Coming Together: Welcome to Carson, Book Two

by Renee Harless

  “Hey, sweet one. How are you doing in there?”

  Small flutters respond to her question.

  “Good. I saw your daddy last night. He looked as handsome as ever, not that I had any doubts. You’ll be gorgeous just like him and his family.” She sighs, her lower back aching from the weight of the rapidly-growing infant. “Anyway, let’s get this day started. I need to find a job and a place for us to stay once you get here. Love you, sweet one.”

  More flutters graciously respond to Nikki’s endearment and she revels in the feel of instantaneous love for her child.

  The past four months had been difficult at best. Nikki remembers the panic she felt as she realized that she was two weeks late – then the desperate need to rush to the pharmacy in the next town over. Shame-faced, she took the pregnancy test in the store restroom, then sat in her car, crying, as she realized that she was going to destroy Austin’s world.

  They had never talked about kids, marriage, or anything further than their nightly rendezvous, but she loved him fiercely. The pull she had so long ignored in favor of the logical choice of pursing her less-of-a-playboy, doctor of a boss, Logan, increased ten-fold when she finally gave into their chemistry. She had no idea that sex could be so explosive: in the moments that their lips first met, the world had halted. It was just the two of them and everything else ceased to exist. They were together for two months before she recognized the early symptoms of her pregnancy.

  And then she fled. She fled out of fear, out of duty to her child, and out of love for Austin. Nikki had loved him so much that she couldn’t imagine burdening him with a child. He had a career, after all. Owner and architect for Connelly Construction, Austin had the world at his feet.

  Staring at the pregnancy test, Nikki’s fears had bubbled to the top of her heart and immediately overwhelmed her. She loved Austin, but she knew he didn’t feel the same – no one did. Her mother had left their family in disarray when she ran off with Nikki’s father’s boss – thus having her Dad not only fired, but black-listed in the financial world, all in the same moment. Her mother didn’t care that she upended Nikki’s world, or that her father would never recover and lose himself to the bottle. Her father’s love for her slipped through the amber liquid, along with his health and his will to live. The only love Nikki felt was that from her Aunt Andrea, Melanie’s mother. She had taken Nikki in, acting as her guardian and giving her shelter from the cruel world.

  Once again, Melanie and Andrea had been her rock as she fled from Carson and needed a place to think. They were with her the time she was rushed to the hospital when she started bleeding while working at a local restaurant, and they held her hand as she heard the baby’s heartbeat echoing in the small room. It was at their insistence that she found herself back in Carson. They urged her to tell Austin about the baby, Melanie gently assuring her that everything would work out for the best. And if it didn’t, she had added kindly, she could always move back to Georgia with them.

  Nikki didn’t know yet if she had made a mistake by coming back to Carson, but after her hormonal outburst at the Connelly Christmas gathering last night, she felt she had made an already-turbulent situation even worse.

  Peeking out from the guest room, Nikki glances around the hall before grabbing a pair of leggings and a sweater from her suitcase, attempting to quietly make her way to the bathroom. She only makes it two steps before the hardwood floor squeaks, and Logan’s deep voice booms from the kitchen.

  “Nikki, is that you?”

  Taking a deep breath, she nervously shuffles towards the kitchen, taking great care to make sure that the pile of clothing in her hands forms a protective barrier in front of her body.

  “Hey,” she responds softly.

  “Morning, Nik. Can I make you something to eat?” he asks, flashing a genuine smile in her direction.

  She would have read that same smile in the past as a flirtatious invitation, but now she recognizes it is simply the smile Logan gives to his friends. She bites the edge of her bottom lip and shakes her head no, saying that she doesn’t want to be a bother: she would grab something while she went out looking for a job.

  “Nonsense. Avery’s been craving pancakes, so if you’re okay with that, I’ll make you a batch as well.”

  Nikki laughs lightly at his commanding tone, knowing that she will have no choice but to eat those delicious-smelling pancakes, or Logan will tie her to the chair and let Avery force-feed her.

  “Hey, I was wondering if you were awake,” Avery whispers from behind Nikki, startling her.

  “Oh my gosh, please don’t sneak up on me like that.”

  “Not my fault you were in your own little world. Oooooh, Logan are you making pancakes? God, I love you.”

  “I am, sweetness. I was just telling Nikki that I’ll make her a batch, too.”

  “Good, and make that two for her please,” she says, turning to face Nikki once again, “You’re far too skinny to be almost five months pregnant.”

  “I was really sick, Avery. The only nourishment I had was through an IV. I’m just now able to eat real food again, so please keep your comments to yourself,” Nikki snaps.

  A growl reverberates from the kitchen before Nikki notices the wetness swimming in Avery’s eyes.

  “I’m sorry,” Avery whispers. “You’re right. It’s none of my business.”

  She moves quickly to join her fiancé in the kitchen, swiping at her face to remove the unwanted tears.

  “God, Avery. I don’t mean to be a bitch. It’s these hormones I swear. I just…” Nikki murmurs, shuffling her feet from side to side. “I was just really, really sick. So sick that the IV is the only thing that kept me and the baby alive. I couldn’t even keep down water. But now I’m fine and the baby is healthy, so I’m trying to forget my time in the hospital. I didn’t mean to get angry at you.”

  “I wish I had known you weren’t well. Every time I spoke with you, you told me that you were working and getting yourself together. I had no idea the personal holiday you took was because you were so sick. You never even hinted at it.”

  “I didn’t know you were pregnant either, but you look beautiful. I’ve never seen a more radiant mother-to-be.”

  And truly, she was stunning. Avery and Nikki had formed a close bond when Melanie brought her to Carson. Her back story was a tragic one. A family hell-bent on making her invisible and a fate that so unjustly took her sister and two fiancés. She had also had a hard life, and the two connected immediately. At first, it had hurt when she noticed Logan had taken an immediate liking to her, but it was hard not to like Avery. She was an empty soul with a dire need for love, and once she accepted her place with Logan, everything else fell in line. Which was why Nikki wasn’t surprised to find out that Avery was only a month behind her in pregnancy, a large rock balanced perfectly on her delicate ring finger. Logan looked at her as if she were all he could see, and Avery mirrored that expression in return. There was no denying the connection that they had together; a connection that made it all the more evident that Nikki and Austin weren’t ever going to find their own happily ever after. A lusty haze is all they saw each other through - a lusty haze that had taken over every aspect of their lives when they were together.

  Having rushed through breakfast and a shower, Nikki rode with the nosy townspeople on their small bus system, hoping against all hope that she had made the right choice in coming back to Carson. She didn’t want to be a burden to anyone, especially her friend Avery, but it seemed that since no one was hiring and all the cheap apartments in the next town were full, Nikki was going to have to rely on others. She hated that more than anything.

  AFTER THE ABYSMAL TURNOUT for potential jobs in Carson, Nikki relaxes against the headboard in the guest bedroom, writing furiously in her notebook until her phone startles her from her trance. She sighs heavily, hating to stop her work when she had gotten to such a good part, but after seeing the name that flashes across the screen, she knows she needs to take the call.<
br />
  Taking only enough time to conclude the secret project she was working on - a story that had been agonizing her mind for years – she answers the phone.

  “Hello?”

  “Meet me in twenty minutes at Angie’s,” he commands.

  “Huh?”

  “Twenty minutes, Nikki.”

  Click.

  Staring at the phone in her hand, Nikki shakes her head, knowing that if she doesn’t arrive in the allocated amount of time, Austin will only come and find her at Avery’s, and he’ll be spitting mad to boot. Not wanting to ruffle any more feathers, Nikki closes her notebook and then places it on the night stand.

  She arrives at Angie’s in exactly twenty minutes, then heaves a deep breath before moving to open the front door. Before she reaches the handle, a strong hand wraps around her wrist and halts her movements.

  “Nikki,” he murmurs hoarsely, his voice desperately close to her ear.

  She gasps in surprise, not from her name, but from the shock she feels traveling up her skin from his contact – something she had forgotten occurred whenever they touched.

  She turns her head towards the voice, bringing their mouths but an inch from each other, whispering his name in a single breath:

  “Austin.”

  “I WASN’T SURE YOU’D show up,” Austin admits quietly, shifting his eyes to gaze at Nikki. Wrapped in a pink pea coat, blonde hair cascading freely over her shoulders, her down-turned face seemed to imply that she found the sidewalk infinitely more interesting than she did him.

  “Well…I…um, it seemed urgent,” Nikki replies, unwavering in her stare towards the ground.

  Without a second thought, Austin moves his hand from her wrist and guides it to her petite hand, wrapping his fingers around hers. Opening the door to Angie’s diner, he bypasses the hostess and leads them to a secluded booth in the corner. Austin expels a deeply-held breath as Nikki glides into the seat opposite him, still clutching his hand in hers. As angry at her as he is, he can’t deny the inexplicable pull he feels in her proximity.

  The clanking of pots and pans in the background of the bustling restaurant is just a muffled whisper in Austin’s ears. His senses are completely ensnared and controlled by the beauty before him.

  Austin remains silent, regarding Nikki while she looks down at the table. Only when she lifts her eyes in his direction does he speak.

  Releasing her hand, he sits back against the booth and steels his expression.

  “I have a solution to your problem.”

  “Oh, what problem is that?” she asks hesitantly, reflexively placing her hand on her small stomach in a gentle, protective motion.

  “Your lack of job and accommodations.”

  Shocked, she bolts upright in her seat and loudly whispers, “Who told you that?”

  No response is necessary. Austin simply cocks his eyebrow, knowing she can come to the conclusion herself.

  “Dammit, Avery. I should have known,” she murmurs to herself, rolling her eyes affectionately.

  A waitress appears, breaking the awkward conversation as she requests their drink order.

  “Sweet tea for both of us, please.”

  A quick look of surprise shines on Nikki’s face before she steels her expression and whispers a quick thanks.

  “I seem to remember it being your favorite.”

  “It still is.”

  After a few moments of companionable silence the waitress quickly returns with their beverages, and they both request an order of chicken pot pie. Nikki turns her head, staring out the window and picking up on their earlier conversation.

  “I missed this place,” she begins calmly, lost in the picturesque vision before her. “I missed the tree-lined streets, the awning covered sidewalks, the way the business owners all chip in to help each other out… even how everyone in this town gossips about each other. I couldn’t wait to get back here. This is where I always imagined raising a family. On top of that, I missed everyone, of course.”

  “Everyone?” he probes, completely entranced in her revelation, forgetting that just earlier today he had no plans of ever again finding himself in the same room as Nikki.

  She throws a slight look in his direction with a nod of her head, confirming his question, before returning her gaze out the window.

  Austin finds himself lost in the vision of her. Watching her right hand gently resting on her slightly swollen stomach, rubbing small strokes back and forth - caressing the skin, protecting their child. It is a poignant moment – him watching her, her watching the community outside; a community she was denied as she grew up in the busy town of New York, under the care of parents who were seldom around. It’s no wonder she and Avery hit it off so well: two lonely women who missed out on the innocence of childhood.

  Time passes as he sits, studying her eyes, watching as they dart back and forth, observing their friends and neighbors as the residents set up for the big New Year’s festival the town holds annually. The sparkling warmth of twinkling lights dangling outside the window is reflected in Nikki’s eyes and she looks youthful, so much younger than her twenty-six years, and Austin feels his heart kick-start in his chest; a galloping pulse that causes his skin to flush and his breath to quicken.

  Damn.

  He’s going to have to work harder than he expected to push away the attraction he has for her. Luckily, their food arrives and Austin makes quick work of masking his emotions behind his spoon.

  Shoveling a large amount of crust, chicken, and veggies into his mouth, he immediately shouts, “Shit!,” as his spoon crashes to the table.

  His exclamation startles Nikki from her revelry and she jumps in her seat in alarm. As he guzzles down the remainder of his drink, Nikki passes him her sweet tea without hesitation. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, Austin utters a solemn bit of gratitude and notices Nikki staring down at her food.

  “Aren’t you going to eat? I’m sure if you blow on it, it will cool off.”

  It was too late before he noticed his mistake. Nikki’s tongue darts forward, licking her perfect lips as a rosy shade of pink colors her cheeks. At the sight of her desire and remembrance of their nights together, his cock hardens inside his jeans, making an already difficult situation even more…challenging.

  “Please eat.”

  “I can’t. I’m too distracted. Why did you ask me here, Austin?”

  Because I can’t stop thinking about you. I haven’t stopped in three months.

  “I asked you here because I want to help you. Yes, Avery mentioned your situation and I came up with a resolution.”

  “I don’t want any handouts. I can always look in the town over for a job, or I can go back to Savannah,” she replies steadily as her gaze veers back towards the townsfolk outside.

  “It’s not a handout. You know me well enough to know that if I couldn’t help, then I wouldn’t offer. But we’re all in luck. I have a job opening immediately as my office manager. I had been doing it all myself, but between the influx of flip-able properties and the construction of Avery’s pediatric clinic, I just don’t have the time to deal with those things. This is something you know and you’re good at.”

  Eyeing him skeptically, Nikki takes a few moments to digest the offer. He can tell that she is much keener than she leads people to believe; he and Logan are both well aware of that. Pursing her lips in contemplation for another second, she eyes him wearily once more. He knows she’s searching his eyes for his giveaway, the dark color they would turn if he was lying – which was a rarity, his mother taught him better than that. Nikki had once caught him stealing the last piece of chocolate from her secret stash and when she asked him about it, he had clearly denied taking anything. Too bad he hadn’t known about his eyes; she confessed how she knew he was lying and then re-hid her chocolate again.

  “No catch?” she asks after contemplating his offer.

  “No catch. Straightforward job opportunity that you can begin tomorrow. We can go over everything at t
he office in the morning.”

  “Oh, I have a doctor’s appointment in the morning. Is that ok?”

  “For the baby?”

  She nods and then, to the great surprise of them both, Austin blurts without a trace of hesitation, “Can I come?”

  “Uh… no… I uh… yes…I mean.” She clears her throat quickly, trying to recover, “Of course you can come. It’s my second ultrasound.” A pause, and the slightest shadow of a smile, “They may be able to tell me the gender.”

  “Really? Do you, um, have any pictures from the first?”

  SHOCKED AND BARELY ABLE to believe his response, Nikki turns to rummage through her bag and grabs the strip of five pictures she received from the doctor's office in Savannah. Opening the zippered pouch, Nikki reaches in and smiles the instant her fingers brush across the glossy paper. She gazes lovingly at her child's photos for a moment before handing them over to Austin to see for the first time.

  Nikki can't stop the smile from crossing her lips when she notices Austin's hand shaking slightly as he receives the pictures from her. At first, his gaze is indistinct – looks almost like a glare - and Nikki holds her breath, but then he gently strokes his finger across the paper and her heart crumbles into a tearful mess inside her chest. This is definitely not the reaction she had expected from him.

  Taking a deep breath as Austin gazes in astonishment, a feeling she had when she first saw their child as well, she leans over the table and asks, “You see that there? That little black mark?”

  He glances up from the photo, clutched tightly in his grasp, and gazes into her eyes. Her face merely inches from his, he replies huskily, “Yes.”

  “That’s the heart.”

  As he stares at the pictures, Nikki can’t believe that she is here with him. Nikki had to hold her breath as she felt his eyes glaring at her from across the table when they arrived. Yes, she had been lost in her own thoughts, but she had always been aware of his powerful gaze - could feel it bearing down on her long before she gave into her attraction for him. Earlier he had caught her as a heavy blush had risen on her cheeks. When he had told her to blow on her food, unabashedly her mind immediately darted to all the times she had filled her mouth with his large erection, milking every last ounce of salty and sweet liquid from his body. She licked her lips the way she always had when he presented his member to her, and Nikki had felt her cheeks reddening in desire. Unfortunately Austin had noticed as well, but being the gentleman he is, he had chosen to ignore her reaction.