Chapter 16
CHAPTER 16
NATE
N ate sucked in a shaky breath as he stared down at the small box clutched in his hands. He shifted his weight on the mattress, his knee bobbing up and down.
The diamond-studded emerald in the center sparkled in the soft lighting of his bedroom. He chewed his lower lip, wondering if the unique choice of gemstone was a mistake.
His stomach twisted into a knot. What if it all was a mistake?
When he’d selected the ring, he’d imagined Ellie’s surprised face. Tears glistened in her eyes before she’d grinned at him and eagerly accepted his proposal.
Now, nerves made him wonder if her surprise would lean toward shock rather than excitement. Would she say no? Would she be overwhelmed by the speed at which he’d moved?
He snapped the box shut, trying to force his shaky breathing back to normal. His fingers caressed the black velvet covering the tiny container. He couldn’t have mistaken her feelings, could he?
He’d done it once before, he reminded himself as he tightened his hand around the box. He swallowed hard, memories of Chloe flooding back into his brain, unbidden.
He’d been so sure then. And he’d been so wrong.
Could he make the same mistake twice?
With a sharp inhale, he forced himself to stand and cross to his dresser. With Chloe, he hadn’t been himself. He hadn’t told silly jokes or actually said the things on his mind. Everything had been guarded. A careful dance orchestrated between them designed to keep the other one impressed and on the hook.
In retrospect, he’d been miserable. If only he’d known then what love really looked like.
With Ellie, he could be genuine. He could share his thoughts no matter what they were. She accepted him, warts and all.
He glanced at the mirror in front of him, narrowing his eyes at his own face. Though she hadn’t met his brother, Stephen yet. Would Stephen change her mind?
His version of events painted Nate as the worst man in the world. Did his narrative have the power to turn Ellie against him?
Before he could secret away the ring box into his drawer, a knock sounded at the door. He shoved the box into the pocket of his blazer before he crossed to the door and tugged it open.
His mother stood on the other side. “Hi,” she said with a soft smile.
“Mom, everything okay?”
She nodded. “May I come in?”
He stepped back and motioned for her to enter before he slid the door closed again. “Is it Ellie? She’s still coming to dinner, right?”
“She is,” Victoria said with another smile before she eased into an armchair. “I’m sure Maddie is probably visiting her now while she changes.”
Nate perched on the edge of the adjacent chair, rubbing his shaky hands together. His mother had spent the afternoon with his girlfriend. What had she assessed? Had she liked her? Hated her?
She’d been the first person to caution him about Chloe, suggesting he take things slower with the woman. But he’d plowed ahead, convinced what his then-girlfriend had told him. She’s jealous. I’ve captured her son’s attention, and she doesn’t like it.
Chloe’s ridiculous words echoed in his head as he tried to form his question about Ellie, wondering if he wanted to know the answer or not.
“So, what did you think? Of Ellie, I mean?” he finally mustered.
Victoria raised her eyebrows, sucking in a breath before she spoke. “What do you think of her?”
Nate offered her a nervous smile as he flicked his gaze to the ceiling. “I…asked you first.”
“And you are the one who is dating her. I want to know how that’s going.”
Nate shrugged. “I wouldn’t have asked you for your opinion on her if it was going badly.”
“You told me at the benefit that you had pretty strong feelings for her. Does that mean what I think it means?” Victoria asked.
He swallowed hard, unwilling to meet her gaze. “Probably.”
Victoria bobbed her head up and down. “You’re thinking of asking her to marry you.”
Nate finally shifted his gaze to his mother. “I’m more than thinking about it.”
She widened her eyes. “You bought a ring?”
“I did,” he said as he dug into his pocket and pulled out the box. “But I want your opinion first. I don’t want to make the same mistake I did with Chloe.”
“Nate, if you bought a ring, I think you’re pretty set on this choice.”
“I just…I am, but I’m also willing to listen. I didn’t with Chloe. That was a huge mistake. So, if you think this is a terrible choice…I’ll hold off or…not do it at all.”
His mother pressed her lips together into a tiny smile as she reached forward to rub his forearm. “I don’t think it’s a terrible choice.”
His heart lifted as a grin spread across his features. “Really?”
“She is very nice, Nate. I can’t pick your spouse for you, but I don’t see any red flags. Nothing like I saw with Chloe.”
He huffed out a sigh of relief, staring at the ring box as he celebrated the small win. “Whew, good.”
“She seems very genuine. She seems to very much like you for you. Not to mention she is very well-mannered. It’d be a breeze to fit her into our social lives.” His mother held out a hand. “But don’t marry her because I like her. You have to do that for you.”
“Believe me, I am. I…more than like her. But…”
“But?”
Nate tightened his fingers around the ring box again.
“Nate, if you have some reservations, maybe you should slow down. This isn’t a race to the altar, you know.”
He shook his head. “I don’t have reservations about her…I think I screwed up the ring choice. Now, I’m afraid she’ll hate it. Or say no because of it.”
“Can I see it? ”
He nodded as he cracked open the box and held it out, chewing his lower lip as he studied it. “I went with–“
“An emerald. Like her eyes. She’ll love it,” Victoria said.
The smile spread across his face again. “Do you think?“
Victoria nodded as she grinned at him. “I do. Oh, Nate, I like her so much more than the last one.”
“You know, I never realized how differently I acted with Chloe around. How much I wasn’t myself because I was constantly trying to impress her. With Ellie, it’s effortless. I’m just…myself.”
“That’s important,” Victoria said as she patted his hand. “You’re going to spend a long time with her.”
“Hopefully, the rest of our lives,” Nate answered, raising his chin as his smile broadened. He snapped the ring box closed and crossed to his dresser to hide it inside.
“Can I take that to mean you aren’t asking her tonight?” Victoria said as she rose and adjusted the hem on her dress.
Nate nodded. “I was thinking the gala we’re hosting at the end of the week. If you thought she was a good match, I was going to invite her tonight. I thought it would be nice for pictures.”
“I think that would be great. I’ll make sure the photographer sticks around for engagement photos at the end of the night,” she said as she rose and closed the distance between them.
“So, you think it’ll be a good turnout, huh?”
Victoria rubbed his arms. “I do. I think she’ll say yes. You seem to mean as much to her as she does to you. And she didn’t even flinch when your sister asked how many kids you’d be having.”
Nate shook his head, an amused expression on his face. “She didn’t? I can’t believe Maddie asked that. Probably because she may or may not have known about the ring.”
“Mm-hm,” Victoria said with a coy smile. “So, you told your sister before your mother.”
“You know how Maddie is. I texted her a picture of two rings. She helped me pick.”
“Well, she did a good job.” Victoria pulled him into a tight embrace. “I’m so happy for you.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
Victoria took a step toward the door when Nate called her back. “Hey, Mom?”
“Yeah?” she asked.
“How many kids did she say?”
“Two,” Victoria answered with a smile. “See you downstairs.”
“Two,” Nate repeated as he smiled into space, imagining a boy and a girl. He hoped they’d be close like he was with his sister. He dug into the drawer for the ring box, eyeing the engagement ring one more time.
His life was coming together. Not long ago, he wondered if he’d ever be happy again. And now, he was happier than he ever could have imagined.
In a matter of days, he could be ecstatic, pondering whether she would prefer to marry in the United Kingdom or have the ceremony here. He didn’t care either way. It would be enough to know they were going to spend the rest of their lives together.
He placed the ring box back in the drawer and slid it shut before he left his room behind and made his way down to the living room.
His father sipped his bourbon as he stared out the window. Charles twisted as Nate entered the room. “There you are. I was wondering if I was going to be alone tonight despite this being a family dinner.
“I was talking to Mom. ”
“Oh, right. She’s quite enamored with your new girl,” Charles said as he settled into an armchair.
“So am I. What do you think?” Nate asked.
“I didn’t spend the afternoon with her. But from what I saw at the fair, she seems to be a wonderful woman.”
Nate nodded as he eased into the chair across from his father. “I’m glad you think so. I, uh, I’m planning on asking her to marry me.”
Charles flicked his gaze from the bourbon swirling in the bottom of his glass to his son. “Well, congratulations, son.”
“Don’t congratulate me yet. She hasn’t said yes.”
“Oh, I think she will. She likes you. I can tell. And you can offer her quite a life. Woman would be a fool to turn you down.”
“Dad, Ellie’s not–”
“Like that, yeah, I know. Your mom told me about your little…test.”
Nate pressed his lips together as he recalled lying to her and the guilt he still carried about that. What if she said no because of that?
“Smart move, son.” His father downed the rest of his bourbon before he set the glass aside. “Did I hear correctly that you met with some foreign royal today about investing in GenoTech?”
“You did,” Nate answered with a nod, “Prince Julian from…oh, I never remember the name of the country.”
“Eldoria,” Elena said as she stepped into the room, her arm linked through Maddie’s.
Nate rose from his chair and crossed to her, kissing her cheek. “Hi, Ellie. You look beautiful.”
“Thank you,” she answered.
“And yes—Eldoria was the country.”
“Hmm, haven’t heard of it before. I’ll have to look it up,” Charles answered. “Ellie, can I offer you a drink?”
“No, thank you,” Ellie said as Nate led her to the couch to sit. “How are you this evening, Mr. Kingsley?”
“Doing quite well. How was your girl time?” the man asked as he poured another drink.
“Lovely. I quite enjoyed the afternoon,” she answered.
“I know my wife felt the same way,” he said as he settled back into his chair only to rise again when Victoria entered. “Speaking of, here she is now. Can I get you a drink, Victoria?”
“A sherry, please,” she answered, taking a seat in one of the armchairs.
Charles delivered her drink before he settled into his seat again.
Maddie plopped onto the couch next to Ellie. “Daddy, Ellie gave me this charm bracelet. Isn’t it cute? The charm is a teacup to remind me of our ride at the fair.”
Charles eyed it as Maddie held it out. “Oh, how nice. We enjoyed the fair, did you, Ellie?”
“Yes, I did. But I enjoy rides. I’m adventurous.”
“Are you?” he answered. “So, you’ll be encouraging Nate to take up mountain climbing soon?”
Elena chuckled at the joke. “Nothing quite so dangerous, no.”
They made light conversation for a few more minutes. Victoria shifted in her seat, eyeing the doorway.
“Something wrong, Mom?” Nate asked.
“Oh, I thought Stephen was coming but maybe I misunderstood him. We should probably head in.”
“Well, if he’s late, he’s late,” Charles answered as he rose from his seat and offered his hand to Victoria.
Victoria offered him a polite smile as she rose. Elena slid her arm through Nate’s, and he led her to the dining room. They settled in at the table across from two empty seats. Nate eyed them, hoping his brother didn’t appear. The dinner would go so much more smoothly without him.
Conversation centered around Elena’s favorite foods as they waited for the first course to arrive. Before it was delivered, footsteps sounded outside the dining room.
Nate’s heart sank as he realized Stephen must be arriving. He shifted in his seat, his lips tugging into a frown.
His brother appeared at the doorway.
“Well, Stephen, you’re late. We thought you weren’t coming,” his father said from the head of the table.
“Sorry, my date was running a little late.” He held his arm out to welcome the woman he’d brought.
This time Nate’s heart plummeted. His fingers curled into fists as he stared at his brother’s arm draped around Chloe’s shoulders. “Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.”
Victoria offered Charles a wide-eyed glance before she covered her shock with a well-practiced smile. “Chloe, I hadn’t expected to see you.”
“I hope it’s not a problem,” the blonde answered, flipping a lock of hair over her shoulder.
“Of course not,” Stephen said, leading her into the room and pulling a chair out for her.
He settled into the chair across from Elena before he shot a triumphant glance at his brother.
Nate’s jaw tensed, and he tossed his napkin on the table. “This crosses a line, Stephen.”
He leapt from his seat as his family made a desperate plea for him to not make a scene. “I want her gone by the time I get back.”
Nate strode out of the dining room, his heart pounding against his ribs in a frantic rhythm. He made his way down the hall to the private library, slipping into the softly lit room. He gulped in deep breaths, the scent of wood polish filling his nostrils.
His hands trembled as he leaned forward to grasp the edge of the antique mahogany desk until his knuckles turned white. With a tight chest, he fought to center himself.
“Nathan?” Elena’s soft voice called from behind him.
He whipped around to face her, his features pinching. “Ellie…”
He’d left her alone with his family and Chloe. He hadn’t even thought to bring her with him when he’d stormed from the room.
She offered him a consoling smile as she stepped toward him. “Are you all right?”
He set his hands on his hips. “No, I’m not. I just…can’t believe he did this.”
“Does he know that you know about the cheating?” Elena asked.
Nate bobbed his head. “Yes, he knows. I caught them together. I can’t believe he would bring her into this house. I should have known. I saw them a few weeks ago in the park.”
“Then I am very sorry. It appears he did it just to needle at you.”
“I’m sure he did.” Nate paced the floor, crossing his arms. “Stephen and I…don’t get along.”
Elena shifted her weight from foot to foot. “Sibling rivalry?”
“Something like that. When I was with Chloe, she…” He slid his eyes closed, the uncomfortable memory of what transpired dancing across his mind. “Stephen was trying to push for a bigger share of the company. Chloe convinced me to push back, to take control of GenoTech. And I did some…pretty bad things to do it including having Stephen investigated for mismanagement of funds at GenoTech.”
Elena flicked her eyebrows up toward her hairline.
He let his head fall back between his shoulder blades. He’d probably stunned her, and maybe turned her off of him entirely. “I wasn’t the best person when I was with her. And it wasn’t my idea, it was hers. Not that that makes it right. It was wrong. I just…Stephen and I never got along, and it was just too easy for her to push me into doing that.”
“Well,” she answered, “that is a shame that you don’t get along, but I can understand. It isn’t easy to get along with our family all the time.”
“You’re an only child, so you probably don’t understand how difficult siblings can be.”
“I do not have any siblings, but I have a few cousins who make life rather difficult. And one who is quite lovely.”
Nate stopped his pacing, rubbing her arms. “Do you wish you hadn’t come to dinner?”
“No,” she answered. “Nathan, we all have difficulties with our family. Believe me, if you met some of mine, it would be me asking if you wished you wouldn’t have been invited to dinner.”
“Oh, I doubt that.”
“I do not. You do not know my family. Believe me, they make the Kingsleys look like picture-perfect.”
A coy smile crossed his lips. “So, I got the best of the bunch, huh?”
She arched an eyebrow as she raised her chin. “I’d like to think so.”
Silence stretched between them as he slid his arms around her waist and pressed his forehead against hers.
“So, what would you like to do? Return to dinner or abandon ship?” she asked.
“You really want to know?”
“I do. And I will follow your lead on whatever you are comfortable with.”
He heaved a sigh. “With you next to me, I can face anything. I don’t want to ruin the evening just because my brother is playing dirty.”
“Then we will go back to the dining room and face it together.”
He interlaced his fingers with hers. “That sounds perfect.”
He kissed her lightly before he led her back to the dining room, his hand tightly clasped around hers. He cleared his throat as he settled into his seat again with Elena next to him. “I’m sorry for the outburst. I just hadn’t expected Stephen’s latest surprise.”
His eyes narrowed as he stared across the table at his former fiancée. She offered him a haughty smile, and he wondered why he had ever liked her.
The staff delivered the first course and conversation quieted as everyone dove in.
“This is quite good, Mrs. Kingsley,” Elena said, breaking the silence.
“Oh, thank you,” she answered with a smile.
“So, Ellie, is it?” Stephen asked as he set his spoon in his bowl. “How did you meet Nate?”
She dabbed at the corners of her lips before she set her napkin back on her lap. “Oh, we ran into each other at a coffee shop. He spilled coffee all over me.”
Stephen chuckled as Elena did. “That sounds like Nate. A walking disaster.”
“He was quite kind about it,” Elena shot back. “So, it was really only a minor inconvenience. Hardly a disaster.”
“Hmm, well, you don’t know him well enough yet. Don’t get on his bad side.”
“Stephen,” Victoria warned in a low voice.
“What? I just think it’s important for his new paramour to know the man she’s dating.”
Nate’s stomach twisted into a knot at his brother’s behavior.
Elena offered him a courteous smile. “Well, thank you for your concern, Stephen, but I have taken a good bit of time learning about Nathan.”
Stephen huffed out a laugh. “I’ll bet you don’t know everything about Nate. You may be surprised to know what he’s really like.”
Victoria’s spoon clattered to her plate. “Stephen, that’s enough.”
“Oh, I don’t think it is. I think your new girlfriend should know just the sort of man you are. And I’m going to tell her, brother.” Stephen’s eyes glinted with malice, his gaze piercing Nate.
Nate’s fingers curled into fists again. His past was clawing its way back, threatening to destroy his future.
He wanted to launch himself across the table and choke his brother for this, but instead, he sat planted in his seat, wondering if this drama would bring about the end of his relationship.