Chapter 12
Riley introduced Nikki to most of his family. Everyone was there except for Mac, Maddie, Grant, Stephanie, Shane and Katie and Evan and Grace, the latter two traveling on tour in Europe with Buddy Longstreet as Evan’s musical career continued to exceed his wildest expectations.
“Your cousin is touring with Buddy Longstreet?” Nikki asked, incredulous.
“Yep,” Riley said. “He’s been pursuing the dream for years, and when his song ‘My Amazing Grace’ topped the charts, Buddy asked him to tour.”
“Wait, that song… Evan McCarthy! I had no idea he was your cousin! I love that song.”
“When he’s home, we treat him like he’s no big deal so he won’t get too big for his britches,” Adam said.
“Truth,” Janey said. “He’s already unmanageable. Thank God for his wife, Grace. She keeps him in line.”
“And Grant is an Academy Award-winning screenwriter,” Riley said. “Did you see ‘Song of Solomon’ by any chance?”
Nikki stared at Riley. “No way.”
“Yes way. He’s working on a new film now that tells the story of his wife Stephanie’s efforts to get her stepfather out of prison,” Riley said.
“He was unjustly incarcerated,” Adam said. “She fought it for fourteen years.”
“Grant’s friend Dan Torrington got involved,” Janey said.
“The Dan Torrington?” Nikki asked. “Even I’ve heard of him.”
“The one and only. Stephanie’s stepfather, Charlie, is out. He lives here on the island and is engaged to Owen and Katie’s mom, Sarah. They’re so happy together.”
“When will the movie be out?” Nikki asked. “I want to see it.”
“Another year or so,” Adam said. “It’s in production now.”
“What about you?” Abby asked. “Tell us your story.”
“My story is boring compared to everyone else’s,” Nikki said.
“There’s a lot to be said for boring,” Abby said.
Janey hooted with laughter. “Is she calling you boring, bro?” she asked Adam.
“Not at all,” Abby said with a pointed look for her sister-in-law. “Nothing about him is boring. In fact—”
Janey held up a hand to stop her. “Say no more.”
Nikki laughed at their antics. “I got what you meant. Believe me, I appreciate boredom after suffering through the insanity of the last few months with my sister.”
“Is she really back with him?” Abby asked with a kind but pained smile.
“Sad to say she is,” Nikki said. “And no, I don’t get it either. On the list of deal breakers, you’d think publishing a sex tape of your wife without her knowledge or consent would be right at the top, but apparently not for her.”
Riley took hold of her hand and gave it a squeeze.
“That must’ve been difficult for you,” Janey said.
“It was awful—and it was my deal breaker. I quit my job as her assistant and got the hell out of there. As much as I love her, I just couldn’t do it anymore.”
“She’ll wise up,” Janey said, perching on the arm of the love seat Nikki shared with Riley. “Eventually.”
“I don’t know,” Nikki said, the old anxiety resurfacing when she allowed her thoughts to stray in her sister’s direction. “He has this weird hold on her that I don’t understand.”
“Things like that tend to burn out sooner rather than later,” Adam said.
“Usually,” Nikki said. “But this has been a couple of years of madness. I thought it was over when he released the tape. I realized she’d never stopped communicating with him, so I wasn’t entirely surprised when she went back to him, but it was devastating nonetheless.”
“I’m really sorry,” Janey said. “It’s hard to watch people you love make bad decisions.”
“It really is. My grandmother has always said that the only thing we control is ourselves and our own actions, so I got myself the heck out of there. I’ve spent enough time managing her life. It’s time to focus on my own for a change.”
“Good for you,” Abby said. “What do you think you want to do?”
“I have no idea! I’m hoping to figure that out while I’m here.”
“She’s going to oversee some renovations to her grandmother’s home, for one thing,” Riley said.
“Oh, that’s cool!” Abby said. “You should talk to Syd. She’s got a decorating business on the island.
They would’ve been here, but their baby Lily conked out early.
” Abby snapped her fingers. “And Lizzie James. They just did an amazing renovation of the kitchen and living spaces at the Chesterfield. They operate it as a wedding venue, but the renovations are beautiful. She gave us a tour the other day.”
“I’d love to see it,” Nikki said.
“Give me your number, and I’ll set something up,” Abby replied.
“Stick with us,” Janey said, squeezing Nikki’s shoulder. “We’ll help you figure it out.”
Sitting among Riley’s cousins and their significant others, Nikki believed these strong, dynamic people could take over the world if they set their minds to it.
The party broke up a short time later. On the way out, Riley told Finn about the call from their old boss in Connecticut.
“What’d he want?” Finn asked.
“Us. Back to work.”
Finn winced. “Not the best timing with the Wayfarer and everything.”
“That’s what I told him. I have a feeling if we don’t go back now, we aren’t going to be welcome back later.”
His words struck a note of panic in Nikki. Not that she had any standing in his life after a few nights together and a couple of heated kisses, but the last thing she wanted to hear was that he was leaving any time soon.
“How’d you leave it with him?” Finn asked.
“That I’d talk to you and get back to him.”
Finn ran his fingers through his hair, something Riley did, too, when he was thinking. “I suppose we can at least take the weekend.”
“I guess so.”
“Let’s talk about it tomorrow.”
“Sounds good.”
After thanking Janey and Joe for having them, Riley and Nikki followed Finn into the frigid night.
As Riley drove them back to Eastward Look, Nikki’s anxiety began to kick in. She’d loved kissing him earlier, had thought about it throughout the evening they’d spent with his fun and funny family, but now she wondered what would happen when they were alone again.
He reached over and took her hand, linking his fingers with hers. “Are you okay?”
“Uh-huh,” she said, although his question made her wonder if she was putting out anxiety vibes that he was picking up. “I liked your family.”
“They liked you, too. That was somewhat of a skeleton crew. You should see what it’s like when everyone is here in the summer. It’s utter madness.”
“Sounds like fun.”
“It is.”
“You seem to really like being around your family.”
“I do. I always have. And now we’re into this business together at the Wayfarer, which is cool. Everyone contributed whatever they could, so we all have a stake.”
“That’s really awesome. You’re lucky to have such an amazing family.”
“And I know it. Believe me. My dad and his brothers have always been exceptionally close, which meant all the cousins were, too. It was a nice way to grow up.”
“Sounds like it.”
“Finn and I are the youngest. They called us ‘The Babies’ until we were in high school, or at least that’s how it seemed, and we begged them to stop.”
“That’s funny.”
“Wasn’t funny at the time, but it is now.”
“What’re you going to do about the ex-boss in Connecticut?”
“I don’t know,” he said, sounding torn. “He’s such a good guy. He gave me my first real job right out of college, and when Finn graduated two years later, he hired him, too. He taught me so much and was always so fair. Finn and I have a ton of respect for him.”
“That doesn’t mean you have to upend your current life for him, does it?”
“No, but he sounded pretty desperate.” Riley took the right-hand turn into the driveway that led to Eastward Look and brought the truck to a stop.
“You want to come in?”
“Only if you want me to.”
“I want you to.”
“Okay, then.” He released her hand and shut off the truck, plunging them into darkness.
Nikki got out of the truck and hustled through the freezing air to get into the warm house. “I want hot chocolate with a shot of Baileys. Any interest?”
“I’ll have the hot chocolate, but hold the Baileys. I’ve got to drive.”
“Coming right up.”
As he followed Nikki into the kitchen, Riley sensed her nervousness, which was confirmed as he watched her go through the steps of making their drinks. Her hands had the slightest tremor, and she could barely look at him.
Two steps forward, one step backward… That was how it seemed to him anyway, which, in light of what she’d shared earlier, was more than understandable.
He didn’t want to do anything to make her uncomfortable or, God forbid, frightened.
Riley wanted more of her sweet, sexy kisses, but only if she wanted more, too.
One thing he knew for certain, he’d never met any woman who interested him the way Nikki did, with her intriguing mix of loyalty, vulnerability, anxiousness, sexiness, charm and humor.
She was easy to talk to and to be with and flat-out fucking beautiful, and the more time he spent with her, the more he wanted her.
“Hey, Nik.” He’d said the nickname before he consciously decided to call her that, but he liked the way it felt as he said it.
She looked up from the pot she was stirring on an old gas stove. “Yeah?”
“Has there been anyone else?” He hoped she knew what he meant.
Shaking her head, she said, “I’ve tried. A couple of times. But I couldn’t go through with it.”
His heart ached for her.
“Don’t pity me. I don’t need that.”
“I don’t pity you, but I’m very sorry it happened to you.”
“So am I.” She glanced at him, and he saw the vulnerability she tried so hard to keep hidden. “I wish it wasn’t an issue for me, but it always is.”
“It’s part of what made you who you are, and I happen to like who you are. A lot.”
“I told you I’m kind of a mess, Riley,” she said softly. “I quit my job, I’m somewhat homeless, I have no idea where I’m headed or which end is up. I’m scared of sex, I have awful anxiety, and…”
He wrapped his arms around her from behind, pushing her hair out of the way so he could kiss her neck. “Quit trying to scare me off. It’s not going to work.”
At first, she went tense, but then she relaxed against him, and he felt elated by the trust she had granted him by allowing him to hold her in such a familiar way.