I felt him smile against my back. “Hell yeah, they are.”
Our honeymoon was flawless. And when we returned home and back to our day-to-day routines, our married life was impeccable because I had the best husband a girl could ask for.
Twenty Months Later …
A lot had happened since we got married.
Our honeymoon was amazing and everything I’d imagined it to be. Nic and I both got good tans, spent a lot of time naked, and were in wedded bliss.
As soon as we were back in New York, I’d decided to give my parents a final call, to offer them one last chance to be in my life. After my mother’s voicemail beeped, I’d left her a message. “This is your son. You remember me, right? The one you gave birth to? The one you made sure didn’t die before I could fend for myself? The one you sent off to college? The one who owns a successful bar? Oh and”—I’d chuckled—“the one who got married about a week ago? Thanks for showing up, by the way. I truly appreciate it.” I’d paused. “You know what? I don’t appreciate it. It fucking hurts, Mom. I’d understand if I was a felon or some shit, but I’m a good man, and I married a good woman. It breaks my heart that you don’t want to meet her. She’s a nurse and takes care of people for a living. It’s in her soul to take care of people. Actually”—I’d sighed—“forget it. I don’t need to explain my life to you since you don’t want any part of it.”
I’d hung up without saying goodbye, and made a promise to myself that I’d never call them again.
Getting back into the routine, I’d met Easton at the gym before heading into Halo that following Monday. “Hey,” Easton had greeted as he came into the locker room.
“Hey.” I’d smiled at him.
“So, how was it?”
My grin had widened. “Amazing.”
“Yeah?”
“Well, besides the fact that Nic wants a pig now.”
Easton had slammed his locker shut. “A pig?”
I’d shook my head, and we started to walk out of the locker room. “Yeah. We went swimming with pigs in the Bahamas, and now she wants a fucking teacup pig or some shit.”
“Are you going to get her one?”
“Fuck no. If I get her a pig, she’ll want a goat, and before I know it, we’re living upstate in a fucking barn.”
Easton had chuckled. “Ah. The married life.”
We’d stepped onto two treadmills next to each other. “Yeah, you’re next.”
“Shit. I’m not taking Brooke to the Caribbean. She’ll want a farm.”
“No?” We both sped up our machines. “Where are you planning on going?”
“I’m thinking Paris.”
“France?” I questioned.
“No, Texas.” He’d given me a side eye as we’d started to jog to warm up. “Yes. France.”
“Damn. That’s gonna be sweet.”
“Yeah.” He’d smiled. “I figured I couldn’t do a cruise since you did one, and while Hawaii is alluring, I thought to myself, this is Brooke. This is the woman who had a fucking tumor and who has never been treated like a queen. Figured I’d take her to see all that Paris has to offer. Stuff ourselves with pastries and wine and shit.”
“Yeah, sounds amazing. But first, we have to have your bachelor party.”
Easton had looked over at me. “And what do you have planned?”
I’d grinned. “I’m not telling you, and you know I can keep a secret.”
Easton had known about the cruise since the week after I’d proposed to Nic. I’d held that secret for months. At the time, I had no idea what we would be doing for his bachelor party. Back in the day, Easton and I used to shoot pool to have fun, so I’d thought we could have a low-key bachelor party for him like I’d had for mine. We were in our thirties. Getting drunk and dancing with random chicks just wasn’t our thing anymore. Little did we know, that night of pool would become known as the night we were almost scammed by a pool shark. That shit was crazy.
Over the last several months, I still hadn’t heard from my parents. Christmas had come and gone, birthdays, and my and Nic’s one-year anniversary, but no call.
Fuck. Them.
My wife, Easton, his parents, Brooke, and Cheyenne were my family. If my blood family didn’t want to acknowledge me, then I would focus on the people who actually wanted me in their lives.
Nic and I had decided to put starting a family on the back burner for now. We wanted to enjoy married life, and she’d stay on birth control. If she got pregnant again, it was meant to be.
Easton and Brooke got married and went off to Paris as Easton had planned. Halo was booming. Even my man Gary seemed happier, and I thought that had to do with Brooke’s sister, Bailee. Both of them denied having any sort of relationship, and Bailee was living in Boston. Even Cheyenne was excited about starting high school and hoping to make the varsity softball team.
Life was good for all of us.
Though that quickly changed.
Two months after Brooke and Easton got married, Brooke got the news that she had another tumor. This time was far worse than the time before, and there was a moment when we weren’t sure if she’d lose her arm. Luckily, the doctors were able to remove the tumor and save her arm. They did, however, have to remove some ribs and cut a nerve and shit. She wasn’t doing well with the pain, so Easton got her some weed, which seemed to help. Over the months of her recovery, we didn’t spend much time together. Brooke needed rest, so I caught up with Easton at Halo and during our weekly dinners at the Crawfords’.
Easton and I were even playing ball again, though this time it wasn’t hardball. We played for co-ed slow pitch softball teams—one in the spring and one in the fall.
Everything was amazing. I had my beautiful wife, the love of the game, and Halo. Easton had set up a date night and I took full advantage to have one with my wife as well. He’d asked if he could borrow my truck for the night. I was confused at first, but then he explained …
“You know Brooke’s scan came back clear,” Easton had stated as we sat in the office at Halo.
“Yeah,” I’d agreed. The last two had been clear and only showed scar tissue.
“I want to take her on a date.”
“And you need my truck?”
“I want to do something she’s not expecting.”
“And it involves my truck?”
“Are you going to let me borrow it or not?”
“Of course, but what are you doing?” I’d questioned.
Easton grinned. “I found this barn upstate that you can rent out for a private dinner. I want to do that and spend time with my wife—alone. Without Chey running in and ruining the mood. I want to do something special, and getting her flowers that glow in the dark like I did after her radiation a few years back isn’t going to do.”
I’d smiled, thinking about the pigs Nic and I swam with on our honeymoon. “She’s gonna want a pig now.”
He’d chuckled sarcastically. “No, she isn’t. That’s your wife.”
“Could you imagine me with a fucking pot-belly pig running around my townhouse? Thank God, I squashed that shit.”
“Yeah,” Easton had agreed. “So, can I borrow your truck?”
“You know you don’t need a truck to go to a barn, right?”
Easton had groaned. “Of course I know that, but I have this idea, and I need your truck.”
“What idea?”
“Dressing up.”
I had blinked, confused that Easton Crawford wanted to play dress up. “Dressing up?”
“Yeah. I want to make it a mystery, and if I have Brooke wear cowboy boots and I drive your truck, she won’t think we’re going to dinner and a movie. This will be different.”
I’d stared at him for a beat. “Are you really Easton Crawford?”
He’d balked. “What the hell does that mean?”
“You sound like me.”
He’d arched a brow. “And what does that mean?”
“You know what they call this, right?�
�� He hadn’t responded as he’d glared at me. I’d grinned. “It’s called romance, man. Easton Crawford is being romantic, and I never thought I’d see the day.”
He’d thrown his pen at me, and I’d caught it. “I’ve been romantic before.”
I’d shaken my head. “Not like this.”
Easton had sighed. “So what? I want to surprise my wife with a night away.”
“It’s cool. Maybe I’ll take your car for a night on the town with Nic.”
“Do whatever you want to do, but does that mean you’ll loan me your truck?”
I’d rolled my eyes. Easton was my brother and my best friend. “Of course, I will. Now, let me figure out what I’m going to do for my wife so she’s not jealous of your honky-tonk date.”
We’d laughed, but we’d both known I was right. My wife would be jealous, but that was one reason I loved her. She wanted the best out of life, and I was determined to give it to her.
Dressed in a gray suit, a white, button-down shirt, a pink tie (real men wear pink), and black dress shoes, I pulled up to my townhouse. Before I left Halo, I’d texted Nicole that I was on my way to pick her up. As I cut the engine of Easton’s car, Nic stepped out and stood on the front stoop waiting for me. She was dressed in a smokin’ hot, floor-length, red dress, her blonde hair was down and styled to the side, and I knew, because I’d picked them out, that under the dress were sparkly, strappy, silver heels.
I got out of the car and went around to the passenger side as I waited for Nic to walk over.
“I got your note,” she stated.
“Yeah?” I grinned.
Dear Mrs. Scott,
Tonight, we’re painting the town red. Or at least you will be in the dress I bought for you. The shoes? When I saw them, I knew I wanted to see you in them and nothing else. But that will come later. First, put all of this on, and I’ll pick you up at seven.
Yours forever,
Mr. Scott
“We’re painting the town red?” Nicole asked as she stepped up to me.
I kissed her lips softly and then looked down at how the red dress curved around every inch of her. “Well, you definitely are.”
“What’s the special occasion?” she asked as she slipped into the car. “And why do you have Easton’s car?”
I leaned in slightly, bending at the waist to be eye level with her. “Did you not learn anything from our honeymoon? I can keep a secret, baby.”
Nic chuckled. “Our honeymoon was a while ago.”
“And yet, it’s like you don’t even know me at all,” I teased and closed the door. I rounded the hood before sliding into the driver’s side.
“I know what the surprise is,” Nic stated, shocking me. Even if she’d talked to Brooke and found out that Easton had bought Brooke cowboy boots and was driving my truck, there was no way she knew what I had planned. Easton didn’t even know.
“You do?” I cranked the engine.
“We’re going to prom.”
I laughed. I laughed hard because my wife was too cute. “It’s not prom, but it is a night that will end in a hotel room.” I winked and backed out of the driveway.
I drove us forty-five minutes to the Upper East Side to a friend’s building where he owned a condo. I’d known Devin for several years because he’d frequented Halo often for drinks with co-workers. He was a cool guy. Single. And he’d offered to help me pull off this plan in exchange for a month of free drinks. It wasn’t like he couldn’t afford drinks. After all, I was sure his one-bedroom condo with parking had cost him just shy of a mil. That was why Easton and I lived forty-five minutes away. The farther you got out of the city, the cheaper it was.
The sun had almost fully set by the time we arrived. Devin had given me all the info to park in his garage under his building. I pulled in and cut the engine.
“I thought we were going to a hotel?” Nic questioned.
“The night’s still young, baby.”
“What are we doing here?” She looked around the concrete room.
“Stop asking so many questions. You know they don’t get you anywhere.”
She sighed, causing me to laugh. Some things never changed, and I secretly loved the way my wife had to know everything. I knew that if anything were to happen that needed to be investigated, she wouldn’t stop until she found out all the details.
I got out of the car, ran around to her side and opened the door for her. “The city awaits.” I held out my hand, and she took it, sliding out of the car. “Hungry?”
“Starving.”
“Then let’s go.” We walked hand in hand toward the elevator. Once inside, I hit the button for the floor my buddy had told me to go to.
“Is there a restaurant here?”
I looked over at my wife and gave her a stern look that said to stop asking questions. We rode the rest of the way up in silence. The lift dinged, and the doors opened before we stepped out. Lacing our fingers, I led Nic down to the very end of the hall where we took a few stairs up and out a heavy metal door.
The mid-August evening breeze blew around us as we stepped out onto the rooftop. That was one thing I loved about New York. The rooftops in California were for helicopters, but the roofs in NYC were for pools and parties and surprising your wife with a romantic candlelight dinner.
Nicole gasped the moment she saw the votive candles spread across the ground, illuminating a path to a small table for two against the railing. “How?”
“How?”
“How’d you do all this?”
“A man needs to have his secrets.”
“What other secrets are you keeping?”
I chuckled. “It was a joke, baby.”
We started to walk down the flickering path. “Then you’re going to tell me how you pulled this off?”
“Nope.” I pulled out her chair for her.
“Okay, I won’t ask you anything else because I love romantic Avery.”
I smirked as I took my seat across from her. “I’m always romantic.”
She shrugged a shoulder. “Most of the time.”
“Are you saying I need to up my game?”
“Well, it’s clear we’re not in the honeymoon phase anymore.”
Nicole was right. We still had sex a few times a week, spent all of our free time together, but when we were on our honeymoon, I was all over her like a cat in heat. But over the last year or so, life had turned into life. I used to cook her dinner, draw her baths, bring her flowers as a surprise. Life was hectic with the bar, and Brooke’s illness took Easton away from Halo. Nic and I just got comfortable. I still cooked dinner or at least helped, but it wasn’t the same.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I stated.
She smiled. “Okay. So, what’s for—”
I laughed, knowing she’d caught herself asking another question. Before I could tease her, Devin walked out of the metal door dressed as a waiter and carrying two plates with silver domes over them. He placed them in front of us, not saying anything, and then turned to a champagne bucket that had a bottle of Dom Perignon chilling. I’d ordered it wholesale—one of the perks of owning a bar—so it hadn’t cost me an arm and a leg. This one cost me a nice hundred, but it was worth it. Nic was worth it.
As I watched Devin pour the bubbly liquid, I let Nicole’s words sink in. After tonight, I was upping my game. Just because we were married didn’t mean I couldn’t make our life special.
After Devin filled the two flutes, he lifted the domes before walking away. Nicole looked up at me with a grin. “Cheeseburger and fries?”
I smirked and reached for my glass. “We may be dressed up to paint the town, baby, but I still know what you like to eat.”
“Shake Shack?”
“Of course.” I tilted my head slightly toward her flute, wanting her to lift it. She did. “Here’s to a night when we’ll both be naked by the end.” We clicked our glasses together, and both took a sip.
“I’m sure it will, and if I weren’t starving, I’
d say we should do it right here.”
I choked a little on the champagne. “Yeah?”
“It’s date night, right?” Nicole asked.
I wiped my mouth. “Yeah, it is. Eat your burger before it gets cold. We have a town to paint.” We didn’t necessarily have a town to paint. Going clubbing wasn’t something that struck me as exciting anymore, but I did have plans. Plans that continued on this rooftop.
After we finished our burgers and two glasses of the champagne, Devin brought out dessert, still not saying a word as he placed the plate between us and took the two burger plates with him.
“Does he talk?” Nicole questioned.
I chuckled. “Yeah, but he’s role-playing.”
She furrowed her brows. “He’s not a waiter?”
“Banker or some shit,” I replied.
“Does he owe you a favor or something?”
“Are you going to eat your lava cake? I know it’s your favorite, and hopefully, it’s deliciously warm and gooey.”
“You’re not going to answer me?”
I reached over and grabbed her hand. “Secrets, baby. Secrets.”
Nicole grinned and cut into the cake with the spoon in her free hand. “Fine. I have secrets of my own too, you know?”
“Oh yeah?”
She shook her head and stuck the chocolate cake into her mouth. Around a mouthful, she said, “I’m not telling.”
I smirked. “All right. I won’t press you. But we can’t keep big secrets from each other.”
“Have we ever?”
“Not that I know of.” I took a bite of the warm cake. It was gooey and perfect. I had to hand it to Devin for following all the instructions I’d left him.
We finished the cake, and I reached out my hand for Nicole to take as I stood. “We’re leaving?” she questioned as she slipped her soft hand in mine and stood.
“We’re dancing.” I grabbed the small, black remote that was sitting near the candle on the table. Some rap song started to filter in through the speakers. Apparently, Devin didn’t finish reading the entire memo, or he was fucking with me.
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