by Petrova, Em
Would it?
A knock on the door made Prue jump and it took a second for her to gather her composure. She inhaled a deep breath and let it out. “Come in,” she called.
The door opened and her mother came into the room with a mug of coffee. “Thought you could use a heart starter. Breakfast is waiting for you downstairs when you’re ready,” she said, setting the mug on the bedside table. “I took Nikki downstairs and gave her breakfast about two hours ago, so she’s all sorted. She’s in the living room with her uncle watching Dora the Explorer.”
“Thanks, Mom, I really appreciate it. I don’t get a chance to sleep in at home. Nikki’s up at the crack of dawn every day. It was nice. But I do have to go into town for a bit. I’m having coffee with an old friend.”
“Oh, that’ll be nice. So I won’t expect you back for lunch then?”
“Not sure. I might be back. Can I text you?”
Her mother raised an eyebrow. “You can call me.”
Prue smiled. “Yeah, ok. I’ll call and let you know.”
Lorraine gave Prue a light hug and headed for the door. “Lunch is at one.”
Prue took a sip of her coffee and went back to deciding what to wear. It wasn’t a date so she didn’t have to dress up, but she felt she should look her best. After ten minutes of standing at her closet undecided she went downstairs to eat breakfast. A full stomach might be the fuel she needed to make a choice and stick with it.
When Prue returned to her room, she chose a mid-length black skirt, an apricot cashmere sweater, black knee high boots and a gray wool jacket to coordinate the look. She dried and styled her hair with soft loose curls and applied a light coat of makeup. She’d wear her knit cap because it was freezing outside and take it off once she got to the café.
Toby offered to drive her, but Prue said she thought it best that she go alone. She borrowed her mother’s bright blue Ford Focus and headed off at a quarter after nine. She wanted to be the first to arrive at the coffee shop.
Her heart raced as she sped along the Expressway and she couldn’t take a breath. Was she doing the right thing? Would this meeting cause drama in their lives that none of them needed? She pulled into the breakdown lane, her doubts getting the better of her. The what ifs outweighed the what could bes. Prue plucked her cell phone from her purse and fossicked through her bag for the card Nicholas had given her. She keyed in his number and her thumb hovered over the button. Should she cancel? Did she really want to? Her heart played tug of war with her emotions. She was in love with the man so why was she making it so difficult for herself?
Prue dropped the phone back into her purse, indicated, and pulled out onto the highway once it was safe to do so. She gave a heavy sigh as she continued toward Downtown Pittsburgh and hoped she’d made the right decision.
***
Nicholas checked his watch. 9:40. His nerves were on edge as he sat inside the coffee shop waiting for Prue to arrive. Would she keep her promise and show up? And if so, what would they talk about? How could he break the ice so they both felt comfortable? He didn’t even know what kind of coffee she drank so he couldn’t preorder. Once she was there he would offer to buy her whatever she liked. He checked his watch again. 9:45. Fifteen minutes. He swallowed the knot of nerves lodged in his throat. This was the moment he’d been waiting for for the past five years and he was nervous. He didn’t want to mess it up. He needed to know if there was a chance they could be together. He licked his dry lips and took a sip of his cold coffee then pushed the mug aside. What if she didn’t show?
Nicholas thought back to the night of the charity auction. Prue had looked stunning in the dress she had worn with her hair up. She was a beautiful woman and he wanted her in his life. How could he make that happen? It occurred to him that she might be married. What then? He’d have no hope of ever being with her. Was she married? Was the man Nicholas had seen her with her husband?
He would have to wait to find out. He checked his watch for the third time. 9:50. She’ll be here any minute.
***
Prue drove along Fifth Avenue looking for a parking spot and as she cruised past the café she noticed Nicholas sitting at a table near the window. Her stomach did a nervous flip and she almost ran into the back of a parking car when her eyes left the road to look at the man she was about to have coffee with. She hit the brakes and berated herself for not being mindful of the traffic. The last thing she needed was to damage her mother’s brand new car.
Turning down a side street, she spotted a Chrysler hatchback pulling out from the curb a car length away. Prue gave a silent thank you and slipped into the space. She turned off the engine and sat. Her stomach felt as though a swarm of butterflies were flapping inside her. She took a deep breath, blew it out, pulled the keys from the ignition and opened the door. Today could define the rest of her life. Was she being too dramatic? She didn’t think so.
Prue walked along the sidewalk and out onto Fifth Avenue. The café was across the street. As she got closer to the front entrance her breathing quickened, her heart raced and her palms grew sweaty. How long had Nicholas been waiting? Prue stopped and took a deep breath to force air into her lungs. She pulled the cap off her head and stuffed it into her purse, then ran her fingers through her curls. Toby was right, she had to do this for her own peace of mind.
She opened the door and the warmth of the coffee shop wrapped itself around her as she stepped inside out of the freezing cold. It was comforting.
When Nicholas saw her he stood up and smiled. Prue joined him at the table and they both took their seats.
“How are you?” He was happy she was there at last.
“I’m good. You?” She removed her gloves and sat her purse on the chair beside her.
“I’m good too.” He smiled. “I’m glad you’re here. Can I offer you a coffee or would you prefer to catch your breath first?” He couldn’t take his eyes off her.
“Um, a vanilla latte would be nice. Thanks.”
Nicholas left his seat to order the coffee. While waiting in the queue he kept checking to make sure Prue was still at their table. He had the distinct feeling she wanted to get up and run out of the café. How could he relieve her fears? Why was she afraid of him?
He placed the order and rejoined her. “I just needed to talk to you. I’m not here to make you uncomfortable.”
“I ‒ I know. But I’m not sure what you expect from this meeting.” Prue glanced out of the window before returning her gaze to him. He was so handsome and seemed so unsure of himself right now.
“I wanted to see you again. I had hoped you’d want to see me too. Is there anything you want to know about me? There’s so much I want to know about you.” He realized he was overwhelming her with his questions. “I’m sorry. I’d just like to get to know you.”
Prue fidgeted with her gloves. “Why?”
“I told you that the night of the charity auction.”
Her cheeks grew warm. “I remember.”
“Are you married? Is there someone in your life?”
Prue was taken aback by the forthrightness of his question. Should she let him think Toby was her man (because she assumed he already did) or should she tell him the truth? The thought circled her mind for a moment. “No, I’m not married. But…”
Nicholas’ face fell. “You have someone in your life.”
Their coffee arrived and they waited for the attendant to leave before continuing. “Thank you,” Nicholas said.
“I do have someone in my life, but it isn’t a man.”
Nicholas frowned. “Isn’t the man I saw you with…?”
She shook her head. “He’s my brother, Toby.”
“Your brother?” A huge weight lifted from his heart.
Prue nodded. Was she about to make the biggest mistake of her life?
“I’m confused.” Then it occurred to him. If not a man was she saying a woman? Is that what she had meant the night of the benefit when she’d told him they were different pe
ople now? He hoped not.
She sighed and glanced down at the gloves in her hand. “I have a daughter.”
“Oh.” Nicholas sat back in his seat and attempted to digest the information she had revealed to him.
Chapter Twenty Eight
Prue could see the confusion in Nicholas’ eyes and she wondered what was going through his mind. She hadn’t planned to tell him anything at all, but being with him and seeing him again brought the feelings she held in her heart flooding back. He was her daughter’s father and she was in love with him, despite her fear of what could happen. Would this whole situation turn around and become something wonderful? She was about to find out.
“So you were married?”
Prue shook her head. “Engaged to be married, but he… he died.”
Nicholas gave her a sympathetic frown and reached for her hand. “I’m sorry.”
A tear slid down Prue’s cheek and she brushed it away. “Thank you. It was a long time ago,” she whispered unable to steady her voice.
“I lost my wife to a brain tumor,” he told her, knowing what Prue had been through.
Prue’s head snapped up and she stared into his eyes. “That must have been terrible for you.”
Nicholas sighed. “It was. I thought I’d die too. It took a long time to… well you never really get over it, do you?” He gave a thin smile.
“No, you never do. But the pain gets easier to bear. Some of the time.” She attempted to smile.
“Yes.” He wanted to ask what had happened to her fiancé but wasn’t sure he should.
“Do you have children?” Prue wanted to know.
He shook his head. “We wanted them. A houseful. But when Pam got sick she wasn’t able to carry a child. Chemo and radiation treatments, you know? And she lost a lot of weight so her body wouldn’t have coped.”
Prue’s eyes stung as she fought back tears. He had been through so much. So had she. She understood now why they had met that night. Both of them had suffered such an enormous personal loss. Did the universe bring people like them together on purpose? She wanted to believe it did.
She squeezed his hand, a pained expression on her face. “I’m so sorry.”
He gave a thin smile. “Thanks. I appreciate it. But you’ve been through as much as I have. Can I ask how he died? You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”
Prue gave a heavy sigh. “Connor was partners with my brother in The Black Stallion Ranch and he’d gone on a stock run in the Cessna Cargomaster. When he couldn’t be reached by radio Toby knew something was wrong, so he contacted the Emergency Services and gave a rough location of where the plane would have been if it had had to make a forced landing. When they went out there they found the wreckage. The plane had erupted into flames and…”
“Dear God,” Nicholas said, squeezing her hand even tighter. “How horrible.”
Prue’s voice gave way. “Yes, it was.” She took a breath to steady herself. “We were… childhood sweethearts and friends long before that. He was my whole world. I thought I would never recover and even though Connor was Toby’s best friend, and Tobe was grieving too, my brother was my rock during those two and half years that I wanted to give up and die. He never left my side. That’s why we’re so close.”
“That’s understandable given the circumstances.” He took a sip of his coffee and attempted to lighten the mood. “So tell me about your daughter.”
Prue swallowed hard. This was it. The moment she’d been dreading for the past five years. No turning back. “Before I do there’s something you should know.”
Nicholas’ eyebrows rose. “What is it?”
She cleared her throat. “This isn’t easy for me. I ‒ I never thought I’d be having this conversation with you. In fact I never thought we’d see each other again. Ever. I had no way to find you and…”
Nicholas eased his hand out of hers and rested it on her arm. “What are you trying to say?”
“Nick.” Prue hesitated and licked her lips. “You’re my daughter’s father.” She waited for his reaction, her heart beating twice as fast.
His eyes glazed over as though he were in shock. He didn’t look at her, his mind was somewhere else.
Nicholas’ mind replayed that night. Their gentle foreplay, her explosive climax and his eagerness to… Oh God, I didn’t use protection! In the heat of passion neither of them had considered it. And he hadn’t given it any thought afterward because their night together had been too perfect. So it’s true. I have a daughter.
Prue placed her hand on his. “Nicholas? Nick? Talk to me.”
A long sigh escaped his lips. He felt like he’d walked into a brick wall. “I have a daughter.” It wasn’t a question.
Prue glanced down at the table then returned her gaze to him. “Yes. You do. Like I said, I had no way of finding you. I didn’t know your name or where you lived or any of that. Please don’t be angry with me.”
“I’m… I don’t know what I am right now.” He stared into her eyes as his became coherent. “She’d be five, right?”
She nodded and bit her bottom lip.
“What’s her name?”
“Nicole. I thought…”
“Does she look like me?”
Prue nodded again and opened her purse. “I have a picture if you…”
“Why didn’t you try to find me?”
Prue’s dream popped into her head. This scenario was almost identical except they were in a public place. “How, Nick? How was I supposed to find you without any information? Did you try to find me?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact that’s all I’ve been doing for the past five years.” His voice was tight.
Prue could see irritation in his eyes. “If I’d known where to start I would have. Believe me I wanted to.”
“Did you? Wasn’t it easier to raise her on your own without any complications from me?”
Her breath caught in her throat. “That’s not it at all.” Although deep down Prue knew that was part of the reason.
Nicholas pushed back his chair and stood up. “I have to go.”
Prue popped up out of her seat. “Please don’t leave. Let’s talk about this. Don’t you want to meet her? She wants to meet you.”
His angry eyes focused on her. “She knows about me?”
“Well, no, not exactly. She knows she has a daddy, of course, but she doesn’t know it’s you.” She touched his arm, he pulled away. “Please, Nick, don’t leave angry. I want to tell you about her.”
“Give me your number. I need some time to make sense of all this.” He was in love with a woman who had raised his daughter without him. How could he forgive her for that?
Prue took a pen from her purse and scribbled her cell number onto a napkin and handed it to him. “I’m sure we can work this out when you’ve had time to think about it. Please don’t do anything rash.”
“I’m not going to do anything for the moment.” He brushed past Prue without looking at her and said, “I’ll be in touch.”
Prue eased her trembling body onto her seat, tears welling in her eyes, and realized she had made the biggest mistake of her life.
Chapter Twenty Nine
When Prue arrived back at her parents’ home Toby was on the front porch leaning against the railing waiting for her. He could see she was upset as she climbed the steps. Her face was flushed and her eyes red rimmed. He pulled her into his arms and asked what happened. She couldn’t speak. Toby walked her along the porch and sat her in a wicker chair. “I’ll be right back.”
Prue rummaged through her purse for a tissue. She couldn’t go inside looking the way she did. She had to blow her nose and freshen up her makeup.
Her brother returned with a shot of scotch. “Here, drink this.”
She shook her head. “I’ll be fine. I just need a minute to fix my face before I go into the house. I don’t want mom to see me like this otherwise there’s bound to be questions I don’t feel up to answering right now. And if Nikk
i sees me she’ll be worried too.”
“Want to tell your big brother what happened?” Toby sat down.
Prue gave a heavy sigh. “I told him and he didn’t take it well.”
Toby’s eyebrows rose. “You told him about Nikki?”
She nodded.
“What did he say?”
“He accused me of not making any effort to find him and wanting to raise Nikki on my own, then he took my number and said he’d be in touch.” She turned her head and stared into her brother’s eyes. “You don’t think he meant his lawyer would be in touch do you?”
Toby frowned and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “I don’t know, sweetheart. I hope not.” He wished he hadn’t encouraged her to talk to the author. Everything his sister believed was coming true. “He needs time to think things through, that’s all. Once he does he’ll call.”
Prue gave her brother a doubtful look. “I’m not so sure. He was pretty angry. The nice Nicholas I was having coffee with turned into someone completely different in a matter of minutes.”
Toby pulled her closer and rested his chin on the top of her head. “I’m sorry you had to go through that. I wish I hadn’t suggested you go when you wanted to cancel.”
“It’s not your fault, Tobe. I’m a grown woman. The decision was mine and I made it.”
She pulled her makeup bag out of her purse and freshened up her face. “There, that looks better.” She sniffled. “Ok. I’m ready to go in.”
Nikki ran up to Prue the minute she walked through the door. “I missed you, Mommy.”
Prue scooped her daughter into her arms. “I missed you too, sweetie pie.”
“Grandma’s making lunch. She’s cooking a big lasagna for all of us. Smells good, huh? I’m so hungry.”