by Mary Campisi
Nicki thought of Jameson: a man of love, honor, integrity, and loyalty. She didn’t need an investigator’s report or Giselle Robard’s commentary… She knew the truth deep in her heart. Her husband loved her and he would never betray her, no matter the situation or the circumstance that made it look otherwise. It was this knowing that pushed Nicki to say, “Why are you so unhappy, Giselle? What lives inside your soul that makes you want to hurt others? Makes you believe you have a right to discard those whose bank account and family name aren’t as large or well known as yours? Can’t you try to be happy, find a life worthy of living? My husband loves me and I know that. Why don’t you try to love yourself and maybe one day, you’ll find someone who can love you, too?” Her heart soared with a newfound freedom that made her light-headed. “Goodbye, Giselle. I wish you well. Don’t call me again.” Click.
She was gone.
Vanished.
And she wasn’t coming back.
Jameson paced the living room, pushed back the curtains every five minutes and stared at the driveway. For what? Snow covered the tracks his SUV made when he returned home an hour ago. The forecast called for another eight inches by morning and more after that.
His wife was gone.
He poured a scotch, continued pacing, his brain full of all sorts of possibilities, none of them good. His mother had called him earlier, worry in her voice, and told him Nicki asked her to keep the children so she could run an errand. Nobody runs an errand in this weather, Jameson. Something’s not right. You have to find her and bring her home. It’s too treacherous out. Of course, his mother had no idea where Nicki had gone, but in a town like Reunion Gap, there were only so many places to go, in and out of town.
Jameson had called Nicki dozens of times with no answer, scouted the back roads, checked the ditches, called everyone he could think of including Meredith and Camille, but no one knew where Nicki had gone.
She’d simply vanished.
Okay, technically she had asked his mother to keep the girls longer, so maybe she wasn’t that late, but given the fact that Jameson had been looking for two hours with no success? In a snowstorm? And knowing she was a horrible driver? None of that was good.
Unless...
She didn’t want to be found.
Could that be true? Was she escaping a life that had become intolerable? Had he made it intolerable for her? Had he taken too long to get his act together? Him and his damnable pride and refusal to give anyone a second chance. Right. And why was that? Because he was so perfect? Because he never screwed up? Because he—
The front door opened and closed, followed by boots stomping and was that humming? Jameson raced to the foyer and there she was, the woman who’d stolen his breath these past few hours and not in a good way. “Nicki, where the hell have you been?”
Jameson stood in the foyer, hands fisted on his hips, a not-happy-to-see-you scowl on his face. “What do you mean? I told Thomasina I’d be a little late and she offered to keep the girls, so... Why are you here? Shouldn’t you be at work?”
The scowl deepened. “Yes, I should be at work, but apparently my wife doesn’t understand that when there’s a winter storm watch in effect, she shouldn’t be driving around in it. Do you have any idea how many ditches I checked?”
The man had no confidence in her driving abilities. “Why were you checking ditches? I was fine and I only slid twice but I remembered not to overcorrect.” She tossed him a thin smile. “Like you taught me.”
The jaw twitching said he did not appreciate or agree with her comments. “Only twice? Once will land you in a ditch or across the center line.” He sucked in a breath, blew it out. “Where were you and why didn’t you answer your damn cell phone?”
Beneath the anger, she didn’t miss the worry. “I never heard the phone ring. I’ll bet Olivia was playing with it again and put it on silent.”
More jaw twitching. “Okay...and why were you out in the storm?”
“I had to pick up something in Granite.” Nicki grabbed the bag and motioned for him to follow her into the living room. They’d been getting along so well these last few days: talking again, spending time together with and without the children. Soon, she’d hoped they’d share a bed again... “Here.” She held out the bag. “An early Christmas present.”
He ignored the bag, said in a firm voice, “I want you to promise me you’ll never do anything like this again.”
“Like what? Drive in the snow?”
“No, like act reckless.” His voice turned rough, spilled emotion. “Put yourself in danger.”
“I would never knowingly do that, but I had to get to Granite today and I would have driven through a blizzard to get there.”
He darted a glance at the bag, then back to her. “But why?”
“Open the bag and you’ll see why.”
Again, he ignored mention of the gift. “From the minute my mother called to tell me she was worried about you being on the road for some ‘errand’ you refused to tell her about, my brain shut down. Fear took over and I couldn’t think straight. Every possible image shot through my brain about what might have happened to you, none of them good. Were you in a ditch? Did you have an accident? Had you taken off somewhere…”
“Taken off somewhere? Why would I do that and where would I go? This is my home.”
His jaw twitched, twitched again. “I know that, but it hasn’t felt like much of a home lately, now has it? I thought maybe you needed a break, or you’d had enough… Or maybe you’d decided it was too much...”
“Too much? Too much what?” The man made no sense. They were talking again and it felt like they were working their way back to each other... And she hadn’t missed the way he’d watched her these past few nights, like he wanted to touch her...like he was going to...soon...
He shoved his hands in his back pockets, stared hard at her. “Are you really going to make me say it?”
“Yes, because I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I know you love the kids; there’s no question about that. And I know you’d never do anything to hurt them. But… what if I’d pushed you too far? What if you thought about everything that’s happened and how I’ve been so difficult and damn uncompromising...and maybe you figured I just wasn’t worth the risk.”
Had he really just said that? “You thought maybe you weren’t worth the risk?” It was her turn to stare him down. “We’re finally trying to work this out and you go all soft on me? I’m not giving up on us, Jameson, and that’s the reason I drove to Granite despite the winter storm watch, despite the fact that I’m a less-than-excellent driver and knew you’d be furious if you found out. I did it because I had to… How else was I going to prove how much I want us to work? How much we belong together—all of us. How there’s never been nor ever will be anyone like you?” She took a step toward him, fisted her hands on her hips. “Don’t you dare get some crazy idea that I’ll give up on you. Or worse, just walk away. That is not who I am and you know that.” She narrowed her gaze, said in a soft voice, “Don’t you?”
Red splashed his cheeks. “Fear makes a person do things he doesn’t like to admit and will live to regret. I had a lot of time to think while I was driving those damn back roads and looking in ditches and checking my cell phone ten million times. I understand why fear drove you to hire an investigator. I don’t like it, but I get it, and I can’t say I wouldn’t have done the same thing, though I really hate to admit that one.”
She relaxed her hands, nodded. “Good, I’m glad we understand each other. The next time there’s an issue between us—” she raised a brow, paused long enough for him to fidget “—this will not be the way we handle our problems. No secrets, no investigators, no accusations. We talk about it. We get it out in the open, and we deal with it. Agreed?”
The dip of his head said he did, and the words that followed told her just how much. “I love you and I never want to go through this again.” His voice cracked. “I’ve missed us s
o damn much.”
“I know,” she whispered, handing him the bag. “That’s why I braved a storm to get this. Open it now. I want you to see it.”
He cupped her chin, leaned forward and brushed his lips over hers. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me until you’ve seen it.”
He kissed her again. “I’m thanking you for being the reasonable one.” Pause, another kiss. “And for not giving up on me.”
“You’re welcome.” She slung an arm around his waist, led him to the couch. When he sat, she snuggled next to him, spoke in a gentle voice. “I ordered this before you left, but considering what we’ve been through, it’s taken on a whole new significance.”
Jameson started to speak, hesitated. “I...” His expression turned fierce, his whiskey-colored eyes burning into her. “I never want to go through this again. I need you, Nicki. I need us.”
She placed a finger on his lips. “Shhh... It’s almost Christmas, a time for hope and new beginnings. Open your gift.”
He eased the tissue-wrapped gift from the bag, laid it in his lap and began to open it. “There’s a lot of tissue paper, isn’t there?”
She laughed as he worked his way through layers of paper. “I just wanted to make sure it didn’t get damaged.”
He smiled and shook his head. “I think we’re safe. It must be awfully special if...” His voice trailed off as he removed the last layer of tissue paper and stared at the handcrafted walnut plaque.
Nicki had read about a woodworker in Granite who created specialty plaques. She’d seen his work and fallen in love with the idea of having one made for their home. How special would it be to include their family name, address along with latitude and longitude coordinates, and the names of their children? “Well? What do you think?”
“It’s beautiful.” He traced the large P, his fingers moving over each letter with a gentle reverence that made Nicki tear up. “Olivia and Rebecca.” Jameson pointed to the two-inch opening below Rebecca’s name. “Can your woodworker add a name or two if the occasion arises?” His gaze slid to hers, held it.
She laid a hand on his, leaned forward and kissed his temple. “If the occasion arises, he absolutely can...” Pause and another kiss, followed by a whispered “I already asked.”
He cleared his throat, twice. “We talked about an expansion and I know we meant buildings, but… Do you think maybe sometime, we might consider the expansion could take a personal turn?”
Her heart swelled. He meant another baby. “Absolutely. Anything can happen.”
He pulled her closer. “I remember the first time you told me I was going to be a father.”
Nicki thought of the Christmas Eve she gave her husband a stuffed teddy bear wearing a shirt that read Merry Christmas! Guess who’s having a baby? “It was a pretty special Christmas, wasn’t it?”
“One of the best.” He set the plaque on the coffee table, pulled her into his lap, and framed her face with his hands. “But I have a feeling this one’s going to equal it.” He kissed her long and slow, a kiss filled with raw need and enough promises for a lifetime. “I love you, Nicki Price,” he murmured against her lips. “Welcome home.”
Epilogue
Christmas at the Prices’ was a time of joy, happiness, and hope, and it extended through the holiday to New Year’s and beyond. How far beyond was still the question since his wife replaced their Christmas tree with a Norfolk pine and decorated it with every single ornament he’d ever given her. There were five new ones this year, rich and vibrant balls with words like Love, Family, Heart scrawled over them. Oh, those ornaments sure made her cry, but she’d promised they were happy tears and the kiss that followed confirmed it.
Their lives were filled with boundless activity, all good and stuffed with possibility, greater than Jameson could ever have imagined. He and Tate Alexander were entering a business partnership for the restaurant in Granite, which Jameson planned to name Nicki’s. Of course, his wife didn’t know yet, but this was one secret he knew she wouldn’t mind.
The Oak Table was undergoing renovation with Luke Donovan as foreman. Tate had suggested him and it was a good call. Donovan sure had grown up since the last time he’d seen him. Who would have thought the guy would have a wife and a baby and be so damned happy about it?
Meredith Alexander had come through with her promise to “fix” things. She’d used the Alexander clout and hired the private investigator who’d spied on Jameson. Not his first choice, but the guy knew his stuff. Lester Conroy succeeded in delivering enough “ammunition” against Giselle to keep her quiet for the rest of her life. Apparently, Meredith had detailed activity on Giselle’s ex-husband’s trysts (plural) with numerous women, including four relatives and six persons in their employ: personal assistant, masseuse, trainer, gardener, housekeeper, clothing coordinator. Not good for a socialite snob like Giselle Robard. And while her mother might be married, she enjoyed the “personal” companionship of the family’s legal counsel. It wasn’t disclosed if the legal counsel consisted of one or more members, though Mr. Conroy indicated he could find out easily enough. Meredith showed Giselle the report and vowed to send it to their mutual friends and acquaintances, plus a tabloid or two, should Giselle ever contact the Prices again.
Jameson had to say, Meredith Alexander had fixed the problem... However, he wasn’t about to give her too much credit, since she’d been the one to create the disaster in the first place. Still, he had to tolerate her for his wife’s sake, best friends and all that. At least, he had Tate Alexander in his corner to keep Meredith in place if she tried to get too “involved” in Jameson and Nicki’s life. It was a lot easier when Meredith was traipsing the continent with her do-good-and-do-unto-others mantra, but she’d landed back in Reunion Gap for an undisclosed period of time and that made Jameson edgy.
Of course, he’d been making an effort to try and understand the woman’s “situation,” as Nicki called it. How she got where she was, why she didn’t trust many people, and the big one: why she couldn’t commit to a relationship. He could have told his wife the reason might not be her choice. Maybe once a man saw what a busybody she was, bent on saving everyone, even those who didn’t want to be saved, maybe he cut ties and ran. Fast. That would be Jameson’s guess and Tate had hinted around it, but that was probably his guess, too.
As long as she left him and Nicki alone, they could exist in the same town. Thoughts of his wife and the dinner he had planned reminded him he still needed to prep the asparagus and clean the mushrooms. Olivia had helped him count out the potatoes and she’d picked asparagus for the vegetable. She was becoming a good little sous-chef and already knew the difference between parsley and cilantro, oregano and thyme. Even basil and bay leaf. After dinner, they’d get baths, a book, and bed. It calmed them and when Jameson was home, it was the best part of the night. He picked up a mushroom, wiped it with a wet paper towel and placed it in a colander. Well...maybe it was one of the best parts of the night...
The other part came later when he drew a bath for his wife, handed her a book, and counted the minutes until she came to bed. He cleaned another mushroom, thought of the plaque that she’d given him for Christmas hanging in the foyer. Every time he looked at it, his chest ached with gratitude. They had the girls, and they had each other. Maybe one day soon she’d tell him there’d be an addition to the family. Either way, life was good, so damn good. And when his wife walked in the door in a little while, life would be great.
Many thanks for choosing to spend your time reading Couples Like Us. I’m truly grateful. If you enjoyed it, please consider writing a review on the site where you purchased it. (Short ones are fine and always welcome.)
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Introduction
When Christine Blacksworth’s larger-than-life father is killed on an icy road in Magdalena, New York, a hundred miles from the “getaway” cabin he visited every month,
she discovers a secret that threatens everything she’s always held to be true. Her father has another family that includes a mistress and a daughter. Determined to uncover the truth behind her father’s secret life, Christine heads to Magdalena, prepared to hate the people who have caused her to question everything she thought she knew about her father. But what she finds is a woman who understands her, a half-sister who cherishes her, and a man who could love her if she’ll let him. The longer she’s around them, the more she questions which family is the real one.
* * *
Truth In Lies Series:
Book One: A Family Affair
Book Two: A Family Affair: Spring
Book Three: A Family Affair: Summer
Book Four: A Family Affair: Fall
Book Five: A Family Affair: Christmas
Book Six: A Family Affair: Winter
Book Seven: A Family Affair: The Promise
Book Eight: A Family Affair: The Secret
Book Nine: A Family Affair: The Wish
Book Ten: A Family Affair: The Gift
Book Eleven: A Family Affair: The Weddings, a novella
Book Twelve: A Family Affair: The Cabin, a novella
Book Thirteen: A Family Affair: The Return
Book Fourteen: A Family Affair: The Choice
Book Fifteen: A Family Affair: The Proposal
A Family Affair Boxed Set: Books 1-3
Meals From Magdalena: A Family Affair Cookbook
* * *
NEW: Park Bench series:
Book One: A Family Affair Shorts: Destiny
Book Two: A Family Affair Shorts: Regret
Book Three: A Family Affair Shorts: Love