I wanted to ask what was so strange about it, but then decided not to. I really didn’t want to discuss my weekends with Nathaniel. While Felicia seemed more supportive, I wasn’t sure she could listen at this point and not be judgmental.
“I mean, sure, Jackson’s a famous football player, but Nathaniel constantly makes top-twenty lists for wealthiest Americans,” she continued. “How does that feel?”
I knew what she was doing—trying to make herself feel better by shifting the focus to someone else. By asking how I handled something she needed to handle as well. I decided to tell her the truth.
“It doesn’t feel like anything,” I said. “When I’m with Nathaniel, I’m not thinking about his wealth or what he’s worth. It’s just him. Nathaniel.”
“But still,” she pushed. “How’s it going to work with you living with him? Will you pay him rent? Pay part of his mortgage?”
She’d just called him one of America’s wealthiest citizens and she thought he had a mortgage?
“He doesn’t have a mortgage,” I said. “He owns his house outright. And no, I’m not paying him rent.”
“But expenses?”
“Sure, I’ll help with expenses.” But it was all a guess for me. Nathaniel and I had talked a little about how expenses would work once I moved in, but nothing very detailed. We’d just work it all out once I moved in. “How about you and Jackson? Are you worried about money?”
“No,” she said. “Jackson’s already made plans to set up a joint account for us. It’ll just be odd, having all that money. Come on, Abby. Admit it. You have to have thought about the material benefits of living with Nathaniel.”
“Maybe once or twice.”
“Once or twice. Sure.”
“I know he has a housekeeper,” I said. “I guess that will be weird—having someone clean everything for me. But really, I don’t think about it. I focus more on Nathaniel.”
“I’ll be so happy when Jackson retires and we can be a bit more normal.”
She was all over the place. Again, maybe this was common for brides. I just decided to go where she led me. “He’s playing one more season?” I asked.
“Yes,” she confirmed. “This is his last year. He’ll probably take some time off and then look into getting a coaching position.”
I placed my hand on her knee. “Do this for me, Felicia—enjoy this year. It’s going to be so unlike anything you’ve ever done or experienced.” I smiled. “You’re going to be fine. Everyone will love you. Jackson most of all.”
Her eyes teared up, and she pulled me into a hug. “Thank you.”
The thought resounded over and over in my head. It seemed so surreal. How was it possible that our lives would be changing so much in such a short amount of time?
I pulled back and smoothed her hair down. “Now, you really need to get some sleep. We can’t have tired eyes for pictures tomorrow.”
I meant it to be funny, wanting to lighten the mood a bit, but Felicia didn’t smile. Her expression was serious as she looked in my eyes.
“I told you I didn’t want to know the details of how you and Nathaniel work,” she said. “And I still don’t. You’re so happy lately.” She took a deep breath. “But I still need to know . . .”
“Need to know?” I questioned, a hint of dread working its way into my voice.
“That day you left him, you said he finally kissed you.” She got that much out and then stopped, biting her lip as if afraid to finish.
“Yes?” I asked, still not entirely comfortable with where this was going, but sensing it was important to her.
“Does he now?” she asked, nearly pleading. “Does he kiss you on the weekdays and on the weekends? It’s stupid, I know, and I’m not sure why it matters, but if he does, I’ll feel so much better. Does he?”
I couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across my face. The answer must have been obvious, because I saw her own smile before I answered the question.
“Yes, Felicia,” I said. “Yes. He kisses me on weekdays and on weekends, and yes. I’m very, very happy.”
Saturday was a blur. Felicia and I were in constant motion from the moment we woke up, so I didn’t have much time to think about how different the day was from my normal Saturday.
I laughed.
Since when had my Saturdays ever been
“Are you laughing, Abby?” Felicia asked. “Fill me in on the joke. I could use a laugh.”
We were in one of Elaina and Todd’s guest rooms, and a stylist was fixing Felicia’s hair in an elegant upsweep. My hair was complete, I was dressed, and—looking at the clock by the bed—showtime would commence at six o’clock. A little more than two hours.
I glanced back at Felicia. “It was nothing. Just talking with myself.”
“Well, then, run downstairs and grab me a few grapes, would you?” she asked. “I think I could eat grapes without making a . . . Ow!” She looked up at the woman combing out her hair. “Watch it—I’d like to have some hair left when you finish.”
Yes, grabbing a few grapes for Felicia sounded like a great idea. I loved her and everything, but she was driving me, and everyone else, just the tiniest bit crazy.
“I’ll be right back,” I said, dodging past her gown hanging from the dress form and heading for the door.
“I suppose I’ll still be here.”
I hurried down the stairs, holding my dress up so I wouldn’t step on it. I didn’t want to put my shoes on until absolutely necessary. Once I made it downstairs, I looked around for Nathaniel. I knew he was in the house somewhere—I’d spied his car from the upstairs window—but I hadn’t seen him yet.
Oh, well. In two hours, he’d be in the backyard, standing by his cousin’s side. If nothing else, I’d see him then. I stepped into the kitchen, careful of the caterer and her crew, and made it to the center island, where a casual buffet of finger foods was prepared for the wedding party and family.
I scanned the table. Grapes, grapes, grapes. Surely, there were grapes. Felicia wouldn’t have asked for them otherwise, right?
A large hand cupped my bare left shoulder seconds before a pair of warm lips placed an openmouthed kiss at the nape of my neck.
“My God,” Nathaniel said against my skin. “Look at you.”
Every nerve I had tensed, and a wave of unfulfilled longing shot through my body.
“Mmm,” I said, leaning back in to him while his arms came around me and his lips continued their exploration of my back.
“I’ve been trying to make it upstairs to you all day,” he said, his breath tickling my ear, his hands meandering around my waist, drawing me close. Elaina had kept the men sequestered in the downstairs part of the house, while the women stayed upstairs. “Between Jackson, Todd, and Linda, I haven’t had the opportunity to slip away.”
I nearly moaned as his lips found the spot right where my neck met my spine.
“How fortunate I took the matter into my own hands and came downstairs when I did,” I said.
He turned me around and looked at me with dark eyes. “How fortunate indeed,” he said, and bent to give me a soft kiss. But I’d been without him most of the week and wanted nothing to do with soft.
“That all you got?” I teased.
He leaned close and whispered in my ear, “When I get you home, I’ll show you
“Both,” I said, stepping closer to him. “I’ll take hard and fast first, followed by soft and slow next.” I ran a hand under his jacket, teasing his chest. “Or maybe, if you’re up to it—”
