car.
“You owe me big time,” Rosalie whispered. “Do you know the lengths I had to go through to sabotage those reservations? To get all those hotels to turn us away?”
“Why would you do that?”
“She’s sleeping in your bed tonight, isn’t she?” She kissed his cheek. “You’re welcome.”
“You little sneak.” Nic laughed. “She’s going to kill you when she finds out.”
“Then you better work quick and convince her you’re the real deal this time, so she won’t have a reason to be mad at me.”
“I’m trying.”
“Are you two going to help?” Sage called from the driveway. “It’s really snowing out here.”
“Coming.” Nic threw on the hoodie and made his way to the car. He took the bags from Sage and smiled at her. He couldn’t believe she was standing in his driveway, much less spending the night.
“What?” she asked.
“I’m just happy you’re here.”
“I hoped you would be.”
* * * *
An hour, another pizza, and a six-pack later, Nic and Sage were cuddled on the floor by the fire. The white twinkling lights of the Christmas tree sparkled and reflected around the room. Rosalie ate with them and then made an excuse and retired to the guest room. Sage had a feeling her sister wouldn’t be bothering them the rest of the evening. She was grateful for the alone time with Nic. She was kind of glad the reservations didn’t work out.
“Couldn’t stay away from me, huh?” Nic positioned her between his legs, her back to his chest as he rested against the sofa.
“Something like that.” She didn’t want to make a big deal about it, but thanks to her sister, she couldn’t play her impromptu visit off as cool as she would have liked. “Rosie has a big mouth.”
“Rosie is totally on my side.”
“She always has been.” She interlocked their fingers. “Even when she was a kid and you and I would argue, she always took your side.”
“That’s because she’s smart.” He kissed the side of her neck. “She knows I’m always right.”
“You’ve even managed to fall back into my mother’s good graces. Although, I don’t think you ever left them.”
“The roses on Christmas morning?”
“That’s all she talked about through dinner.”
Nic had sent three huge floral arrangements to her parents’ house, one for her, Rosalie, and their mother. They were over-the-top, but even Sage had to admit they were enchanting. “She thought it was very thoughtful of you to remember her.”
“I wanted you to know I was thinking of you.”
“It was very sweet.” She turned in his arms to face him. “I thought about you too.”
“I’m glad you decided to come early.” He took her hand in his. “I have to go to an engagement party for Pax tomorrow night. I want you to come with me.”
“I don’t want to intrude. Rosie and I can go to a movie while you see your friends. I sprung this visit on you, so don’t change any of your plans.”
“Pax invited you, but I told him you would still be in Boston.”
“You told him about us?” She hadn’t expected him to confide in his friends about their complicated relationship. She hadn’t wanted it to be complicated. She fought hard to resist the urge to go see him, but failed miserably. Now that she was there, with him, she was glad she gave in.
“Apparently, we made the news when I was in New York,” he said.
“I heard about that.”
Sage had to tell her producers she and Nic knew one another and they were good friends. One of their apprehensions when they offered her the job was how she would handle herself around a team full of baseball players. She assured them she was a professional and hanging with all of those available athletes wouldn’t interfere with her assignment. When she took the job, she honestly believed that. She thought seeing Nic again wouldn’t present a problem. She couldn’t have been more wrong. Ever since their two week tryst in New York, she’d been nothing but
“You owe me big time,” Rosalie whispered. “Do you know the lengths I had to go through to sabotage those reservations? To get all those hotels to turn us away?”
“Why would you do that?”
“She’s sleeping in your bed tonight, isn’t she?” She kissed his cheek. “You’re welcome.”
“You little sneak.” Nic laughed. “She’s going to kill you when she finds out.”
“Then you better work quick and convince her you’re the real deal this time, so she won’t have a reason to be mad at me.”
“I’m trying.”
“Are you two going to help?” Sage called from the driveway. “It’s really snowing out here.”
“Coming.” Nic threw on the hoodie and made his way to the car. He took the bags from Sage and smiled at her. He couldn’t believe she was standing in his driveway, much less spending the night.
“What?” she asked.
“I’m just happy you’re here.”
“I hoped you would be.”
* * * *
An hour, another pizza, and a six-pack later, Nic and Sage were cuddled on the floor by the fire. The white twinkling lights of the Christmas tree sparkled and reflected around the room. Rosalie ate with them and then made an excuse and retired to the guest room. Sage had a feeling her sister wouldn’t be bothering them the rest of the evening. She was grateful for the alone time with Nic. She was kind of glad the reservations didn’t work out.
“Couldn’t stay away from me, huh?” Nic positioned her between his legs, her back to his chest as he rested against the sofa.
“Something like that.” She didn’t want to make a big deal about it, but thanks to her sister, she couldn’t play her impromptu visit off as cool as she would have liked. “Rosie has a big mouth.”
“Rosie is totally on my side.”
“She always has been.” She interlocked their fingers. “Even when she was a kid and you and I would argue, she always took your side.”
“That’s because she’s smart.” He kissed the side of her neck. “She knows I’m always right.”
“You’ve even managed to fall back into my mother’s good graces. Although, I don’t think you ever left them.”
“The roses on Christmas morning?”
“That’s all she talked about through dinner.”
Nic had sent three huge floral arrangements to her parents’ house, one for her, Rosalie, and their mother. They were over-the-top, but even Sage had to admit they were enchanting. “She thought it was very thoughtful of you to remember her.”
“I wanted you to know I was thinking of you.”
“It was very sweet.” She turned in his arms to face him. “I thought about you too.”
“I’m glad you decided to come early.” He took her hand in his. “I have to go to an engagement party for Pax tomorrow night. I want you to come with me.”
“I don’t want to intrude. Rosie and I can go to a movie while you see your friends. I sprung this visit on you, so don’t change any of your plans.”
“Pax invited you, but I told him you would still be in Boston.”
“You told him about us?” She hadn’t expected him to confide in his friends about their complicated relationship. She hadn’t wanted it to be complicated. She fought hard to resist the urge to go see him, but failed miserably. Now that she was there, with him, she was glad she gave in.
“Apparently, we made the news when I was in New York,” he said.
“I heard about that.”
Sage had to tell her producers she and Nic knew one another and they were good friends. One of their apprehensions when they offered her the job was how she would handle herself around a team full of baseball players. She assured them she was a professional and hanging with all of those available athletes wouldn’t interfere with her assignment. When she took the job, she honestly believed that. She thought seeing Nic again wouldn’t present a problem. She couldn’t have been more wrong. Ever since their two week tryst in New York, she’d been nothing but
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