“We’re making spaghetti. Did you want some?” Tucker offered.
Cooper just glared at him and then looked back at Nichole.
“When you didn’t show up for dinner or call to cancel, I checked with your office. They said you left early today. I called you a few times and then decided I’d better check in. You didn’t answer the door, and I started to worry you were lying in here dead.” He looked over at Tucker again when he was done with his explanation.
“I’m not dead,” Nichole said with a smile.
“I don’t understand,” Cooper said again as he continued to look back and forth at them.
As if they had an explanation. Tucker had no clue what to tell his brother. He glanced over at Nichole, who was biting her lip and looking just as stumped.
“Tucker, can I speak with you outside for a second?” Cooper requested.
Shit.
“Sure. Let me grab a shirt. And shoes. And a coat.” He was only gone a minute, and in that time he didn’t hear Nichole say anything. Apparently, Cooper was going to blame this all on him.
Cooper walked back out the patio door. Nichole put her hand on Tucker’s arm, looking concerned. As if it were their final farewell before he headed up to the gallows.
“It’ll be fine. I’ll be right back. You can go ahead and eat without me.”
“I’ll wait,” she said, offering him a strained smile.
He leaned over and kissed her quickly.
“Thanks, baby.”
Cooper didn’t wait long. It was way too chilly for an outside meeting.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he began.
Tucker opened his mouth to answer the question, but he wasn’t given a chance to reply.
“She’s been through a lot in the last few months. She spent nearly seven years with a guy who was lying to her about who he was. She acts tough, like it doesn’t bother her, but she doesn’t need someone taking advantage of her. I can’t believe you would do this. She’s my best friend!”
“Hold up! I’m not taking advantage of her. Besides, you told me to stay away from Roslyn’s sister, and I did. You never said to stay away from Nichole.”
“I never thought I needed to. You two hate each other.” Cooper waved his hand toward the house and let it drop, as if his evidence had evaporated into thin air.
“We’ve gotten past that. It turns out we like each other plenty.” That little comment earned him an icy glare as Cooper walked in a small circle.
“What do you think is going to happen when you’re done with this?”
“I don’t know. We haven’t really discussed it. We’ve been kind of . . . busy.” Way wrong thing to say. Cooper looked like he was going to strangle him. Tucker took a step back. “She’s able to make her own decisions, Cooper. She’s not a baby. Besides, you passed.” Again, that wasn’t smart. “You’re happy now with Roslyn, Nic deserves to be happy, too.”
“She told you about us?” He looked confused.
“No. I’ve known since back then. It’s not a big deal.”
“I’m not upset that you’re seeing someone I was with. I’m upset that you’re using my best friend to keep yourself occupied, and then you’re going to go back to New York and leave me to clean up the mess when you break her heart.”
“Whoa. Nobody is breaking anyone’s heart here. We’re having a good time. No promises and no expectations.”
“She said that? No expectations?” he yelled.
“Yeah.”
“Guess what? Women always have expectations, you stupid shit!” Cooper shook his head.
“What do you want me to do?” It seemed like it would be easier to hear his terms.
“I want you to go back to your friend’s house and leave her alone.”
Right. He’d told Cooper he was staying at a friend’s house. He winced before answering. “The friend I’m staying with is . . .” He pointed his thumb over his shoulder toward the kitchen.
“You’re living here with her?” Cooper’s voice was nearly at a yell when Nichole slid open the door, rubbing her arms briskly from the cold.
“You might as well come in,” she said. “I can hear you from inside anyway.”
“I’m going to go for a little walk. I’ll let you two chat,” Tucker said, wussing out.
Nichole’s shoulders slumped as Cooper followed her into the house. Tucker had bailed. She wished she could have gone with him.
“I know what you’re thinking,” she said, raising her hand to stop him.
“Well, good; then you can tell me, because I haven’t figured it out yet.”
She sighed as she sat down at the table. “It’s just something that happened, and we’re having fun with no strings attached.”
“You’ve never had a relationship with no strings, Nic. It’s not how you are.”
“Maybe that’s how I was, but I’ve changed. I don’t want to spend a lot of time getting to know someone and then find out they lied about everything. I know Tucker. I know who he is. It’s nothing to get all bent out of shape about.”
“Until he pulls a classic Tucker move and upsets you.”
“If that happens, I’ll deal with it. I always do.”
“That’s the thing. You shouldn’t have to deal with it. You should find a nice guy who can be what you need. You shouldn’t be wasting your time on my brother, who can’t commit to anything.”
“He makes me laugh. He makes me happy. Ever since Dennis called off the wedding, I’ve been pretending I’m okay with it, but you know what? I’m pissed at him. He shouldn’t have pretended to be something he wasn’t. Tucker isn’t pretending anything. He knows he’s not marriage material and he’s honest about it. I’m okay with that right now.”
Cooper took a deep breath. “I thought you couldn’t stand him,” he said calmly.
“As you could see when you were stalking my back door, we’ve found something in common.”
“You’re really okay with this?” he asked, and she could see the concern in his eyes.
“Thank you for looking out for me. I know you think it’s your job, but I’m a big girl and Tucker’s a big boy. You have a wife and a baby on the way. You can focus on them and leave us to our own demise.”
“I’m never going to stop looking out for either of you.” He ran his hand over his hair. “I don’t think I know how to stop.”
“Well, give us a break, okay?”
“If my mother finds out, she’s going to start planning the wedding,” he warned. “You know how much she loves you.”
“Let’s not tell her, then.”
“Great. More secrets,” he complained.
“He’s going to need to go back to New York in a week or two. I’m sure this will have run its course by then. There won’t be anything to tell.”
“If you’re sure . . .”
“I am.” She wasn’t. She was already in too deep to get out of this with a wave and a good-bye.
“Okay. Then I guess all I have to say is . . . have fun.” He winced. “Though it seems unnatural.”
“More unnatural than when the two of us were together?”
He shivered at the memory.
“No. That was just creepy,” he said correctly. It had been so awkward, she’d nearly made him stop. The only reason they’d even tried it was because someone had told them it was impossible for a girl and a guy to be friends without eventually falling into a relationship. They’d decided to circumvent the chance of this absent affection turning up at an inopportune time by just going for it.
It had turned out the person was wrong on all counts. They’d never felt any kind of romantic tug toward each other. Even when they tried to force it.
“Thanks.” They laughed together.
“You know what I mean,” he said.
“I do.”
“I’m going home to my wife. And to let you two do whatever it is you were doing.” Another shiver.
“You do that.” She laughed. “Tell
her I said hi.”
“Maybe we’ll have both of you over for dinner soon. Once I get my head around this.”
“Sure.”
Cooper left, and two minutes later Tucker came in.
“I can heat up the spaghetti,” she offered.
“That’s okay. I walked down to McDonald’s.” He leaned against the counter but didn’t make eye contact. She had a feeling she knew what he was going to say. Might as well get it over with.
“Are you leaving?” she asked, trying to brace herself for his answer.
His head shot up and he finally looked at her. “Should I go?”
“This just got complicated, and I know you don’t do complicated.” She bit her bottom lip to keep it still. She was in danger of choking up. She knew he’d be leaving eventually.
“I can handle my brother. Do you want me to go?” he asked point-blank.
“No, I don’t,” she answered honestly, with a bit of defiance in her voice. Let him accuse her of getting too close to him. Real people cared about each other. They got attached. She wasn’t a freak.
“I don’t want to go,” he said after a moment.
Her face showed her surprise. “You don’t?”
“No. Why do you seem so shocked? If you remember, I’m not the one who wanted to keep it a secret in the first place. That was you.” He grinned and stepped closer, resting his hands on her waist.
“That’s because I was afraid you’d freak out and leave, and then everyone would say, ‘Poor Nichole let another one get away.’ And then I’d have to punch someone.”
He laughed and leaned in to kiss her neck, right by her ear.
“I want to stay,” he whispered, and then placed another kiss on her jaw. “I’m not going to freak out.”
“They invited us to dinner,” she warned, making him chuckle against her skin. “Like a couple.”
“I think you may be worse at this than me,” he said.
“No. That can’t be,” she disagreed as his hands roamed down her back, squeezing and drawing her closer. She decided to just give up easily. If Tucker wasn’t freaking out about them being outed, she was going to enjoy the time she had.
“My dad used to say, ‘Don’t go looking for tomorrow’s troubles.’ Of course if he had been looking, he might have noticed my mom was knocking boots with Cooper’s karate instructor. Just sayin’.”
“Wow. You have a way with words.” She smiled at him.
“That’s why they pay me the big bucks.”
“Good thing it’s not your only talent.”
She raised her leg slowly, brushing against the inside of his thigh.
“As I recall, we were in the middle of something when my brother showed up and caused a bunch of unnecessary drama.”
“Yes.” She sounded breathless as his tongue tickled along her collarbone. Soon they had picked up where they’d left off.
A week later, they were still happy. Nichole had allowed herself to relax into the relationship because, despite not liking the word, that was exactly what it had become.
“So, I think I’m done with our song,” he announced when she got home from work. She couldn’t tell him how hearing him call it our song made her weak in the knees. “Can I play it for you and get your opinion?”
“Of course.” She crossed her legs as she sat across from him on the end of the sofa. He picked up the guitar and strummed it before adjusting the tuning. He strummed twice, then, satisfied, looked up and gave her a wink before he began to play.
She wasn’t a baby by any means. She’d seen the worst of what the human body had to offer and scoffed, but hearing him sing the song they’d created together made moisture come to her eyes.
She opened her eyes wider, trying to keep the tears contained, but it didn’t work. By the last strum, she was wiping them away.
“It’s beautiful, Tucker. I’m sorry. I don’t know why I’m being such a girl all of a sudden.”
“It’s a good sign if it can inspire emotion. Those are the songs that become hits.”
“It’s definitely a hit with me, but I might be a little biased.”
“I’m going to Final Track Studios tomorrow to burn it. Then I’ll send it to my agent to see if he can make the magic happen.”
“You’re selling it?” She knew that was how he made money, but she felt a little uneasy, trusting some stranger with their song.
“That’s the plan. We’ll see.” So Tucker Matthews did make plans.
Nichole wondered where she might fit into it.
“Tucker?” She paused. “I think you should try to put this song out yourself.”
“No.” He shook his head right away.
“You deserve a second chance at your dream. You made a mistake. You’re not the first performer to realize the dangers of fame. But you’re better now. Stronger. Every day you’re faced with that fight and you’re doing it. I think you need to forgive yourself and give this another shot.”
“What if I fail again?” he asked, his brown eyes studying her face intently.
“If you don’t try, you’ve already failed.”
He nodded and kissed her.
“I’ll think about it.”
Tucker didn’t see what the big deal was. It was only dinner with his brother and sister-in-law, but he could feel the tension coming off Nichole as he drove across town.
“You need to relax,” he told her.
“I am relaxed.”
“My ass.” He shook his head. It got a chuckle out of her, and she did seem to calm down a tiny bit.
“I’m worried they’re going to put undue pressure on us.”
“How so?”
“They just got married. They’re in that stage where they think marriage is wonderful and everyone should be married.”
“You don’t think marriage is wonderful?” he asked, his brows pulled together. “Weren’t you like ten seconds from getting married yourself?” How was it possible he was willingly having a discussion about marriage?
“Yes. That’s how I know what they’re thinking. It’s all love and butterflies and unicorns.”
“Unicorns?”
“Trust me, I have the same odds of finding love as I do a unicorn. I’m cursed. Which is why what we’re doing is so perfect for someone like me.”
“And what exactly are we doing?” he asked with a grin. Had he actually asked her to define the relationship? He needed to stop watching so much daytime television. It was turning him into a girl. He glanced down at his chest to make sure he hadn’t grown boobs.
“It doesn’t have a name. That’s the best part.” Nic beamed.
They pulled into Cooper and Roslyn’s driveway and got out. He took her hand, rubbing the back with his thumb to help with her nerves.
“I’ll protect you if a unicorn tries to attack you,” he promised, leaning down to kiss her neck.
“Thanks for having my back.”
They walked into the house still holding hands. Roslyn took one look at them and looked at Cooper, who seemed smug.
“You weren’t joking,” Roz said, blinking at them.
“Nope. I win the bet,” Cooper all but sang.
“What do you win?” Tucker asked.
“Can’t say,” Cooper answered with a devilish twitch of his eyebrows. Ah. It was a sex bet.
“Good for you, bro.” Tucker slapped him on the shoulder but didn’t let go of Nichole.
“Can I get you something to drink?” Roslyn asked, the happy little hostess. She was showing a little. It was odd, thinking the little person in there was going to be his niece or nephew. What was odder still was the fact that he was kind of looking forward to it. He’d never had much interest in kids before.
“So, when do we find out what kind it is?” he asked as he gestured toward Roslyn’s stomach.
“Not for a few more weeks. Cooper doesn’t want to know.” She frowned.
“What?” Tucker and Nichole both said at the same time.
“I see I�
�m outnumbered, but if pressed, I can still support my view with a twelve-point brief.” Cooper poured on the lawyer speak, which made everyone moan.
“Ugh. Never mind.” Tucker waved his arms in front of him to fend off the bullshit.
“I thought it would be nice to know, so we could paint the bedroom blue or pink,” Roslyn defended herself.
“It’s a nice green color,” Cooper explained as Roslyn pouted.
“When will it be able to learn how to play the guitar?” Tucker asked.
“Let’s give it a few years.” Cooper rolled his eyes. “Besides, if the baby has my musical abilities, you probably won’t do any better now than you did with me.”
They sat down for dinner a few minutes later. Tucker noticed Nichole had asked for water instead of wine. She hadn’t drunk anything alcoholic since she’d found out about him. He wasn’t sure if he was appreciative or annoyed by that fact, so he let it go.
Roslyn brought out the lasagna as Cooper followed behind with the salad and rolls. They were the perfect married couple. Tucker felt a surge of something he chose to chalk up to nausea from all their gooey sweetness.
They were having a cozy little meal without any sign of unicorns when the doorbell rang.
Cooper stood and went to answer it.
Two seconds later, Tucker heard his mother’s voice.
Tucker and Nichole looked at each other with matching expressions of horror.
“I see Nichole is here. I wanted to say hi,” his mom said as she walked into the dining room and stopped. “Oh! Tucker. You’re still here? I thought you went back to New York.”
“Um. Not yet.”
“Where are you staying? You know I have a room available.”
It was a question he didn’t want to answer.
“I’m staying with a friend,” he tried, knowing it wasn’t going to work.
“Which friend? None of your old friends here are people you should be hanging around with. You know that, Tucker.”
“Yeah, Ma. I know. I’m fine.”
“Who are you staying with?”
The room was silent for a full second before he let out a breath and pointed at Nichole. “I’m staying with Nic,” he answered, not having any other choice. His mother would have followed him to his fake friend’s house to make sure there weren’t any temptations there.
Nick Of Time (Blue Ridge Romance 2) Page 12