Seeking Happily Ever After (Ever After #8) - Elena Aitken Page 0,19
next thing is we’ll have a home visit, where I can assess you all in your home together and—”
“That could be difficult,” Nick interrupted. Realizing how it sounded, he amended quickly, “It’s just that I’m temporarily living in the guest suite of a friend’s place. I’m having—we’re having—” He shot a smile at Charlotte, who’d grabbed his hand under the table. If he hadn’t been so distracted by the panic coursing through him at the idea of Susan visiting their home when it wasn’t actually theirs at all, he might have been able to appropriately respond to the feel of her skin on his. As it was, it was probably a good thing that he was distracted because having any actual feelings for Charlotte was definitely not part of what was turning out to be a whole lot more complicated of a plan than he’d originally thought. “We’re having a house in town renovated,” Nick continued. “Our guest suite is pretty tight and we’re—”
“That’s fine.” Susan grinned. “I’ve made a note that it’s only temporary. I’m sure that with your financial means, your permanent residence will be more than adequate as well. But that’s not what this visit is all about.”
“It’s not?”
“No.” Susan spoke while she scribbled notes that Nick desperately wanted to see in her notebook. “It’s more about getting a feel for the family and their dynamic. Just to assess the vibe of the family and the general fit.”
The vibe?
Nick just swallowed and nodded. “Of course. Makes sense.”
He squeezed Charlotte’s hand under the table, which had the unexpected effect of calming him. That had never happened with a woman before. Even if it was completely unplanned, it was nice to know that she was there for him and no doubt would help him do whatever it took. Including a home visit. “Why don’t we schedule that for next week sometime?” Nick suggested as he looked over to Charlotte. “Does that work for—”
“Oh no,” Susan interrupted. “We don’t schedule these visits.”
“What?” It was Charlotte who asked. “What does that mean?”
The older woman smiled as if she enjoyed keeping people on their toes, which she probably did. It was part of her job, after all. “The idea is to make sure you’re natural and not overly prepared, so we can get a real idea of what things are like in your home. So, we’ll give you a window of…” She scratched a few more things down. “No later than three to five weeks.”
“Three to five weeks?” Nick couldn’t help the outburst. “I thought you were expediting things?”
“I assure you, Mr. Newton. That is expedited. And you never know, I could pop in anytime.”
Nick was about to complain, but fortunately for him, Stephanie chose that moment to walk into the bakery for her meeting with Charlotte.
“Normally in situations like these—is that…”
Nick knew without turning around who had just walked in and he couldn’t help but smile.
“Stephanie Starz?”
“It is,” Nick said as Stephanie spotted them and raised her eyebrows in question. No doubt wondering why Charlotte was sitting next to him when he’d decided that there were no options but the truth.
Still, the professional she was, Stephanie’s face instantly smoothed into an easy smile. She offered them a little wave and made her way to the counter to place her order.
“You know her?” Susan was completely star-struck. “Do you think maybe I could meet her?”
“Normally, I’d say yes,” Nick said with a glance to Charlotte, “but she’s actually here to meet with Charlotte about a business opportunity and—” He didn’t bother saying how Glacier Falls was Steph’s safe place, where hardly anyone bothered her with her celebrity status and he wanted to respect that for her and not exploit his famous friend, but Susan got the point.
“Oh, of course.” Susan tried and failed to hide her disappointment. “Maybe some other time?”
“You know what?” Char gave his hand one final squeeze and stood. “The meeting can wait a few minutes, I’m sure. I’ll go ask her if she can spare a few minutes.”
Nick jumped to his feet, his hand still in Charlotte’s. “You don’t have to—”
“Don’t worry.”
She turned to him so casually and with such a sweet, natural smile as she reached over and touched his cheek gently, that, in a heartbeat, everything with Charlotte felt one thousand percent real. But when she leaned forward and gave him a soft kiss on his lips, he was completely hooked. It was the quickest of kisses, only lasting a fraction of a second, but it