Chapter One-Hundred-Seventy-Seven
“Baby hi” Nick greeted cheerfully, managing to sound completely natural. He handed his shopping bags over to Brian and then got up and went on over to his girlfriend and he swooped her up into his arms for a hug while kissing her forehead ever so softly. Brian took the hint and got up with the bags and he snuck up the stairs but not before Denise and Marcus had noticed him. When Nick knew he was upstairs and around the corner he set her down and looked her over.
“Wow baby your hair!” he exclaimed, and it’s obvious that he is surprised. He hadn’t expected such a huge change but just looking at him Marcus and Denise can both see he likes the change.
“Do you like it?” Ashley asked nervously as he gently combed his finger through it.
“I love it,” he answered sincerely. “You’re beautiful no matter what you do,” he reassured and he pulled her into another hug. “Did you get your nails done too?”
“Yup, we all three did,” Ashley answered and she held her hands out so he could see. She had them painted purple and he looked down at her feet to see her barefooted and her toes painted purple also.
“Nice,” he replied and he turned his attention on Sarah who Denise was holding. He grinned at her and she smiled back. He went over and gently took her from Denise.
“How is my little Angel doing, hmm?” he asked her and he kissed her cheek affectionately. Sarah blushed somewhat and he chuckled.
“It still amazes me how much she still swoons over you Nick when she gets to see you every single day,” Marcus commented. Nick smirked.
“Well, maybe she just finds me completely irresistible Marcus…” Nick bragged teasingly and he rested his forehead against Sarah’s and gave her a goofy look causing her to giggle. “Can’t blame the kid for that after all.”
“I swear Nick, sometimes I think your ego is as big as a basketball,” Brian commented as he came downstairs bagless. Nick ignored his best friend’s comment and he gently took Sarah’s hands into his so he could see her fingers. The lady who had done her nails painted them pink and put little flowers on them. Sarah is also barefooted so her pink toenails are visible.
“Ohh…very nice Sarah! Did you have fun?” Sarah nodded eagerly and he smiled at her and placed his hand to her cheek gently before planting a kiss on her other one.
“Well the fun is just getting started for you then isn’t it? I’m taking you Kota and Angel out for ice cream and then to the park right now. Would you like that? You can leave your shoes and socks off and show your pretty toes off to everybody in Kentucky.” Sarah nodded and threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly to show him that she likes the idea very much. Nick grinned and hugged her back and he set her down.
“We’ll leave in a couple of minutes. Why don’t you and Dakota go on upstairs and get Dakota’s sand toys?” Sarah looked over at Dakota cautiously in fear that she is going to throw a big huge fit. But all Dakota did was smile excitedly and hold her hand out for her. There is nothing that can ruin Dakota’s day.
“Yeah! Come on Sarah let’s go!” Sarah grinned and accepted her hand and allowed the younger girl to pull her upstairs with her. Nick turned to Ashley then and he slid his arms around her once again and pulled her close as he looked at Denise.
“Hey Denise – your hair looks great. What color did you get your nails painted?”
“Red,” Denise smiled and she held her hands out so he and everyone else could see.
“You look beautiful Momma,” AJ insisted in what he hoped was his sincerest tone and he went on over and hugged her and planted a kiss on her cheek.
“Why thank-you honey…” Denise replied as she hugged him back. “But if you think sweet talking me is going to keep me from lecturing you later, you’ve got another thing coming.”
“Have I mentioned how much I love you momma?” Denise shook her head though she couldn’t help but smile slightly.
“Yeah, yeah…” she replied and she went on over to sit next to Harold so she could talk to him. Nick turned his utmost attention on Ashley then and he pulled her near and rested his forehead against hers.
“I missed you…”
“I missed you too. What did you buy Dakota? Can I see her new clothes?”
“When you get home later and we’ve settled in our room for the night. I’ll have her model for you before bed.”
“What else did you buy?” Ashley asked while looking up into his eyes curiously. She can sense he is up to something but she just can’t put her finger on it. She also knows that he isn’t a great liar when it comes to her too. All she has to do is ask the right questions and she’ll be able to pry it out of him.
“Kota wanted some jewelry of course…so I bought her a few new bracelets and earrings…and she and Josh got a couple of toys each,” Nick answered, and he knows exactly what she is trying to do too. Not going to happen.
“I see…did you and Brian do any shopping for you?”
“I went into the sports store,” Brian answered, quickly coming to Nick’s rescue. “I looked at some cards…I’m looking to expand my collection – but they didn’t have what I needed.” Ashley opened her mouth to ask more questions but Nick cupped her cheek in his hand and brought his lips down onto hers for a deep kiss hoping to end her interrogation. Much to his relief it had worked because she slid her arms around his waist and kissed him back.
“I haven’t been able to kiss you all day baby girl,” he told her between kisses. “I almost don’t want to let you go…”
“I don’t have to you know,” Ashley replied slyly.
“Yes you do,” Nick insisted and Ashley pulled back and looked at him curiously. She heard Brian make a small noise of exasperation behind them.
“You didn’t want me to go this morning…why the sudden change of heart?”
“You were right. You need the independence – yes I am going to miss you terribly and it’s going to kill me…but you need it. You also need this time with your sister – even you can’t argue with that.” Ashley raised her eyebrow.
“Nicky…what are you up to?”
“Why would I be up to something?”
“You weren’t this anxious for me to leave you earlier but now you’re. You’re obviously up to something.”
“I just want you to have all the time you need with your sister. It’s important to you.”
“You promise you aren’t up to anything?”
“I promise,” Nick answered, and he looked her straight in the eyes with a serious look on his face hoping to god she doesn’t see right through him.
“Okay…” she replied softly. She still knows he’s lying to her but he is doing very well at hiding it.
“I love you,” Nick reassured her and he rested his forehead against hers. “Very much.”
“I love you too…” Ashley replied softly though he could see the hurt in her eyes. He has never lied to her face before ever. “I will see you when I get home,” she added and she leaned up and gave him a peck on the lips before turning to her sister.
“Lets go Kor…” Kori nodded and cupped Wiley’s cheek in her hand and turned him so he was facing her and she kissed his lips softly. Ashley cringed and turned and buried her face in Nick’s chest so she doesn’t have to look. Nick chuckled slightly and he rubbed his hand over her back.
“You’re going to have to get used to that sooner or later baby.”
“Oh she always turns her head when I kiss my boyfriends, it doesn’t matter who they’re,” Kori replied while pulling away from Wiley and getting up. “Even with Scott. We would kiss and all we would hear is ‘blech’ and little feet running out of the room. It’s just her.” Nick laughed.
“I see.”
“Sometimes we even did it just to get rid of her.”
“Hey!” Ashley pouted somewhat and Kori smiled and stuck her tongue out at her before heading to the door.
“Come a long Ash.”
“I’m not sure I want to now…” Ashley teased.
“Too bad. Get your butt over here or I’ll drag you out,” Kori replied amusedly. Ashley scowled and reluctantly followed her sister out of the house with Laney trailing them. Nick looked at Brian as the door shut and the smile on his face faded.
“Okay…I just lied to my girlfriend’s face…I feel terrible. Especially since she knows I did and was obviously hurt by it.”
“She won’t be hurt later Nick don’t worry. It’ll be worth it in the end.”
“Yeah…but I just know she is going to be hurting the whole time she is gone now. She isn’t used to me keeping secrets from her. That is one thing I promised I would never do because Sean did it. It scares her.”
“I know buddy but you did it for a good reason…and when she sees that tonight she will feel better.” Nick nodded.
“So what’s the plan? It’s gotta be really good…I want to make her smile.”
“Well I’ve been thinking about this all day since this morning when I promised you that I would come up with something,” Brian began. “At first I thought maybe we could make everybody go off and do their own thing for the night. AJ and I would stay behind and cook you both dinner and set up a romantic setting here for the both of you, but then I considered the fact that mom would kill me since tomorrow is Thanksgiving. She is going to want the kitchen to herself.” Harold chuckled.
“Good thinking on your part son.” Brian nodded.
“So then I thought of AJ’s surprise for Brookie,” he replied and AJ raised his eyebrow getting ready to lecture Brian about plagiarism. “Ashley got so jealous of AJ’s romantic surprise for Brooke remember? So I thought maybe we could so something kind of similar.”
“Like what?” Nick asked curiously.
“Well we don’t exactly have a beach here in Kentucky that you can have dinner on, but I was thinking maybe we could pull some strings and rent a restaurant for the evening.”
“Rent a restaurant?” AJ asked curiously.
“Yeah...like talk a restaurant owner into closing down their restaurant for the evening just for Nick and Ashley – we could go down there and make it all romantic looking. They could have their dinner there and everything and THEN I thought maybe he could bring her back here…”
“With everybody around?” Nick questioned, not really liking that idea.
“Not everybody…just mom. I can’t make mom leave the night before Thanksgiving but I can make everybody else suddenly…have plans.” AJ nodded seeing exactly what Brian is seeing.
“We could put Christmas lights up in the trees and bushes out in the backyard and you could bring her out there and snuggle on the bench and look up at the stars together. Brian and I will hide in the bushes out there just long enough to turn the lights on for you, and then we’ll leave.” Nick grinned.
“I like it…but I think we should order tons of red roses. You know how much Ashley likes her roses.”
“Mhm, I’ll take care of it all Nick. You take Dakota, Sarah, and Angel out with Marcus and I’ll explain what we did when you get back.”
“What time will you be back?” AJ asked.
“In an hour at the latest.”
“Cool. Then you could go with us to help us set up the restaurant at least.”
“Okay…but I better get going if I want to get back in an hour.” Nick replied and he got up from his spot on the couch and was about to go upstairs to fetch his girls when suddenly the two of them came down instead, the both of them giggling. Nick, Brian, AJ, Wiley, Spencer, and Harold all looked at them curiously to see them coming downstairs in dress up clothes. Dakota was wearing a pink tutu, a white tanktop, and her fairy wings that she had gotten from Disney World and she has her colorful Mardi Gras beads around her neck. Sarah has on a purple tutu, a pink shirt, and purple fairy wings that she had also gotten from Disney World. Both girls are barefooted and wearing big smiles on their faces. Brian chuckled.
“Well I see both girls are dressed to go out, Nick.” Nick raised his eyebrow and looked at his daughter managing to hide the horrified look on his face.
“Are you two really going to go out in those dress up clothes Dakota?”
“Uh-huh,” Dakota answered while giggling, and both girls nodded their heads. Nick looked at Brian and AJ with scared looks and AJ laughed.
“Ah Nick, let the kids have their fun. You can only be a kid once you know.” Nick nodded and turned and looked at the two excited girls.
“Oh all right…where is your Auntie Angel then?” he questioned, and just as he did Angel came walking downstairs with two sets of crowns and wands in her hands.
“Dakota, Sarah, you two forgot your crowns and wands! You can’t be fairy princesses without them you know.”
“Oh! You’re rights!” Dakota agreed and she reached out and took them from Angel and handed Sarah’s set over to her before placing her own crown on her head. Nick chuckled and looked at his sister with narrowed eyes.
“Did you have anything to do with this?” Angel smirked.
“Maybe a little bit…I was playing with them and then they suggested they should wear them to the park and out for ice cream.”
“I see,” Nick replied while shaking his head smiling.
“So are we going?”
“Mhm, right now.” Nick replied and he looked at his little girls.
“How are we going to do this? They’re barefooted and are going to get their feet dirty from walking on the street but I don’t want to carry them with those tutus on either.”
“There’s a wagon up in the attic,” Brian pointed out. “It used to belong to me. I bet they would love riding in it. You could parade them around town like the fairy princesses that they are.” Dakota and Sarah both giggled at Brian’s words and he smiled at them.
“That will work,” Nick agreed.
“Sweet! I’ll go get it,” Brian replied and he hurried up the stairs. When he came back five minutes later he had a big red wagon in his arms. He set it down on the ground in front of Nick and he lifted each of the girls into it so that Sarah was sitting in the back with Dakota in front of her.
“There you go – two little princesses ready to set off and please their people!” Brian announced.
“Yay!” Dakota cheered while clapping her hands excitedly. Nick laughed and grabbed hold of the handle to the wagon.
“All set?” he double-checked.
“Yup!” Dakota chirped.
“Sarah has her notepad?” Dakota turned and looked at Sarah and then back at her daddy.
“Check!”
“Alrighty then, we’re off!” Nick replied and he followed an amused Angel out the door while pulling the wagon a long.
Author's Chapter Notes:
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