Was it just him, or was the whole situation just too weird? He sipped from the lemonade in front of him. “Things are going okay. You?”
Leighanne sat back and pushed her sunglasses to the top of her head and met his blue gaze with her own. “It’s good. I’m at a good place.” She patted his hand. “Trust me, this is very weird for me, too.”
They sat at a table for two at one of the posh sidewalk cafés in Beverly Hills. Despite the fact that it was November, the weather was gorgeous, the sun was shining, and there was a quiet breeze blowing. Nick could just make out the scent of sea in the air and wished he were at the beach. Wished he were anywhere, actually, rather than sitting here with a woman he’d rarely spent more than a minute with in the last nine and a half years. And certainly never alone. Brian had always been there as a tension-breaker. How the hell was he expected to make it through a whole lunch with her, especially since they’d just ordered?
“Then what are we doing here?” His voice was flat, no-nonsense, and he felt bad when he saw her wince.
She pursed her lips for a moment before she spoke. “I’m sorry it causes you a great deal of pain to be near me, and I know I’m to blame for that. But I’d hoped that we could get past the resentment and misunderstandings of the last ten years, and maybe, just maybe, be friends.”
“Why? Why now? What’s in it for you?” He’d never known Leighanne to do anything without a purpose to it.
She studied him for a moment before smiling. “I guess I’ve been horribly mistaken all these years,” she began. “When I first started dating Brian, you weren’t much more than a kid. Hell, you’re ten years younger than me—and that’s not at all flattering to me,” she added with a half laugh. “I thought, for a long time, that you were immature. I’d see the way you pouted whenever I visited Brian, and it put my back up. I wasn’t comfortable with the way you’d glare at me, so I guess I worked on Brian until the two of you were separated. Until I no longer had to worry about you being around, acting like the brat I was so sure you were.” She sighed. “I’m sorry, Nick. I’m so sorry for ruining such a good friendship, and I’m hoping that we, you and I, can turn a new page and try to become friends.”
“What made you change your mind about me?” he wondered, remembering exactly the way he’d been when Leighanne had first become a part of the Backstreet team. Part of the blame rested on his shoulders, too.
“You’re not immature, Nick. At least, not anymore,” she added. “Which is to be expected because you’re not as young as you were. You’ve done your fair share of growing up, and you’re certainly more responsible than you used to be.” One perfect fingernail tapped nervously on her glass of water. “I was furious when I heard about your show, when you finalized the paperwork. I didn’t want Brian to be associated with something I was sure would run our names through muck. I got caught up in the red haze I was seeing and dragged Brian into it, too. I didn’t stop to think about what the show might truly mean to you.” Leighanne leaned forward, her gaze direct. “I’m proud of you. It was a shock to me to realize it, but I am proud of you. Not because of what I’ve seen on camera, but the way taking care of your siblings for two months changed you off-camera. It made you more mature, responsible. Like an adult.”
To say he was astonished was an understatement. He’d been blown out of the water by her words because he’d never expected them to leave her mouth when she was talking about him. “I don’t know what to say,” he admitted truthfully after a few moments.
“It’s okay.” She sighed. “I guess I’d be wary of me, too, if I were you. After all, we’ve never exactly gotten along.”
“I felt like you stole Brian from me,” Nick blurted out and didn’t bother cursing himself for saying exactly what he’d thought for years. “He was my best friend, and you took him away. It was like, the second you showed up and fluttered those eyes, he was down for the count. He wasn’t Frick to my Frack anymore. He was yours, and you made damn sure to let me know it. So forgive me if I’m just a little cautious about you popping up out of nowhere and wanting to be friends.”
Leighanne was quiet while their meals were served and while Nick began to pick at his salad and mentally wished for a huge platter of chicken. When she finally looked up at him, her face was tinged with sadness. “I am sorry, Nick. Sorry because I took away someone you cared for a great deal, and I’m sorry because I deprived Brian of a good friend. I guess I was unwilling to deal with the idea of the man I was falling in love with having a best friend who was barely legal.”
“Which is sort of understandable,” Nick had to admit aloud. “Like you said, you’re ten years older than me and having a kid crowd into a serious relationship like that would’ve cramped your style.”
When she laughed, he frowned. “What’s so funny?”
“The idea of a child cramping my style, as you put it,” she replied. “Because, God knows, Bay does it all the time. I can’t remember the last time Brian and I managed to make-”
“Stop!” Nick covered his ears. “What’s with you and Brian constantly telling me about your love life? Jeez.”
“Sorry.” She grinned. “We’re in love, we tend to ooze rainbows and hearts.”
He smiled now, too. “It’s nice and all, but, man, it must be classic to have the Bayster barge in on the two of you. I bet the look on Brian’s face is priceless.”
“Oh, you have no idea,” Leighanne agreed with a chuckle.
“You should take a picture some time,” Nick suggested with a wicked smile. “Bet that look would be even more priceless.”
Nearly a half hour passed before Nick realized that he’d been wrong. It wasn’t difficult at all to be around Leighanne. They were beginning to understand each other, and, while he was sure hell was coated with a layer of ice, he was happy to be mending more familial ties.
“That’s rough.” Liz clucked as she handed Autumn a bottle of water from the sidewalk vendor.
Autumn adjusted her sunglasses and shrugged. “At least we’re at a truce.”
“Until Thanksgiving,” Liz reminded her. “What’ll you do afterwards when he’s leaving again?”
She’d refused to think about that. “I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it. Maybe even burn it,” she muttered to herself.
“I want you happy, pal.”
Liz hooked her arm through Autumn’s as they strolled down the busy LA street during lunch hour. Autumn was on a break between interviews, and they’d decided to grab a quick lunch—incognito. Autumn Evans was a big enough star to warrant paparazzi attention, and she didn’t want to attract any when she wasn’t sure she was ready for it.
Now, she gave her best friend a grateful smile. Only Liz knew everything Autumn had been through since her arrival in Los Angeles seven years before. Only Liz knew the suffering, heartache, and betrayals. And she’d stuck when no one else had wanted to.
“I’m so glad I went to that Burger King in Anaheim the day I did, Liz,” she began. “God knows, I would’ve never found you otherwise. You’re my lifesaver.”
“And you’re mine. We’re a great team, you and me,” Liz agreed. “And Lily, of course,” she added.
Autumn’s smile was brilliant. “My darling angel,” she murmured before lifting her voice. “Being my best friend, and agent, you wouldn’t mind digging up a number and inviting my last Thanksgiving guest for me, right?”
Liz rolled her eyes. “You’re such a slave driver, Autumn. It’s always demand, demand, demand with you. You’re such a bitch,” she added with a playful grin. “I’ll invite your guest. Who is it?”
Autumn had spent a while thinking about the invite. Unsure if it would be considered awkward or very random, she’d decided to just do it anyway. The problem was, she didn’t have his number. Which was ridiculous because they’d spent enough time together that they should have each other’s contact info. If he came, she mused, there was no way they could miss the number exchange. If he came, she reminded herself.
“Nick Carter,” she told Liz and watched Liz’s gray eyes widen and her brown brows fly up in surprise.
“You’re joking.”
“Nope.”
“Autumn, you don’t even know the guy.”
“You’d be surprised,” she replied quietly. “Please, just call him up for me. I don’t have the time, and I don’t want to invite him the day before, which is the first day I’d find time.”
Liz sighed. “Okay. I’ll call him. And that concludes this portion of our day,” she added, glancing down at her watch. “You’re going to be late for the taping of Ellen if we don’t get back to the car now.”
“Thanks, Liz. You’re the best.”
“As long as you don’t forget it.”
“That was weird.” Nick stared at the cell phone in his hand.
“Who was it?” Leighanne asked as she waited with him while their cars were being brought around by the valet service.
He stuffed the phone in his pocket. “Autumn Evans’ agent. She said Autumn would like to have me over for Thanksgiving dinner at her house.” As he frowned at the oddity of that, he missed Leighanne’s look of speculation and pleasure.
“You have plans for Thanksgiving?” she asked. “Because you’re not invited to the Littrell house anymore.”
“Is that your not-so-subtle way of pushing me into going?” he wondered.
“That depends. Were you not going to go?”
Nick was quiet for a few moments. “Is this going to be a mistake?”
“Nope.” Leighanne stepped towards her car as it was driven up to where they stood. “It’s just perfect. And if you don’t believe that, trust me. After all, we old people know what we’re doing.”
Maybe, he thought, sliding into his own car moments later. Or maybe it would be a mistake. But he couldn’t say he wasn’t anticipating seeing more of Autumn’s life, either.
