A Special Summer (Love Conquers All) (29 page)

Summer nearly spit out the last bite of cheesecake she’d resumed eating. “You’ve got to be kidding?” she asked in total disbelief.

Nick never answered her as he signaled for the waiter to bring the check. That’s what he wanted, for her to stay home with his son, like his mother had done with him. But knowing Summer she would return to work as soon as NJ was somewhat independent. He would just have to change her mind. Tilting his head to the side, he thought,
maybe another baby might do it.

Summer frowned as Nick slyly grinned at her. He was up to no good and she knew it.

Nick turned the key, stepping through the door, the aroma of a mouth-watering roast greeted him. The frustrated mask he wore easily dissipated. Setting his briefcase down on the coffee table, he shrugged off his suit jacket throwing it over an armchair. Strolling into the kitchen, he loosened his tie and rolled up his sleeves. If only he could so easily roll the day away. Earlier that day Nick discovered one of his executives, Thomas Jones’, addiction to drugs. The man had managed to conceal months of inadequate job performance. Nick was livid upon learning important documents weren’t prepared and forwarded to the legal department due to Thomas’ cocaine addiction. Apparently, the wicked withdraw Thomas was going through lured him away from the office in search of his dealer. Everything came literally crashing down when the DEA surrounded the dealer’s home while the two were settling a drug transaction.

Nick flipped his lid when Thomas called the office frantically crying like a baby as he unloaded the ugly details of his descent into the underworld of drugs. Nick inhaled deeply as anger threatened to consume him again for the umpteenth time.

Entering the kitchen, he encountered Summer’s back as she stood at the sink rinsing off a head of lettuce. The motion of her hands circling the lettuce as she washed it looked soothing. The anger that threatened to tip him over all day dissipated as he imagined it was his neck, shoulders and back her hands were massaging.

Summer’s mind was miles away thinking about the day she and NJ had when she sensed his presence. She lifted her head tilting it to the side as Nick wrapped his arms around her waist.

“Hey, Beautiful.” He whispered against her ear.

“Hey, yourself.”

Their lips met in what he thought would be a decent kiss. Instead, he was greeted with a quick peck.

Summer never noticed the frown marring his handsome features. Turning back to the salad, she said, “Dinner will be ready in about ten minutes.”

Letting go of his hold of her, he leaned against the counter. “All right.”

The longer he looked at her the more aggravated he became. Her indifference caused him to recall how he tried reaching her earlier at home, then on her cell. Needing someone to talk to he decided to give her a call. When he couldn’t locate her ugly visions played with him as he slammed down the phone refusing to leave a message. Nick told himself it was all the mad drama going on at the office taking his mind to a place he thought he’d overcome. Pushing the thoughts as far away as possible he pressed on to deal with the present circumstances at hand.

“Where were you today?”

“What?” she asked with a bewildered look on her face.

Summer noticed the coolness in his voice.
I knew it! Sooner or later he’d pull rank because he’s paying my bills. What’s he doing? Keeping me on lock down or something? Next he’ll start with his custody crap again.
“Where were you today?” he repeated in a tight voice.

Setting the lettuce on the chopping block, Summer faced Nick as she begin to explain her whereabouts to him.

“NJ and I went to what I thought was going to be lunch with Ava and Starr at the Spaghetti Warehouse.”

She felt she didn’t need to give him any further explanation. After all, she wasn’t a child and he wasn’t her father.

“What do you mean by ‘what you
though
t was going to be lunch’?”

Summer stared at Nick in disbelief. Mostly from his tone that held a hint of nastiness to it as he spoke to her. Before answering him she did a mental check of what she had done to make him act the way he was acting.
Nothing
. She hadn’t done a thing.

“Ava and Starr along with several other co-workers gave me the baby shower I never had.” Summer never took her eyes off him as she spoke.
He’s a fool. A complete stupid fool. I can’t believe I’m standing here explaining myself to this nut like I’m twelve years old!

“Is that right?” Nick asked tersely.

What does he mean by that?
“Nick, don’t you believe me?”When he didn’t answer she went on to say in an irritated voice, “All the gifts are in the NJ’s room
if
you don’t believe me.”
And I even brought your evil butt a piece of cake home. I should put some ex-lax in it.

Nick didn’t bother to answer her as he continued to press on . “Why didn’t you answer your cell phone?”

“I forgot to recharge it.”

Pushing away from the counter he looked down at Summer. Hurt and anger was clearly etched across her face. However, his stubborn pride wouldn’t let him back down on his assault.

“Try to remember to charge your cell phone the next time you go out.” Nick made it half way out of the kitchen before turning to say, “I needed to talk to you.”

♥♥♥

NJ was lying on his back sucking his tiny fist when Nick somberly walked in the nursery.

“Hey little buddy you’re just the medicine I need.”

Recognizing his father’s voice, the infant’s tiny dark eyes twinkled with excitement. All tension was assuaged the moment Nick lifted his son from the crib into his arms. Sitting in the rocking chair he gently rocked the baby and felt at ease for the first time all day.

The relaxing motion of the rocker was calming. This felt so right. Coming home to Summer and his son every night.
Summer
.
I screwed up again
.

Most of his frustration had come from knowing Summer had no obligation of being committed to him at all. The reality of it all hit him when he couldn’t reach her earlier in the day. He had no right to expect her to be there for him when he needed a shoulder to lean on. At any

time she would be well within her rights of telling him to get lost and come see NJ on court appointed visits. Just the thought of it made him draw NJ closer to his heart.

After Nick left the room, angry tears fell one after the other. Summer wiped at them as she set the table. A million things ran through her head so fast she felt a headache coming on. For the life of her, she didn’t understand what he was so irate about. All she had done was take
her
baby out to have lunch with some friends. Did he expect her to stay in the house all day, every day? Knowing Nick, he probably thought she was out doing only God knows what. Was he going to use this as an excuse to finally file for custody? More tears spilled at the thought.
He wouldn’t be that cruel? Would he?

♥♥♥

Dinner was unusually quiet. Summer wouldn’t even look at Nick. She focused all of her attention on NJ as she nursed him. After she fed and burped the baby, she settled him in the infant swing next to the table. Having been recently changed by his daddy and fed by his mommy, NJ was just as content as he sat gurgling and gumming his fist.

Pushing the food around on her plate with her fork, Summer had lost her appetite because she was rattled by Nick’s funky attitude.

Nick sensed her troubled state. He knew he was the reason for it. “Summer, I’m sorry about earlier.”

Summer heard the sincerity, but could she believe it? He was sorry this time. Would he be sorry the next time he blew up at her for no reason at all?

“Okay,” was all she said as she stood taking her plate into the kitchen.

Nick watched her walk away. Again he managed to hurt and upset the only woman other than his mother who had ever truly loved him unconditionally.

♥♥♥

“Come in.” Summer called out just above a whisper to the soft knocking on her bedroom door.

“Do you mind if I sit?”

Summer gestured with the nod of her head it was okay for him to sit. When he sat she unconsciously reached behind grapping a throw pillow bringing it to her chest, tightly hugging it.

“I’m really sorry for how I talked to you. I had a hell of a day and took it out on you. I was wrong.”

“Okay.” Dragging a large hand down his face, Nick let out a deep sigh. This was going to be harder than he thought. He felt there was more to it than her being upset about his blowing up at her.

“Summer, baby, what’s wrong? Each time I apologized all you have to say is ‘okay’.”
It’s now or never,
she thought to herself. She had to tell him what she feared most. She couldn’t take walking on eggshells every time he was pissed about something.

“I’m afraid.”

“Of what, baby? “

That you’re going to take ….” The words so painful they were lodged deep in her throat refusing to leave.

Nick was profoundly confused.
What is she talking about?
“Take what Summer?”

Summer choked the words out. “Take NJ from me.”

Nick was still confused.“Why would I do that?”

“You said if the paternity test proved you were NJ’s father you would file for custody and I’ll never see him again.”

Nick clenched his jaw, hissing a string of expletives. “Summer, I was pissed because you didn’t tell me you were pregnant.” His tone had suddenly become cool.

“I tried to tell you, but every time…” Her voice trailed off again in a soft whisper.

“Every time what?”

Taking a deep breath she continued. “Every time I tried to tell you why I hadn’t, you wouldn’t let me explain my side of things. Explain what I was feeling, what I was going through.”

Nick dropped his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. He counted to ten as he wondered why she was bringing this all up. For the most part he had put the fact Summer deceived him out of his mind. He would hear her out. Hear her finally explain her side. But after tonight he told himself this issue was dead. They were burying it forever.

Slowly, Nick lifted his head and gazed into her eyes. His intense stare softened as he took in how fragile she appeared. His voice was low and soft when he spoke. “I’m listening, explain yourself.”

Summer’s voice quivered as she spoke softly expressing what she had wanted to tell him months ago. It wouldn’t be too long before the river flowed.

“When you told me you didn’t want to see me anymore I was devastated. I kept trying to figure out what I had done wrong to make you want to leave me. I thought that…” Summer paused, trying to maintain her composure, “I made you happy. But I was wrong.” She wiped at the tears that started to fall with the palm of her right hand. “I was so hurt. It hadn’t been that long since we vacationed at your cabin. I believed that we had something special. But I was wrong.”

Nick shifted, uncomfortable from the pain that was so evident in her voice. He’d been selfish; never thinking of the impact his decision to end their relationship would have on her.

“I was in denial. I didn’t want to believe it was over between us. I called you at home the next day. When you didn’t return my call, I called your office the day after that.”

Summer’s voice dropped an octave lower as she lowered her head and began to fidget with her hands in her lap. No longer could she hold his gaze. It was too painful to look at him as she relived that difficult time in her life.

“Your secretary told me you weren’t taking any calls. I knew that meant my calls.”

Nick remembered. He disregarded the messages telling himself he didn’t have time for Summer’s hysterics. He figured she would get over it, get over him, all the others had.

“I realized then that you
really
didn’t want to be bothered with me…that I hadn’t meant anything to you.” Summer let out a painful sigh. “So I tried to forget about you, to get on with my life. But two weeks after you left the states I found out I was pregnant.”

Summer looked up at Nick through red, swollen eyes. “I told you that, remember?”

Nick nodded.

“I also told you about my plans to get an abortion.”

Again he nodded.

“Nick, I really wanted to tell you I was pregnant.” Her voice pleaded with him to believe her.

Nick had been quiet letting her emote up until that point. He wouldn’t be silent either; he finally wanted answers to his questions.

“Why didn’t you, Summer?”

“Because I thought if I told you about the baby you would have thought I was trying to trap you into being with me…marrying me. And, I knew you didn’t want a child…or me. I thought that you would have probably forced me to go through with having an abortion whether I wanted to or not.”

Lord, help him. Nick cringed at the words she spoke. He knew within his heart all those months ago that that’s exactly what he would have insisted on her doing.