Music was blasting from the speakers, voices were raised in cheerful exuberance, and the smell of cooking meat floated in through the windows. Spencer sat on the bed in Nick’s guest bedroom and tried to find the strength and courage to go downstairs and meet Nick’s second family and his fiancée. She hadn’t seen the other Backstreet Boys in years, and, though she’d met Cara three years earlier, she couldn’t quite remember what the woman had been like. She wondered if Cara was angry that Spencer was staying with Nick.
After all, Spencer admitted, if she had been in Cara’s place, she would’ve clawed the other woman’s eyes out.
“You’re a grown up, Spencer. You’ve taken on murderers and drug addicts, and you can definitely handle a harmless woman and the Backstreet men.” She took a deep breath and slid off the bed. “And, here we go.”
Even as she made her way down the stairs, the doorbell rang. Spencer glanced towards the back of the house and, figuring that everyone else was in the backyard, she went and pulled open the door.
Brian and Baylee Littrell stood on the other side and, for a second, Brian’s expression was stunned. With a little whoop, he dragged her into his arms and hugged her. “I can’t believe this! Spencer Wilde, you’re actually here! How the hell have you been?”
Spencer grinned and stepped back to study him. “I’ve been pretty good. You, on the other hand, lost your hair.”
Brian patted his bald spot fondly as Baylee chuckled. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Damn, you look great!”
“I try.” She smiled at Baylee. “And this must be Baylee, all grown up.”
“Spencer, right?” Baylee returned the smile. “I haven’t seen you since I was nine. I think it was Sydney’s third birthday party.”
Spencer tried to remember. “Um. Please tell me that’s not the one where Nick and I-”
“Got into a yelling contest and the cake blew up?” Brian grinned. “Yup. That’s the one. I think that’s the last time any of us saw you.”
“Yeah, I guess I just figured it was easier for Sydney to have two stress-free birthday parties rather than that screamfest again.” Spencer shrugged. “So, Baylee, what are you up to now? I saw you on the cover of People a couple years ago.”
Baylee’s cheeks turned pink at her words. “Yeah, that was the worst mistake I’ve made. I’m still trying to live it down.”
Brian chuckled. “Well, it could’ve been worse.”
“Yeah, if I’d lost all of my clothes, instead of just my pants and shirt.” Baylee waved it off. “I’m a writer for a show on ABC, actually. It’s my baby, and being a writer keeps me out of the spotlight, so I like that.”
Spencer smiled. “Well, I’ll have to start watching your show.” She glanced over her shoulder towards the back of the house. “I guess I should stop keeping the two of you all to myself, huh?”
Brian slipped an arm around her shoulders. “Well, let’s go on out and join the party then. But, while we do that, why don’t you tell me what on earth you’re doing here? You do know Nick’s getting married in, oh, five days?”
She stiffened a little at the mention and knew Brian would see right through her. Of all of Nick’s friends, Brian had been the one she’d gotten along with the best. He understood her completely, and she’d always missed him. “Sydney invited me as her guest. I just hadn’t realized I’d be staying at Nick’s house, too.”
Brian stopped in mid-step. “You’re staying here? Like here here? Oh, wow.”
“Hell must have frozen over,” Baylee commented. “I’m surprised the house is still standing.”
“Yeah, well, we’re giving each other a lot of space,” she replied. “It’s just another five days. No big deal. Once the wedding’s over, I’m going home, and we’ll all forget I was even here.”
Brian didn’t think things would turn out quite the way she was expecting, but he let her live in denial. He figured he was still the only person on the planet that knew Spencer was in love with Nick. Even now, he could see it in her eyes, and she knew that he knew it. “Oh, Spencer.”
“Don’t say that. Don’t.” She stopped by the back door and turned to him. “I should be saying ‘Oh, Brian,’ too. Why on earth didn’t you call me when Leighanne died? I found out yesterday! Brian, I’m so sorry.”
Brian’s expression immediately saddened. “I know. Me, too. But I had thirty-one of the best years of my life with Leigh, and she’s always going to be in my heart.”
Spencer hugged him before turning doing the same to Baylee. “I wish I’d known. I would’ve come to see her, to see all of you. I really am sorry.”
They didn’t say anything, and Brian pushed open the back door, stepped onto the enormous deck and into the party. Excited voices were raised in conversation, and Spencer watched as Kevin tossed a football to Howie’s son, Jacob, on the beach, as the two of them and Mason played a game. At one end of the deck, Leigh, Kristin, Sydney, and AJ’s daughter, Libby, chatted away. Meanwhile, AJ, Howie, and Nick were gathered around the barbecue grill, inspecting something.
Brian and Baylee headed over to where the other men were, leaving Spencer to stand, awkwardly, by the door. She had no idea where to go, who to talk to, or who would welcome her. So, she watched as Nick, AJ, and Howie greeted Brian with hugs and pats on the back. Over Baylee’s shoulder, Nick caught sight of her and frowned.
“Did you get settled in and all?” he asked Brian, though his eyes were on Spencer.
“Sure, we did. Thanks for the rooms, even though we could’ve paid, you know.” Brian grinned. “It’s not like I’m poor, man.” When Nick didn’t respond, Brian followed his gaze to Spencer. “Why didn’t you mention Spencer is staying with you this week? Whoa, what a surprise.”
Nick blinked and looked over at where Brian stood with AJ and Howie, who had finally seen Spencer and now gaped at him in shock. “Uh, yeah. It was a surprise for me, too. Syd invited her.” He thought for a second before making up his mind. “I’ll be right back.”
Turning away from his friends, he skirted around the tables and chairs on the deck and made his way over to where Spencer stood. “Are your feet glued to that spot or what?” he asked when he stood in front of her.
“No.” She bit her lip nervously. “No, why?”
“So why haven’t you moved from this spot since you got out here? You know, join the party?”
Spencer shrugged. “Because I don’t know how well everyone’s going to react to me being here. I still remember how AJ reamed me out at Sydney’s third birthday party. I don’t think I should be here. I should go,” she said over her shoulder as she turned to go back into the house.
Nick grabbed her arm. “Come on, Spencer. You’re here, so you might as well stay. I don’t think anyone’s going to yell at you. That was years ago.”
“Maybe. I guess.” She sighed. “Brian didn’t say anything to me about that, so that’s got to count for something, right?”
He nearly smiled at how nervous she sounded. “Wow. I can’t believe Ms. Nashville District Attorney is freaking out about a little barbecue and meeting old friends. I thought you were better than that.”
Instantly, as he’d known it would, his comment made her straighten up. “Excuse me? I am not ‘freaking out’ about anything. I can do this. Watch me.” Shoulders squared, chin up, she stalked away.
When she walked right over to AJ, Brian, and Howie, he had to smile. She had always been cute when she’d been working through her nerves. He could see that she hadn’t changed that much.
“What are you smiling about over here in the corner?” Cara stepped out the back door and wrapped her arms around Nick. “Miss me?”
He grinned down at her and kissed her nose. “I just saw you this morning. ‘Course I didn’t miss you.” He yelped when she pinched him. “You’re so mean.”
“I know.” She smiled mischievously. “That’s why you love me.”
Spencer glanced over her shoulder just in time to see the two of them kiss, and she felt an instant flare of envy. She tried to squash it and turned back to see AJ, Howie, and Brian watching her solemnly. “What?”
“Why don’t you just tell him that you still love him?” Howie asked. “Maybe you wouldn’t hurt like you obviously are right now.”
“I don’t love him, and I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She folded her arms over her chest. “Nick is free to kiss whoever he wants. He always has been.”
AJ sighed. “Look, I know I once told you that you were the worst thing that ever happened to him, but I was wrong. Cara’s not bad, but I think you should try to let him know how you feel.”
“Why? So he can laugh in my face?” Spencer shook her head. “No, thanks. Besides, like I said, I don’t love him.”
The three men said nothing, but Brian slid his arm around her waist and pulled her close. She felt slightly better when she rested her head on his shoulder. “It’s going to be fine, Spencer. You’ll be better than fine.”
“Thanks, Brian.” She sighed a little, then frowned. Sniffing the air, she lifted a brow. “Okay, boys, what’s burning?”
When Howie and AJ yelped and leapt back over to the grill, she and Brian giggled, and she did feel better.
***
After dinner, when the sun had set, Brian and Kevin built a bonfire on the beach, and everyone gathered around it to make s’mores. Nick burnt his fingers on the first gooey marshmallow mess he made, but Cara leaned over and fed him hers. When they smiled sappily at each other, Spencer’s eyes met Sydney’s over the fire, and both women rolled their eyes. Romance was all well and good, Spencer thought, but only when it was you involved. She’d never been a fan of PDA.
“So Spencer, Sydney told me you’re the District Attorney in Nashville,” Cara said, interrupting Spencer’s thoughts. “That must be pretty exciting.”
“It is.” Spencer slowly licked marshmallow off her fingers and missed Nick’s expression, though Kevin saw it. “It’s hard work, but it always feels good when justice is served.”
“It doesn’t always work out that way, though, does it?” Libby, AJ’s daughter, asked. “I mean, sometimes, the bad guys come out winning, don’t they?”
Spencer nodded. She’d already heard the story of how Libby’s mother had been robbed at gunpoint then killed, and how, later, her killer had gotten off on an insanity plea. “Unfortunately, those are the times when I hate my job the most. But, yeah, it happens more often than it should.”
“Well, you’ve definitely come a long way from that internship you were working when we met you,” Howie commented. “District Attorney is huge.”
“Definitely.”
“But Mom’s the best,” Sydney declared proudly. “The newspapers in Nashville love her, and the mayor calls her all the time.”
Spencer waved it off. “It’s no big deal. It’s just a job.”
When she noticed Nick rolling his eyes, she tried not to let it hurt. Their relationship had started going downhill because he just didn’t respect her work or her passion for it, and she’d been devastated by it. Now, she refused to let it bother her.
“I guess that makes you a celebrity in a way, huh?” Cara smiled a little. “A while back, Sydney mentioned that you’d gotten an offer to model a new line of clothes for the professional woman or something like that.”
“Oh, jeez.” Spencer’s cheeks burned at the memory. “That was really awful, and I’m glad I didn’t do it. Everyone in my office cracked jokes about it for weeks.”
AJ wiggled his brows. “I wouldn’t have minded seeing you model in…anything.” He grinned. “You always look great.”
“Dad!” Libby covered her face, mortified. At sixteen, she was still easily embarrassed by her father’s antics. “You can’t act like a teenager anymore. Jeez.”
Brian chuckled. “Libby, honey, your father’s always going to have the hormonal tendencies of a seventeen year old boy. It’s just the way he’s made.”
“Hey!” AJ feigned insult and made everyone laugh.
Leigh leaned against Howie and grinned at the sight of everyone happily crunching away on their gooey, messy snacks. “So, I say we play a game,” she announced. “Something fun. We haven’t been together like this in so long.”
Kristin agreed enthusiastically. “Absolutely! Let’s do it. Any ideas?”
Mason, Jacob, and Libby rolled their eyes at the idea of playing a game with their parents, but Sydney bounced a little in excitement. “I know! Let’s play charades.”
“Charades?” Kevin made a face. “That’s so juvenile.”
“Dude, not if you play it right,” AJ told him and made Libby moan again. He reached over and ruffled her dark hair. “Lighten up, kiddo. Your friends aren’t here to see me make a fool of myself.”
Sydney looked around the circle. “So, is everyone good with charades?”
Baylee shrugged. “Sure, what the hell. I’m in.”
Brian nodded and, quickly, the others agreed as well. They split into teams, men against the women, even though Jacob pointed out that they needed to be more progressive and realize that gender divides were no longer the mainstream in today’s society. Howie told his son to leave the sociology lecture for when he was in school and to just play. Jacob grumbled a little but easily got into the spirit of the game.
Kristin and Leigh won points for the women, and Brian, Jacob, and Nick won points for the men.
“We’re winning, we’re winning! We men are clearly the best.” Jacob taunted, his previous claims about gender divides obviously forgotten.
“Oh, just you wait, child of mine,” Leigh told him. “Spencer’s up next. She’ll get our points back.”
Spencer stood and made her way over to where the men were congregated, trying to come up with things for her to do. “Well? What do I have to do?”
AJ grinned up at her, and Spencer rolled her eyes. “Oh, AJ. Tell me it’s not something dirty.”
Brian tugged her down on the sand and whispered into her ear, “A stripper.”
“What?!” Spencer gaped at them. “Are you kidding me?”
Howie shrugged. “Kevin thought it might be interesting. The rest of us, except for the kids, agreed.”
“Honestly, Aunt Spencer, we don’t want to see any of the moms strip,” Mason whispered. “But the old guys, here, think it would be hilarious.”
Spencer shook her head. “Why me?” she asked the starry sky. “What did I do to deserve this one?”
“Come on, Spencer!” AJ cheered her on. “You can do it!”
She stood up and wondered how she’d do this. She’d never been much of a dancer, and she definitely didn’t want to pretend to shimmy around. “I can keep my clothes on, right?” she whispered.
“You wearing a bathing suit under there?” AJ gestured to her sarong and tank top.
“Yes. Oh, come on, AJ!” She looked over at Kevin, the one she’d always considered the most levelheaded. “I don’t have to do that, right, Kevin?”
Kevin, though, had had one too many beers and grinned up at her. “Just do it, Spencer! Loosen up! Have some fun.”
Groaning a little, she made a face at her team. “Sorry about this ahead of time,” she said and received curious looks in return.
“Hey, no talking!” Brian reminded her.
Spencer glared at him over her shoulder before she began to move. Feeling ridiculously foolish, she swayed and moved her hips exaggeratedly. There were catcalls from the guys behind her, and Kristin started giggling.
“Shakira?” Leigh wondered, but Spencer, still dancing, shook her head.
When she heard two of the guys start beat-boxing a rhythm for her, she felt her face turn red. Beyond mortified now, she slowly stripped off her top and heard whistling from behind her. Her team called out more ideas, but she shook her head at the name of the latest actress famous for her ability to lose clothing, the porn star guess, and a couple others. Wishing they’d figure it out sooner, she realized she had to lose the sarong, too, and wanted the ground to open up and swallow her whole.
By the time she was down to just her bathing suit, AJ was howling. She saw Leigh shoot Howie a look, and Kristin ask whose idea this was then laugh when she heard it had been Kevin’s. What she didn’t see was the way Nick’s jaw dropped at the sight of her body, glowing in the light from the fire.
Where, Nick wondered, had this body come from? She looked absolutely the same as she had twenty years ago. And he was immediately reminded of why he’d always had such a strong physical reaction whenever he’d seen her. Spencer had the perfect curves and was all smooth skin and, though he knew she was embarrassed beyond compare, she moved gracefully. He couldn’t peel his eyes off of her. His heart was racing, and his skin was heating from just watching her move.
Cara decided she’d seen enough, and she stood and scooped Spencer’s clothes up. “A stripper.” She handed Spencer her clothing back and continued to watch Nick. “You’re a stripper. Good job.”
Spencer didn’t notice how flat and emotionless Cara’s voice was, since she was too grateful to be able to cover herself up again. “Thanks. You guys took way too long.”
“Nah, we just wanted to see how long you could do that,” Kristin chuckled.
Sydney’s brows were still lifted. “Wow, Mom. Were you ever a stripper in your college days?”
“Are you kidding me? That was the first time I’ve ever danced in public without being drunk first.” Spencer settled on the blanket again. “So, who’s next?”
***
Cara cornered Nick in the kitchen when he went in to get more drinks.
“You were staring at her!” she accused, her hands fisted on her hips. “I can’t believe you, Nick!”
“What else was I supposed to do?” Nick’s brows furrowed. “Was I supposed to just stare at the fire or the ocean or something? It was just a game, Cara.”
She shook her head. “That’s not what I saw. You still want her, Nick. After all these years and all the fights, you still want Spencer.”
“What?! No, of course I don’t,” he denied it quickly. “Sure, Spencer’s got a great body, but you’re the only one I want, Cara. I love you, and you’re the one I want for the rest of my life. Don’t worry about Spencer. You said it yourself; Spencer and I argue all the time.”
“So you don’t have any feelings for her?” She watched him carefully, searching for any sign that would confirm her biggest fear.
Nick struggled to suppress the desire he’d felt for Spencer. When he’d seen her strip on the beach, he’d realized that he would always want her, no matter what. “No. All that I feel for Spencer is annoyance, and you know that. Like I said, she’s always had great looks, but you’re the one I want. You’re the one I choose.” He slipped his arms around her and met no resistance when he pulled her closer. “Trust me?”
Cara rested her head against his heart. “You know I do.” But she would continue to worry until the day she and Nick were legally bound.
Author's Chapter Notes:
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