When she was released from the hospital, she assured him she was fine and they were fine. And since Boogie was no longer a threat, she’d insisted he return to his own house. Reluctantly, he’d gathered his precious son, his belongings, and went home. Being alone in his home without his wife was a miserable new reality. And every single night he was without Rebecca was dreadfully lonely. Even then, as she stood before him, so gorgeous, he was tempted to drop to his knees and beg her to come home with him and never leave.
“Beautiful,” he whispered before he could manipulate his words to say something more profound. He stood and pulled out the chair next to him.
“Thank you,” she said with a smile as she sat.
Still, he could see her apprehension.
“Rebecca, you look amazing!” Tanya gushed.
Rebecca thanked her and gave Nick a peck. Baby Nick was sleeping in the baby seat between them with a big, brown pacifier stuffed in his mouth. Her face warmed as she leaned in to run her finger over his soft, chubby cheeks.
“Hi, Little Nicky,” she cooed softly.
Nick took his seat and watched his woman with his son. As she smiled down at him, Nick could read the emotion in her eyes. It was adoration. She adored his son. But when she looked up at him, the emotion he saw behind her eyes was totally different. Had her feelings changed for him? Nick prayed they hadn’t.
“He’s getting so big,” Rebecca pointed out.
“He really is.” Nick had to agree. “He’s eating his papa out of house and home.”
She giggled and reached for the menu. “What’s good here?”
“Oooh, try the fried alligator,” Tanya encouraged. “It is sooo good.”
“Alligator?” Rebecca’s face twisted into a frown that caused Tanya to giggle.
“It’s good… for real. Trust me.”
She shook her head and laughed. “I’ll let you have that,” she said through a chuckle as she scanned the menu.
Nicked leaned closer, enough to smell her sweet perfume. “I ordered you a sweet tea.”
She thanked him, but her body language was off-putting. She seemed uncomfortable by his closeness. Before the transplant, she’d never seemed uneasy by his presence. Nick sat straight and grabbed the menu in front of him. For now, he would conceal the hurt and get through a meal with family. But afterwards, he fully intended to have a conversation with Rebecca. He was going to get to bottom of her change in demeanor.
* * *
After a verbal battle with his brother-in-law, which he’d lost, Vince paid the check. It was fine, though because Nick was so ready to be alone with Rebecca that he was tempted to bail before he signed the check. He’d already put on his jacket and tucked his little boy in the soft blankets. He was getting them prepared for a quick getaway. And it hadn’t gone unnoticed that Rebecca had put on her coat as well. She was trying to get away, but Tanya blocked her escaped by asking, “What are you doing for Thanksgiving?”
Her eyes flashed over to Nick and then back to Tanya so fast that he almost missed it. She sighed quietly and smiled. It was the same unauthentic smile that hadn’t reached her eyes that she’d been brandishing all evening.
“Well… I-I’ll be spending the holiday in Paris.”
Nick’s glare landed like lasers on the side of her face. “Paris?” he blurted out louder than he had intended.
Rebecca startled, but avoided his angry gaze. Nick stood. The chair scraped the floor as he pushed it from behind him.
“Can we speak outside?” he asked, gripping her wrist before she could refuse.
“Umm…” she hummed as he pulled her from the chair.
“Okay, Nick,” she grumbled irritably, yanking her wrist from his grasp.
Nick took a deep breath to quell his anger and held his hand out, allowing her to walk ahead of him. He listened to the click-clack of her heels as he followed her through the restaurant and out the door. By the time they made it to the sidewalk, it dawned on him that they may never be what he’d hoped they’d be. He had thought that her feelings matched his. When she turned to face him, the pain of her big reveal hit him like a bad hangover.
“Paris, Rebecca? How do you just up and decide to go to Paris? What about us?”
She scratched at her temple and looked at him with, of all things, sympathy.
“It was on my list,” she responded timidly.
