“Did you kiss him?” Sophie asked, her eyebrows raised in happy surprise.
“I will say this,” Chelsea said with a dreamy look in her eyes. “That man has a mouth made for kissing.”
There were several happy sighs around the group seeing the expression on Chelsea’s face, then conversation moved on for a few minutes until Natalie refilled their glasses and said, “So, any news of Maverick? I haven’t heard anything lately.”
“Still seems to be quiet,” Sophie said with a shrug.
Chelsea glanced around. “Actually, I have something to confess on that front.”
“You figured out who he is?” Sophie asked, her eyes wide.
Chelsea shook her head. “The next best thing. I called an old friend, Max St. Cloud, to come help with the investigation.”
“What could this Max do that the town’s not already doing?” Natalie asked as she came out and took a measurement of Chelsea’s shoulders before disappearing again.
“I used to do a bit of hacking when I was younger, and so did Max, which is how we met. Honestly, he’s a genius.” Chelsea’s smile held a small flicker of pride in her friend.
“Actually,” Harper said, thinking the case through, “he could really help. Since Maverick has been stalking and threatening people through email and on social media and he’s obviously stolen files to use as blackmail, an ex-hacker on the team is a great idea.”
“Any new tactics are worth a shot,” Sophie said. “Maverick has already caused too much damage.”
“Hear, hear,” Natalie said coming back out to the main room. “And on that note, I’m done. Chelsea, you’re free to go.”
“Thank, Natalie,” Chelsea said, reaching for her bag. “I can’t wait to see the finished dress.”
Sophie stood. “Chelsea, you’re more than welcome to join us for lunch if you’d like.”
“That’s so sweet of you, but I have a couple of other maid of honor duties to take care of, so I’ll take a rain check. See you all later!”
As Chelsea swept through the door, Harper turned to look at her friends and had a moment of blissful satisfaction. Everything in her life was going so well. She had a wider circle of friends than she’d ever had, her pregnancy was progressing nicely, things with Ellie were going great and her marriage with Nick had never been better. In fact, she was in love with him. Which was more than she’d dreamed possible for their fledgling relationship. It was as if the pieces of her life were all falling into their slots, and a sense of bone-deep contentment and happiness settled over her.
The only thing that could make her life even better was to share her feelings with Nick. Now she just needed to find the perfect way to tell him.
* * *
Nick stood as his ex-wife joined him at a corner booth in the Royal Diner. Now that things were going so well with Harper and he could see them making a family with the babies, he’d decided it was time to do something about Ellie’s custody situation, too. He’d asked Melissa to meet him—just the two parents, on their own, looking out for their kid’s best interests. He’d mentioned the idea to Harper for a lawyer’s take, and she’d said it made a lot of sense. What surprised him was that Melissa had agreed to it.
Not knowing how to greet her, he stuck his hand out. This was new territory for them. In the past, they’d dated and been newlyweds, expectant parents, spouses in a crumbling marriage, then exes at war. What were they to each other now? Only time would tell.
Melissa looked at his outstretched hand, then reluctantly took it for a few seconds before dropping it.
“Thanks for coming,” he said as they took their seats.
She gave him a steely glare that carried a note of warning. “I almost didn’t.”
He understood that, and she’d never been one to hold back, so her honesty was a good sign. “What changed your mind?”
She shrugged. “First and foremost, I want what’s best for Ellie. It’s what I’ve always wanted.”
“I appreciate you giving this a shot.” A trace of optimism started to stir in his chest. Maybe they could work out some sort of agreement and he’d be able to be a proper father to all three of his children.
A waitress came, and they ordered drinks. When she’d left, Melissa speared him with a glance and said, “Okay, let’s cut to the chase. What do you want?”
“More time with Ellie. To be a bigger part of her life.”
She dismissed that with a flick of her wrist. “That’s what the lawyers are for—to work out those arrangements.”
“Come on, Melissa,” he said. “We’re the two people who care most about her. We’re her parents. We should be able to work it out between ourselves.”
“And you honestly think that would be best for Ellie, given your...”
“PTSD,” he supplied. “I’ve made some solid progress with that.” Thanks mainly to Harper and her limitless patience and support.
Their drinks arrived, and Melissa fiddled with the straw in hers for a few moments before excusing herself to go to the bathroom. Nick sat back in the seat. Getting her here had been step one. Step two was telling her what he wanted. Now all that was left was to get her to agree. When she came back, he’d push more and they’d avoid a legal battle.
As soon as she was out of sight, her fiancé strolled over and stood at the table.
“Guy,” Nick said, narrowing his eyes. “I didn’t know you were coming.”
He gave a smarmy, insincere smile. “Look, Melissa is too nice to say it, but we both know what kind of man you are.”
“And what kind is that?” he drawled.
“A screwup.”
From someone whose opinion mattered, that might be insulting. From this pathetic excuse of a man? Borderline amusing. “And how do you figure that?”
“You’re not quite right in the head anymore, are you, Nick?”
He barely held back a sigh. “I have PTSD, if that’s what you mean.”
“And that’s not all.”
“I think it’s time you left,” he said, trying to keep his tone even despite his growing annoyance.
Guy reached into his jacket pocket and withdrew a handful of tablets and laid them on the table in front of him. Nick recognized them immediately—over-the-counter and prescription pills. All painkillers. For several seconds he couldn’t breathe. All he could see was the pills. He hadn’t seen that many together since he’d beaten his addiction to painkillers after his last mission. And here they were, inches from his hand, their siren’s song calling him.
Then Guy whipped out his phone camera. “I think our friend Maverick could do some real damage with this photo—”
There was movement to his left followed by Melissa’s voice. “Guy, I didn’t know you were back.” Then she noticed the pills. “What the hell, Nick?”
“They’re not mine,” he said, his voice gravel as he forced his lungs to work. “Guy dumped them here.”
“Guy?” she said.
“I’m sorry, baby,” her fiancé said, his voice dripping with slime. “We know he’s going to relapse at some point and put Ellie at risk. I just thought if we speed it along so it happens before the custody case instead of after, then it would be better for all of us.”
“You did this?” Melissa looked appalled. “Guy, this has to stop.”
“You know I only want what’s best for you and Ellie. And, seriously, Maverick would love something juicy like this. We post it online and he’ll find it—he’s really good at sniffing a story out.”
Nick could hear the argument between his ex and her fiancé going on, but his gaze was stuck on the pills, and he felt his skin breaking out in a fine sheen of sweat.
“This,” she said with a sweep of her arm, “is crossing a line. You’d better leave.”
Surprised, Nick looked u
p at that, to see Guy blink and cast a furtive glance around before focusing back on Melissa. “But, baby, I’m doing this for you.”
“Someone who crossed the line for one person will cross it again, and I can’t have that around Ellie.”
Guy frowned. “Hang on, what are you saying?”
“This is the last straw. It’s over, Guy.” She took off the sparkly ring on her left hand and held it out to him.
“Over him?” Guy asked incredulously.
“No, over you,” she said, hands on hips. “Because now that I’ve seen you pull this stunt, I’ll never trust you again.”
“Baby girl,” he said, but she cut him off.
“You can sleep at a hotel tonight and we’ll work out the rest tomorrow.”
Clearly stunned, Guy simply stared at her, then visibly regrouped. “Okay, sure. We’ll talk about this more tomorrow when everyone is calm again.”
Guy kissed her on the cheek and sauntered out. Melissa watched him go then turned back to Nick. “I’m sorry. You and I don’t see eye to eye on a lot of things, but you didn’t deserve that.”
He gave a tight nod, looking at her but keeping the pills in his peripheral vision.
“And you know what?” She blew out a breath. “You’re probably right that it’s time the two of us sat down and did discuss Ellie’s arrangements. Let me deal with Guy first and I’ll give you a call in a few days. We’ll work something out.”
“Sure.” Nick kept his poker face in place despite knowing his voice was strained. “That would be good.”
Melissa turned and headed out the door, which left Nick alone at the table. With the pills. His hands were trembling with the need to take one. Just one. His heart raced. One couldn’t hurt, could it? Just one. He swallowed hard.
Logically, he knew it would never be just one. And that was the problem—he knew that and he still wanted one anyway.
He checked, and no one was watching. The angle of the booths meant that it was hard for others to see unless they were standing right in front of him. Very carefully, he slid the pills closer and filled his trouser pockets with them. Then he pushed to his feet, threw some cash on the table to cover the drinks and a tip, and left.
He made it to his car, and all he could think about was which pill he’d have first.
And where he’d go to take it.
What he’d drink to wash it down.
And how many he could manage in one day.
* * *
Harper arrived home with her heart overflowing. The realization that she loved Nick had her practically floating all the way to his house. They’d married for the babies—to fall in love as well was more than she’d dreamed possible. A fairy tale come to life.
When she walked inside, she found Nick sitting on a stool at the kitchen counter, his gaze bleak. Her stomach clenched tight.
“What’s happened?” As she neared him, she reached out, but he turned away from her, so she stilled. “Nick?”
He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again. His Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat. Unease prickled across her skin. Something was very wrong. She glanced around, and her gaze landed on a thin stack of papers on the kitchen counter. It was too far away to make out the wording, but she’d seen countless legal documents in her career. Enough to recognize this as one.
She took another step and reached for the papers. Nick held up a hand to block her, then dropped it.
“Harper,” he said, his voice raw. “This is not—”
But she’d seen the first lines. These were divorce papers. And their names were typed in black print. The room began a slow spin around her.
“You’re divorcing me?” she asked, not quite believing it was possible. Waiting for him to explain how this was part of a grand plan...
“Yes.”
The word was plain and stark, and all the air rushed from her lungs. He was leaving her. Visions from when she was six years old began to flood her mind—the devastation as the front door closed behind her father, the tears, the desperate heartache—but she pushed it aside. This was different.
This was Nick.
It made no sense. They’d been so happy. They’d moved past their biggest hurdle and were now sleeping together through the night. What could possibly have changed for him? He’d kissed her this morning when he’d left to meet... Melissa.
Could his ex-wife have sabotaged their marriage?
She swallowed against the lump forming in her throat before she could get her voice to work. “What did Melissa say to you?”
“She was surprisingly reasonable,” he said. “Things only went bad when Guy showed up.”
Everything inside Harper wanted to demand answers, to push hard against the threat to her marriage, but the small part of her brain that was listening to rational thought knew that wasn’t a good idea. She called on all her self-control and calmly said, “What did he say?”
“His usual bluster and crap.” To a casual observer, Nick’s face would appear expressionless, but she was no casual observer. There was a slight tightening around his jaw; the edge of his lips was pale. “And then he tried to set me up by dumping painkillers on the table in front of me. He wanted to send a photo to Maverick.”
Her skin went cold. Blackmail was bad enough, but her first priority was Nick’s health. “Where are the pills now?”
“I threw them out,” he said, not meeting her eyes. “And Melissa caught Guy in the act, so it failed. It was a clumsy attempt.”
“So everything’s fine now? The blackmail attempt failed, and you didn’t take the pills.” Though she was clearly missing a piece of the puzzle, because there were divorce papers on the counter.
“But that’s not the point,” he said far too calmly for the conversation they were having. “I wanted to take them. Real bad.”
She rubbed her fingertips over her temple. “But you didn’t.”
“You don’t understand.” He cleared his throat. “It made me face something. This is part of who I am, and it’s not healthy to have this hanging over you and the babies. I won’t let it affect you.”
“Nick, I don’t care,” she said, finally giving up on trying to stay calm and allowing the desperation to leach into her voice. “Divorce isn’t the answer.”
“You said that as a SEAL I had to rely on everyone to do their jobs, and that’s true, but sometimes as a leader I had to make the hard calls.” His spine straightened, and his chin lifted a fraction. “And that’s what I’m doing now. Stepping up. Making the hard call to keep everyone safe.”
Angry now, she planted her hands on her hips. “Who made you the leader of our marriage? I thought we had a partnership. You don’t get to make some sort of a noble sacrifice all on your own.”
He didn’t flinch from her anger. Didn’t move a muscle. “You didn’t see me when I was in the throes of the addiction. You and the babies are precious. I won’t risk any possibility of that touching you and them.”
Nothing seemed real—more like a bad dream or something happening to someone else. Or a practical joke in poor taste. He wasn’t making this up—his body language showed no signs of deception. He honestly believed she’d be better off without him, despite this being so much bigger than the two of them.
“What about the babies? They need their father. What are you going to do?”
His eyes squeezed shut for long seconds before he met her gaze again. “They don’t need a father like me around. If you need to go back to Connecticut, I understand. We can talk about visitation after they’re born.”
He pushed to his feet, and for the first time she noticed a bulging duffel bag on his other side. The air in the room seemed thicker as her lungs struggled to draw enough in.
She looked pointedly from the duffel bag back to him. “So you’re leaving all t
hree of us?”
“I’m a mess, Harper. You know that.” He ran a hand down his face, then dug it into his pocket. “I need some space to decide how best to be a good father to all three kids. I want to get it right, as best I can.”
This was all so very wrong. Yet how could she convince him how wrong it was when he’d already convinced himself otherwise?
At Nick’s movements, Frank ambled over, probably hoping for a trip in the car.
“What about Frank?” she asked.
He leaned down to rub Frank’s ears, and Frank grinned up at him. “He’ll be better off here, with you. And the babies will love him.”
He picked up the bag and hooked it over his shoulder. Waves of panic washed over her, making her cold.
“You’re really going to walk out on me, Nick?” she asked, hardly believing she was saying those words aloud. “This can’t be what you want.”
“I’m fixing things. I might not like how I’m fixing it, but I can and I will.” He crossed to her side, placed a lingering, chaste kiss on her forehead, then stepped back. “I’m freeing you.”
Freeing her? She pinched the bridge of her nose. How was this even happening?
He took a step to the door, and she threw up a hand. “Hang on. This is your house. Why are you walking out? If you really want to separate, I’ll go back to my place.”
“No, stay as long as you need,” he said simply. “I can’t sit still right now anyway.”
This was beyond crazy. “Where will you go?”
“I don’t know.” His forehead scrunched up, and he rubbed it with his free hand. “I’ll stay at Natalie’s B&B tonight, and when I decide what I’ll do after that, I’ll let you know.”
He took another step toward the door, and a sob crept up her throat. She only just managed to hold it back. “Nick, don’t leave me.”
“I’m sorry, Harper. Really sorry.” And the look in his eyes said that was true. “I think this is the best thing to do.”
He turned and walked through the door. Her husband, the man she loved, the father of her unborn babies, had just left her. Abandoned her. She covered her face with her hands as the sob in her throat finally broke free.
Tempted by the Wrong Twin Page 15
