Page 95 of Best Man
“Thanks for being so amazing, Pip,” Paulina said, giving her sister a hug. “I love you so much.”
“Aw, Paulie, of course. I love you, too. Remember: everything’s going to be okay.”
Paulina put on a brave face and agreed. “Yeah. Yeah, it is.”
But until she told Sasha she was carrying his child, she would worry. What if he didn’t want any part of it?
30
Niko
The amber glow of a candle flickered on every table. Upbeat jazz played in a soft whisper, hushing the background chatter of the packed Saturday night crowd.
Niko kept his eye trained on the restaurant entrance. When the hostess had sat the trio at their table, he’d made sure to nab a seat with a view of the door. His heart thumped in his chest and his fingers tapped on the table. He took a long pull from his glass of water, finishing it in a single gulp. Their server, happening to notice the empty glass as he walked by, stopped to refill Niko’s glass a second time. He eyed the Russian suspiciously—who the hell slammed so much water?
But Niko didn’t notice, nor would he care. His mind was elsewhere.
Niko instantly perked up when the door opened yet again … only for an older couple to walk in instead. He deflated with a silent sigh. He pulled up his jacket sleeve and peeked at his watch.
They were late. Where were they?
“Boy, you’re just a bundle of nerves, aren’t you?” Katerina asked.
“Huh?” Niko glanced at his sister, his eyes blank. He was so in his own world, he’d almost forgotten he wasn’t alone. Derek and Katerina sat across the table from him.
“You’re watching that door like a hawk and you can’t stop fidgeting and bouncing around,” she said. “Why are you so nervous? Tell me.”
“C’mon, Kat. You know why,” Reavo said, his arm hanging around his wife’s shoulder. “He’s excited to see his girl again! Hell, he wouldn’t shut up about her the whole road trip. The kid is almost as bad as Big Rig was with Piper.”
“I know that,” she whispered to Derek, but not quietly enough that Niko couldn’t hear her. “I just want to hearhimsay it.” Katerina smiled, returning her gaze to her brother. “So why are you so nervous, Sasha? Is it because you’re excited to see Paulina?”
Niko softly laughed. “Is that so hard to believe?”
She giggled. “A little bit, yeah. I’ve never seen you like this before—it’s so cute!”
“Well, yes, Katya. I am very excited to see Paulina.” He lowered his voice. “But very nervous, too.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. It’s been a couple weeks since I’ve seen her.”
Derek raised an eyebrow. “So what? You guys are on the phone constantly.”
“I know,” he deflected.
But that was partly what was bothering him, wasn’t it? Normally, he and Paulina texted each other constantly throughout the day. Maybe it was because they were going to see each other later, but she seemed uncharacteristically short with him today. He hoped she was just busy—he knew she was out shopping and doing things with her sister. But when she actuallydidtext him, her tone felt different. Distant. Cold, almost.
Niko had a bad feeling. He feared the worst. What if she were having second thoughts? Montana to Texas was a big move. Maybe she woke up this morning in a strange bed, and realized she’d gotten herself into something she didn’t actually want. That wasn’t out of the realm of possibility, was it?
He checked his watch again. “And they’re late.”
“They’re on their way,” Katerina said confidently. “Don’t worry. Everything will be fine. You know how I know?”
“How?”
“Because Paulina is such a sweet girl. Ever since I saw you two meet, I was hoping something like this might happen. She was asking me about you during the bridesmaid slumber party, you know?” She beamed. “Youfinallyfound a good one, Sasha.”
“Yeah, yeah,” he grumbled, pretending to be annoyed—but he couldn’t hide the burgeoning smile on his face that seemed to say,I did find a good one, didn’t I?
