“That’s right. So, are you still scared? Will you be jumping on the bed and stealing pudding?”
Emily wrapped her arms around Shelby’s neck and grinned. “No. I’m going to get better. Like you did.”
“Good plan.” Shelby returned her hug.
Nick closed his eyes and blew out a long breath. Shelby saved the day. She’d said just the right things and pulled Emily out of her funk.
Shelby was right, he did owe her—big time. For more than she knew.
He sucked.
CHAPTER FOUR
“Getting all dressed up and wearing stiff shoes is annoying . . . especially for bored monkeys.”
Chester Goes to a Wedding
Shelby drew in the subtle scent of Nick’s sensual cologne as he drove her home from the hospital in his equally sexy Porsche. It made her miss the one she used to own. Her Prius was nowhere near as fun to drive.
Staring out the window, she still couldn’t figure why she’d shared her past with him. Was it the way he’d held her hand so tightly, steadying her, and the way his whole face softened when he smiled at her? No man had ever looked at her like that before. Certainly no one like Nick. Hopefully she’d see the same gleam in Greg’s eyes when she saw him soon.
Just to be sure she wasn’t sending Nick mixed signals, because they were pretty darned mixed-up in her own head, she added a dose of snark to her tone and said, “You do realize if everyone drove a car like this, your children won’t have clean air to breathe, Nick.”
“I’m never having kids, so I figure I can use up more than my fair share.”
“I don’t believe you. Not after seeing the way you are with Emily. She adores you and vice versa.”
He scowled as he stared at the road ahead. “I make it a policy to tell the truth. And after watching my father devastate my mom when I was a kid, I swore I’d never marry.”
“Oaths made when we’re children don’t count.”
“Speaking of kids, why would a seven-year-old miss dinner and then have to make her own grilled cheese?”
She turned and looked at him. Concern etched his features. Just like it had at the hospital when he’d led her to the chair she’d so badly needed during her almost-fainting moment. But after meeting Nick’s mom, a tall, dark-haired, beautiful and caring woman, she wasn’t sure Nick could understand.
“My mom and dad were loving people, but they sucked at being parents. That thing called responsibility eluded them.” She blew out a long breath and faced straight ahead. Maybe it’d make it easier to explain if she didn’t look at him. “My mom got herself pregnant by the gardener at seventeen. When she married my low-class father she was disinherited by her family. My parents liked to party and often passed out before my sister and I got fed.” She glanced his way again. “We ate a lot of yogurt.”
Nick frowned as he switched gears. “It was your parents’ job to keep you safe. And they failed. That fire wasn’t your fault, it was an accident.”
She laughed bitterly. “That sounds good in theory. But if I hadn’t used the stove after I was told specifically not to because the knob was tricky, I’d still have my family.”
Her cell rang, saving her from the rest of the painful conversation she didn’t want to have. The screen showed it was her aunt.
“I have to take this.” She drew a deep breath, digging deep for patience. “Hello, Aunt Victoria. How are you?”
“I have a disaster on my hands. You need to help.”
If her aunt tried to set her up with one more of her pompous, rich friends’ sons, she’d go mad. She couldn’t wait until Greg got back and she won him over. Maybe then her aunt would leave her alone. “What do you need?”
“I’m sponsoring a black-tie charity event at the club on Saturday, and the celebrity backed out. Imagine my surprise when some of the ladies talking about replacements mentioned an up-and-coming local author, and it was you! They said your little children’s books have become quite popular and they’d love to have you.”
“Imagine that.” Shelby didn’t bother to disguise her sarcasm.
“You’ll need to be at the club at seven. It’s formal so you’ll wear a long gown and we won’t have to work around your legs. I know you must be struggling since you left the business, but please don’t show up in something from last season. It’d reflect poorly on the family. Just this once, you may charge my account at any of my usual shops. Oh, and if you don’t have a date I can arrange—”
“No! I’m good.” Shelby’s jaw clenched. “And I can afford a new dress. I’m not a pauper just because I don’t work for Uncle Jack anymore.”