Jealousy (29 page)

Justin wasn
’t ready for this. He rested his elbows on his knees, clasped his fingers together and stared at the floor for a long time. He didn’t know if Heather was ready for it either.  She was still vulnerable, and he didn’t want to see her world collapse again.  He knew he was being overprotective, but it was a big step for her.  He glanced at Nick for a minute.  Nick looked anxious, and a transparent sheet of perspiration covered his forehead.

“
I don’t know,” Justin finally answered, with a very somber look on his face.  “I’m concerned.”

“
About what?”

“
Well, if something happened and you two split up right now, naturally she would be devastated, but eventually she’d get over it and move on.  If you got married, built a life together, and then something happened,” he pressed his lips together and shook his head slowly from side to side, “I’m not so sure she’d be able to get through it.  I don’t think she could handle it.”

“
Nothing’s going to happen, Justin.  I love her.”

“
I know you love her, but both me and Heather were in long-term relationships that we thought were gonna last forever, and they just disintegrated – practically from one day to the next.”

“
I’ll never hurt her.  You can trust me.  I never thought I’d find someone like Heather.”  Nick put his hand on Justin’s shoulder.  “I won’t screw this up, man.  You gotta trust me.”

Justin wanted Heather to be happy, and he wanted to believe Nick.  They were in love – that was obvious.  Nick was good to Heather.  But was that enough?  Justin didn
’t know the answer.  He only knew that he needed to protect Heather.  He never forgave himself for letting Peter hurt her and he swore he would never let anyone hurt her again, physically or emotionally.  But how could he know when to trust someone?  It was impossible.  But was Nick good enough for Heather?  He strummed his fingers on his knee while Nick watched him.  Justin met Nick’s stare, and was silent for another minute.  “She’s the most giving and unselfish person on the planet.  Don’t ever take her for granted,” Justin said.  “I’m serious.  Make sure you’re worthy of the blessings she bestows upon you.”

“
So do I have your approval?” Nick asked, with a hopeful smile.

Justin slowly smiled back and nodded. 
“Yeah.”

“
Thanks, buddy.”  Nick slung his arm around Justin’s neck.  “There’s something else I want to ask you.  I want you to help me pick out a ring.”

“
A ring?”  Justin’s eyes lit up with excitement.  “I’d love to!”  He laughed.  “But you better be prepared to drop your wallet.  Nothing’s too good when it comes to Heather.”

Chapter Sixty-Four:

The aroma of fresh candles hit Heather as soon as she opened the door.  She inhaled their scent.  It was cinnamon . . . and honeysuckle . . . and lavender.  She noted the soft music that played on the stereo and found the whole scenario odd
.

“
Nick?”  She called into the dimly lit apartment.  “Where are you?  What’s going on?”  She dropped her keys on the coffee table and sniffed the air again.  Shadows from the candles flickered on the dining room wall, and she followed their reflection.  Nick waited for her at the table, and held a chair for her.  Heather’s eyes were immediately drawn to the elegant bouquet of calla lilies that sat in the center of table. They were her favorite flower.  She mentioned it to Nick months ago when they bought flowers for his mother’s birthday.  She couldn’t believe he remembered.

The centerpiece of lilies was
the crown jewel of a magnificently set table.  A white linen cloth covered the dining room table, white china plates sat underneath matching salad bowls, while an array of cutlery rested upon soft white cloth napkins.  Water goblets and wine glasses were half full and inviting.  She was in awe as she took in its grandeur.

“
What’s all this?” she asked.

“
I wanted to do something nice for you, beautiful.” Nick kissed her and led her to the chair.  “Sit down.  Everything’s ready.”

Nick wouldn
’t let her do anything.  He made her sit at the table while he served each course.  The food was extravagant and rich, and she wondered if there was a team of gourmet chefs hiding in her kitchen.  She lavished the attention and wondered what he was up to.  She smiled as she contemplated what he was expecting as compensation for tonight’s glorification, and her thoughts drifted mischievously to the bedroom.  Nick set a pristine porcelain plate in front of her.  It was whiter than the other plates, and shinier.  Its rim was painted gold, with a matching tiny fleur de lis in the center, and she wondered if it was real gold.  It was the prettiest plate she ever saw.

“
This was wonderful, Nick,” she looked up at him from the chair and hugged her waist, “but I can’t eat any more.  I’m stuffed.  You’re so sweet for doing this for me.  Thank you so much.”

“
We’re not done.”

“
I told you, I can’t . . .”

He placed a small black velvet box in the center of her dessert plate.  Her jaw dropped open, and her heart pounded.  She wanted to pick it up, but he
r hands were frozen in her lap.

“
Open it,” Nick said.

She bit her lower lip, glanced at Nick and held her breath.  She picked up the little box with a shaking hand and opened the lid.  She gasped when she saw the ring.  It was perfect.  The whole night was perfect.  She stared at the ring, captivated by its beauty and brilliance.  It was a two carat round diamond, cast in a classic platinum setting, with smaller diamonds set in the band.  She couldn
’t have chosen a more beautiful ring if she picked it herself.

Nick knelt on one knee and took her hand. 
“I love you, beautiful.  Will you marry me?”

She knew it was a ring as soon as she saw the box, but she also knew she wasn
’t ready to give him an answer.  She never let herself entertain the idea of marrying Nick.  She always told herself she wasn’t getting married again.  They were happy. Why jinx it with marriage?  She rested her fingers lightly on his soft stubbly cheek, and her eyes welled up with tears.  As she stared into Nick’s beautiful blue eyes, her doubt and apprehension vanished.  Everything was suddenly very clear.  Nick was the one she was waiting for.  Everything that happened in the past, all the pain and heartache that she endured, all led up to this moment.  She had been waiting for Nick to come into her life.

“
Yes!”  She threw her arms around him and laughed and cried at the same time.  “I love you so much!”

“
I love you, too.”  He took the ring from the box and placed it gently on her finger.

A girlish laugh rolled from her mouth, and she wiped her eyes. 
“It’s beautiful.”

“
Do you really like it?”

“
Like it?”  Her eyes sparkled.  “I love it!  It’s gorgeous!”

“
I thought you would.  Justin picked it out.”

“
Justin?”

“
Yeah.  I wanted to surprise you, but I didn’t know what kind of ring you would want, so I asked Justin for help.  No one knows you better than he does, right?”

“
You mean Justin knew you were gonna ask me to marry you?”

Nick nodded. 
“I had to make sure he approved.”

“
What?”  She couldn’t believe it – first, the elaborate proposal, then asking Justin’s permission.  It was surreal.

“
I needed to make sure he wasn’t going to have a problem with this.  I know how much you mean to him.”

“
What did he say?”

Nick
’s mouth curled into a smile.  “Don’t worry.  He gave us his blessing.”

She immediately called Justin and demanded to know how he was able to keep Nick
’s proposal a secret.

Justin laughed. 
“This all happened today, sweetie.  Nick knew I couldn’t keep it from you.”

#

Justin hugged her so tight she could barely breathe.  It meant everything to her that Justin was happy about the engagement.  It didn’t matter how much she loved Nick.  If Justin didn’t think it was good idea, she never would have the guts to go through with a wedding.

Kenny threw his arms
around Nick.  “Congratulations.”  His voice cracked and waivered.  “I’m so happy. I knew you were a great guy from the first day I met you.”

“
Thanks, man,” Nick replied. “Same here.”

Kenny
’s arms remained tightly wrapped around Nick’s neck, without any sign of letting go.  Kenny sniffled and his body convulsed a little.

Nick looked to Heather with a clueless half smile.  He was taken aback by Kenny
’s sudden display of emotion. “Help me out,” he said.  “I don’t know what to do here.”

She watched Nick pat Kenny on the back with subtle reassurance, and she smiled. 
“You’re doing it.”

Kenny rushed into her arms, almost as if he just remembered she was there. 
“I’m so happy, honey.  You deserve this.  I’ve been waiting for this day – for you to find someone who truly loves you.  I want you to have what me and Justin have.  I wish you all the happiness in the world!”  He placed his hands on her cheeks and kissed her on the lips, and then he quickly turned to Nick and gave him a long kiss on the cheek.

Nick momentarily jumped, then chuckled. 
“Shit man, I thought you were going to kiss
me
on the lips, too.”

Kenny smiled at him. 
“Sorry to disappoint you, Nick, honey.  Just make sure you take care of our girl.”

Chapter Sixty-Five:

Heather watched the landscape on the side of the expressway glide by.
It all looked the same to her – big oak trees, overgrown weeds and the occasional roadside memorial, erected by the family of some poor soul who lost their life at that precise location.  She had no idea where Nick was taking her.  He grabbed her hand and said he wanted her to take a ride with him.  She never ventured out east much and was unfamiliar with the names of the towns displayed on the exit signs that they passed.

“
Where are we going?” she asked.

Nick momentarily took his eyes off the road and smiled at her. 
“I want to show you a house I want to buy.”

“
A house?  You want to buy a house?”

“
Yeah.  It’s a handyman special.  I could do all the work with my crew.  It would take time, but it wouldn’t cost that much money to fix it up.”

“
What a great idea.”  That was the advantage of owning a construction company.  Nick could flip the house and make a large profit.  They could take that money, together with the money she got from her divorce, and put a huge down payment on a house for them to live in after they were married.  She didn’t mind living in an apartment, but the idea of a house with a yard, and maybe a couple of kids one day, made her smile.  Her life was finally on track.  It was about damn time.

#

The bluestone gravel bounced off Nick’s pickup truck as he pulled into the driveway of the two-story colonial home.  The paint was weathered and in dire need of repair, but the wrap-around porch was cozy and inviting, even though the steps creaked loudly as she ascended them.  She took a seat in the ancient porch swing and cautiously rocked back and forth.  “I love this.”

Nick took her hand. 
“Be careful, beautiful.  I don’t know how sturdy that thing is.”  He led her into the house, and they explored the first floor.  The walls were cracked and the kitchen looked like it was 100 years old.  The whole thing needed total renovation.  She couldn’t imagine anyone trying to prepare a meal, no less dinner for an entire family, in the old rusted oven.  Nick admired the ornate staircase as they traveled upstairs to inspect the home’s three bedrooms and only bathroom.

“
So, what do you think?” he asked.

She grimaced. 
“It needs a lotta work.”

“
I know, but this is what I do for a living.  Can you imagine how beautiful this house could be once it’s all fixed up?”

She looked around the master bedroom with its peeling, yellow-tinged wallpaper and stained hardwood floor. 
“Not really.”

Her candor amused Nick, and he laughed.  He spread his hands across the aging walls with enthusiasm. 
“Envision new sheetrock with crown molding and cherry wood floors.”

She shrugged. 
“I don’t know anything about that stuff.  If you think you can fix this place up, do it.”

“
So you think you can live here?”

“
What?”  The question caught her off guard.  “What do you mean, live here?”

“
After we’re married and after it’s renovated.  This could be our home.”

A deep furrow creased her brow.  Now she realized why he was looking for her approval.  The house would have been perfect, except for one thing – it was 45 min
utes away from Justin.