had disappeared. Seemed like it might be a win.
He kept stroking Holly’s forehead and hairline and tucking wayward curls behind his ear over and over again. Holly was asleep, so the touches didn’t matter, but it felt good. Even when he made himself stop, as soon as he returned to his work, he found his hand slipping over to pet again.
Nick’s phone buzzed, and he sent up a prayer of thanks it was on vibrate. When Caroline’s picture popped up on the screen, Nick was startled into pressing Answer before he was ready. “Hello?” He kept his voice down so it wouldn’t wake Holly.
“There you are. I was starting to wonder if I was going to get a knock on the door from the police.” Caroline sounded almost cheerful. “I need to order meals for next week. Are you going to be home?”
Nick looked at Holly. Next week. Would Holly be okay on his own by then? Maybe.
“I think so. I’m not sure when I’ll be coming in, but it should be sometime next week.” That gave him some wiggle room in case something came up.
“Well, I’ll just order for me, then. You’ll have to fend for yourself whenever you feel like showing up. I hate it when food spoils in the fridge waiting for you to come home.” There was the tone Nick knew so well. Brisk with a hint of blame.
“Of course.” Nick rarely ate meals with Caroline anyway unless they were dining out. Their schedules usually conflicted, with Nick staying late to get stories ready for the next day’s paper and Caroline often in meetings for her various charities. “I wouldn’t expect you to deal with that. I’m sure I can figure something out.”
“Well, I was feeling domestic, so I thought I’d call,” Caroline said brightly. “The cleaning lady’s taken ill. It better not be one of those farm animal influenzas. I ended up cleaning the master bath all by myself. You could write a story about that: Journalist’s Wife Stricken With Strange Affliction, Cleans House. They’re sending someone tomorrow, but the toilet couldn’t wait.”
“If they don’t send anyone, call again.”
“I will. The fridge is vile. You know how I feel about cleaning it. All that old food.” Nick could see her expression in his mind’s eye: pure disgust. Typical Caroline, that she’d clean a toilet but not the fridge, because old food was dirty. “I’ll pick your suits up from the cleaners tomorrow.”
“Thank you.” Nick was glad he hadn’t thought to pick them up himself. That would’ve completely fucked things up. “Do you want me to call later in the week, or just when I’m getting ready to come home?”
“I’ll call you if I need anything. Otherwise, just warn me before you come home so I don’t mace you in the front hall.”
Caroline would do it too. Nick hadn’t been on the receiving end of her itchy trigger finger, but more than one other person had. Nick wondered if any of them were really the muggers, carjackers or whatever else she said they were when she told the stories later, or if Caroline was simply lucky she hadn’t been arrested for assault herself.
“Will do.”
“Happy hunting!” There was the sound of a kiss, and then she was gone.
Nick put the phone down. Had he woken Holly? He checked and smiled. Holly hadn’t so much as twitched.
Nick sighed and tucked a wayward golden curl behind Holly’s ear. This wasn’t his life. It was so hard to remember that he was only here to help Holly settle in, and then he was going back to his life.
His life was with Caroline; he was happy with Caroline. Beautiful, strong, capable Caroline who could deal with anything life threw at her and didn’t need anyone to hold her up.
***
Holly hadn’t dreaded a morning so much since before Nick walked back into his life and slapped him awake. He hadn’t been able to sleep the night before; he’d lain awake listening to Nick breathe. He was so lonely. But Nick had a life to return to, and Holly wasn’t even staying in New York. He needed to get his
He kept stroking Holly’s forehead and hairline and tucking wayward curls behind his ear over and over again. Holly was asleep, so the touches didn’t matter, but it felt good. Even when he made himself stop, as soon as he returned to his work, he found his hand slipping over to pet again.
Nick’s phone buzzed, and he sent up a prayer of thanks it was on vibrate. When Caroline’s picture popped up on the screen, Nick was startled into pressing Answer before he was ready. “Hello?” He kept his voice down so it wouldn’t wake Holly.
“There you are. I was starting to wonder if I was going to get a knock on the door from the police.” Caroline sounded almost cheerful. “I need to order meals for next week. Are you going to be home?”
Nick looked at Holly. Next week. Would Holly be okay on his own by then? Maybe.
“I think so. I’m not sure when I’ll be coming in, but it should be sometime next week.” That gave him some wiggle room in case something came up.
“Well, I’ll just order for me, then. You’ll have to fend for yourself whenever you feel like showing up. I hate it when food spoils in the fridge waiting for you to come home.” There was the tone Nick knew so well. Brisk with a hint of blame.
“Of course.” Nick rarely ate meals with Caroline anyway unless they were dining out. Their schedules usually conflicted, with Nick staying late to get stories ready for the next day’s paper and Caroline often in meetings for her various charities. “I wouldn’t expect you to deal with that. I’m sure I can figure something out.”
“Well, I was feeling domestic, so I thought I’d call,” Caroline said brightly. “The cleaning lady’s taken ill. It better not be one of those farm animal influenzas. I ended up cleaning the master bath all by myself. You could write a story about that: Journalist’s Wife Stricken With Strange Affliction, Cleans House. They’re sending someone tomorrow, but the toilet couldn’t wait.”
“If they don’t send anyone, call again.”
“I will. The fridge is vile. You know how I feel about cleaning it. All that old food.” Nick could see her expression in his mind’s eye: pure disgust. Typical Caroline, that she’d clean a toilet but not the fridge, because old food was dirty. “I’ll pick your suits up from the cleaners tomorrow.”
“Thank you.” Nick was glad he hadn’t thought to pick them up himself. That would’ve completely fucked things up. “Do you want me to call later in the week, or just when I’m getting ready to come home?”
“I’ll call you if I need anything. Otherwise, just warn me before you come home so I don’t mace you in the front hall.”
Caroline would do it too. Nick hadn’t been on the receiving end of her itchy trigger finger, but more than one other person had. Nick wondered if any of them were really the muggers, carjackers or whatever else she said they were when she told the stories later, or if Caroline was simply lucky she hadn’t been arrested for assault herself.
“Will do.”
“Happy hunting!” There was the sound of a kiss, and then she was gone.
Nick put the phone down. Had he woken Holly? He checked and smiled. Holly hadn’t so much as twitched.
Nick sighed and tucked a wayward golden curl behind Holly’s ear. This wasn’t his life. It was so hard to remember that he was only here to help Holly settle in, and then he was going back to his life.
His life was with Caroline; he was happy with Caroline. Beautiful, strong, capable Caroline who could deal with anything life threw at her and didn’t need anyone to hold her up.
***
Holly hadn’t dreaded a morning so much since before Nick walked back into his life and slapped him awake. He hadn’t been able to sleep the night before; he’d lain awake listening to Nick breathe. He was so lonely. But Nick had a life to return to, and Holly wasn’t even staying in New York. He needed to get his
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