Page 75 of Forever with the CEO

“Because you managed to get Nick to say yes.”

“I... That’s not... I mean, she knows, right? Nick said she did.”

“Yes, and she totally ignores it. She acts as if it’s, like, a real thing.” Leo sounded as miffed as I felt.

“That’s bizarre,” I whispered.

“I know. But Mom works in mysterious ways. Gran is kind of singing the same tune.”

“So, your grandmother and your mother get along well?” I asked.

Leo glanced at me before focusing on the road. “How much do you know from Nick?”

“He told me some things, but... You know what? Forget I asked. This is only, like, the third time I’ve seen you. You don’t have to share any personal things with me.”

“You’re part of the family, Allison. There are no secrets between us. I wouldn’t say they’re exactly friends, but they do communicate regularly. Maddox, Nick, and I were worried about Mom attending the event along with our half brothers, but so far everyone’s been civil.”

“I can’t even imagine how difficult that situation is.”

“It’s hardest for Mom, so it’s even more surprising that she wanted to come. But it’s good to see her. She’s not in Boston very often. She keeps asking us to travel to wherever she is in Asia, but we never really do. And—”

The twins started to fight then over who had more gummy bears, and I spent the rest of the route half turned around while trying to play referee—pretty unsuccessfully.

Miraculously, they stopped as soon as we pulled up in front of city hall. It took me a second to realize it was because Nick was coming to the car.

“Uncle Nick looks like me,” Jack said proudly.

Will you look at that?This was the day that Jack decided to start speaking more. I loved my little boy so much.

When Nick opened my door, I practically jumped out of the car. He took a step back, looking me up and down.

“You look stunning.” His voice was laced with surprise.

I turned around once on the spot. “It’s an actual bridal gown, albeit a bit of an unusual one. I didn’t want to show up here underdressed.” He looked absolutely handsome in his suit.

He opened the door to the back, and in no time at all, we got the twins out of the car seats.

“Uncle Nick, doesn’t Auntie Allison look pretty?” Annie asked.

Looking straight into her eyes, Nick said, “Yes, she does. She’s the most beautiful woman in the world.”

His words went right to my heart, I swear. Did he mean it? No, he was probably just saying that because he knew it would make Annie happy.

He took both of them in his arms, which was the sexiest thing ever. Carrying one kid in each arm was no small feat. They were very heavy. I could barely lift Annie, let alone Jack. We headed toward a huge group just outside city hall.

“Hi, everyone!” My stomach was suddenly somersaulting, like it was preparing for bungee jumping. I searched the crowd, but Violet and Danielle, my friends, weren’t here yet.

“All right, everyone. Some of you know Allison, others don’t, so let’s get introductions out of the way,” Nick said, putting the twins down. They were both still holding his hands, though.

“I’ve got this,” I assured him.

Over the next few minutes, I introduced myself to everyone. It was impossible to remember who was who. I vaguely knew who Maddox was, but I’d never met the rest, and I got all of their names mixed up.

“By the way, I’m sorry we didn’t get to throw you a bachelorette party,” the woman named Meredith said. “Everything happened too fast.”

“We’re very good with celebrations,” yet another woman said. I think she was Natalie. She had a cute baby in her arms who kept fussing about. I wanted to reach for the baby and hold her close.

Since the twins moved in with me, I’d started having baby fever. Before, I’d never had that in my life.

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