The Pickup (Imperfect Love 1)

“That’s amazing, Nick! Why did you stop?”

“The short answer is I got busy, but the truth is, looking back, once it was established, my mom stopped scheduling events, and I didn’t push her to do it.”

“Well, if you want, I can take a look at it. I ran the youth program at the museum I worked for in Paris. I worked with several charities and organizations.” And then an idea hits me. “What would you think about expanding the charity? I’ve always wanted to start one. What if we combine both of our passions by having one charity that helps promote the arts and literacy?”

“Absolutely. I’ll text my mom and let her know you’ll be contacting her. She can give you whatever information you need.”

We stand, and I brush the bottom of my jeans off. When I turn around, I look at the writing in the sand.

“Umm…Nick, did you write that?” I ask dumbly as I look over my shoulder to find Nick smiling at me. I know he wrote it because I watched him.

“Yeah.” He grins. “I did. I love you, Brown-Eyes. It’s probably too soon to be saying those words, but they’re exactly how I feel. I love you.” My heart tightens and then expands. It has never felt so full in my life.

Throwing my arms around Nick’s neck, I pull him down for a kiss. I’m not quite ready to say the words back yet, and he doesn’t push for them. So for now, I just show him how I feel.

Twenty-Eight

Nick

“Close your eyes, Liv.”

“Is this really necessary? First, you wouldn’t tell me where the plane is flying us, now you’re not going to let me see where the driver is taking us?”

“It’s a surprise.”

“Fine. I know we’re in another country, though. That flight was way too long to still be in the U.S.”

“I’m not telling you anything. Now shush.” I put Reed’s pacifier in his mouth. He’s getting a bit antsy, but surprisingly he did well on the flight over here. I can’t imagine having to fly commercial with a baby, though. I give major props to the moms and dads who do. It was enough work on a private plane.

Olivia rests her head on my shoulder while the car service takes us to where we’ll be staying. I wanted to get away with her and Reed for a couple weeks. No media or paparazzi. Just us on a sandy white beach under the warm sunshine, where our son can—as Olivia put it—wear a single layer of clothing. She doesn’t know it yet, but I’ve left all of our electronics at home. I gave her dad the number to the resort we’re staying at in case of an emergency and gave Giselle and Killian our info for when they arrive. They’ll be joining us the last half of the trip, and we’ll all fly back together.

We pull up to the resort, and the driver opens Olivia’s door while the valet opens mine. She steps out of the car, opens her eyes, and glances around. “I can smell”—she sniffs the air—“the beach.”

A Hawaiian woman comes over and says, “Aloha” while placing a pink and yellow flowered lei over Olivia’s head.

“Are we in Hawaii?” Olivia asks excitedly. She runs around the car and jumps into my arms. “I’ve never been here before! Oh my God! It’s so warm here! Thank you!” She plants a wet kiss to my lips before dropping back onto the ground.

She fiddles through her purse then looks up with a frown. “I don’t have my cell phone. I wanted to take a picture.”

“No cell phones.” I hand her a digital camera I picked up for the trip. “You can take photos with this.”

“Where’s your cell phone?” she questions.

“Back in New York. We’re electronic-free for two weeks.”

“A girl can get used to this kind of treatment: a week in the Hamptons, two weeks in Hawaii. Where are you taking me next?”

“Unfortunately, this is our last stop. After this trip, I have to go home and get my contract situated for the season. But once that’s taken care of, we can plan another trip before the season starts.”

“Are you staying with New York?” Olivia asks.

“I would like to, but you know it’s not up to me. So, for now, let’s enjoy ourselves.”

“But what if you have to move?”

I’ve only known Olivia for a short time, but this is the first time I’ve seen any type of real insecurity shine through her tough façade. I was worried about tearing down her wall, the one she keeps erect to protect herself. But as I stare at her, I see that somewhere along the way she lowered her gate and willingly let me in.

Sliding my arm around her waist, I pull her into my embrace. Leaning down, my green eyes meet her brown. “We’ll figure it out together.” I place a soft kiss to her forehead and another one on her plump, pouty lips. “I promise.”