Page 19 of I Need You Tonight
“But you’re putting up with me for a day or two.” And what could I say? Helping Nicole around the house made me feel needed—something I hadn’t felt since those days when I’d helped the old man around the house. It gave me an odd sense of accomplishment I hadn’t experienced in a few years. A feeling of satisfaction different from what I got from being in the band.
“I’m hardly putting up with you. You’re fun to have around. Plus you’re helping me remove the wallpaper. I should be payingyoufor hanging out at my house.”
“Well, I’m insisting, and because I’m your brother’s friend, you can’t argue.” Weak logic, but it was the best I could come up with.
I really didn’t mind. I had the money, thanks to the band’s recent success. And I figured this was just part of paying Zack back for everything he had done for me. If my family wanted nothing to do with me, the least I could do was this.
“I’m buying the ice cream.” Her eyes had a glint in them, warning me that if I thought otherwise, there would be hell to pay.
I pushed the shopping cart to her car and we loaded the supplies into the trunk, then she drove us to what looked like a small barn with windows. Inside, the sweet smell of freshly made waffle cones instantly greeted us, and my thoughts drifted to the last time I had been in an ice cream store…with my father. He had insisted that nothing tasted better than ice cream in a waffle cone. Had to agree with him there.
Along one wall, country-themed giftware sat on decorative wrought-iron shelves. On the other side of the room, a glass-topped counter displaying tubs of ice cream took up almost the entire length of the store. On the wall behind it, the ice cream flavors were listed on a chalkboard. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen so many flavors of ice cream, frozen yogurt, and sorbet. Jared’s son would love this place.
And judging from the line stretching to the door, the store was popular—which was just as well. It gave me time to study the menu and narrow down my choices.
I wasn’t the only one captivated by the board. And because of that, everyone was too busy to notice me—other than a toddler with wild black hair perched in her mother’s arms. Head tilted to the side, she was studying me like I was someone from her favorite kids’ show.
I smiled at her and she grinned back, then hid her face in her mom’s neck. A pang of regret bit me in the ass at how much she reminded me of my sister when she was younger.
I turned back to Nicole to find her still studying the chalkboard. “What are you getting?” I asked.
“I haven’t decided what I’m in the mood for yet.”
“Not the triple-fudge?”
She lightly pressed her lips together—the look of deliberation. “I’m leaning more toward something fruity. Or maybe maple walnut.”
Good news for me. Since she’d ruled out the heavy hitters, it meant she didn’t view our time together as the equivalent of a bad date.
“What about you?” she asked.
“Cappuccino fudge sounds good. And I think I’ll also have maple walnut. And vanilla bean.”
“Three?”
“Hey, I’m a growing boy.”
The toddler next to us giggled. Her father was tickling her and she was squirming in her mother’s arms.
“She’s cute,” Nicole whispered, also watching the happy family. Judging from her expression, I wouldn’t be surprised if her ovaries were getting excited over the prospect of one day having her own toddler in her arms. A toddler who was giggling because her father was tickling her.
“She is,” I said. Without realizing what I was doing, I brushed my thumb up and down Nicole’s bare arm, as if to reassure her that one day it would be her. She would experience the life she dreamed of, with the husband and kids and pets.
With a soft smile, she returned her attention to the menu. “Whatever flavor I get, I’m going to have it in a waffle cone. They make the best ones I’ve ever tasted.”
A waffle cone was a given for me. It was impossible to have three scoops of ice cream in a regular cone, since the law of gravity was not in your favor.
The main door opened and a group of teenage girls entered, talking and giggling. None were paying attention to anything beyond their conversation…at least not until one of them looked in my direction. She came to an abrupt halt. The girl behind her slammed into her, not expecting her to stop so suddenly.
By now the other girls had realized something was up, and they were peering in the direction of her gaze. They all stared at me for a heartbeat, as if their own eyes were deceiving them. Then, in unison, they screamed in the way girls do when they see their favorite musicians and actors. One or two of them looked like they might faint.
Even without checking over my shoulder, I could sense the puzzled glances behind me, wondering what the heck was going on.
“Does this usually happen?” Nicole asked under her breath.
“Not all the time, but definitely more often when I’m not in L.A. People there aren’t so fazed by seeing celebrities.” Or at least the non-tourists weren’t so fazed.
“Oh my God,” a tall blonde shrieked, “aren’t you Mason Dell from Pushing Limits?”
