One Simple Step (Journey Series)

by Williams, C. A.

  My favorite was a thin silver band that he bought one night at a carnival that we had checked out on the boardwalk. He had our initials added to it before slipping it onto my finger and giving it a kiss. Then we rode every ride, and pigged out on cotton candy, fried veggies, and French fries.

  By the time we were done, I felt like I was going to throw up, but it had been one of the most fun nights of my life. I had tucked the ring away in my box as soon as I got home. Nick figured I just didn’t want it to turn my finger green, but I explained to him that it was because I didn’t want to lose it since it was loose on my finger. It was special, and something I wanted to hold onto, a little something to remember that day by, forever.

  He let out a low laugh, and I squeezed my eyes shut at the sound. It was one of the sexiest things I had ever heard, and it got me every time. “No, I’m really not. I gotta get back to work. I’ll see ya in a bit. Love you.”

  “Love you, too.” I grumbled into the phone before hitting the end button, and tossing it on my bed. Remy walked in as I started flipping through my closet to figure out what I was going to wear for our mystery date.

  “Here, this came for you while you were out this morning.” She tossed a box on to my bed, and I eyed it as I laid a stack of sundresses down. It was addressed to me, but there was no return information. I had a feeling I knew who it was from.

  Tyler was right when he said Teddy wasn’t going to give up so easily. A couple of weeks had gone by since the day that I had left Tyler at the cafe, during which I started getting random little notes—on my car door, on my to-go cup of tea from the little café I liked to stop at. All were from Teddy. All had ended up in the garbage.

  I mean, he was being thoughtful. Each note said something he loved about me, words that I really hadn’t heard when we were together, but they didn’t mean anything to me now. They didn’t mean anything at all the minute he touched another girl.

  “Why don’t you open it? I really don’t care what it is.”

  “Um…okay.” Remy gave me a confused look, plopping down on my bed to pick at the tape. “Do you know who it’s from or something?”

  “Unfortunately,” I groaned, holding up a strapless maxi dress, and quickly throwing it back towards my closet. Nick was a leg-man, and while he never told me what to wear, I knew he loved to see them. “It’s most likely from Teddy.”

  “Teddy?” Remy repeated back to me as she popped the box open, and pulled out two smaller boxes. “And how do you know they’re from him?”

  “He’s trying to win me back or something, I’ve been getting things from him nonstop lately. He’s actually in town, but I haven’t seen him.” I dropped down onto the bed next to Remy, and she placed a box in each of my hands.

  “Ally, I swear you are like the queen of keeping things in. Why haven’t you mentioned anything about this before?” She crossed her arms tightly, her lips forming a straight line. “I thought he was going to leave you alone, seeing that you’re divorced and all. But now he’s here? Do you think you need to get a restraining order on him or something?”

  I muffled a laugh with my hand at Remy’s very serious expression, and the suggestion of a restraining order. Teddy wouldn’t hurt a fly. Sure, it was annoying, but he would eventually get a clue and leave me alone. “No, Remy. I think that would be a little extreme. It’s not that big of a deal, so I didn’t think to tell you about it.”

  I pulled open the first box, and couldn’t help but smile at the single cupcake that was in a clear plastic container with bubble wrap surrounding it. I knew exactly where it was from: the best bakery ever, which I had found while being out on the road with the band. I couldn’t even remember what the place was called, but it was in a tiny town in Tennessee.

  Every time we passed through the state, I made sure Bobby made a beeline just so I could get a single cupcake. Each one always had an intricate design, and this one was no different. The icing looked like it was a white lace overlay, and there were different sized hearts in various shades of red surrounding a date in the center.

  I was puzzled by the date since it hadn’t even happened yet, so I set it aside and opened the second box. Inside was another note.

  Great.

  “Here, I don’t think I can read this.” I shoved the paper towards Remy who was eyeing the cupcake, so I opened the container, and broke it into two. “You’re so lucky you’re one of my best friends, or I totally wouldn’t be sharing this with you. Best. Cupcake. Ever.” I stuffed my half into my mouth, and closed my eyes, savoring the richness of my favorite flavor, banana nut, with a cream cheese frosting.

  “That is amazing,” Remy said around a mouthful. “Are you sure this came from Teddy? Because I really can’t see him remembering something like that.”

  “Trust me, I’m shocked too. Read the letter, I can guarantee it’s from Teddy.”

  “Alright.”

  Ally-Cat,

  I know I’m probably annoying the shit out of you with all of these notes, but I really don’t care. You said I never cared to know your favorites, well this is me proving you wrong. Yeah, I might have made some mistakes in the past, not giving you the attention you deserved, but I’m going to make up for that now. You might be a little confused by the date on the cupcake, that I’m sure you’ve probably eaten by now ‘cause they’re so damn good, but you’ll figure it out soon enough. I want a new beginning with you, and that’s what we’re going to have, even if you don’t know it yet.

  I love you more than you’ll ever know,

  Teddy

  P.S. That cupcake was just the first of a dozen, there’s more to come.

  “Oh, wow. He really is trying, isn’t he?” I frowned at Remy as she handed me back the letter, and I read it again. He was starting to slowly chip away at the ice around my heart I had up as a blockade when it came to him, but that didn’t mean I was going to run back into his arms.

  I loved Nick.

  Nick was different. Nick had never hurt me. He didn’t need to prove that he knew me, or cared about me, or how much he loved me, because he showed me that every day.

  “So, what are you gonna do, sweetie? He seems like he’s really trying but—”

  I cut her off with my hand. “It’s too late for that, Rem.” She nodded her head in agreement, as I stood back up and began shuffling through my closet again. “What’s done is done. I’ve moved on, and now he needs to. He’ll figure that out soon enough if I just keep ignoring him.”

  “Well, sounds like you have it all figured out, then. You’re a smart girl, Al. What you have with Nick is good—perfect, in fact. Some girls would be confused by all of this, but you have your head on straight. Let’s just keep it that way.” She gave me a quick hug. “I’m gonna go take a shower and head into work. I’ll see ya Thursday for sure, right?”

  “Oh yeah, your first official ‘Throw-down Thursday’. Aren’t you so excited?”

  Throw-down Thursdays were epic, well, according to Danny at least. We always seemed to end up at Clammy’s on Thursday nights, so they became sort of a tradition, and Danny officially named it. He tried to outdrink everyone, and somehow that made it a throw-down, except for no one really could, or tried to outdrink him. Whatever it was, it was always fun and interesting. I knew Remy needed a night out, so I invited her, hoping she would have a good time, and so I could have a little girl reinforcement.

  “So excited,” she answered with a roll of her eyes before giving me a wave and shutting my door.

  I finished picking out my outfit for the night, and placed everything in the bathroom so I could take a bath and work on my hair before Nick arrived. I saw the letter again as I was grabbing clothes to put back in my closet.

  I could tell Teddy was trying, anyone could see that. Maybe he had finally figured out how a relationship was supposed to work, but it was too little too late for us. I hoped that he would be able to find someone that he could be happy with, like I was with Nick.

  Chapter 21

 
; Nick

  “Hey, Aaron, I’m gonna head out a little early. You need anything before I leave?” I pulled off my tie as I walked out and stood behind the front desk, where he was training a new clerk. I still hadn’t been able to find someone that was decent enough to fill the spot Ally had left behind. Hopefully this new girl, Kim, would be the one. Aaron definitely seemed fond of her.

  “No, I think we’re good,” he replied, distracted by Kim who, at the moment, was bent over retrieving a dropped pen. I really needed to have a discussion with him about appropriate behavior in the workplace. “You going out with Ally tonight?”

  “Yeah.” I rubbed a hand across the stubble on my face, wishing I had time to stop back at home before picking her up. “I have a few errands to run though, so if you need me, just give me a call.” I patted him on the back, leaning close to his ear so only he could hear me. “And try to keep your eyes on Kim’s face.” He turned a bright shade of red as I smirked at him and exited through the front entrance.

  I couldn’t blame the guy. It was hard to control yourself sometimes, especially if he was really interested in Kim. Ally and I only let things get out of hand at work one time, that night in my office, and it had been one of the best nights of my life. Every time I was sitting behind my desk, I could picture her laid out over it. It was hard to get any work done sometimes if I let my mind drift too far.

  I thought about Ally and the night I had planned for her. I wanted to do something extra special to show her how much I loved her, and I figured this would be exactly the type of thing she would love. On the outside, everything was going good, but on the inside, I was having a little bit of inner turmoil.

  I had come to the conclusion that Ally didn’t want kids, now and maybe ever, just by little things she would say once in a while, and the comment that I overheard when we were visiting her parents. What was I supposed to do about that? Should I come clean to her about my situation, or should I just end things now?

  That thought made me sick to my stomach. I couldn’t imagine my life without her. I loved Ally more than anything, but at the same time, I had to think about my daughter. I couldn’t see Ally as some evil stepmother, but could she really ever love a child that I shared with another woman? Just because my life was going to be changed forever, didn’t mean she wanted hers to.

  And then there was Kara. What in the hell was I going to do about her?

  I parked my bike in my parents’ driveway, taking my helmet off as I opened up the front door and walked through the house. I heard noise coming from the backyard, so I opened the patio door and found them sitting at the table with two glasses of wine. “Nicholas, what a surprise, honey!” My mom stood up to give me a hug, and I patted my dad on the back as I took a seat across from them.

  “I thought you had a big date planned for tonight, son.” My dad took a sip of his wine, and I shifted in my seat uncomfortably, not sure exactly how to tell them. I had always been a good son, never really gotten into much trouble, went to college, and got a good job. I hated to think I was going to disappoint them.

  “Yeah, I’m going to pick her up in a little bit, but there was something I wanted to talk to you guys about.”

  “Oh really?” My mom leaned forward, her lips curving into a smile. “Is there a certain question you’re going to be asking Ally tonight? You know I have your grandmother’s ring, it’s just waiting for you.”

  “No, Mom.” I shook my head sharply, swallowing thickly. “That’s not it. I’m actually…well, I’m not really sure...” C’mon Nick, you’re a grown ass man, just say it. “I’m gonna be a dad.”

  Both of their mouths dropped open, I saw the shock register across their faces, and then it slowly turned to joy. My mom’s smile was so big it caused her eyes to slant.

  “Oh, Nicholas.” She jumped up, clapping her hands together before leaning down to smack a kiss on my cheek. “I’m so excited to be a grandma, you have no idea. Do we know what the baby is yet? I can’t believe Ally didn’t let it slip when we went out for lunch the other day. She must not be too far along because she’s not showing yet, so when’s the due date? There’s so much to do!”

  “Mom.” I drug a hand over my face, knowing that I should’ve explained things a little more before I came right out and said it. “Ally’s not pregnant.”

  Her eyebrows knitted in confusion for a second, but then the realization washed over her face, and I could tell she knew. “Oh no, Nicholas.” She shook her head repeatedly and my dad gripped her hand giving it a squeeze. “Kara’s pregnant,” she quietly finished. “How far along is she? You didn’t cheat on Ally, did you? Please, tell me you didn’t do that. We raised you better.”

  “Of course not, Mom,” I said, sitting up straighter. I was sort of pissed that she even thought that. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I did something like that to Ally. “Kara just didn’t tell me right away. She wanted to give the baby up for adoption, but I couldn’t let her do that. She’s due next month.”

  “Adoption?” my dad repeated; the word sounding just about as foreign to him as it did me. “She doesn’t want the baby?”

  I shook my head even though I wasn’t so sure about that lately, another reason I didn’t know what in the hell I was going to do when it came to Ally. Kara and Jared were now over, what a surprise, and that made me think that maybe she was going to change her mind.

  She hadn’t actually said it, but she made little comments whenever we talked, like names she picked out, or that she had just bought an adorable outfit. I didn’t want to have to deal with Kara for the next eighteen years. Did I really want to put Ally through that, too?

  “I don’t know, she says she doesn’t, but I could see her changing her mind. Kara won’t sign any papers until after she’s born.”

  “She?” my mom asked quietly. “You’re having a little girl?”

  I nodded my head, smiling at the thought. I might not like who I was having a baby with, I definitely wished it was Ally, but I was still going to be a dad, and would love her unconditionally. “Yup. Are you ready to be grandparents, ‘cause I have no clue how to raise a baby, especially a girl, and I could use the help.”

  “We’ll always be there for you, Nick. I’m sure your mom would know more about the girl business than me, though, but I can guarantee she’ll be spoiled by the both of us.”

  My mom nodded her head in agreement, reaching out to pat my hand. “Have you told Ally yet?”

  I tipped my back and let out a deep sigh. “No, Mom, I haven’t. I don’t know how to, I’m not sure how she’ll react.”

  “That’s understandable, honey, but you do need to tell her, presumably before the baby arrives, so that doesn’t give you much time.”

  “I know, Mom. I just have to figure out exactly what I’m going to do.” I stood up, pushing my chair back in, and leaned down to give them each a kiss on the cheek. “I better head out, I’ll call ya tomorrow and maybe we can meet up. I definitely need your help getting some shopping done.”

  “Of course, honey. Have fun tonight.”

  I planned to, but I wasn’t so sure I should. What was I doing to Ally by not telling her the truth? Really, I was no better than that ex-husband of hers. After tonight I was going to make a decision, I had to. I was going to try to keep Ally in my life forever, or I would have to let her go. Either way I needed to decide, even though I had no fucking clue how. For now, I would push it out of my head and try to make tonight perfect for Ally, because she deserved it.

  Ally

  “We’re going back to your house?” I asked, a little confused as Nick pulled his bike to a stop in his driveway. I slid my legs off the back, trying to keep as much covered as possible while I adjusted the midnight blue dress I had picked out.

  I loved riding on the back of Nick’s bike, my arms wrapped around his waist, my head resting against his back. Plus, the ride itself was always a thrill, but it wasn’t the first thing I would pick to ride in a dress. Judging by the way Nick’s e
yes were raking over my body, his lips twisted into a smirk, he enjoyed it way more than I did.

  And he didn’t look so bad himself.

  I could tell he had come straight from work to pick me up, but he looked sexy as hell in a pair of fitted black pants, and a black dress shirt rolled to his elbows with just a hint of his tattoo peeking out.

  I asked him multiple times before he finally told me what it meant. Really, it was just some sort of tribal design that he found in the book at the tattoo shop he went to with Danny when they turned eighteen. I found it pretty amusing that Leah and I had done the same thing when we had gotten our matching star tattoos.

  His dark hair was a mess, and there was light stubble covering his face, something I loved but didn’t like that often since it tended to cover those dimples of his.

  “C’mon.” He laced his fingers through mine, but instead of going into the house, he pulled me around to the back.

  The small deck that overlooked the ocean was covered in hundreds of twinkling white lights, making it look like tiny stars against the blackness of the night. The table that usually sat in the corner was in the middle of the deck, covered with a lacy white tablecloth, and a single white daisy in a clear glass vase sat in the center. The speakers that he had wired into a sound system were playing soft music in the background as he led me over to the table, pulling out the chair for me, and helping me sit down, before taking the seat across from me.

  All of this, along with the sounds of the ocean, the water gently lapping against the sandy shore, was almost overwhelmingly sweet. He didn’t take me to some fancy restaurant, where everyone was stuffy and the pricing was outrageous, because he knew that I didn’t like places like that. This, this was perfect.

  “How did you do all of this?” I kept glancing around, still amazed by all of the lights. I was pretty sure I was going to make him leave them up forever. He pulled out a bottle of wine from beneath the table, along with two glasses and slid one across to me, his fingers lingering on mine as he brushed his thumb over the top of my hand.