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After hanging up, I couldn’t help but wonder. WhydidI offer to take her out?
Oh, for fuck’s sake, Nick. Get your shit together.
And I did.
I parked right in front of the house. When I got out of the car, Allison’s voice filtered through the windows. I looked up. She was on the second floor, moving around and... singing?
This woman was something else.
My imagination immediately went haywire. I could imagine her nipples peeking through the fabric of her shirt. Or was it a dress?
I realized on the spot that Leo was right. I hadn’t just offered to take her out for her own benefit. It was self-serving as well.
Chapter Four
Allison
I was singing at the top of my lungs while looking at the outfits I’d laid out on the bed. I was determined to have a good time tonight and wasn’t going to let anything put a damper on my mood even though the short call I’d had with Nick’s lawyer, Hugo, yesterday, hadn’t been the good news I was hoping for. Still, for now, things were great. The kids were downstairs with Doreen, whom they adored. She was in her midsixties and very good with them.
I focused on my clothing options. Summer was definitely my season. I loved Boston year-round, but there was something special about summer. I’d narrowed it down to a red dress, a yellow one, and a blue one. Even though they were all different styles, I chose based on color. Red was my favorite. The dress was simple: thin straps and a V neckline. It was pretty snug around my body, but so what?
I put it on just as I heard Nick’s voice drifting up from the backyard.How late is it?
I glanced at the clock and gasped. Shit, it was already five o’clock. How was I not ready?
I ran to the hallway window that overlooked the backyard. Opening it, I prepared to call down to Nick, but my voice got stuck in my throat. He was on all fours carrying the twins on his back. They were having the time of their lives. Doreen was standing to one side, looking at them with glee. It was definitely a sight to behold.
Finally, I found my voice. “I’ll be right down. I’m sorry.”
Nick looked up. “Take your time. We’re having fun.”
“Yes!” Annie clapped her hands.
It was so good to see those two smile. The first month had been crushing. They were crying themselves to sleep every night. I wasn’t much help because I was crying with them more often than not. I’d go in to comfort them, and then all three of us ended up having a sob session. They kept asking when Mommy and Daddy were coming back. It seemed like they were finally accepting that they weren’t.
My heart started to feel heavy at the thought, but I quickly nipped it in the bud.
Nope, Allison—tonight is for fun. Don’t think about any sad things. Nora would want you to have fun.
I headed back to my room, glancing at myself in the mirror before pairing the dress with black ballerina shoes. I wore heels at the office, but I simply refused to put my feet through that torture in my free time. Grabbing a very light jacket, I ran a hand through my hair. It was still damp, but I didn’t like using a hairdryer. I also had a very small backpack that matched my shoes.
After one last look at my reflection, I dashed down the stairs, feeling more excited than I had in months. I joined everyone outside and noticed a huge paper bag on the table.
“What’s that?” I asked.
“Nick brought takeout,” Doreen said.
She smiled wholeheartedly. She’d heard of him from the kids but hadn’t met him until now. By the way she smiled, I could tell she liked him. That was good. I always trusted the judgment of the elderly. There was nothing quite like life experience.
God, the kids were so cute. I could just stay here for the rest of the evening to watch them. But then they both hopped off Nick’s back at the same time, and he rose to his feet.
Don’t ogle him, Allison. It was impossible not to, though, because Nick Whitley was absolutely breathtaking. He was wearing a dark blue shirt, the top button undone. No judgmentthere—it was hot outside. He’d also crumpled his sleeves up to his elbow. Not rolled, just carelessly pushed up. His jeans had a few light grass stains on his knees from crawling around, and I loved him for it.
“Ready to go whenever you are, Allison,” he said.
I turned to Doreen. “Is there anything else you need?”
“No, dear. Go have fun. You need it. I’m glad you’re doing this.”