They all knew Nikki. They all liked Nikki. The Stockmans had welcomed her and Conner into their fold. The Kanes had fit the ideal, after all: a well-educated couple from society families; Ivy Leaguers with a marriage certificate and a swank apartment on the Upper Eastside.
Granted, there’d been a notable shudder through the Manhattan high-brow universe when Conner had established his own SAR organization—an objective that had lingered in his mind since he was a kid and had been rescued from an underground cave, the opening of which had collapsed, trapping him and his friends inside for several terrifying hours.
Nikki had defended Conner’s career decision, even choosing to counsel the survivors of those perilous situations he retrieved them from.
The two of them had made quite the team, in every aspect of their partnership.
So much so, Kate’s parents had succumbed to the inevitable. It was impossible to view Nikki and Conner as anything other than a cohesive unit determined to save lives.
Kate had no delusions she’d suddenly step into that spotlight with her own plight. This was not going to be a moment in her life when the Stockmans patted her on the back and commended her for willingly putting herself in harm’s way in order to help heal others.
Hell, chances were quite good even Charlotte would stop speaking to her.
Emotion riddled Kate and she couldn’t shake it off. She realized Charlotte’s friendship and sisterly camaraderie meant a lot to her—losing both would be painful for Kate. Sure, she had three other sisters-in-law. Kate would never feel about them the way she did Charlotte, though. And Charlotte wasn’t even officially a Stockman yet!
“Hey, you need to stop pacing,” Nikki said as she joined Kate in the kitchen while she checked on the hors d’oeuvres the catering staff had prepared and were about to start serving.
“This could be a monumental mistake,” Kate whispered.
“Kate, you signed all the forms—you still want to go, right?”
“Yes, of course, I want to go. That’s not what I’m talking about. I might have taken the wrong approach, springing this news on my family.”
“You’re not going to spring it,” Nikki reminded her. “You’re going to ease them into this new reality of yours. We discussed this, Kate. Take it slow and gentle. Provide all the necessary details, all the contingency plans, all the security measures…everything. Don’t leave anything out. The more information they have—even if it seems like too much—the better the chances will be of their fully understanding what you’re doing.”
“Or…they’ll tune me out within the first fifteen seconds, as they’re prone to do, in order to rabidly draw their own conclusions.”
“Well, there is that…” Nikki said with a sigh. “I will concede, they are quick to judge.”
“Especially when whatever is presented goes against their grain.”
“But you’ll power through, Kate.” Nikki clasped her hands. “Just breathe deeply. Stay calm. Fixate on what you want to accomplish. Think of everything you’ve gone through—and still have to go through—in an effort to achieve this goal. You believe, in your heart, it’s all worth it?”
“Yes,” she said without hesitation. “I know it’ll cause my parents some stress and worry. But I also know that, mostly, they’ll feel put out that I’m once again bucking the system. I have to remember that following my dreams might upset the applecart, but in the long run… It’s my life to live.”
Nikki gave a reassuring squeeze of her hands. “It’s a difficult stance to take. You don’t want to hurt anyone or worry them. But—oh! Something I forgot to tell you, because we got off on a different tangent over champagne.”
Kate’s gaze narrowed. “What?”
“I told you Conner’s team has remained in touch with me. Well, I’ve kept them in the loop with what I’ve been doing, and a few of them expressed interest in hiring on to serve as protective escorts for us in the startup phase. Their experience and training will be invaluable, Kate. Particularly ensuring our safety in Afghanistan. But they’ll also provide an additional layer of disaster-relief training so we’re fully prepared for whatever scenario we encounter.”
“Wow, Nik.” Kate breathed a sigh of relief. “That offers significant peace of mind. Not so sure how much it will settle my parents’ nerves, but… I do like the sound of having seasoned search and rescue operatives surrounding us.”
“I’m employing every precaution, Kate.”
“I know. Thank you.” She hugged her friend. Then pulled away and said, “I hear the doorbell. That should be the rest of my family. I have to make the rounds...sufficiently ply everyone with alcohol—as much as they’ll allow me to before pressing for my general broadcast.”
Kate and Nikki left the kitchen, with the caterer’s serving staff trailing behind them to begin delivering food. One of the staff members was at the door, allowing the guests in and directing them to the living room.
Kate circulated the room, greeting everyone, thanking them for coming, dodging the inquisitions she’d fully anticipated.
Speculation and optimism wafted on the air. Her parents, in particular, were giddy as hell. Though glancing around for Lord only knew what. Kate couldn’t fathom what they were searching for, waiting for…?
Until Charlotte sidled up to her and conspiratorially said, “They’re wondering where Jude is.”
“Jude?” she asked, taken aback.
“Kate…they all thought they were coming here tonight for you and Jude to announce your engagement.”