I couldn't believe she came right out and accused Nicholas of buying me. My eyes flitted to the friends beside her, but they didn't really seem to be paying much attention or care about what she was saying. Clara grabbed my hand and held it in a vice grip. "I'm sure Nicholas will throw you out, just as he has for the last many years." Clara picked up a plastic ball and tossed it in her hand. "Are you here for some ball bobbing? I hear you're a champion at it." Rosemary's eyes narrowed, the facade she put on for the public crumbling right before our eyes. She glanced from Clara to me and back again. "Is there a particular reason you're being so rude?" Clara chuckled darkly. Actually, it was almost a cackle, which would have fit perfectly with her outfit. I bit my lip to keep from smiling. "There are many reasons," she said, lowering her voice. "But mostly I just don't care for insufferable bitches. You can move along now. You're in the way and we're here to raise money." I stood
He turned to look at me. "Why are you laughing?" "No reason." I walked over and hugged him. "I just love you." He squeezed me in return, leaning down to kiss me. It felt good, but I had to take care of more important things. I pulled away and tugged on his arm. "Come on. Have some ice cream with me."He laughed and joined me in the kitchen, taking a stool while I grabbed two pints from the freezer. "Guess what?" he asked after I handed him a spoon. "What?" His eyes were dancing as he bounced around. What in the world was he so giddy about? "You're never going to believe it." "What? Tell me." He started laughing again, and I scooped ice cream into my mouth, waiting for him to get the words out. He twirled his spoon through his fingers. "There are two pieces of good news actually. One, Hector held up his end of the bargain. He made the tape and signed the documents, just like I said he would." He wagged his eyebrows and grinned. "And two..." He broke off, laughing again. "I finali
My alarm beeped, and I reached to shut it off before it woke Nicholas up. His arm tightened around me when I tried to get up, but I eventually managed to get out of his grasp.I took a quick shower and headed downstairs to help Laura with the cooking, not surprised to find her already in the kitchen. The countertop was full of pans and bowls."Wow, you've been at it for a while." She looked up and smiled. "I love Thanksgiving. This will be the first one in a long time that we've had so many people around." I put some water in the kettle for tea and set it on the stove to heat. "So Nicholas usually spent his holidays alone?" "Either that or he would take a business trip this time of year." She gave me a sad smile. My heart ached and my gut twisted thinking about him being so lonely. Maybe he'd been even lonelier than me during the holidays. At least I'd had Lory. Laura and I worked together, dressing the turkey, making side dishes and desserts, and chattering away as the morning fl
"So how long is this drive?" Nicholas reached over and took my hand to hold in his. "We're avoiding rush hour, so probably around an hour." He wanted to be alone again today—just the two of us—to check out the house he found for us. So we were in a sedan because he didn't want me or the baby to be cramped in his favorite car. It was the day after his meeting with Simon, and I wasn't quite sure how I felt about it all. Nicholas had gotten home late the night before, looking tired, but relieved. He had pulled me into his arms and told me everything that happened. The problem was: nothing much had happened. It should have been good news. It should have made us happy when Simon basically backed down immediately once Nicholas presented everything he had. That he didn't put up any fight and agreed to cut all ties to the Rowes. As relieved as Nicholas seemed, I couldn't avoid feeling unsettled. It was all way too easy. Nicholas had been geared up for battle, but Simon waved the white f
Nicholas wasn't around a lot, spending extra time at the office. He'd already discussed stepping back from his involvement in the company, and they were all putting in a lot of work to make the transition smoother.Aside from all that, I spent any extra time I had with Courtney and Lory, shopping for Christmas presents and maternity clothes. I was in search of one item in particular. "This one is gorgeous," Lory said, holding a white floor-length gown in her hand. Nicholas and I were expected to attend a Christmas ball with his parents, and I needed to find a dress that didn't make me look like a pumpkin. I shook my head at her selection. "It looks more like a wedding dress. Plus, white will only make me look bigger than I already do."Both of them rolled their eyes. "You aren't fat, you're pregnant," Courtney sniped. "You're still skinny everywhere but your stomach."Courtney turned to me. "Are you still planning to take next semester off?"I nodded. "Yeah." I rubbed my belly. "He
As if I could tell him no. Not when he was charming, sweet, and decked out in formal wear. "Okay."He helped me up and held me close, the orchestra bouncing between classical music and holiday songs. I relaxed against him, content with the warmth of his body next to mine and his humming in my ear. I wasn't sure how long we stayed out there, but each time his hands moved up and down my back and his lips brushed over my skin, the more I wanted him."Have I told you how beautiful you are tonight?" My heart raced from his sweet words."Only about a hundred times."His warm breath fanned over my skin when he chuckled. We were probably holding each other entirely too close to be considered appropriate for the occasion, but I didn't care. I couldn't wait to get him home and out of his tuxedo.He nibbled on my earlobe, just enough to drive me crazy. "Are you ready to get out of here?" "Beyond ready." I was ready to pull him into the bathroom and have my way with him. He must have heard the a
The problem with determining my baby's injuries was that I couldn't quite get the right words to come out. I tried to communicate but wasn't doing a very good job. The doctors and Nicholas kept telling me it would take a little more time and to not get discouraged, but to me, it was another form of being trapped. When talking didn't work, I tried writing down my questions, but I couldn't even draw a straight line, let alone form words on the paper.It was more frustrating than anything I'd ever experienced.Aside from all the regular doctors and nurses, it seemed like I had different therapists coming in at all hours, working with me on my movement and speech recovery. It was like I had to learn how to do the most basic things all over again.I was told the fact my memory seemed mostly intact was a great sign, but it didn't help me in figuring out how to express my need to know about our child. After a few minutes of one of the therapists coercing me through a puzzle, I pushed it away
Nicholas POV:"Jefferson! Nicholas!"I glanced over and grimaced at the waving mayor, debating in my head whether it would be too insulting to pretend I hadn't heard him. When my father started making his way over, I kissed Willow's cheek in resignation."It's the mayor. Give me just a second." She nodded with an understanding smile. "It's okay. Go ahead." My mother responded and I paused, an unsettled feeling in the pit of my stomach. Flakes of snow were falling and it was freezing cold out here. It wouldn't be good for Willow to stand around in this weather. But I hated letting her out of my reach.I glanced over to my father and the mayor and then back to Willow, her cheeks rosy from the cold. I squeezed her hand and nodded. "I'll be right behind you."I hurried over to shake the mayor's hand and oblige him with a bit of small talk."Nicholas!" His hand gripped mine in an enthusiastic shake. "It's been too long since we've talked.""Yes, I've been quite busy." He laughed. "I hear