Page 56 of Stick to the Deal (Friendship Springs Romance #3)

The End

M y loafered feet make no noise as I exit the hospital room. I pause just outside as I work to regulate my breathing.

Powerless. It’s not a word that many people would associate with the son of an earl, but it is a feeling I’m very familiar with.

Oh, I have the illusion of power. A name, money, even a practiced air of entitlement will get you far. What is the benefit of influencing others’ lives when you can’t influence your own? It wasn’t until Nic that I no longer felt powerless.

Now here I am again and never have I hated it more.

My hand clenches and unclenches at my side, still warm from Nic’s grip.

I want to be there for her. I’m not na?ve enough to believe I can fix this for her.

No amount of money or name-dropping is going to change the outcome ahead.

Even if it could, Nic has more money and, as my wife, equal name.

I know I can’t physically do anything for her grandmother, but I can be there for Nic, even if it’s just holding her hand, so she knows she’s not alone.

With renewed purpose, I head out on the hunt for food.

She’s rejected everything I’ve tried to coax her with today, so I’m not sure what will be most appealing.

Luckily we’re in Marleybone and a quick search shows Indian, sushi, smoothies, and a chip shop open, all within a mile of the hospital. My lips curl as an idea forms.

My head is still bent over my phone as I exit the emergency ward doors .

“Sir.” I ignore the voice, convinced it’s for someone else. “Reginald.”

Surprised, I turn and find Foster standing a few feet away. I don’t recognize him at first—his customary suit and tie absent, replaced by faded jeans and a collared T-shirt.

“Foster? What are you doing here?” Concern for my old friend twists my stomach. “Are you alright?”

His eyes widen slightly, then he shakes his head briskly as he approaches. “I’m fine. When I got an alert you were at the hospital, I was worried about you.”

“An alert?” I tilt my head in confusion.

The older man’s complexion reddens. “It’s one of those location tracking apps. I had them for the whole family.”

A chuckle rumbles in my chest, feeling odd after the heaviness of the past hours. “That’s how you always knew where to pick us up. Smart.”

“Aye. Came in handy when your brother or father were too drunk to give proper directions.” The disapproval is evident in his tone.

Mention of my family sours my amusement. “Do they know you’re here? I’m sure you know we’re not exactly on speaking terms.”

“I do. Disgraceful, what they did to you—didn’t sit right with me, so I quit. I don’t know what I was thinking, but when that ping went off, well, I had to check on ye.”

I rock on my heels, deeply touched by his words, and by the affection in his tired eyes. With two steps, I close the distance between us and wrap him in my arms. Foster pauses for only a second before he returns the embrace.

“Thank you,” I whisper, my voice choked with emotion, “for being there my whole life. You were all the best parts.”

He gulps and squeezes me tighter. “I stayed for you. If Julia and I had been blessed with a son, I can only hope he’d have been like you.”

We break apart with wet chuckles, both knuckling away tears. “I’m sorry about the job, though. Are you going to be alright?” I wonder if Nic and I need a butler slash chauffeur—probably a little silly for a three-bedroom apartment.

“I had a tidy sum stocked away—I’ll find something else.” He smiles at me, then his eyes dart back to the sign behind me and panic fills his eyes. “If it’s not you, it’s not the missus, is it?”

“Not directly. Her grandmother has taken ill, so we flew in.”

“Is there anything I can do?”

I smile and clap his back. “As a matter of fact, there is.”

H igh-pitched howls greet me as I approach Mrs. Atherton’s door, urging me on faster. I burst through the door, arms full of takeaway containers, and freeze.

Nic is leaning on the bed with tears streaming down her face, but it’s laughter and not sobs. She and her grandmother are both looking at her phone, heads tipped together. The suffocating gloom of before is absent from the room, replaced by a delicate sense of hope.

My chest heaves as I attempt to steady my heart rate.

As the merriment dies down, Nic peers up at me, a wide, happy smile on her face. “There you are, darling. Look, Grandmama is awake.”

“I see that. How are you feeling, ma’am?

” I nod a greeting at the matron as I place the packages on the nearby table.

Nic’s face tells me all is well, but I know this woman never approved of me, and despite the tubes and hideous hospital gown, she looks every inch the ferocious matriarch I know she can be.

“Much better. Thank you for getting my granddaughter here.”

Hands now free, I resume my post behind Nic’s chair and smooth a hand over her hair. Smiling down at her as she turns that sunny face in my direction. “Of course. I got you a little bit of everything, Nic. So no excuses, please eat something.”

Foster enters with the remaining bags and drink tray, and an orderly with an extra rolling table and chairs.

Nic immediately wraps the man in a tight hug.

“Oh, Foster, it’s so good to see you.” She doesn’t even question his presence, simply grabs a smoothie from him and sets about organizing the various containers.

Her shoulders relax and all the strain from the past few months eases.

For maybe the first time in our year together, she’s at peace.

“Oo, fries. And a spicy tuna roll?” She keeps opening cartons. “Is this vindaloo?” Her hazel eyes are wide as she looks up at me, love shining clearly. “You got all my favorites?”

I wrap my arms around her—careful of her overflowing plate—and kiss her forehead. “Of course, Princess. Whatever you need, remember? Now would you fucking eat something, please? ”

She pops a sushi slice in her mouth, her eyes full of heated promise.

“Well, I’d best be going.” Foster says behind us, hat clenched in his hands. “I’m glad I was able to help. Be good to each other.”

“Oh no, you must stay, Foster,” Nic entreats.

My chest tightens at the idea of never seeing him again. “Please, do. I may have overdone it on the food.” My stomach drops as I remember the other person in the room. Slowly, I turn wide eyes to the bed. “That is, if it’s alright with you, Mrs. Atherton.”

The room falls silent, the faint hum of the lights suddenly loud.

“Young man,” she begins. I tense for the dragon to roast me alive. “It’s Grandmama.” She emphasizes the last two syllables. Then her lips tilt in the subtlest of smiles as gratitude and affection shine in her eyes before she turns to her granddaughter.

We spend the evening passing food and sharing stories, the room filled with a warmth I’ve only recently learned a gathering can have. A sense of belonging and excitement for the future fills me.

Later, as Foster drives us to my flat, I wrap my arm around Nic as she leans into me. “I love you, Princess.”

“I know,” she quips, a wicked smile on her lips as she faces me.

My nose tickles her jaw as I growl against her neck. “That right?”

The husky laugh that always makes me hard vibrates through her. “I love you, too.”

I know. It’s the one thing in this life I’m most sure about.