Part 603
Becca was out of the car before the engine was even cut off, and Nick laughed as she took off for the front steps of the house. “Hey! Wait up!” He caught up with her just as she reached the third step, and grabbed her wrist, catching her as she began to lose her balance.
“Nick!” Becca was giggling as she stood on the step facing him, because as short as she was, it put her just about at his eye level.
“I like this,” he said with a smirk. “It makes for less strain on my neck.” He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close.
“Nick come on, we have to go in and pack.”
“In a sec, okay?” he smiled as he watched the cool morning breeze toss her hair, and he loved the way the bright morning sunlight reflected off the golden strands.
Becca sighed with a smile and clasped her hands behind his neck. “I love you.”
“One more kiss? Then we’ll go in.”
How could she resist? Wrapping her fingers in his hair, she leaned closer and touched her mouth to his. As it was every time they kissed, a spark of electricity seemed to flow from one to the other and they lost themselves in the moment, their bodies immediately tightening in anticipation; anticipation that would have to be denied for the time being. They held to each other, heedless of the world around them until a soft snuffle from the doorway brought them back to the present.
They broke apart with a guilty giggle, and Nick looked over her shoulder and whispered, “We’re being watched.”
Becca turned her head to find Sarah, Howie and her son all watching in amusement.
“Good morning,” she laughed.
“And a happy good morning to you, too,” Sarah grinned. “I take it things have worked themselves out?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.
Turning back to Nick and running her hands through his hair yet again, Becca said “It was amazing.”
“I’m glad it worked out, sis. But … I hate to break this up, but you three have a plane to catch and you have to get there early for security screening.”
“Oh my god, I have to pack.” Becca spun out of Nick’s embrace and flew toward the door, stopping when she realized that their bags were stacked neatly by the old rocking chair and the Garrett was dressed in what appeared to be the perfect outfit for travel. “Sarah?”
“’D’ and I packed all your stuff this morning. I went through Garrett’s stuff and put in some things I didn’t think you had at the house, too.”
Becca simply stared. All of the anger and frustration she’d been feeling was gone. Just … vanished. Whether she’d just needed to get away, whether the overnight break from the baby had done it, whether Nick had simply ‘loved’ it away, it really didn’t matter anymore. She was going home, and the roller coaster ride was almost at an end. Two steps put her right in front of Sarah, and she embraced her without hesitation. They held to each other and the weight of their differences melted away like the fog that had disappeared with the morning sunlight.
“I’m sorry.” Spoken in unison, they laughed tearfully as Nick and Howie looked on.
Becca wiped her eyes and managed to get the first word in. “I was so awful to you, and look what you had planned.”
“I only helped plan it, sis, most of it was Nick’s idea.”
“But you helped and it was perfect.”
“Even though it was cold and rainy and wasn’t a sunny beach?” Sarah grinned.
Becca shrugged. “Nick was there, and it was all I really needed. Thank you.”
“I had to do something to make up for being such a bitch.” She laughed as Becca crinkled her nose. “What?”
“Not sure you can ever make up for that,” she laughed, ducking away. “But it was a damn good start.” Becca giggled again as Sarah rolled her eyes. “I need to go check and make sure you got everything.”
“Anal much?” Sarah smirked.
“Yes, and you love me anyway.” Becca stuck out her tongue and flounced through the door.
“Here blondie, take your son,” Sarah said as she passed the baby off to Nick.
“Hey buddy, were you a good boy for your Aunt Sarah?” He snuggled the baby up under his chin, holding him close.
“He was an angel. Very well-behaved, unlike his father.”
“Damn, gotta train him better than that, then,” he chuckled.
“So,” Howie asked, “last night was a success?”
“It was the best. An yanno, before one of you cracks wise about me finally ‘getting some’, that wasn’t even it. It was just having the time alone together, away from everyone and everything. It was all about just getting back to ‘us’. I know it’s what Becca had been wanting, but I didn’t know how much ‘I’ needed it too. But I know that when we finally wrap up the tour for good, I need to find a way to be around home more.”
“Like how?” Sarah asked.
“I have a couple ideas, but I can’t talk about it yet. I’ll let you know. Now let me go find Bec so we can get the heck outta here.”
Nick set off through the house, searching for Becca and calling her name. After exhausting almost every room, he found her in the kitchen wrapped up in a bear hug with Mr. Taylor. He stopped short, until Sarah’s dad looked up and smiled. “Time to go?”
“Yes sir. We need to get to the airport so we don’t miss our flight. And we don’t want to mess up your wedding plans, either.”
“I feel bad that we won’t be here for that,” Becca said.
“Nonsense. You get yourself and that family of yours back home where you belong. We’ll have plenty of other chances to visit, you hear?”
Becca smiled sadly. Unfortunately, no one knew how many more visits there would be before he slipped further and further away from them. “Of course there will,” she answered weakly.
Mr. Taylor knew exactly what she was thinking, and made her an offer she could hardly refuse. “You going to Japan next month?”
“No way,” she said vehemently. “I wanted to, I don’t like the thought of being away from Nick, but I don’t think Garrett needs to be an international traveler just yet.”
“Then that settles it. You’re to come back here for Thanksgiving. You need to be with family for a holiday like that and I won’t have you sitting home almost alone. Stephanie and I would love to have you here, and you and she can do girl things and talk about babies and all that nonsense that you enjoy so much.”
“I wouldn’t dream of being anywhere else. Thank you.” She reached for another hug and Nick held out his hand to Mr. Taylor, who grasped it firmly.
“Thank you,” he said softly. “For everything.”
“You’re welcome, Nick. I keep telling you that you two are like my own kids. Now let’s get you on the road. Dusty’s taking you to the airport, I hear him outside now.”
“That’s nice of him,” Becca said.
“No ‘nice’ about it,” he snorted. “It’s his penance for making my daughter drag you both up here and away from your own home. Besides,” he added in a conspiratorial whisper, “he has to pick up Howie’s parents and Jesse. They land right after you three take off.”
Rushed goodbyes were said, everyone hugged everyone else a multitude of times, and finally Nick, Becca and Garrett were on their way.