by MJ Fields
I swing my face from my son to Nikki, who is made up like a clown. “Most adorable of all time. Is that M-A-O-A-T?”
Nathaniel shakes his head, almost embarrassed. “No, Dad…”
I laugh. Have I really become that embarrassing father?
“And you,” she tugs at the beard, “are my second favorite Potter character.”
“I’m not sure I want to know who’s first.”
“Isn’t that obvious?” Nathaniel quips, pointing at himself.
Smiling, she motions toward the counter. “Come on, show me what kind of magic you can pull off with your caramel apple.”
As Nathaniel sets about decorating his apple, I make my way over to Gloria and Elden, who I honestly don’t think I’ve ever seen in the store, and chat with them as we watch Nathaniel and Nikki chat excitedly while he works on his apple.
“I’ve never seen her take to a kid as she has him,” Elden says.
Gloria scolds him, “Elden, that’s not true.”
“It certainly is. She always looked at kids with a sadness.”
Gloria starts to say something, but Elden puts his hand out to stop her.
“After Eddie and Val died, she certainly did. It was like she felt she didn’t deserve our attention and love. She always felt as though she was a burden. Her focus fell on her studies; she never had time to do much more than study and work. We wanted to give her more, but she would never let us.” Elden presses his lips together.
“What he’s saying is that we see how different she is with you and with Nathaniel. Thank you for opening her up and showing her what she deserves to have in this life.”
“The thanks are all mine to give to you. You helped raise her and turned her into the woman she has become. For that, I’m grateful.”
Once Nathaniel and Nikki are finished up, we head to the neighborhood just outside of town. Holiday Harbor is where most families in Holiday Springs live. It’s a great place to trick or treat because the homes are all situated close together and on quiet cul-de-sacs. The kids can easily walk from house to house, and the parents don’t worry about drunk drivers or cars interfering with the kids’ fun.
I park on the tree-lined street, and before Nikki and I even get out, Nathaniel takes off to his first house, a red brick English Colonial owned by Mrs. Ivan. From the sidewalk, we watch him knock and say, ‘Trick or Treat’ and opening his bag when a few of his friends suddenly appear by his side.
“Now the fun begins.” I chuckle.
“Jenny and I loved the treats in this neighborhood.” She smiles nostalgically, looking at the kids jetting to the next house.
I watch as she reflects, seeing it’s emotional for her. I assume it’s a lot like the first Christmas here after Hope passed away.
She waves a hand in front of her like she’s swatting away the thoughts. “Less reminiscing, more looking at you. Holy crap. Where did you order these costumes? Directly from Warner Brothers?”
I shake my head. “I went a bit overboard, but I’m hoping this will put to rest his obsession for all things Harry Potter.”
She nudges me. “Oh, no, once a Potterhead, always a Potterhead.”
“Well.” I take her hand as we walk in the general direction of Nathaniel and his friends. “I will say he’s excited to start reading the series you bought for him—which wasn’t necessary by the way. You should be saving your money.”
“Couldn’t buy you a gift and not him. Just doesn’t seem right.”
“You bought me a gift?” I pause. Frankly, I’m shocked.
“You thought Hermione was indecent. Wait until you see the nurse costume I bought to wear for you.”
“Well, I’ll be damned. There are many sides to you yet to be discovered. Fifty Shades of Nikki, aye?”
Even under the makeup, I can tell she’s blushing.
“Have I scandalized you, Nikki?” I take her hand and turn it over, bringing it to my lips for a kiss.
She starts to laugh, and I cock my head to the side in question.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t take you seriously in that costume.”
Before I have a chance to tell her I know her nervous laugh, and that was definitely it, Nathaniel comes running back toward us. “Dad, can I walk with my friends?”
“You are walking with your friends.”
He looks at Nikki as if asking for her assistance.
Little shit.
“He means by himself. Let’s go sit in the car.” She laughs, takes my hand, and pulls me away. “Come on.”
“Did he just—”
“He’s with his buds, big daddy Hagrid. Wait until he’s a teenager and no longer wants you dressing up with him.”
“Please,” I huff, following behind her. “This is at his insistence.”
“Mmm-hmm.”
I open the door for her, and while she slides in, I inhale her scent. “Mmmmmm.”
She flashes me a grin as she sits back.
As soon as my arse hits the leather seat and I shut the door, one of Nathaniel’s friend’s mothers knocks on my window, insisting Nikki and I leave and to let her take Nathaniel trick or treating plus a sleepover.
After a few, “are you sures?” I agree.
I roll up the window, and Nikki asks, “Are we really leaving him?”
“Not just yet.” I laugh because I can already tell any of my ‘frustrations’ that may come with my… personality will easily be erased by her evident care for him.
It’s more than obvious that when our story began, her comment about me having a son delivered in a way—in which from anyone else would have turned me away—was exactly as I suspected. She was more concerned with a possible breakup and being hurt from not only that kind of loss, but a more compound one, because of him.
There will be no such loss, like the leaves on the trees that line the streets, I am falling, and unlike the leaves, it is for the second time in my life. Therefore, I am not afraid, not when love is the prize.
“What?” she asks as I stare at her.
“You’re beautiful.”
“Now adding clown face to the ever-growing list of role play costumes I have been daydreaming about wearing for you.”
“Whatever you bring to my bed, just remember I know what’s underneath it all, and that’s more than enough for me.”
Her mouth opens in an O shape, and I wink. “Right?”
She smiles. “Let’s go. We have an adult party to attend. Jenny and Bobby have a sitter. It’s going to be one heck of a night.”
Squeezing her hand, we drive up to the house on the block, where Nathaniel and his crew have just arrived. Again, I lower my window, but this time yell for Nathaniel. He runs over and is happy about the change in plans, thank Jesus.
Our car ride to the bar is filled with Halloween themed music. Nikki says it’s Spotify’s “Crazy Good Spooky playlist,” and I try not to laugh out loud at her child-like excitement. It’s not hard to hold it back because I know that it was sparked by whatever happened at the pumpkin patch with her and Nathaniel. The change, lucky for me… insurmountable.
The bar is jam-packed, and it’s only 8:30 p.m. Luckily, I’ve hired extra bartenders for the night, and even a few kids who Sally listed would likely be available and want to earn the extra money for the holidays. Most attend community college close by. They will be safely driving anyone drunk back to their own homes. This means I get my woman all night long.
We drink, laugh, and dance to 80’s music on the packed floor. I haven’t danced in years, and it is just like riding a bike. I find my moves easily.
Nikki and Jenny don’t leave the floor even once, and watching her dance is making me wish for time away so that I can get her into bed.
I am pretty sure Jenny will be a permanent fixture in our lives, which is good. Jenny and Bobby remind me of Hope and my relationship, playful. For the past few years, I’d been looking for that same thing. The reality is, I’d changed. Be it for better or worse. It is what it is. I now real
ize how quickly you can lose it, so wasting time for any of us would be just that, a waste.
As the night comes closer to an end, my drunk little clown gets much more clingy, and fuck if I don’t love it.
Looking around as we dance to a slow song, I see everyone’s eyes on us as they have been all night, but nothing negative. In fact, it seems that most of the people in town are happy, constantly raising glasses to the two of us.
By one in the morning, Nikki is shot and begging to go upstairs. Everything seems to be fine, so we do just that.
“I need a minute or ten,” she says as she walks toward the stairs. Walking up them, holding the railing, she calls back to me, “Could you get me some water? Motrin? A do-over where I didn’t drink my face off all night? Don’t come up until I call for you, okay?”
“The first two I can manage,” I say, making sure she gets to the landing before leaving the base of the stairs.
After fifteen minutes have passed, I decide to check on her, fearing she may have passed out in the bathroom.
When I walk into my room, she’s looking in the mirror over the dresser. She’s fresh from a shower, makeup completely gone, and in… a fucking naughty nurse costume.
When she sees my reflection, she turns to me.
“I’m nurse Nikki.”
I lean against the doorjamb and cross my arms over my chest, amused but also pretty fucking turned on.
“I’ve been expecting you.” She points to the bed. “Come, let me check your vitals.”
Still pretty fucking amused and getting harder by the second, I walk over and sit on the bed.
“Tell me what’s bothering you.”
“It’s my lower region.” I grab my dick, showing her how hard I am.
“Oh, lower region issues can be very tricky. I may have to suck whatever toxins are causing this… swelling out of you. I mean, if nothing else works.”
I shiver, just the thought of that white dress on Nikki, her tits overflowing from the top as she gets down on her knees, the little white hat over her damp auburn hair, and the fishnets that—
“Aww, fuck,” I groan as she pulls my dick out of my pants and wraps her sexy lips around me.
I shrug out of the damn cloak or whatever the fuck this thing is as she takes me deeper.
“Fuck,” I groan as she tightens her lips around my length and sucks hard, hollowing her cheeks while taking me in as far as she can. When my cock hits the back of her throat, I grunt, “Fuck, yes.”
She grips my cock by the root and sucks down as far as she can while stroking me. I fight the urge to thrust in and out of her hot as fuck mouth, as I watch her saliva coat me from root to tip, slicken my skin, and drip out the corner of her mouth.
And then… hiccup.
Her eyes shoot up to mine, and she looks mortified as she hiccups again.
I reach down and grab her by the biceps, “Come here.”
“I.” Hiccup. “Hate.” Hiccup. “The hiccups.”
I stand with her, pull back the covers, and help her into bed, desperately trying to ignore the ache now settling in.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. We can wait them out. I assure you my dick’s muscle memory will not soon forget how fucking intense that felt.”
After tucking her in, I kiss her on the forehead. “I’m going to find a penis—”
She laughs. “You mean pencil?”
“Sure I do.”
When I return to my room, she’s out cold with the sweetest smile on her beautiful face.
I look down at my dick. “To the shower we go, big guy.”
It’s been two days, and my cock still hasn’t forgotten what her lips feel like wrapped around it. We had sex the next morning, and then she was off to meet with Nellie, and very excited to do so.
I love how independent she is. In fact, her drive is an aphrodisiac. Which happens to be a good and bad thing...
Nathaniel had spent all day Saturday and most of Sunday with Nikki and Nellie, while I worked my arse off to get caught up on the financials. My goal is to stay on top of it so that when Nikki is with me, not a moment is wasted.
“Dad!” Nathaniel bounds down the stairs from the flat to my office.
“What’s up, son?”
“Nikki’s check engine light was on in her Jeep. She said it needs an oil change. She also said she’d be sure to do that on her lunch break tomorrow at her new job. Aunt Faith wants me to come over for a couple hours, so maybe—”
“One hundred percent on it.” I close my laptop. “What are you and Aunt Faith going to do?”
“She needs help switching decorations from Halloween to Thanksgiving. She’s picking me up in a couple minutes.”
“Gotcha.”
I start Nikki’s Jeep, smiling as I adjust the seat to fit my tall frame. Our height difference is substantial, and I love it. Just like Nate mentioned, the light is on, showing her oil is low. I’m glad I had the time to take care of this for her. It’s not a big deal. Drive it to the Instant Oil Shop and have it back to her before she even knows Nellie slipped her keys off the counter and left them outside the back door for me. Nellie is becoming much easier to deal with, an ally, perhaps?
After the oil change, I realize I’ve yet to give this woman flowers and make plans to rectify that immediately.
Driving down the road, I look at my hands and realize that somehow, I have oil on them.
“Fuck.” I think as I open the console between the seats to see if she has any wipes or napkins.
I dig underneath some mail and feel the edge of a photograph.
I stop at the red light, curiosity gets the better of me, and I pull it out.
“Bad fucking idea,” I hiss.
In my hands is a picture of her kissing her douchebag fucking ex.
White-hot jealousy runs through me, turning my body into an inferno. There’s a ring on her finger. I examine it closely, bringing it to my eyes and closing one, so I can see better. It’s round on a thin gold band. They’re kissing, and his arms are around her waist, her arms are wrapped around his neck. His neck. Tight red dress. High heels. Higher than I’ve ever seen her in. Perfectly round lush arse, except the wrong set of hands are on it. Mother fuck! I clench my teeth, not even sure where the hell I am anymore.
A car honks behind me, and I pop my head up. I’ve got to pull over.
I double park beside a black Toyota Camry, putting on my blinkers. Parked, I stare down at the four by six photo like it’s a disease and I’m the doctor. Are they happy? Was she happier then than she is now? Of course, I knew she was engaged. But seeing it like this…
I drop the photo back in the compartment and slam it shut before scratching my neck. I’m acting like a fool. I’m a man, not a kid. I didn’t take Nikki from the womb. She is an adult, too, with a past. A past that apparently is still sitting in her car. Does she know it’s here? And what do I say if she does know? What do I say if she keeps it here because she is still not over him?
I need to talk to Nikki about what I found. I can’t forget this happened, and I can’t sit here and stew either. I need answers. But first, flowers.
After stopping to pick up three dozen white roses, the color of her skin, —yes three, because clearly I’m into overcompensation — I head back.
I park the Jeep in front of the Sweet Spot, after the fastest oil change of all time, flowers in tow, dead set on getting answers, I hurry in.
“You’re back already?” Nellie asks.
“Hey, Nellie, yeah. Nikki?”
She points over her shoulder. “In the back.”
I walk through the aisle of hard candy and into the back room. I look around, hearing Nikki’s voice but not seeing her.
She says, “Listen, I get it. I’m sorry, but the last few months haven’t been easy on me either.”
I pause, hearing the seriousness of her tone. I should probably leave the area and wait for her out front, but my feet won’t move.
“Uh huh...
well. Uh huh.” Soft laughter. “I know. We should. I mean, we could.” Pause. “I remember, of course I do.”
My ears burn.
“I guess it would be all right,” she continues. “Next week...Sunday, how about at The Cup? It’s in the town over, Williamsburg. Noon.”
I turn around to leave the store. On my way out, I tell Nellie, “Tell Nikki her car is here.”
The door slams behind me, the bells jingling.
Rule Number Twenty-Four
Spring cleaning can happen any time of the year
Nikki
“You’re what!” I gasp when Townes, whom I haven’t even spoken to in months and haven’t seen since I quit social media stalking when I started having—and thoroughly enjoying—dirty dreams about Rafferty Graham, tells me he is here in Holiday Springs.
“You haven’t given me much choice, have you?” Nails on a chalkboard. That’s what his voice now sounds like to me, and to think I once thought it sexy.
I’d attempted to play it cool at first. Thought he’d agree to meet next week, a freaking town over, somewhat protecting my sweet little town that he’s never visited, not once, from his judgment, and also to protect those I’ve grown to care about from even having to see him.
“Winterfield’s Sweet Spot,” he sighs. “I’ll be there in about fifteen minutes.”
“No.”
“No?”
“No, stop wherever you are and send me the location.”
“How many times have you begged me to come here, Nikki? Now I’m on my way, and you’re telling me no? You never tell me no.”
“I’m not budging, Townes. If you want to talk to me, you stay put. And guess what? I’m telling you no, now.” I grab my purse and look around for my keys.
I hurry out to the front and grab my keys that are on the counter.
Townes sighs, “Nikki, I think it’s time we put this to rest. You and I—”
Nellie calls after me, “Nikki, where are you going?”
“Send me your location, Townes. I’m a busy woman and—”
“Fine. I cave. It’s your call.”
