A Special Summer (Love Conquers All) (25 page)

Nick had gotten so caught up in his musing he hadn’t heard Summer calling him.

“Nick?” Rolling her eyes to the ceiling, “Earth to Nick.”

Snapping out of his musing, he pulled his attention back to Summer. “Yeah babe?”

He chuckled at her annoyance with him. Feeling particularly mischievous, he decided to rattle her further.“I heard you. I was hoping you had a girl so we could name her Beautiful Stiles.” He grinned from ear to ear as if he were a poor man who had just won the lottery.

Turing up her nose as if something smelled horribly rotten Summer snapped, “Nick that is the most ridiculous name I’ve ever heard of. You’ve got to be kidding, right?”

“Serious as a heart attack.”

It took everything in him not to laugh at the astonished look on her face.

“Well, thank goodness for small miracles,” she muttered.

“Small miracles like what, Miss Jackson?”

“That he is a
boy
and not a
girl
. There is no way a daughter of mine would be named no ridiculous Beautiful.”

“But that’s what I call you. Beautiful.”

Summer’s sucked in her breath and held it. The squirming baby in her arms reminded her brain that she needed to breathe.
How in the world does he do that?

His voice had dropped seductively low as his gaze caressed every inch of her face. He had the ability to transition right before her eyes like a chameleon changing from mischievously teasing, to seductively teasing in the bat of an eye. Shifting her gaze from his, back to the squirming baby, she challenged, “That’s different.”

“How so?”

“Because, that’s not a real name, it’s a nickname.”

Before he responded, he remembered a time when his hands roamed and touched every soft, sensual, sexy curve of her petite body as he would moan “Beautiful” over and over again from the pleasure he would get from exploring her body.

“You’re absolutely right.”

Quick to change the subject, Summer brought the issue back to the forefront of what to name their son. After tossing several names around, they hadn’t decided on one they could agree on. All the names she was fond of, Nick detested. She had the same response to his choice of names, especially Fredrick. Nick said it was a proud, powerful name of African-American heritage. Strong and powerful or not, Summer refused to name their son such an old-fashioned name, uggggh!

An hour later, they still hadn’t picked a name. Nick helped her from the bed to the chair as she prepared to nurse. As the baby fed, the one name they never discussed all but rolled off her tongue. Staring down into the tiny dark eyes intently watching her, Summer felt in her heart that the name she decided on was perfect.

Stretched out on the hospital bed, Nick flipped through channels as Summer nursed. He needed to focus elsewhere as she fed the baby. Summer’s exposed breast was making his mind go places it had no business going. It didn’t seem right to lust after her as she tended to the infants needs.

“Nick.”

“What’s up?”

“I have a name.”

Sitting up, he swung his long legs over the side of the bed disregarding the rampant lustful thoughts running amuck in his head. He wanted to give her his undivided attention.

“You do?”

He figured it would be another day or two before deciding on a name. So far they hadn’t agreed on a suitable one.

Summer nodded her head. “I want to name him, Nicholas Christopher Stiles, Jr.”

Stunned he asked, “Are you sure?” Even after everything he had put her through she wanted to give their son his name.

Summer nodded.

“No, Summer. I want to hear you say it. Tell me that you’re sure.” This woman,
his
woman was talking about giving their son his name. That’s right, Summer was
his
woman. If he hadn’t been sure before he was sure now…she still loved him.

“Yes, I’m sure. He looks so much like you. I think the name perfectly suits him. We’ll call him NJ, short for Nick Jr.”

Rising up from the bed he went to her, kneeling down so that they were eye level. Brushing his lips against hers, Nick whispered, “Thank you.”

Summer raised her hand to Nick’s face gently stroking his jaw. “You don’t have to thank me.”

For the second time that day Summer had to remind herself of her resolve to let Nick go. Would she be able to do it? That was the question she asked herself later that night as she sat alone holding her son.
I have to let him go, Loving him hurts too much.

The next six weeks rushed by in a fuzzy haze as Summer returned home from the hospital with her parents and baby in tow. She enjoyed having her parents with her, but by the fourth week she was ready to pull out every strand of her hair from frustration. As much as she loved them they were driving her crazy, especially her mother. Nita had something to say about everything. If it weren’t for her father continuing to act as buffer Summer didn’t know what she would do. The first argument was over Nita wanting to go to NJ’s first doctor’s appointment. It was a no brainer that Nick would accompany them. When Summer suggested her mother stay home, Nita nearly had a bird.

Summer didn’t really care. She wanted her baby’s first appointment to the pediatrician to be a pleasant memory. That wasn’t likely to happen since every now and then her mother slipped a snide remark pass her lips aimed at Nick. On this special day she did not want it marred by unpleasant memories of any smart comments, courtesy of her mother. Though Nita was outright rude to Nick, he remained on his best behavior. He patiently held his composure, ignoring the remarks of the older woman.

Like always, James stepped in sternly informing his wife she would wait at home while Summer and Nick took
their
child to his first doctor’s appointment. After hearing the sternness in her husband’s voice, Nita resentfully complied. During those six weeks, Nick and James became at ease with one another. On many occasions they would leave Summer and Nita at home while they went to the sports bar with

Kevin to watch whatever basketball team was playing. It didn’t bother either woman one bit since the men acted like teenagers hooting and hollering when their favorite team scored a point. Or let out a string of foul language when a basket wasn’t made. Not to mention all the beer cans that littered Summer’s living room as they watched the game. Summer had to put her foot down when Kevin pulled out a cigar to smoke, which was absolutely ridiculous since he didn’t smoke cigarettes.

Coming out of the kitchen with a bowl of chips she spied Kevin about to light up. With chips in one hand and the other on her hip, Summer said, “Kevin, you know I love you like the brother I never had and everything, but if you think you’re gonna smoke that stinking cigar in my house, around my baby, you’ve got another thing coming.”

Kevin flashed his trademark boyish grin. “Come on Sis, NJ’s upstairs sleeping, this smoke won’t bother him.”

“Kevin, if you light that cigar up in here you’ll be eating it instead of smoking it.” Summer warned as she glared at him.

“Oooooh!” Nick and James shouted laughing at Kevin’s stunned expression.

Kevin chuckled. “Girl, you are mean since you’ve became a momma.”

“That’s right. Now put that nasty cigar down. It stinks and you haven’t even lit it,” Summer said tersely as she placed the bowl of chips on the coffee table before retreating back into the kitchen with her mother.

So as far as the women were concerned, having the men at the sports bar was definitely okay by them.

Things between Summer and Nick hadn’t progressed any further. Although he came over every day to see and bond with the baby, the two never had a chance to discuss how they planned on raising their son. It hadn’t yet been determined who would be the primary caregiver of NJ. Summer still had no idea Nick no longer had plans on filing for custody.

She maintained her distance whenever he was around. If he were in the nursery with the baby, she would go in her bedroom to watch television or downstairs in the living room to talk with Ava or Starr on the phone. In her mind putting distance between them was crucial to her emotional and mental wellbeing. She felt she had to do this especially after receiving the results via certified mail from BioMed a week after coming home from the hospital. Of course the results showed that there was a probability of 99.9% that Nick was NJs father. Disgusted Summer ripped the results into a hundred tiny pieces. If she received the results, certainly Nick had received his as well. Now she would wait until he approached her. She was in no hurry to have her world come falling down around her like a house of cards. Six weeks had gone by and Nick hadn’t mentioned one word about the results. If he ignored the pink elephant in the room… so would she.

Later that evening after the Jacksons departed, Nick showed up as usual. Summer heard his footsteps walking in the direction of the downstairs closet off of the living room as she stood in the mirror wrapping her hair in a bun. She had given him a key the night before for the sake of convenience since her parents wouldn’t be around to answer the door.

The house was extremely quiet now that her parents were gone. Nick smiled to himself. Now he would be able to put his plan into action to win Summer back. He had been a patient man as he waited the six weeks out. During those weeks he had been methodical in his plan. Whatever it had taken to get along with her parents, he did it. James hadn’t been a problem; he truly liked the older man and enjoyed the times they hung out. Nita however was a different story. Whenever she let a snide remark slip, Nick didn’t let it faze him, he couldn’t. He had bigger fish to fry, like winning her daughter’s heart back. In time he was confident that things between him and Nita would be just fine.

Taking two steps at a time, he made his way to the nursery. Peeking in he saw that NJ was squirming in his sleep, about to wake up at any moment
.
Deciding not to wake the baby, he sauntered down the hall to Summer’s bedroom. Leaning against the doorjamb he crossed his arms over his chest.
When I get you back I’m never going to let you go,
he thought to himself as he watched her fussing with her hair.

“I’m gonna cut all this mess off,” Summer grumbled as she put the last pin in securing her tresses.

“Please don’t. I love your hair.”

The fine hairs on the back of her neck stood up from the low baritone voice she was so familiar with. Summer glanced over her shoulder. “I thought you were in the nursery.”

“I peeked in on him, but he’s still asleep.”

“Oh. He’s due to wake up soon.”

As Summer crossed the room to the dresser pulling out a pair of silk pajamas, his gaze followed her. She looked good. Real good. The knit blouse she wore clung snuggly to her full breasts, while she nicely filled out a pair of jeans something fierce. Nick tilted his head to the side as he watched her hips sway naturally from side to side.

“What?” Summer asked when she caught him staring at her with that look. She felt herself being drawn in by it.
Uh-huh, nope. I’m not going there with you Nick.
Summer broke eye contact with Nick to keep from being pulled into his sensual web. Nick pushed himself away from the doorjamb uncrossing his arms. Rubbing his hand over his goatee, he admitted, “I was just checking you out in that blouse and those jeans. Girl you look tight. I can’t even tell you had a baby six weeks ago.”

“Thanks,” Summer mumbled. She wasn’t about to tell him it was the breastfeeding that helped her body to bounce back to its pre-pregnancy state. He was having hard enough time keeping his eyes off her breasts as it was.

“Nick?”

“Summer?”

“When NJ wakes up change him and feed him for me.”

He lifted a dark brow as his face knotted into a perplexed expression.

Summer laughed. “I pumped a few ounces earlier. It’s in the fridge; just put the bottle in a cup of hot water to take the chill off.”

“A’ight, that makes sense. I was beginning to think you had postpartum madness or something,” he chuckled.

“No, Mr. Smarty Pants, just a desire to take a nice long hot shower.”

Easing pass him in the doorway Summer’s right breast brushed against his arm. Instantaneously their bodies reacted to the intimate touch. When they briefly locked eyes the passion they saw was undeniable.

Unconsciously, Summer crossed her arms concealing her breasts. “Excuse me.”

“Not a problem,” Nick mumbled as she closed the bathroom door in his face.

Stripping out of her clothes down to her bra and panties, Summer looked at her form in the full-length mirror on the back of the bathroom door. Nick was right; her body had retained all its former curves after giving birth. A frown flashed across her face as she stared at her full breasts remembering how her body betrayed her, awakening a strong need for him.

“I need to be taking a cold shower instead of a hot one,” Summer mumbled to herself hating the very fact that she still craved the man.

The hot water was soothing and just what she needed to ease the sudden tension her body felt as muscles in her neck began to tighten. With her back facing the stream of water, she forced her thoughts away from Nick and to her baby. Tonight would be the first night they would be alone. A part of Summer was glad about it. Yet another part of her was anxious, giving her thoughts up and over to paranoia.
What if someone tries to break in? Or the house catches on fire. Maybe I should ask Nick to spend the night. He could sleep in my room and I’ll sleep on the daybed in the nursery.
Summer let out a frustrated sigh.
Oh goodness why am I tripping like this? Nothing’s going to happen…right?