Nick watched her go, the frown still on his face.
* * *
“Wes invited us to his barbeque this Saturday for Mother’s Day. With Mom,” Nick told Luke. He dodged Luke’s half-assed punch. “Am I distracting you?”
Luke chuckled, brought his hands back up. “The thought of seeing Halle distracted me.” He circled the mat. “Have you told Mom?”
Nick shook his head, threw his own punch, connected with Luke’s headgear. Both wore it, since neither wanted to sport bruises on their faces. They tried to look professional most of the time. Looking as if they had bar fights constantly could scare off clientele. “I’ll call her when we’re done.”
They sparred for another thirty minutes, throwing punches, kicks, and using moves to maneuver each other to the ground. The competiveness stayed at a healthy level, unlike when they were kids. They’d worked that aggression out long ago. When they finished, Luke passed Nick a water bottle.
The gym was starting to fill up, since most of the clients were getting off work. Nick was proud of what his brother had accomplished there. It just proved that neither of them had to be like their dad. They could overcome his laziness, but what of the other more toxic part of his genes? The abuse and alcohol addiction?
“What did Victoria say about us going?” Luke interrupted his thoughts. “With her family and daughters being there?”
Nick scowled. “She’s making me pretend we’re not sleeping together.”
“Ouch.” Luke tipped his water bottle at him. Both of their shirts were soaked with sweat. “That’s cold.”
They walked toward the lockers to shower, giving up the mat to some of the gym goers.
“I know why she’s saying it. She’s nervous about the girls and how they’ll react because of their father. So I do get it.”
“You just didn’t think it would bother you so much.” Luke opened the door and crossed to the lockers to get fresh clothes.
Nick shrugged. He wasn’t trying to analyze why he felt shitty about it. “It’s no big deal.”
Luke whistled at the hardness in Nick’s eyes. “Sure it isn’t.”
“Fuck off.” Nick resisted the urge to push his brother into the lockers.
“Luke, I’ve got a session at seven. They called to book it a lunch today.” A tall, blond guy with tattoos and brown eyes came around the corner of the lockers. He wore gym shorts, the uniform gym t-shirt, and boxing gloves. “It’s a doctor from the hospital. Wants to impress his wife.”
“Nick, meet Matt. The new trainer I hired a few weeks ago.” Luke introduced the two. “He’s been great.”
Matt looked to be in his early twenties. “Hey, Matt.” Nick shook his hand. He had a confident grip. “Heard you’re going to be a dad.”
Matt’s grin was wide. “Yeah. We’re excited. I’m going to have a son.”
Something tightened in Nick’s chest. “Congrats. That’s cool.” He turned to his brother. “I’ll let y’all talk business. I’ve got to shower so I can tell Mom about the barbeque.”
Luke waved him off, and Nick headed to the showers. He stripped off his sweaty clothes and stepped under the hot spray. The water loosened some of the tight muscles in his shoulders and back. It had been a while since he’d sparred, and the adrenaline still ran through his blood, putting his body in defensive mode. He breathed slowly, trying to ease the stiffness.
He was confused about the stab of envy he’d felt at Matt’s happiness about a son. He couldn’t feel envious about that. It was ridiculous. There was no way he wanted kids.
In his heart, he knew that statement wasn’t as strong as it used to be.
Chapter Twenty
WHEN VICTORIA AND THE GIRLS arrived at her parents, Halle’s and Addie’s cars were already in the driveway. Lucia practically bounced in the car, excited to see her aunts and grandparents. Helena actually had a small smile on her face. Victoria wasn’t sure what had caused the change in her demeanor, but it made her happy. It lightened her own mood, even though she was nervous as hell to see Nick today.
Her mom called her into the kitchen when she heard them come in. “Don’t you look pretty!”
Victoria glanced down at her coral summer dress. “You like it? I bought it last winter, so this is my first time wearing it.”
“I’m jealous.” Addie gestured for Victoria to take a seat at the bar. “You can help me peel potatoes for the potato salad.”
“I love potato salad!” Lucia hugged her grandmother tight. Both of her girls wore chevron dresses, and looked so grown up that it put an ache in Victoria’s chest. She knew it was impossible to stop them from growing, but it seemed too fast for her.
“Good. Because I’m making a ton of it. Helena, come give me a kiss, sweetie.” Cecelia waved Helena over, who had a real smile on her face. She pressed a kiss to Cecelia’s cheek. “Now, I heard Grandpa saying something about decorating outside and blowing up balloons. You girls head out there and see if he needs any help.” She waited until the girls were outside before saying, “Helena’s smiling.”
“I know.” Victoria started peeling potatoes. “It’s amazing. She just woke up like that.”
“Maybe she’s starting to realize that it’s over between you and Roger and that you’re happier without him,” Halle said from where she iced one of the cooled cakes on the end of the bar.
“Yeah, maybe. Is Trevor here?” Victoria wanted to know if he actually showed up for one of the family gatherings.
Halle nodded, but didn’t take her eyes off the cake. “He’s out back with Dad.”
“It’s good he got off work,” Cecilia said. “We’re expecting about fifty people. Your father will grill the chicken and burgers around the time people start arriving.”
“Just like last year and the year before,” Addie teased. “It’s tradition, Mom. It never changes.”
“Addie, I swear.” Cecelia laughed at her. “Just peel those potatoes.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
By the time people started arriving, Victoria’s stomach fluttered insanely. How was she supposed to pretend that she didn’t want to be close to Nick? Would she even be able to hide it? Her sisters knew, and she was pretty sure Nick’s mom and brother knew. Would they say something to her family or in front of her daughters? Had Nick talked to them about it? She wanted to relax and enjoy the barbeque the way she always had, but wasn’t sure that was possible today.
She greeted the guests as they walked in through the gate, instructing them where to set the desserts and drinks they’d brought.
“Mom, can I help Halle with pouring the drinks?” Lucia wrapped an arm around Victoria’s waist and leaned in for a hug.
“Sure, baby. She’d love the help.” Victoria scanned the ever-growing crowd and saw her dad teaching Helena how to flip the burgers. The green lawn stretched for an acre or so, and her mom had placed flower trellises near the picnic tables. Lucia grinned up at her and skipped over to the table that Halle stood behind. Trevor stood next to Halle, but his eyes were on a busty blonde who stood nearby with her husband.
“Hey, Victoria. It’s so good to see you.” Blanche, one of her mother’s best friends, leaned in for a hug, holding her cupcake pan to the side. “You look amazing.”
Victoria smiled warmly. “So do you. I swear you look younger every time I see you. What’s your secret?”
Blanche leaned in to whisper, “Great sex, dear.”
Victoria laughed even as she blushed, although she should’ve guess what Blanche’s answer would be. Blanche was known for her free mouth. “I’ll have to keep that in mind.”
“You should.” Blanche winked. “Is your mother still inside?”
“Yeah, go right in. She’s probably waiting on you so you can gossip without anyone hearing.”
Blanche laughed and headed inside.
Victoria could see Addie
acting that way when she was Blanche’s age. Free, not caring what anyone thought. Her students would definitely get a kick out of her then, if they didn’t already. She turned back around and her mind stuttered. Nick stood in the gateway, his gaze locked on her.
“Hey.” The corner of his mouth quirked up. “Victoria, I’d like you to meet my mom, Charlotte, and brother, Luke.”
A short, petite woman with a pixie cut of gray stood between the brothers. She smiled warmly at Victoria and reached out her hands. “It’s very nice to meet you.”
Victoria saw the strength in the woman. It practically exuded from her in quiet confidence. “It’s nice to meet you, too.” Her attention swung to Nick’s brother. They looked a lot alike, except Luke’s eyes were green. Luke even had the bit of stubble on his face and tattoos on his arms.
“Where should I put these?” Charlotte held up a plate of cookies.
“My mom is inside; she keeps all the desserts in there until after everyone eats. I can walk you in.”
“Oh, that’s okay. I can manage.” She smiled wider. “You stay here.”
Victoria watched the woman walk away, afraid to turn her attention back to Nick. This was going to be harder than she thought.
“So, I’m going to go grab something to drink.” Luke glanced over to where Halle served drinks to the guests. Victoria thought she saw an expression cross his face, but a second later it was gone.
“Do I need to talk to you in public, or should I steer clear? Maybe talk to your dad?” Nick moved to the side of the gate so people could pass through.
“It might look weird if we don’t talk. You are working on my office.” Victoria greeted a few people. She’d heard the bite of sarcasm in his voice and wondered if this was bothering him as much as it was her.
“It’s going great, by the way. We should be finished in two weeks. Are you ready?”
“Lord, no. I still have to hire an assistant. Create a new website, put out ads. People need to know I’m there. I’ve got pretty much all the furniture picked out, the technical stuff. It’s such a big step. I hope I’m not making a mistake.”
“You’re not.” Nick looked down at her. She barely reached his shoulder, and even in the day time heat, she could feel how hot his body was. Something about the look in his eyes sped her heart up. “I have faith in you. You’ll not only succeed, you’ll flourish. I’ve heard a lot about your style, and people love it.”
“It’s good during the off season. A lot of summer vacationers like to redo their beach houses almost every year. Like it’s a competition. It’s ridiculous how much money they spend doing it, but it works for me.” Victoria glanced over when her mom called. “Looks like we’re done with gate duty. Time to mingle.”
“Fine, but damn it. It’s going to be torture being near you and not able to touch you.” Nick gave her a single heated look before walking to his brother.
Victoria understood that. In the few minutes that he’d been there, women were checking him out, staring unabashedly. Jealousy twisted ugly in her stomach. She wanted to march over to him and mark her territory. Instead, she went to stand with Addie.
“You and Nick are pretending not to be sleeping together. I can literally see both of you holding back,” Addie said when she noticed where Victoria’s attention was.
Victoria nodded. “Yes, for the girls. I wasn’t ready to introduce them. Not in that way, not yet.”
“I understand why. This must be so hard then.” Addie squeezed her hand. “If any bitches try to hit on him, I’ll get them to stop.”
“Oh God. Don’t start a fight. Mom and Dad would be pissed.”
“True. Look at Trevor,” Addie told her.
Victoria watched her sister’s husband flirt with a twenty-something blonde. The way he stared down at the girl made her uneasy. “You don’t think he’d cheat on her, do you?”
Addie took a sip of her drink. “Men are stupid and disloyal, and that’s why you don’t hitch yourself to them. It’s messy.”
“What about Dad?”
They both looked over to where he showed Helena how to flip burgers.
“He’s from a better generation. They don’t make them like that anymore.”
Victoria saluted her with her plastic cup. “Truth.”
“And look at Halle. Isn’t that Nick’s brother?” Addie told Victoria. “He’s totally eyeballing her.”
Victoria thought back to the expression she thought she saw on his face. Now he talked to Halle, making her smile in a way Victoria hadn’t seen in a while. “Wow. She’s glowing.”
“He’s showing her attention her own husband doesn’t.” Addie watched them. “She’s so beautiful and deserves so much better than Trevor. A man who completes her. You sure there’s not a way to get rid of him and make it look like an accident?”
Victoria laughed. “No.”
“Damn. I’d commit murder for you two. Just so you know.”
“I have no doubt.” Victoria continued to watch Luke and Halle for a moment. Halle seemed to open up, flourish, under Luke’s attention. What did that say about her home life with Trevor? Did he ignore her as much at home as he did there?
* * *
Nick tried to keep his stare off Victoria, but it was damn hard. She wore a dress that showed off her long, tan legs. He kept thinking of them wrapped around his waist, and it made ignoring her impossible. His mother had already repeated herself to him several times, and finally she sighed.
“Nick. Why don’t you just go talk to her?” Charlotte nudged him softly.
“Because she wants to wait to tell her daughters about us until she’s more sure about how long we’ll last.” He tried to keep the hurt from his voice, but his mother knew him.
“Baby, can you blame her? Even I know your reputation.” Charlotte looked at
“No.” Nick breathed out. “I can’t. I just want to be near her.”
“Do you know how long you want this to last?” She then asked, “Are those girls hers?”
Nick glanced to where the twins stood next to Wes. He couldn’t tell them apart. “Yeah. They look a lot like Victoria.”
“They do.” Charlotte nodded. “They’re so beautiful and polite. She’s raised them well, a fine job without her ex-husband, I hear.”
“How exactly do you and Victoria’s parents know each other? You’ve never really told me,” Nick said.
“Oh, well, they helped me out some before you boys came home from the MMA circuit.” Charlotte shook her head at Nick’s look. “Now, I wasn’t calling you home yet. You boys had a life to live; I wanted you to do so as long as possible. Wes and Cecelia found out about my diagnosis and helped me out.”
“How did they help you out?” Nick wondered how he and Luke had never found out about this. “Why didn’t Wes say something?”
“I made them promise not to. I didn’t want you thinking they did it for charity reasons. Wes and Cecelia are nothing but kind and loving people. They have such big hearts. They didn’t want it to be a spectacle, they just wanted to help me get through a tough time.”
Nick’s admiration for Wes and his family grew in leaps and bounds in that moment. That man had done so much for his family. “I don’t know how we can ever repay them.”
“That’s not what they’re about, baby. They see someone in need and they step in to help. It’s not about payback,” Charlotte explained.
“Yeah, I guess.” Nick watched Victoria’s smile slip when she looked over at the gate. He turned his head and saw a red-headed man walk through.
“I think that’s her ex-husband.” Charlotte laid a restraining hand on Nick’s arm. “I don’t think he was invited.”
On his arm stood a young brunette Nick bet was barely in her twenties. She had on a white dress that could’ve qualified for lingerie and too much makeup.
“Don’t go o
ver there unless Victoria wants you to. Don’t jeopardize her trust.” Charlotte got Luke’s attention and gestured him over.
Nick watched as Victoria’s sisters flanked her, giving her solid emotional support.
“Dad!” Helena ran to the man and hugged him. The brunette eyed the girl with disdain. The man let Helena hug him for a second before disengaging himself.
If his mother hadn’t been there, he would’ve given in and beat Roger to a bloody pulp. He hated men who didn’t take care of their kids, who didn’t take the time to spend with them. How did Helena not see how much of an ass her father was? He noticed Lucia hung back with Wes, glancing between her parents. Her hands were clasped in front of her and her eyes round. He could understand why Victoria worried about her daughters knowing about them. The girls had a lot to deal with as it was.
Chapter Twenty-One
VICTORIA STARED ACROSS the lawn in shock. She couldn’t believe that Roger showed up uninvited. With a date, no less. Guests surreptitiously peeked over their shoulders or plates of food to watch the drama. Roger stood there in khaki shorts and a polo like he belonged, the girl on his arm not that much older than their daughters. Her sisters stood beside her, and she was grateful, because his obvious affront to their marriage made her want to strangle him. She couldn’t deny that it hurt that he couldn’t find himself with her, but he thought he could with someone younger. Someone who looked like they didn’t know how to dress herself.
She didn’t know how to handle this diplomatically, without hurting her daughters in the process. How could he show up, knowing that her parents hadn’t invited him? People had stopped talking now, stopped pretending they weren’t watching. She had to handle this the right way. Somehow.
“Victoria.” Roger made his way to her, smirking in satisfaction. “You forgot to tell me the date of the barbeque.”
Victoria’s mouth nearly dropped at his nerve.
“That’s because we didn’t invite you.” Addie stepped forward. “Or your whore.”
“Addie,” Victoria hissed. Schoolteachers did not use that type of language, and a few of her students and their parents stood nearby.
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