Valentine's Daddy To Go: A Holiday Bad Boy Romance (The To Go Series Book 6)

by S. C. Adams

  “Is there anything else you need or are the two of you good for now?”

  “We’re good, thank you.” Our drinks were delivered earlier, so we’ve been sipping on that, and now, we’ve got our pasta. Amy and I take a few moments to enjoy our food, not talking. It’s been so long since I’ve had my signature meal from here. It tastes just as good as it always has.

  “What about you? How are things going between you and Nash?” Amy asks.

  “Great. This has been the most exciting and best two months of my life. I’m just so happy I met him.”

  “Yeah, I totally get that,” my friend says with a smile. Amy and I continue to eat, talking about what we’ve been doing lately and how Colt and Nash are. We sit in Petrucci’s for maybe an hour, gabbing away.

  I recognize that we’ve been out a while, and Nash will probably be home in a bit. I need some time to get things ready for him.

  “I think I need to get going. I want to surprise Nash tonight, and I need time to get everything ready.”

  Amy smiles knowingly at me.

  “Of course, don’t let me keep you. I can pay, you just go.”

  “Okay, thanks. I’ll call you later, and we can grab lunch.”

  “Sounds good!” she says.

  We say goodbye, and I go back out to the car.

  “I’m ready to go home now,” I tell the driver. He starts the car and off we go to Nash’s home.

  17

  Nash

  I left Nellie this morning sprawled out on our bed. The covers were laying across her belly, so I had an amazing view of her perfect breasts. I had to keep myself from trying to grab myself another handful.

  She looked absolutely divine, but I had already lost an hour and a half which was entirely my fault for having zero restraint. Not that I regret a moment of the time we spent together. But Colt and I have an important investor meeting today, and I said I was going to be in on-time this morning. Thankfully, the meeting’s during the afternoon, so our morning extracurriculars didn’t get in the way of anything.

  I get to work, and I’m greeted by an amused Colt.

  “Hey, buddy. You’re a little late this morning.”

  “Sorry. Got caught up.”

  “Oh, I can only imagine.” He smirks at me while taking a sip of his coffee. Then he strolls into his office, whistling. Colt can really be an ass sometimes, but it’s always in good fun.

  I go into my own office to prepare for our meeting. It’s in a couple of hours, so I’ve got time to review the paperwork that I need to. Slowly, I take in the rows of numbers and profit projections that our accountant put together. Evidently, this merger and its resultant expansion could be really great for Jaybird Choppers. If everything goes according to this proposal, then I’ll be back in the garage in no time.

  It’s really been a long time coming.

  After all, Colt recently showed me a bike he bought for us to fix up, and it’s a beauty. There are quite a few things that need repairing, but once it’s done, it’ll be one for the magazines. Honestly, it’s a bike that I could actually see Nellie riding.

  Which got me thinking that Colt and I should get some bikes for our girls, and teach them how to ride. I floated the idea with my buddy, and he was very much on board. Hot girls and chrome bikes. It’s a combination that can’t be beat.

  I’m sure either way Nellie will be a little scared at first, but I know she’ll get used to it. She’s gotten used to being on my bike anyway, and that’s a pretty big hurdle to get over.

  The next couple hours pass by pretty quickly, but there’s something I need to take care of in the garage, so I leave my desk and head outside. Once it’s done, I come back to my office when there’s a knock at my door.

  “Come in.”

  The door is pushed open, and Colt sticks his head in.

  “I heard you taking care of that thing just now.”

  I nod.

  “Yeah, had to be done.”

  “Does Nellie know?”

  “No, but I’m going to tell her tonight.”

  “Great.”

  Despite his casual reply, I can hear the judgment in Colt’s response. Maybe he would have handled telling his girl some bad news differently, but I didn’t want Nellie to freak out. I knew she would try to stop me, and I can’t have that. Plus, I needed time to figure out how to tell her. If I don’t break the news correctly, I could see Nellie completely coming undone.

  “You ready for the meeting?” my buddy asks in a lazy drawl. Looks like Colt isn’t going to push too much on the subject, which is something I am grateful for. I don’t really want to talk about it either way.

  I look down at the paperwork in the open folder on my desk. Everything appears to be in order, so I close it up.

  “Yeah, I’ve got everything I need. They should be here in what?” I pick up my wrist to check my watch. “Ten minutes?”

  Colt nods.

  “Yeah, they’ll be here in ten. Let’s head over to the conference room before they get here.”

  “Sounds good.” I get up from my seat, grab my folder, and follow Colt to the meeting room. Our secretary already set up a few things like water and a few snacks. Perfect.

  “So, we’re going to carry out this merger, and go through with the expansion then?” my partner asks, his tone casual but eyes sharp.

  I nod slowly while steepling my hands.

  “Yeah, you know, it seems like a great deal, actually. For us, anyways. We’ll get plenty of money, and we’ll also get back to doing what we truly love. Working on bikes.”

  Colt throws his head back and laughs.

  “Yeah, that’s right,” he says. “And we’ll finally get a chance to work on that bike I bought. We are this close,” Colt holds up his fingers, placing his pointer and thumb close together, “to having the absolute job of our dreams.”

  “I’m ready, man.”

  Just then there is a knock on our door. Jane, our secretary, pops open the door with our visitors lingering behind her. They’re a middle-aged couple, the man in a cowboy hat and the woman in a teal skirt suit.

  “Mr. Keller, Mr. McKenzie? Mr. and Mrs. Tate are here.”

  “Yes, let them in please.”

  Usually, we’re not so formal with our employees, but we thought it might be a better idea since we’re not so familiar with the Tates.

  Jane steps aside, so that the Tates can walk in.

  “Nash! Colt! Today is the day!” George Tate booms while aiming a couple of finger guns at us. He’s a little corny, but him and his wife, Linda, have proven to us that they are the ones we should go into business with. They don’t just own a couple of bike shops and apparel stores; they’re actual motorheads who ride and can service the bikes themselves.

  In other words, ideal business partners.

  “Today is the day!” Colt repeats.

  “Great!” George claps his hands. Linda smiles, the more conservative of the two, offering Colt and I a soft hello.

  We all sit down, and I take out the folder, opening it up, so we can get right to it.

  “I gathered all the paperwork we need to make this a done deal,” I say. “If you guys want to look them over, go right ahead. They should be identical to the scans we sent you earlier.”

  “That’s Linda’s department,” George comments, pointing to his wife. I slide them over to her, and her eyes skim over the papers. “She’s always been better at those types of things. Don’t know if we told you, but she’s got a law degree.”

  Linda smiles over at her husband and pats his shoulder.

  “George likes to brag about me a little too much sometimes,” she says, but she doesn’t sound annoyed or anything. They actually seem to be very much in sync with one another, the energy of one bouncing off the other.

  “There’s just so much to brag about, honey,” George beams proudly. Linda nods but has become focused on looking over the contracts. It doesn’t take her too long to finish, though.

  “These look e
xactly like what you sent us, and our lawyers have already reviewed them. We’re satisfied with everything outlined. If you’re ready to sign, then we’ve got the pens.” Linda takes out her own and gives it a quick click.

  I quietly smile at the Tates’ theatrics, but I don’t really mind. It’ll just make working with them a little more fun.

  “Yeah, let’s do this.”

  Colt looks over at me, and I nod, agreeing with him. We all grab a pen and take turns signing the four copies of the contract.

  The last contract that needs to be signed gets to me, and I take a deep breath. Then, I put pen to paper and sign my name. Letting the pages close, I let out a deep exhale. We’re finally done with all the back and forth.

  “Great! We’re officially in business together!” George is the first to stand up. The rest of follow suit and shake one another’s hands.

  “So, we’ll call you next week and get started on implementing this merger?” Linda asks.

  “Perfect, speak to you guys next week.” We say goodbye to our new partners, and George and Linda find their way out.

  Once they’ve left our office, Colt and I give each other a very enthusiastic high five.

  “We did it! We’re fucking amazing, dude!”

  “Hell, yeah! And, you better roll that bike out so I can start tinkering with it. I’m ready to hit the ground running.”

  “I’ll bring to the garage next week. It’s going to be a perfect restoration.”

  “Awesome. I’ve got to get home because I want to celebrate the good news with Nellie. Talk to you later?”

  “Yeah, I’ve got to get home to Amy. But before you go, did I tell you our good news?”

  I shake my head.

  “No, what?”

  “Amy’s pregnant.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Yep. Found a couple of days ago. So, I’m going to be celebrating a few things with my girl tonight,” he winks.

  “That’s great. That’s awesome, man.” I’m a little shocked to hear the news because Colt and I have been doing the bachelor life together for years, but maybe I shouldn’t be. We’ve both been out of commission ever since meeting Amy and Nellie, and the change has been sweet.

  I guess it’s not so farfetched that he’s setting down.

  “You and Amy should come over for dinner again,” I invite.

  “Why don’t you and Nellie come to my place? I feel like such an ass because she’s always hosting us.”

  “Yeah, we’ll come over. I’ll let you know when we’re free. See you tomorrow, and congrats again.”

  Colt and I say our goodbyes, and I head over to my office. I know it’s not a big deal that Amy is pregnant, but it’s gotten me thinking about me and Nellie.

  I’m sure Nellie knows by now. She and Amy are so close, her best friend would have told her by now. How is Nellie going to feel about all of this?

  After all, we haven’t had any conversations about the seriousness of our relationship, and in a month, I’m supposed to give Nellie a check for eighty thousand dollars. After that, there’s nothing requiring her to stay with me.

  Plus, all of that baby talk with Colt made me think about Nellie being pregnant. I’ve never wanted kids before. Neither did Colt. But look at him now!

  And, if I’m totally honest with myself, the idea of Nellie carrying my child has me excited. While I’m only realizing this now, I think subconsciously, I already knew this. We’ve been making love constantly for two months now, and there were a few times in there when we didn’t use protection. I’m never careless, but with her, I’ve been willy-nilly with it.

  It’s almost like I want something to happen.

  That must mean I’ve known the whole time how I felt about Nellie, even if I didn’t want to admit it to myself.

  “Jesus Christ, Keller.” I pinch the bridge of my nose, as if in pain. I hope the fact that it took me so long to figure this out doesn’t mean I lost my chance. After all, there must be a billion thoughts going through my girl’s head right now. There certainly are in mine.

  I gather my shit and head to my bike. It’s time to get home and talk to Nellie.

  18

  Nash

  I get home, expecting to hear Nellie call out to me, but there’s only radio silence. The entryway sounds strangely empty, and my shoes echo on the marble floor.

  That’s weird. She’s usually right here to greet me when I get home. And if she’s not, then she’s right around the corner.

  “Brenda!” I call out as I hang up my jacket. My housekeeper comes around the corner and greets me.

  “Hi, Mr. Keller. Is everything okay?”

  “Yeah, everything’s fine. Is Nellie home?”

  Brenda shakes her head.

  “She left earlier for a visit with Amy. I haven’t seen her since. I did step out for about an hour, but when I came back, she wasn’t here, so I assumed she and Amy were still hanging out.”

  “Hmm, you’re probably right. Thank you.” Brenda leaves me in the foyer. I take out my phone to check and see if Nellie sent me any texts. I don’t see anything. The last update was her telling me she was getting Italian with Amy, which was a few hours ago. Typically, there would have been something in between then and now, but Nellie wouldn’t do anything crazy. I’m sure there’s no reason for concern. It’s just odd, I guess.

  I take a deep breath and try to think of it as more time to formulate what I’m going to say to Nellie when she gets home.

  “You can do this,” I mumble to myself. “You’re an adult.”

  But where is Nellie?

  About an hour passes and still no word from my girl. Brenda already left for the day. She was getting concerned, but I told her not to worry and that Nellie probably just lost track of time.

  That’s it. She’s just a little absentminded today.

  Even with that in mind, maybe it’s time to call her.

  I take out my cell and dial her number. It rings for a little bit before going to voicemail. I try her one more time, but the same thing happens. Why isn’t she answering? I know every so often she gets busy and can’t get back to me right away, but it’s been multiple hours now, and I haven’t heard from her.

  I decide to try Colt next. Maybe Amy checked in with him, and Nellie just assumed he passed along the info.

  Colt answers on the second ring.

  “Hey, Buddy. What’s up?”

  “Have you heard anything from Amy or Nellie? I’ve been calling, but Nellie isn’t picking up.”

  “Um well, Amy is here with me. She was here when I got home.”

  I pause, astonished.

  “She was?”

  “Yeah,” Colt says. “Give me a second.”

  I hear him yell out Amy’s name, though it’s muffled. He’s taking to her in the background, but I can’t quite make out what they’re saying.

  “Nash, you still there?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Amy said she got home an hour before I did. Nellie left the restaurant before her, saying she needed to get home and prepare some surprise for you.”

  “Okay, and that’s all Amy knows? Nellie didn’t say anything else? “

  “Yeah, they went shopping, got food, and that was their day. I mean, Amy did a few more things by herself, but she thought that Nellie was going straight home after lunch.” I can tell Colt wants to help more, but if that’s all they’ve got, then that’s all they’ve got.

  “Thanks. I’m going to try her cell a few more times.”

  “Do you need me or Amy to do anything?”

  “No, but if you hear from her, can you guys contact me immediately?”

  “Of course. We definitely will. Good luck.”

  I hang up on Colt. This means that Nellie should have been home hours ago. Knowing her, she wouldn’t get me this worked up for a surprise. Something is going on.

  I try calling Nellie a few more times, but everything goes to voicemail.

  Goddamnit!

  I send he
r a text saying to call me back.

  Jesus Christ, I don’t need this stress. I already had a laundry list of shit Nellie and I had to discuss, and now, I’m wondering if she’s a missing person.

  I can’t jump to the worst case scenario. It’s a very slim chance that she’s in danger.

  But there’s still a chance.

  I could go out looking for her, but where would I begin? Amy thought Nellie had come straight home.

  I could call the driver! Fuck, why didn’t I think of this earlier?

  I call Zac’s number, and he answers immediately.

  “Mr. Keller, how can I help you?”

  “I need to know where you took Nellie today.”

  “No problem. We went to the River Park Shopping Center, and then Petrucci’s. After Petrucci’s, I dropped Miss Newman off at the mansion. I helped her bring her shopping bags upstairs, and she dismissed me for the day.”

  “So, you brought her back here?”

  “Yes, I left the premises around 3:30. Is everything okay, Mr. Keller?”

  “No. I mean yes, Zac. Thanks. I just wanted to check in.”

  “No problem. Happy to help any way I can.” I say goodbye to my driver and then head upstairs. If those shopping bags are in our bedroom, then that means she came home and then left.

  I check our room and don’t immediately see anything. I go through the closet, the bathroom, and even look under the bed, like I’m a crazy person. There’s nothing. I doubt Zac would lie to me. Maybe Nellie put her stuff away already? Where are those damned bags?

  Or maybe she put them in her bedroom. If there was some kind of surprise, as Colt stated, it would make sense to hide it there. The only person to ever really go into Nellie’s room is Brenda these days, since Nellie is with me every night.

  I go check her room and immediately see all kinds of bags. I look inside one of them, and it has a new lingerie set in it. She must have bought these at the mall with Amy. Phew. I’m relieved.

  So she did come home, but where did she go afterwards? Clearly, wherever she went, she found her own way there. She probably took her car. I’m not sure whether or not I saw it out in our driveway, but that would be the easiest way for Nellie to get around solo.