Seeking Happily Ever After (Ever After #8) - Elena Aitken Page 0,15
got a call from Nick Newton.”
Steph perked up.
“He insisted you call him immediately when you were free.”
“He texted,” Steph told her. “I’ll give him a call in the morning.”
Terri shook her head. “He insisted you call right away,” she repeated. “Regardless of the time. He said something about it being urgent.”
“Urgent? Or an emergency?”
“Urgent,” she confirmed. “But between you and me, he sounded pretty panicked.”
“Thank you.”
Maybe it was Amelia? But if something was wrong with the baby, he would have said that. Still, it wasn’t like Nick to be over-dramatic. Steph dialed his number as she got into the back of her waiting town car for the ride to her rented home.
Nick answered before the first ring was finished. “Finally. I need your help.”
They’d been on the phone for over an hour and Steph was still trying to process all the things Nick was telling her.
Adoption.
A wife.
Birth mother.
A wife.
“Please don’t say no.”
Steph closed her eyes and leaned her head back on the couch. “You know I have to, Nick.” From the moment he’d asked her, she’d known what her answer had to be. She couldn’t marry Nick, or fake marry him, or even have a relationship with him. Real or otherwise. It wouldn’t work. But it pained her to actually say it out loud.
“I was really hoping you wouldn’t say that.” Nick groaned. “But I knew you would.”
“Nick, you know I would help you in a heartbeat.” She sat up and rolled her shoulders. “It would be a giant PR mess and you know it. The press would have a field day with it all. It literally would be the news story of the year, and that would only hurt Amelia.”
She knew Nick had to see the truth in that. The paparazzi went crazy over any story that Stephanie was involved in. And something as juicy as a marriage to a self-made billionaire that came out of nowhere would be like chum in a shark tank. Within days, they’d have the whole story figured out and they’d be exposed. It probably wouldn’t damage Stephanie’s career, but it would damage Nick’s bid at adoption. One hundred percent. It wasn’t a risk they could take, and sure enough, Nick agreed the way she knew he would.
“I knew it was a long shot,” he said after a moment. “And you’re right. You’re just too famous, which is really too bad, because you’re the best actress I know and if anyone could pretend to be madly in love with me, it would be you.”
She laughed a little. “Don’t sell yourself short, buddy. The right woman isn’t going to have to pretend anything. You’re an amazing catch and you know it.”
Nick’s sigh was deep and long. “The problem is, I don’t have time to wait for the right woman. I need to find her now. Well, yesterday, according to my lawyer.”
She felt for him, she really did. No one was more devoted to that baby than Nick. He deserved to be her father. No matter what. But Steph also knew that a judge wouldn’t see it quite that simply. “I think your best bet will be to ask someone who likes you. Someone you know already. And someone who’s good with—I know!” The idea hit her so hard and fast she jumped up out of the chair. “Jeremy Davis’s sister! She was at the showcase and then I saw you with her at my nephew’s welcoming party last time I was in town. Charlotte!”
Why hadn’t she thought of it before? It was perfect. Every time she’d seen Nick and Charlotte Davis together, there seemed to be a little something between them. A flirtation. An interest. Maybe they didn’t even realize it yet, but it was obvious that they liked each other. “Yes,” Steph continued. “She’s cute and you obviously like her and—”
“No.”
“No?” Confused, she shook her head. “No, you don’t like her?”
“No. I do like her. I actually, really like her. If things were different and I didn’t have…well, things aren’t different. But no, I can’t ask her.”
“That’s stupid. She’s the perfect choice.”
“I can’t, Steph. Remember why she’s back in town?”
“Oh.”
“Right.”
“Right,” Steph agreed. She’d forgotten about that little detail. “How’s she doing?”
“Not good enough for me to ask her to marry me.” He groaned and Steph couldn’t help but smile a little. “I mean, I think that’s a pretty big jump, don’t you?”
She had to agree. “I’m sorry, Nick. But you’ll think of something.”
He didn’t sound as though he agreed, but after they chatted for