The Things I Do for You
Page 41
Nick laughed along with her. “I’m definitely planning on being embarrassing. That dad who tries to learn all the latest dances and talk in the newest slang.”
“I bet you’ll be the dad that the other kids think is cool.” She was quiet for a moment and then said, “I can’t wait, Nick. More than that, I’m really glad I’m going on this journey with you.”
He leaned down and nuzzled her neck, mindful of all the relatives watching them.
“Whatever my cousin is telling you, it’s all lies.”
Nick looked up at the words drawled in a familiar deep voice. His cousin Grant was standing at the edges of the dance floor nursing a drink. Knowing his cousin, it was nonalcoholic. He was a doctor and was usually talking some nonsense about how his “body was a temple.”
Nick considered his body to be a temple, too, as long as it was a temple that allowed drinking, dancing, and having a good time.
“Oh, is that right? According to who?” Raina raised her eyebrow and looked up at Nick. He tried to dance them in the other direction but Raina had already turned toward his cousin. Nick sighed.
The last time he’d seen Grant had been at Jackson’s house for Memorial Day. The only time he ever saw his West Haven cousins was at Jackson’s house since they weren’t on speaking terms with anyone else.
Grant stuck out his hand and Raina pulled back to accept it. Nick kept a firm hold on her waist so she was forced to turn within the circle of his arms.
“Grant Alexander. Dr. Grant Alexander. And you must be the bride’s twin sister.”
Raina looked back at Nick uncertainly. “That’s right. Raina Winters. Well, Raina Winters Alexander, now.”
Grant, in the process of taking a sip of his drink, spluttered in surprise. He looked at Nick in shock. “You got married?”
“Nice seeing you too, Grant. Always a pleasure.” Nick held Raina closer and danced her away a few feet.
“How many cousins do you have?” Raina asked. “Every time I turn around, there are more of you. So, how is he related to you? Is he Maria’s son?”
Nick shook his head. “No, that’s Langston. He lives in California. Grant is one of my Uncle Stewart’s kids. We don’t really see them that often.”
“Oh. Okay,” Raina replied. He could tell she wanted to ask him more about it so he was glad when the music changed to something slightly more up-tempo. He twirled her around. She suddenly clutched at his shoulders.
“Raina, are you okay?”
She blinked a few times. “I just got dizzy all of a sudden. I think I need to sit for a minute.”
Nick led her off the dance floor. Before they could get to their table, she slumped against him. He swung her up in his arms.
“No, Nick, put me down. You’re making a scene.”
Nick ignored her and continued to their table. Once there, he lowered her gently to her feet. “You think I care about that?”
“No, but I do.” She sat in her chair and put her head in her hands.
“Hey, is she okay?” His cousin Grant was no longer glaring at him but instead kneeling next to Raina. “How are you feeling?”
“Dizzy. I was fine, then all of a sudden I felt hot and sort of sick.”
Grant looked up at Nick. “Let’s go inside. I think a break from all the noise and excitement out here will help.”
“For once, we actually agree on something.” Nick offered Raina his arm and they walked toward the house.
CHAPTER TWELVE
“HOW LONG HAS this been happening?” Grant held her elbow in a firm but gentle grip and led her to the couch in the family room. The party was still going strong, so no one seemed to even notice the trio leaving and going back into the house. She could only hope Ridley hadn’t seen them. The last thing she wanted was to distract her sister on her wedding day.
Especially for something stupid.
“It just started today. It might be something I ate.” Raina sat down and let out a relieved sigh. Maybe now the room would stop swirling around.
“Anything is possible. It’s better to take it easy until you feel better.”
Nick sat next to her and pulled her against his chest. She leaned into him and closed her eyes. “We’ve been trying to get pregnant,” he said.
Raina’s eyes popped open. Grant observed her reaction with a knowing smile. “Is that right?”
“She has endometriosis. Do you think the dancing could have, I don’t know, strained something? Never mind, I feel stupid even asking that.” Nick squeezed her closer and ran a hand gently up and down her back. “It’s probably just stress. She met her father for the first time recently.”
Raina closed her eyes again, this time in embarrassment. “Did he really need my entire life story, Nick? I got a little dizzy. I didn’t pass out.”
“It’s okay.” Grant laughed. “I’m used to it. Occupational hazard. Once people find out you’re a doctor, they tell you all kinds of things. Some stuff that you really wish they wouldn’t, actually.”
He winked at her and despite her headache, Raina couldn’t help smiling back. In a strange way, he reminded her of a more rugged version of Nick with his cocky attitude and devil-may-care way of speaking.
Not that she thought her husband would appreciate the comparison.
“Once you’re done flirting, perhaps you could tell me if my wife is okay?” Nick scowled up at his cousin.
“I bet you’ll be the dad that the other kids think is cool.” She was quiet for a moment and then said, “I can’t wait, Nick. More than that, I’m really glad I’m going on this journey with you.”
He leaned down and nuzzled her neck, mindful of all the relatives watching them.
“Whatever my cousin is telling you, it’s all lies.”
Nick looked up at the words drawled in a familiar deep voice. His cousin Grant was standing at the edges of the dance floor nursing a drink. Knowing his cousin, it was nonalcoholic. He was a doctor and was usually talking some nonsense about how his “body was a temple.”
Nick considered his body to be a temple, too, as long as it was a temple that allowed drinking, dancing, and having a good time.
“Oh, is that right? According to who?” Raina raised her eyebrow and looked up at Nick. He tried to dance them in the other direction but Raina had already turned toward his cousin. Nick sighed.
The last time he’d seen Grant had been at Jackson’s house for Memorial Day. The only time he ever saw his West Haven cousins was at Jackson’s house since they weren’t on speaking terms with anyone else.
Grant stuck out his hand and Raina pulled back to accept it. Nick kept a firm hold on her waist so she was forced to turn within the circle of his arms.
“Grant Alexander. Dr. Grant Alexander. And you must be the bride’s twin sister.”
Raina looked back at Nick uncertainly. “That’s right. Raina Winters. Well, Raina Winters Alexander, now.”
Grant, in the process of taking a sip of his drink, spluttered in surprise. He looked at Nick in shock. “You got married?”
“Nice seeing you too, Grant. Always a pleasure.” Nick held Raina closer and danced her away a few feet.
“How many cousins do you have?” Raina asked. “Every time I turn around, there are more of you. So, how is he related to you? Is he Maria’s son?”
Nick shook his head. “No, that’s Langston. He lives in California. Grant is one of my Uncle Stewart’s kids. We don’t really see them that often.”
“Oh. Okay,” Raina replied. He could tell she wanted to ask him more about it so he was glad when the music changed to something slightly more up-tempo. He twirled her around. She suddenly clutched at his shoulders.
“Raina, are you okay?”
She blinked a few times. “I just got dizzy all of a sudden. I think I need to sit for a minute.”
Nick led her off the dance floor. Before they could get to their table, she slumped against him. He swung her up in his arms.
“No, Nick, put me down. You’re making a scene.”
Nick ignored her and continued to their table. Once there, he lowered her gently to her feet. “You think I care about that?”
“No, but I do.” She sat in her chair and put her head in her hands.
“Hey, is she okay?” His cousin Grant was no longer glaring at him but instead kneeling next to Raina. “How are you feeling?”
“Dizzy. I was fine, then all of a sudden I felt hot and sort of sick.”
Grant looked up at Nick. “Let’s go inside. I think a break from all the noise and excitement out here will help.”
“For once, we actually agree on something.” Nick offered Raina his arm and they walked toward the house.
CHAPTER TWELVE
“HOW LONG HAS this been happening?” Grant held her elbow in a firm but gentle grip and led her to the couch in the family room. The party was still going strong, so no one seemed to even notice the trio leaving and going back into the house. She could only hope Ridley hadn’t seen them. The last thing she wanted was to distract her sister on her wedding day.
Especially for something stupid.
“It just started today. It might be something I ate.” Raina sat down and let out a relieved sigh. Maybe now the room would stop swirling around.
“Anything is possible. It’s better to take it easy until you feel better.”
Nick sat next to her and pulled her against his chest. She leaned into him and closed her eyes. “We’ve been trying to get pregnant,” he said.
Raina’s eyes popped open. Grant observed her reaction with a knowing smile. “Is that right?”
“She has endometriosis. Do you think the dancing could have, I don’t know, strained something? Never mind, I feel stupid even asking that.” Nick squeezed her closer and ran a hand gently up and down her back. “It’s probably just stress. She met her father for the first time recently.”
Raina closed her eyes again, this time in embarrassment. “Did he really need my entire life story, Nick? I got a little dizzy. I didn’t pass out.”
“It’s okay.” Grant laughed. “I’m used to it. Occupational hazard. Once people find out you’re a doctor, they tell you all kinds of things. Some stuff that you really wish they wouldn’t, actually.”
He winked at her and despite her headache, Raina couldn’t help smiling back. In a strange way, he reminded her of a more rugged version of Nick with his cocky attitude and devil-may-care way of speaking.
Not that she thought her husband would appreciate the comparison.
“Once you’re done flirting, perhaps you could tell me if my wife is okay?” Nick scowled up at his cousin.
