My One and Only(101)

“I can’t wait to hear about that wedding!” Sarah said. “Jack, wouldn’t a destination wedding be so much fun? Well, you go shower, honey. Take your time! Hopefully that lazybones son of ours will wake up and we can get down to business.”

I fled the kitchen, practically staggering under the weight of all that enthusiasm…and the dread of how they’d feel later today. I’m so sorry, I thought. I’m really, really sorry.

My head felt like a fighter jet in a tail spin toward destruction. In one room, I had a sleeping nonfiancé. In another, an exhausted and weepy sister. In the third, the two most cheerful people alive. The warm water of the shower calmed me down—a little, anyway. Was I hiding? Absolutely. But just for the moment. It was going to be a busy morning, and I just needed to get my head on straight. First things first: get rid of the Costellos. Next, get rid of Willa, just for a while, anyway. And finally, talk to Dennis ASAP.

I slapped on a little makeup and left my hair down, since I couldn’t seem to find an elastic; Coco tended to eat them. Tiptoed into my room and put on a summery yellow dress, taking care not to wake Dennis. He appeared to be dead to the world, so at least there was that.

My future not-to-be in-laws were sitting on the deck when I came out. “Come and join us, sweetheart!” called Jack.

“Okay!” I answered, taking a deep breath. I smoothed my hands over my stomach, adjusted the engagement ring. All I had to do was go out there and tell them this wasn’t a good time, Den would call them later. Then I’d rouse Willa, send her to Kim’s, maybe, and finally wake up Dennis and—

There was a knock on the kitchen door.

I looked up.

Nick was standing on my porch.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

“OH, CROTCH,” I BREATHED.

“Hey,” Nick said. He was smiling. Here. He was here. On the porch. Why were all these men surprising me these days?

He raised a hand to shield his eyes and looked in through the screen door, and oh, that smile! Those beautiful gypsy eyes…And he was here. Crap! But no, it was good, right? So, so good…and also very terrible! Horrible, because really could the timing be any worse in any way?”

“I missed you, woman,” he said, and damn it, he had flowers. Irises. My favorite. Who the hell could find irises in September before 10 a.m. on an island? Huh? Who?

I floated over to the door, unable to feel my legs. I did not open the door, uh-uh. “Um,” I breathed. “Hi.”

“I was in the neighborhood,” he said. His eyes were happy. Damn it, he looked the way he did the first time he laid eyes on me—knowing and mischievous and naughty and edible.

“What are you doing here, Nick?” I whispered.

“What do you think?”

“Um…peddling the Book of Mormon?” Weak, but apparently, I was brain-dead.

“Wow. It’s like you’re psychic.” He took a step forward, and I jerked back. “Listen, Harper. When you left yesterday, I felt like I was dying. Dying, Harper.” He raised an eyebrow, and that little smile, it just killed me.

Crotchety crotch crotch! Of course, under other circumstances, I’d be on him like a tick on a tourist, but…crotch! “Nick, I…um…” Glancing behind me, I could see Jack and Sarah through the sliding glass doors as they sat out on the deck. Sarah was pointing to something in one of the bridal mags. I shifted to hide Nick’s view.

“You were right,” he said. God! The sexiest three words in the English language, you were right. What woman doesn’t love to hear that? “I know we have things to work out, and I’m completely willing to—” He paused. “Think you can let me in? I hadn’t really pictured kissing you through the screen.”

My knees threatened to give out. “Nick, this is…you know…but I have…uh, company? Unexpected company? Can I see you later, maybe?”

“No.” His smile faded. “Harper, I love you, and I’m not letting you run away this time. Open the goddamn door so I can grovel and kiss you and maybe cop a feel. And then we can figure things out, okay?”

“Hey!” Kim came torpedoing down the path from her house. Thank the Lord, the Marines had landed. “Hi! Harper! Good morning! And who do we have here! Hi, I’m Kim. Neighbor and friend.”

“Kim!” I blurted. “Great to see you. Uh…this is…um…Nick. Nick Lowery. Nick, my neighbor, Kim, mother of four wonderful boys and um…uh…yes. Okay. Maybe you can go to her house?”

Nick squinted at me—who wouldn’t? I sounded insane. Nevertheless, he turned to shake Kim’s hand. “Hi. Nice to meet you.”

“Oh,” Kim panted. “Wow. Okay. Yep, I see it now, Harper. Right. Got it. Flowers, that’s nice. So you’re Nick? Wow.” She gave me a wild-eyed glance.

“Kim, I was telling Nick about my company. You know. The unexpected recent company?”

“Oh, shitake, yes. Right. Nick, want to come to my house for a little bit? I have children. They’re very entertaining. And so well behaved. They hardly break anything.”

Nick’s gaze swiveled between the two of us women, babbling idiots both, and he narrowed his eyes. “What’s going on, Harper?” he asked.

I swallowed. “Well, Nick, I’m so, so happy to see you…but…well, this company? Um…”