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“Makes sense.”
“Well, I’ll leave you to enjoy your dinner. I’m going to relax.”
“When are you back?” I asked as I got up from the couch.
“Thursday night. We could meet up Friday if you want, so we can prepare a bit more.”
“Actually, I think they want to meet Friday evening.”
“It’s going to be all good,” he assured me.
“You’re awfully sure of yourself.”
“I told you, it’s the way I go through life.”
“Usually, I’m not this uncertain and nervous. Even though I’ve done deals with hundreds of millions of dollars involved.”
“This is different, Allison,” Nick said quietly. “It’s about the kids. Different stakes are at hand.”
“Exactly...”
“But don’t worry. We’ll be very convincing as a couple in front of Bob and Sophie.”
His tone had changed slightly, and goose bumps broke out on my skin.
What exactly did Nick have in mind?
Chapter Ten
Allison
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Friday came around much faster than I wanted. Bob and Sophie were coming to dinner at the house. They’d scoffed when I told them that we were eating at six o’clock, but I didn’t back down. I wanted to make sure I had plenty of time for the twins to get to bed, and I wasn’t going to change their schedule just because their grandparents didn’t like to eat early.
Nick arrived at five thirty with takeout. I’d had a hellish day at work and had zero motivation to cook. He brought Italian because the twins loved spaghetti with meatballs. From the second he arrived, I was on pins and needles.
I was in the yard, keeping an eye on the twins. I’d already put plates and cutlery on the table. Nick came up behind me, putting both hands on my waist.
“You’re nervous,” he whispered in my ear.
“Very.” Feeling his body close to mine seemed to take that edge off. Of course, it also put me on edge in an entirely different way, so I wasn’t sure if it was too productive. But I preferred being on fire because of a gorgeous man rather than full of anxiety because of Bob and Sophie.
“We’ve got this. Trust me.” He kept saying that, but somehow, I didn’t believe it. “By the way, I’ve got something for you.”
He shoved one hand into his pocket, bringing out a gorgeous ring. My jaw dropped. It was a large rectangular diamond.
“You’re going to need this, fiancée.”
“Nick! This must have cost a fortune. Can you take it back... later?”
“Don’t you worry about any of that.”
“But I—”
“We’re here. How do we get in?” Bob’s voice came from the front yard.
“Quick, put it on,” I whispered, and Nick immediately slid the ring on. It was a strange feeling to see an engagement ring on my finger and know it wasn’t real.