Stephanie
“What the actual…” Stephanie collapsed against the railing, unable to speak between gasping breaths. She dropped her head down in an effort to catch her breath. When Nick had called to tell her he was in town for a quick trip, she’d jumped at the chance to see him, of course. He was one of her best friends and with their crazy schedules, she’d take whatever opportunity she could to catch up with him. But she had not thought that his idea of catching up would be on a running track, sprinting until her lungs were on fire.
“Trouble keeping up?” Nick looked at her with complete seriousness.
“Yes,” she said as she stood straight again. “Of course I’m having trouble keeping up. What the hell has gotten into you? Besides, I thought you were busy working on your dad bod now. How are you even so fit?”
That got a smirk out of him, but only a quick one. “Ready to go again?”
“Nick!”
He looked at her with genuine surprise.
“Talk to me. What has you all fired up like a crazy man?”
Nick bounced on the balls of his feet. “I met with my lawyer earlier.” He shook his head before she could ask for more details. “No. I’m not talking about it.”
Steph understood, as much as anyone could understand. She also knew if he wanted advice, he’d ask for it. And he hadn’t.
“You okay?”
He nodded but then shrugged.
“Mostly okay?”
That got a small smile out of her friend. “I am. Thank you. I know you’re just concerned and I appreciate it, but there’s just nothing more we can do. We’re really doing all we can. The other day, we had our caseworker visit and I think she…well, I…” His mouth widened into a full-fledged smile.
“We?” Steph wiggled her eyebrow. “We as in, Char and Nick?”
“Well, yes…we are doing this together.”
“Oh, I know that look.” Steph pulled one of her legging-clad legs up into a stretch. Her muscles would be screaming after this workout. And the longer she could keep him talking, the less running they’d be doing. “That is the look of a man who is completely smitten with his fake fiancée.”
“What are you…” Nick roughed his hand over his stubble-covered chin. “What does that even look like?”
“You.” Steph switched legs and started to stretch out the other one. “It looks exactly like you. Don’t deny it.”
“Okay.”
She dropped her leg and stared at her friend. “What? Are you serious?”
He shrugged.
“You are smitten with her? I thought it was all casual and easy. No expectations.” She used air quotes with each description.
But Nick simply stared at her and shrugged again. “It was supposed to be, but…” He looked down and shook his head. “I don’t know how to explain it.”
“Try.”
Nick chuckled. “I think I’m falling in love with her.”
His confession took her breath away. Sure, Steph had always kind of guessed that there was something between them. It was obvious just to look at the two of them that there was a connection of some kind. But love? That was unexpected.
“And what are you going to do about that?”
He gave her a sidelong look and scrubbed a hand through his hair, but before he could answer her, the watch on his wrist rang.
Steph muttered something about how annoying smart watches were and walked a few steps away to stretch her calf on the railing as Nick took the call. She didn’t mean to listen in, but there was no way to avoid it.
“Hey, Char. What’s—”
“She’s here.”
Charlotte’s voice filled the air, and the panic laced in her words made Steph forget all about the calf stretch or the fact that she was trying not to eavesdrop. She turned and listened openly.
“Who’s here?” Nick didn’t bother trying to hide the concern in his voice. “Char? What’s going on?”
“She’s here,” Charlotte said again. “Amelia’s mother.”
Just a few simple words and Steph’s heart sank, just the way she knew Nick’s was as well. But it was her next words that shot fear through her.
“She wants to take the baby.”
The second her words registered in Stephanie’s brain, she made eye contact with Nick, who had the same look on his face that she knew she must, and she sprang into action. It was just a quick sprint to where she left her bag, and Nick was right behind her.
“Put her off as long as you can, Char. We’re on our way. It’ll be okay.”
Nick was talking to Charlotte, trying to keep her calm and figure out exactly what was going on while at the same time, Stephanie was already pulling out her cell phone to make the arrangements that would get them to Charlotte and Amelia as fast as possible.
It wasn’t the first time that Stephanie had used her private helicopter to get her to Glacier Falls in a hurry, and despite the fact that the flight only took twenty minutes instead of the three-hour drive, it still took far too long. Nick could hardly be contained during the short flight. He spent most of the trip muttering, clenching and unclenching his fists, and texting his lawyer.
He filled her in on what the lawyer said. About how if Jessica checked out, they’d have to let her take the baby.
It was heart-breaking.
More than anything, Stephanie wished she could do something, anything to help her friend through the situation. But beyond supplying the mode of transport, there was nothing else she could do. And she’d never felt more helpless in her entire life than when she watched him run to the waiting car that would take him immediately to ElkView and his daughter.
Hopefully it wasn’t too late.
It couldn’t be. She couldn’t let herself think that way.
Steph stood and stared down the road long after the SUV had driven away and the dust it kicked up had settled.
It was only then that she felt a total emptiness settle over her. She’d been alone a long time. Even when she’d been engaged to Dax Combs, she’d still been on her own most of the time. But never had she been lonely.
There was only one place that could give her the peace she needed. At least she hoped it could.
Stephanie thanked her helicopter pilot, and got in her own SUV to make the drive to Lynx Creek.
Just as she’d hoped, the moment she drove up the windy road to the old fishing camp, a sense of peace came over her. She went directly to Bankside, her cabin, and sat on the porch that faced the creek. She dangled her legs off the deck that didn’t yet have its railing and tried to lose herself in the burbling of the water.
She’d told Nick to let her know as soon as something happened, but she didn’t really expect to hear from him for a while. Maybe she should have gone to Ever After Ranch to be around her sisters, but Faith and Hope would only be worried as well and that would only make her feel worse. She tried to take a deep breath, but it hitched in her chest as a sob she’d been holding in escaped her lungs.
All the emotion she held for Nick and Amelia, and Charlotte, too, came busting out of her. Tears streaked down her face as she let herself ugly cry. With her shoulders shaking and her nose running, she let herself cry in a way like she’d never let herself go before. Before Glacier Falls and her cabins at Lynx Creek, it felt like there was always somebody watching her and a photographer waiting around every corner, ready to jump at the perfect shot of her doing something wrong, or looking wrong, or just living her life in a way that was tabloid-worthy.
But there was no one around now. Just her and the woods.
She let herself cry until, finally, there were no more tears and she dropped backward so she was lying on the wooden deck, flat on her back.
The moment she closed her eyes, a wet tongue licked at her face with the enthusiasm only a puppy could have.
Steph squealed and sat up, wrapping her arms around Tinker Bell, who’d grown remarkably larger since she’d seen her last. “Oh my goodness.” She laughed. “Aren’t you the sweetest thing. And you’ve grown. You’re going to be a big girl.”
“Hey. Don’t give her body issues.”
Steph’s head snapped up to see Travis, looking every bit as sexy as the last time she’d seen him. Only this time, he was once more dressed in his usual cowboy boots, worn jeans, and a T-shirt. He looked down at her with a cocky grin, but it dissolved into a frown of concern when he saw her.
“Hey.” He crouched down so he was eye to eye with her. “What’s wrong? I didn’t mean to…are you okay, Steph?”
His voice was so tender, and the hand that reached out to wipe a lingering tear from her cheek was equally tender, that it caused a fresh round of tears to well up in her eyes.
Still with the puppy in her lap, Steph buried her face in Tinker Bell’s fur. “No,” she said. “I mean…yes. I’m fine.” She looked up when he put his hand on her shoulder. “It’s just a lot built up and…well…I think I’m lonely.” It was the most simplistic thing she could think to say. But she couldn’t bring herself to rehash everything with Nick and Char and the baby. Besides, she didn’t know what she should say about that situation, so it was probably easier not to say anything. Besides, she was lonely. And when, a moment later, Travis moved so he sat next to her on the porch and slipped an arm over her shoulders as if it were the most natural thing in the whole world, she suddenly didn’t feel quite so lonely anymore.
His arm was warm, and reflexively, she snuggled into him. Travis wrapped his other arm around her and stroked her hair while the puppy bounced around them and alternately licked at their hands and tried to bite at their clothes. Finally, Tinker Bell managed to get her tongue in her ear. Steph squealed and laughed and tried to pull away to wipe her ear, but Travis held her fast. When she turned to look at him in question, the intensity in his gaze took her breath away and the laughter died on her lips.
He shifted a little so he could put one hand on her cheek. Travis held her in place and lowered his face to hers in a kiss that erased every single trace of loneliness she’d ever felt in her entire life.