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Which means I’m leaving in five days… and not returning for a year.
“Nick, where are we going?”
“It’s a surprise.” He repeats the same words he’s told me each time I’ve asked.
He lifts our joined hands and kisses the back of mine, not taking his eyes off the road. I stay quiet as we drive, staring out the window and thinking about the day. Bizzy accidentally let it slip about their meeting at Shaw’s office, but none of them would share with me exactly what they discussed.
I was extremely uneasy about the whole thing but finally let it go and enjoyed the rest of the afternoon, trying to soak up as many memories as possible. When Nick arrived, I didn’t even argue with him when he announced we were leaving. There was no use. It was hard enough to get him to leave me at my apartment after dinner last night.
“Sweet Peach?” He squeezes my hand, bringing me out of my thoughts.
“Hmm?”
“I think I lost you to Grace Space again.”
“Sorry, I’ve got a lot on my mind.”
“How were the interviews this morning?”
“They went well. I like the second girl we interviewed. Logan seems to agree. I believe he’s checking references tomorrow. If anything, Mom has agreed to stay for a few weeks to help out until he can get settled without me.”
“My mom’s going to help, too.”
“She is?”
“Sure, she’s excited, and she has the time. I think she called Logan this afternoon while you were packing.”
“Nick, I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but isn’t that weird?”
“Why would it be weird?”
So many reasons come to mind, but none of them are spoken when he makes a turn, and I realize where we are. “Oh my God, are we—?”
He gives me a boyish smile, parking in a reserved spot. “We are,” he confirms.
“How did this happen? I thought you were banned.”
“Shaw took pity on me. Well, that and I got Bizzy involved.”
He gets out of the truck, goes to the back, and opens the liftgate, grabbing two overnight bags.
“Are we spending the night?” I ask stupidly.
He doesn’t answer, just walks to my door. He takes my hand and leads me to a beautiful boat docked at the end. I giggle when I see the name Benn Bizzy painted on the side. I’ve heard a lot about this boat over the last few months.
As soon as we step on, he drops our bags and takes me in his arms, hugging me close. “I know you are hesitant to stay at my place, so Shaw agreed to let us use his boat the next two nights. Maybe by the time I leave for Denver, you’ll feel comfortable staying in my condo.”
“Two nights?” My voice squeaks at the question. It was bad enough knowing he’d arranged for me to stay with him. But on this boat, I’m trapped. Even though it’s large, it’s still close quarters. Too close.
“Yes, two nights. We’re going away.”
“Going away? I can’t go away.”
“Sure you can. Logan’s handling everything at the gallery. Your apartment is taken care of. Th
is gives us tonight, tomorrow, and tomorrow night together alone. I need this time with you.”
Now, panic starts to set in. This is not good. It’s only going to make it harder for a clean break when I leave. My defenses will be shattered, along with my battered heart.
