As the first week passed, Nick and Sydney settled into an easy routine. During the day, both of them were out and about for their work. Nick had meetings and recording sessions with various artists on his Kaotic label. After years of working for it, his label had taken off and, while it mostly handled independent artists, he was proud to say that some of the musicians he’d signed had gone on to achieve number one albums and sold out tours.
For the summer, Sydney was an intern at a law firm in downtown Tampa, which was why she was able to stay the summer with Nick. True, he wasn’t thrilled at the idea that his daughter was following in the footsteps of her mother, but he was proud of her achievements and ambitions either way. She was his shining star, and he’d do whatever it took to help her be successful and happy. Not wanting to turn into his parents, he’d worked hard to be the best father for her and, while there were still times he worried, seeing the kind of woman his daughter was becoming made him proud.
When they were both home from work and meetings, they would head down to the beach, go out for dinner, or just order in and watch movies. He loved hearing about all the things she was doing in college, her activities, and, the thing every father hated to hear about, boys. Being with his daughter was a joy for Nick, and he liked the fact that they were friends as well as father and daughter. He’d lost a great deal of respect for his own parents, but having Sydney helped him see that children and their parents could have a great relationship, too.
Nick never allowed himself to think that, part of the reason Sydney had turned out as wonderful as she had, was due to the way Spencer had raised her. After all, Sydney wasn’t all a product of his sole work—her mother had a huge part in her upbringing, too. The thing was, though, that if he thought of Spencer, it would annoy him to no end. All their arguments, the cruel words they’d both tossed at each other, the angry expression on her face—it would all come back to him and infuriate him. Sure, they’d had more between them than the bad times. He felt guilty whenever he thought of how she’d been the only woman in his life to completely understand him, especially since he couldn’t entirely say the same about Cara. Through the good and the bad, Spencer had gotten inside him more fully than he’d ever allowed another person to be.
And then she’d messed it all up.
Nick shoved away from his desk and stood by the window, staring out at the waves lapping the sand. He didn’t want to think about Spencer, not ever, but, the truth was, he thought of her a little more often than he’d like. Then again, he really had no choice but to think of her. She was the mother of his child, and there were times that they had to talk about Sydney’s tuition, her grades, when she’d gotten her wisdom teeth out, etc.
But, it had been nearly three years since he’d seen her at Sydney’s high school graduation.
He sighed a little. Spencer was the past, and Cara was his future. She was perfect for him in every way. She was smart, funny, and an incredible cartoonist. Her comic strip ran in Sunday papers across the country. She was a fabulous cook and enjoyed the same music and movies that he did. Spencer, on the other hand, had been a staunch conservative, never taking chances, never following impulse, and always making multiple back up plans for everything.
Nick smiled a little, remembering the time she’d had Plans A to E made up for a romantic trip they’d planned on taking before the Unbreakable tour.
“God, what a basket case,” he muttered aloud before shaking all thoughts of her away. When the phone rang, he reached for it. “Hello?”
It was Cara. “Hey, Nick. How’s it going?”
“Not bad. What’re you up to?”
“I stopped by one of the caterers on our list for the wedding. Actually, I’m there right now, and the owner said, if we wanted, he can let us taste test some of the foods we might want.” She paused. “I know you have work you should be doing, but now would be a great time to do this.”
Nick glanced at the clock. It was barely one in the afternoon. Sydney wouldn’t be home until four, and he could always work later at night to finish up loose ends for one of his artists. “Sure, I can come by. Where are you at?”
Ten minutes later, he hurried out the door to meet his fiancée. The most important thing for him now was his wedding to Cara and making absolutely sure that his one and only trip down the aisle would be perfect.
***
Kevin Richardson had not changed in all the years Nick had known him. He was still the same, with the small addition of lots of grays that he unabashedly loved. Nick thought it weird that Kevin had always looked forward to the day when his luxurious mane of dark hair would go white, but, from the reaction of fans of Kevin’s Broadway career, it appeared that Kevin had known what he was doing.
Kevin always knew what he was doing, though. He’d never come back to the Backstreet Boys, though there were plenty of charity concerts where he would join them on stage. Nick treasured those times more than any other, and he secretly believed Kevin did, too.
Then there were Kristin and Mason. Where Kevin was the big brother Nick had always wanted, Kristin was the big sister he’d never had. She was one of the few women he’d ever really looked up to, and she and Kevin gave him the kind of support he’d really needed at some of the lowest points in his life. Their son, Mason, was a great kid. Just a year older than Sydney, he hadn’t followed his parents into show business. Instead, he was set to start at medical school in the fall.
All in all, they were one of the best families he’d ever known, and they were a testament to the fact that, if you worked hard enough, a family could survive and thrive.
Nick was thrilled to open his front door and find them on his porch. “Hey! I can’t believe you’re finally here,” he said, an instant before Kevin enveloped him in a hug. “Gosh, it’s been way too long, man.”
“You’re telling me,” Kevin said as he stepped back, giving Nick time to hug Kristin and greet Mason with a quick hug. “Seven months in between visits is so not okay, Nick. What are you doing out here that’s keeping you from coming out to see us?”
“Seriously, Uncle Nick.” Mason shoved his sunglasses to the top of his head, revealing eyes as brilliant a green as his father’s. “You didn’t even come to my graduation.”
Nick sent him an apologetic smile. “Sorry, man. I meant to, but, well, there’s been some stuff going on here. I couldn’t get away.”
“Stuff?” Kristin followed her men into the house. “Nothing in your life could possibly be as important as my kid’s graduation, Nick.”
Nick grinned. “Okay, fine. You don’t have to come to Sydney’s next May. Give me a break, will you? I promise, I had a good reason. I’ll tell you about it in a bit.”
“Sure.” Kevin followed Nick into the kitchen and spotted Cara marinating steaks. “Hey, Cara!”
She turned from food prep and smiled when she saw them. “Oh, thank goodness you’re here! Nick has been driving me crazy. Maybe now you can take him off my hands.” She grinned when Nick sputtered. “It’s been ‘I can’t wait until Kevin gets here,’ ‘What’s taking them so long?’ ‘Should I call the airline to find out if they’ve made it?’” She held out her hands when Kevin started to hug her. “Sorry, I’m just a mess. Better not risk your clothes.”
Kevin shrugged but kissed her cheek anyway. Of all of Nick’s lovers, Cara was one of the most levelheaded, and he thought she was exactly what Nick needed now. Of course, he still thought that Spencer had been Nick’s best shot at forever, but, well, that hadn’t turned out so well. “How have you been? Work seems to be going well for you.”
“Yeah, I read the strip every Sunday,” Mason told her. “It’s always been my favorite.”
“Lies,” Cara joked. “It’s okay, you can tell me what you really think. I won’t take offense.”
Mason shook his head. “Seriously, Cara, your work rocks. I know lots of people at school who read it.”
Her cheeks stained with color a little. “Well, thank you. It’s always gratifying to hear that my work is so well received.” She looked over when Sydney rushed into the room.
“Uncle Kevin! Aunt Kris!” Sydney threw her arms around Kevin’s neck when he caught her up in his arms. “I can’t believe you’re here! I haven’t seen you in a year.”
“We’ll lay the blame for that on your dad,” Kristin told her as she, too, hugged Nick’s daughter. She and Kevin had always worried and prayed for Sydney to grow up well-adjusted, considering her parents’ conflicts. Looking at Nick and Spencer’s daughter, now, Kristin knew they shouldn’t have worried. She was perfectly fine. “You grew up beautiful, sweetie.”
Sydney grinned. “It helps that my parents have fabulous genes.” She noticed the way everyone’s smiles turned just a little strained and struggled not to sigh. She turned to Mason. “Hey, it’s Mr. Johns Hopkins med school!” She kissed his cheek. “How’ve you been? How was graduation?”
Mason tugged on her hair playfully. “It was good. How about you? Still playing at being a pre-law student?”
“For your information, I’m interning at a law firm this summer,” she told him indignantly, her hands fisted on her hips. “I will be a lawyer.”
He grinned and slid an arm around her shoulders. “Relax, Syd. I was kidding. You’ll be a great lawyer.”
“Thanks.” Sydney looked over at Nick. “So, Dad, when do we get to eat the steaks you’re going to burn? I’m starving.”
“Listen, kid, I did not expect all these insults this summer.” Nick shook a finger at her. “If I had known…”
Kristin chuckled. “Better get used to it, Nick. Mason makes it a point to tell me and Kevin whenever we have a new strand of white hair. As if I don’t already know.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. We’re old, we know it.” Kevin waved off the old geezer comments. “But Syd’s right. Nick always burns everything he tries to barbecue, so I’ll do it.”
“Hey!”
When Nick’s face scrunched up into a frown, everyone laughed.
***
“So.” Nick leaned back in his chair and looked around at some of the most important people in his life. Everyone seemed to be enjoying dinner, even though he hadn’t been given the opportunity to grill any of it. “Cara and I have an announcement to make.”
“You’re having a baby!” Kristin’s hand flew to her mouth in surprise. “Oh, Nick, I’m so happy for the both of you!”
He blushed. “No, jeez. Kris, it’s not like that. Besides, I’m too old to have more kids.”
“Oh.” It was Kristin’s turn to blush. “Oops. I just thought…”
Cara patted her hand. “I know, and, while that would be really nice, I think we’re both past that age.”
“Oh, you never know,” Kristin told her. “I mean, technology these days is really making it easier to have children when you’re in your forties and fifties.”
Kevin laid a hand over his wife’s and squeezed it. “Darling, I think Nick wants to make an announcement that has nothing to do with babies. You can convince them later about having children.” He looked over at Nick. “So, what’s the big announcement?”
Sydney slid lower in her chair, knowing what the news was and not liking it one bit. When Mason noticed her expression, he leaned over. “What’s wrong?” he whispered.
“Nothing,” she whispered back.
At the head of the table, Nick beamed. “A couple weeks ago, I asked Cara to marry me, and she said yes! We’re getting married at the beginning of July, and you guys are definitely invited.”
Kevin was speechless for a moment, but Kristin leapt up and, rounding the table, she threw her arms around Nick. “Oh, Nicky! I’m so happy for you! Look at you, finally ready to settle down. I’m so proud of you.”
Nick smiled even as his cheeks turned pink. “Thanks, Kris. I’m glad you approve.”
“Of course, I do! Kevin, isn’t this the greatest news?”
Kevin could only nod. “Sure, yeah. July’s only a month away, Nick. What’s the big rush?”
“I don’t want to give him any room to wiggle away,” Cara told him. “It took him three years to ask me to marry him, and I’m not taking any chances.”
“Smart woman,” he replied, smiling. “Well, this certainly calls for a toast.”
For the second time in a week, Sydney toasted her father’s impending nuptials and tried to pretend as best she could that she was super happy and ultra thrilled. She wondered what her mother would say when she heard Nick was getting married.
“So, have you told the rest of the guys, yet?” Kevin asked as they sipped champagne. “You are inviting them, aren’t you?”
Nick nodded. “Of course! Dude, I can’t get married without my big brothers at my side. What if I pass out? Who’ll catch me?” he joked. “I haven’t told them yet. I wanted you to be the first to know. Besides, the wedding’s only going to be my siblings, Cara’s parents and her best friend, and you guys and your families. Mason and Sydney, the two of you can bring a guest each, too. I forgot to tell you, kid,” he apologized to Sydney.
Oh, goody. Someone to complain to the whole time, Sydney thought bitterly, but, for Nick, she put on a bright smile. “Great! Thanks, Dad.”
“Where’s the wedding going to be held?” Kristin asked Cara.
“I was baptized in this church not far from here, and it’s where my family attended services for the longest time.” Cara smiled as Nick took her hand in his. “Nick agreed that it would be best to have it there.”
Nick? Getting married in a church? Kevin tried not to laugh aloud at that. Nick had always been the one to insist that, if he ever took the fatal plunge, his dream was to do it on a yacht out on the water at sunset. But… “That’s really nice,” he said out loud. “I never actually thought Nick would get married, but I’m glad he is, and I’m glad it’s you.”
While Sydney stifled her disgusted groan, Cara and Nick smiled hugely at each other as Nick leaned over to kiss her. Something, Sydney thought, had to be done. And fast.
***
“Are you going to tell me what’s bugging you, or do I have to guess?” Mason asked Sydney as they cleared the table later. The sun had nearly set, and their parents had gone inside.
Sydney shrugged. “You’re going to think I’m being stupid.”
“Whatever, Syd. Spill it.”
“It’s just that I always dreamed of the day when my parents would get married. To each other,” she began. “I mean, I know that they can’t stand each other because of something that happened before I was born, but neither of them ever talk about it. They had to have had feelings for each other in order to have me, but they don’t say anything. And, now, Dad’s getting married to Cara!” Angrily, she shoved dishes together, causing them to rattle. “I can’t believe he’s doing this to me!”
Mason tried not to laugh at how cute she looked when she pouted. Instead, he carefully picked his words. It wouldn’t be wise to make her more angry. “Look, Sydney. Don’t you think that, if your parents really loved each other ever, that they wouldn’t have split? Or, if they had, that they would’ve gotten back together by now? It’s not like they haven’t had the chance to do it.”
“Maybe. Or maybe they just haven’t had a push in the right direction.” She smiled slyly as a plan began to develop in her mind. “I mean, come on, I think my mom totally still has feelings for Dad. She’s never dated anyone as far back as I can remember. I bet Dad was her last.”
“She’s the District Attorney,” Mason pointed out. “Did you ever think that she hasn’t had enough time or energy leftover to date?”
Sydney shook her head. “No. If she’d really been interested in someone, she would have made time. Which makes me think that she’s still hung up on Dad.”
“Sydney.” Mason gripped her shoulders, forcing her to look at him. “I know you just want what’s best for your parents, but maybe you’re wrong. Besides, your dad looks like he really loves Cara, and Cara really loves him. She makes him happy. Don’t you want your dad to be happy?”
“Well, duh.” She shrugged his arms off. “But he’ll be happier when he’s with my mom. I know you don’t believe me, Mason,” she added when he opened his mouth to protest, “but I know my parents. Trust me when I say that they belong together. And I’m going to make sure it happens.”
Mason smacked his forehead with his hand. He knew that look in her eyes. “What are you going to do?”
“Are you offering to help?” Her eyes sparkled innocently, and he knew he was sunk.
“Shit. Yeah, okay. Fine. But, if anyone asks, I had nothing to do with it.”
Sydney threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. “You won’t regret this! I promise. You’re going to feel so good about doing this when you see how happy my parents are together!”
For her sake, Mason hoped she was right. He had no doubt that Sydney would do whatever it took to make sure that she got exactly what she wanted. He just hoped that it wouldn’t hurt Nick, Cara, and Spencer in the end.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Wow! I'm on a serious roll with this story! I hope everyone's excited about where this story is going. I promise, after the next chapter, things will really get rolling! Enjoy!
