back together. He and Theresa had tried to make it work for so long “for Joe” that he witnessed firsthand that they didn’t work as a couple.
“Mr. Braun, if you’ll wait here, I’ll take my students down to music class and be right back.”
“Of course.” So formal. It took everything in him not to cringe when she called him “Mr. Braun”. That couldn’t be a good thing. Could it? Was he reading too much into it?
“If you’ll take a seat by my desk, we can have a chat. About Joe.” Lost in his own thoughts, he didn’t hear her return. They would talk about Joe. First. But after, he was determined to discuss more than his son.
Both stiff as a board, they sat with her desk in between them. “Give it to me straight, teach. What are we looking at here? He’s a genius, right?” Somebody had to lighten the mood.
She smiled. Now they were getting somewhere. “He’s a great kid. That’s for sure. I’m really encouraged by his progress these last couple of weeks. His grades at his last school were fine, but I believe he’s excelling here.” That made Will happy to hear. He thought Joe was doing fine, but it was nice to hear it from his teacher. “From what I can tell, the objectives they were covering at his last school when he left are similar to my own lesson plans, so there wasn’t a big transition for him where that’s concerned. You briefly mentioned what brought him to live with you in San Diego, but I’ll be honest, if you hadn’t told me, I wouldn’t have guessed. He seems happy, well adjusted, and his grades are better than they were in Yuma. I don’t have any concerns at this time. His grades and reading level are right
on track. Do you have any concerns?”
“No. I think you’re right. He’s doing fine and he’s happy. Happier than I’ve seen him in a while. It does my heart good to see a smile on that face. I know he misses his mom, but I think he’s still happy to be here, for now.”
“For now?”
“Yeah. I really don’t know what’s going to happen with the future. I’ve only heard from Theresa once since the night we left Yuma with a suitcase of his things. She called to say a lawyer would be dropping by with papers granting me full custody indefinitely, and not to expect to hear from her for a few months, at the very least. I have no idea when she plans to come back, or even if she plans to come back for Joe. I haven’t told him that part yet, but I think he already suspects he’s going to be here a while.”
She sat there silent, looking down at the planner laying open on her desk. He pressed on. Now or never.
“I miss you, Nikki.” She looked up at him and he saw tears glistening in her eyes. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Joe from the beginning. At first, I didn’t know how serious my feelings for you would get, and then I didn’t want to lose you. Though I don’t know why you think you’d be a terrible stepmom. You’re so nurturing, caring, and you’re a great teacher. Joe really thinks the world of you. The hardest part of the last two weeks is he got to see you every day, and I didn’t. I had to hear how amazing you were when my heart was aching because I knew that already. I have no excuse for my actions except I was a coward. I’m just so…” He’d nearly spewed the L-word. Was he in love? Maybe. Was he ready to say it? No. Not when she might be on the verge of breaking it off with him all together. “I’m just so sorry. Can we just start over with our eyes wide open this time? Can I take you for a cup of coffee after work?”
She just looked at him for a moment. “My office hours are almost over. I need to get my students from music and take them to lunch.” Okay. I guess I’m being dismissed. They both got up to leave and were at the doorway when she turned to him. “I’ll meet you at Peet’s down the block at 4. Is that good for you?”
He couldn’t hide the giant grin from his face even if he wanted to. “Perfect. Just perfect. That will give me plenty of time to take Joe home from school first.”
“Great. I’ll see you then.”
He wanted to pull her to him and hug and kiss her senseless, but he refrained since they were in the third-grade hallway. He wouldn’t refrain later though granted this meant she was willing to give him another chance. He prayed with all his heart that was the case.
Chapter Twenty-nine
Nikki
Her heart pounded as she pulled into a parking space at Peet’s. It was her favorite place to grab a cup of coffee and a sweet snack. She turned off the ignition and yelped when her door opened.
“Sorry, baby, I didn’t mean to startle you. I thought you saw me coming.”
“No, I didn’t see you coming, but no harm done. Just a mild heart attack. That’s all.”
He chuckled, but she wasn’t kidding. Well, of course she was, but with her heart pounding even harder than before, it didn’t feel like it. “I wanted to take the opportunity to check out your car. I know you told me about it, but this is my first time seeing it up close. It’s really a beauty.”
“Thanks.” She was proud of her classic. It was unorthodox for a girl in her twenties to drive around in an 80’s Volvo, but she loved it. Her father had it restored for her when she first started driving, but Aiden never liked her to drive it. He insisted it was because it wasn’t as reliable as a newer car, but she knew he thought it didn’t live up to the “status” he was trying to achieve. When they divorced, she sold the car he bought for her for much less than it was worth and drove her Volvo down to San Diego without a second thought. It just felt right to leave everything touched by Aiden’s influence behind in Berkeley.
She took Will’s offered hand and stood up out of the car. “Maybe I’ll let you drive it sometime.” She didn’t think the smile on his face could get bigger even if she agreed to marry him. Woah. Slow down, Nikki. Where did that come from? She’d just decided to give him a chance. They were far from marriage.
“Shall we?” He gestured towards the coffee shop.
“Let’s.”
She ordered first, an Americano and a Maple Pecan Scone, and he ordered second, a black coffee and a Honey Bran Muffin.
She snickered. “Bran? Are you ninety?”
He stuck his tongue out at her. Not ninety, but maybe nine. They sat down at a table to wait for their drinks to be ready. “It’s good. Try it.” He held up a small piece of his muffin, and she let him feed it to her.
It was good. Really good, but she deadpanned, “Yuck.”
The smile that hadn’t left his face since they arrived at the coffee shop got even bigger. He called her bluff without saying a word.
He went to get their coffees when they were ready, set hers in front of her and sat back down.
“So. How have you been, Nikki? I heard you ran into Jesus last night.”
“Sure did. I guess he told you what we talked about.”
“Sure did. I wish you’d called me when Aiden showed up. I would’ve been there for you.”
“I know. That’s why I didn’t. Everything was still too fresh. I needed time.”
“And now?”
“I think I’ve had enough time.”
“And?”
“And…” She paused to make sure her heart still felt the same way. “And I think I’m ready to try again with us. Start over like you said at school, earlier.”
He shot up out of his chair and knelt in front of her. “Oh baby, thank you. You won’t regret it. I’ll spend the rest of my days making sure you don’t regret it.”
His hands held her head and he brought his face closer to hers. An inch before his lips touched hers, he stopped and looked into her eyes, asking for permission. She nodded, and his lips crashed onto hers. They melted into each other’s arms, and for the first time in weeks, she felt like she was right where she belonged.
He pulled back from the kiss, and the smile on his face told her she’d made the right decision. He had the most beautiful smile when he was genuinely happy. He stood up again and sauntered back to his seat.
“Now, baby, tell me what I’ve missed. I want to hear everything.”
They stayed in the coffee shop and talked for hours. Closing time, bed times and early mornings were the only things that could make them leave.
Ever the gentleman, Will walked Nikki to her car with her hand in his. He didn’t open her door for her though. Instead he pushed her body against it and took her mouth with his. She moaned at the forceful intrusion of his tongue and matched his movements with her own. He may have started the kiss, but she took over. It was hers now to do with as she pleased. She raked her fingers through his soft, short, golden hair, pulled and scratched his scalp as his hands travelled under her shirt and up her back. Gone were the days when she cared if anyone saw them. It was her life and she would only live it the way she wanted to.
Breathing hard, she pulled back from the kiss and giggled at the dazed look on his face. She felt powerful to give a man like Will, a strapping Marine, a brave firefighter, that look.
“Baby. Are you giggling?”
“I might be.” Her giggles turned to laughs.
“So, can I see you this weekend? I’m off Saturday.”
Her laughter stopped, and she sobered. “Yes. Pick me up at 6?”
“It’s a date, sweetheart. I can’t wait.”
“Don’t be late.” He smiled at her words that rhymed with his.
“You’re adorable. I don’t know how I survived these past few weeks without your wit.”
She didn’t have an answer and didn’t want to talk about it anyway, so she kissed him instead.
He kissed her back for a minute before pulling away. “Damn. It’s almost Joe’s bedtime. I need to head home to tuck him in. It’s our special time.”
&nb
sp; Her heart warmed for the close relationship they had. “Yeah. I need to head home too. I’ll see you Saturday but call me before then. Okay?”
“Of course, I will, baby.” He opened her car door for her and kissed her one more time as she sat in her seat.
He stood by his truck and watched as she left the parking lot. On top of the world, she smiled all the way home. She thought she would never quit smiling.
Distracted by her own euphoria, she didn’t see the figure walking up to the gate to her complex at the same time she was.
“Nikki. I need to talk to you.”
“Brandy? What are you doing here?” She took a good look at the woman that stole her husband. Barely an adult and waif thin with long brown hair and blue eyes. Aiden really did leave Nikki for the younger, thinner version of herself. The times she’d seen Brandy in the past though, she was primped and dressed to the nines. The Brandy that stood in front of her was unkempt in baggy sweats with stringy hair. She looked heartbroken and almost crazed.
“I need to talk to someone who understands. I think Aiden is cheating on me. Can I come in?”
Nikki rolled her eyes. She was the last person on earth who cared who Aiden cheated on next, but Brandy looked like a mess. She could at least offer her a cup of tea—she took another look at Brandy—or a glass of wine. And then point her towards the nearest hotel before she went back to Berkeley in the morning.
Chapter Thirty
Will
Will spent the entire day on Wednesday counting the minutes until school was over and he could call Nikki. Waiting for Joe to come out of the school, he hoped Nikki would walk him out to the truck again. This time it would be a joyful meeting.
But Joe walked out alone with his head hanging low. He climbed into the truck and Will wondered what was going on.
“Hey, buddy. What’s the matter?”
“Nothing.”
Will gave Joe a look that let him know he didn’t believe him.
“Ms. Sparks wasn’t there today. We had a substitute, and she was mean.”
Not there? Was she sick? She seemed fine last night. Will smiled remembering the night before, for the millionth time that day.