by Calista Fox
“You told Charlotte before you told me? You traitor!”
“I only did it to placate her. Or more accurately, to let her know we’d still be close despite the bride-bridesmaid relationship being over.”
“Why is this even a secret?” Nikki asked.
“I didn’t want to spoil hers and Denny’s day. The desire to marry Jude just struck me so strongly, I went with it. He pulled strings, we said I do and bam! All legal and official and lovely.”
She actually fought a bout of giddiness. So unlike Kate.
But she was ecstatic over being Jude’s wife—and not having to hide it from Nikki.
“Wow. This is just…so unexpected,” Nikki mused. “You, married. Without any of your teeth having been pulled.”
“Ha. Ha. Yes, the timing is a bit crazy. But I knew all along I’d marry him. And maybe we’ll do the fancy shindig thing. For the moment, this feels significant enough.”
“It is significant. And so fantastic.” Nikki hugged her. “I’m so happy—for both of you.”
“Thanks. I really couldn’t help myself. Everything about that man is just so…hot and sexy and delicious.”
The low chuckle coming from behind Kate made her jump out of Nikki’s loose embrace.
She glared at her friend. “You knew he’d just entered the room!”
Nikki winked. “I couldn’t resist. It’s a nice change of pace to see you lose your shit over a guy, Kate.”
“Will everyone please keep in mind there’s a child present?”
Though, Sophie was off in the corner, bouncing a little ball against the wall. And she didn’t speak or comprehend that much English, anyway.
Still, Kate was prepared to shift her mentality and think more parental-like.
“So what’d you find out, hot stuff?” Nikki asked Jude.
He smirked at her quip. Then more seriously said, “Nothing new. Let’s talk over dinner.”
Kate was reluctant to leave Sophie, but visiting hours were about to end, so she gave her a hug, kissed her on the forehead and promised she’d be back in the morning.
Dining out was a rather somber affair.
Kate said, “We can’t deny something sketchy is going on with Nico. The problem is…is Nico in danger—or does Nico pose the danger?”
“I have some calls into associates,” Jude told them before poring over the menu.
Kate’s brow crooked. “Associates? What kind of associates might help us in Mexico City related to something of this nature?”
“I have my own network, Kate. Investigators, judges, experts in various fields, FBI agents, con-artists, CIA operatives…” He shrugged a broad shoulder. “I’ve dealt with all manner of industrial catastrophes and sometimes it calls for undercover work to answer some of the tougher questions—occasionally with international alliances.”
Kate nodded and sipped her wine. She did know this about his particular legal specialty.
Jude more tensely said, “If Nico has people who tracked him down to the hospital and then got him the hell out of there, chances are, we’ll never hear mention of it. Unless he’s with a cell that wants to take responsibility for the explosions. If that were the case, however…they would have made their claim already.”
“You’re going to share what you’ve gleaned with whomever you think might also be interested in knowing or who might be able to help,” Nikki ventured as she reached for her own glass of merlot. “And then you’ll be done with it.”
He glanced up from his menu. Nikki pinned him with an intent look. His gaze locked with hers and it didn’t waver.
Kate shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
Jude said, “This isn’t our mystery to solve, Nik. I’m sorry. Kate and I have other obligations to consider.”
“Sophie,” Kate murmured.
Nikki sat back in her chair and let out a long breath. “Of course. I wasn’t thinking…”
“It’s a different paradigm for us all,” Kate reasonably said. “But Jude’s right. And I’m sorry, too, Nik. I can’t fathom pursuing something that might put her in jeopardy.”
“Even if it’s not mortal jeopardy,” Jude said, “we have to be cognizant of getting involved with anything that might hinder our chances of gaining custody of her.”
“Absolutely,” Nikki said, contrite.
Jude quietly told her, “When someone vanishes the way Nico did and then people who surrounded him vanish, too…” He set aside his menu and added, “It can get very dangerous for anyone asking too many questions. Do you understand?”
“I do,” Nikki avowed. “And I appreciate that you’re going to elevate this issue. I also greatly respect your stance, Jude. Your family comes first.”
“You’re also a part of this family, Nik,” he asserted. “I feel compelled to protect you as much as I do Kate and Sophie.”
Kate’s heart swelled.
Nikki smiled and tipped her glass toward Jude. “You’re a hell of a man, Jude McMillan. And I fully support your approach. Let the people who truly know how to deal with this type of situation search for Nico…or not. This sort of missing-persons scenario isn’t in our wheelhouse.”
“Not when an entire hospital seems to be in on the conspiracy,” Jude reasonably commented. “Which is why I’m going to request Sophie be placed with an adoption service immediately, and removed from the facility she currently resides in.”
Kate gasped. “She’ll be moved to a group home, Jude.”
“Yes. We were fortunate the hospital took in the children to begin with. But now it’s time to get her the hell out of there. I’d prefer neither of you return, either.”
33
Kate and Jude had dinner the next evening with the attorney they’d hired to facilitate the adoption process.
“Mexico is under the Hague Adoption Convention, as you know,” Daniel Marín said over wine at the fine-dining restaurant at the hotel where Kate and Jude were now staying in Mexico City. “I have all the necessary forms, starting with citizenship and immigration eligibility. You’ll both be on the forms, now that you’re married. Congratulations, by the way. It wasn’t necessary, but—”
“It was for us,” Kate softly said with a smile. “And thank you.”
Daniel proceeded. “I’ve discussed preliminary details of the case with a judge I work with routinely. I’ve explained that Sophie’s father willingly surrendered all rights to the child on Friday, under counsel from his attorney. He wants no financial, legal or other obligation in this matter. He’s never even met Sophie.”
“That’s all a huge relief,” Kate said.
“Yes, it certainly helps to expedite matters,” Daniel concurred. “However, while you two are certainly eligible and will no doubt meet all the requirements for adopting Sophie, there is a lot of paperwork to process, residency to establish and a trial pre-adoption period that takes place here in Mexico.”
“We’re prepared to do what we have to,” Jude assured him.
“Sophie will be assigned to an adoption agency, as we discussed last night on the phone, Jude. All the documents will be executed accordingly and a U.S. consular officer will issue an Article 5 Letter—you cannot adopt without this,” Daniel stressed. “And you must be prepared to spend at least three months in Mexico City during this time.”
Kate sucked in a breath. That was not something she’d anticipated. She didn’t view it as a personal roadblock, but she had no idea how Jude would feel.
He neither balked nor hesitated. “We won’t require visas since that’s less than one-hundred-and-eighty days in the country.”
“Correct. Your passports are sufficient documentation for your stay,” Daniel confirmed.
There were other details to discuss, and he succinctly laid them out. When Kate and Jude finally made it back to their room, Kate thought she ought to be overwhelmed and stressed out. Instead, she was wildly optimistic the adoption would go through.
Daniel assured them they’d be allowed visitation with Sophie dur
ing each stage. Though the timeframe was daunting and she knew she’d be anxious throughout the term, Kate accepted the legalities for what they were.
However, both Daniel and Jude had noted the adoption could potentially proceed much faster, given the circumstances—and that placing Sophie with the McMillans would clearly be in her best interests. The judge, Daniel had said, would not want to draw out a case as neatly packaged as this one, and that gave Kate even more hope.
She slipped out of her dress and into a silk nightie before joining Jude in front of the fireplace.
She eased onto his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.
“I can’t wait for the three of us to be a family,” she whispered against his lips.
He kissed her, then said, “I suppose we’re going to have to tell your parents about our extended stay.”
“I suppose so.” Kate sighed. “Won’t that go over oh-so-well?”
Jude’s sexy, rumbling chuckle made Kate’s stomach flutter.
“We’ll have to formulate a plan to spring all of this on them. Sooner rather than later, Kate.”
She groaned. “Must we be so responsible?”
Another low laugh from him resonated in the quiet living room.
“Sorry to burst your bubble, baby.”
“I’ll consider some options,” she said with a hint of resignation. “In the meantime, do we rent an apartment here or see if this penthouse is available for the next few months?”
“I vote for the penthouse. I like the restaurant downstairs.”
“Convenient, opened late in the evenings and we get twenty-four-hour room service.” Kate couldn’t argue those merits. “Plus, Daniel indicated the group home Sophie will likely be moved to is within this district.”
Kate sighed and Jude caught onto her sudden melancholy.
“She’ll only be there a short while, Kate. I truly believe this won’t be a drawn-out issue. Keeping Sophie in the system is more expensive than allowing an adoption between parties mutually wanting the permanent placement. We have a relationship with her and that should work to our advantage.”
“I just don’t want her to ever feel like she won’t be with us. That she’ll forever be stuck in a group home.” Kate’s lids drifted closed to combat a few tears.
“Kate,” Jude murmured. “Sweetheart, don’t worry so much.”
“She’s only five, Jude.”
“And we’re quite fortunate for that. If she were any younger, she wouldn’t meet eligibility.”
Kate’s eyes opened and she smiled. “I do like that our stars seem to be aligning.”
“Well…with the exception of you having to tell your family you’re married and are about to have a daughter.”
“You had to remind me,” she dryly teased. Though, of course, it was newsworthy of relaying, regardless of the reaction it incited.
Snuggling a little closer to her husband, Kate said, “Perhaps you should take me to bed now. I want to get up early in the morning to shop. It’s almost Christmas and I’d like to decorate the suite for when the adoption service provider comes to meet with us and brings Sophie.”
“Our first Christmas together. Nice,” he mused as he stood and scooped Kate into his arms.
“Sorry it won’t be at your apartment in New York.”
“I don’t care where it is, Kate. As long as we’re all together.”
She kissed him, then whispered, “That earns you a bonus round in bed this evening.”
He laughed again. “I’m definitely going to enjoy being married to you, Mrs. McMillan.”
“Thank God for that,” she joked. “Little late in the game to have doubts now.”
“Trust me… I don’t have a single one.”
“Neither do I.”
Two days later, Kate and Jude stood alongside the hotel’s curtesy black Escalade that would take Nikki to the airport.
“I’m so sorry we can’t go with you,” Kate told her.
“Stop apologizing,” Nikki said. “I know you have a shit-ton of paperwork to sign this week. And I’m not on assignment with our SAR team. I have a colleague working that horrific Swiss train wreck. Only two of the one-hundred-and-sixty-six passengers from both trains that collided survived. One of them was an American.”
“If you need any help, let me know,” Jude was quick to say. “I can make calls and email appropriate agencies.”
With a smile, Nikki said, “Of course, I’ll take you up on that.”
“Be safe, okay?” Kate told her as they hugged.
“I’m in dire need of something to occupy my mind, Kate.”
“I understand completely.” Since Nikki wasn’t going to be solving the disappearance of the mysterious Nico Valdiviesio and they’d agreed to Jude’s terms of handing off the limited number of patients they’d had left at the hospital following the explosions, Kate’s best friend had too much idle time.
Additionally… A little distance was probably good in order for Nikki to process the fact she’d actually developed feelings for a man for the first time since Conner’s death.
“Call me whenever you need to talk,” Kate added.
“I’m cool,” Nikki promised.
She unraveled from Kate, gave Jude a brief, though fierce, squeeze, then climbed into the back of the vehicle.
Kate was sad to see her friend go, but fully comprehended Nikki needed to put her universe back into perspective.
And Kate had her own universe to focus on.
She turned to Jude and said, “I’m ready to face my parents and my brothers. Let’s do an overnighter in Manhattan before Christmas. I want our slate to be totally clean before the New Year, totally clean before we bring Sophie home, totally—”
“Kate.” He whisked her into his arms and kissed her soundly.
Until they were both breathless—to hell with the audience they had. If anyone paid attention at all on the busy sidewalk...
When he finally dragged his mouth from hers, Jude said, “You never fail to astound me.”
“You never fail to sweep me off my feet.”
He grinned. “Hot, sexy and delicious. Isn’t that what you told Nik?”
Kate swatted playfully at him. “Get over yourself.”
“Hmph.” He kissed her again. Then said, “Just as long you never get over me.”
“Not a chance,” she swore. “We’ve pretty much gone through hell to get here. And while I will contend we do have a landmine to navigate with my family, we’ll slay that demon just as we have all the rest. And, Jude… Our life together is going to be epic.”
“I like the sound of that.”
She twined her fingers in his hair, brushed her lips over his and murmured, “Call me Mrs. McMillan again. Or your wife. Whichever,” she said dreamily. “I like it all.”
“Repeatedly, babe. Whatever you want. Forever and ever.”
“Perfect.”
34
Nikki sucked down two glasses of Sangiovese in the first-class lounge before her flight. Snacked on some cheese and crackers. Checked her emails and had her virtual assistant rearrange a few things on her schedule to accommodate this impromptu trip she was making.
She was desperate to immerse herself in work. To feel the sense of accomplishment when she helped a survivor through their trauma. To assist family members cope with their loss. It was what blocked out her own pain and righted her axis.
Tucking her laptop in her tote and snagging a few mini bags of pretzels, she left the lounge five minutes before her flight was about to pre-board.
Nikki considered that it would have been ideal to spend Christmas in Mexico City with Kate and Jude. A healthy and sane alternative to accepting the invitation her father and his new-ish and much-younger wife (even younger than Nikki) had extended. Though, she’d instantly taken a pass on that disaster-in-the-making.
It was infinitely more gratifying to know she was providing assistance to people in need vs. fighting the compulsion to heave at the sight of Babs and
her dad fawning all over each other.
A shudder ran through Nikki at that thought.
The holidays didn’t use to be this tedious. Her mother always did them up right, going completely overboard on decorations that were just so breathtaking and glittery that it always took a couple of weeks to assimilate to not seeing wall-to-wall bling after they came down and were boxed away following New Year’s Eve. In addition, there was always the perfect excess of food and decadent treats and ever-flowing liquid cheer.
But following the divorce, her mother had abandoned traditional holiday celebrations and now vacay’d in Maui or the Maldives when one rolled around. Nikki had considered meeting up with her for an island adventure this year. But then two trains had tragically collided, half of the cars had jumped the tracks and plummeted a thousand feet and…duty had called.
She reached her gate just as an airline agent was opening the door for passengers with special needs to board, followed by first class.
She settled into her window seat and continued to scroll through emails and texts on her phone, while also accepting a glass of wine from the flight attendant. Nikki planned to spend the night in New York—in the city, rather than traveling out to her Long Island estate, since she’d be on another plane in the morning, to Switzerland.
The overnighter would allow her the chance to simply drop off gifts with her father and Babs without having to make formal arrangements to meet with them, get trapped at a party they were hosting or engage in lengthy conversations, most of which involved her stepmother’s valiant effort to single-handedly keep Barney’s, Bloomingdale’s and Bergdorf’s in business with her marathon shopping sprees.
And, admittedly, Nikki was hoping to avoid the day her father sprang “good news” on her and told her she was about to be an older sister.
Oh, my fucking God.
She’d be the one needing therapy.
With a shake of her head to dislodge the harrowing thought of her father passing out cigars and sipping brandy over his masculine feat, Nikki instead concentrated on finding a little Zen.