***
Nick walked into Sela’s real estate business hoping his friend’s wife hadn’t stepped out for lunch. The receptionist at the front desk pointed him toward Sela’s office.
“Hey there, pretty lady.” He tapped his knuckles on her open door.
With a huge smile, she got up and came around the desk. “This is a nice surprise. I haven’t seen you in ages.”
He patted her tiny baby bump before drawing her into his arms. Even though he was a few years younger than Sela’s husband, Aiden, their families had been friends for years. “How’re you feelin’?”
“Great,” she said, holding his hands. “Aiden’s being crazy, totally over-protective. But I can’t say I mind the pampering.” She winked.
He chuckled. “Enjoy it while you can, right?”
“That’s what I intend to do.” She pointed at a guest chair as she reclaimed her swivel chair. “Sit down, tell me what brings you by.”
Nick had debated his decision all morning. His family and friends loved to get into his business, and if they found out he was maneuvering to keep Megan as their house guest a little while longer, they’d no doubt question his change of heart. He couldn’t explain it, but if she moved out, he would have no reason to see her again. He wasn’t ready to let her go just yet.
“I hear you’re tryin’ to help Megan find a place,” Nick said.
“I am.” Sela laced her fingers over her stomach. “In fact, I think I may have found something perfect for her. I was just about to call her when you walked in.”
“Can you hold off on that a bit, Sela?”
She frowned. “Why? I thought you were as anxious to have her out of your parents’ house as she is to leave.”
“I was, but, uh, that was before. I’m beginnin’ to wonder if I was a bit too harsh.”
A slow smile spread across Sela’s face. “Go on.”
He knew his request would peak her curiosity, but he couldn’t explain it to her. “We decided to call a truce.” He shook his head when Sela’s smile widened. “It’s not like that.”
“Are you sure? You can’t deny the woman’s gorgeous, Nick.”
No, he couldn’t deny that. “Doesn’t matter. She’s seein’ someone.” Not that he would ever let Shaw Carver stand between him and something he wanted. Whether it was the Derby trophy or a woman, they both knew the rules: There were no rules. Win at all costs.
“Shaw Carver. I heard.” Sela fanned herself with a glossy brochure. When Nick raised an eyebrow, she giggled. “Must be the pregnancy hormones.”
“Jesus, do I really need to hear this?”
Sela wasn’t the first woman to admit to him she found Shaw attractive. He had to wonder if Megan saw something in Carver she didn’t see in him. Aside from the charm he’d kept safely hidden up to that point, obviously. He needed to change his strategy and remind his old buddy Carver their fight was a long way from being over.
“Is that why you’re suddenly interested in Megan, because you want to prove a point to Shaw? Everyone knows your feud goes back a long way. Personally, I think it’s a little silly for grown men to be so competitive.” Sela rolled her eyes.
“Says the woman who married a professional hockey player.”
Sela laughed. “Okay, point taken. So, how can I help you?”
“I want you to hold off on showing Megan any places. I’d like her to stick around so I can get to know her better.”
“But this place would be perfect for her.” Sela held up a feature sheet. “It’s a one-plus bedroom condo in the downtown core, not far from the station. The owner is looking for a short-term tenant because he’s going out of town on business for the next ten months. By that time, Megan’s contract will be up, and she’ll be ready to go back to L.A.”
“You think she’s serious about leavin’?” In spite of his parents’ less than subtle suggestions that it was time for him to get serious with someone, he wasn’t looking for a woman who could offer him a long time. A good time would suit him just fine.
“I think so. It sounds like she had a great life back home. She dated celebrities, attended red carpet events and movie premieres on the arms of A-list actors, took limousines everywhere-”
“She told you all this?”
Sela tapped her computer screen with a manicured fingernail. “Welcome to the wonderful world of search engines, my friend. She’s a TV personality. There’s tons of stuff online about her.”
Nick knew that was true. That’s how he found out about her famous father and the scandal with her last producer. “Has she told you anything about her past?”
“She told me she was engaged to Brock Logan, but that’s about it. She said she’s not interested in getting serious with Shaw because she doesn’t intend to stay in Nashville. Apparently, she intends to leave just as soon as her contract’s up.”
“Yeah, that’s the impression I got too.” At first, he’d been relieved she wouldn’t be sticking around, but after last night… not so much.
“So, what’s your deal, Nick? Come on, you know you can tell me.”
“If I could, I would. Honestly, I don’t know what the hell’s goin’ on. One minute I can’t stand the sight of her, and the next… I don’t know… I start feelin’ guilty for not givin’ her a fair shake.”
Sela laughed as she wagged a finger at him. “I knew it. You’ve got a thing for her.”
Nick scoffed. He’d hardly call it a thing. He was just curious about her and wanted to take a little time to unravel the mystery. “My parents have been on me about makin’ her feel welcome. My mama asked me to keep an eye on her. Now that she’s datin’ that snake, it’s more important than ever she has someone to watch her back.”
“Come on now, y’all have known Shaw a long time. You may not like him, but you can’t claim he’s dangerous.”
“He’s a player. Isn’t that bad enough?”
“So are you!”
Nick scowled. She had him there. He did have a reputation for dating more than one woman at a time, but they all knew his relationships weren’t exclusive. He never made promises he didn’t intend to keep. “What can I say? I like women.”
“That’s something else you and Shaw have in common. Face it, y’all are more alike than you’re willing to admit.”
“Ouch,” he said, grabbing his chest. Being compared to his rival hurt, especially when he suspected she may be right.
Sela leaned forward. “You know I adore you. If you think Megan is the one, I’ll do whatever I can to help you, but if you just wanna take her away from Shaw, I don’t want any part of that. Megan seems like a really sweet girl, and I don’t think she’s had an easy life. She deserves a nice guy who’s gonna treat her right. If you’re that guy, I’m all for it. If not, just stay out of her way.”
Nick didn’t think he was the guy for her, but he could pretty much guarantee Carver wasn’t. “I don’t want you readin’ anything into this. I told you-”
“And I told you, I’ll help you, but only if your intentions are honorable. Come on now, Nick. I think it’s time you let some nice girl make an honest man of you.” She winked as she sat back in her seat.
“Yeah, but this one’s all wrong for me. I’m country, she’s city. I’m a simple guy, she likes the finer things. She’s red carpet, I’m beer and nachos-”
“Yeah, but you know what they say about opposites attracting.”
“Spare me the clichés on an empty stomach.”
“You’ve dated girls who are perfect for you on paper, but they haven’t held your interest for more than a few months.” Sela narrowed her eyes at Nick. “Are you afraid Megan is too good for you?”
Nick masked his bark of laughter with a cough. “Come on now, girl, you know I’m not the insecure type. Megan may not be in my wheelhouse, but that doesn’t mean I think she’s out of my league.”
“Are you sure? Like I said, she’s dated some pretty impressive guys. Maybe in the back of your mind, you’re wondering if you
can measure up?”
Nick would never admit the thought had crossed his mind. He couldn’t picture himself walking the red carpet on her arm any more than he could picture her mucking stalls.
“You’re crazy if you think that,” Sela said quietly. “You’re a catch, Nick. If Megan can’t see that, it’s her loss.”
“I’m not tryin’ to sell myself to her-”
“Fine, but if ever you decide you want to, it won’t be a tough sell.” Sela came around the desk, and he stood up to give her a hug.
“Does that mean I can count on you to stall her apartment search for a while?”
“There are tons of other agents in the city. I can’t promise she won’t call one of them if she senses I’m dragging my heels.” Sela walked him to the door.
“Maybe if I make it a little more tolerable for her on the ranch, she won’t be in such a hurry to leave.”
Sela reached for the door handle. “Just how do you intend to do that, cowboy?”
Nick grinned. “I can be pretty charmin’ when I want to be.”
“So I’ve heard.”
“You think your husband might want to grab a beer with me at Jimmy’s tonight?”
“What are you up to?” Sela asked, crossing her arms.
“Let’s just say tonight might be the time to start layin’ on the charm.”
***
Megan was tired after a long morning on set, so she decided on a double shot of espresso before venturing into Alisa’s boutique to do a little shopping on her lunch break. She didn’t want to run into Nick while she was getting ready for her date with Shaw, so she’d decided to leave straight from the office.
“This is a nice surprise,” Lena said, coming around the counter to hug Megan.
Anna had arranged a girls’ night at Jimmy’s not long before so she could introduce Megan to all of her girlfriends and family, including Lena and Alisa. Since their boutique was just down the street from the television station, Megan often stopped by on her break to check out the new merchandise or just to chat.
“What’s new?” Lena asked.
“I need a new outfit, including shoes. I have a date with Shaw tonight. We’re starting out at Jimmy’s, so something casual would work.”
“Why don’t you just go on back to the ranch and change?” Lena asked, leading her to a rack of designer jeans.
“I’m not really sure I’ll have time.” Megan knew time wouldn’t be the problem, but she didn’t want to make Nick look like the bad guy for making her feel unwelcome. She was just a visitor in his town. No sense causing trouble for him when she wouldn’t be around long.
“These are so cute, aren’t they?” Lena held up a pair of black skinny jeans with pink embellishments on the pockets.
“They are.” Megan scanned a rack of dresses before pulling out a brightly colored dress with thin straps. “Do you think this is too much for Jimmy’s?”
“Not if you pair it with the right shoes and accessories. Wait ‘til you see what it looks like on. Shaw will love it!” Lena took the hanger from Megan and held it up in front of her.
Megan was stunned when Nick’s image flashed in her mind. His gaze was heated, as it had been last night when they stood so close…
“Hey, are you okay?” Lena asked, reaching for her hand.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” Megan shook her head. “Sorry, I was just thinking about-” Before she could offer an excuse, Alisa walked in, balancing her adorable son on her hip.
“Perfect timing!” Alisa’s face lit up when she spotted Megan.
Megan was overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity of the people she’d met in Nashville. They were all so welcoming, as though she was one of them instead of a stranger just passing through. Imagining herself fitting into their world, sneaking away to have lunch or coffee with her friends in the middle of a workday, was so easy.
“Did you come to check out the new collection?” Alisa carefully extracted her long blonde hair from her son’s tight grasp.
Megan’s attention was drawn to the little boy. He had his father’s dark hair, his mother’s blue eyes and creamy skin. Nick must have looked like that as a baby. The thought caught her off guard, and she knew it must have shown on her face.
Lena reached for her arm. “Are you sure you’re okay? You look a little pale. Why don’t you come over here and sit down?”
“I’m fine.” Megan allowed Lena to guide her to one of the overstuffed chairs in the dressing room. “I’m sorry, I think I’ve had too much caffeine. I didn’t sleep well last night, and it’s been a crazy morning at work.” She looked at her watch. “Speaking of which, I have to get back soon.”
“You stay put. I’ll grab the dress you like in your size and a few others for comparison’s sake,” Lena said.
“Could you grab a couple pairs of sandals as well, Lena? You know what I like.”
“Size seven, right?”
“You got it.”
“No problem, be right back.”
Alisa sat down next to Megan, holding her son’s hand. She reached into her bag just as her cell phone buzzed. “Oh, that must be Liam. He’s supposed to meet me here to pick up Trey. Can you keep an eye on him for a minute? He always makes a grab for the phone when he hears his daddy’s voice.” She smiled.
“Of course.” Megan reached for him. She remembered Alisa telling her Trey was approaching the ‘terrible twos,’ running, not walking, getting into everything the second his parents’ backs were turned. The little boy seemed content to just sit in her lap though.
Megan played with Trey’s tiny fingers, outlining the little dents in his knuckles while he snuggled into her. She held her breath, almost afraid to break the magical spell. Inhaling his sweet scent, her throat filled with emotion. She didn’t have any experience with babies or toddlers, or children at all, so she was surprised he was willing to trust her.
“Oh, look at that,” Alisa whispered when she ended her call. “He’s fallen asleep.”
Megan looked down to see long, dark eyelashes brushing his chubby cheeks as his breathing became shallow. “He’s so beautiful,” she whispered.
“So are you,” a male voice said.
Megan looked up, stunned to see Nick leaning against the doorframe. “What are you doing here?” she whispered.
“I had a meeting downtown, and my mother asked me to stop by and pick something up for her.”
“Oh, that’s right. Her suit came in yesterday. Let me grab it for you, Nick.” Alisa jumped up.
“Thanks.” Sitting down in the chair Alisa had just vacated, he leaned in. “He sure is a cute little guy, isn’t he?”
Megan was stilling reeling from the fact he’d called her beautiful, so she could merely nod.
“It looks like you’ve been doin’ this forever.”
“I haven’t.” She shifted the little boy in her arms. “I mean, I don’t have much experience with children.”
“Think you’ll ever have any?” Nick reached out to touch Trey’s little brown sports sandal.
“Um, I don’t know. I haven’t given it much thought.”
“Not even when you were engaged?”
She didn’t want to discuss that with Nick of all people. She still didn’t trust him. In spite of her body’s reaction to him, she couldn’t get past him openly admitting he hated her less than twenty-four hours ago.
“Look what I have,” Lena said as she came back into the dressing room, her arms overflowing with dresses and boxes of shoes. “Oh, hi, Nick. I didn’t know you were here.”
“My mama asked me to pick somethin’ up. Alisa’s gettin’ it.” He grinned at the clothing in her arms. “You hopin’ for a big sale, or what?”
“No, just tryin’ to help Megan get ready for her date with Shaw tonight.” Lena smiled at Megan. “That poor man isn’t gonna know what hit him, girl.”
Nick’s gaze traveled to Megan. Their eyes locked. “You’re goin’ to all this trouble for him?”
“It’s
, uh, not for him. It’s for me.” She treated him to the same smile she gave celebrities who hit on her while she was working. “You know how it is, any excuse to shop.”
“No, I don’t know how it is.” He stood when Alisa returned with a garment bag.
“Avery’s pre-paid, so you’re good to go, Nick.”
He gave Alisa a kiss on the cheek. “Thanks, hon.”
Just when Megan thought she was safe, Nick backtracked.
Bracing both hands on the armrests of her chair, he let the garment bag graze the floor. Leaning over, he pressed a kiss to Trey’s forehead.
She could barely breathe when his eyes stalled on her mouth.
“I guess I’ll see you tonight.”
“What,” she tried to ignore the tremor in her voice, “are you talking about?”
“The boys and I are meetin’ up at Jimmy’s.” He straightened before turning his attention to the dresses in Lena’s hands. He pointed at the dress Megan had selected. “I like this one. You’ll look great takin’ a spin around the dance floor in my arms.”
Chapter Four
Megan knew she should have called Shaw and asked him to meet her somewhere else, but she didn’t want Nick to think she was running scared, especially after he’d promised her a dance. At least, that’s what she told herself as she parked her car in the crowded parking lot of Jimmy’s bar.
She smoothed her hand down the front of her dress after climbing out of her BMW Roadster. She’d almost chosen something else, just to spite Nick. But Lena was right. The hanger didn’t do the dress justice, and she wanted to look and feel her best tonight. Not because Nick would scrutinize her every move, but because she had a date with a man she really liked.
J.T. stood at the door talking to one of his bouncers when she approached.
He tipped his cowboy hat, a wide grin splitting his handsome face. “Well, hello there, pretty lady.”
Megan had met J.T. several times, both at Jimmy’s and at his brother’s home. She’d liked J.T. instantly. It was easy to understand why Jimmy’s was a favorite spot with a charming proprietor who went out of his way to make everyone feel like family.
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