“She’s with you?” That surprised Nick, and it showed in his tone.
“No, she’s not with me. She’s just here.”
“What’s she doing?”
“She’s sitting out in the common area on one of the couches.”
“I’ll be there in five minutes. Can you keep her there?”
“Of course I can keep her here.” Dean laughed.
The call ended with a charge of excitement blasting through Nick. Finally, maybe things were going to go his way. He gassed it and passed the car in front of him. Now that he knew where she was he wanted to get there as soon as possible.
Rolling into the parking lot of the community center, a sense of peace fell over Nick when he saw her car. He pulled into the first available space he came across, threw the truck in park and headed inside.
Lecie was still sitting on a couch in the common area where furniture was quartered off for informal chats. Off to the left were a half a dozen tables and some countertop desks along the far wall. This area of the community center reminded Nick of an internet café. A long hallway off to the right led back to the gymnasium where the kids played basketball.
Lecie’s back was to Nick. She was facing the wall where a dozen teenagers were gathered along the desks, utilizing—what was it? Computers? Damn, Lecie had really come through.
Nick went quietly to her couch and sat next to her. “Did you know that I’ve been looking everywhere for you?”
She sucked in a quick breath as she turned to him. “Nick…” she let his name and nothing more roll off her tongue.
“I never would’ve guessed in a million years that you’d be here.” He laughed at himself. “I thought you were going back to France?”
She shrugged. “I missed my flight.”
Happy laughter escaped him. “You own the plane.”
“Well not really,” she said. “It belongs to my family.”
“Semantics.” He tilted his head. “But either way, I’m glad. I would’ve had a hell of a time coming up with airfare to France.”
She giggled. When her eyes met his again, her face filled with sadness. “Where’s Ginny?”
“What you saw wasn’t what it looked like.”
“It looked like you were kissing.”
“She’s gone.” He shook his head. “She’s not the one I want.” He hesitated for a moment, wanting very much to change the subject to something more agreeable. Like him and Lecie. “Were you really gonna disappear on me without a word?”
She looked at him. Her lips moved, ever so slightly, like she was trying to get the words to come out of her head.
Just when it was clear to Nick that no more words were coming, she kissed him, long and warm and satisfying.
Nick took it as an open invitation to move in closer, and cradled her face in his hands as he devoured her mouth urgently.
“Wait…” she whispered against his lips. “Are you sure about this?”
“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.” He moved back far enough to look at her, but kept her face cradled in his hands. “It snuck up on me so quietly, I didn’t even realize it was happening.”
“What?” She searched his eyes for an answer.
“I fell in love with you,” he said with a happy smile. “I know we’re from very different worlds, and I’ll never be able to give you all the material things someone more suited to you could do…but I can’t imagine life without you, and…if you’ll have me, I’ll do my best to make you happy.”
EPILOGUE
Six weeks later….
IN THE BACK YARD OF LECIE’S California home, she could see in her peripheral vision, her close friends and family sitting at elaborately decorated tables on the freshly manicured lawn.
Lecie wondered if they were as happy for her as she was for herself? She hoped so. She cut her eyes to the tables in the front row and into the faces of her immediate family. Mama and Papa. She let her gaze settle on Papa. He was smiling. She wouldn’t have guessed that in a million years. Camille and Tasha, she decided, had softened him up to the idea of American in-laws.
Somewhere, in the far off reaches of reality, she vaguely heard the announcement, “Ladies and Gentleman…I give you Mr. and Mrs. Nick Matthews.”
Nick squeezed her hands, bringing her wholly back into the moment as he drew her into his embrace for their first official dance as a couple.
Almost instantly, the faint clicking of silverware against glasses flowed out among their guests. Seconds later, it grew louder.
“They’re clicking,” Nick said, and she nodded. He gave her a devilish grin and whispered, “I think they want us to kiss.”
“We wouldn’t want to disappoint them, now would we?” She smiled, consumed with her love for him. She’d never imagined, or even dreamed that she could be this happy.
Nick’s lips brushed against hers and she parted her mouth slightly. Their breaths intermingled with the tips of their tongues, ever-so-briefly, until they parted.
After a suitable amount of time, people began to join them on the dance floor. First, Lecie’s family, including her parents, Camille and Julian, Tasha and Andre, and then their friends.
Maurice and Claudette sashayed up to them.
“Papa, Mama…” Lecie greeted them with such joy.
Nick had been happily relishing in the love he’d seen shining for him in Lecie’s eyes. He hoped that light never went out. He’d do everything within his power to make sure it didn’t.
Papa looked at Nick. “Do you mind?” he asked, offering the hand of his own wife to Nick.
“Not at all.” Nick kissed Lecie on the cheek, relinquished her to her father and smiled at Claudette as he took her hand. “I’m honored to share the dance floor with you, Mrs. de Laurent,” he said, mangling the family’s last name with his American pronunciation.
“Oh, don’t you dare be so formal with me.” Claudette giggled. “You must call me Claudette.”
Nick didn’t argue, he simply smiled. He got the feeling that Claudette was a woman who was used to getting what she wanted.
“Might I be so bold?” she asked cautiously.
“By all means…” Nick gave her a friendly nod.
“I get the feeling that you will do everything within your power to make my daughter happy,” she said, as if she really believed it.
“That you can count on,” Nick said with absolute certainty.