My heart swelled so fast it was no wonder I didn’t lift both of us up to the ceiling. Those three words were words I would never, ever get tired of hearing. I kissed him again, and this time there was nothing soft or chaste about it. I whispered those very same words back to him and then I showed him just how much.
In the middle of the following week, while I was at work organizing Marcus’s schedule through the upcoming summer months, Nick texted about dinner with Calla and Jax the following Sunday.
Going out with them or Reece and Roxy wasn’t something new. We double- and triple-dated often, but I knew Nick had an ulterior motive for this, and I was nervous for him, because I knew this wouldn’t be easy for him. And I really, really hoped that my impression of Calla was correct, that she wasn’t going to hold anything against him.
I took more time than I normally did getting ready Sunday afternoon. Sort of like hopeful primping. I got a mani and pedi with Roxy and Katie in the afternoon, then I tried out one of those green clay masks I’d bought online the previous week. Thankfully, it didn’t stain my skin or do something weird. Then after a long shower, I dried my hair and artfully applied makeup.
“Artfully apply makeup” was code for putting a crap ton of makeup on but somehow managing to look like you weren’t wearing a crap ton of makeup.
Moving on to what to wear, I mulled over the idea of donning a cute spring dress, but it still wasn’t particularly warm, especially in the evenings. So I settled on dark blue skinny jeans, a light sweater, and eyed strappy heels I hadn’t worn yet this year.
I reached up on the top shelf and pulled the shoe box down. A piece of paper drifted free, floating to the floor. Shoving the box under my arm, I bent and picked up the paper.
My breath caught.
I should’ve known what it was once I felt the shiny texture of the paper, but I didn’t remember putting this in the closet. I’d probably done it when I was trying to remove all traces of being pregnant.
My hand trembled slightly as I walked to my bed. Sitting down, I placed the small photo next to me, and I didn’t look at it until I had my shoes on. Then I drew in a deep breath and picked it up.
Honestly, I still didn’t see a baby in the sonogram picture. It was just a black-and-white blob, but it had been my blob and it had been Nick’s blob. Pressing my lips together, I gave a little shake of my head. It didn’t hurt as much as it had before to see this. Confusion still existed. I would never know why it had happened and I wouldn’t know if there was a serious issue with getting pregnant until it happened again, but I knew now there wasn’t anything I could’ve done differently.
And I knew it was okay to still hurt over it.
Standing, I walked over to the shelf and stood the photo up against the one of my dad. It made sense for it to be there. Maybe one day I’d take it down again, store it away. Just like one day Nick would turn his grandfather’s bedroom into something else.
One day.
Nick arrived, looking as yummy as usual in his jeans and button-down shirt. He gave a low whistle when I stepped out in the hall, closing the door behind me.
I gave him a half curtsy. “Thank you.”
He chuckled as he draped his arm over my shoulder. “Weirdo.”
“Whatever.”
We met Jax and Calla at a local steakhouse. They were already there, seated in a booth, because we were late even though we’d left early. Nick got a little . . . frisky in the car outside my apartment and then again outside of the restaurant.
Calla shot me a knowing look as we slid into the booth across from them. Self-conscious, I lifted my hand to my hair, smoothing the waves.
Jax laughed under his breath. “Glad you guys could join us.”
“I know.” Nick picked up his menu, a slight smile on his lips. “You all are blessed by our presence.”
Calla giggled while Jax rolled his eyes. I tucked my hair back as I peeked over at Nick and then turned my attention to her. “So what are you guys getting?”
Her brows puckered as she glanced down at the open menu in front of her. “I think I’m getting the strip.”
“Porterhouse.” Jax patted his flat belly. “Porterhouse all the way.”
Nick tapped a finger off the center of the menu. “They have a rib-eye,” he said to me. “Bone in. You know you want it.”
I grinned. Yeah, I did. The waitress arrived, and once the orders were placed the conversation flowed. I’d ordered a wine, and then Nick made fun of me when I ended up getting a soda, because I couldn’t eat food while drinking water or wine. It was weird and made no sense. I completely knew that.
Calla talked about what she planned on doing when she finished her nursing degree. Having transferred to one of the local colleges to get it, two of her transfer credits hadn’t been accepted, so she’d be taking summer classes to finish up. Jax mentioned the plans he had for a small remodeling of Mona’s bar. He wanted to strip out the old floor and get rid of the tables and chairs. There was one topic I knew they wouldn’t bring up, because of what had happened to us, so I knew it would be up to me to cross that bridge.
After taking a sip of the Coke, I placed it next to my plate. “You guys have seen the pictures of Avery and Cam’s baby, right?”
Calla’s gaze shot to mine and she nodded. A moment passed. “I’ve never seen a baby before with so much red hair.”
“She could be a Weasley sibling,” I said, placing my hands in my lap. No one had sent me the pictures at first or brought it up around me when Avery went into delivery a week shy of nine months. I’d seen Roxy showing Katie two weeks ago, and then after a few days I got Avery’s number from her and sent her a congratulations text. After a few back and forth texts, I got a picture of the tiny baby girl.
Avery and Cam’s child was gorgeous.
Jax chuckled. “Don’t tell Cam that, because I think Avery tried to name her Ginny.”
I laughed. “But Ava is such a beautiful name.”
“Fits them, I think,” Calla agreed, smiling tentatively at me.
From what I gathered from the bits and pieces I’d heard from everyone, Avery’s delivery hadn’t been easy, and there were some complications. I didn’t know the details and I hadn’t felt comfortable asking for them. I was just glad that in the end they were a happy family of three.
“What are you planning to do with your grandfather’s house?” Jax asked as he picked up the beer he’d ordered.
“My grandfather left the house to me, so it’s mine and it’s free and clear,” Nick explained. “I’m not sure what I’m going to do long-term, but for right now, I’m going to keep it.”
“It’s a great house,” I threw out.
Jax nodded. “Hell yeah it is. You’re sitting on a nice nest egg.”
“Yeah.” Nick leaned against the booth, stretching his arm along the back. His fingers brushed over my hair, then played with it, but his posture had shifted. He stiffened, and I knew he was about to drop the bomb on them.
I reached over, under the table, and placed my hand on his knee, letting him know that I had his back.
“There’s something I wanted to tell you guys,” he began. “Something I probably should have said a long time ago.”
Jax’s brows knitted as he glanced over to a confused Calla, and then he said, “Okay. You’ve got my curiosity. What’s up?”
When Nick’s attention shifted to Calla, I wished I’d had the foresight to order a second glass of wine. His shoulders lifted with a deep breath and then he said, “Blanco is my grandfather’s last name—my mother’s maiden name—but my father’s last name was Novak.”
Calla blinked slowly as her face paled a little. “Novak?” She sat back, her hands falling into her lap.
Beside her, Jax frowned as he stared across the table. “Wait a sec. Novak was . . .”
“Novak Construc
tion,” Nick confirmed quietly.
“Oh my God.” Calla’s hand rose toward her cheek, but she stopped short of touching the scar.
My chest squeezed when Jax reached over, wrapping his fingers around her wrist, gently pulling her hand back down. “What are you saying, Nick?”
Nick exhaled roughly and then told them everything—about his father and the electrician he hired, and what his father eventually had done. He told Calla that her mother had known who his father was and that he’d been shocked when he’d first seen Calla, never expecting to see her walk into the bar.
When Nick finished, Calla gave a little shake of her blond head. Several moments stretched out, and I began to fear the worst, but then she finally spoke. “Why didn’t you say something sooner?”
“I don’t know,” he replied, and then said, “Actually, that’s a lie. You were dealing with a lot then and I didn’t want to add to it. I didn’t want to mess up your life any more than—”
“Wait,” she interrupted, her eyes widening as she held up a hand. “Why would you mess anything up? What happened to my family wasn’t your fault. I mean, you had to be just a kid then.”
Nick sucked in a ragged breath while a strong jolt of release burst through me. Jax nodded in agreement. “She’s right. You had nothing to do with any of that.”
“But knowing who my dad was has to be a shitty reminder,” Nick protested. “That can’t be easy.”
“It’s definitely surprising. I am a little shocked, but I’m so, so sorry to hear what happened to your father and mother,” Calla rushed on, her blue eyes shining. “I know what it’s like to lose someone, and that couldn’t have been easy on you.”
Nick closed his eyes. “You’re apologizing?” His voice sounded strangled, and I squeezed his leg. “There’s nothing you need to apologize for.”
“There’s nothing you need to apologize for either,” she insisted, her voice ringing with sincerity. “I get why you didn’t say anything, but I want you to know that knowing who your dad was doesn’t change the way I think of you.”
“I . . .” Nick’s voice was hoarse, and I leaned into his side. The arm around the back of the booth curled around my shoulders. “That’s a . . . major relief to hear.”
“Part of me wants to punch you for thinking that it would change a damn thing,” Jax said.
Nick chuckled as he dragged his other hand along his jaw and then dropped it on the table. “Yeah, I sort of want to punch myself, but once so much time had passed, it just became harder to say something.”
“I get that.” Calla reached across the table and squeezed his hand. “You know, what happened—the fire? It destroyed a lot of lives. Not just mine or my family, but yours, too.” Her gaze flickered to mine. “A tragedy is a tragedy, no matter what, but I’ve learned that it doesn’t define who we are and it doesn’t weaken us. It makes us stronger. It took me a long time to figure that out.” She glanced at Jax and smiled. “I had help in that department.”
Nick’s arm tightened around me and I rested my cheek on his shoulder. I smiled faintly at her and whispered, “So did I.”
Chapter 32
An older dark-haired woman who was sitting in the front row of the ballroom bounced the cooing four-month-old baby on her knee. The tuffs of red hair were a dead giveaway.
Ava Hamilton was absolutely adorable in her little white dress and headband. She had lost her shoes and one sock at some point, and I wasn’t sure how long she was going to last before those giggles turned into cries, but I had grabby hands. I wanted to hold the baby. There was a dull twinge in my chest, but it was . . . it was okay.
The woman holding her reminded me of Teresa, all dark hair and bright eyes, and I figured she must be the groom’s mother—Mrs. Hamilton.
I watched Ava’s chubby fingers open and close as she grasped at air until a tall older man caught my attention. He was walking down the wide middle aisle that separated the two sections of chairs, his stride stiff and awkward. The cut of the man’s black suit and even his trim hair screamed money.
His steps slowed as he approached Mrs. Hamilton. She looked up, shock splashing across her pretty face before she replaced the surprise with a smile. Her lips moved but I had no idea what she was saying.
The man was staring at Ava, and all I could see was his profile. His face was pale, his expression taut, and his shoulders rigid as he knelt beside them. Mrs. Hamilton turned Ava toward him. She said something and the man nodded. Then she handed Ava over to him.
My breath caught as I watched him take the baby in his arms and hold her close to his chest as if she were something very fragile. Mrs. Hamilton was speaking to him, but I had the impression that all the man heard and saw was Ava. His hand trembled as he smoothed it over the wisps of red hair.
“Who is that?” I asked.
Beside me, Roxy squinted as she looked up front. “I don’t know,” she said as I straightened the hem of my lilac skirt. “I’ve never seen him before.”
Whoever the guy was, it seemed he must know either Avery or Cam pretty well. Eventually he handed the baby girl back to Mrs. Hamilton and then rose. He walked back up the aisle, his movements less strained.
I sighed as my gaze flicked back to Mrs. Hamilton. “I want to hold the baby,” I said.
“I’m sure she’ll let you,” Roxy replied, straightening her glasses. They were blue today, matching her dress.
“I’ve never met her so I think it’s totally creepy for me to just shuffle up there and be like, ‘Can I hold the baby,’ while making grabby hands at the kid. I’d probably make her start screaming bloody murder.”
Roxy giggled. “Good point.”
I pouted, but before I could change my mind and make an utter fool out of myself while traumatizing a wee baby, the guys returned from whatever they were doing, which I’m sure involved giving Cam an incredibly hard time.
Nick sat beside me as Reece took his seat on the other side of Roxy. Although I’d already seen Nick in his suit, I couldn’t stop myself from checking him out, because he looked so damn good all dressed up.
He leaned into me, stretching his arm along the back of my chair. Tipping his chin down, he whispered into my ear, “If you keep looking at me like that, we’re going to miss the wedding.”
“And why would we miss the wedding?” I whispered back.
His hand curled around my bare shoulder. “Because we’ll be making use of that room upstairs we rented for the weekend. Or the nearby bathroom. There’s also a closet down the hall that’ll give us enough room.”
I bit down on my lip, enticed more than I should have been by that idea. “You are so bad.”
“And you . . .” He kissed my temple. “ . . . are freaking gorgeous in that dress. Have I told you that yet?”
My lips curved up as I reached over, wrapping my hand around his. “Yes. A couple of times.”
“Well, add one more to that list.” He squeezed my hand. “You look stunning.”
Reece sighed. “You two are going to give me diabetes.”
“Shush it.” Roxy planted her elbow in Reece’s side. “You’re just as sickeningly sweet, so don’t even pretend.”
I laughed, mainly because Reece didn’t deny it. Somewhere behind us, music started playing and the heavy wood doors opened. We turned in our seats as Cam made his way down the aisle, looking as handsome as always. His normally messy hair was styled and he looked good in his black tux with light blue accents. As he passed us, Nick fist-bumped him.
I turned to Nick slowly. “A wedding fist bump?”
“Seemed legit,” was his response.
Shaking my head, I giggled, and then had a huge aw moment, because Cam stopped by his mother before he went to the archway decorated with blue roses and baby’s breath, bent down and gave his baby girl a big mushy kiss on her chubby cheek.
“Da
mn,” Roxy murmured. “There just went my ovaries.”
Reece sent her a long look.
“What?” she whispered. “I can’t help it.”
Grinning, I watched as the bridal party made their way down the aisle. First up was Jase, Cam’s best friend, and Teresa, Cam’s sister, and both of them looked like they stepped off a runway. There couldn’t be any couple as striking as those two were, and I figured they would be married sooner than anyone expected.
Next was Brit and Ollie, and my smile spread seeing them. Wearing the same pale blue strapless gown as Teresa, Brit was stunning with her cap of blond hair, but it was Ollie who stole the show. Somehow, even in a tux, he managed to look like he was at the beach. His hair was shorter than when he was in college, but he still had that surfer look about him. They separated once they reached the archway.
Calla and Jax were next, and of course they were absolute perfection. With Calla’s long blond hair and his darker features, they were like night and day, the perfect complement.
Then there was Jacob, looking as freaking smooth as always as he came down the aisle with his boyfriend. I’d met him the night before, and he was the exact opposite of Jacob—quiet, a bit more reserved, but it was so obvious those two were in love.
Jacob joined the bridesmaid, and even though he was in a tux that matched the guys, he looked damn good standing there.
The final addition to the wedding party was Brock “the Beast” Mitchell, which probably made Cam’s fanboy heart soar. I had no idea Cam had gotten to know Brock that well or if it was a favor to him. Obviously Brock was out of the sling, but he hadn’t come back to the academy full-time yet. There had been complications in his recovery.
I didn’t recognize the super tan chick with him, and I was kind of disappointed that he wasn’t there with Jillian. I don’t even know why I wished for that. I hadn’t seen Jillian since the day in the supply room. As far as I knew, she never came back to Lima Academy after that.
Once the bridal party was in place, the bridal march began and Avery appeared. She was a beautiful bride. Her long red hair hung in smooth waves around her freckled face, and even from where I sat, I could see the sheen of tears in her eyes. Her dress was simple Grecian style and perfect for her.