Page 46 of Perfect Together
Ella laughed and rose to her feet. “On that note, I’ll clean up. Dessert in a few.”
Nicole pushed her chair back, prepared to help.
“No, no, you’re our guest. Sam, take her out back. The patio furniture’s all cleaned, and we have citronella candles burning so the mosquitoes won’t eat you alive.”
Nicole heard the definitive tone and knew better than to argue. Apparently, Sam felt the same way because he rose and held out a hand.
Suddenly nervous, she slipped her palm into his big, warm one and followed him outside. The bluestone patio reminded her of the glimpse she’d gotten of Sam’s backyard. Four lounge chairs, an outdoor bar with three stools, a rectangular table and chairs with an umbrella in the center, and a firepit. The surrounding lawn was green and lush, the plantings and flowers perfectly placed.
Everything about the small Marsden house called to something deep inside Nicole, the empty space never filled by her cold parents or their large house full of expensive things but lacking in warmth and love. In the short time here, she’d felt more welcomed and cared for than she ever had by her own family.
Her chest filled with a heaviness she fought against.
“What’s on your mind?” Sam asked perceptively as he relaxed into a recliner and drew her down with him.
She settled in beside him, resisting his attempt to pull her back against him so they could cuddle, her back to his front. She wanted to see his face when they talked, needed him to see hers. To understand.
“You’re lucky.” She wondered if he knew just how much more he had in life.
“How so?”
“Love. You were surrounded by it. Your parents are present in your lives. Not just physically but emotionally.”
Sam heard the catch in her voice and knew tonight’s conversation was important because she was going deep into herself, giving him insight into who she was and why.
“I’m not sure I ever thought about it that way,” he admitted. “Mike did because Simon adopted him.”
“Really?” She leaned in closer.
“Yeah. We’ve always been thought of as the perfect family, but we have our own secrets too. Not so secret, actually. Mom got pregnant by Mike’s father, and when he bailed, Simon stepped up. It turns out he’d been in love with her all along.”
Nicole’s eyes grew wide on hearing the story. “That’s beautiful. They seem so in love now.”
“They’ve been that way for as long as I can remember.”
She made a murmur of acknowledgment. “They’re lucky too, then.”
“What about your parents? I know you said they don’t care much about what you do unless it’s to benefit them, but how do they feel about each other?” Having divulged his parents’ past, he felt comfortable asking about hers.
She swallowed hard. “Let’s put it this way. When I told my mother I couldn’t marry Tyler because I wasn’t in love with him, she asked me what love had to do with anything, and when that didn’t sway me, she followed up with,just when did she tell me that fairy tales ever came true?”
***
What kind ofparent disillusioned their daughter? Even Sam, who’d stopped believing in that result, at least for himself, winced at the cruel comment.
He thought of how his parents had boosted Erin’s confidence and spirits, and convinced her she should at least try to go after what she wanted. Even after she’d gotten pregnant by a man determined to leave her and Serendipity behind.
The summer breeze blew around them and lifted Nicole’s hair from her shoulders. He met her gaze and wished he could put the stars back in her eyes and convince her that anything was possible. Maybe it was. Just not with him.
“So about us,” she said, as if reading his mind.
“I take it you don’t want to just pick up where we left off last night?” His chest hurt at the thought she might actually walk away.
“Actually, I do—with some modifications or qualifications.” She looked down at the slats on the chair, not meeting his gaze. “It turns out I’m not so good at this sex-without-emotion thing after all.”
His breath caught in his throat, but he was determined to hear her out. One night with her hadn’t been nearly enough, but what happened next? It all depended on what she asked for.
“I need us to be exclusive while we’re together.”