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“How ya feelin’, champ?” Brian asked as Nick sauntered into the kitchen at exactly 9 o’clock the next morning.

“Better than I imagined I would, actually. I haven’t been that dr-- “ He glanced over at Baylee, who was sitting at the kitchen table happily reading the back of a cereal box. “Uh, sick in a long time.” He walked over to Leighanne, who was flipping pancakes at the stove wearing a crisp, light blue button-up shirt, a straight, knee length black skirt, three inch black patent heels, and a floral apron. He placed a hand on the small of her back and bent down to plant a quick kiss on her cheek. “Thanks for taking care of me last night, Leigh.”

“No problem, sweetie. Do you want blueberries in your pancakes?” She motioned toward a bowl of blueberries on the counter with her spatula.

“Well, duh. Blueberries have a lot of antioxidants, you know.”

Brian rolled his eyes. “You know, sometimes I miss the Nick who wanted blueberries just because they were yummy. Of course, I don’t miss that same Nick who kicked my house guest out of her bed last night.”

“Don’t forget the antioxidants in my pancakes, mom!” Baylee chirped. “Will you sign my cast, Nick?”

“Sure thing, kiddo.”

A frazzled looking Annie traipsed into the kitchen with Drew on her hip, no makeup, and hot rollers in her hair. She paused when she saw Nick sitting at the kitchen table doodling on Baylee’s cast and opened her mouth in surprise. He was clean shaven, his hair gelled neatly, and wearing a pair of dark khakis with boat shoes and a kelly green polo shirt, the collar popped up slightly. She looked down at Drew, who wore an almost exact replica of Nick’s ensemble, except she was pretty sure Nick’s hadn’t come from Baby Gap. Nick looked up at them and smiled. “Apparently, little man has good taste.”

“Maybe I should go change him.....”

Nick’s mouth fell open in mock indignation. “You wouldn’t really do that, would you? I think he looks cute!”

Annie rolled her eyes. “I’m just kidding.” She turned to Brian. “You don’t have child-proof locks on your bathroom cabinets, and I can’t keep him out of the cleaning supplies long enough to get ready. Do you mind?” She held Drew out to him. Drew blew a raspberry in his direction and giggled.

“Sorry,” Brian said with a guilty grin as he took Drew from her. “Around the time Baylee turned six and we decided we weren’t going to have any more, we did a lot of un-baby-proofing to give our guests a little reprieve.”

“And your guests appreciate it,” Nick chimed in. “Do you know how embarrassing it is when you’re caught with your pants around your ankles and have to yell at Brian to help you open the cabinet to get more toilet paper?”

Annie couldn’t help but stifle a laugh. Before Drew was born, she’d definitely been there before. Brian groaned. “I thought we agreed to never talk about that again?”

“Sorry,” Nick said as he looked back down at Baylee’s cast and stuck his tongue between his teeth in concentration.

Annie ducked out of the room and emerged ten minutes later looking perfectly polished. Nick looked up from where he was still drawing anime characters with a Sharpie on Baylee’s lime-green cast and stared at her. Her auburn hair fell in perfect ringlets around her face and landed on her shoulders. Her literally emerald green eyes sparkled under her long lashes and shimmery eyeliner, and her perfect red lips parted lightly as she sat down across from him at the table and placed a napkin in her lap, smoothing out the skirt of her dress. She looked up at Leighanne as she placed a plate of pancakes on the table. “Thank you so much for breakfast, Leighanne. It looks delicious.” While Annie spoke to his wife, Brian kicked Nick under the table.

Nick whipped his head around to look at him. “What?” he mouthed. “Stop staring,” Brian mouthed back to him. Nick straightened up in his chair and reached his hand across the table towards Annie. “I’m Nick Carter. Nice to meet you, Annie-”

Annie pursed her lips, put her hand in his, and shook it. “Annie Morgan. Hi. I guess you’ve already met my little one, Drew.”

Nick laughed. “Yes. Baylee introduced us while you were getting ready.” He took his away from hers slowly and ran it through his hair. “Listen, Annie. I’m sorry about last night. I promise I don’t usually act like that. I was just.....I mean, you see....” He fought to find the words and finally just said it. “I just went through a really bad break-up, and I’m not myself.”

“You and Lauren broke up?” She didn’t really mean to say it out loud.

Nick’s eyes widened in realization. “Holy shit. She’s a fan,” he thought to himself. Then, he decided to have a little fun and completely changed the subject. “So, who’s your favorite Backstreet Boy?” he asked her.

Annie nearly choked on her orange juice. “Um....Kevin. Why?” Brian, Leighanne, and Baylee all started laughing. Drew clapped happily in his high chair.

“What? That’s no fair! He’s not even in the group anymore!” Nick exclaimed.

Annie shrugged. “Well, he’s still my favorite. Your cousin, Tim, still has some explaining to do,” she said to Brian.

Nick cocked his head to the side with curiosity. “Kevin’s brother, Tim?” he asked.


“Yes,” Brian answered, then went into the explanation of how he and Annie had met.

After Brian was finished telling his story, Nick turned back to Annie with a smirk. “So, who’s you’re favorite current Backstreet Boy?”

“Howie,” she answered without even batting an eye.

Brian placed his hand over his heart dramatically. “Annie Morgan, I’m shocked! After all we’ve been through together!”

Annie giggled. “Sorry Brian, but I don’t really consider you a Backstreet Boy at this point. I mean, I know you’re a Backstreet Boy, but you’re my friend. I’d even consider you a close friend.”

Brian smiled at her. “Sorry, Nick.”

Half an hour later, they were all in the driveway getting ready to leave for church. “Sorry we don’t have a bigger vehicle that we can all ride in together,” Brian told everyone. He tossed a set of keys at Nick, who caught them with one hand. “You can drive mine, and I’ll drive Leigh’s beemer.” Annie started towards Leighanne’s car, then she realized that Drew’s carseat was in the back of Brian’s car. Neither of them said much during the short drive to Marietta Baptist Church, but Drew’s babbling filled the silence.

After Leighanne had dropped Baylee off in his Sunday school classroom, she joined the rest of them in the hallway. “Nick and Annie, you can come to our class with us. Technically, it’s for married couples, but Brian’s teaching today and the lesson isn’t on marriage, so I’m sure it will be fine.” She turned to Annie. “Do you want to drop Drew off in the nursery? If you’re more comfortable keeping him with you, it’s fine. LIke I said, it’s a married couples class, so there’s always a kid or two in there for one reason or another.” Annie ended up leaving him in the nursery and sitting in between Brian and Nick in the row of folding chairs that lined the wall of the small classroom. She tried to pay attention. She really did, but it hit her that she was sitting in between, literally almost touching, two Backstreet Boys, and she got a little giddy.


Meanwhile, as Annie seemed to study her bible, Nick studied Annie. He watched as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and licked her red lips. He noticed that the slightest hint of cleavage peeked out just above the neckline of her purple wrap dress. Then, his eyes trailed the long line from the tie of her dress, past the ruffled hem that hit just below her knee , down the creamy curve of her calf, and to the brown peep-toe heels she was wearing. He saw a hint of deep pink polish on her toes and shifted around in his seat uncomfortably. Surely, it was a sin to have a hard-on in church, right? Plus, she was apparently married. Wasn’t there something in the bible about lusting after another man’s wife? Surely, he was going to hell.

An hour later, they were in the church service, and Nick found himself actually listening to the sermon. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11.” The pastor placed his bible on the pulpit and started pacing. “God tells us that he knows the plans he has for us. He doesn’t plan to harm us , but does plan for us to prosper, and to have hope and a future. That’s powerful stuff. So, why is it that when bad things happen, we question God? He has a plan, and His plan is perfect. Just because something bad may be happening to you now, it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t have hope for the future.” Nick thought about what happened with Lauren, and if only for just a moment, had a feeling that he would be okay.

After the service was over, the Littrells mingled for a few minutes on the church lawn before heading back to the car. Annie, with Drew on her hip, stuck close to Nick. She figured neither of them knew anyone, so they might as well stick together. A little old lady with purple hair walked up to them with a smile. “I just love it when little boys dress like their daddies,” she cooed, pinching Drew’s cheeks. “He’s so cute!”

“Actually, ma’am, he’s not.....” Annie started.

“Let it go,” Brian coughed quietly into her ear from behind her.

“Um...thank you,” Annie finished. As the lady walked away, she also pinched one of Nick’s cheeks, except it wasn’t one on his face. Nick yelped and turned to Brian with wide eyes.

Brian and Leighanne burst out laughing. “I’m so glad you got to meet Mrs. Robinson,” Brian told him.

“Mrs. Robinson? Seriously?”

“Yep. She’s a senile old bird who thinks she’s still twenty-five and flirts with all the younger men. I’m just glad my own, ahem, cheeks got a little break today.”