Into Your Arms (A Contemporary Romance Novel)

by Strom, Abigail

  Her shoulders sagged a little, and her face looked suddenly tired. “I wanted to protect them from all this,” she said. “How can that be wrong?”

  It was Nick who answered her. “It’s not wrong—if that’s what they want. But I’m betting it’s not. I’m betting that they’re itching for a chance to be as strong for you as you’ve always been for them.” He leaned forward. “Don’t do what the men at that conference in Ohio did.”

  She frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “Don’t you remember their argument? They said women didn’t need a voice in government because the men were there to protect them. The only problem was, the women didn’t want or need their protection. If your family wants you to protect them, that’s one thing. But if you’re the only one who wants that, that’s something else. And you shouldn’t speak for them if they’re willing and able to speak for themselves.”

  Keisha looked at him for a minute, and then she sighed. “You have an annoying habit of using a person’s words against them.”

  “He does, doesn’t he?” Sara agreed.

  Kevin grinned. “It’s an old boxing trick—to let your opponent’s strength defeat itself.”

  “Thanks, guys,” Nick said drily. “So what’s it going to be, Keisha?” It was the first time he’d ever called her by her first name. “Are you going to go all in, or do you want to call it quits? If you decide to keep going, it’s not going to be easy. But you’re the only one who can decide if it’s worth it.”

  She looked down at the table as she thought, and everyone in the room seemed to hold their breath.

  As soon as she looked up, Nick knew what her answer would be.

  “All in,” she said, crisply. “Nick, do you think it’s too late to ask the people at the network if my husband and son can do the show with me?”

  He smiled. “No, I don’t think it’s too late. Given this little newspaper story, I bet the show will be thrilled to have all of you on. I’ll make the call right now.”

  “I have a call to make, too. To my family.” She looked around at the room, meeting everyone’s eyes. “I want to thank you all for being here today. If any of our visitors want to come to the taping this afternoon, I’d be honored to have you there.”

  As soon as the door closed behind her, excited chatter erupted and Nick made a beeline for Sara.

  Jerry got there first. “Thank you,” he said as he shook Sara’s hand. “That was absolutely inspired. And I just remembered where I recognize you from. Or I think I do. Do you dance with NYBT?”

  Sara nodded, looking surprised.

  “My daughter is a student there,” he explained. “Teresa Brookfield? She was one of the girls cast as Clara in last year’s Nutcracker.”

  “Yes, of course,” Sara said with a smile. “I remember Teresa very well. She did a wonderful job.”

  Something in the way Jerry was looking at Sara made Nick’s muscles twitch. He felt Kevin’s eyes on him as he tried to keep his expression neutral.

  “I didn’t know you were a ballet fan,” he said to Jerry.

  The other man nodded. “My ex-wife got me into it when Teresa started classes.” He smiled at Sara. “You’re a wonderful dancer. You did the Arabian duet in the Nutcracker, didn’t you?”

  “I can’t believe you remember that. All my Nutcrackers kind of blend together, you know? And we wear so much makeup in that one. I’m surprised you could recognize me.”

  “Well, I had to go five times—for all of Teresa’s shows.”

  “You went to all your daughter’s performances? Wow. That’s more than my father ever did for me. That’s really above and beyond.”

  Jerry took a step closer to her. “Do you think you’ll come to the taping today? I’d love to see you again.”

  Nick felt his jaw muscles tightening.

  Sara looked a little surprised. “Um…” she glanced at Nick, who managed to keep his face impassive, and then at Emilio. “We have rehearsal,” she said.

  “It’ll be over by two o’clock.”

  “The taping’s at four,” Jerry said.

  She glanced at Nick again. “Would it be all right with you if I come?”

  He shrugged. “Sure, why not? Keisha invited you.”

  “Well, then…yes. I’d love to.”

  “Great. I’ll see you then,” Jerry said enthusiastically. He caught sight of a staffer waving him over, and said goodbye.

  Emilio glanced at his watch. “We should be heading out,” he said, and Sara agreed. She looked at Nick again, and he tried to remember what he’d come over to say to her in the first place.

  “You really helped us out today,” he said. “This was a really big deal.”

  She shook her head. “I didn’t do anything.”

  “Yeah, you did. You gave us some much needed inspiration. And you reminded Keisha why she got into all this in the first place.”

  “Well…if I did help, I’m glad. Especially after all the help you’ve given me.” She hesitated a moment, and when Nick didn’t say anything else, she smiled a little uncertainly and said goodbye. A moment later she was gone.

  Kevin shook his head slowly. “I don’t believe what I just saw.”

  “Shut up.”

  “I will not. You just stood there and let some guy put the moves on your girl.”

  “She’s not my girl.”

  “The hell she isn’t.”

  Nick watched Jerry talking to the staffer, his face cheerful and his movements energetic.

  “Jerry’s actually a pretty good guy,” he heard himself say.

  Kevin stared at him. “I can’t believe it. Are you really going to do this?”

  “Do what?”

  “Fall on your sword. Just stand by and watch while Sara hooks up with somebody else.”

  Nick met his brother’s eyes. “As opposed to what? Hooking up with her myself, and then leaving her behind? Sara and I are not going to happen. So why shouldn’t she be with someone else? Someone who’s got a shot at making her happy?”

  Kevin’s eyes narrowed. “Is that why you won’t go after her? Because you don’t think you can make her happy?”

  “Isn’t that enough of a reason?” He shook his head. “Listen, Kev—I’m done talking about this. Okay? I need to get back to work. Are you coming to Keisha’s taping?”

  “It was great of her to ask, but I’ve got an AA meeting this afternoon. I’ll see you later tonight.” He reached out and clapped Nick on the shoulder. “Whatever happens or doesn’t happen with Sara, the two of you make a damn good team. What you did for Keisha Watkins today was impressive.”

  “Keisha is the impressive one. She just needs to believe in herself a little more—and in her family.”

  “Words to live by,” Kevin said, and then he was gone.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Considering she’d only had her cast off for a few days, she probably shouldn’t be stomping around like this so soon. But the more Sara thought about that morning at Keisha Watkins’ office, the angrier she got.

  She was angry at Nick and angry at herself. She was angry at the universe for sending her a man she wanted so much and then putting him out of reach.

  It had been obvious that Jerry Brookfield was interested in her—and just as obvious that Nick couldn’t care less.

  A taxi horn blared at her as she stepped into the street, and she made a rude gesture in return.

  “Why, Sara Anne Minetti. I’m shocked.”

  She and Emilio were walking home from rehearsal—a rehearsal that had gone incredibly well. That’s what she should be thinking about now. She was having more fun than she’d ever had in her life, dance-wise—even though she was creating the steps now instead of performing them. So who the hell cared that Nick had stood by and watched while some other guy flirted with her?

  Emilio tucked her arm under his and escorted her with exaggerated care across the street. “Okay, let’s do a rundown of the day’s events. You helped a political candidate get back on
track. You put the finishing touches on a piece that gives me chills every time I dance it. Your cast is off, your foot is healing, and it’s a beautiful summer day. Oh, and a cute straight guy who likes ballet is interested in getting to know you better. Given all that, I can definitely see why you’re wearing your grumpy pants.”

  She sighed. “You’re right, it makes no sense. I’m sorry.” She leaned her head against her friend’s shoulder as they walked. “So…you thought Jerry was cute, huh?”

  Emilio gave her a quick squeeze. “Yes, I did.”

  “What else did you think about him?”

  “In the very short amount of time I had to make an assessment, I’d say he’s smart, decent, a good dad, and very into you.” He paused. “And I’m worried that as long as Nick Landry’s around, he won’t stand a chance.”

  Sara stopped walking. “Okay, now I’m confused. You’ve been telling me to go after Nick from the moment you met him.”

  Emilio turned to face her. “I know. But you haven’t, have you? And this morning I watched him stand there while another guy moved in on you, and it finally dawned on me that my beautiful dreams about you and Nick will never come to pass.”

  She’d never expected to hear such a logical statement from her romantic friend. A sudden wave of depression made her eyes prick and her nose sting.

  “I sort of wanted them to come to pass,” she said, and Emilio put his arm around her waist as they started walking again.

  “I know.”

  A few nights ago, she and Nick and Kevin had stayed up until midnight playing Scrabble, coming up with highly questionable words and laughing so much her stomach muscles felt it the next day. Whenever Kevin went into the kitchen for more snacks she and Nick had smiled at each other like goofy teenagers, and the current between them had felt like a live wire.

  She’d talked herself into being content with that—with the feeling that Nick wanted her even though they’d decided not to act on their attraction, and the certainty that there was a real connection between them. But after this morning?

  Nick’s indifference had been a wake-up call she badly needed. They were friends, yes—but that was all. Sure, he might be physically attracted to her, but Nick was a guy. He was probably attracted to thousands of women. And the “special” connection she felt to him? That was just in her head.

  “If Jerry asks me out, I’m going to say yes,” she said suddenly.

  “Good for you.”

  * * *

  Good for me, she thought glumly on her way into the midtown television studio where Keisha Watkins would be taping her interview. A security guard checked her off on a list and sent her up to the sixteenth floor, and when she got there the first person she recognized was Jerry.

  “Hey,” he said, detaching himself from a small knot of people to come over to her. “I was just talking about you.”

  She did her best to match his cheerful smile. “You were? With who?”

  “Nick,” he said, and Sara stopped herself from pressing a palm to her stomach to still the sudden flurry of butterflies.

  “Oh?”

  “I hope it wasn’t presumptuous of me, but I just wanted to make sure I wouldn’t be stepping on his toes if I asked you out on a date. He told me you guys are just friends.”

  Considering that they’d never been anything else, it was surprising how much it hurt to hear that phrase.

  And then she saw Nick himself coming towards them. He was in a gray suit with a red tie, his dark hair brushed back from his forehead and his blue eyes remote. He looked detached and competent and professional, and it was hard to remember the times she’d seen the electric vitality behind that cool demeanor.

  The sight of Nick did all the things to her that the sight of Jerry hadn’t. Her skin seemed to tighten. She was intensely aware of the brush of her sundress against her bare legs, the cool draft of air from the vent in the ceiling, the prickle of adrenaline along her spine.

  She looked at Jerry with sudden determination. “Would you like to have dinner with me?”

  He blinked at her. “Really? Yes! That’s what I was going to ask you. When are you free? This weekend?”

  “Yes, this weekend would be great,” she said hurriedly, wanting to commit herself before Nick could mess with her equilibrium. In the next moment he was with them, his eyes moving over her almost impersonally.

  “Sara, they’re just about to start. Keisha wanted to know if you’d like to sit near the front with some of the staff.”

  “You could sit next to me,” Jerry put in.

  She glanced at Nick. His expression hadn’t changed, but there was definitely a new coolness in his demeanor.

  “Is that where you’d like to sit?” he asked.

  “Yes.”

  * * *

  Keisha was wonderful. She was real and funny and authentic, and talked openly about how much she’d wanted to protect her family from the spotlight of a political campaign, even when they’d told her they wanted to help. Her husband spoke about his journey of recovery from alcoholism, and celebrating five years of sobriety, which made Sara think about Kevin. And her son talked about coming out to his parents, and the talks they’d had about the possibility that because of the campaign, a large portion of New York City might be privy to his sexual orientation—and what that would mean for him.

  Glancing around at the audience every so often, Sara saw that they were engaged, smiling and laughing at all the right times. Keisha was connecting with them—and they were connecting with her.

  Afterwards, the atmosphere reminded Sara of the post-performance rush at a theater. Everyone was giddy with excitement, talking and laughing and full of energy.

  “That was a game-changer,” Jerry told her jubilantly. “Are you coming with us to celebrate? We reserved a room at the Mansard. We’re going to eat, drink, and be merry, and watch the show tonight at eleven.”

  “I—” She caught sight of Nick across the room, talking with Keisha, and at the same moment he turned his head and saw her.

  She watched his eyes go from her to Jerry with no change in his expression. He looked at her for a moment, his face impassive, and then he turned back to Keisha and continued his conversation.

  She told herself there was no reason to feel like she’d been punched in the stomach.

  What had she been expecting? Jealousy? They weren’t in junior high, for God’s sakes. If there was even a part of her that had hoped seeing her with Jerry would provoke Nick into some kind of reaction, she should be ashamed of herself.

  It was time to start acting like a grownup.

  “So what do you say?”

  She refocused on Jerry. He was a nice guy—smart, a good dad, and handsome to boot. Plus he possessed what should be the most attractive quality of all: he was actually interested in going out with her.

  “Sure.”

  “Fantastic. I should warn you, though—I’m going to ask if I can see you home after the party, and there’s a very good chance I’ll try to kiss you goodnight.”

  “I’ll bear it in mind,” she said with a smile, wishing she felt pleasantly excited at the prospect of kissing Jerry, and hoping that by the end of the night, she would.

  * * *

  This was the kind of night that kept political operatives going. A small sweet victory, and the chance to celebrate it with people you liked and respected. There weren’t enough of those nights in anyone’s life and you needed to enjoy them to the hilt.

  Unfortunately for Nick, it turned out that it was hard to enjoy yourself when you were in hell.

  In the hours between that morning at the campaign office and this afternoon’s taping, he’d convinced himself that it would actually be a good thing if Sara and Jerry went out. It had been getting harder every day to keep his hands off her, and this way, he wouldn’t have a choice.

  Or at least that’s what he told himself.

  As the evening wore on at the elegant private room in the Marsden Hotel, he found himself less a
nd less able to make small talk with the people around him. Instead, he drank Scotch and watched Sara.

  She didn’t spend all her time with Jerry, but it was enough to force Nick into the realization that he hated the idea of the two of them together more than he would have believed possible.

  He’d hated the idea of her with Harry, too, but at least there’d been logical reasons for that—namely, the fact that Harry was a selfish jerk who didn’t deserve a woman like Sara.

  He couldn’t say that about Jerry. Jerry was a good guy, and Nick had no reason to think he didn’t deserve to be with Sara.

  Which meant that he just hated the idea of Sara with anyone who wasn’t him.

  He tossed back the last of his Scotch and watched Sara chatting with Keisha’s son and a few campaign staffers. She was talking with her hands, something she did when she was interested in a conversation, and Nick was struck anew by the extraordinary grace and beauty of her movements.

  As long as he lived, he’d never see anything as beautiful as Sara. Not a sunset, not a cathedral, not a hawk in flight…and no other woman in the world. And as long as he lived, he’d never want anything as much as he wanted her.

  His hand tightened on his empty glass. She was wearing a sun dress with spaghetti straps, like the straps on the dress she’d worn to dinner that night. As he watched, the left strap slid off her shoulder and she used her right hand to push it back into place.

  Right then, at that very moment, something snapped inside him. He felt it happen, and he didn’t even try to stop it. He set his glass down on the nearest table and walked towards her.

  She seemed to sense he was coming. Before he was halfway across the room, she turned her head and stared at him. One by one, the people she was with turned to see who she was looking at, but Nick only had eyes for Sara.

  He was half afraid that if he tried to speak he’d growl like a wolf, so he didn’t say a word. He just took her by the hand and led her away from the crowd, out the door into the hallway beyond. It was empty, and there was a door on the right marked Coats. He opened it and saw a small, windowless room filled with empty hangers. He pulled Sara inside and closed the door behind them.