Nica, page 8
Gabe took a sharp breath, his chest tightening. “In hindsight, we probably should have told them. Too late to fix that now. Rafe wasn’t happy about being left out in the cold. He’s giving us until tomorrow, at dinnertime. We’re supposed to tell your parents about the elopement or he will.” His heart twisted at the thought. Would he lose the two finest people he’d ever had as part of his life, because he hadn’t told them everything? Douglas and Ms. Patti were a large part of why he wanted to stay in Shiloh Springs.
Her lips trembled. “You know how that’s going to go. You’ve seen the way my momma talks about weddings. About my wedding. It’s supposed to be a huge event. She’s waited for so long, needing the whole big white wedding for her only daughter. And now…” She stopped herself, her face flushed with emotion.
“I never wanted to hurt your family, but I didn’t want to pull them into my drama. They’re too important to me—to us,” Gabe said again, the words raw on his tongue.
“I feel like we’ve been living in this bubble, hiding from everything that’s out there. I wanted us to have some time just for us, and now I’m afraid it’s going to turn around and bite us, and that’s on me. I’m the one who asked you not to say anything. But I should have known, after everything I’ve seen my brothers go through with the women they love, the truth always catches up with you. I don’t know how to fix this, but I know we will face it together, and we won’t let it break us.”
At the calm in her voice, he felt like he could breathe for the first time all day. But even as he clung to that moment, the reality of the situation pressed down harder than ever. This wasn’t just about his past anymore. Their future was in limbo. Between having to admit to his new in-laws they’d kept their marriage a secret, the whole offer from the World Health Organization to work abroad, and now this shadow from his past threatening to derail everything. His new start—his do-over—felt like it was about to implode, along with his shiny new future.
Only it wasn’t just his future, it was Nica’s future too. And he would do whatever it took to keep her safe.
CHAPTER NINE
Nica stood on the back patio of the Big House, the early afternoon sun casting a golden glow over the sprawling property. It was already blazing hot, and the weather forecast had mentioned the temps would climb up to triple digits by late afternoon. She only hoped the temps were the only thing heated today, though she had the feeling once she and Gabe talked with her parents, tempers might quickly match the temperatures.
She could smell the savory scent of sizzling hamburgers and ribs, hear the low hum of family voices in the background. Laughter carried across the yard as a few of her brothers joked with one another, and Douglas stood at the grill, his wide shoulders still imposing even in his worn jeans and a stained apron that read Kiss the Cook. Her heart ached looking at him, knowing before too much longer, she was going to break his heart. It added an additional layer of worry, because it hadn’t been all that long ago he’d had a heart attack. Guess it was a good thing his new son-in-law was also his physician.
But none of that made her feel better.
She shifted nervously beside Gabe, who was leaning against the porch railing with his arms crossed, looking every bit as relaxed as always. Of course, he’d be calm about this. The man was a picture of control, rarely getting flustered or losing his cool. But Nica could feel the weight of what was about to happen bearing down on her like a thousand-pound boulder.
The truth was, she’d hoped—no, prayed—they could somehow get through this dinner without anyone finding out. Maybe she could sneak away and head to her apartment and nobody would notice. By the time dessert rolled around, her family would be too full and too distracted to care. Unfortunately, big brother Rafe spotted them as they walked up, his sharp gaze immediately locking onto her, and she’d known instantly he wasn’t about to allow her to get away with one more day of not telling her momma and dad how she’d screwed everything up. That ship had sailed the moment she’d said “I do” to the man of her dreams. His eyes were narrowed, his mouth set in that stubborn line she’d grown accustomed to seeing all her life when he’d caught her up to mischief. There was no escaping the fact that he was going to make sure this secret came to light. Today.
“Come on,” Gabe murmured, straightening up and brushing a hand over his disheveled hair. “Let’s just get it over with.”
Nica swallowed hard. “I don’t know if I’m ready for this.”
Her husband—even after three months, she still wasn’t entirely used to the word—glanced down at her with a reassuring smile. “You don’t have to be. I’m right here. We’re doing this together.” He shrugged. “What’s the worst that could happen?”
“You have met my brothers, right?” Her stomach felt as though a hundred butterflies were trying to escape at once. Taking a deep breath, she led him across the patio, to where the rest of the family was scattered into several sitting areas, some lounging in folding chairs, others comfortably sitting on the overstuffed patio set near the unlit fire pit. Laughter bubbled up as someone made a joke, and she caught sight of Rafe, still glaring from a distance. The moment their eyes met, his lips pressed into a thin line, and he jerked his head toward the corner of the patio where her mother was putting a bowl of potato salad on the huge table.
Dad was flipping ribs on the grill, but her momma was focused on him, her bright smile wide as she leaned in to say something. Nica sighed when she saw the way her momma looked at her dad, like he hung the moon and the stars, and he’d done it just for her. This was what Nica wanted for her and Gabe, to have the kind of love that would last through everything, all the good, all the bad, and they’d handle whatever hit them together. She shook her head. Looked like they were already dealing with one of the bad stretches with this stranger trying to cause Gabe trouble, bringing up his past in California.
Nica’s heart clenched. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. Her mother, with her dreams of Nica in a fancy white dress, her father standing tall, proud, and a little teary-eyed as he walked her down the aisle. Nica had always imagined that moment, too—the one where everything was perfect.
Instead, she’d eloped, knowing and not caring that it would break her mother’s heart, at least during the spontaneity of the moment. Now, she was about to break that news to the two people who had hoped and dreamed and planned for that special moment from the time she was a little girl in ponytails. And she’d stolen that dream from them.
Gabe placed a hand on her lower back and gave her a little nudge forward. “Let’s go,” he said softly, his voice a grounding presence.
They moved toward her parents, and Nica’s feet felt like lead, each step heavier than the last. She could already feel the weight of her mother’s impending disappointment in her chest. She blinked back tears, refusing to let them fall. She didn’t have the right to cry, not when she was the one responsible for keeping their marriage secret. That decision was all on her.
Dad spotted them first and raised an eyebrow at them approaching together, but he didn’t say anything. Momma looked up, a bright smile blooming across her face as she took in Nica and Gabe. There was a question in her gaze, and Nica knew she’d have to answer it and so many more.
“About time you showed up,” she said, clapping her hands together. “Dinner’s almost ready. Ribs are on point, if I do say so myself. Then again, when has your dad ever messed up the ribs? Just a few more minutes, and we’ll dig in. You’re gonna love it.”
Nica nodded, feeling her throat tighten. She could feel Gabe’s presence beside her, solid and reassuring, but her heart was still racing. “Momma, Dad,” she began, but the words caught in her throat.
Douglas glanced over at her, a hint of curiosity in his gaze, but he didn’t press. He was always patient with her, always giving her the space to find her own way. It was one of the things she loved about him. He was the perfect father, and she hated more than anything that she was about to disappoint him.
Gabe cleared his throat. “Actually, there’s something we’d like to talk with you about.”
Ms. Patti’s eyebrows lifted, and she glanced between the two of them, her expression softening. “What is it, darling? You two look like you’re about to tell us some bad news.”
Nica tried to swallow past the lump in her throat. “We, uh…I’m not exactly sure how to say this,” she muttered, glancing down at the ground, avoiding her mother’s eyes. His hand brushing hers, Gabe shot her a look of silent encouragement.
Douglas set down the tongs he’d been holding and wiped his hands on his apron, finally noticing the shift in the air. He looked between the two of them, his brow furrowing. “What’s going on?”
There was no more avoiding it. No more stalling. Nica’s pulse quickened as she realized there would never be a good time to share this news. But she’d come this far, and there was no turning back.
You can do this. It’s like ripping off a Band-Aid. One good hard yank and it’ll be done.
With a deep breath, she blurted it out. “Gabe and I—we’re married.”
The words landed like an explosion, and slowly, every voice in the backyard was swallowed by a heavy silence. Her brothers stood, moving closer to where she and Gabe stood with her parents. Yep, it was going to be bad. Reaching, she grabbed Gabe’s hand, anchoring him by her side.
Ms. Patti’s face froze. She blinked several times, as if trying to make sense of what Nica had said. Her mouth opened, but no sound came out. Nica’s heart cracked under the weight of her mother’s silence.
“Married?” Ms. Patti repeated, her voice a soft whisper of disbelief. “Did I hear you right? You…and Gabe? I don’t understand. You haven’t even been dating, and now you’re married?” Her eyes narrowed, and in that moment her expression looked so much like Rafe’s Nica almost laughed.
Straightening her spine, she met her mother’s gaze. “It wasn’t planned this way. It just…happened.”
“Acne just happens. Appendicitis just happens. Getting married doesn’t just happen, daughter. Are you telling me you eloped?”
Douglas cleared his throat. “We should’ve been there for you, kiddo. Would have been if we’d known.” There was no hint of accusation in his tone, only a sad disappointment, which made Nica feel about two inches tall. Her dad wasn’t blaming her, but she knew inside it had to be tearing him apart—because it certainly was tearing her up into a million tiny pieces.
She started, before he raised his hand, stopping her.
“I’m sorry we weren’t there for you. I love you, Nica. I’m your dad, and I will always be there for you, no matter what. You’ve gotta admit, though, it’s a shock. Nobody knew you and the good doc here had been seeing each other.” He paused for a second, his gaze filled with a bone-weary agony that nearly broke Nica. “How long has this,” he waved a hand between them, “been going on behind our backs?”
Gabe took a step forward, placing his arm around Nica’s waist, his voice steady. “I know this wasn’t the wedding you imagined, Ms. Patti. We’re sorry for keeping it a secret.”
Her mother’s eyes shimmered, but she didn’t shed a tear. Instead, she crossed her arms, her lips trembling. “You eloped. Without me. Without your father. Without your family. Not a single word to any member of this family. Do you have any idea how that makes me—us—feel?” The hurt was palpable in her voice. “We dreamt of your wedding day, Nica. You and I talked about everything. I imagined it from the moment you were placed in my arms in the hospital. You and I looked through bridal magazines together, oohing and ahhing over wedding dresses. You always talked about me and your dad being there to help you pick the perfect dream dress, even laughed at the thought of your dad sitting through dress shopping and how he’d hate every minute of it, but he’d do it because you were his baby girl. Your dad was supposed to walk you down the aisle. Your brothers and all the Lost Boys, standing in the church. These were all things you, Nica, said you wanted. What changed?”
Nica’s heart ached as her mother’s disappointment wrapped around her like a thick blanket. “I know, Momma,” she whispered. “I never wanted to disappoint you. It wasn’t how I imagined it either. But we…we had to do it this way.”
“Had to?” The hard-edged question from her daddy had her rushing to answer.
“No, no, nothing like that. I’m not pregnant. Some things happened, and then things escalated and got more complicated, and we eloped.”
“Things? What things were big enough that you thought you had to marry without your family?” Douglas’ voice was rough, and Nica could hear his disappointment along with his barely contained anger.
She looked at Gabe, and he nodded. “Dad, Momma, Gabe has some—stuff—that happened in his past, when he lived and worked in San Francisco. Somebody’s been gaslighting him. Things started out small, simple phone calls in the middle of the night. Hang-ups without saying anything. But they got increasingly more sinister and have evolved into actual threats. He’s contacted the police in California as well as checked with Stanford, and they’re looking into the issue, but they keep saying it’s going to take time. And with there being a possible escalation of the threats against him, we were worried that whoever is doing this might think to use you if they thought it would hurt him. Please understand, we didn’t want to hurt any of you. We wanted to keep you safe.”
Ms. Patti didn’t respond immediately. She just stared at her daughter, then at Gabe, who was standing at her side. Guilt ate at Nica because she’d been the one who had wanted to keep everything secret, and now he was the one taking most of the blame. It wasn’t right or fair.
“I only have one question,” Douglas stepped closer, his gaze directed straight at Gabe. “Do you love her?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Baby girl, do you love him?”
Nica nodded. “I do, Dad, with all my heart.”
“Good enough.” Douglas looked from Nica to Gabe, before holding out his hand. “You better take good care of her, or we’re going to have a problem.”
“You have my word, sir.”
Finally, Ms. Patti took a step forward and wrapped Nica in a tight hug, her voice cracking as she spoke. “I don’t know what to say. I’m sad, honey. And I honestly don’t understand all the secrecy or the rush, but I trust your judgement. You’re still my baby girl. And I want you to be happy.”
Nica blinked back tears, hugging her mother back, the weight of everything finally starting to lift. “I’m sorry, Mom. I really am. You should know it was my idea to keep it a secret. Gabe wanted to tell you from the beginning, but I wanted some time. Time to figure out how to tell you about how much I love him. About the escalating threats. There’s been so much going on—graduation, moving back to Shiloh Springs, Gabe spending weeks going back and forth between College Station and here until the hospital there could get a cardiovascular surgeon—everything just snowballed. Then with all the stuff happening with Gabe, the anonymous phone calls, the relentless threats, it just never seemed to be the right time. Then when Rafe found out, he kind of forced the issue.” She shot a glare at her big brother, who was grinning like he’d won the lottery.
Douglas placed a hand on Gabe’s shoulder. “I expect you’re going to explain to me and my wife all about these phone calls and threats my daughter’s talking about, especially if it’s putting either one of you in danger. But right now isn’t the time, not with this bombshell you’ve just dropped on the family.”
“We’ll tell you everything, sir, you have my word.”
“Momma, I swear I never meant to hurt you or Dad. I love you both so much. Please understand, I want to have a marriage just like yours. I hate that it’s started out with me keeping secrets, but I promise, there won’t be any more.”
Ms. Patti pulled Nica into a hug. “I’m holding you to that promise. You’re not too big for me to pull over my knee.”
“You two better make it up to us with some grandkids someday, or we’re gonna have words,” Douglas winked and squeezed Gabe’s shoulder, letting him know without words he understood.
Gabe chuckled softly, clearly relieved by the warmth of the gesture. “We’ll try our best, sir.”
“Dad!” Nica’s squeal of embarrassment had the whole family laughing.
Ms. Patti pulled away, still shaking her head, but there was a flicker of a smile on her face now. “Well, I guess I’ll have to get used to this new version of things. And you two better let me throw you a big wedding reception. It may be a little late, but we can make it work.”
Nica smiled, the ache in her chest easing just a bit. “Deal.”
The tension in the air started to loosen, and for the first time in months, Nica felt like she could breathe again. The secret was out. Her family might have been disappointed, but they’d survived, and the explosion hadn’t been as bad as Nica feared. And maybe, just maybe, they’d find a way to celebrate what she and Gabe had—even if it hadn’t been the way they all expected. The only thing that worried her was the silence from her brothers. Nobody said a word the whole time she’d been talking to her father. It wasn’t a good sign.
As Douglas flipped the last of the ribs onto the platter, he grinned, his voice booming. “Alright, enough of this. Let’s eat! We’ve got food to devour, and no one’s going anywhere until these ribs are gone, because I don’t do leftovers.”
Laughter echoed across the patio, and for the first time that day, Nica finally felt like everything was going to be alright.
He sat in the darkened hotel room, the glow of three computer screens casting harsh shadows across his face. The central monitor displayed a GPS tracker—a pulsing red dot moving along the main street of Shiloh Springs. Dr. Gabriel Summers, heading home from his dinner with the Boudreau family. How mundane. How predictable. How undeserving of such simple comforts.
Taking a sip of cold coffee, he pulled up the photos his hired man had sent earlier. Nica Boudreau-Summers at the grocery store, her face lined with worry as she checked her phone. Another showed the good doctor himself, glancing over his shoulder in the clinic parking lot.
