“This is Nadia,” Brian says.
“Oh?” I say, intrigued.
“We worked together in the Baltic Sea.”
I give her a hug, and she shakes Nolan’s hand.
Soon after we finish introductions, Mom, Nadia, and I set the table for dinner. Once we’re ready to eat, we all sit in front of plates of rib roast, glazed carrots, rice pilaf, and fresh-baked rolls. Mom and Dad are at each end of the table with Brian and Nadia on one side and Nolan and me on the other.
“This looks fantastic, Judy,” Nolan says.
“Why thank you, Nolan. Everyone, please dig in,” my mom says.
And that’s exactly what we do. The food is delicious. Brian and Nolan talk about their jobs for a bit, and after that I ask Brian how he and Nadia started dating.
“We met on a tanker in the Baltic Sea,” he says.
“We were working with the human genome project,” Nadia says in a clinical tone.
“Now that sounds interesting,” my dad says.
Nadia looks at him with a puzzled smile. I’m pretty sure she’s going to need some time to get used to my parents’ carefree nature.
“At first we would spend hours in the lab together and hardly even speak,” Brian says, gesturing emphatically.
Nadia smiles a little. “His first words to me were, ‘You know what? I’m tired of pretending as if you’re not distractingly beautiful,’” she says, doing her best impersonation of Brian’s voice.
We all laugh.
“That sounds just like something he’d say, right, Mom?” I say.
“Indeed it does,” my mom says.
“And that’s my boy,” my dad adds. “Go for what you want. I taught him that.”
Suddenly, Nolan clears his throat loudly and wipes his mouth. “Speaking of going for what you want…”
I watch him curiously as he stands then gets down on one knee in front of me.
“What are you doing?” I ask.
“I already gave my blessing,” my dad says.
I quickly turn to look at him. My dad’s smiling like he’s just won the lottery or something. My mom and Brian look just as happy.
“You spoke to my parents before tonight?” I ask.
“I did, babe,” Nolan says. “Abby?”
“Huh?” My skin is running hot, and I put my hand over my mouth.
“I knew I would be with you forever from the first moment you spilled coffee on me.”
Everyone laughs. I blink rapidly as I try to remember what he’s talking about, but when I calm down long enough to gaze into his eyes, the memory of hot coffee slamming into his chest one cold winter morning is as clear as day.
Instead of talking, I nod.
“So, Abby Banks, would you marry me?” Nolan asks.
I grab my chest and nearly hyperventilate. Can this be happening? I look at my mom, who’s nearly screaming in celebration. My dad is tickled pink. Brian and Nadia are holding hands.
“Answer already,” my mom says.
My eyes have filled with tears. Little did I know when I met Nolan a year and a half ago that I’d be sitting here with him and my family now in this moment. “Yes!” I sing, overjoyed. “A thousand times yes!”
Nolan sweeps me out of my seat and into his arms. He hugs me so tightly that I think I lose my breath. This is the happiest moment of my life.
He whispers in my ear, “Thank you, baby. I’m going to make you so happy.”
Mom dances over to the stereo. “This is a moment to celebrate!” She turns on the Calypso music.
For the rest of the night, we dance, and dance, and dance some more. When it’s over, Nolan and I go home and make love as we’ve never made love before.
33
Eight months later…
Our wedding was beautiful. Of course, to make my parents happy, we did a whole lot of dancing.
I transferred to a university here in Minneapolis to be closer to home, and Nolan. I’ve just gotten out of my seminar, and Nolan has picked me up from school. Nolan said he has a surprise for me, so I’m sitting in the front seat of his car with a yellow ribbon tied around my eyes.
“How are you and junior doing this afternoon?” he asks.
I rub my inflated belly. I’m eight months pregnant, and it shows. “Just like Mommy, he’s hungry. So where are you taking me?” I’m a little snappy.
“I knew your blood sugar would be low, so I’ve got food covered too. So just sit back, Abs, and enjoy the ride, my love,” he says.
I blow out a hard breath. “Nolan, baby, I’ve got to say that this little game you’re playing would be a lot more fun if I had a sandwich and if I didn’t have to pee.”
He laughs. “Just hold on a little longer. I’m turning the corner right now. Do you feel the car turning the corner?”
“Barely,” I’m still not a happy camper.
“Well it did, and now we’re here.” The car stops. “Stay put.”
Nolan opens his door and gets out. A few seconds later, my door opens. He helps me out then takes the ribbon off my eyes.
“Ta-da,” he says.
I frown at what’s before me. “It’s Bill’s house.”
Nolan’s beaming. “It’s our house.”
I frown, puzzled. “But I thought you sold it.”
“The sale fell through,” he says ecstatically.
I give the house another once-over. It’s so big, so lovely. “Oh my God.”
Nolan sounds dejected as he says, “Of course, if you don’t want to live here…”
I squeeze his arm to stop him from saying more. “Of course I want it.”
He takes my hand. “Listen, Abs, I want to make new memories in this house with you and our family. I feel my dad in this house, and I know he would want us to live here.”
I study the house’s façade again. I remember our last conversation about how he regretted selling it after learning how Bill had died. Finally I turn away from the house and look at my husband. “I would love to make new family memories here with you.”
His eyes widen with excitement. “You would?”
“Most definitely.”
On the front lawn, we kiss deeply. The only thing that interrupts us is my rumbling stomach.
Our lips part. “Okay, now where’s the food?” I demand.
Nolan leads me into the house, and in the middle of the living room is a spread of Chinese food on a table. I glance around, but I can’t see any other furniture except for two kitchen chairs.
“I thought I’d leave the furnishing to you,” he says.
I wink at him. “Smart husband.”
He chuckles as I run off to the bathroom and pee before we sit down to eat.
I rub my belly as I settle into my seat. “Junior loves to kick right after I pee and when he knows it’s time to eat.”
“That’s my boy!” Nolan sings.
We laugh.
“So is this our happily ever after?” I ask after we simmer down.
His smile is bright enough to light the city. “This is it, baby.”
I smile. It sure is.
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Find Liza’s love in - “The Artist’s Love.”
Excerpt - The Artist’s Love
I sit on the chair, stooped over with my face buried in one hand. What my older brother, Nolan, just told me hits me so hard that it somehow knocks my soul out of my body.
“Liza?” he says.
Tears fall in a steady stream as I smash my lips together more tightly and whimper like a hurt puppy.
“I’ll give you a moment, Mouse,” he says, realizing that it’s impossible for me to speak when I feel this way.
My brother just said that my ex-husband, John, has been arrested for murdering our father. Nolan claims that the evidence against John is mostly circumstantial but strong.
The most hurtful thought going through my mind right now is the fact that I�
��m not shocked. Everyone accepted that John was bad news even before we said, “I do.” After my father died, I conceded to the fact that John was a selfish prick. While my father was still alive John stole and falsified documents in order to get his grubby hands on my inheritance and more.
Nolan had uncovered John’s dirty dealings and threatened to go to the police with the evidence if he didn’t offer me an uncontested divorce in which he got nothing, not even unsupervised visits with our son, Aiden. But after the lawyers left John and I in the room to have a final conversation, I learned who he really was.
“So why did you do it? Why did you lie and steal?” I asked.
He gave me an evil scowl as if he was mocking my existence. “I never loved you, do you know that?”
My face dropped. I remember wondering how I was supposed to answer that question. Do I answer truthfully, or do I continue deluding myself?
“You never loved me?” I said.
John continued to glare at me as if he wanted to rip off my head. No, he couldn’t love me because all I saw in his eyes was hate.
“I did it because it was what I was owed for being married to you.”
After a long moment, I cleared my throat and said, “What about our baby?”
John sniffed bitterly and stood. “The kid was your idea, not mine.”
His words made me feel as if I'd shattered into a million pieces. My lips parted. I watched him turn and leave, not even closing the door behind him. I wanted to bawl like baby or scream while pounding the table until my knuckles bled. Not because this cruel individual had broken my heart or hurt my feelings. No… it was because the truth had gushed to the surface like a soda pop shaken in a bottle. And when that illumination struck me, I shut my eyes tightly and shoved it back into its hiding place.
But now, with this new information that I’ve received from brother, the walls around the deep, dark space where I’ve hidden my true feelings have been demolished.
“I don’t know what to do now.” I sigh briskly. “What do you think I should do?”
“Liza, what do you want to do?” Nolan asks.
For a moment, I consider leaving Italy and returning to Minneapolis. I have a job here, and I’m in the midst of preparing for a big interview with Michael Donatello in three days. He’s the executor of Castello di Donatello, one of the most exquisite and famous castles in the region. This is a make-or-break interview for me.
Also By Z.L. Arkadie & T.R. Bertrand
Her Perfect Man Contemporary Romance Series
The Chef’s Passion
(With Gina Gilbert from The Professor’s Heart.)
The Boss’ Desire
The Artist’s Love
(With Liza “Sharp” Patrick from The Boss’ Desire.)
Contemporary Romance By Z.L. Arkadie
LOVE in the USA (The Lords)
Find Her, Keep Her - A Martha’s Vineyard Love Story, Book 1
There’s Something About Her, A Manhattan Love Story, Book 2
Say You Love Her, An LA Love Story, Book 3
Know Her, Love Her (Daisy & Belmont, #1), Book 4
Still In Love With Her (Maggie & Vince, #1), Book 5
Explore Her, More of Her (Daisy & Belmont, #2), Book 6
Made To Like Her (Maggie & Vince, #2), Book 7
He’s So Bad: A San Francisco Love Story, Book 8
Made To Love Her (Maggie & Vince, #3) Book 9
He’s So Good (Robert & Carter) Book 10
Say You Love Me (Charlie & Angel) Book 11
Adore Her, More of Her (Daisy & Belmont, #3) Book 12
LOVE in the USA (The Hesters)
Once Friends (Jay & Sonja, Book 1)
Now Lovers (Jay & Sonja, Book 2)
ROMANTIC SUSPENSE BY Z.L. ARKADIE
The Sterlings
Secrets & Chance, Book 1
Revelations, Book 2
Forever and Ever, Book 3
The Secret Keeper, Book 4
PARANORMAL ROMANCE BY Z.L. ARKADIE
Paranormal Romance written in Z.L. Arkadie’s emotional and raw style. This is far from your average vampire series.
The Parched Series
Parched Book 1
The Seventh Sister
Quenched Book 2
The Fifth Sister
Ignite (Includes “Light Speed”) Book 3
Vanquish, Book 4
Steal With A Kiss, Book 5
Forget Me Never (Pt. I) Book 6
Forget Me Never (Pt. 2) Book 7
About the Authors
Z.L. Arkadie & T.R. Bertrand are the authors of the Her Perfect Man Contemporary Romance Series.
Z.L. Arkadie is from Southern California and T.R. Bertrand is from Minnesota. You’ll find elements of each authors backgrounds in the stories. For other works by the authors please see the table of contents: “Also By Z.L. Arkadie & T.R. Bertrand.”
The Boss' Desire (Her Perfect Man Contemporary Romance) Page 21