Nick shrugged and examined each row carefully. “I know how you feel, but, hey, it’s crazier for me.”
“And me.” Chris shook his head as he stood on Nick’s other side. His eyes met Brian’s as they shared a rare look of wonder over Nick’s head. “What am I gonna do at all the parties now?”
“Get drunk and get laid?” Nick suggested and didn’t spare Brian a glance when the older man barely disguised the laugh as a cough. “It’s not funny.”
Brian sobered. “You’re absolutely right, it’s not. This is a monumental decision, Nickolas Gene.”
“I know. I remember you were freaking out like whoa, what, eight years ago. Look where we are now.”
“In a jewelry store?” Chris gave the obvious answer, and Brian and Nick rolled their eyes at each other. “Okay, I get it. It’s crazy that we’re standing here and watching you look for a ring. Are you sure this is what you want?”
Nick was quiet for so long, Brian placed a hand on his shoulder. “Look, Nick. She’s going through a rough patch, right now. Are you sure marrying her is the best thing for either of you?”
“I love her,” he stated simply, causing Chris’s jaw to drop.
“Are you fucking serious, man? I thought you were with Liz last week. How the hell did you go from Liz to being in love with Autumn?”
Nick tried not to look at them as he continued to study the selection of engagement rings spotlighted below the gleaming glass of the display counter. He’d decided that it would be better for the secret if the less people knew the better. After all, if too many people knew that he was marrying Autumn for reasons other than love, it would be more likely that someone would accidentally slip and say something. It sucked, he thought, to have to lie to his friends, but it was for the best.
“It was never Liz,” he said now. “It’s been Autumn from that first time at that movie premiere back in September.”
“Really?” Brian seemed suspicious, and Nick scrambled to continue the lie.
“Yeah. And then we just kept bumping into each other, and, well, there was this morning at the beach,” he remembered as he spoke and congratulated himself on the inspiration. “Oh, man. That was the day I knew.”
Brian continued to frown. “Wasn’t she with her ex then?”
“Uh, yeah. So I couldn’t say anything to her about how I felt. So, on Thanksgiving, I thought I’d ask Liz out instead and see if it made Autumn jealous or something.” God, he thought. Somebody give me a fucking Oscar. I’m pulling off the job of the century.
“Dude, that’s awesome!” Chris slapped his back good-naturedly.
Nick shrugged and noticed the reporters with their cameras as they huddled around the windows to the shop. The storeowner couldn’t seem happier about the publicity. “She broke it off with Jack that night, and, well, the rest is pretty much history. We just wanted to keep things secret, but the tabloids sort of wouldn’t let us. I mean, I’d pretend to be going out with Liz, but Autumn was with us a couple times. So, instead of being tricked, the media figured out exactly what was going on. Damn rats,” he added with fervor.
“I saw her interview last night where she gave her statement,” Brian said after long moments. He wasn’t entirely convinced the story was exactly what Nick said it was, but…He was reserving judgement on the whole thing. As long as Nick was happy, though, he knew he couldn’t say anything. “Leighanne watched it, and she just wanted to show up at Autumn’s house and give her a hug. I had to talk her out of going as it appeared that you were by her side. Autumn seemed happier when they talked about the two of you. If you can make her happy, Nick, then good for you. I’ve always wanted the best for you, and I think she’s the perfect one for you.”
Nick straightened up, surprised. “Really? I mean, yeah. I know,” he corrected quickly.
“She won’t take your bullshit, kid, and you won’t let her fall apart. She looked like she was barely hanging in there last night, and I hope you give her the strength to get through the media nightmare.” Brian laid a hand on Nick’s shoulder. “Besides, you’re going to be a daddy. How about that?”
Chris snorted. “Soon as the kid is old enough to go around without her mom, Nick’ll probably take her to parties. Just remember, Nick, old man, you can’t get her drunk, or Autumn’s gonna beat your ass.”
“Shut up, Chris.” Nick turned back to Brian again. “I’m glad you and the guys like her, Brian. And, yeah, it’s all sorts of weird to know I’ll be a dad, and I hope I don’t screw it up. I love Lily.” That, at least, was the truth through and through. The pixie had him wrapped around her tiny finger.
“You’ll be a great father, Nick,” Brian assured him. “And, hey, this gives Baylee a playmate on tour and an honorary little sister.”
On tour? Nick gulped as he realized he hadn’t thought that far ahead yet. “Uh, yeah. I think she’s going to get along great with Bay. They won’t be bored. I’ll just have to make sure she doesn’t go streaking across the stage, though, or fiddle around with the microphones. It could get embarrassing.”
“Oh, ha ha. Please, Nick. You know it was funny. Everybody was laughing,” Brian reminded him, though the blush at his son’s past antics still stained his cheeks.
“Uh huh. Anyway,” Nick looked back down at the rings before he turned to the storeowner, “I’m sorry. I don’t see the perfect ring here. But thanks, anyway. Let’s go, guys.” And he headed for the door even as the owner spluttered that he had others in the back. “I know where I’ll find the perfect ring.”
Chris and Brian looked at each other, shrugged, and followed him out.
Autumn studied the dresses and sighed. She knew acting, but, when it came to fashion, she was clueless. Sure, the purple, strapless Calvin Klein was gorgeous, but so was the emerald, off-shoulder Chanel. Then, there was the stunning, black Dior. She was lost. “I don’t know,” she admitted to her stylist. “All I really know is that I would not be caught dead in the gold one. I’d be practically naked!”
Charlene, her stylist, laughed. “I wasn’t even going to suggest it as an option, Autumn. Anyway, the six dresses here are just the ones you were sent for the Globes. I have a closetful of gowns for the Oscars. Five more arrived this morning. It appears that your interview last night had a positive effect. Designers are dying to get you into their stuff.”
“I wouldn’t say there’s been a positive spin,” Autumn muttered. “But it has gotten better. I hope it’s put Summer in her place. I saw a couple tabs calling her out on her lies, and one of the entertainment shows said something about how she’s the one who has no honor and no sense of family ties.” She tried to keep the glee from showing on her face but failed. “Do you think it’s going to end soon?”
Not really paying attention to the question, Charlene fluttered around Autumn with dress after dress and clucked her tongue. “Honestly, they couldn’t think of anything better to send you? These dresses will do nothing for you, Autumn. You want to show the world you’re on top of everything, not slogging your way to the bottom. You said Nick was going to be accompanying you to the Globes? I’ll want him to come in and see me about his suit. We don’t have much time, either!” She lifted another gown and slipped it onto Autumn as she stood in next to nothing on a pedestal. “God, this shade of peach is absolutely vile. It doesn’t add any glow to your skin. Not even makeup would help. Well, we’ll just have to find something else.”
Autumn held back the chuckle. Sometimes, it seemed that her stylist was more worried about her looks than she was. “Charlene, you didn’t answer my question.”
“Did you answer mine?”
“Huh? Which one?”
“Are you going to tell Nick to come in as soon as humanly possible, so I can coordinate your styles appropriately?”
“Ugh. I’ll tell him. Do you think my troubles are going to be over soon?”
Charlene whipped out another gown, this time in royal blue, and stared at her model. “Autumn. You will be doing damage control for at least another month. Maybe more. I wouldn’t be so happy yet.”
“Right.” She wasn’t convinced and was about to open her mouth to say something when she noticed the visitor and squeaked in surprise. “Charlene! Why didn’t you close the door?”
Nick merely leaned against the doorjamb and decided he’d have to have been dead a century not to enjoy the sight of Autumn in nothing but a skin-toned bra and skimpy underwear. “Hello, ladies. Autumn, that look works for me,” he added with a wicked grin. So what if they were irritated with each other, he thought, it was still amusing to annoy her.
Blushing, Autumn scrambled around to find a shirt and left Nick to Charlene’s advances. As she yanked on her pants, she had to grin at the nerves obvious in his voice as he tried to evade the stylist’s questions about his clothing.
When Charlene moved away for a moment to grab her measuring tape, Nick latched onto his opportunity. And Autumn’s arm. “Excuse us, Charlene. I’ll definitely get you the details of my suit soon, but I need to steal Autumn from you.”
“She’s not done with her dress choice. Then we have to do her shoes, her jewelry, and Carlo, the hairdresser, wants to take a whack at her hairstyle. She cannot leave.” Charlene had put her foot down, and Autumn grinned triumphantly and pulled her arm out of Nick’s hold.
The triumph, though, turned to shock when, in less than two minutes, he managed to charm Charlene into letting Autumn go. When she found herself seated in Nick’s BMW five minutes later, the shock had faded into annoyance.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she demanded, watching him twist the key in the ignition.
He waited until they were on the highway before answering her. “I thought you might want to take a little break, grab some dinner, and relax before doing more work. You’ve got an interview tonight, right?”
What, did he have her entire schedule memorized? she wondered, annoyed. “Yes, I do. I’d rather relax at home with Lily, though, so if you could just take me home-”
“Nope. Give me an hour, Autumn.” When she glared at the windshield and didn’t respond, he sighed. “Look, we were friends before this whole marriage idea popped up. I’d really like us to not be mad at each other. We’re both stuck in it, and it’d be stupid if we were pissed off the entire time. Let’s just make the best of the situation, huh? Give me one hour,” he asked again, gently.
Damn it, she thought. As much as she hated to admit it, he was right. Their marriage wouldn’t be any easier if they kept fighting, but still… “Fine. I don’t know if I’m ready to forgive you for having this stupid idea, but you’ve got your hour. This better be good,” she added in a mutter and slouched in the seat, her arms crossed.
Nick smiled to himself. One battle won, he mused. Now he just had to make it through the rest of the freaking war.
Ten minutes later, he pulled his car through the gates of a beautiful home built in the finest of California’s Spanish style. The red rolled tiles glowed against the warm hues of the walls in the late afternoon sunshine. Wide emerald lawns and lush tropical bushes hugged the house, and the curving drive cut through the foliage and led up to the mansion.
Autumn sat up, her nose practically pressed to the glass. “Nick. This house is gorgeous! Who lives here?” She leapt out of the car when he stopped it and leaned down to run her fingers through the soft, green grass. “It’s seriously perfect.”
He grinned as he watched her tip her head back to take in the wide windows, the wrought-iron balcony on the second floor, and the greenery that trimmed it all. “Wanna see the inside?”
“Hell, yes!” She hurried after him towards the door. And stopped. “Wait a minute. Is this, like, AJ’s house?”
Nick shook his head and fished a key out of his pocket. “Just come in and explore it. I’ll answer your questions after.” He held the door open and followed her through it.
The inside was, to Autumn’s sheer delight, a dream come true. It was completely furnished with the perfect furniture in each, uniquely decorated room. The parlor, den, and dining room met with her purring approval. But her jaw dropped when she walked into the family room and spotted the backyard and the view beyond it.
“This is incredible! Look at that pool, and, wow, you can see the valley just past the fence. It’s almost as though you could walk right into it.” She spun around to face him, the glow of pleasure turning her looks from pretty to stunning. Nick realized he was suddenly breathless and tried to shrug it off.
“You like it, then?” The question was pointless, he knew, because a blind man could see that she loved the house.
“Of course!” She wandered into the kitchen and ooh-ed her approval. “Damn it, Nick. If one of your friends owns this place, I’ll make them an offer for it. It’s even better than anything I thought I’d find. So, who owns it?”
Nick waited until she returned to the family room. “We do.”
The joy turned into a stunned look. “Excuse me?”
“We do,” he repeated. “If we’re going to get married, we need a house to live in. I found this today, and, when I dropped by the realtor’s office, it was a piece of cake to buy it because it’s been on the market for months with no potential buyers. We have to wait a couple weeks before moving in because they have to process the paperwork, but this house has our names on the deed. It’s ours.”
“How could you just buy a house for us and expect that I’d just follow along with it? Are you crazy, Nick?” Her anger was back in full force at the thought of him not asking her before buying the place. It didn’t matter that the home was perfect, it was the principle of the matter.
Nick took a deep breath and reminded himself not to lose his temper. She was mad enough for the both of them. “Autumn, you just said you loved the place. You were ready to buy it right now. I just saved us the trouble of house-hunting. Are you really going to complain about that?”
Well, jeez. She was being childish, Autumn realized when she heard the placating tone of his voice. It was as though he were speaking to a particularly slow-witted child. The temper drained quickly. “No,” she replied quietly. “You were right. This place is fabulous. Lily’s going to love it here.”
“Good.” He smiled before tugging her over to sit on the sofa. Keeping her hands in his, he tucked an errant dark curl behind her ear. “I’m glad you like it. I wasn’t one hundred percent sure, but Howie and Brian said it was pretty perfect. They’re usually right about this sort of stuff, so I believed them. But it still means a lot that you would love it as much as I do.”
Autumn felt guilty for her earlier outburst. “Thank you, Nick. Really. You’re just trying to make things easier, and I’m making them harder. I’ll work with you on this whole…marriage,” she finished, the word still sticking a bit.
His smile never wavered as he pulled something out of his pocket. “I thought it would be best for me to do this here, in this house. This is going to be our home when we’re married, and I think it means more if I do this here and now.”
Her heart was thudding oddly at the look in his eyes. What was happening? “Nick. What is it?”
Nick ran his thumb lightly over her knuckles before lifting her hand to press his lips to her fingers. “Autumn. There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you,” he began with a slight smile. His other hand appeared between them and something sparkled between his forefinger and thumb.
When she realized what it was, her eyes widened. “Oh, my…”
He laughed at her expression. “Well, if we’re going to do this, we have to do it right. So,” he squeezed her fingers gently, “Autumn Evans, will you marry me?”
Autumn stared at the bronze band topped with a lily in a mother-of-pearl inlay, the texture of its petals seeming soft to touch. Nestled in the midst of the petals was a single emerald. “Nick, it’s…Wow. It’s amazing.” Her eyes lifted to his. “You didn’t have to-”
“Yeah, I did. I didn’t think gold or platinum worked for you, but the bronze suited you more. The lily’s for Lily, and the emerald reminded me of your eyes.” He shrugged. “I know this designer that does these unique designs, so I went over and found it. After we’re divorced, you can keep it, too. It’s really not a big deal,” he added.
“Well, it’s still an incredibly generous ring. Thank you.”
He lifted a brow. “You didn’t answer the question.”
“Hmm?”
“Will you marry me, Autumn?”
She glanced from the ring to his slight smile. What the hell, she decided. “Yes. Yes, I will.” He slid the ring onto her finger and grinned when it fit. “Just for the record, Nickolas?”
“Yeah?”
Autumn kissed his cheek. “I’m still going to kick your ass after this is over.”
