Chapter Forty-Three
Five Months Later
I breathed in Rose’s baby scent while cradling her against me. It was the perfect name for her. Her petal-soft pink cheeks and beautiful, intoxicating smell had my ovaries promising they could produce one just as wonderful with the man sitting next to me holding on to her tiny little hand. Nick had come with me to drop off a baby gift while he was visiting me for Valentine’s Day weekend. Little Rose had come a few weeks early.
“You guys do good work—she’s beautiful,” I complimented the new parents sitting across from us in their mostly packed apartment, surrounded by boxes. They would soon be making their foray into suburbia and home ownership.
Zander kissed Meg’s head. “She does take after me.”
Meg smacked him with the back of her hand. It landed on his chest in a big thud.
Zander laughed and got up. He took Rose right out of my arms. I could tell he’d been itching to since we arrived and Meg had handed us the baby. He held her like a pro and gazed upon her tiny head.
“Thank God, you look like your mom.” He kissed her head before returning with her to sit next to his wife. They made the cutest family.
Nick took my hand now that it was free.
“How are you feeling, Meg?” I asked.
“It feels good to breathe and eat normally again. I swear she lived in my ribs the last few weeks.”
“Well, you look great.”
“Thank you.” She yawned.
“We should probably let you get some rest.”
“I’m sorry. This little one,” she gently swiped the dark hair on her baby’s head, “has her days and nights mixed up.”
Nick and I stood together.
“Congratulations again,” Nick offered.
Zander and Meg both went to stand up. Nick and I motioned for them to stay seated.
“You all rest, we can see ourselves out.”
“Ooo, wait,” Meg said. “Did you hear Kenadie and Jason are expecting?”
“We saw Nan last night at dinner with Jack. It was all she could talk about.” I grinned. Little did she know she would have something else to talk about soon. I’d helped Jack pick out an engagement ring for her last week. He was waiting to pop the question until her older son Dylan could fly out next month. He wanted all her kids there for the occasion.
“How long are you in town?” Zander asked Nick before we could leave.
“Just for the weekend,” Nick replied.
Meg gave me a commiserating look. She knew how hard it was on both of us to be apart so much. But it was the way it had to be for now. Nick was busy casting for Narcissistic Tendencies. And I didn’t feel good about moving to California without a solid commitment. Like the kind Jack was making to Nan. Nick hadn’t even said he loved me yet. I hadn’t either, but only because I was waiting on him. He acted like he loved me, but he’d never articulated it.
Our drive back to my place was mostly a silent affair.
Nick held my hand and caressed it while he drove. “You okay over there?”
“Yeah,” I spoke into the window.
“You look good with a baby in your arms.”
I sighed wistfully.
“You still want one?”
“Yes,” I whispered. So much.
“You know, I can help out there.” His tone bordered on teasing and volunteering.
I turned toward him, not sure what to say. I wanted nothing more than to have a baby with him, but it wasn’t something I felt like I could say at the moment.
He flashed me his half smile. “I know you want to be married first.”
I did. Was he ever going to offer that? We talked often of our future, and we were always together in it. But we always skirted around the topic of marriage. Even Skye was asking me about it lately, wondering if that was going to happen. She told me she already thought of me like a mother. Oh, how I loved that girl.
“Do you want to pick up Skye before we head to my place?” She and Liam were “hanging out” at Janelle’s house. Skye wasn’t sure what their relationship status was, but over Christmas break, Liam, in a surprise move, asked her on a date while Skye was visiting me. Nick had joined us for half the time. Skye was doing a good job of playing it cool when it came to Liam. I was proud of her.
Nick brought my hand up and kissed it. “I want to spend some alone time with you.”
“I would be amenable to that.”
Time alone meant a fire burning low in my fireplace, wine, my head in his lap while he stroked my hair and read Les Misérables to me. We were only a third of the way through. Normally I felt content in these moments, but I fidgeted and tossed about a bit tonight.
Nick lowered his tablet and looked down at me. “Is something bothering you?”
I thought for a second. “I miss you.”
“I miss you too,” he said blandly before going right back to reading.
I was bothered even more. I didn’t listen to a word Nick said, which was unfortunate because he spoke the French names so beautifully. I sighed and blew out large amounts of air.
Nick lowered his tablet again, this time with his signature smile. “Are you sure there isn’t anything you want to talk about?”
I gazed up into those eyes of his I loved so much. I loved the rest of him too. These past several months had been the best of my life. I hated the separations, but we talked every day, and every other weekend we saw each other most of the time. Our time together was filled with art museums, jazz concerts, cooking together, long walks on the beach, helping Skye with homework, and giving advice about boys and the best tampons. Nick was so grateful I always knew the right ones to buy. There was lots of laughter. Nick even joined in most of the time. And on the weekends Nick came here, he usually tried to help my dad with some hairbrained project, like installing toilet seats that automatically lowered.
“Nick, how do you feel about me?” I braved asking.
He ran a finger down my cheek. “I’m quite fond of you. Why do you ask?”
That was sweet, but not exactly what I was hoping for. I bit my lip. “Well . . . I mean, we’ve been together for a while now.”
“Yes, we have.” A flash of amusement lit up his eyes before he turned back to his tablet again.
“And you’re happy?” I couldn’t let this go.
“Very.” He didn’t even bother looking at me. “Can I proceed?”
I was getting more frustrated by the second. “No.”
He set his tablet down on my side table. “No?” He was more than amused now.
“Nick . . . I . . . I . . . love you,” I breathed out, somewhat annoyed. Though it felt incredible to finally say it out loud.
“It’s about time.” He was practically laughing.
I sat up, upset. That wasn’t the response I was looking for. “What do you mean it’s about time?”
He smirked. “I mean, it took you long enough.”
Oh. I could play his game. I straddled myself across his legs and leaned in, my lips hovering above his.
“I like this arrangement better.” He moved in for the kill.
I backed away. “No touching my lips until you tell me how you feel.”
“I already told you how fond I was of you.” He leaned in again.
I pressed my finger against his lips. “No deal, buddy.”
He removed my finger and kissed it. “I’m not your buddy, Kate.”
“Then what are you?”
He rested his forehead against mine. He let our emotions simmer between us until they boiled. Our torrid love letter scripted another line. “I’m the man who wants to take pleasure cruises with you,” his hand crept up my shirt and rested on my bare abdomen, “and have babies with you.”
“You do?” Tears stung my eyes.
“I do.” He brushed my lips. “I love you, Kate. I think I’ve loved you from the very first time we touched. I haven’t said it because you’ve been skittish in the past.”
I laughed. “That’s one way to put it.”
He caressed my cheek and held me with his enigmatic eyes. “Do you think you could handle a lifetime full of magic?”
Crackling currents of electricity ran through me. “I think I could manage that.”
“I was hoping you would say that.” His hand moved from my abdomen to between the couch cushions.
“What are you doing?”
“Give me a second.” He dug a little farther until he pulled out a small, intricately carved wood box. He held it between us with a genuine smile. “Open it, Kate.”
When did he put that there? You know, I didn’t care.
The tears didn’t wait, they trailed down my cheeks while I opened the beautiful box. I smiled, recognizing the ring. Jack had asked me what I’d thought of it when I’d helped him pick out Nan’s ring. I told him if I could pick any ring in the world, I would choose the vintage heirloom ring with the stunning round diamond.
Nick gently took the ring out and placed it on my finger, kissing it once it was in place. “Share my name, my life, and my daughter with me?”
My twenty-year-old shouted inside yes! The more demure, older me took a moment to revel in it before I answered, “I would be honored to.”
I pressed my lips to his, soaking in our connection. It was the most beautiful moment of my life.
Nick took my face in his hands. That smile was back in his eyes. “Are you going to use the same vows you wrote in your notebook?”
“No, but I promise to passionately kiss you every day, and if you’re really good, I’ll let you steal the covers too.”
“Kate, with me around, you’re never going to need the covers.”
Oh my.