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Jules laughed at Ava’s glee. “Yes, we brought you something. Go wash up and you can open it.”
Nik lowered Ava to the floor, and she tore down the hallway toward the bathroom. “Can you make sure she gets cleaned up? I want to tell Mom about you moving in.” Jules rubbed her arms restlessly, fighting off her nervous chill. Simone wouldn’t mind Nik moving into the guest room, but Jules couldn’t shake the feeling that she was changing their family dynamic permanently.
Jules found Simone in the kitchen, kneading dough. “Hi, Mom.”
“Hi, yourself,” Simone said with a smile. “You look relaxed for someone who was all over national television last night.”
Jules groaned at the reminder. At least Simone was teasing her. It was better than her being worried or upset. “You saw the kiss.”
“Half the country saw the kiss. The good news is only a few people care. I wouldn’t worry about what other people think. The question is, What do you think?” Her look was probing.
Jules took a chair across from the counter where her mother was working, using the time to choose her words. She wanted her mother to be OK with her choice, to support it. In her heart, Jules was sure she would, but that didn’t stop her from being nervous. Simone had stood by her, supported her, defended her during the worst moments of her life. She had also been her biggest cheerleader, pushing her to chase her dreams and sharing in all the best parts of her life too. Jules wanted to believe this was going to be one of those moments. “I think the kiss was only the beginning.”
Simone turned the dough into a greased bowl and gave Jules an curious look. “How so?”
Jules inhaled deeply and launched into an edited description of the weekend, including meeting Nik’s family. “So we had a great weekend. We got to know each other better. And I want to build on that, for me, and for Ava. So I invited him to move into the guest room for as long as he’s in Vancouver,” Jules finished. She waited, palms sweaty and heart racing, for Simone’s response. This was her house too. If she didn’t want Nik here, she had every right to say no.
An approving smile creased Simone’s face. “I think that’s an excellent idea. He can spend more time with Ava, and with you.” There was more than a hint of suggestiveness in her last words.
Heat warmed Jules’s cheeks at her mother’s teasing, coupled with relief that Simone had accepted Nik so readily. She was about to reply when Ava charged back into the kitchen, decked out in Toronto hockey gear and carrying a stuffed bear wearing matching colours.
“Look what Daddy brought me.” She stuck out her chest to show off the team’s logo.
“It’s very nice,” Jules said as Ava ran over to show Simone.
Nik was following close behind, and Jules arched an eyebrow. “I was sure I packed the Vancouver gear Chip sent for Ava?” she asked dryly.
Nik grinned at her. “You did. I left that for you to give her. But I had to bring her something from my hometown.”
Jules surrendered with a laugh, knowing she was beat. “I guess I’ll give her the Orca stuff later. Ava, there’s something we want to tell you.”
Ava looked over from where she was showing Simone her new teddy bear. “What?”
Nik moved to crouch in front of her. “I’m going to stay here from now on, so I can spend more time with you when I’m not at work. What do you think?”
Ava’s reaction was everything she and Nik had wanted. She flung her arms around Nik excitedly, hugging him hard. “Yay. I want you here all the time.”
Emotions that included happiness and bemusement crossed Nik’s face as he returned her hug. “I’ll do my best.”
Jules swallowed past the lump in her throat. If she wasn’t careful, she could believe that they were already a family. They had a long way to go before that happened. “How about we all go play a game before dinner?”
Hours later, with Ava tucked in bed, Jules was exhausted. The emotional ups and downs of the weekend were taking their toll. She wanted a glass of wine and some chocolate.
Her hands were shaking as she poured herself a glass of red wine. She slowly sipped the wine, using the moment to unwind and settle her nerves. She picked up a bar of chocolate, then grabbed the bottle and another glass and went to find Nik. Simone had gone out after dinner, telling Jules she had a date and to not wait up. Considering Simone’s most recent relationship was with a man from Vancouver Island, it was possible he was in town and she planned to spend the night with him. It was equally possible Simone simply wanted to give her and Nik some space on his first night in their home. Either way, she and Nik were alone, and now they had to figure out how to move forward.
Nik was unpacking the suitcases Harbourview had delivered earlier when Jules rapped on the doorframe of the downstairs guest room.
“Hey. I thought you might like a glass.” She was pleased to see her hands weren’t shaking as she offered him the bottle and extra glass she’d brought down.
“Sounds perfect.” Nik reached for the offered bottle and poured himself a generous glass before continuing to put his clothes away.
Jules shifted restlessly. “Can I help?”
“I’m almost done. I pack pretty light. Why don’t you relax while I finish up?” Nik motioned for her to sit on the bed. There really was nowhere else. The basement guest room wasn’t large, and the bed dominated the room. The only other furniture was an old dresser and a night table with a lamp on it. Embarrassment overwhelmed Jules. Nik was a billionaire, used to the best of everything, and she was sticking him in a tiny room in her basement.
Jules climbed up on the bed and leaned back against the pillows, crafting a plan to make Nik more comfortable. “I’m sorry about the size of the room. Maybe this weekend we could convert my office upstairs into a bedroom for you.” Her office was a brightly lit room with big windows, and it was much more spacious than this room. Jules busied herself with the chocolate, breaking off a piece and popping the sweet treat in her mouth, hoping the sugar would chase away her nerves.
Nik gave her a puzzled look. “The room is fine. And you need your office for when you want to work late. If anything, I might want to use it to get some work done too. Let’s not worry about making any drastic changes to your house, OK?” Nik placed the clothes he was carrying into a drawer, then came to sit next to her on the bed.
