Relentless (Nashville Nights)

by Cheryl Douglas

  “How’d it go?” Avery asked, winking at her husband.

  “Mission accomplished,” he said, puffing his chest out.

  Nikki laughed at his antics. She was grateful to him for breaking the tension in the room. She knew J.T. was going to force another conversation, but she hoped he had the good sense to wait until they were alone before pressing the issue.

  By the time dinner ended, J.T. was chomping at the bit to get Nikki alone. He leaned back in his chair, lacing his hands behind his head. “Dinner was great. Thanks, guys,” J.T. said.

  “Our pleasure,” Avery said, smiling. “If I’d known the lure of a beautiful woman was all it would take to get you over here, I’d have set this up a long time ago.”

  J.T. snickered, his eyes piercing Nikki until he had her squirming in her seat. “Not just any beautiful woman, Avery. It would take one very special lady to get me to drop everything…”

  Nikki blushed, dipping her head as Avery smiled and Ty winked at her.

  Anna climbed into J.T.’s lap and he wrapped his arms around her, burying his nose in her soft curls. “Good thing my little Anna was up to the challenge.”

  She tipped her head back to look at him. “You came jus a see me?”

  He kissed her chubby cheek. Who would have thought a little bit of a thing like her could make a big old cowboy like him melt with just a few words? “You bet I did, sugar.” It was true; he would have come tonight even if Nikki hadn’t been here. He loved his niece, and he intended to make it more of a priority to spend time with her when he retired. He was light-years away from kids of his own, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t up to the challenge of securing the title of world’s best uncle. He had a feeling winning that title just might mean more to him than that big old fancy title he’d been chasing the better part of his adult life.

  Nikki reached across the table to seize Anna’s chubby little hand. She brought it to her lips, kissing her knuckles. “I think a certain little princess is getting sleepy.”

  She rubbed her eyes, shaking her head in denial. “No way.”

  Ty chuckled, consulting his watch. “Nikki’s right, sugarplum. It’s that time again.”

  “But I wanna stay up! We got compy…”

  Avery laughed, brushing her daughter’s hair off her forehead. “Uncle J.T. and Nikki aren’t company; they’re family, which means you can see them whenever you want.”

  Anna tipped her head to the side, considering her mother’s words. “You’re my aunt?” she asked Nikki.

  She smiled, shaking her head. “No, honey, just a good friend.” She leaned forward, whispering. “But you know something? I sure do wish I was your auntie.”

  She sighed dramatically. “Me too.” She looked at her parents. “Can she be, please, please?”

  Ty chuckled. “Unofficially? Absolutely. But there’d be only one way I know of to make it official, darlin’.” He winked at his brother. “And I’m afraid that ain’t gonna happen.”

  Anna frowned, drawing creases in her smooth forehead. “Why not?”

  J.T. would have reached across the table and throttled his brother with his bare hands had his child not been present. He was having a hard enough time getting Nikki to consider dating him. Now Ty was trying to muddy the waters by bringing up the subject of marriage. She was going to bolt faster than a doe during hunting season if he kept this up.

  “You see, for Nikki to be your aunt officially, she’d have to marry one of your uncles. Since Uncle Dave’s already married, and Uncle Derek lives too far away, that only leaves your Uncle J.T.”

  Nikki shifted uncomfortably in her seat, staring at her empty dessert plate and looking as though she’d rather be anywhere else in the world.

  Avery grabbed her husband’s hand across the table. “Oh hush up; just leave them alone.”

  “Good advice,” J.T. muttered.

  Anna looked up at him. “I wanher a be my aunt.” She clasped her hands together under her chin. Marry her, please, please, please?”

  J.T. closed his eyes, praying for a miracle to extract him from this awkward situation. “Darlin’…”

  Nikki crooked her finger at Anna, apparently intent on intervening to rescue him. “Come here, sweetheart.”

  Anna climbed off her uncle’s lap and made her way around the table.

  Nikki reached for her, settling the little girl on her legs. “Now,” she said quietly, “you know how much I love you, right?”

  Anna bit her lip, nodding her head. “I guess so.”

  “I’m crazy about you,” Nikki whispered in her ear. “You’re just about the sweetest little thing I’ve ever met.”

  She snuggled into the crook of Nikki’s neck, obviously struggling to keep her eyes open.

  “The thing about family is that you don’t get to choose them. You’re born with them, like it or not.” She poked the little girl in the tummy, making her giggle. “Sometimes you like ‘em, sometimes you don’t, but guess what, you’re stuck with him anyways.”

  Anna giggled, twirling a strand of Nikki’s hair around her finger.

  “But here’s the thing about special friends. You get to pick them all by yourself. No one gets to tell you who you can or can’t be friends with.” She winked at Ty. “Except maybe your daddy when you get a little older.”

  Ty laughed. “Amen to that.”

  “But if you wanted to choose me as your special friend, you could, and I could choose you to be my special friend.”

  She seemed to consider the possibility before looking up at Nikki and asking, “Would you choose me?”

  She kissed the top of her head. “I’ve already chosen you, honey. That’s why I brought you those earrings tonight, to show you how much you mean to me.”

  The little girl touched her earlobes. “I love ‘em,” she whispered. She twisted her body, wrapping her arms around Nikki’s neck. “I love you.”

  Nikki held Anna tightly, blinking back the tears as she stroked her back. “I love you, too, sweetheart.”

  J.T. watched the scene unfold. If he hadn’t been halfway in love with Nikki Spencer before, he would have been now. She exhibited a sweet and tender side that drove him to distraction. It made him think all kinds of crazy thoughts. Like how Nikki might look cuddling their baby in her arms. Damn, he was venturing into the danger zone, and if he didn’t put the brakes on, he was going to experience his first head-on collision. He knew if he let her get under his skin, if he fell in love with her, and she left him, it would crush him. But he had no idea how to pull back or control those feelings.

  He’d never been in love, which was pathetic, given his age, but he’d never allowed himself to get involved with a woman who might evoke those feelings, until now.

  Nikki was everything he’d ever wanted, sweet, smart, funny, sexy, sassy, talented… Damn, he was already in too deep. If he let her walk out of his life, she might leave a void that no woman would ever be able to fill.

  He cleared his throat. “Nik, why don’t we let them put this little princess to bed? You and I can take a walk, work off that great meal.”

  Avery smiled. “That’s a great idea. We can all have a nightcap before you leave.”

  Nikki looked at the dessert plates scattered around the table. “No, I should clean up while you’re putting Anna to bed.”

  “Don’t be silly. It won’t take me five minutes to put these in the dishwasher.” She waved her hand. “You two go. I insist.”

  J.T. stood, bracing his hands on the back of the wood chair. “You heard the lady. Let’s go.” He held his hand out, longing for the inevitable rush of awareness that passed between them whenever they touched. He needed to feel that now. Even more, he needed to know that she was feeling it too.

  She sighed, setting Anna on the floor as she got to her feet. “If you don’t need my help, maybe I should just hit the road, Avery. We’ve got an early rehearsal in the morning, and I’m performing at Jimmy’s tomorrow night.”

  “I didn’t think you were st
ill working the bar scene?” He didn’t like the idea of her performing for a bunch of star-struck cowboys, too drunk to remember their manners. Perhaps he’d have to be there to make sure they didn’t forget that Nikki was a lady, not some trophy to be fought over.

  “I don’t usually, but Jim’s planning a special benefit tomorrow night, and he asked me to be a part of it.”

  “What about you?” he asked Ty. “You gonna be there, too?”

  “Nah, I wanted to, but Luc had somethin’ else lined up for me.”

  “Maybe I’ll come with,” he said to Nikki. “That is, if you don’t mind?”

  She looked wary when she shrugged her shoulders. “Suit yourself.”

  J.T. knew she wasn’t ready to trust him, not that he could blame her, given his track record with women. His first instinct was to bust through her barriers like a bull charging out of the gate, but he knew he had to go slow if he didn’t want to spook her. “Let’s go on outside for a few minutes, sugar.”

  She glared at him before forcing a smile for the benefit of the others at the table. “Sure, why not? I guess I could use the exercise since I missed my session with Jake today.”

  Anna grinned, bouncing up and down on the spot. “Is he yur boyfrien?”

  J.T. clenched his fists at his sides. He didn’t even want to think about what that guy meant to Nikki. He still couldn’t be sure she wouldn’t regret her decision to cut him out of her life. Maybe she’d decide to let him back in, and if she did, where did that leave J.T.? He sure as hell wasn’t going to share her with another man, but she and Jake had history. How could he compete with that?

  Ty laughed, leaning in to scoop his daughter up. “You ask too many questions, little miss. Give Nikki and your Uncle J.T. a good night kiss, and we’ll tuck you in, okay?”

  She reached her arms up to Nikki, who bent to give her a hug and kiss. “I’m gonna come back and see you before we hit the road okay?”

  “Promise?” she asked.

  Nikki held her hand up, extending her baby finger. “I pinky swear.”

  Anna laughed, locking her finger with Nikki’s. “Kay.”

  J.T. grabbed Anna from behind, planting a kiss on her cheek before handing her off to her daddy. He blew her a kiss as he grabbed Nikki’s hand and led her out the back door. “Sleep tight, angel.”

  She kissed her hand and blew it back to him, giggling. “Love you, Ukle J.T.”

  “Love you too, baby,” he said, smiling.

  Nikki squeezed his hand as they stepped out into the fresh night air. She turned into his arms, stopping him in his tracks.

  When she held him around the waist, resting her head on his shoulder, he asked, “Not that I’m complaining, but what’d I do to deserve this?”

  She looked up at him, a smile on her lips. “You’re a good uncle, J.T., and in my mind, that says a lot about the kind of man you are.”

  J.T. would never consider using his relationship with his niece to make inroads with Nikki, but if his love for Anna elevated her low opinion of him, he wasn’t about to argue. He only had two weeks and a lot of ground to cover. He could use all the help he could get. “Thanks, sugar.”

  She tipped her head back to look at him, her bright eyes dimmer than usual. “If you ever call me that again, I’ll have no choice but to kick your ass, cowboy.”

  Frowning, he said, “But I call everyone that. What’s the problem?”

  She stepped back, putting some distance between them. “That’s the problem. You call all of your women ‘sugar.’” She held her fingers up, emphasizing the word. “Every time I hear you say that, it grates on my nerves.”

  He smirked, knowing the answer to the question before he asked. “Why’s that?”

  “If you think I’m gonna boost your inflated ego, you’re crazier than I thought.”

  He chuckled, reaching out to pull her into his arms. “You gotta know I’m crazy about you, darlin’. It doesn’t matter how many women I call sugar. None of them are you.”

  She pressed her palms into his chest, refusing to look him in the eye. “I meant what I said about a relationship, J.T. I don’t like where this is going.”

  He cupped her cheek in his hand, aching to kiss her, but he knew it wouldn’t be well received. He had never been unsure of himself with a woman, but he’d never felt he had something worth losing until now. “We can take this as slow as you need to, Nik.”

  She shook her head. “You don’t understand. It doesn’t matter how slow we take it. We’re gonna end up in the same place.”

  He didn’t like where this was going, but like a runaway train, he felt helpless to stop it. “What do you mean by that?” Like he didn’t know. It meant she was about to shoot him down before he even had his chance to prove to her that he was the real deal, the man she’d been waiting for. He wasn’t used to letting someone else call the shots. He was used to being in control, but he knew in this situation, he’d revealed his hand too soon and that gave her all the power.

  “It means relationships take time, something I don’t have.”

  He tried to rein in his frustration as he dropped his hand to his side. “You made time for Jake. Why not me?”

  She reached up to stroke his cheek, smiling. “The thing with Jake would have fizzled out whether you were in the picture or not. There was no way I could’ve managed a relationship, even a casual one, while I was out on the road.”

  He wanted to believe he was the reason she’d ended things with Jake, because she saw a future with him. He grabbed her wrist, dragging her hand from his face. “You sure know how to kick a guy when he’s down, Nik.”

  “Please, don’t take this personally. I think you’re a great guy, and you know I’m attracted to you, but it would never work. The timing’s all wrong. Maybe if we’d met ten years from now, when I’ve already made a name for myself…”

  He hated that she was using logic to state her case. If he sensed she was making excuses, he could argue, but he knew she was being sincere. Her career meant everything to her, and she had already sacrificed so much to realize her dream. Who was he to walk into her life at this stage of the game and start making demands on her time? Just because he was about to have more time then he knew what to do with didn’t mean everyone was in the same position.

  He sighed. “I get it, I do. But that sure as hell doesn’t make it any easier.”

  She reached up to press a kiss to his lips. “Thank you for understanding,” she whispered.

  He drew a deep breath as he watched her walk away. As hard as it was to watch her leave, it would be even harder months down the line now that he was already in love with her.

  As her car pulled away, the screen door slammed and his brother stepped outside.

  “You okay, man?” Ty asked.

  J.T. cleared his throat, trying to find his voice. “Yeah, sure. Why wouldn’t I be?”

  “I get the feeling you’re really into her. I can’t say I’ve ever seen you like this over a girl.”

  He sank into a nearby chair, trying to sort his thoughts. Tipping his head back, he scrubbed his face with his hands as he stared at the emerging stars in the night sky. “Man, this sucks. You know this is why I don’t get involved with women, don’t you?”

  Ty chuckled as he sat down beside him. “Yeah, that’s the reason. It doesn’t have anything to do with the fact that you’re a selfish S.O.B., right?”

  He tipped his head to the side, smirking. His brother was right. He thought of himself, first and foremost, but since last night, Nikki had been creeping into his thoughts more and more. Hell, who was he kidding? She’d been occupying space in his mind for months, maybe even years.

  “How do you and Avery make it work, man? You’ve both got demanding careers and a little girl to raise, another one on the way. Hell, I get tired just thinking about it.”

  “I’ve always wanted a family, you know that. For me, it was just a matter of finding the right woman. I knew once I did, I’d be ready to make that commitmen
t. But you…” He laughed. “You’ve never had a real relationship in your life.”

  “Yeah, so why the hell has that sweet little thang got me thinkin’ all kinds of crazy thoughts?”

  Ty laughed. “That’s what happens when they get inside your head, bro. You have a bitch of a time rememberin’ why the single life sounded so good.”

  Being single had defined J.T. for so long he couldn’t imagine the alternative. “I don’t know what the hell I’m gonna do,” he muttered. “She just shot me down. Told me she doesn’t have time for a relationship right now. But I’ll be damned if that’s not what I want.”

  Ty choked on a laugh, coughing and sputtering. “You? A relationship? Come on, seriously?”

  Leaning forward, J.T. dropped his head, bracing his elbows on his knees. “Maybe it’s time I thought about settling down, ya know? Lord knows I’ve played the field more than the average guy.”

  “You can say that again.”

  “So, maybe it’s time to take the plunge. I’m not sayin’ I’ll be ready for that long walk down the aisle any time soon, but I’m thinkin’ it might be time to grow up.”

  “I never thought I’d see the day.” Ty laughed when his brother delivered a solid shot to his arm. “Seriously, I think it’s about time. Is this about your career ending, or is it about Nikki?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know, a bit of both maybe.” Sighing, he said, “Retiring has forced me to face the fact that I’m not a kid anymore, and I don’t think I want to be alone for the rest of my life.”

  Ty slapped him on the back. “Fortunately, there’s never been a shortage of pretty ladies lining up to keep you company. If it’s not Nikki, it’ll be someone else.”

  Leaning back in the chair and folding his arms over his chest, J.T. asked, “What if I don’t want it to be someone else?”

  Ty raised an eyebrow. “Then I’d say you’ve got your work cut out for you, bro. ‘Cause that little lady’s gonna be one tough sell.”

  Chapter Twelve

  After a fitful night’s sleep, Nikki made her way to the kitchen, hoping a strong cup of brew would give her the kick-start she needed today. Her stepmother, Marisa, was already sitting at the breakfast bar, thumbing through the newspaper.