Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
Nick jammed his hands into his pockets, scowling at the heavy wooden doors of the church. “I can’t believe I let you talk me into this.”
Taylor exhaled sharply. “Will you relax? You look like you’re headed to the gas chamber instead of a premarital counseling session.”
“Same difference.” He shook his head, dark hair glinting beneath the fluorescent lights of the vestibule. “I still can’t believe I agreed to this.”
“You already said that,” she snapped.
Her heart was hammering, but for an entirely different reason. Unlike Nick, she wasn’t worried about being bored. She was terrified.
She’d known Pastor Schmidt since she was a child. He had a way of seeing right through people—and if he suspected their engagement was a sham, it was game over.
She doubted even Nick’s charm could fix that.
The office door burst open before she could dwell on her nerves any longer.
A skinny blonde with a cascade of puffy bangs dragged a reluctant young man into the waiting area.
“C’mon, Tom.” Her voice was high, sharp, with the perfect level of theatrical whine to set Taylor’s teeth on edge. “We’re late!”
“Mandy.” Tom yanked his hand away, glaring over the rims of his glasses. “Quit pullin’ on me.”
Taylor stifled a laugh.
Drama couple, incoming.
Mandy whirled, blinking rapidly, as if Tom had just broken her heart. Her lower lip trembled, the remnants of her pink lipstick half-chewed off.
“Oh, baby…” Tom sighed, his annoyance melting into immediate concern. “Don’t cry.”
She sniffled. Loudly.
Tom frantically searched his pockets, pulling out a crumpled tissue, which he offered like a lifeline.
Taylor glanced at Nick, catching his amused smirk.
They didn’t even have to speak. They were thinking the same thing.
Mandy had crying on demand down to an art form.
Before she could turn on the waterworks, the door to Pastor Schmidt’s office opened. “Welcome!”
Pastor Schmidt stepped forward with his signature warm smile, motioning the four of them inside. “We’re a small group tonight, so we should all get to know each other really well.”
Nick groaned under his breath.
Taylor jabbed him in the ribs.
His pained gasp was deeply satisfying.
She moved forward to greet the minister. It was only through her faith and Pastor Schmidt that she’d been able to survive the death of her father. Every time she’d thought she couldn’t go on, he’d been there with words from the scripture to remind her that she wasn’t alone.
“Pastor.” She braced herself and gestured to her reluctant fiancé. “I don’t believe you’ve met Nick yet.”
“Only over the phone,” Pastor Schmidt said, shaking Nick’s hand. “I’ve known Taylor since she was a little girl.”
Taylor squirmed under the approval in the pastor’s eyes and wondered if he would smile with the same degree of fondness if he knew that her engagement was all a lie.
She squared her shoulders. She had a good reason for agreeing to this arrangement and she doubted that given the whole story even the good pastor could find fault with her motives. Plus, if she played this right, he’d never know.
As if he could sense her unease, Nick’s arm slid around her shoulders, his grip solid, reassuring. Then he offered her that heart-stopping grin she found increasingly hard to resist.
Taylor felt the tension slip from her spine.
It was an act, but for a moment, it didn’t feel like one.
She let him tangle his fingers with hers, and together, they followed Tom and Mandy into the study.
They settled into a semicircle of chairs, Nick sprawled lazily, Taylor sitting ramrod straight.
“Let’s get started,” Pastor Schmidt said, rubbing his hands together.
Taylor listened in horror as he laid out the agenda for the next six Together Forever sessions.
Sharing thoughts.
Discussing feelings.
This was not the lecture format she’d been hoping for.
“Nick,” the pastor said suddenly. “Why don’t you start? Tell us what first attracted you to Taylor.”
Taylor’s heart shot into her throat.
Nick hesitated. His gaze shifted to her, studying her face for a moment too long.
She smiled encouragingly.
“It was her spirit,” he said finally. His voice was steady, deliberate. “She’s determined. I admire that.”
A slow, unexpected heat crept up Taylor’s neck.
Nick had never said anything like that before.
And worse—he sounded like he meant it.
“Taylor?” Pastor Schmidt raised a brow.
What had first attracted her to Nick?
She thought back to that first moment in his office. Dark hair, sharp jawline, piercing blue eyes.
The truth slipped out before she could stop it.
“He was so handsome.”
Silence.
Then Mandy giggled.
Taylor’s face burned.
Pastor Schmidt’s lips twitched as if suppressing a laugh. “Nothing wrong with honesty.”
Nick, of course, looked ridiculously pleased with himself.
Taylor resisted the urge to elbow him.
“Okay, Mandy.” The pastor turned toward the blonde. “What about you?”
Mandy blinked. “What first attracted me to Nick? Or Tom?”
Nick choked back a cough.
Taylor bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing.
Pastor Schmidt shot Mandy the same glare he’d used in confirmation class when someone had tried to pass notes.
She straightened immediately. “What attracted me first to my Tommy boy?”
Taylor knew right then and there—they were in for a novel-length monologue.
Mandy launched into a speech about Tom’s generosity, his humor, his kindness.
By the time she finally wrapped it up, Pastor Schmidt looked like he was regretting his life choices.
Tom, thankfully, was brief.
“She’s fun. And loves big.”
Mandy beamed.
Pastor Schmidt sighed in relief.
“We’ve got a good group here,” he said. “I think we’re going to work well together.”
Taylor nodded along, though she wasn’t convinced.
If he wanted to be optimistic, who was she to be a naysayer?
Like a coach trying to rev up his players before a big game, the minister launched into a sermon on Christian love and commitment. Taylor leaned back in her chair and relaxed. This was more what she’d expected.
He’d talk.
They’d listen.
“At the end of each session, you’ll be given a homework assignment,” Pastor Schmidt said.
Nick visibly stiffened.
Taylor shot him a side-eye glare.
“I want you to discuss what you expect from each other in marriage,” the pastor continued.
Mandy brightened. “Like who mows the lawn?”
Tom perked up. “We could make a list!”
The pastor smiled patiently. “Not quite. I’m talking about what role Christ will play in your married life.”
Taylor gulped.
Oh, boy.
She cast a quick glance at Nick, expecting him to look equally uncomfortable.
Instead, he just smirked.
Mandy opened her mouth, but Pastor Schmidt lifted a gentle hand, silencing her mid-breath.
“I’m not going to say more,” he said, smiling. “I want to leave it as open-ended as possible.”
Mandy immediately raised her hand, like an eager second-grader desperate to be called on.
“Pastor!”
He sighed but nodded patiently. “Yes, Mandy?”
“Why did you ask what I liked about Tom?” She frowned, her thin brows scrunching in confusion. “You asked all of us and then we didn’t even talk about it.”
Taylor bit back a groan.
Because you talked about it enough for all of us.
But deep down, she understood the question. The whole exercise had felt a bit… unfinished.
Pastor Schmidt didn’t seem surprised. Instead, he folded his hands and said, “Since you brought it up… next time I’ll ask you what first made you think you were in love with your fiancé. The session after that, we’ll cover another relationship topic. By the end, the reason for all these questions should be clear.”
He paused for effect, then added, “I’d say more, but I don’t want to give away the purpose.”
Translation: Get ready to squirm.
Before Mandy could launch into another interrogation, the pastor ushered them toward the door.
“Don’t forget your homework.” His warm gaze swept over them. “Mandy, what do you expect from Tom? Taylor, what do you expect from Nick? And vice versa.”
Taylor cast a sideways glance at Nick.
What do I expect from him?
Well. That was easy.
Fifty thousand dollars a month and an uneventful engagement.
Hardly the stuff dreams were made of.
But then again—she hadn’t dreamed much in the past year.
Once her father’s debts were paid, her life would finally be her own again.
Then maybe—just maybe—she’d come back to a class like this.
With a man who actually loved her.
And this time, she wouldn’t have to lie.
* * *
One outside, instead of immediately sliding into the convertible, Taylor paused at the open door.
“Nick.” She hesitated, then smiled. “Thanks again for coming tonight. I know premarital counseling wasn’t exactly in the terms of our engagement.”
“Neither was the company picnic,” Nick said with an easy grin.
“Do you have time to stop for coffee?” For some reason, Taylor wasn’t ready for the evening to end. “We could get our homework out of the way.”
Nick paused as if seriously considering her invitation before he shook his head. “I can’t. I have some proposals to review before tomorrow. I’ll be up most of the night as it is.”
“We’d better get going then.” Taylor shoved aside her disappointment and reminded herself—spending unnecessary time having coffee wasn’t part of their arrangement, either.
A loud curse echoed across the parking lot.
Taylor frowned and glanced across the concrete expanse.
Nick shifted his gaze to the only other car in the deserted lot.
The vehicle was small and boxy, an older-model Honda Civic, its oxidized red paint fading to a dull pink in the glow of the streetlights. One hubcap was missing, and the bumper was held together with zip ties and hope.
“Isn’t that Tom and Mandy?”
“Looks like they need some help.” Despite his words about the work waiting at home, Nick didn’t hesitate. He headed across the pavement with long, purposeful strides.
Taylor had to run to keep up with him.
“Is the Civic dead?” Mandy’s worried voice carried in the breeze.
“It’s not dead.” Tom’s muffled voice sounded from under the hood. “But the battery is shot.”
“Can I help?” Nick stopped next to Tom. His gaze shifted to the grease-covered motor, and his head joined Tom’s under the hood.
Taylor stood on her tiptoes and peered over Nick’s shoulder. She glanced at his intense expression. Did Nick know anything about engines?
“It’s the battery.” Tom’s glasses had slipped down his nose, and he pushed them back with a grease-covered finger. “Couldn’t have come at a worse time.”
“Do you have any cables? We could try to jump it.”
Tom shook his head.
“There’s an auto parts store a couple of blocks from here. You can pick up a battery there.” Nick glanced at his watch. “They should still be open. I can give you a lift.”
Tom shifted uncomfortably. “Fact is, I don’t have the money for a new one right now. But maybe you could give us a ride home?”
Taylor’s heart went out to the boy. She wished she could offer him the money, but the twenty dollars in her wallet had to last until her next fiancée payment.
“Don’t worry about it.” Nick clapped a hand on the young man’s back. “I have some extra cash I can lend you for the battery. You can pay me later.”
Pride warred with relief on Tom’s face. Finally, he nodded. “I’ll pay you on the fifteenth, if that’s okay?”
“That’d be fine.”
Nick’s casual attitude told Taylor he didn’t care if the young man paid him back or not.
Taylor shifted her gaze to the Jag. “Why don’t Mandy and I just wait here? It’s a little tight in that back seat.”
“Is that your car?” Tom followed Taylor’s gaze and gave a low whistle. “What is it?”
“Vintage Jaguar,” Nick said. “An XK8.”
Taylor and Mandy followed the guys over to the shiny red sports car.
“Twelve cylinders?” Tom ran his hands appreciatively over the sleek surface.
“V-eight,” Nick said. “Thirty-two valves.”
“Wow.” Tom’s eyes widened. “I bet it’s fast.”
“Zero to sixty in less than seven seconds.”
“Smooth.”
Taylor looked at Mandy, and they exchanged a knowing smile. Cars and sports—men’s universal language.
“Are you sure you don’t want to ride with us?” Nick cast Taylor a questioning look.
“We’ll be fine.” She smiled reassuringly. “It’s a beautiful night, and this is a safe neighborhood. After all—” she gestured toward the church and the adjoining parsonage “—God is right next door.”
Nick brushed a quick kiss across her lips and opened the car door. “Let’s go.”
He didn’t have to ask twice. Tom practically dove into the passenger seat.
“I wish the guys at work could see me now.” The young man laced his fingers together behind his head and stretched back against the ivory-colored leather. “Man, is this livin’ or what?”
Mandy giggled.
Taylor smiled.
The engine roared to life, and in a matter of seconds, the car left the parking lot and sped off down the street.
Mandy waved until they were out of sight, then dug into her oversize purse and pulled out a tattered pack of chewing gum.
“Want some?”
Taylor shook her head.
“Let me know if you change your mind.” Mandy shoved three pieces into her mouth and dropped the pack into her bag. “Want to go sit in the car?”
Taylor shrugged. “Okay.”
Compared to the Jag, the Civic looked like a poor relative on its last leg. The passenger door stuck, and Mandy had to pry it open from the inside. She cleared some fast-food wrappers from the seat and tossed them into the back. “We drove through and got takeout on the way here.”
Taylor smiled and brushed a stray French fry onto the floor before she sat down. “When are you and Tom getting married?”
“October thirty-first.”
Taylor turned in her seat, not sure she’d heard the girl correctly. “Halloween?”
“It’s my birthday,” Mandy said promptly.
“You’re getting married on your birthday?” Taylor spoke slowly and distinctly. “And your birthday’s on Halloween?”
“That’s right.” A dreamy expression crossed Mandy’s face. “I told Tom if we got married on my birthday, he could be my present.”
Taylor smiled weakly, unsure how to respond.
“Pastor Schmidt isn’t too keen on it,” Mandy continued. “He nixed my idea of having the reception be a masquerade party.”
“Did he?” Taylor tried to keep her expression blank.
“When are you and Nick doing the deed?”
Taylor’s eyes widened. She cleared her throat. “Pardon me?”
“Doing the deed.” Mandy repeated. “You know, getting married?”
Taylor wondered what the young woman would say if she answered honestly and said never. “Sometime this fall, I think.”
“You think?” Mandy frowned. “Don’t you know?”
“We’ll be firming up the date shortly,” Taylor said smoothly. “Now tell me all about this Halloween wedding of yours. It sounds like fun.”