Page 81 of New York Love Stories: Vol. 1

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“I got the message right before you got in the car, and I was caught off guard by your boyfriend. Anyway, Dad’s doing well. Mom said she’ll be able to see him once he’s moved into a room.”

Resting my head back in relief, I close my eyes and release a deep breath. “Thank God.” I know he’s not in the clear, but hearing he’s doing well right now is what I need to hang on to.

With the stuff between Nick and Jackson still lingering in the air, I move to sit closer to Nick again. I whisper, “You sure you want to mar—” I stop, remembering we have an audience. “To meet my parents?”

I expect a quip or nod of reassurance. That’s not what I get, though. Nick hems and then nods without saying a word. Very unlike him. But maybe the thing with my brother and being stuck in the car together is uncomfortable. “Guess we’ll settle in since we caught prime time rush-hour traffic and will be here a while.”

Jackson gets distracted by his phone, but Nick just stares out the window. I whisper, “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I made a mess of things, and this is just par for the course.” I lean against him and stare out the window as well.

As soon as the limo pulls up to the hospital, I climb over Nick to get out. In my rush to get inside, I notice him and Jackson speaking back at the car. “Are you guys coming?”

Jackson replies, “Tell Mom I’ll be right in.”

“Okay,” I say to myself, thinking they’re still trying to work things out. Just inside the doors, I search the waiting room with no sight of my mom anywhere.

“Natalie?” I hear my name ahead, but I barely recognize the woman coming toward me. Not that she’s not her usual beautiful self, but she’s not in head-to-toe designer, and she’s not wearing makeup. Instead, she’s in a fluffy fleece pullover and jogging pants with slip-on sneakers.

If emotions were an outfit, that’s how I’m feeling as well. “Mom?” Our arms fly around each other, and the tears I’d had a brief reprieve from return and fall down my cheeks. “How is he?”

“Resting.” She strokes my hair and then angles to see my face. “They gave us good news and told us everything went well.”

“That’s good to hear, but what happened?”

“He was supposed to be slowing down. That’s what this was all about. Enjoying the rewards of our hard work.” She sniffles. “We decided it was best to retire?—”

“What?” Stepping to the side, out of the walkway, we hold hands. Leaning against the wall, I stand there in disbelief at what I’m hearing. “When did you retire?”

“Officially, a few days ago.”

“What does that mean exactly?”

A gentle smile appears, and she tucks hair behind my ears. “It means we get to have a life again.”

“No, Mom, I understand what retirement means. You just walked away from the company?”

Shrugging like a teen who got busted sneaking out, she replies, “We sold it. I know this comes as a surprise, but we were going to tell you over Sunday dinner.” A million thoughts are running through my mind, but I can’t seem to put a voice to them. She rubs both of my arms and then brings me into her fold. “It’s a good thing, Natalie.”

“If it’s so good, why did Dad have a heart attack?” I snap.

“It’s a long story.”

“We have time.”

She sighs heavily and says, “Let’s get some fresh air.” We walk outside and, with her arm looped with mine, stroll a few feet away from the door before I spot Nick and Jackson still talking.

Nick rubs his jaw, staring into the early evening sky while Jackson uses his hands to explain something. It’s a characteristic action of a St. James. “What could they still be talking about?”

She releases me, her hands in fists. “Why ishehere? Hasn’t his family done enough damage?”

“Nick?” My head jerks from her reaction. She has to be confusing him with someone else. “That’s my boyfriend, Mom. What damage could he have done?”

Scowling, she points at him. “His family caused your father’s heart attack!”

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