It wasn’t often that doing the right thing bit the wall, but this was definitely one of those moments. Nate could have done without seeing Nick claim Sonia’s hand, but he supposed he should be glad that he knew the end of the story.
It would cure him of his addiction to her podcast, that was for sure.
The last thing Nate wanted to do was visit anyone, but Diane called just after they got on the highway. Her timing couldn’t have been better, but there was no way she could have known that he was in town, on the verge of heading back to Boston.
“Is Mom okay?” he asked, his suspicions roused. Troll drove, impassive as ever.
“She just sounds a bit lonely and I can’t get there this weekend. I’m trying to get some edits off my desk and it might be a long night. Any chance you could stop by or are you working weekends now?”
“I was actually in New York today.”
“Go on,” Diane said, but she didn’t really sound surprised.
“Did you know that?”
“How could I possibly know that?” his sister demanded. “I just had a feeling you might be able to help. Call it female intuition.”
Nate looked toward Troll, who was driving. “Maybe I can drive down tomorrow to see her,” he said. “Are you going to be talking to her again, or should I call?”
“You call and just suggest it,” Diane said. “Pretend this conversation never happened.”
“Got it.” No wonder he loved spy stuff and intrigue.
“Thanks, Nate. Let me know how she’s doing when you leave.”
“Problem?” Troll asked, merging into traffic.
“My sister wants me to visit my mom.”
“Here?”
Nate nodded.
“We could stop in.”
“Don’t you want to get home?”
“It’s an hour or two, no big deal so long as your mom doesn’t mind me being there. It would save you a huge drive tomorrow.”
That was true enough.
Nate rang his mom, smiling at her enthusiasm for the idea. “You like pot roast?” he asked Troll.
“You’d better believe it,” that man said, flashing a rare smile. “Put the address in the GPS and let’s go.”
They got to Nate’s mom’s place in thirty-five minutes, but to Nate’s surprise, there was a red Jeep Renegade parked at the curb. Troll pulled into the driveway. Nate had to assume that whoever owned the Jeep was visiting a neighbor, but took a look. His mom waved from the living room window, then came to the door.
“You must be Simon,” she said warmly. “Won’t you please come in?”
“I have to thank you, Mrs. Buchanan, for the dinner invitation,” Troll said, suddenly loquacious. “I didn’t expect that, much less pot roast.”
“I just had a feeling today,” Nate’s mom said. “I thought I could freeze portions for quick meals, but this is much better.”
“Thank you again, Mrs. Buchanan. It smells great.”
“Please call me Bev. And you boys need a good hot dinner before that long drive.”
Nate shook his head at the way the two of them had already hit it off, and was thinking he should tell Troll to talk a bit more. That might improve the former SEAL’s social life.
“Nate Buchanan!”
Nate stopped on the path and glanced back, very certain that he recognized that female voice. He caught a glimpse of his mom at the window, watching with obvious expectation. Troll had taken off his sunglasses to look, but didn’t seem to understand what he was going to witness.
Diane had arranged this.
The only reason was why.
And why now?
Nate turned slowly, not really surprised to see Trish on the sidewalk. She was as pretty as ever, her dark curly hair a little shorter, her figure a little curvier. He swallowed, noticing that his heart hadn’t skipped a beat. It didn’t even make a lunge for his throat. He felt calm, as if he was confronting a stranger.
“Hi Nate!” she said warmly, her tone the complete opposite of the last time they’d talked. She obviously was intent on talking to him.
Might as well get this done.
“Patricia Hargreaves,” he said, slowly walking back toward the driveway. “How are you?” His mom’s gaze bored into his back. Diane must have requested a report.
“I’m great,” Trish said with familiar enthusiasm. “How are you?”
She walked closer with obvious anticipation. He saw that her eyes were still that cat-bright green, that her smile was just as wide. He didn’t feel the urge to smile back, though.
It wasn’t entirely petty that Nate offered his hand to shake, since his right arm had the Hook.
She flicked the barest glance at the prosthesis, then smiled and closed in for a kiss. “Oh really, we’re beyond shaking hands, even after all this time.” She had to stretch to her toes to land a kiss on his chin but, unlike old times, Nate didn’t bend down to help her out. He wasn’t angry. He wasn’t hurt.
He just wondered why she had turned up.
And he wished she would leave, preferably for good. They had nothing to say to each other, in his view.
Maybe he could ensure that.
“You look great,” she said, as if trying to convince herself. She prodded his chest with a fingertip and laughed a little. “As fit as ever.”
“What are you doing here?” Nate asked.
Her gaze flicked, but her smile never wavered.
“It was Diane, wasn’t it?” he guessed.
Trish exhaled and glared at him a bit. “She said you’d be here. She said you missed me.”
“Sorry, but she was wrong.” He forced a smile. “Take care, Trish.”
“But wait.” She seized his sleeve. “We haven’t caught up yet.”
“What’s there to catch up on? Didn’t you throw me back when I lost my hand? It’s still gone. We’re ancient history, Trish. I hope you got a good price for the ring.”
She blushed then and her lips tightened. “I still have it,” she confessed and held out her right hand. The ring he’d saved up to buy her was there, glinting in the light. It was a much smaller diamond than Nate remembered, but then, it had cost him pretty much everything he’d had.
“Why?” he asked and her cheeks burned even redder.
“Because it’s never like the first time. I made a mistake, Nate. I wasn’t kind when you needed me to be kind. I want to make that up to you.”
“You didn’t love me when it would have been inconvenient for you, which means you probably never loved me. Not really.”
She glared at him, tears shimmering in her eyes. He refused to be swayed. “That’s not true. I was young. We were young. I made a mistake.”
“It’s been years, Trish.”
“I didn’t know where you were.”
“You could have asked my mom.” Nate was well aware that the woman in question was watching their exchange. “But then, you never called her when I was deployed and we were engaged then. Why would you call her after you dumped me?”
“Don’t be mean, Nate. Your mom never liked me and I knew it.”
“Yet here we are, meeting again in her driveway.”
Trish flushed. “I was thinking of you and hoping you were okay. Then Diane called. It seemed like kismet.” She gestured and he realized there was no ring on her left hand. He spotted a chain around her neck and saw something glimmering in her cleavage.
“You’re single again,” he guessed and the way her eyes narrowed told him he’d gotten it exactly right. “Too bad for you that I have a rule against desperation.”
“Against desperation? What do you mean?”
Nate ticked them off on his fingers, using the Hook. “No pity sex. No sympathy fucks. No hook-ups born of desperation.” He raised his hand. “Nice try, Trish, but you’re not going to close this deal. Take care.” He took a step back, turning away. “I’ve got to visit my mom.”
“Are you seeing anyone?” Trish demanded when he’d taken three steps and Nate glanced back to see that she had one hand propped on her hip. “Do I have a chance?”
As if she had the right to ask him questions.
He did not answer to former fiancés.
“You had a chance and you threw me back.”
Trish exhaled. “I was wrong! I came today, Nate, because I miss you.”
“As I understand it, Diane called you,” Nate said. “My mom has been living right here for my whole life. It would have been pretty easy for you to find me, if that had been your plan.”
Trish folded her arms across her chest, looking sulky. “Like I said, your mom never liked me.”
“And how long has it been since we broke up?” He asked as if he didn’t know with total precision. “But today, presto, you suddenly decide you miss me. I don’t think so, Trish. You need me for something else, or you think you do, but I’m not going to play your games anymore.”
Trish’s lips tightened the way they did when she wasn’t getting her way. Nate had forgotten that stubborn expression but he recognized it right away. “Don’t be mean!” She spoke through clenched teeth.
“Mean?” Nate closed the distance between them with one step and glared down at her. “You’re the one who dumped me because I was injured in the line of duty.”
“That wasn’t why…”
“Why was it then?”
“Because I’d met Craig and it was magical.”
Nate was startled, and then he became angry. “Oh, it was because you were cheating on me. Well, that makes it so much better.” He waved his prosthesis. “You said it was because of this and I believed you, since you were, after all, my fiancée and the love of my life. My mistake.”
“I was?” she asked, hearing only the part she wanted to hear. She clutched his sleeve again. Nate had to notice that it was the left one. “Then we can start again…”
“No,” he said softly, lifting her hand away. “There’s no second chance, Trish. Take care.” He turned again to go to his mom’s door.
“My boys need a father!” she blurted and he halted to glance back.
“They must already have one.”
“A father they can look up to. A man who is responsible and honorable,” Trish said. “You’d be a great dad, Nate…”
“And maybe I will be one, one day. I won’t stand in for anyone else.”
“Not even for me?” She smiled, obviously trying to charm him into agreement, but Nate felt nothing at all.
“Especially not for you,” he said and her eyes flashed. “Bye, Trish.”
“Fuck you!” she spat, then marched down the driveway, fury fueling her steps. “And fuck your sister, too!”
“Not a chance,” Nate murmured, then his mom opened the door, her smile bright enough to light the heavens.
“Simon says he loves pot roast!” she said then caught him close in a tight hug. Nate met Troll’s gaze over her shoulder, knowing that no one was fooled that his taste for pot roast was the reason for his mom’s delight.
“That’s that, then,” she said when she pulled back, kissing his cheek once more. “Now come in, both of you. Everything’s ready. And maybe you can take some of these kitchen things back with you that Diane dropped off earlier this week.”
“Sure,” Simon said. “There’s a lot of room in the truck.” He shed his jacket and hat, then went to wash his hands.
Nate’s mom dropped her voice to a whisper. “When Diane said Trish was coming and you still loved her, I was hoping so much that she was wrong.”
“Totally wrong,” Nate said as he gave her another hug.
She sighed then went to stir the gravy. It did smell fantastic. “Diane is never wrong.”
“You’ll have to revise that. Apparently, she can be.”
“I made a pot roast, and an apple pie,” his mom said, pulling back to look at him. “You look good. Boston must suit you, but you have to take the leftovers with you.”
“Are there going to be any?” Nate asked and his mom laughed as Troll reappeared.
They sat down and tucked in, everything as good as Nate remembered his mom’s cooking to be. Simon was fulsome with his compliments and insisted they help with the dishes before leaving.
“I’m also supposed to talk to you about the Fourth of July,” Nate said when they were finishing up. He’d thought the discussion might go better in person than over the phone.
His mom got a stubborn look. “I suppose Diane has you on her side about cancelling this year.”
“I suppose she does.”
“But I’m so tired of being alone in this house! Even my groceries are being delivered. I need to talk to people, Nate.”
“Why don’t you come up to Boston and see my new place instead?” he offered on impulse. “I could come down to pick you up, then you could stay the weekend. My new apartment has a second bedroom.”
“And you’ll get to meet Sheba,” Troll interjected.
“I forgot about Sheba. You must have pictures.”
Nate did and they went through them all. Troll meanwhile loaded the donations from Diane into the back of the SUV.
“That would be a lot of driving for you,” Nate’s mom said when Troll was ready to go.
“When you love someone, it’s not a big deal to do whatever you can to make them happy.” Nate smiled. “My mom taught me that.”
“Then I’ll come. And you both drive carefully.” His mom caught him in a hug again. “Goodness, Nate, I was worried about that girl,” she whispered.
“No need, Mom. I’ve learned my lesson.” He got into the truck with Troll, having had his offer to drive declined. Troll honked and they waved, then headed north. It was getting dark now but there was less traffic.
But had he learned his lesson? Falling for Sonia was not a sign of Nate making better choices.
He hoped the Cinnamon Bun appreciated her.
“He did what?” Sonia demanded when Diane called her late Saturday night. She was still at Tobias’ place. Pierce had brought the take-out Thai from the lobby and told her that her parents had headed straight for the airport. He figured they’d be out of town shortly but insisted he would wait. It was a couple of hours later and she was sitting with Tobias and Katia, chatting over the leftovers.
Tobias made no effort to hide his interest in Sonia’s conversation.
“He walked away from her. She left,” Diane said with satisfaction. “You were wrong and I was right.”
“But he was supposed to be in love with her. I’m sure he’s in love with her. He had her name tattooed on his arm and he has her picture in his wallet.”
“Maybe he loved her once but not anymore,” Diane said. “Trish was pretty mad when she left, from what I heard, so that door is closed forever.”
“Why would Nate do that?”
“She wasn’t there for him, you know. That had to burn.”
“But I was positive.” Nate had told her that he loved Trish.
Had he misled her?
Why would he do that?
“Everyone makes mistakes,” Diane said. “Let me know if you change your mind about the book deal.”
Sonia ended the call but sat looking at her phone.
“Were you meddling?” Tobias asked, his tone playful. “You should know that I have a problem with people who meddle.”
“Being one yourself,” Katia teased.
“Because you live with one,” Sonia guessed and they all laughed.
“There’s nothing wrong with wanting what’s best for someone. The problem comes when you don’t pay attention to their thoughts and feelings.”
Sonia looked up. “What does that mean?”
Tobias nodded wisely. “You didn’t see your guy’s face when Nick turned up.”
Sonia put down her phone. “What did I miss?”
Tobias took a fortune cookie. He wiggled it, offering it to Sonia, and she shook his head. He cracked it, taking way too long about that, and she knew he was messing with her. “You missed the look of a man witnessing the loss of the only thing he wants.”
“I don’t understand.”
“He loves you. He thinks you love Nick. He stepped back so you could have what he thought you wanted. It’s the classic choice of a hero, and actually, that’s pretty much what you just tried to do for him.” He nodded approval. “I like the balance of that.”
“Katia said you don’t understand anything about the choices people make, even though she thinks you should.”
Tobias gave her an intent look. “Consider the source.”
“Hey!” Katia said.
“You make shit up,” Tobias said to her. “I write books. Not just any books: bestsellers. I understand motivation and character.”
Sonia would have smiled, guessing this meant he saw through Katia, but she was thinking about Nate. “Why would he do that?”
“If you love something, set it free?” Tobias shrugged and finished the fortune cookie. “What happened to him before?”
“His fiancée dumped him when he lost his hand.”
“Okay, so he doesn’t want to be hurt like that again.” Tobias surveyed her. “And he’s afraid on some level that you won’t stick around if the going gets rough.” He shook his fortune at her. “He had to think that you loved Nick, or that some great-looking guy like Nick would steal you away.”
“Idiot!” Sonia said. “How could he of all people not understand that I’m not interested in appearances?”
Tobias grinned. “So, what are you going to do about it?” He read the fortune and his brows rose. “This might help: to the bold go the spoils.” He nodded as if it was wise. “Timely advice. And your lucky number is seven.”
“You opened the fortune cookie,” Katia said. “It’s your lucky number.”
“I need a car,” Sonia said. “I need to go to Boston.”
“Now?” Katia asked.
“Now.” She got up, intending to ask Pierce for a ride.
“Ask and you shall receive,” Tobias said. “I’m like one of those magic genies.”
“I will not rub your tummy,” Katia said and he laughed.
“You can take the limo, but you’d better get an address,” he said to Sonia. “Let me call Mario. He likes driving at night.”
Sonia was going to call Pierce, but her phone rang.
“All clear,” Pierce said with satisfaction. “They’re over Pennsylvania by now. Do you want surveillance on your apartment? Or are you going to stay here? This building is very secure.”
“I want to go to Nate, wherever he is,” Sonia said. “Tobias will lend me a car and driver, but I need an address.”
“That,” Pierce said, “can be arranged.” He cleared his throat before ending the call. “You could press charges, you know,” he said softly and Sonia smiled that he was protective of her, too.
“That’s what Nate said,” Sonia admitted. “But I think my step-mother has it covered.”
It was close to eleven by the time Nate and Troll got back to Boston. A big limo came right up behind them in the left lane and Troll had muttered a curse as he’d moved out of the way. The limo had peeled past them, its windows dark. Troll just shook his head.
Nate had called Mack when they were close and was surprised to find that she’d orchestrated his move in his absence. They’d talked about it when he’d dropped off Sheba, and he’d packed in preparation for it, but he hadn’t been sure she’d manage it all on such late notice. She’d even gotten the delivery of his furniture moved up and been there to sign for it.
“Never underestimate Mack,” Troll muttered, obviously overhearing enough of the conversation to understand.
“The place is a bit spartan,” she said with a laugh. “But we got the big items unpacked and in place. Sheba has checked on her stuff, so I think maybe she gets it. She’s sitting at the door, by your shoes, waiting for you.”
“We’re minutes away,” Nate told her and thought he heard a doorbell.
It must have been his imagination.
“I’ll drop you off and take the car back to the office,” Troll said. “My car’s there and it’ll be easier.”
“Thanks for driving today.”
“No worries. I kind of like it.” Troll pulled into the parking spot beside Nate’s Mustang and Mack came out with Sheba on a leash. The dog barked as soon as she saw him and Nate crouched down to pat her, laughing at her enthusiastic greeting.
“Home sweet home,” Mack said with a smile, handing him the leash.
“With your help,” Nate said. “Thanks for everything.”
“Well, you have a day to get sorted before we crack the proverbial whip.”
“Can’t wait.”
“Five boxes,” Troll called from behind the Escalade. “I could use some help.”
Sonia halfway thought she was making the dumbest move of her life. She knew, though, that she had to take a chance and let herself be emotionally vulnerable. She knew that she had to tell Nate in person how she felt to have any chance of a happily-ever-after. She missed him, the way he smiled and the way he kissed, the way he was all-in for anything he did. She wanted to talk to him and cook with him and make love very slowly with him—and she wanted to do that every day and night for the rest of her life.
She knew he’d assume she was being nice, or that she felt sorry for him. In reality, she was in awe of him.
Tobias’ driver was competent and got her to Boston in record time. She’d gotten Nate’s address from Pierce and given it to the driver. The GPS did lead them astray, maybe because it was a new subdivision, but the driver called someone and got them on track. It was late by the time they approached the apartment, and she could see that there were a lot of parks in the neighborhood. Trees and walkways and low buildings. It looked like a nice place to live. Her palms were damp and she wondered whether she’d been crazy to pack an overnight bag.
The black stretch limo pulled up to the building and Sonia checked the address.
“It’s this one,” the driver said to her. “Do you want me to wait?”
The green Mustang was parked out front.
It was time to believe.
“No, this is great,” Sonia said. “That’s his car.” The driver got out and opened the door for her, then retrieved her bag from the trunk. It was smaller than Katia’s had been. She smiled behind her mask. “Thank you.”
“Why don’t you take my number?” the driver suggested, sparing a glance for the windows of Nate’s apartment. There were only a couple of lights on and no signs of activity—but then, he could have crashed after they got back from Manhattan. It was almost midnight. “That way, if something goes wrong, you can give me a call. I’m going to get a coffee at that drive-through we passed before I get back on the highway. Even if you call in an hour, I won’t be far. I’ll turn back.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“Tobias would want me to.”
“Your Saturday night will be trashed.”
“Tobias pays well for overtime. Don’t worry about it.”
Sonia added his phone number to her contacts list and thanked him, then waved as he drove out of the parking lot. It was wonderfully quiet after the sound of the car faded. She could hear music from one apartment with its windows open, and the rustle of the trees in the nearby park. The stars were starting to come out and she wondered whether there would be fireflies in the shadows of the trees later in the summer. She took a deep breath and approached Nate’s door, then raised her hand to knock.
There was no reply.
She rang the bell and heard it chime inside, but there was no answering sound.
Could he have gone out again?
She turned to look at his car and wondered. Could he have decided to stay somewhere else? What if they hadn’t come back to Boston, but had gone on to another job?
Pierce would have told her that, though.
She pivoted and rang the bell again, twice so it chimed more insistently inside the house.
A dog barked and Sonia thought she’d disturbed the neighbors before she realized the dog was outside. A guy was walking a German Shepherd on the path that led into the park, and the dog was pulling him back toward the apartment.
“Easy, Sheba,” Nate said, with a smile in his voice. “Just because I said I’d order pizza to make up for being gone doesn’t mean you’re going to score. It’ll be tomorrow anyhow.”
The dog barked again, obviously seeing Sonia at the door to the apartment.
Nate looked up and stopped cold. He stared at her for the longest moment, his features in shadow.
“Hi Nate,” she managed to say when the silence had stretched halfway to eternity.
He strode toward the door then, the dog still tugging him. The dog barked again. She had a prosthesis on her front paw, but the injury didn’t seem to be slowing her down.
Kind of like Nate. The idea made Sonia smile. “Is this Sheba?” She crouched down, offered her hand and the dog’s tail wagged.
“Yes,” he said, as if he was relieved to have something to talk about. Sheba sniffed Sonia’s fingers then gave them a quick lick, her eyes glinting as she looked up at Sonia. “Where’s Nick?”
“I have no idea.” Sonia wasn’t that familiar with dogs, but patting Sheba gave her something to do. She patted the dog’s head, and Sheba immediately leaned into it, as if she wanted her ear scratched. Sonia did that. Sheba looked up at her and Sonia could have sworn the dog was smiling. “I don’t actually care.”
“But you did,” he said, something in his tone making Sonia glance up. His eyes looked dark and his expression was intense.
“That was a long time ago, and totally undeserved. I learned that at the Valentine’s Day party.”
He watched her intently.
“Was that the bark of joy?” she asked.
“Pretty much. How did you get here?”
“Tobias let me borrow his car and driver.” Sonia took a deep breath. “I can call him back if you want me to leave but can I come in for a minute?”
Nate gestured and she couldn’t read his expression at all.
The apartment was new and pretty much empty, on the second floor at the end of the building. Sonia guessed that there were two bedrooms. The windows wrapped around the three sides, facing the parking lot on one side and parkland on the others. It would be bright and sunny, and Sheba would have a great view. There were half a dozen boxes in the foyer that looked to be loaded with kitchen stuff and linens. A big new leather couch was against one wall and there was a television box against the wall opposite it.
“Just moving in,” he said unnecessarily. “I got the keys today.”
There was also a big plaid dog bed beside the couch, toys scattered everywhere and a lime green tennis ball on Nate’s shoes by the door.
Sonia took a deep breath, knowing that Nate was waiting for her to explain. “You should know that I’m wishing for everything,” she said with heat. “I’m dreaming big, Nathan Buchanan, and you should take warning.”
Nate didn’t say anything. He just waited, his attention fixed upon her. His eyes were darker than usual and the line of his lips was grim.
“You were wrong. This isn’t about pity or about being nice or anything like that. This is about finding the one person who understands you better than anyone, the one person who always has your back, the person who has seen all your flaws and cares about you anyway, the person you can trust with your deepest secrets, and the person you would fight dragons to defend.”
She saw him swallow, his gaze burning.
Sonia didn’t blink but her voice did catch. “I love you, Nathan Buchanan, and that’s for the duration, whether you love me or not. I love you the way I’ll never love anyone else.” She took a step closer. “I just came to tell you that. It seemed like something I should say in person, but if you don’t feel the same way, I’ll call for a ride back to New York and that will be the end of it. But I had to say it and I had to say it in person, and—” she smiled a little “—I had to take the chance and ask for what I want.”
He still didn’t move.
“I want to be with you,” she concluded and the words hung between them so long that she feared the worst.
Then Nate pushed his hand through his hair and looked away. “I was interested in you all along,” he admitted, his words husky. “But I fell hard the night of Pierce’s wedding.” He smiled at her and Sonia’s heart fluttered. “I was just afraid to go through that all over again.”
“Idiot,” she chided, blinking back her tears. “So, you lied to me.”
He winced. “It seemed like the best defense was for you to believe I still loved Trish.”
“But you don’t.”
“Nope.” Nate shook his head and smiled at her, the heat in his eyes making Sonia sizzle to her toes. “That ended when she walked away and showed her true colors. I love you, Sonia Olson. I was just afraid to hope.”
Sonia took one step and he took the other, then she was in his arms and he was kissing her like he’d never get enough. His fingers were in her hair and he lifted her to her toes, slanting his mouth over hers to claim her body and soul. Sonia backed him into the counter, knowing she’d never get enough. When he lifted his head, he buried his face against her throat, kissing her ear, then whispering. “I thought you wanted Nick.”
“I thought so, too, until Valentine’s Day. That’s when he showed his true colors.”
Nate pulled back to study her. “How so?”
“Do you really want to know?”
Nate nodded once, looking decisive and dangerous. “Tell me.”
“I didn’t go to prom even though I was supposed to. A guy asked me out but we never made it to prom. He parked the car on the way there.” She watched Nate’s expression turn grim. “I lost my virginity, then he left me there.”
She didn’t miss the furious flash in his eyes and the sight of his protectiveness just reinforced that she’d made the right choice.
“That’s what fueled your snap.”
Sonia nodded. “It was over and done. But at the Valentine’s Day party, Nick thought I was Katia, and he let me in on the joke.”
“What joke?” Nate growled.
“He set it up. He had a bet with that guy, who was his friend. He was sure fat Thalia didn’t deserve any better.”
Nate went taut and his eyes flashed, but Sonia kissed him before he could say anything. “It’s over, Nate. It’s in the past. I’m not fat Thalia anymore.” She smiled at him. “I’ve become the person I was born to be, and it’s all because of you.”
“Not all,” he protested. “I think you have to take most of the credit yourself.”
“I want to move forward and think about the future,” she told him. “I don’t want to be burdened by the past. It’s shaped me, just as yours has shaped you. Let’s team up and kick some butt.”
“Deal!” he said with a smile and a kiss that quickly deepened.
“I think we should do something tangible about this mutual admiration society,” Sonia said when she could.
Nate grinned wickedly. “I’m guessing you have an idea.”
“Or six,” Sonia said, tugging him toward the bedroom. “Let’s start with slow.”
“I’ve got no argument with that,” he said, then caught her up in his arms. They tumbled to the bed together and no one said much of anything for a long time.
Nate dared to believe.
He soon realized that he was still, on some level, waiting for everything to go sideways. Instead, everything with Sonia just kept getting better.
They soon settled into a rhythm to deal with the distance. Nate stayed in Boston, since his job had less flexibility in terms of location. Sonia came every weekend. Tobias insisted on having his driver bring Sonia on Friday or even Thursday night, and she worked remotely from Nate’s apartment on Friday most weeks. Nate drove her back to New York on Sunday nights. He never got tired of coming home to find her in his place, often barefoot, often reading, sometimes unpacking a meal kit that she’d brought from Reid’s bodega. He never got tired of making love with her, of talking and listening and laughing together. Sheba stayed home on the Fridays that Sonia was there—Nate had known that would work when Sheba gave the bark of joy at any indication that Sonia was around.
His mom adored Sonia. That was a big plus.
Nate hadn’t thought about it much in advance, but the apartment gave Sheba a view on three sides. She could see the parking lot out front, the walking path that ran alongside the building, and the park behind. He and Sonia hung blinds on the windows instead of drapes, so they could leave the bottom foot of glass exposed. If Sheba was going to defend the homestead, he wouldn’t interfere with her view.
Every Thursday she started her vigil, watching for Sonia.
Every weeknight, Nate and Sheba had a yoga date with Sonia. He watched every podcast and he could only admire how her confidence and her popularity grew. She shred the numbers from F5F with a kind of awe, but Nate wasn’t surprised at all by her success. Each week seemed to bring her a new triumph: more viewers, another interview, another merchandising offer, more stories and more fans. It was great to watch her blossom.
He was even starting to get used to Katia.
Workwise, Nate loved being at Silver Fox Security. That first Monday after his self-isolation, he reported in at the headquarters of Silver Fox Security each day for work, taking Sheba with him. Pierce had bought a warehouse on the perimeter of town at the end of a business park. It was big enough that they could park the firm’s vehicles inside, if desired. The offices were at the front, the domain of Mack, and Jimmy had a tech zone in the opposite front corner, one without windows. There was a huge unfinished space in the back and even a workout room for training sessions with Angel. Sheba checked it all out and Mack joked that she was clearing it. Mack had brought a dog bed for Sheba and put it in the office, but she tended to follow Nate around when he wasn’t on assignment.
That first Wednesday, with Pierce’s permission, he broke into the first house that was being presented to Mrs. Rashid as a possibility. On the Thursday, he got into the second one. They had a meeting comparing notes and strategies, and Mack said Mrs. Rashid preferred the location of the first one. Pierce rented it for her, Jimmy and Troll made some changes, and Nate broke into it again afterward. Pierce laughed about getting his money’s worth and they mapped out another update on Friday night, one that Nate thought would take care of the vulnerabilities. Mack arranged Mrs. Rashid’s move from Paris and Pierce orchestrated the door-to-door surveillance that was his specialty. When she arrived in July, Nate was part of the team assigned to her protection.
Nate began to volunteer to work out with vets, just as he’d done at Flatiron Five Fitness, and that soon evolved into a weekly commitment. He loved giving back to other guys who had served, especially helping amputees find new ways to get things done. Nate’s Night was each Monday, and he started to book in guests, like Damon and Pierce to provide guidance and inspiration. Even Troll had shown up.
Sheba fit into Nate’s life as if he’d been waiting for her, too. It turned out that she liked peanut butter best of all, though she was always up for a taste of whatever was on the menu. As she became more confident in her situation, she was more playful. Her eyes shone and Nate loved being part of that change. He usually woke up many mornings to find a spitty stuffed toy on his chest and an expectant dog beside the bed. The frequent choice was a purple furry dragon that Sonia had bought for her.
Sheba was also an amazing chick-magnet. Nate met his neighbors in no time, everyone wanting to pat the dog and find out about her prosthesis. Women came out of the woodwork when he walked Sheba—and Sheba herself proved to have a strong maternal instinct. She was incredibly sweet with little fluffy dogs, maybe thinking they were puppies, and the women in Nate’s complex tended to have little fluffy dogs. He teased Sonia that he should have gotten a dog sooner, and she teased him back, saying the universe had been saving him just for her.
She was right. There was only one woman he wanted. That she wanted him back was the biggest and best miracle at all. Being closer to Sonia, spending more time with Sonia, sharing secrets and stories with Sonia, just meant that Nate fell harder in love with every passing day.
Even Nate couldn’t get enough of the tabloids that July. Derek and Olivia owned the front pages of all of them, beginning with their epic fight in the first class cabin on their way back to California after that meeting in Tobias’ apartment. They were banned from that airline for life as a result. Sonia had told him that Gloria had called, right on schedule, after they’d left Tobias’ place. When Derek blew her off, she called Olivia. Nate had guessed it had to be something big for two people who cared so much about appearances to lose it in public.
Next was their fight in an expensive restaurant in L.A., complete with dishes flying and other guests taking cover. Nate knew that Diane had offered to publish Gloria’s tell-all book just before that, but that Gloria had said she could make a better deal. At the end of July, Derek’s death was the biggest story in town, America’s Heart-Throb having died in a tragic car accident when he drove off the highway in Malibu in the middle of the night. It had taken two days to recover the car from the ocean, but Olivia had given exclusive interviews during that time about the devastation of losing her one true love.
The twins had not gone to the funeral.
Since he and Gloria weren’t yet divorced, she inherited his entire estate and passed on the book deal, saying it might compromise future income to taint Derek’s name.
Nate couldn’t believe it.
Sonia called it karma.
At least, the bastard couldn’t do it again.
Two tabloids dedicated their next issues exclusively to Derek and his life in review.
Summer slid toward fall and Nate couldn’t believe how perfectly everything was working out. A shadow slid from Sonia’s eyes with Derek’s passing, and he knew that would only help her healing. Gloria’s sister began to call both Katia and Sonia. Pierce found Maria.
When Sheba started to make the bark of joy every time Sonia arrived, Nate knew.
When Sonia brought strings of fairy lights and hung them around the apartment, Nate knew. She’d already filled half the closet and most of the medicine cabinet, and he had no issues with her taking over his life.
Late in August, when Sonia called to tell him that Tyler and Theo had insisted she take her show out onto her own platform and license content back to them, Nate recognized his moment. She’d have to look for space for her studio and build her own team, and he wanted her to do it in Boston.
After checking with Chynna, Nate drove down to New York early on that Friday afternoon. He was going to pick up Sonia, but he had something to do first. Sheba sat in the front seat, ears pricked, as if she knew where they were going. He had a ring in his pocket, but there was one thing he had to do first.
Chynna had said it was fine if Sheba came, but Nate had forgotten about the tattoo artist’s pet raven until the last minute. He heard Tristan caw as he opened the door of the shop and grabbed for Sheba’s collar. The dog was too fast for him, though, and she gave the bark of joy.
Nate frowned in confusion and looked up, only to find Sonia sitting in the chair for Chynna’s customers. She was laughing and patting Sheba, who was wagging so hard she might lose her balance.
“What are you doing here?” Sonia asked, blushing a little.
“I could ask you the same thing,” Nate said, but he had a suspicion. She was on the table, her sleeve pushed up, and he could see her tattoo.
There was new ink around it, though.
Nate stepped to her side and gave her a long, sweet kiss, one that had his toes curling and Chynna clearing her throat.
“Do you have to guess?” Sonia whispered, her eyes shining.
Nate grinned. He dropped a finger to Sonia’s upper arm. She had a tattoo there, one of Chynna’s heart tattoos that were supposed to bring true love to the recipient. It was surrounded by the swirls of a Celtic knot, which made it look like an armband. But now it had two names in script above it.
Nate & Sonia.
“Great minds think alike.” Nate murmured, shedding his jacket as Chynna wrapped Sonia’s new tattoo.
“Are you here to add to your tattoo, too?” Sonia asked, obviously pleased by the possibility.
“Absolutely,” Nate said. “Although I was going with the opposite order. Chynna will put our names above the hearts.”
Sonia smiled, obviously pleased. “Great minds do think alike.”
“And I have another mission to accomplish today, too, something Chynna doesn’t know about.” The two women exchanged mystified glances, then Chynna started to smile. She retreated to give them a little privacy, but she kept watching. Nate knew she’d guessed.
He did the only reasonable thing possible, given the situation. He dropped to one knee and presented the ring to Sonia, a bit earlier than anticipated. It was a pink cabochon sapphire in a platinum band of Celtic knots. As soon as he’d seen it, Nate had thought it was as unique and elegant as Sonia.
“I love you, Sonia. Always and forever. Will you marry me?”
She gasped.
She squealed, just a little.
Then she threw herself into his arms, her enthusiastic kiss leaving absolutely no doubt of her reply.