Kara’s quiet. When she speaks, her words freeze my blood. “After I returned from Juneau, I received a letter from Dean’s lawyer. In the package, there was a posthumous message from Jed. He told me everything, Maris—including the fact you didn’t remember.”
“Oh, God. Kara. I’m so sorry. I broke your trust. How can you ever forgive me?”
“What I want to know is how on earth could you think I would hold something like that against you?”
There’s silence on both ends of the line until I whisper, “Excuse me?”
“You were strung out on pain meds from just having surgery. You had just been told you couldn’t ever have children and somehow, somehow managed to stay on the phone with me while I gave birth to your godchild. You didn’t bow or break until after you knew I made it through. And still you’re worried about me? What did that do to you?” By the end she’s yelling and crying.
“Held that in a while, did you?” I joke through my tears.
“Damn you, Maris, this isn’t funny. If I thought for a moment it would have hurt you the way it did, I never would have asked Dean to make that call.”
“And I would have been devastated even more if you hadn’t. Hearing Kevin cry for the first time is one of the most cherished memories I have. It was as if I was in that room with you, helping push that baby out. I may never have the physical experience, but because of you I have the emotional one.” And as I say the words, I know it’s the truth.
“You’re going to be an amazing mother, Maris.” Kara sniffles.
Just as I’m feeling the glow of her words trickle over me, she throws a bucket of water over me. “By the way, Jennings wants you to know that he loves you. And he got over being irritated with Jed a long time ago.”
My breath catches. “Oh God, Kara. Tell him, I’m…”
“Maris, it’s…not…your…fault. None of this was. You were the strongest friend you could be. And in the end, where did we all end up?”
“Together,” I whisper.
“Exactly. Do you think your brother isn’t looking down at us with a smug-ass smile on his face?”
I giggle. “No. I think he looks like a serial killer because he’s smiling so big.”
Kara laughs so hard on the other end of the line, the pieces of my soul ease back into place. “I love you, Kara.”
“I love you too, Maris. But you’re still not getting the poster back.” And on that note, she hangs up the phone.
So it’s with a huge smile I toss my cell down on my desk. Less than three seconds later, it rings again. This time, it’s Rainey.
“Hey. What’s up?”
I barely get the question out before she starts ranting. “You have to get him out of my house. I can’t keep these hours anymore. The imps of Satan are starting to keep them.”
“Whoa. Slow down. What are you talking about?”
“Nick! He’s up at five every. Single. Day. What kind of psychopath goes running at that hour? Now the demons I spawned are doing jumping jacks at that hour. Do you know what I’m normally doing at that hour?”
“Your husband?” I guess. Reaching for the bottle of water on my desk, I take a drink.
Big. Mistake.
“Yes!” she yells. I spit my water everywhere. “What I am not doing is running a boot camp. If Nick wants to take that on, he can take them into the backyard and we can stop being quiet while getting in some NC-17 time.”
“Rainey, you just rated your sex according to movies,” I feel the need to point out as I wipe off the papers on my desk with a stack of tissues.
“Watch enough cartoons and you will too.”
“I look forward to that day,” I tell her honestly.
“Oh, honey. I know you do, but before you do, save me from Nick. Please. I’ll do anything.”
I pause. “Anything?”
“An-y-thing.” She draws out the word.
“I’m holding you to that.”
“Wait, I was just calling to bitch. Are you serious?” There’s such hope in her voice I hate to be cruel and remind her of the agreement we just struck.
“Just remember this when tax season rolls around again next year,” I say sweetly.
“Now wait, Maris…”
“You did say anything.” I emphasize the word exactly like she did.
“Damn, I did. Well, Brad’s going to have someone in the office by then.”
I don’t delude her of her fantasy. “Where’s Nick at now?”
Rainey rattles off the name of the gym. “He’s working with the guy Reece and another guy from the camp in New Mexico who is staying somewhere other than my house. Why Nick couldn’t do that—”
“Because likely your husband invited him,” I interrupt.
There’s a silence before, “I’m going to kill him.”
“Who? Nick or Brad. Because if you’re killing Brad, then the point of my going to talk to Nick is kind of fruitless, isn’t it?” I point out.
“True. Nick could become a source of income. No, I’ll be creative on how I kill Brad.”
“Hanging up now,” I tell her before I do just that. Reaching in my desk, I grab my purse and keys. I jog down the stairs and out to my vehicle.
A few minutes later, I pull up to the gym next to Rainey’s Subaru and a rental. “Surprised the place isn’t mobbed with fans.” But as I get closer, I glimpse a sign that reads, “Gym under construction until further notice. Contact management for hours of operation.”
I pull at the door and find it locked. Smart man, Nick. I pull out my cell and begin to dial his number when a man at least ten years my junior unlocks the door. He’s shirtless with taped hands, and his eyes widen before he apologizes. “I’m sorry, but the gym’s closed for construction.” He gives me a head-to-toe perusal and swallows hard.
I bite my lower lip to contain my laughter. “Well, since Nick showed me the picture of Reece the other morning when we had breakfast, you must be the guy who works for him.”
“You know about…wait. Who are you?” The guy tries to look intimidating, but his boyish good looks don’t quite pull it off.
“Maris Smith. And you are?” I hold out my hand.
“Oh shit.” He immediately pushes open the door.
I make a sympathetic sound. “You poor thing.”
“Why’s that, Maris? I mean Ms. Smith?” He stumbles over his words.
“Parents naming you ‘Oh Shit’? Probably got into MMA to beat the crap out of people growing up,” I ask, tongue in cheek.
“No wonder he’s loopy over you,” the blond Adonis murmurs. Then louder, “Oliver Drake, and it’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Smith.”
I shake his hand. “Make it Maris.”
“Did you just pop by to watch?”
“Actually I…” But as soon as I start to speak, my voice drifts off as what my eyes are seeing in front of me connects with the synapses in my brain. My legs start to tremble, and my nipples start to harden.
Nick’s in the ring.
After a few high power kicks from each of them, Nick’s got Reece up against the ropes with a hard left hook and a kick right down the middle. Reece doesn’t take this for long before he spins Nick around and tries to get a knee up to his head, but Nick hooks his other leg around him, trying to take him to the mat.