He shook his head. She glared at him. “I’ll rent the damned thing from you. Come on Nick. And I’ll sleep on the couch until I can find another place for me and my son or talk my mom out of it for a little while longer.”
“None of that is an issue. I’ll sleep on the couch and I’ll help you with your son. I’m coming with you.”
“The hell you are. You’ve barely said two words to me for the last week and now you expect me to take you to my Grandpa’s funeral? No way. Just give me your keys.”
“I’m coming with you. Let me call Bobby and let him know.”
She groaned. She didn’t want to show up with Nick at her Grandpa’s funeral either.
She thought that she’d truly blown things between them this time and she would do well with a few days away from him.
She slammed his bedroom door on her way out. He was already on the phone to Bobby.
Trying not to think, she threw a few days’ worth of clothes and some toiletries into her duffel bag. By the time she was dressed and had made it out to the living room, Nick was already packed and ready to go.
“Bobby wasn’t real happy. He’ll have to run the place by himself for a few day. But he’s going to have to get used to it eventually. I’m not going to be there forever.”
She nodded. She still didn’t want him to go with her. They were in the car and driving down the road before Nick finally turned to her and said “So. Where we going?”
She sheepishly gave him the address and he put it into his newly purchased GPS.
“You need anything on the way out of town?” She shook her head. “Go back to sleep babe. You look tired.”
She didn’t think there was much chance of her going back to sleep, but she awoke two hours later when he pulled into a truck stop.
“Sorry. I need to use the restroom. You hungry?”
She didn’t think she would be, but she was. They ate a hurried meal and then got back on the road. They pulled up to her grandparent’s house a little after one o’clock in the afternoon.
Her grandpa’s truck was sitting in the driveway, next to a newer car that must be her grandma’s and what looked like a rental which she assumed belonged to her mother. She was still sitting in the car when Nick came around and opened the door for her. He took her hand and helped her out.
“You okay?”
She shook her head. She was going to be seeing her mother for the first time in almost seven years. She was going to meet her half brother and sister. She was going to see her son again and had to face her prick of a stepfather. Her Grandpa was dead. No, she wasn’t okay she thought.
She buried her face in his chest. He put his arms around her. They were standing that way several minutes later when the door to her grandparent’s house opened. She pulled back from Nick and looked up. Her mother was standing on the doorstep, in a faded pair of jeans and a sweatshirt; barefoot. She looked much too young to have an almost twenty-five year old daughter. Nick squeezed her hand and then released her to her mother.
“Mommy,” she said. She suddenly felt like she was five years old again.
“Baby,” her mother said. Then they were both crying.
Several minutes later, she heard her Grandmother’s voice. “Where’s mine?”
Her Grandma looked old and tired, not like the woman that Ami remembered her as.
She moved to her Grandmother, and let herself be enveloped in the older woman’s embrace.
The woman felt so tiny, so breakable. So old she thought. Ami pulled back and kissed her cheek.
“I love you Grandma. I’m so sorry.”
“Thank you darling. I love you too. Are you going to make your boyfriend stand out here all day?”
“Oh, sorry.”
She looked at Nick who was standing uncomfortably next to his car, twirling an unlit cigarette in his fingers. Now was not the time to explain to her family that Nick was not her boyfriend she thought.
“Grandma, Mom, this is Nick.”
Her Grandma cast a shrewd glance at Nick. “If he wants to smoke that, he’ll have to go around to the patio.”
Nick nodded and walked to where her Grandma pointed. They stood on the porch, and for a moment, Nick had three pairs of women’s eyes on him.
“Where are the kids?” Ami said.
“Sleeping. I dragged them to the airport at four o’clock in the morning.”
“Sorry. Is Charlie here? Is there a motel nearby? We should probably go get checked in. I can take Charlie with me if you want me to.”
Her grandmother raised an eyebrow. “Little Charles is sleeping with his aunt and uncle. And you’re a grown woman Amelia. You may share a room with that handsome boyfriend of yours.”
She winked at Nick, who had joined them on the porch. Nick gave Ami a look, but didn’t say anything.
The rest of the day passed quickly. Friends of her grandparents came by to offer their condolences and gushed over the kids. Dinner was a casserole that a neighbor had brought by, with cherry pie and ice cream for dessert.
It felt strange to be around her family again, but at the same time it was wonderful. Her brother and sister were adorable, even though they fought like cats and dogs. Charlie seemed to content to play with his aunt and uncle though it was weird to think of her brother and sister as being an aunt and uncle when they were both younger than her son.
Her mother went back and forth between comforting her own mother and grilling Ami about everything she’d been doing for the past six years. Nick sat back and listened unless he was asked a direct question. He looked uncomfortable when Ami’s grandmother asked him how long they’d been together. Ami spoke up and told them they’d been together since September; feeling only a small stab of guilt. She’d wanted to be with him since then at least.
It was after midnight when they made it up to bed. Nick turned his back when she changed into her pajamas and offered to sleep on the floor. She gave him a dirty look and said “Would you hold me please?”
He took her into his arms, and she felt like she was home. She wanted to yell at him, to ask him how in the hell he couldn’t feel what she was feeling, but she said nothing.
Chapter 28
She slept fitfully that night. When she awoke for the third time, a little after three a.m. and Nick was turned away from her, his breathing deep and even, she decided she was going to go outside for a cigarette.
She pulled her jeans on over her pajama shorts and slipped her feet into her shoes.
When she got outside, she was surprised to find her mother outside on the patio, smoking a cigarette.
“Since when do you smoke?”
“I’ve done it off and on for years. When did you start?”
“When I turned eighteen.”
“Wonderful. Your boyfriend seems nice.”
“He’s great.”
“You really seem to care about him.”
“I think I fell in love with him the first time I saw him.” It may have taken her a while to admit it to herself, but it was true she thought.
“I felt the same way about Bruce.”
Ami nodded, though it was still weird for her mother to admit that about Bruce when she’d been cheating on Ami’s father. They were both silent for a while then her mother said “I’m sorry Ami.”
“For what?”
“For not telling you sooner about Corin. For pressuring you to take custody of Charlie. Lisa will take him back him with her if you want. Can you ever forgive me for being such an overbearing nosy mother? I only wanted the best for you.”
“I know Mom. Nick and I will take Charlie home with us when we go. If I don’t stop making excuses and take responsibility, he’ll be grown and I’ll have missed everything. Besides, he doesn’t really look that much like Corin anymore.”
Her mother snorted. “I’m sorry honey, but yes he does.”
Ami laughed. “Yeah okay, so maybe he does. I just can’t stand to look at him anymore and think about not being a real part of his l
ife.”
“I know. I knew it would come. I love you kid, you know that don’t you?”
“Of course Mom. I love you too. Do you think Grandma’s gonna be okay?”
“I don’t know honey. She’s putting on a brave face now, but she’s been in love with your Grandpa for fifty years.” She sighed. “Grandma’s tough as nails. She’ll get through it. We’re going to stay with her for a while after the funeral.”
“That’s good.”
“If the kids don’t drive her crazy.”
Ami smiled. “They’re good kids. All kid their age are bratty sometimes.”
“Your son has always been good as gold. I wish he’d give his aunt and uncle lessons. But I have a feeling you might almost be at that point where you’re not only ready to care for Charlie, but to have another little one. How serious are you with Nick?”
“I love him. I don’t think he understands how much.”
“Tell him then.”
Ami laughed. “I don’t know how.”
Her mother stubbed out her cigarette. “Then don’t tell him what’s in your head, tell him what’s in your heart. He seems to get along well with Charlie.”
“He does.” She’d been amazed at how well Nick had gotten along with Charlie and how much Charlie seemed to like him, since her son was normally a little shy. “But it’s not like that’s so easy.”
Desiree laughed. “If it’s too easy, it’s not worth it honey.”
“I know. I know.” She put out her cigarette, and reached out and gave her mother a hug. “I love you Mom. Goodnight.”
“I love you too, honey. Goodnight.”
“Aren’t you coming in?”
“I’ll be in in a bit.”
Ami nodded and slipped back into the house. When she got back to the bedroom, Nick was sitting up in bed. “Hi,” he said.
“Hi.” Then, before she could lose her nerve, she added “I love you Nick.” He just blinked at her. “I mean it. I’m not going to pretend anymore. I love you. I think I’ve loved you since the first time I saw you. I want to be with you Nick. Today, tomorrow, probably forever.”
He chuckled. “Just probably huh?”
She threw her pillow at him. “I pour my heart out to you and you laugh at me?”
He took her face in his hands and kissed her very gently. “Little secret Ami. I love you too. I needed to hear it from you first.”
She smacked him as hard as she could in the shoulder. “Asshole.”
He laughed. “I’m sorry. You know, if we weren’t in your grandparents’ house right now, I would so make love to you.”
“Excuses excuses.”
“You wait until we get home.”
“I’ll hold you to that. But you’re going to have to be more careful since we’ll have a kid in the house now. It is okay isn’t it? That’s Charlie’s coming home with us?”
“Of course it is babe. I can tell how much you’ve missed him by the way you look at him. It’s like you want to memorize every expression, every movement he makes so that you never forget. And he’s missed you, it’s obvious. I think the silly kid even likes me.”
Ami smiled. She was happy. It felt really bad to be so happy when her grandpa had just died, but she wanted to shout from the rooftops that finally she and Nick were together. And it had only taken them seven months to get there. And she was finally going to be a mother again, and it had only taken her seven years to get there. She settled herself against Nick’s chest and was able to fall back asleep.
Bruce didn’t show up until the day of the funeral. She didn’t say anything to him. She sat between Charlie and Nick. Nick had been like a rock for her the past few days and she loved him for it. His comforting her made her feel so much better and he was getting along better with Charlie all the time. She’d let her favorite men drag her out shopping, since Charlie had only been able to bring what could fit in Lisa’s car with him.
Bruce didn’t say anything to her until that evening, when they were eating dinner in some fancy restaurant that Bruce was paying for. Her Grandma looked like she wanted to go home, but she was trying to put on a brave face for her daughter and grandkids.
Nick had gotten up to go outside and smoke a cigarette when her stepfather approached her. She wished she’d gone with Nick she thought.
“I’m sorry that we never had the best relationship Ami.”
She looked at him. He didn’t really look sorry she thought. She didn’t think that she’d have really liked the man that her mother had married even if he hadn’t come between her parents. But she wasn’t going to hold a grudge anymore.
“Will you accept my sincere apology Amelia? Please.”
She studied him for a moment, and then looked to her mother, who was trying to separate Jasper and Carissa; who were fighting over who got to sit next to Grandma, while Charlie patiently colored, content at his own space at the table that was between Ami and Nick. Desiree looked tired, but she was happy. She loved being a mother.
“I will Bruce. I know how much my Mom loves you.”
Then she got up and went outside and smoked a cigarette with the man that she loved.
Back at Grandma’s house, she said a tearful goodbye to her family. She even found it in her to hug Bruce, though she made sure it was brief. When they drove home that night, Nick immediately moved her things into his room and they got started setting up Charlie’s room.
Chapter 29
When they told Ali and Carson that they had finally gotten together, Ali gave them an “I told you so.” Carson clapped Nick on the back and told him to remember who was going to be the best man at his wedding. Charlie loved his Auntie Ali and Uncle Carson and was very good with little Eli.
It was mid April. She was sitting on the couch when he got home from work, while Charlie played in his bedroom. She couldn’t believe it she thought. The test had been positive. How would he react she wondered?
He smiled when he came through the door and kissed her briefly. “Hello beautiful.”
“Hi. You seem to be in a good mood.”
“I might have some good news. I need to talk to you about it. See what you think.”
“There’s something I need to talk to you about too.”
“Okay.” He sat down on the couch next to her, kicking his shoes off.
She swallowed hard. He looked at her, waiting patiently for her to begin. Before she could lose her nerve, she just said it “Nick, I’m pregnant.”
He didn’t say anything, didn’t even look at her. He got up off of the couch and immediately disappeared into the bedroom. She was close to tears when he came back what seemed like endless minutes later, when it was probably only two or three. He was hiding something behind his back.
“Aren’t you going to say anything?”
She wasn’t sure how she felt. Part of her was excited and wanted to tell the whole world. Part of her was scared to death. They were going to have a baby.
He kneeled in front of her and took her hand. “I was going to wait, but there’s not much point anymore I guess.” He took the ring box from behind his back and opened it. “Will you marry me Ami?”
She kissed him so hard she almost knocked him back into the coffee table. He slipped the ring on her finger, a wide grin on his face. “Is that a yes?”
“Yes.”
She felt an ache that her Dad and her Grandpa wouldn’t be there, but otherwise she was thrilled.
Nick was still grinning. He kissed her and then pulled her up from the couch. He pulled her into his arms and then danced her around the living room. “My baby’s having a baby.”
“We’re having a baby.”
“Yeah. Damn.”
Charlie wandered out to the living room. “What’s going on Mom? Hi Nick.”
Ami patted the couch. “Come sit down me with honey, Nick and I need to talk to you.”
Charlie said nothing, but sat between his mother and Nick on the couch.
Ami took a deep breath, and then le
t it out. She didn’t want to throw so much at her son after he’d been with them such a short time but it wasn’t like she could hide it from him either.
“Nick and I are getting married sweetie. And you’re going to be a big brother.”
Charlie breathed a sigh of relief that she thought made him sound like a teenager. “Oh. Is that all? I thought you were sending me back to live with Aunt Lisa. Trinity’s kids are brats.”
Nick laughed and she gave him a dirty look. “Are you okay with this Charlie? Nick will be your stepdad.”
Charlie shrugged. “I like Nick and I never had a real dad before. I like babies. Can I go play next door?”
A family with three little boys had moved in next door. Both parents were very nice. Neither Ami nor Nick missed Brad one bit.
“Sure honey, but have Tina send you home at six o’clock so that we can have dinner.”
Charlie rolled his eyes. “I can read a clock Mom. I’ll be home at six. Bye Mom, bye Nick.”
Charlie ran back to his room and grabbed his jacket, and then went out the door.
“So,” Ami said. “Since we have a little time alone, how about Daddy takes Mommy to bed?”
Nick laughed. “Hormones already?” She smacked him in the butt. “I have to tell Carson. I have to tell my Dad.”
“Can that not wait until the morning? You don’t have to work tomorrow; I don’t have to work tomorrow. We’ve got nine months to tell everyone.”
“I can wait. But before I take my horny pregnant fiancé to bed, let me tell you my news.”
“Okay.”
“I talked to my Dad this afternoon. Told him that I was looking to open up a shop here. So he tells me that his shop is doing so well that he’s been looking into opening a second shop. And he wants me to run it.”
“Really?”
“Yep. The new shop should be ready to open in three, maybe four months. Do you think we could be married and find a house by then?”
“I don’t know.”
His smile faded. “I’m sorry. Do you want to move? How do you think Charlie will feel about it?”
“I haven’t been anywhere that really feels like home for a long time Nick. If it’s what you want to do, I’m fine with it, and I’m sure Charlie will be too.”
Misty Reigenborn Romance Boxed Set Page 97
