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His silence makes me uneasy. “Nate, what’s the problem?”
He shrugs and doesn’t say anything else. His phone rings, and he answers, sighing. His side of the conversation is brief with only a few words, ‘yeah’, ‘no thanks’, and the ’okay, bye’.
“Was that Bryce by any chance?”
He looks at me with confusion. “No, why?”
“I haven’t spoken to him since after the game last night. I texted him that I was going to bed and not out with Quinn and Dean. Never heard back from him. Then, this morning, he never called. I avoided calling him today because he thinks I’m shopping and getting ready to fly here tomorrow. I didn’t want to slip and spoil the surprise. I’m curious to what he’s doing.”
“You haven’t heard from him at all?”
“Nothing, but I knew he had to work second shift today. Figured I’d make us dinner and have it ready when he got home. That’s why I asked you about the plans.”
“Last I knew, Tommy had a party at his place last night. I stayed with Jamie, so I haven’t heard from any of them. Saw Bryce a few minutes this morning, and to be honest, he looked a little pale, almost sick. I didn’t question it because the parties at Tommy’s can get wild.”
“Really? With a baby in the house?”
“Yes, you’d be surprised.”
“How so?”
He changes the subject before I can prod further. “My plans tonight are pretty low key because of my schedule tomorrow. Taking Jamie to a nice dinner and then to a bar for a few drinks. Nothing big or out of control.”
“That sounds romantic.” I tease him and watch his lips fight a grin.
“That’s me, Mr. Romance.”
We pull up to a grocery store for me to run in while he waits in the car. When I get back, his attitude has shifted, and he’s tense. I try to lighten the mood by prying about Jamie, and he deflects every question. By the time we drive up to his place, he’s barely answering me.
Once we unload, he heads to the shower to get ready for his big date, and I prepare everything for dinner. An hour later, he comes out, and I whistle loudly, causing him to blush.
He’s wearing the deep green thermal Mom gave him for Christmas with worn jeans. The black leather jacket completes the whole ‘rugged’ look.
“Is it too much ask for a picture of the two of you tonight? I swear not to share with Mom or Quinn, but I’m dying to get a visual of this woman.”
“Don’t hold your breath,” he tells me, grabbing his keys.
“Damn,” I mumble. “No fun.”
He leans down to kiss me on the cheek and lifts my chin to his. “Good luck with your big surprise. Call me if you need me for anything.”
“I’ll be fine. Have fun.”
A look of worry crosses his face, but he nods and walks out. I settle in and get ready to see the look on Bryce’s face.
At nine, I’m starting to get nervous. When I finally felt it was safe, I started trying to contact Bryce. There was no answer to my voicemails or text messages. It crossed my mind to call Nicole, but I quickly dismiss the idea. The food in the oven has now been done for an hour. The aroma of Italian fills th
e townhome.
By nine-thirty, I’m no longer nervous. I’m totally edgy, and my head is pounding. I pace the living room then get my phone, determined to find him.
The phone rings three times before he finally picks up. But there’s no one on the line but the sound of music and laughter. It dings in my hand, and I see it has changed to Facetime. No one appears on the screen, but there is the blinding glare of strobe lights and then the shrill sound of Liza’s voice.
“Woohoo, girls! Let’s shoot ‘em back!”
I drop the phone on the couch and sit back, so no one can see my face on the screen. On the other end, arms raise with shots and then cheers.
“What exactly are we celebrating?” Dani’s voice fills the line.
