prick.
“So nice to see you, too, superstar,” she snapped as she strode up the steps to the porch.
Nate thrust a hand through his thick, dark hair. He rubbed his eyes and sighed heavily before finally facing her head-on.
“I’m sorry, Heather, that wasn’t directed at you. I was just caught off guard.”
“You and me both.”
Her mother and the older man she assumed was his father had been watching them, their eyes rounded. Her mom said, “Nathan? I’m Amy, and I’m so happy to meet you.”
Nate offered her a very tight smile in response.
“Am I correct in thinking you’re acquainted?” she added.
“We’ve met,” said Heather.
Nate nodded. “We, uh, got to know each other last year during a trip to Vegas.”
“What a small world!” His father stuck out his hand to her. “I’m Jerry. So nice to finally meet you, Heather.”
“Hello Mr....Watson.” God, she’d barely even listened when her mother had mentioned Jerry’s last name. If she’d been more attentive, would she have been a little more prepared for tonight? Doubtful. The surname wasn’t exactly a unique one. Besides, who could possibly prepare for such a catastrophe?
Heather shook her future stepfather’s hand. That much, at least, was easy, since her whole body was shaking.
She’d imagined running into Nate again, visualizing a hundred ways it could happen without her having to stalk him at a Thunder game. Yet her imagination could never have come up with this situation.
Bad enough having to run into her fickle ex-lover on the very same night she felt as if her personal life and world were imploding. Worse, though, was that he was so obviously furious about it, apparently having hoped to never lay eyes on her again.
She had, many times, told herself she wished she’d never met him. Right now, she actually believed it.
“This must be quite a surprise then,” the groom said.
“Surprise. That’s one way to put it,” said Heather.
Sick might be another way.
Still, queasy or not, her heart was fluttering as she recalled that last morning in bed at the hotel. Nate had been so attentive, so sexy, so adoring, as if he had meant it when he’d said she was becoming his addiction.
That seemed, sometimes, to have been her last truly happy moment. By that afternoon, everything had gone to hell. First, she’d been cornered by some obnoxious reporters about the rumors of her being the “other woman” in a celebrity love triangle. Before she’d even had a chance to process those rumors, or what he’d supposedly said about her—a nobody?—she’d gotten the call that Dad was in the hospital, in critical condition.
She’d barely made it home to say goodbye. He’d died the next day. And every moment since, she’d been busy trying to hold herself together, and her mother, too. All the while, she’d wondered if she’d already met the love of her life and if he would end the silence and come find her.
She’d wanted that, desperately. Wanted a once-in-a-lifetime love like her parents had had. Wanted a man who would adore her the way her dad had adored her mom. She’d fantasized about having that kind of love with Nate.
Boy, had she been wrong.
“Isn’t this fun,” her mother said, clapping her hands together and looking absolutely delighted. “You two are already friends...and now you’re going to be siblings!”
Oh, my God. Nate Watson, the lover she’d almost flown off to Florida with last spring was about to become her stepbrother.
Heather suddenly couldn’t breathe. How could her world have turned so completely upside down so fast?
Before she could think better of it, given the presence of the parents, she said the only thing that made sense right now.
“Fuck my life.”
* * *
NATE DIDN’T SAY the words, but he echoed Heather’s sentiment. Because, damn, how could he be expected to deal with his father’s crazy, impulsive engagement to someone Nate totally believed was a money-grubber...when said money-grubber was the mother of the woman he’d lost his head over last year?
It really was her. Heather Hughes. In the flesh. He hadn’t believed his eyes at first, but once she’d spoken and he’d heard that soft, sexy voice, he’d been unable to deny it.
The beautiful woman hadn’t changed since he’d last seen her. Well, maybe a little. He’d certainly never seen her with such a dark frown on her face. The faint shadows of sadness he noticed in her eyes were unexpected, too.
Had he contributed to that sadness? He knew he’d probably hurt her by never reaching out after their fling in Vegas. He’d had her number and could have used it at any time. Unfortunately, his life had become so ugly he couldn’t bring himself to do it. There’d been tabloid reporters digging through his trash, private investigators following him and lawyers subpoenaing his medical records. Just crazy crap for months, right through his first losing season.
The experience had changed him, hardened him. Frankly, he hadn’t been fit company for anyone, much less a woman. Which was one reason he hadn’t ever tried to reach her.
The other reason was...well, he’d been burned by Felicity. Badly. As much as he liked to think Heather was different, in truth, he’d only been with her a few days. He’d begun to question every decision he’d made—including the decision to ask a near stranger to come home with him. His judgment could have been screwed up about her, too. Maybe she’d been aware of who he was all along. Women constantly pretended to feel things they didn’t feel when it came to men with money. He should know.
So, he feared, should his father, who’d been married three times and messily divorced twice.
And was about to embark on adventure number four.
With his ex-lover’s mother.
Heather was right. Fuck my life.
“Shall we all go inside? I’m sure the other guests have already arrived,” Amy said, choosing to pretend she hadn’t heard her daughter’s muttered obscenity. She tucked her arm into his dad’s and added, “We’re going to have a lovely party.” Her comment sounded more like a threat than a promise.
Nate was left to escort Heather, who was glaring at him as if she’d scraped him off the bottom of a shoe. Not even one of hers, maybe a garbage man’s shoe. Or a...a dogcatcher’s.
“I can’t believe it’s really you,” he managed to mutter as they walked into the club and followed the sounds of laughter toward a nearby banquet room.
“Yeah, seeing you here is the highlight of my decade, too.”
Sarcasm. He wasn’t used to it from her, but he had to admit he kind of enjoyed it. Sharp, sassy Heather was someone he hadn’t met before, and he found her incredibly attractive.
“We should talk.”
She glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes, which sparkled and snapped with emotion. Anger, he’d venture to guess. “Funny, I can’t imagine a single thing I want to say to you.”
“Then I’ll talk and you can listen.”
Whatever else happened—if he succeeded in getting his father to reconsider this insane marriage to her mother or not—he needed to apologize to Heather. He had to explain why he’d said those things about her and why he’d dropped completely out of her life. He only hoped she’d believe he’d done it to protect her. After that, they could go their separate ways.
The Nate of a year ago might have considered making another play for her, seeing