The Things I Do for You
Page 59
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There was only one person who could answer her questions.
“Come on, Jelly Bean. Let’s go see Daddy.”
* * * * *
NICK WAS IN the middle of an income projection for one of his middle-aged clients when the door to his office opened. Raina poked her head in and looked around. “Is it okay if I come in?”
“Of course.” She looked so lost and alone standing in the doorway. “I didn’t forget a doctor’s appointment, did I?”
“No, nothing like that. I just wanted to see you.”
Nick came from behind his desk and gathered her into his arms. She rested her head against his shoulder and took a deep breath as he rested his head on top of hers. It was corny, but his stress truly seemed to evaporate when she was around.
His job as a financial planner was to help people plan to fund their lives. He’d done it for his clients for years but it was only recently that he’d been thinking so much about his own financial future. Raina reminded him of what he was working so hard for. Not just to accumulate wealth for the sake of being wealthy, but to provide for his family’s future. To take care of their children and provide them with a comfortable retirement. It wasn’t just numbers on a page anymore.
Raina and his child made it personal.
“So what brings you out here in the middle of the day?” Nick led her to one of the chairs in front of his desk. He sat next to her instead of sitting behind his desk. Maybe it was time to consider getting one of those couches for his office.
“I was just feeling kind of down and wanted to see you.” Raina stared at him intently and twisted the straps of her purse. “I have to ask you something. Please don’t get mad.”
He brushed a gentle hand over her hair. “Of course not. You can ask me anything.”
She took a deep breath. “Did you sleep with Steven’s wife?”
Shock rooted Nick to his seat. Shit. He closed his eyes.
“You don’t have to say anything. I can tell by your face. I was hoping it wasn’t true.”
“No, it’s true. Although I had no idea she was married. Until he came home, that is. I still hate that I was involved in that. Which is why he was so happy to bring it to your attention.”
“I knew there had to be more to the story. I didn’t want to believe what he said but I had to ask.”
Nick sighed. He was suddenly very tired. “I wish you hadn’t needed to ask. I wish you’d known that I wouldn’t intentionally do something like that without even having to hear me tell you.”
Raina’s shoulders slumped. “You’re right. You’ve done nothing but be my champion and at the first opportunity I’m here interrogating you like you’re some criminal.”
“I’m not blaming you, sweets. I know exactly who’s to blame here. Anyone would have asked the question. Especially given my past. I just can’t wait for the day when you trust me so implicitly that nothing can shake you.”
“I do trust you, Nick. It’s just my hormones. This baby is making me exhausted and paranoid. I know I can’t trust anything Steven says. He’s just vindictive.”
Nick squeezed her arms. “You can’t always assume the worst of me. I’m doing the best I can.”
“Sometimes this all seems too good to be true. I think that I must be missing something huge. That you haven’t really changed, you aren’t really this great, upstanding, moral guy who just wanted to marry me because he loves me. In my world, when things are going too well, there’s always a catch.”
“There is no catch. There’s just us. Our love is what we make it.”
“It makes me nervous when things are too perfect.”
“I never said it was perfect. I’m still the guy who leaves his shoes in the middle of the floor and squeezes the toothpaste in the middle. You still drive me crazy with that teenybopper music and of course, let’s not forget the Monster Muffins. Neither of us is perfect. But we can be perfect for each other. Isn’t that enough?”
Raina nodded. Her hand came up to her forehead and she rubbed her temple.
“Are you all right?”
“I’ve had this stupid headache since yesterday. It probably doesn’t help that I’m still barfing so much. I really thought this morning sickness would have passed by now. I’m not sure why they call it morning sickness. It’s more like all-the-time sickness.”
Just then Kay’s voice blared through the speaker on his desk. “Mr. Alexander. Mr. Simmons is here to see you.”
Nick cursed under his breath. “I forgot that Matt was coming by to show me some of the listings he found for condos. He’s finally narrowed down the area he wants to live in. I can cancel, though. He’ll understand.”
He offered her his arm but she waved him away as she stood. “No, don’t do that. He’s come all the way up here to see you. We can talk more at home. I should really go home and rest.”
“Okay, I’ll see you tonight.”
He walked over to his desk and hit the intercom. “Kay, you can send Matt to the conference room. I’ll be there in a minute.”
* * * * *
MATT CURSED HIS forgetfulness as he skipped down the stairs of Nick’s building. He was supposed to be bringing Nick the new listings he’d found and he’d conveniently left them on the front seat of his truck.
“Come on, Jelly Bean. Let’s go see Daddy.”
* * * * *
NICK WAS IN the middle of an income projection for one of his middle-aged clients when the door to his office opened. Raina poked her head in and looked around. “Is it okay if I come in?”
“Of course.” She looked so lost and alone standing in the doorway. “I didn’t forget a doctor’s appointment, did I?”
“No, nothing like that. I just wanted to see you.”
Nick came from behind his desk and gathered her into his arms. She rested her head against his shoulder and took a deep breath as he rested his head on top of hers. It was corny, but his stress truly seemed to evaporate when she was around.
His job as a financial planner was to help people plan to fund their lives. He’d done it for his clients for years but it was only recently that he’d been thinking so much about his own financial future. Raina reminded him of what he was working so hard for. Not just to accumulate wealth for the sake of being wealthy, but to provide for his family’s future. To take care of their children and provide them with a comfortable retirement. It wasn’t just numbers on a page anymore.
Raina and his child made it personal.
“So what brings you out here in the middle of the day?” Nick led her to one of the chairs in front of his desk. He sat next to her instead of sitting behind his desk. Maybe it was time to consider getting one of those couches for his office.
“I was just feeling kind of down and wanted to see you.” Raina stared at him intently and twisted the straps of her purse. “I have to ask you something. Please don’t get mad.”
He brushed a gentle hand over her hair. “Of course not. You can ask me anything.”
She took a deep breath. “Did you sleep with Steven’s wife?”
Shock rooted Nick to his seat. Shit. He closed his eyes.
“You don’t have to say anything. I can tell by your face. I was hoping it wasn’t true.”
“No, it’s true. Although I had no idea she was married. Until he came home, that is. I still hate that I was involved in that. Which is why he was so happy to bring it to your attention.”
“I knew there had to be more to the story. I didn’t want to believe what he said but I had to ask.”
Nick sighed. He was suddenly very tired. “I wish you hadn’t needed to ask. I wish you’d known that I wouldn’t intentionally do something like that without even having to hear me tell you.”
Raina’s shoulders slumped. “You’re right. You’ve done nothing but be my champion and at the first opportunity I’m here interrogating you like you’re some criminal.”
“I’m not blaming you, sweets. I know exactly who’s to blame here. Anyone would have asked the question. Especially given my past. I just can’t wait for the day when you trust me so implicitly that nothing can shake you.”
“I do trust you, Nick. It’s just my hormones. This baby is making me exhausted and paranoid. I know I can’t trust anything Steven says. He’s just vindictive.”
Nick squeezed her arms. “You can’t always assume the worst of me. I’m doing the best I can.”
“Sometimes this all seems too good to be true. I think that I must be missing something huge. That you haven’t really changed, you aren’t really this great, upstanding, moral guy who just wanted to marry me because he loves me. In my world, when things are going too well, there’s always a catch.”
“There is no catch. There’s just us. Our love is what we make it.”
“It makes me nervous when things are too perfect.”
“I never said it was perfect. I’m still the guy who leaves his shoes in the middle of the floor and squeezes the toothpaste in the middle. You still drive me crazy with that teenybopper music and of course, let’s not forget the Monster Muffins. Neither of us is perfect. But we can be perfect for each other. Isn’t that enough?”
Raina nodded. Her hand came up to her forehead and she rubbed her temple.
“Are you all right?”
“I’ve had this stupid headache since yesterday. It probably doesn’t help that I’m still barfing so much. I really thought this morning sickness would have passed by now. I’m not sure why they call it morning sickness. It’s more like all-the-time sickness.”
Just then Kay’s voice blared through the speaker on his desk. “Mr. Alexander. Mr. Simmons is here to see you.”
Nick cursed under his breath. “I forgot that Matt was coming by to show me some of the listings he found for condos. He’s finally narrowed down the area he wants to live in. I can cancel, though. He’ll understand.”
He offered her his arm but she waved him away as she stood. “No, don’t do that. He’s come all the way up here to see you. We can talk more at home. I should really go home and rest.”
“Okay, I’ll see you tonight.”
He walked over to his desk and hit the intercom. “Kay, you can send Matt to the conference room. I’ll be there in a minute.”
* * * * *
MATT CURSED HIS forgetfulness as he skipped down the stairs of Nick’s building. He was supposed to be bringing Nick the new listings he’d found and he’d conveniently left them on the front seat of his truck.
