Disclaimers: Refer to Chapter 1 - Michelle
A/N – Bring on sappy romance! OK, this chapter is really long, in my opinion, but here it is. Tell me what you think; and by the way, thank you so much for all the reviews, I absolutely love the words of encouragement. Anyway, I'll stop rambling; you have a lot of reading to do – read away! :D
~*~
The night had finally rolled around, but was still young, and everyone was assembled in the living room, Sara sat on the couch, surrounded by Carrie on the right, and a sleeping Emily partially on her left. Nick sat at the edge of the couch, with Emily's head leaning on his lap, her feet placed on Sara's lap.
"I think sleeping beauty over here, needs to get to bed," Nick motioned. Ben agreed, he stood up, scooped his daughter up in his arms, and walked towards the stairs, while Carrie proceeded to stand up.
"Where are you two sleeping tonight," she asked curiously. Sara looked at Nick; he wore a confused expression on his face.
"Well, we only have one room left. We have a big family - as you can see," Evelyn responded, she just walked into the room.
"Oh, well then, I could always get a hotel room," Sara suggested. But everyone in the room simply burst out laughing.
"Sara, the closest hotel is one hour away," Robert answered.
"Oh," Sara simply said, dryly. She glared at Nick; she didn't know what was going to happen. He too wore a face of confusion. He was sure that they had another extra room.
"You and Nick could always share a room," Michelle suggested.
Nick paused, 'something's going on' he thought, as he looked around the room, finding the guilty faces of those around him. "Oh, Sara can take the last room. I can sleep on the couch," Nick desperately answered, solving the problem.
"Well, I don't want to impose, I can take the couch and Nick can get the room," Sara offered desperately.
'Shoot,' Michelle thought to herself.
"That's ridiculous," Evelyn considered. "You're both adults, you can share a room. Besides I won't have my son and a special guest feel uncomfortable in this home," she continued. There was a pause; people just looked at each other. Sara was now observing the conversation, being careful not to interrupt.
'Shoot,' Nick thought
'Thank you mom,' Michelle sighed. She was relieved that her mother had saved the situation.
"Well then, it's decided. Nick, go get your stuff from the truck. Sara come with me, I'll show you your room," Evelyn said, taking Sara towards the stairs. 'Don't ever try to pull something over me,' Evelyn thought, she looked cleverly at Nick, who was now desperate to change the situation. The gaze from his mother made him powerless; and he eventually proceeded out the door.
"I don't mean to intrude, but I think it would be best for me to find a hotel room, I can always drive out here in the morning," Sara tried to resolve.
"Tut, tut. Up the stairs," Evelyn motioned.
'Shoot' Sara's head protested.
~*~
"Thanks mom," Nick said, walking in the room with the last piece o f luggage.
"You two behave," she winked. Sara and Nick blushed, as Nick walked behind the door, and gently closed it shut.
"Is it just me or is your family acting really weird?" Sara asked.
"A little," Nick smiled; he was now in the bathroom.
"Do you know something I don't?" Sara asked, she walked over towards the bathroom and leaned on the counter. Nick just smiled.
It took several moments for the both of them to settle themselves into the room; it was in fact a challenge to maneuver around the sea of luggage they had brought. Although this was going to be a short, trip, both still brought practically two of everything - just in case.
"Come on out with it, that smirk isn't working to your favor," Sara ordered. She was now sitting on the soft, bed. Nick, was just getting ready for a night out with the men, and was currently putting on some cologne.
"Nothing. They're just not used to having my 'friends' over," he answered half-serious, ready to out in another smile. He knew what his family was doing; they were trying to set him up with Sara.
'You are one freaky guy,' Sara shivered.
"Okay, fine. Have a nice night Nick," she said, reaching over for a book she had taken with her.
"Goodnight, oh and don't be surprised if I hop into bed with you," he jested.
"I wouldn't mind," Sara smiled, her eyes shifted towards the door, where Nick was standing. 'Oh, what? Yes, blatantly throw that comment around,' her mind retorted. Nick smiled and closed the door; as the best man, he was responsible for giving his soon to be brother-in-law a good time, a last whirl at being single.
~*~
It was late, very late, and Sara just woke up. She shifted her body and spotted Nick, sleeping soundly beside her. He looked exhausted, 'party animal, eh?' she thought to herself. She didn't feel him arrive, and since it was around 3:00 in the morning, she really didn't care, so long as he didn't smell like alcohol. Slowly, careful not to wake him, she made her way towards the kitchen, guided only by the faint light from the aquarium in the foyer.
She stood in front of the sink, and she heard someone stirring behind her, slowly, she turned around.
"Hungry dear," Evelyn asked.
"Oh no, thank you. I'm just down for a drink of water," Sara answered. "Dinner was wonderful."
"I'm surprised you even ate anything. You barely touched your food, or tried my husband's special baby back ribs," she managed to smile.
"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't mean to offend you," Sara started, "it's just that, well, I don't eat meat," she winced.
"Oh," Evelyn smiled, unsure as to how to respond. Sara simply smiled, and lightly bit her lip. "I didn't know, I could have prepared something else for you," she offered.
"Oh, no, dinner was great, and the fish was wonderful," Sara complimented.
"Are you sure you're not hungry? I can make you something, real quick," Evelyn offered.
"No, really I'm alright, thank you. Nick's snoring - I think it was snoring – just bothered me a little," Sara snorted.
"Oh, does he still do that little snore; sort of like a whining bullhorn?" Evelyn asked.
"Yeah, sort of," Sara agreed. Evelyn lifted her head as she laughed. Sara smiled, she actually thought it was cute, it wasn't annoying, she just wasn't used to sharing a room with someone.
"He used to do that when he was younger," Evelyn explained. "Say, wanna take a look at some pictures, I'm sure you can get some great stories to tell your friends at work," she offered and winked. Sara's smile was intriguing, 'this could get interesting,' her mind observed. "Come, I'll show you some pictures," Evelyn urged, she waved Sara to follow.
Both women made their way towards the study, where the room was filled with various family pictures, a timeline of the Stokes family. Evelyn had managed to pull out random photo albums, and had shown Sara several pictures of Nick as a child, riding a horse, his first steps, his first football game and some school pictures. "Oh, and then there's this one," she pointed out.
"Where was this?" Sara inquired. Both women had curled up on separate armchairs; the feel of the fabric was soft and warm. The large lamp that sat beside the armchairs nicely illuminated the room. The pictured scene was warm, serene, capturing the warm memories that were reflected by the archive of photos around the room.
"That was at Nick's 6th birthday party," Evelyn replied. "That's Joanne Anderson, Nick's first crush," she giggled. She pointed out a redheaded girl standing beside Nick. "Everyday, they'd come over and play, and he'd tease her relentlessly, pulled her hair chased her with slimy bugs, all kids play. I never understood why, until his 6th birthday, he walked into the room, beet red."
"Why?" Sara was astonished.
"It turned out that Nick, having a crush on the girl, tried to kiss her, and being a southern belle, she gave him a nice slap instead," Evelyn laughed.
"Ouch," Sara winced.
"He was hurt," Evelyn concluded.
"Well, that surely didn't deter him from dating," Sara smiled. 'He's still a womanizing, party boy,' Sara thought.
"You know Sara, Nick's not like that," Evelyn explained, she closed the book and looked up at Sara. Sara's eyes also looked up; she didn't utter a word, waiting for an explanation.
"I'm sorry?" Sara asked.
"Sure he's wild, don't remind me how many times his father and brother have picked him up from parties, but he can love. He just hasn't found 'her' yet," Evelyn continued, looking directly at Sara. She reached her warm hand towards Sara's hand and held shortly. Sara smiled and could only find simple words.
"Nick's a good person. You've raised him well."
"And he deserves someone just as good," she responded, tightening her grip on Sara's hand. Sara looked at the woman in front of her, 'you don't really think that Nick and I are meant to be together?' she questioned to herself. There was a silence, and both women didn't speak, dwelling only on their own thoughts, and the silence of the night.
"Well, we better go off to bed, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow," Evelyn said. She withdrew her hand away from Sara's and proceeded to put away some albums. "Try to squeeze in some extra sleep; I'm sure that the girls are probably going to want to take you around town tomorrow. Plus, can't forget about the rehearsal dinner," Evelyn reminded, walking out of the room.
"I won't. Goodnight Mrs. Stokes," Sara bade.
"Goodnight Sara," Evelyn replied.
After washing the used glass, Sara proceeded upstairs to her room. She made her way across the dark house, up the stairs, through the long hallway, and finally to her room. Inside, she found Nick, still asleep on the bed looking relaxed as he struggled to keep warm. Although she knew he'd be more comfortable in his pajamas, she also knew that waking him up now would cause a scene. Instead, she proceeded to cover him with the bed cover and an extra blanket; and then went off to sleep herself.
~*~
It was early, and Nick heard slight movement downstairs, his head throbbed, 'coffee' his mind craved.
Slowly, he looked over at the clock on the bedside table, 7:20. Then, he looked squarely at Sara, her face was relaxed, her breathing placid with her head buried in the pillow beside him. With much hesitation, he got up from his bed and headed for the bathroom 'oh, my neck kills,' he moaned - stretching in the bathroom. Next, he crept down the stairs and moved towards the kitchen.
"Good morning mom," he greeted, giving his mother a peck on the cheek. "What are you making?" he asked, as he opened the fridge in search of some food.
"Something for Sara," she answered, calmly flipping through the recipe book in front of her. "I've always wanted to make something different," she continued. Nick just stood by the counter, watching his mother scan the pages. "She's a vegetarian you know," she then explained, taking a moment to look up from the book and at her son.
"I know," Nick agreed. "She'll be fine, you should stop fussing over her. She hates it when people fuss over her," Nick affirmed.
"I'm not fussing, besides a girl like her; she deserves to be fussed over. She's such a nice girl," she continued. Evelyn studied her son closely, trying to read his thoughts, hoping that looking at him would reveal some truth about her suspicions.
"I know," Nick simply agreed. "What?" he smiled.
"Nothing. Do you like her?" she asked perplexedly.
"What? No, Sara? No," he scoffed. He continued to take a sip of coffee.
"You don't need to tell me, a mother can tell, just by looking," she muttered.
"Wha-? What look?" Nick blushed, and attempted to look innocent.
"That goofy one you have on your face," she confirmed.
"No. Sara and I are just friends, who work together. I wish everyone would stop with this," Nick defended. "It's complicated," he added. He then turned to walk towards the stairs.
"She likes you too you know," his mother interrupted.
"Rea-. I mean what?" Nick questioned, he stopped in his tracks, surprised at her comment.
"Look, a girl doesn't simply drive 22 hours to meet a family she's never known, or attend a wedding where she doesn't know anybody," she explained. "And you certainly wouldn't have agreed to take her with you, if you didn't want us to meet her," she smiled.
'She's got you there Nick,' his mind wisecracked. He only smiled, knowing that that this was going to be an uphill battle. "I'll be back for breakfast," he answered.
~*~
There was a light tugging against the bed sheets, and Sara couldn't help but open her eyes, by the bed she saw a little brown haired girl, it was Emily. She was dressed in a Winnie the Pooh pajama, toting around Winnie the Pooh bear.
"Hi Emily," she greeted. "Wanna hop in?" Sara offered. The girl nodded, and sure enough, she jumped onto the bed, making it shake momentarily. Sara was jolted, but she smiled and let Emily snuggle against the covers. It was moments later when Sara fell asleep again; the long trip had really taken a toll on her. The room was silent, except for Emily's shifting, trying to find a comfortable position. At this time, Nick walked into the room; he spotted his niece and quickly approached the bed.
"Hi honey, you're up a little early," he whispered. "Are you here to wake Sara up?" he asked. The girl nodded. Nick, in turn slowly crept into the bed. "Well, I think that Sara needs a little more sleep. Why don't we go downstairs, and we can play with Pooh," he asked, wrapping his arms around the girl's tiny frame. She looked at him, with a slight pout and classic puppy dog eyes.
'Aww' his mind cooed. "You really want to stay here?"
Emily nodded, still keeping the pout,
"Promise to be very, very quiet?" he said, finally making the girl smile.
"I think you should let her stay," Sara acknowledged.
"Oh, Emily, look what you did," Nick accused.
"It wasn't me," Emily finally defended.
"Wanna gang up on him," she questioned, with mischief in her eyes. Nick sensed that something was about to happen.
"Uh oh," he whispered, quickly lifting his body and getting ready to leave the bed. Soon, Emily had taken the first hit, Nick laughed – she had found his ticklish spot. "Traitor, I thought we were in this together," Nick asked the girl. She shook her head mischievously.
"Oh, Sara, you're being a bad influence on my niece," he gasped.
"You're the one who woke me up," Sara asserted.
"Uh uh, she did," Nick pointed towards the little girl in between them. Emily's eyes shifted from side to side, sensing that the two people beside her were plotting.
"Get her," Nick cried. Both Sara and Nick soon attacked her with their fingers, tickling her endlessly.
"Stop, hehe, that tickles," she called out.
"Never," Nick said.
"I give up, uncle Nicky, I give up," the girl giggled.
"You do?" Sara asked.
"Yes!" the girl finally giggled.
"Okay," Nick stopped, giving the girl room to breathe. The girl, aware that this was the ideal time to escape, jumped out of the bed and rushed down the stairs.
"Hey, sleep ok?" Nick asked. He rested his head on the pillow opposite her face.
"Yeah. Have a good tickle fight?" She returned, closing her left eye as she felt the sun's rays cut through the shades.
"Definitely," he answered. "Come on, I bet you're hungry, and my mom has been slaving over breakfast."
"Arg, do I have to?" she whined.
"Come on," Nick said, as he offered her a hand. Sara took his hand, and grudgingly rose from the bed.
~*~
Their breakfast was glorious, Nick's mother had indeed slaved over the meal, and Sara savored the coffee. Once more, everyone was assembled around the kitchen, each taking their own potion of food. The sun was rising fast, and everyone was now preparing themselves for the day ahead. It was planned to have all the women go a spa in the city, and to have the men play a round of golf, and meet up for the rehearsal dinner in the evening. At last, once everyone had agreed, they all traveled to their respective rooms, all thinking of what they aimed to do that day. Everyone had left, except for Angela, Nick's eldest sister, Carrie and Michelle.
"So, do we have a plan?" Michelle asked. Julie, the most silent Stokes sister nodded in agreement.
"Excellent," Angela agreed.
"Yup," Carrie agreed, she smiled mischievously, it was going to be a great day.
~*~
A Day at the Spa
"Oh, that looks great," Sara praised. She was sitting in a chair, getting a manicure. Her day had been very relaxing, she enjoyed being in total bliss, with nothing to think about. Beside her sat Kate, who was still as low toned as the other day; she was trying to figure out some calculus equations as she sat in the chair for a pedicure. She was frustrated by the questions, trying repeatedly to solve some problems,
"You're equation needs to be simplified," Sara suggested. Kate didn't look up, but soon saw what Sara was referring to.
"Thanks," she finally spoke. Sara smiled, because she loved math problems.
"What is that? Calculus," Sara wondered. Kate nodded, "want some help?" Sara offered, staring at the girl's blue eyes. She shook her head, and sunk her head down; she was embarrassed and especially did not know how to react. "Well, if you need to ask me something, just ask," Sara continued. Kate continued to stay silent, never looking up again, wanting to be along and certainly not enjoying this atmosphere.
~*~
Golf
The perfectly manicured green was gorgeous; Stokes men littered the course, or at least the ones who married into the family. This morning, they all opted to play the game less competitively since they all were still suffering from harsh hangovers from last night's bachelor party.
"Oh, that's not good," Tim, Nick's brother called out. They weren't successful with their game today, in fact, doing so bad, that Nick was currently in the lead.
"Watch and learn gentlemen," Nick cautioned. With the ball on the ground, he positioned himself beside it, iron club in hand. He looked into the distance, adjusted his cap, and finally took a swing. He watched as it traveled in the distance; sure enough, it made it on sacred ground, just a couple of feet from the hole.
"Nick, you've been practicing in Vegas?" Tim laughed.
"No, I think it's more like the woman from Vegas," Ben, Carrie's husband teased.
"Sara's a friend," Nick assured, putting away the club he used.
"A friend? Or a 'friend'?" Tim questioned. Nick looked at him, a half grin projecting. He knew another question was looming; but before anybody could say a word, he waved them silent. He just smiled as they played through the course, he wondered why everyone had thought that there was something between him and Sara, 'that's crazy' his mind whirled. 'But you and her do get along pretty well, plus, she's funny - sometimes, pretty, brains like you would not believe, independent," Nick noted. 'She's perfect for you,' his mind rated. At this point, Nick stopped walking; caught up in the moment, trying to convince himself out of his own conclusion.
"Hey, the ladies just called, we're spending the afternoon at home," Jason, Michelle's fiancé noted.
"Huh?" Nick questioned, returning to reality.
"Get in the car," Tim jested, he was smiling. It appeared to him that Nick was somewhat in a different place at this moment, he was silent since the mention of Sara earlier, and he was definitely going to find the underlying cause of this.
~*~
"Sara?" Kate asked. The girl was leaning against the door when Sara looked up.
"Hi, what's up?" Sara questioned.
"Nothing. Can you look over this for me, I'm not sure if I'm doing it right," Kate answered. Her body then moved into the room, and sat at the edge of the bed beside Sara. She handed Sara a notebook and sat silently while Sara looked over the solutions in the book.
"Ah, close, but you forgot to put this number here. This would give you a simpler equation, and then you simply take the-" Sara said, she paused and looked at Kate, who seemed to be in a trance.
"-and then you walk around in a neon polyester jumpsuit," Sara continued. Kate didn't react, she still gazed deeply into the distance. "Kate?" Sara called, snapping her fingers in front of the girl's face.
"Huh, yeah," Kate agreed. Sara smiled, she flipped the book shut and then gazed at the cover, and it had doodling. KS + RN.
"You wanna talk about something?" Sara asked, indicating at the doodle on the book's cover. Kate looked at Sara, and her cheeks were on fire, she didn't know what to say. Sara's eyes said everything, and urged Kate to explain. Kate suddenly ran cold again, afraid maybe. "How about we take a walk," she offered. Kate nodded, getting up from her seat and headed straight towards the door. They walked far along the property, taking in the lush ranch, and greenery. Both women just walked, clearing their minds; and once a safe distance away from the house, Kate finally spoke.
"Well, there's this boy," Kate began.
Sara braced herself 'it's always about a boy,' she sighed. She wasn't sure how to handle this situation, but she can do it, she was once a teenager herself. Sara smiled, outpouring encouragement.
"I've known him for a very long time, and well, I really like him" Kate admitted, rather embarrassed at the same time.
"Why don't you tell him," Sara asked. 'Why don't you tell him?' her mind questioned, referring to a different person.
"Please, look at me," she dismissed.
"Look, you're a good looking girl, with a brain, and confidence that any teenager would go for," Sara encouraged. "And if he doesn't see that, then tough, he just can't appreciate great women," Sara added.
'Good Sara,' Sara's mind boasted, 'good job.'
Kate smiled politely, 'at least she's got spunk," she thought. "Any other advise?"
"Why don't you ask him to hang out," Sara offered. Kate was mortified. "Don't be scared, guys actually like it when girls make the first move," Sara explained confidently.
"Really?" Kate wondered.
"Yeah. Time's are changing, we women don't have to wait for guys anymore," Sara continued. Kate smiled, seemingly content with the answer. "Okay?" Sara assured,
Kate simply nodded, as they now made their way towards the house.
"So, are you and Nick-" Kate started.
"No, there's nothing going on between us," Sara interrupted, knowing where the question was going to lead.
"Happy with work? As in do you work well together?" Kate continued, with a slight glimmer in her eyes.
"Oh, right. Yeah, for sure, we're a team," Sara laughed nervously. The color of her cheeks a bright pink. 'Way to go Sara' her mind interrupted.
'Gotcha!' Kate smiled.
'Nice move,' Sara thought. with the slightest glint of sarcasm. Just as the moment between two women went awkward, they heard grunts and cheering from the house. As it turns out, after returning from the golf game, their competitive nature brought them to play a game of football. They were now settling a bet; all of them were dressed for the occasion as well, wearing sweatpants or shorts paired with a t-shirt or muscle shirt. It was a site to behold and both women observed from a distance. Aside from the guys who Sara met the other day, namely Nick's family, there were also other men, friends probably. While the rest of the Stokes' clan lounged by the patio and taking in the childish game. It had probably been going on for a little while now, and was now in its late stages.
"Kate! Sara!" Nick called out. He approached both women and asked them if they were interested in playing.
"Sorry," Kate apologized, motioning to her new manicure. She left, and walked towards the patio, Sara, began walking as well.
"Ditto," Sara agreed.
"Come on Sara, one play, all the glory," Nick said. His sweaty body moving closer to her. He was wearing a jersey and sweatpants, sweat making them cling to his body. He was just a foot away from Sara, and she felt all tingly.
"No," she insisted once more.
"Sidle, what happened to anything you can do I can do better?" Nick questioned.
"That's right anything you can do, I can definitely do better, but I just got my nails done and chipping them would be a waste," she excused.
"Prove it," Nick challenged, moving closer to her. She stared at him, she wasn't one to back out of challenges, this certainly wasn't going to be the first time.
"What's on the line?" She questioned.
"Bragging rights," Nick assured.
"Wuss," Sara continued.
All those around them looked at the fire that was brewing between the couple. 'This is getting good,' was basically the line that was running through everyone's mind.
"Name the terms," Nick asked, confident that he could win this.
"Bragging rights, and the team that looses has to cook breakfast for the family."
Nick wasn't hesitant, "deal," he smiled. He ran towards the team, who had been listening intently and got into a quick huddle. Sara took her place on the other team and positioned herself for the play. She was playing on Jason's team, at this time; the final play was on Nick's side,
On the team, it was Sara's position to 'run like a bat out of hell' and block the QB.
"Stokes, you're going down," Sara warned, as she got ready to run down the field. The moments that followed were drawn, everyone on their own agenda, plotting where to go, what to do.
Finally, the ball was released, and with great speed, Nick headed towards where the pass was going – Sara in hot pursuit. As it descended from the sky, the throw was short, and Sara paused to jump and steal it away from Nick – who had run too far ahead. Quickly, she turned, ran and maneuvered herself towards the end zone, the only one in front of her was Nick. She approached him with great speed, and just as it appeared she was going to run left, she shifted her body and avoided being caught in Nick's clutches – she faked him out. Not to be despaired, Nick turned and followed Sara, she was now just several feet away from a touchdown and Nick was determined not to be outdone, he wasn't going to give up that easily.
The family watched, all witnessing the battle that had taking place on their yard, Sara and Nick battling it out in the end zone, while the others rushed to their team's aid. They were all rooting for Sara and Nick – for something to happen.
As instincts took over, Sara realized that Nick was very close, eyeing the field line, she decided to leap and slide towards the end zone. Similarly, Nick realized that to stop Sara, he had to make a drastic move; and just as her body moved closer to the ground for a slide, he leaped and managed to grab a hold of her leg. But it was too late, the ball she held was in the end zone – it was a touchdown.
With ease and carefulness, Nick straddled Sara's lower back, gently pinning her to the ground.
'This just got interesting' Carrie thought, sitting in the sidelines.
Sara's with face still on the ground, unable to stay on her stomach any longer, she turned, breathless, and faced Nick.
"Where'd you learn to do that," Nick questioned, he was on top of her, breathing heavily. Sara smiled, trying to catch her breath. "Brains, beauty and brawn," Nick commented. He looked into her eyes, and found something more, he couldn't explain it, but he was just taken with her, he was just in chaos. After an awkward silence, 'say something you idiot' his mind yelped. "Marry me," he joked, a wide smile on his face.
"We'll see how well you cook," she teased, content with her victory.
~*~
A/N – Alright, you've survived the long chapter, I hope you're not too tired to review. I really want some feedback! And the more you tell me what you like and don't like, the better I can write. Anyway, stay tuned, I'll be done the wedding chapter soon. "Love it, loathe it, review it," – thanks.
A/N – Bring on sappy romance! OK, this chapter is really long, in my opinion, but here it is. Tell me what you think; and by the way, thank you so much for all the reviews, I absolutely love the words of encouragement. Anyway, I'll stop rambling; you have a lot of reading to do – read away! :D
~*~
The night had finally rolled around, but was still young, and everyone was assembled in the living room, Sara sat on the couch, surrounded by Carrie on the right, and a sleeping Emily partially on her left. Nick sat at the edge of the couch, with Emily's head leaning on his lap, her feet placed on Sara's lap.
"I think sleeping beauty over here, needs to get to bed," Nick motioned. Ben agreed, he stood up, scooped his daughter up in his arms, and walked towards the stairs, while Carrie proceeded to stand up.
"Where are you two sleeping tonight," she asked curiously. Sara looked at Nick; he wore a confused expression on his face.
"Well, we only have one room left. We have a big family - as you can see," Evelyn responded, she just walked into the room.
"Oh, well then, I could always get a hotel room," Sara suggested. But everyone in the room simply burst out laughing.
"Sara, the closest hotel is one hour away," Robert answered.
"Oh," Sara simply said, dryly. She glared at Nick; she didn't know what was going to happen. He too wore a face of confusion. He was sure that they had another extra room.
"You and Nick could always share a room," Michelle suggested.
Nick paused, 'something's going on' he thought, as he looked around the room, finding the guilty faces of those around him. "Oh, Sara can take the last room. I can sleep on the couch," Nick desperately answered, solving the problem.
"Well, I don't want to impose, I can take the couch and Nick can get the room," Sara offered desperately.
'Shoot,' Michelle thought to herself.
"That's ridiculous," Evelyn considered. "You're both adults, you can share a room. Besides I won't have my son and a special guest feel uncomfortable in this home," she continued. There was a pause; people just looked at each other. Sara was now observing the conversation, being careful not to interrupt.
'Shoot,' Nick thought
'Thank you mom,' Michelle sighed. She was relieved that her mother had saved the situation.
"Well then, it's decided. Nick, go get your stuff from the truck. Sara come with me, I'll show you your room," Evelyn said, taking Sara towards the stairs. 'Don't ever try to pull something over me,' Evelyn thought, she looked cleverly at Nick, who was now desperate to change the situation. The gaze from his mother made him powerless; and he eventually proceeded out the door.
"I don't mean to intrude, but I think it would be best for me to find a hotel room, I can always drive out here in the morning," Sara tried to resolve.
"Tut, tut. Up the stairs," Evelyn motioned.
'Shoot' Sara's head protested.
~*~
"Thanks mom," Nick said, walking in the room with the last piece o f luggage.
"You two behave," she winked. Sara and Nick blushed, as Nick walked behind the door, and gently closed it shut.
"Is it just me or is your family acting really weird?" Sara asked.
"A little," Nick smiled; he was now in the bathroom.
"Do you know something I don't?" Sara asked, she walked over towards the bathroom and leaned on the counter. Nick just smiled.
It took several moments for the both of them to settle themselves into the room; it was in fact a challenge to maneuver around the sea of luggage they had brought. Although this was going to be a short, trip, both still brought practically two of everything - just in case.
"Come on out with it, that smirk isn't working to your favor," Sara ordered. She was now sitting on the soft, bed. Nick, was just getting ready for a night out with the men, and was currently putting on some cologne.
"Nothing. They're just not used to having my 'friends' over," he answered half-serious, ready to out in another smile. He knew what his family was doing; they were trying to set him up with Sara.
'You are one freaky guy,' Sara shivered.
"Okay, fine. Have a nice night Nick," she said, reaching over for a book she had taken with her.
"Goodnight, oh and don't be surprised if I hop into bed with you," he jested.
"I wouldn't mind," Sara smiled, her eyes shifted towards the door, where Nick was standing. 'Oh, what? Yes, blatantly throw that comment around,' her mind retorted. Nick smiled and closed the door; as the best man, he was responsible for giving his soon to be brother-in-law a good time, a last whirl at being single.
~*~
It was late, very late, and Sara just woke up. She shifted her body and spotted Nick, sleeping soundly beside her. He looked exhausted, 'party animal, eh?' she thought to herself. She didn't feel him arrive, and since it was around 3:00 in the morning, she really didn't care, so long as he didn't smell like alcohol. Slowly, careful not to wake him, she made her way towards the kitchen, guided only by the faint light from the aquarium in the foyer.
She stood in front of the sink, and she heard someone stirring behind her, slowly, she turned around.
"Hungry dear," Evelyn asked.
"Oh no, thank you. I'm just down for a drink of water," Sara answered. "Dinner was wonderful."
"I'm surprised you even ate anything. You barely touched your food, or tried my husband's special baby back ribs," she managed to smile.
"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't mean to offend you," Sara started, "it's just that, well, I don't eat meat," she winced.
"Oh," Evelyn smiled, unsure as to how to respond. Sara simply smiled, and lightly bit her lip. "I didn't know, I could have prepared something else for you," she offered.
"Oh, no, dinner was great, and the fish was wonderful," Sara complimented.
"Are you sure you're not hungry? I can make you something, real quick," Evelyn offered.
"No, really I'm alright, thank you. Nick's snoring - I think it was snoring – just bothered me a little," Sara snorted.
"Oh, does he still do that little snore; sort of like a whining bullhorn?" Evelyn asked.
"Yeah, sort of," Sara agreed. Evelyn lifted her head as she laughed. Sara smiled, she actually thought it was cute, it wasn't annoying, she just wasn't used to sharing a room with someone.
"He used to do that when he was younger," Evelyn explained. "Say, wanna take a look at some pictures, I'm sure you can get some great stories to tell your friends at work," she offered and winked. Sara's smile was intriguing, 'this could get interesting,' her mind observed. "Come, I'll show you some pictures," Evelyn urged, she waved Sara to follow.
Both women made their way towards the study, where the room was filled with various family pictures, a timeline of the Stokes family. Evelyn had managed to pull out random photo albums, and had shown Sara several pictures of Nick as a child, riding a horse, his first steps, his first football game and some school pictures. "Oh, and then there's this one," she pointed out.
"Where was this?" Sara inquired. Both women had curled up on separate armchairs; the feel of the fabric was soft and warm. The large lamp that sat beside the armchairs nicely illuminated the room. The pictured scene was warm, serene, capturing the warm memories that were reflected by the archive of photos around the room.
"That was at Nick's 6th birthday party," Evelyn replied. "That's Joanne Anderson, Nick's first crush," she giggled. She pointed out a redheaded girl standing beside Nick. "Everyday, they'd come over and play, and he'd tease her relentlessly, pulled her hair chased her with slimy bugs, all kids play. I never understood why, until his 6th birthday, he walked into the room, beet red."
"Why?" Sara was astonished.
"It turned out that Nick, having a crush on the girl, tried to kiss her, and being a southern belle, she gave him a nice slap instead," Evelyn laughed.
"Ouch," Sara winced.
"He was hurt," Evelyn concluded.
"Well, that surely didn't deter him from dating," Sara smiled. 'He's still a womanizing, party boy,' Sara thought.
"You know Sara, Nick's not like that," Evelyn explained, she closed the book and looked up at Sara. Sara's eyes also looked up; she didn't utter a word, waiting for an explanation.
"I'm sorry?" Sara asked.
"Sure he's wild, don't remind me how many times his father and brother have picked him up from parties, but he can love. He just hasn't found 'her' yet," Evelyn continued, looking directly at Sara. She reached her warm hand towards Sara's hand and held shortly. Sara smiled and could only find simple words.
"Nick's a good person. You've raised him well."
"And he deserves someone just as good," she responded, tightening her grip on Sara's hand. Sara looked at the woman in front of her, 'you don't really think that Nick and I are meant to be together?' she questioned to herself. There was a silence, and both women didn't speak, dwelling only on their own thoughts, and the silence of the night.
"Well, we better go off to bed, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow," Evelyn said. She withdrew her hand away from Sara's and proceeded to put away some albums. "Try to squeeze in some extra sleep; I'm sure that the girls are probably going to want to take you around town tomorrow. Plus, can't forget about the rehearsal dinner," Evelyn reminded, walking out of the room.
"I won't. Goodnight Mrs. Stokes," Sara bade.
"Goodnight Sara," Evelyn replied.
After washing the used glass, Sara proceeded upstairs to her room. She made her way across the dark house, up the stairs, through the long hallway, and finally to her room. Inside, she found Nick, still asleep on the bed looking relaxed as he struggled to keep warm. Although she knew he'd be more comfortable in his pajamas, she also knew that waking him up now would cause a scene. Instead, she proceeded to cover him with the bed cover and an extra blanket; and then went off to sleep herself.
~*~
It was early, and Nick heard slight movement downstairs, his head throbbed, 'coffee' his mind craved.
Slowly, he looked over at the clock on the bedside table, 7:20. Then, he looked squarely at Sara, her face was relaxed, her breathing placid with her head buried in the pillow beside him. With much hesitation, he got up from his bed and headed for the bathroom 'oh, my neck kills,' he moaned - stretching in the bathroom. Next, he crept down the stairs and moved towards the kitchen.
"Good morning mom," he greeted, giving his mother a peck on the cheek. "What are you making?" he asked, as he opened the fridge in search of some food.
"Something for Sara," she answered, calmly flipping through the recipe book in front of her. "I've always wanted to make something different," she continued. Nick just stood by the counter, watching his mother scan the pages. "She's a vegetarian you know," she then explained, taking a moment to look up from the book and at her son.
"I know," Nick agreed. "She'll be fine, you should stop fussing over her. She hates it when people fuss over her," Nick affirmed.
"I'm not fussing, besides a girl like her; she deserves to be fussed over. She's such a nice girl," she continued. Evelyn studied her son closely, trying to read his thoughts, hoping that looking at him would reveal some truth about her suspicions.
"I know," Nick simply agreed. "What?" he smiled.
"Nothing. Do you like her?" she asked perplexedly.
"What? No, Sara? No," he scoffed. He continued to take a sip of coffee.
"You don't need to tell me, a mother can tell, just by looking," she muttered.
"Wha-? What look?" Nick blushed, and attempted to look innocent.
"That goofy one you have on your face," she confirmed.
"No. Sara and I are just friends, who work together. I wish everyone would stop with this," Nick defended. "It's complicated," he added. He then turned to walk towards the stairs.
"She likes you too you know," his mother interrupted.
"Rea-. I mean what?" Nick questioned, he stopped in his tracks, surprised at her comment.
"Look, a girl doesn't simply drive 22 hours to meet a family she's never known, or attend a wedding where she doesn't know anybody," she explained. "And you certainly wouldn't have agreed to take her with you, if you didn't want us to meet her," she smiled.
'She's got you there Nick,' his mind wisecracked. He only smiled, knowing that that this was going to be an uphill battle. "I'll be back for breakfast," he answered.
~*~
There was a light tugging against the bed sheets, and Sara couldn't help but open her eyes, by the bed she saw a little brown haired girl, it was Emily. She was dressed in a Winnie the Pooh pajama, toting around Winnie the Pooh bear.
"Hi Emily," she greeted. "Wanna hop in?" Sara offered. The girl nodded, and sure enough, she jumped onto the bed, making it shake momentarily. Sara was jolted, but she smiled and let Emily snuggle against the covers. It was moments later when Sara fell asleep again; the long trip had really taken a toll on her. The room was silent, except for Emily's shifting, trying to find a comfortable position. At this time, Nick walked into the room; he spotted his niece and quickly approached the bed.
"Hi honey, you're up a little early," he whispered. "Are you here to wake Sara up?" he asked. The girl nodded. Nick, in turn slowly crept into the bed. "Well, I think that Sara needs a little more sleep. Why don't we go downstairs, and we can play with Pooh," he asked, wrapping his arms around the girl's tiny frame. She looked at him, with a slight pout and classic puppy dog eyes.
'Aww' his mind cooed. "You really want to stay here?"
Emily nodded, still keeping the pout,
"Promise to be very, very quiet?" he said, finally making the girl smile.
"I think you should let her stay," Sara acknowledged.
"Oh, Emily, look what you did," Nick accused.
"It wasn't me," Emily finally defended.
"Wanna gang up on him," she questioned, with mischief in her eyes. Nick sensed that something was about to happen.
"Uh oh," he whispered, quickly lifting his body and getting ready to leave the bed. Soon, Emily had taken the first hit, Nick laughed – she had found his ticklish spot. "Traitor, I thought we were in this together," Nick asked the girl. She shook her head mischievously.
"Oh, Sara, you're being a bad influence on my niece," he gasped.
"You're the one who woke me up," Sara asserted.
"Uh uh, she did," Nick pointed towards the little girl in between them. Emily's eyes shifted from side to side, sensing that the two people beside her were plotting.
"Get her," Nick cried. Both Sara and Nick soon attacked her with their fingers, tickling her endlessly.
"Stop, hehe, that tickles," she called out.
"Never," Nick said.
"I give up, uncle Nicky, I give up," the girl giggled.
"You do?" Sara asked.
"Yes!" the girl finally giggled.
"Okay," Nick stopped, giving the girl room to breathe. The girl, aware that this was the ideal time to escape, jumped out of the bed and rushed down the stairs.
"Hey, sleep ok?" Nick asked. He rested his head on the pillow opposite her face.
"Yeah. Have a good tickle fight?" She returned, closing her left eye as she felt the sun's rays cut through the shades.
"Definitely," he answered. "Come on, I bet you're hungry, and my mom has been slaving over breakfast."
"Arg, do I have to?" she whined.
"Come on," Nick said, as he offered her a hand. Sara took his hand, and grudgingly rose from the bed.
~*~
Their breakfast was glorious, Nick's mother had indeed slaved over the meal, and Sara savored the coffee. Once more, everyone was assembled around the kitchen, each taking their own potion of food. The sun was rising fast, and everyone was now preparing themselves for the day ahead. It was planned to have all the women go a spa in the city, and to have the men play a round of golf, and meet up for the rehearsal dinner in the evening. At last, once everyone had agreed, they all traveled to their respective rooms, all thinking of what they aimed to do that day. Everyone had left, except for Angela, Nick's eldest sister, Carrie and Michelle.
"So, do we have a plan?" Michelle asked. Julie, the most silent Stokes sister nodded in agreement.
"Excellent," Angela agreed.
"Yup," Carrie agreed, she smiled mischievously, it was going to be a great day.
~*~
A Day at the Spa
"Oh, that looks great," Sara praised. She was sitting in a chair, getting a manicure. Her day had been very relaxing, she enjoyed being in total bliss, with nothing to think about. Beside her sat Kate, who was still as low toned as the other day; she was trying to figure out some calculus equations as she sat in the chair for a pedicure. She was frustrated by the questions, trying repeatedly to solve some problems,
"You're equation needs to be simplified," Sara suggested. Kate didn't look up, but soon saw what Sara was referring to.
"Thanks," she finally spoke. Sara smiled, because she loved math problems.
"What is that? Calculus," Sara wondered. Kate nodded, "want some help?" Sara offered, staring at the girl's blue eyes. She shook her head, and sunk her head down; she was embarrassed and especially did not know how to react. "Well, if you need to ask me something, just ask," Sara continued. Kate continued to stay silent, never looking up again, wanting to be along and certainly not enjoying this atmosphere.
~*~
Golf
The perfectly manicured green was gorgeous; Stokes men littered the course, or at least the ones who married into the family. This morning, they all opted to play the game less competitively since they all were still suffering from harsh hangovers from last night's bachelor party.
"Oh, that's not good," Tim, Nick's brother called out. They weren't successful with their game today, in fact, doing so bad, that Nick was currently in the lead.
"Watch and learn gentlemen," Nick cautioned. With the ball on the ground, he positioned himself beside it, iron club in hand. He looked into the distance, adjusted his cap, and finally took a swing. He watched as it traveled in the distance; sure enough, it made it on sacred ground, just a couple of feet from the hole.
"Nick, you've been practicing in Vegas?" Tim laughed.
"No, I think it's more like the woman from Vegas," Ben, Carrie's husband teased.
"Sara's a friend," Nick assured, putting away the club he used.
"A friend? Or a 'friend'?" Tim questioned. Nick looked at him, a half grin projecting. He knew another question was looming; but before anybody could say a word, he waved them silent. He just smiled as they played through the course, he wondered why everyone had thought that there was something between him and Sara, 'that's crazy' his mind whirled. 'But you and her do get along pretty well, plus, she's funny - sometimes, pretty, brains like you would not believe, independent," Nick noted. 'She's perfect for you,' his mind rated. At this point, Nick stopped walking; caught up in the moment, trying to convince himself out of his own conclusion.
"Hey, the ladies just called, we're spending the afternoon at home," Jason, Michelle's fiancé noted.
"Huh?" Nick questioned, returning to reality.
"Get in the car," Tim jested, he was smiling. It appeared to him that Nick was somewhat in a different place at this moment, he was silent since the mention of Sara earlier, and he was definitely going to find the underlying cause of this.
~*~
"Sara?" Kate asked. The girl was leaning against the door when Sara looked up.
"Hi, what's up?" Sara questioned.
"Nothing. Can you look over this for me, I'm not sure if I'm doing it right," Kate answered. Her body then moved into the room, and sat at the edge of the bed beside Sara. She handed Sara a notebook and sat silently while Sara looked over the solutions in the book.
"Ah, close, but you forgot to put this number here. This would give you a simpler equation, and then you simply take the-" Sara said, she paused and looked at Kate, who seemed to be in a trance.
"-and then you walk around in a neon polyester jumpsuit," Sara continued. Kate didn't react, she still gazed deeply into the distance. "Kate?" Sara called, snapping her fingers in front of the girl's face.
"Huh, yeah," Kate agreed. Sara smiled, she flipped the book shut and then gazed at the cover, and it had doodling. KS + RN.
"You wanna talk about something?" Sara asked, indicating at the doodle on the book's cover. Kate looked at Sara, and her cheeks were on fire, she didn't know what to say. Sara's eyes said everything, and urged Kate to explain. Kate suddenly ran cold again, afraid maybe. "How about we take a walk," she offered. Kate nodded, getting up from her seat and headed straight towards the door. They walked far along the property, taking in the lush ranch, and greenery. Both women just walked, clearing their minds; and once a safe distance away from the house, Kate finally spoke.
"Well, there's this boy," Kate began.
Sara braced herself 'it's always about a boy,' she sighed. She wasn't sure how to handle this situation, but she can do it, she was once a teenager herself. Sara smiled, outpouring encouragement.
"I've known him for a very long time, and well, I really like him" Kate admitted, rather embarrassed at the same time.
"Why don't you tell him," Sara asked. 'Why don't you tell him?' her mind questioned, referring to a different person.
"Please, look at me," she dismissed.
"Look, you're a good looking girl, with a brain, and confidence that any teenager would go for," Sara encouraged. "And if he doesn't see that, then tough, he just can't appreciate great women," Sara added.
'Good Sara,' Sara's mind boasted, 'good job.'
Kate smiled politely, 'at least she's got spunk," she thought. "Any other advise?"
"Why don't you ask him to hang out," Sara offered. Kate was mortified. "Don't be scared, guys actually like it when girls make the first move," Sara explained confidently.
"Really?" Kate wondered.
"Yeah. Time's are changing, we women don't have to wait for guys anymore," Sara continued. Kate smiled, seemingly content with the answer. "Okay?" Sara assured,
Kate simply nodded, as they now made their way towards the house.
"So, are you and Nick-" Kate started.
"No, there's nothing going on between us," Sara interrupted, knowing where the question was going to lead.
"Happy with work? As in do you work well together?" Kate continued, with a slight glimmer in her eyes.
"Oh, right. Yeah, for sure, we're a team," Sara laughed nervously. The color of her cheeks a bright pink. 'Way to go Sara' her mind interrupted.
'Gotcha!' Kate smiled.
'Nice move,' Sara thought. with the slightest glint of sarcasm. Just as the moment between two women went awkward, they heard grunts and cheering from the house. As it turns out, after returning from the golf game, their competitive nature brought them to play a game of football. They were now settling a bet; all of them were dressed for the occasion as well, wearing sweatpants or shorts paired with a t-shirt or muscle shirt. It was a site to behold and both women observed from a distance. Aside from the guys who Sara met the other day, namely Nick's family, there were also other men, friends probably. While the rest of the Stokes' clan lounged by the patio and taking in the childish game. It had probably been going on for a little while now, and was now in its late stages.
"Kate! Sara!" Nick called out. He approached both women and asked them if they were interested in playing.
"Sorry," Kate apologized, motioning to her new manicure. She left, and walked towards the patio, Sara, began walking as well.
"Ditto," Sara agreed.
"Come on Sara, one play, all the glory," Nick said. His sweaty body moving closer to her. He was wearing a jersey and sweatpants, sweat making them cling to his body. He was just a foot away from Sara, and she felt all tingly.
"No," she insisted once more.
"Sidle, what happened to anything you can do I can do better?" Nick questioned.
"That's right anything you can do, I can definitely do better, but I just got my nails done and chipping them would be a waste," she excused.
"Prove it," Nick challenged, moving closer to her. She stared at him, she wasn't one to back out of challenges, this certainly wasn't going to be the first time.
"What's on the line?" She questioned.
"Bragging rights," Nick assured.
"Wuss," Sara continued.
All those around them looked at the fire that was brewing between the couple. 'This is getting good,' was basically the line that was running through everyone's mind.
"Name the terms," Nick asked, confident that he could win this.
"Bragging rights, and the team that looses has to cook breakfast for the family."
Nick wasn't hesitant, "deal," he smiled. He ran towards the team, who had been listening intently and got into a quick huddle. Sara took her place on the other team and positioned herself for the play. She was playing on Jason's team, at this time; the final play was on Nick's side,
On the team, it was Sara's position to 'run like a bat out of hell' and block the QB.
"Stokes, you're going down," Sara warned, as she got ready to run down the field. The moments that followed were drawn, everyone on their own agenda, plotting where to go, what to do.
Finally, the ball was released, and with great speed, Nick headed towards where the pass was going – Sara in hot pursuit. As it descended from the sky, the throw was short, and Sara paused to jump and steal it away from Nick – who had run too far ahead. Quickly, she turned, ran and maneuvered herself towards the end zone, the only one in front of her was Nick. She approached him with great speed, and just as it appeared she was going to run left, she shifted her body and avoided being caught in Nick's clutches – she faked him out. Not to be despaired, Nick turned and followed Sara, she was now just several feet away from a touchdown and Nick was determined not to be outdone, he wasn't going to give up that easily.
The family watched, all witnessing the battle that had taking place on their yard, Sara and Nick battling it out in the end zone, while the others rushed to their team's aid. They were all rooting for Sara and Nick – for something to happen.
As instincts took over, Sara realized that Nick was very close, eyeing the field line, she decided to leap and slide towards the end zone. Similarly, Nick realized that to stop Sara, he had to make a drastic move; and just as her body moved closer to the ground for a slide, he leaped and managed to grab a hold of her leg. But it was too late, the ball she held was in the end zone – it was a touchdown.
With ease and carefulness, Nick straddled Sara's lower back, gently pinning her to the ground.
'This just got interesting' Carrie thought, sitting in the sidelines.
Sara's with face still on the ground, unable to stay on her stomach any longer, she turned, breathless, and faced Nick.
"Where'd you learn to do that," Nick questioned, he was on top of her, breathing heavily. Sara smiled, trying to catch her breath. "Brains, beauty and brawn," Nick commented. He looked into her eyes, and found something more, he couldn't explain it, but he was just taken with her, he was just in chaos. After an awkward silence, 'say something you idiot' his mind yelped. "Marry me," he joked, a wide smile on his face.
"We'll see how well you cook," she teased, content with her victory.
~*~
A/N – Alright, you've survived the long chapter, I hope you're not too tired to review. I really want some feedback! And the more you tell me what you like and don't like, the better I can write. Anyway, stay tuned, I'll be done the wedding chapter soon. "Love it, loathe it, review it," – thanks.