Honeymoon Hideaway

by Mia London

  “What do you think?”

  He raised his head. “Juliette, this is great. I’m happy and surprised.” So why didn’t it feel right? This was what he’d been wanting for years. “I can’t wait to start.”

  She leaned forward to offer her hand. “You deserve it.” They shook and returned to more basic conversation about the company and future projections.

  Normally, he’d call his brother and sister—do a little celebrating. But sitting there, all Nic wanted to do was call Cat. He wanted to celebrate with her.

  The food was filling, but for some reason, Nic couldn’t remember the taste. It was like half of him was present and the other half was someplace else.

  Nic hoisted his oversized duffle bag out of the trunk of the rental car and headed up the path to his parents’ house.

  The door swung open as he reached for the knob. “You’re here,” his mother exclaimed, bubbling with happiness as she slung her arms around him.

  “Hi, Mom.” He dropped his bag to hug her and leaned down to kiss her cheek, inhaling her signature scent. Her hair was cut shorter, but otherwise she hadn’t changed a bit in the four months since he’d last seen her.

  She stepped back, grinning. “Let’s go inside. Everyone’s here.”

  They walked into the kitchen, which was a spacious, well-equipped room with an over-sized island perfect for the amount of food Mom had spread out. People sat on stools to chat with the cook.

  Lisa stood beside Dad as he mixed a pitcher of margaritas. Jared, Lisa’s husband, was conversing with Samuel and his girlfriend, Monica, also a doctor. Thinking about, Lisa might have right: their relationship seemed to be getting serious. This was Monica’s second family event to attend with Samuel.

  “Brother, you made it.” Samuel offered a hand and leaned in for an off-center hug.

  “How’s it goin’?” Nic hugged Monica, Jared, his dad, and lastly Lisa—her usual sparkly self seemed to bubble with extra enthusiasm.

  “Glad you’re here, son. Glad everyone’s here.” Dad patted him on the back twice.

  Mom pulled cheese and some veggies from the fridge while Nic sat on the vacant barstool at the island.

  “So, what’s new? You seem kinda quiet.” Samuel pointed his way with a carrot stick.

  Both his siblings were older by a few years. Nic would often be the brunt of their jokes but there were equal times that he knew his brother and sister cared. “Nah, I’m good. Lot on my mind. I was offered the regional manager position last week.”

  “Aw, sweetie, that’s great,” Mom said, pleased.

  “Good job,” Samuel chimed in with the others.

  Nic nodded. “Thanks.”

  “Perfect timing then. Let’s all grab a glass for a toast.” Dad filled the blue-rimmed margarita glasses, then waited for everyone to join in. “Congrats, Nic. Here’s to a great reunion of the Westbrooks and happy Independence Day weekend.”

  “Here, here,” they all called out before taking a sip.

  Lisa set down her glass, pushing it toward the center of the island.

  “Something wrong, sweetie?” Mom’s brow furrowed.

  Lisa glanced around a beat. “Since we’re making announcements, I have one.” She looked over at Jared, who wrapped his arm around her waist. “We have one. We’re having a baby.”

  “Aw. Congratulations. That’s great.” The family members spoke over one another, then Mom, Dad, and Monica took turns giving Lisa hugs.

  Nic smiled because she looked happy—so did Jared. Nic was happy too, but also confused. Previously, his sister hadn’t shown much interest in having babies, not while she had a successful law practice.

  Samuel asked aloud what he’d been thinking. “How will you work that with the practice? Will you hire another attorney?”

  Dipping her broccoli in the ranch dip, she replied, “I could, but I’m thinking about selling so I can focus on our family.”

  Nic’s brother and sister were just as driven toward success as he’d always been. Nic stared at Lisa, trying to process what his sister was saying. He’d never expected she’d consider having babies and now selling the business? He was dumbfounded.

  The conversation continued like Lisa hadn’t just dropped a bomb. Drinking and snacking. Was he the only one that thought this was out of character for her?

  After dinner, Nic took his duffle to the downstairs office that had a deep sofa he could sleep on. He didn’t mind not having a bed. It would only be for a few days. Besides, his siblings all had significant others with them. If he’d brought Cat, he would have gotten a hotel.

  That thought came out of left field and stopped him cold in his tracks.

  There wasn’t a day that passed since Saint Lucia that he hadn’t thought of her. It was driving him nearly insane. He missed her every minute of every day.

  “Hey.”

  He turned to see his brother walking through the doorway. “Hey. What’s up?”

  “Just checkin’ on you. You seemed a little quiet at dinner.” Samuel leaned against the desk.

  Nic threw his toiletry bag on the sofa. “Isn’t it strange that Lis wants to quit and sell her practice to start a family?”

  Samuel grimaced and shook his head “Some women know when it’s time to have kids, even if they never thought they wanted them before. She is thirty-five. Biologically speaking, she doesn’t have time to waste.”

  Nic nodded. He didn’t find satisfaction in the answer. The three of them were competitive, always pushing each other to greatness. He had the throttle at full speed while his sister was backing off.

  Just as Samuel walked out Lisa walked in, carrying his limited-edition Nike Air Jordan’s. “I think these are yours,” she announced with a smile.

  “Thanks. Hey, before you go. How are you feeling?”

  She laid a hand over her belly, her skin glowing. “I feel good. Doc said things are progressing nicely.”

  “I didn’t think you were interested in having babies.”

  She shrugged, not seeming to take offense at his personal comment. “I don’t think I ever ruled it out, but I guess it just felt right to start now.”

  He didn’t know how to respond. This simply didn’t seem like the sister he knew. The one who’d race him to finish dinner, even as Mom scolded them. The one who would go toe-to-toe with her brothers over grades. The one who graduated from college a semester early just so she’d have bragging rights.

  “Look, I’m not saying it was an easy decision, but the practice is just work. It’s just a job. This is family.” She rubbed a hand over her belly again. “And Nic, life isn’t a competition.” She grinned. “We all may be competitive, but it’s fun and games. Finding a person you want to spend your life with, building a family, growing together—that’s important. That’s what matters most.” She paused for a second, and he wondered if she would continue but then she kissed his cheek, stroked his forearm, and left without further conversation.

  Nic lay on the couch and stared up at the ceiling, replaying the night, his time in the Caribbean, his meeting with Juliette, all of it. He felt like he was on the cusp of something amazing or something incredibly horrific, and he just couldn’t put his finger on it.

  Growing up, Nic would compete with his brother and sister. Lisa was right: they were all driven and competitive. He would compete with his friends, and not just in sports. He would compete with himself. Having the best and being the best drove him, in everything. Dillon was right there along with him.

  But now, after Lisa’s announcement, he was forced to stop and reconsider. For some reason, he was internalizing her decision. And it shouldn’t affect him in the least. So why was it he was wide awake at one in the morning rehashing his entire life?

  All he wanted to do was talk to Cat. She was so flippin’ easy to talk to. And smart too. They’d traded a few texts, nothing deep. He wanted to plan a trip to see her, but now with his promotion…

  If Alan was moving to Human Resources, they’d want someone in t
he position right away. Nic was the perfect candidate, and everyone knew it.

  He pressed his fingers against his temples. Was that what he really wanted?

  He chuckled. Once Cat had said Things aren’t always as they seem, when she’d spoken of her ex-fiancé. Now, Nic was wondering about that himself. Would advancement in his job, his career, somehow prove he was just as successful as his siblings—the doctor and the lawyer? Was that how he was going to measure his success? He’d done it for so long, he never questioned it. Never stopped to think whether that was the best barometer.

  If his best friend were alive, he would share everything going on in his life. Dillon had had great insight and already knew Nic was a workaholic; no time for relationships. But knowing Dillon, he might have said Live life to the fullest, because from where I stand you wouldn’t be lying around thinking about her, you’d be with her.

  Nic rolled to his side, shutting his eyes, willing sleep to come.

  The dreaded Saturday had arrived.

  “No, the dress is definitely better than the jeans.” Celeste pointed from her perch on Cat’s bed.

  Cat had been trying to get out of this blind date all week. Last week, Bethany and Riley had come over. All four of them had watched a chick flick and ate pizza. Cat still wasn’t herself, and her girls knew it. It had only been a month since she’d last seen Nicholas.

  “You have to find a way to get over him,” Bethany had said with concern and love in her blue eyes.

  “I know. This obsession with a rebound guy is starting to affect my job. I forgot an important update on a file I was working on, and I think I missed a meeting this week. Everyone seems to be walking on eggshells around me, thinking I’m broken up about Jack.”

  They all nodded.

  “Well, you know what they say: the fastest way to get over a guy is to get under another.” Riley grinned, but damn if Riley didn’t believe her own advice.

  Cat rolled her eyes.

  “She’s kinda right, babe. You need to date.” Cel tipped her head.

  So, here she stood, trying on clothes that would meet Celeste’s approval for a date that they’d arranged with a guy named Stefano.

  What the hell was she thinking? Seriously.

  “Okay, perfect. Wear your navy heels and don’t forget the flower. You’ve got fifteen minutes before your Uber arrives,” Cel called out as she left her bedroom.

  Fifteen minutes left. Fifteen minutes to think of a good excuse to get out of this thing.

  Oh whatever. Maybe if I go on this date, they’ll leave me alone for a while.

  She walked into the kitchen with a minute to spare and received the Celeste Beckworth nod of approval. “Look, I’m probably gonna crash at Nate’s tonight. He has a gig on Sixth Street and asked me to hang with him afterward,” she said as she waggled her brows, her eyes twinkling.

  “Okay. I guess I can wait until tomorrow to give you all the gory details,” Cat replied on a sigh and headed out the front door.

  The driver pulled up to Andiamo’s Italian Bar and Grill, and the valet opened her car door. Cat had been to the restaurant a few times with Jack. The place served some excellent eggplant parm and tiramisu. At least there’s that.

  Even as she tried not to slump in her chair, Cat couldn’t stop thinking that she’d rather be somewhere else—anywhere else—besides on a date. She had only one person on her mind these days—Nicholas Westbrook.

  She’d tried telling herself it was just sex, but after a hundred times, that lie simply didn’t stick. She’d even researched paralegal jobs in Orlando—a few looked enticing, but she wasn’t about to push herself on the man. If they were meant to be together, wouldn’t he have just asked her, Hey, have you ever thought of living in Orlando?

  They’d hardly texted each other, as he was likely moving on. She clearly felt more for him than he did for her, and that was her deciding factor. She didn’t apply to any of the jobs in Orlando and scolded herself for not being over him already.

  Her eyes began to water. She quickly lifted her cloth napkin to blot her eyes. Do not cry here. Not now. Save it.

  Lowering her hand, she saw a tall, male figure out of the corner of her eye. She turned expecting her date.

  Nicholas.

  She couldn’t breathe. Was this her imagination?

  “Hi, beautiful.”

  It was him.

  She jumped from her seat, the chair nearly crashing backward to the floor. She swung her arms around his neck and held on tight. “Oh my God.”

  Then, the tears fell. Weeks of sorrow and pain, all detonated in a split-second. Weeks of trying to keep it together, when having him in her arms again was all she wanted.

  When Nic heard Cat crying, he almost released her to look at her face. Had he done something wrong?

  But she held on, so he did too. “Shh.” He missed this woman, and now she was in his arms again, like she’d never left.

  “Ohmigod,” she repeated. “I can’t believe you’re here.”

  “I’m here.” He pulled back and wiped her tears away. “I missed you.” Her lips were warm against his. It felt like homecoming. His tongue and teeth devoured her lips and explored her mouth. He couldn’t get enough.

  After he had his fill—maybe a minute, maybe an hour—he released her and offered her the chair. He sat next to her and clasped her hand above the table.

  “I… how did you find me?”

  Before he could answer, a water was placed before him and the waiter asked if he could get them a drink. Nic didn’t need any interruptions. “Do you happen to know what you’d like?” he asked Cat.

  “Um, the eggplant parmesan please.”

  He looked up at the man. “Two salads, two eggplant parms, and a bottle of Chianti Classico Riserva.”

  The man smiled and, taking his cue, left them in peace.

  Nic turned back to her. “Celeste. I found her through your social media. I had to make sure you didn’t get back together with your ex, or whatever. When she told me you missed me too, I knew it was safe to come.”

  “Ohmigosh. I’m gonna kill her.” Her smile betrayed her harsh words.

  He wanted to laugh at how precious she looked. She wore a summer dress he recognized from Saint Lucia, dangling earrings, and her bun had a live flower in it. “I like the flower.” It reminded him of their island trip.

  “It was Celeste’s idea. She said that’s how my blind date,” she made air quotes, “was going to know it was me.” Cat held his gaze a moment longer, as if on the verge of saying something big.

  He started instead to make sure she understood. “I’ll get right to the point. I’ve missed you. Terribly. And I want us to figure this out.” He motioned a finger between them. “I want us to find a way to make this work. Are you open to that?”

  “Yes. No. God, I don’t know.”

  His heart nearly stopped. “What don’t you know?” He hadn’t considered this could backfire on him.

  To hell with that, he would fight for her, if necessary.

  “You’re a Mr. Fixer. I was broken, but I’m not anymore. How will I keep your interest?” Her eyes pleaded with him to convince her that there was more between them. More that they could actually build a life on.

  “You’re broken? Aren’t we all broken?”

  She blushed. “I wasn’t adventurous—you brought that out of me.”

  He cupped her hand between his. “I didn’t do that. You did that. You did only what you wanted to. And as much as I love everything we did in Saint. Lucia, I don’t need acrobatics every time I’m with you.” He leaned closer. “I love you for you.”

  Her mouth gaped. “You love me?”

  “Yes. I’m certain of it. I couldn’t get you out of my head.”

  She lifted a hand, stroking his cheek, then she kissed his lips softly. “Well, I love you too.”

  Tears welled in her gorgeous green eyes. He had no idea if he’d ever see those beautiful eyes again.

  “What made you change yo
ur mind? I mean, I thought when I left Saint Lucia that was it.”

  He nodded. Frankly, so had he.

  “I got a promotion at work.”

  She laid a hand over his. “Oh, Nicholas. Congratulations.”

  The waiter quietly laid down their salads, and after uncorking the wine, poured them each a glass and left.

  “As much as I thought I wanted it, I knew something was missing.” He realized his push, his competitiveness with his siblings, wasn’t worth the prize if he didn’t have the woman he loved beside him. The promotion meant nothing without Cat there to share it with.

  She bit her lower lip.

  He lifted his wineglass and waited for her to do the same. “What I was missing was you.” He clinked her glass and took a sip.

  “So I asked myself: if you let this girl go, what do you have to show for yourself in ten or twenty years? Maybe a thriving career, but not much else.”

  She shook her head. “No one to share all the highs and lows.”

  “That’s right. No one to travel to the islands with. No babies.”

  Her brows lifted. “Babies?”

  “Yup. If you want. Otherwise, fur babies.” He grinned, and she laughed. God, he missed hearing her laugh.

  Through glassy eyes, she said, “Babies are good—both kinds.” As if she were suddenly hungry, she looked down at her salad and speared a cube of cheese.

  He did the same. His shoulders relaxed, and his mouth watered with the first bite.

  He could have her in his life, they would find a way to work things out—suddenly Nic could breathe again. Everything felt right in the world.

  They chatted over their dinner, but they didn’t linger.

  “Come back to my place,” was all he needed to hear from Cat. He flipped a few large bills off his clip and laid them on the table. He didn’t want to wait for the check, and he knew he’d left more than enough to include a well-deserved tip for their waiter.

  He held open the passenger car door of his rental and pulled her close. He crashed his lips to hers in a desperate, passionate kiss. He craved her lips, all of her.