The song only lasted about five minutes, but what a five minutes. Her chest was tight, with not one, but many unnamed emotions. She wiped her eyes and stood. Her hands started to clap on their own. It was instinctual. After a wonderful performance, you clapped. He stood, faced his audience of one, and bowed. Katrine’s feet started to move, and quite fast, considering the height of her heels. She found the steps leading to the stage, which she bounded up. He turned to her and opened his arms. A light laugh escaped her lips as she flew into his embrace. He twirled her around and kissed her head and then her mouth.
“I’ve wanted to kiss you for ten days. I can’t go that long without touching you, Katrine. Let’s not do that again.”
She kissed him again, feeling the exact same way. It had been too long between visits.
“Xander, that was so beautiful! I can’t believe you can play so well. I thought you were joking.”
“I told you I could play. I even gave you a preview.”
“Xander, playing my ribs and playing a real piano, not the same thing.”
“So, you liked it?” He gave her a one dimple grin.
“Liked it? I loved it! Xander, I cried it was so good. By the way, pianos…so sexy.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes, really,” she breathed into his ear. He shivered and gripped her waist.
“You can show me just how sexy when we get home.”
“Oh, you can count on it, I’m officially your groupie.” She smiled and shook her head. “What is all this? You got the whole place to yourself to play me one song?”
“Well, it’s the one I know best, so yes only one. But I owed a certain little lady a private concert.”
“You did? Why?”
“A certain jerk ruined a romantic evening and private concert planned by a certain gorgeous woman.”
“Xander, I told you it wasn’t a big deal. I mean it was at the time, but not now.”
“Come on. This was just the start.”
They walked hand in hand through the foyer and then went out a side door.
“Oh, Xander.”
It was the courtyard where she’d cried in his arms that fateful night. This night there was only one table set for two in the center with a string quartet playing in the corner.
“My lady,” he said, pulling out her chair.
“Thank you, kind sir,” she replied with a grin so wide her face could have cracked.
He sat across from her and kissed her hand. “Before you say I didn’t need to do this, I did…I have so much to make up for, no matter what you say. I know you don’t keep score, that’s not in your nature. But I do. The hurt I put you through and myself through for that matter…I just wanted to give you something back.”
“Xander, you do, every day. But thank you for this. You always manage to make me feel like I’m the only woman on the planet, even when we’re in a crowd. That’s why I love you. You make me smile and you make me feel special. Not to say I don’t want to choke you at times. You can be quite a rascal.”
“I know. I know. But I hope I make up for it in other areas.” He gave her the “I know I rock your world in bed” look.
“Yeah, you know you do.” If she were the type to keep score she’d mention that fact that she knew she rocked his world, too. Men needed the sexual pat on the back, she didn’t.
“Of course this spot holds significance for me. A certain damsel in distress knocked my world on it’s ass in this very courtyard… I didn’t want to leave New York. I was so mad at my father for pawning that acquisition off on me. But I owe him everything. Coming here brought me to you. I was saved when I didn’t think I needed saving, that’s quite a trick.”
“You saved me too, ya know. I wasn’t expecting to find you. And when I did, I wasn’t expecting to want to keep you. Looking back, everything happened as it should. I needed the time to myself. I think you needed it, too…so enough of this owing me business. You can treat me like a queen as long as you like, but not because you’re making up for something, but because you want to. Because I deserve it.” She grinned.
“Fair enough. Now one thing my little queen loves above all things is food. So keeping with our nostalgic night, I took the liberty of re-enacting the meal from our first date. “ Katrine gave him a look. “Okay, maybe it wasn’t a traditional first date since I tricked you into it, but you know what I mean.”
And he did, from the crisp calamari and tomato bruschetta to the caprese salad and grilled salmon. Plus tiramisu, a lemon torte, and a very large piece of ricotta cheese cake with fresh raspberries. Obviously sweet tooth was in charge of the dinner menu.
It was the same menu without the sexual tension and nerves. Not to say Katrine didn’t want to have sex with him right there in front of the cello, but at least she wasn’t worried about her garlic breath. After all, he’d seen her at her best, her worst, cranky, bloated, sniffly, runny, silly, dorky, sophisticated, crass…and everything in between…And he loved her, every part of her. Every breath in his body and every beat of his heart was for her. When it came to Katrine he had no control, and for the first time in his life he was at peace with that fact.
“To you and this bella notte.” She raised her glass of Prosecco.
“To us and to la bella vida,” he countered, clicking his glass to hers.
The bubbles tickled her throat and she smiled. “Look at us speaking Italian. Except you really know Italian and I just got my line from Lady and the Tramp.”
“Lady and the Tramp?”
“It’s one of my favorite Disney movies. You’d like it, it parallels our story rather well. I don’t need to tell you who the tramp is in our scenario.” He laughed and kissed her hand. The look on his face let her know just how much she meant to him.
She lifted her stomach a little. She was beyond stuffed.“You sure know how to fill a girl up, Mr. Abbot.”
“Now you’re getting ahead of yourself, that was the next part of my plan.”
His grin was so mischievous she couldn’t help but grin back.
“I was wondering where my dessert was.”
Chapter 39
All’s well that ends well. And end it must…
“Okay, one more time and we can call it a day…That’s it, that’s it.”
Her face was red and strained. The veins in her neck bulged, hair plastered to her face by sweat. The hands gripping the metal bars looked as if the knuckles would split apart. An agonizing cry of effort and pain...And then the wait. The wait for the sound that everyone in the room was holding their breath for. A high pitched cry pierced the silence and then the collective exhale and tears. Katrine let the tears fall freely, her shoulders sagging in relief.
“She’s beautiful,” Katrine crooned tearfully.
“Can I see her?”
“They’re cleaning her up right now, baby,” the proud new father declared, snapping a picture of the unsuspecting little being in the incubator. Then with her newly donned pink striped knit cap, the baby was brought towards her mother’s awaiting arms. Once in possession of the precious cargo, the world stopped. At least the one she knew before.
Now a new one would begin. What was once black and white would now be in vivid technicolor.
“Oh, Janie, she’s perfect,” Katrine cried, kissing her dear friend’s wet brow. She peered into the newborn’s face and pondered the blessings this little lady unknowingly brought upon her parents. A child so desired and so loved before she even arrived. The thought, that became a hope, that became a reality.
Jane’s husband whispered words of love and adoration into his wife’s ear, still in awe over what his wife had just accomplished.
“What are you going to name her?” a nurse asked. Jane and Marcus looked at each other, a smile and a nod.
“Natasha Rose,” Jane announced, her deep blues eyes bright. “We’re going to call her Rose, after my nana.” Katrine gave Marcus a sad smile and a hug. Natasha was a tribute to his sister, who died many years before.
/>
“Katrine, thank you for being here. Marcus has been wonderful, but for some reason I wanted a woman’s energy in here, a calming one. My mom hated to miss it.”
“Well, that happens when you go into labor two weeks early. And it was an honor. I’ve only been in the driver’s seat, so to be able to watch it happen was a gift. Thank you.” She kissed baby Rose twice, inhaling the sweet scent that only new babies have, then she gave one to Jane.
“I’d better get out there and alert the horde. I’ll let you have some alone time with your new angel before I send anyone in.” She left, giving the new family of three a chance to get acquainted.
Katrine walked into the waiting room. Charlie and Paige were sharing a couch. Tristan and Maddie were side by side in seats, laughing over a trash mag. Izzie was in the corner on her cell phone. When they finally noticed that she’d entered the room, they all looked at her with expectant faces.
“Well?” Maddie asked.
“It’s a girl!” Whoops and cheers. A couple of ‘I knew it’s’ and lots of hugs and tears. Tears for the effort their sweet friend and her husband had put into this conception and it paying off in the best way possible.
“How is she?” Paige asked.
“She’s doing great, you know how it is. She’s on a mommy high right now, feeling no pain.”
“Not yet, but wait until her epidural wears off,” Charlie said. “If they cut her she’s gonna feel like she’s sitting on razor blades.”
“Oh, Charlie, she’ll be fine,” Izzie said.
“Spoken by someone who’s never had their vadge guillotined,” Charlie snipped.
“Ladies, can we focus on the important stuff, please? Is the baby cute?” Tristan asked in a whispered voice.
“Tristan! All babies are cute,” Katrine said.
“What? That’s a bunch of bullshit. I saw one on Facebook the other day…looked like a tomato wrapped in a tortilla,” Maddie added. “Really, the pieces of black hair sticking out of the little hat could have totally been the stem.”
“My babies came out looking like they’d just lost a prize fight. Swollen, blotchy, crooked noses. My daughter’s head looked like a safety cone.”
“Charlie, that’s a horrible thing to say about your kids!” Paige gasped.
“What? They’re cute now, hell, they were cute a few days later. It was just right after they were born. Of course, I didn’t notice at the time. To me they were the most beautiful things I’d ever seen. But now I can look back at the pictures without breast milk in my eyes, and call a spade, a spade.”
Katrine shook her head. Was there nothing sacred to these people?
“I have to admit when people post pictures of their newborns, some of them look like old men to me. But you have to say how cute they are, right? So how do you know if your baby is really cute or not, everyone’s probably lying through their teeth. You guys will tell me if my kid looks like a troll doll, right?” Izzie asked. She never talked about having kids in the first person, so they were a little shocked.
“Yes, Izzie, I promise I’ll tell you if your baby looks like a troll doll.”
“I knew your filter free lifestyle would work to my advantage one day, Charlie,” Izzie smiled.
“It’s okay if they’re not cute right away. They’ve just had a pretty rough ride. I mean, think about it,” Katrine said.
“That’s exactly why I stick to dicks, girls. If that’s what happens when you’re coming out, why in the hell would you want to go back in?” Tristan bristled.
“Well, whatever, guys. I’m telling you Rose is beautiful.” They smiled and loved the name. When Charlie saw the baby, she cried and nuzzled her soft skin. In fact, everyone had the same reaction. Maddie had to arm wrestle Tristan for a turn. It was no secret, baby Rose was not only beautiful, she was going to be a very spoiled little lady indeed.
The next day, between two sets of grandparents, balloons, flowers, and the crew, the room was bursting at the seams. Rose was content in her mother’s embrace, blissfully unaware of the cacophony going on around her. Katrine leaned back against a solid chest, strong arms wrapped around her stomach. She was feeling many emotions, but contentment and peace were the two that stood out. Katrine wasn’t a soothsayer or a psychic, if this was her forever or for right now remained to be seen. But all she knew to be true, the irrefutable truth, was that she was happy. And if she had these people around her, her future held joy, laughter, and most of all, love.
Xander squeezed her tight and kissed her temple. He had a far away look in his eye as he gazed down at the tiny newborn who was the center of everyone’s attention.
Katrine laughed quietly. “You seem quite taken with little Rose.”
“How could I not? She is absolute perfection.”
“Well…don’t get any ideas, mister!” she teased, leaning her head against his chest and squeezing his arms.
She felt his soft mouth on her ear.
“Too late.”
The End
Resilient Soundtrack:
1. Dog Days are Over-Florence + the Machine
2. Mr. Brightside- the Killers
3. Cut it Out-Kitten
4. By the Way-Big Wreck
5. Shelter-Ray LaMontagne
6. Hypnotize-Notorious B.I.G
7. On Your Side- Pete Yorn
8. Trista Peña- Gypsy Kings (Mexico)
9. Now- Paramore
10. Grand Optimist- City and Colour
11. Movement and Location- Punch Brothers (speak easy)
12. Smashing Pumpkins- Luna
13. High and Dry- Radiohead
14. Club Foot- Club Foot
15. Tear in your Hand- Tori Amos
16. Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor “Moonlight Sonata”- Beethoven
17. Here’s where the story ends- Sundays (Happy dance, it’s over and fade to black)
Bonus Track: The way I am- Ingrid Michaelson
Gracias and all that jazz:
Well, what a difference a year makes. I’ve learned so much and met so many wonderful people. It has been such an adventure and an eye opening experience. It’s not easy putting yourself out there and I had to thicken my skin quickly. The fact that I had even one person that wasn’t a friend or relative excited about this book was a miracle in my mind. The fact that people thought I was a good writer, another miracle. I thought Rebound may have been a fluke and I had no idea if I could write another book or not. And when I did and I was proud of it, that was amazing. I almost feel like a real author.
I would like to first thank my betas Cheryl, Mandi, and Misti. Your input, suggestions, honesty and support got me through this. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Also thank you Cristina and Shawn, beloved blogger buds, for reading it early and for your great feedback. You all helped make this book better
Thank you to Tasha Brown for my beautiful cover. Thank you to my editor Toni Rakestraw. Any subsequent errors are on me. I tend to change things until the last minute.
A big thank you to my friends and family who have been so supportive. Especially my beloved sisters, you cheered me on and were my biggest fans. I thank you.
A special one to my handsome hubs who works so hard so that I can stay at home to raise our amazing kids. It also gives me the freedom to pursue this very time consuming “hobby” as he calls it. But perhaps the hobby will turn into something more.
Thank you to all of the bloggers that took a chance on me. The ones that said you’d review it and followed through, because that wasn’t always the case. Shawn with the former Book Geeks Unite for your enthusiastic support of me and my book. Cristina’s Book Reviews thank you for you friendship and for your guidance.
Kathy with Panty Droppin Book blog for hosting my tour and for doing such a great job! You rock really hard.
Some more I’d like to thank: Lookin’ for a Bookin’, Book Boyfriend Reviews, Crystal’s Many Reviews, Maria’s Book Blog. Globug and Hootie, Panty Dropping Book Blog.
Book Bosses, Nina with Beauty, Brains, and Books, I heart Books, The Indie Bookshelf. And Ana’s Attic for including me on one of your summer lists. To Kris with Pimpin’ ain’t Easy for creating a space where writers and bloggers can promote and support each other.
A special thank you to Rachel Thompson a wonderful non-fiction writer and guru in all things self-publishing and social media. You’ve helped me so much and answered every question. I’m proud to call you an e-friend.
Last but not least my wonderful and fabulous readers and members of the Rebound Mafia. Without your support and your excitement I wouldn’t have written this book. I’ve so enjoyed getting to know you and cultivating friendships with a lot of you. It’s funny that you can love someone you’ve never laid eyes on. Thank you for making me feel like a rock star. To Dennise and my latin beauties in Florida. To Kimberly and the merry band of ‘’book whores’’ who pimped me out on twitter like nobody’s business. To Natasha and so many others for your unrelenting support. Thank you for the emails and messages, they meant so much to me. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you.
And a final thanks to Katrine and her friends. I fell in love with you all and you coming to life on the page has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. It’s been a wild and funny ride.
I am forever humbled, forever grateful, and forever improved by this experience.
Much love,
Nikki
Remember to leave a review or rating, it makes a difference!! Unless you hated it then just forget you ever read it.
Nikkimathisthompson.com
Author nikki mathis thompson-FB
NikkiMThompson on twitter
Resilient (Rebound Book 2) Page 30