by Marie Tuhart
She’d said love. His heart pounded with elation. “I do trust you, Nicki. Yes, I was insanely jealous. On the sets of your scream queen flicks, you were always playing around with the guys during filming. On Caroline, the crew adored you. Michael could make you laugh and smile. And Chris…” He caressed her cheek. “No matter how much I tried, I couldn’t seem to make you that happy. So there was a little piece of me that was afraid. Afraid you’d see me as a failure.”
“Never.” Her voice was fierce. “What you saw was my friendship. Yes, I joked with the guys on the set. But you are my husband. You bottled everything up. I want to share your pain, your joy, everything. It hurt when you wouldn’t share with me.”
Adam stared down at the woman he loved. Tears shimmered in her eyes.
Nicki released him and stood.
His heart stuttered. “Where are you going?” He stifled the instinct to grab her.
“For a walk. We’re both on an emotional high. I won’t go far, and I won’t run away.” She went on her toes and brushed a kiss against his forehead. “But while I’m gone, I want you to think about the new rules in our marriage.”
She wandered over to the door, opened it, and let it close with a gentle click. Adam slid down onto the sofa, leaned his head back, and closed his eyes.
Memories flooded his mind. The first time he saw Nicki at the party in the pretty black and white dress that took his breath away. Their first date. He had been so nervous it took him three tries to ring her doorbell. Their wedding day when she’d walked down the aisle a vision in white.
The first time he tied her up, the excited yet apprehensive look in her eyes, then the sound of her crying out in excitement. The first time they added toys in the bedroom. Her breathy cries of pleasure.
Then in the hospital, after she’d lost the baby. The devastation on her face. His heart grew heavy and fear had filled his every pore. He walked away believing it was the right thing to do.
The first day on the set, the second she’d set foot out of the car, he’d notice her weight loss and the lack of enjoyment on her face. Which brought him to the last day on the set when she’d left. He’d almost lost hope that day.
But also, he relived every conversation they’d had, every fight, and every time they made up. He opened his eyes. Why hadn’t he figured this out before now? Nicki had tried to get him to talk to her about anything and everything.
He’d shut her out from day one. Enough was enough. He needed his wife, and he wasn’t going to lose her just because his father thought a man should be tough and not discuss things. Communication was the key. Why hadn’t he’d seen it before? And anyway, she’d made it easy for him. Show up. He could do that. Control his jealousy. Talk to her when he was having doubts.
Adam would do whatever it took to make their marriage work. No price was too high to make his wife happy.
He crossed the room and opened the door. He grinned. Nicki sat with her back against a nearby tree, sitting on a bed of pine needles, and staring up at the sky. Her face was calm and serene. She’d found the one spot where one could look up and see the blue sky without the pine trees blocking the view.
He strolled over to her. “Have I ever told you that you’re the strongest woman I’ve ever known?”
“I don’t believe so.” Nicki rose to her feet and brushed the pine needles away.
“You are.”
A small gust of wind caught her blonde hair and blew it across her face. He took the strand and pushed it back behind her ear. “I loved the way your hair brushed my body as we made love. I pictured our child having your hair.”
“I saw him having his father’s good looks.” She gave him a sad smile.
“Maybe.” He fingered the scar on his face.
“The scar is a part of you. A part I love.”
He cradled her warm delicate hand in his own. “Why did you cry so much these last few months?”
She bit her lip and looked down then raised her eyes to meet his gaze. “The tears were for all we’d lost and couldn’t seem to find again.”
“I see now that I killed off the spontaneous, outgoing woman I married.”
“Oh, I think she may still be around.” Her lips curved in a sweet smile.
“You mean so much to me. Much more than any movie. If it will make you happy, I’ll quit directing so we can be together more.” The pain he expected at saying the words didn’t materialize. Losing Nicki wouldn’t be an option he could live with.
“I would never ask you to do that.” Her arms went around his neck. “Directing is such a part of you, it’s your life.”
“Not anymore.” He cupped her chin. “You are my life.” Tears filled her eyes and began to spill down her cheeks. Damn it, he’d done it again. “Don’t cry.”
“You don’t understand.” She wiped the tears away with her fingers. “These are tears of joy. I don’t expect or want you to give up directing. I want you to make time for us. Like I said. That’s enough.”
“I used my work to escape reality, to escape you and what I had done to us.”
“It wasn’t all your fault. I have to take some of the blame. I stopped trying.”
He leaned down and kissed her forehead. “From this day forward, I promise to do my best to be open with you. I’ll work on trying to tell you what I’m feeling.”
“I’ll learn to prod you more, ask the tough questions no matter how hard they may be for us to answer.”
“Divorce is off the table, right?” Seemed that way, but he wanted to be sure he wasn’t missing something huge.
“If I remember right, someone already tore up the divorce papers.” She let out a husky laugh.
He grinned before brushing a kiss across her lips. “I love you.”
Her hands framed his face. “I love you, Adam. Don’t ever doubt that. No man can ever take your place in my heart or my life.”
“Let’s go inside so I can show you just how much I love you.”
Nicki let out a laugh. “I have a question first.”
“Yes.”
“How did you get Chris to lend you this cabin?”
“When I got the divorce papers, I went a little nuts. Chris straightened me out pretty fast and then offered me the place so we could have some alone time.”
“Remind me to tell Chris he’s fired.”
“I guess you don’t need him anymore, not with your costume designing career.”
“No. And I have a feeling Miralar is going to keep me busy for a very long time.” She took his hand and tugged him toward the cabin. “I can work anywhere now. You, on the other hand, have to go where the movie is going to be shot.” She pushed opened the door, and he allowed her to pull him inside. “So I will be going with you.”
He could barely breathe. She was giving him everything he wanted. He stopped and pulled her to a halt. “I love you. Now and forever.”
Epilogue
Nicki squirmed in her seat in the darkened theatre. The Academy Awards were almost finished. She’d spent the night on pins and needles. She wiped her damp palms on her dress.
“Relax, sweetheart.” Adam took her hand in his.
“How can you be so calm?” she asked before glancing up at the face of the man she loved. Six months since their magical time in Tahoe and they were still learning to work things out.
“He’s calm because we’ve already won the major award,” Michael said from the other side of Adam.
A smile curved her lips. Oscar night wasn’t that big of deal to her, but she wanted it so much for Adam. So far, Caroline had won best actor, best actress, best film, and best editing. Now was the time for the last award—best director.
“I don’t need an award. I have my wife, and that’s all I need.” Adam raised her hand and kissed the back of it.
Kelsey sighed and punched Michael in the arm. “Leave them alone.”
“Hey, you two,” Chris whispered from behind them. “Here comes the announcement.”
“And the wi
nner for best director is…” The envelope was ripped open. “This couldn’t have gone to a harder working director. Adam Bainbridge for Caroline.”
Nicki jumped to her feet. Yes. Yes. Yes. She all but fist pumped. She stood on her toes and gave Adam a kiss before he walked toward the stage.
“I told you he’d win,” Chris whispered.
“I knew he would,” she whispered back, her gaze never leaving her husband. He looked so sexy in his black tux. She couldn’t wait to get home and take it off piece by piece.
Adam took his Oscar with a stunned look on his face. He stepped up to the microphone, joy and pride shining through. “I want to thank everyone who worked on Caroline, but especially my wife.” He held his Oscar in the air. “Nicki, sweetheart. This one is for you. We did it together. I love you.”
The crowd went wild, but Nicki barely noticed. Her heart pounded as she watched Adam walk off the stage. Yes, they had done this together and they would spend the rest of their life together. Husband and wife.
About the Author
Marie Tuhart can’t remember a time when she didn’t have a book in her hands. A voracious reader since childhood, she began writing at nineteen and in 1994 decided to join RWA and get serious about publishing.
When she isn’t reading or writing, Marie loves to spend time in bookstores. A world traveler, she enjoys searching out corners of the globe she hasn't experienced yet. While still totally open to finding her own tall, dark and handsome, she is certainly enjoying the journey.
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Visit Marie at
www.MarieTuhart.com
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