Nick lay in bed for a little while thinking about Sara and what she had
shared with him in the middle of the night. He hurt for her and wished
that there was something tangible he could do to make the nightmares go
away. He knew from personal experience though, that it never would go away
entirely, she would just learn how to deal with it better.
He pulled himself out of bed and wandered into the bathroom to take a
shower and change his clothes. After he had cleaned up, he wandered
downstairs. His mom was in the kitchen putting together a side dish for
the Thanksgiving dinner the next day and he tried to sneak up behind her
and plant a kiss on her cheek.
He had almost succeeded when Audrey chuckled. "Morning, Nicky."
Nick grinned as he kissed his mom on the cheek. "Morning, Mom."
Audrey raised an eyebrow at her youngest child. "Sleep well?"
Nick nodded but his brow furrowed slightly.
"Tell me about it." She continued with her food preparations as she studied him.
Nick let out a deep breath. "It's Sara."
"Everything ok between you two?" Audrey asked gently.
Nick nodded and smiled. "Yeah, she is the most amazing woman I've ever met."
Audrey laughed softly. "Nicky, you look good in love."
A wide grin took over Nick's face. "Thanks."
Audrey looked at Nick curiously. "So what's the problem?"
Nick studied his mom and furrowed his brow again. "It's complicated."
She chuckled. "Life is seldom simple, Nicky."
"I'm not sure I can tell you everything without asking Sara if it's ok." Nick looked conflicted.
"Then you need to ask her permission. She's out riding with Natalie. I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you joined them." Audrey smiled at Nick and reached over and tousled his hair like she did when he was small.
"Ok, I will. Tell Dan, Jake, and Peter that they're going to have to either go get the turkey without me, or wait to interrogate me about Sara until I get back." Nick grinned as he headed for the door. "Oh, and ask them to see if they can find a tofurkey for Sara."
Audrey shook her head and laughed. "Ok, Nicky."
As he neared the stables he overheard Ashley and Amanda talking. He slowed his steps.
"What was he thinking bringing her here anyway?"
"Yeah, it's not like she marriage material."
"She's probably only in it for the sex, you should have seen them when I walked in."
"That thought just makes me sick, I would have said something."
"I mean she's the kind that'll forget to use protection so she can trap him into marrying her."
"Can you see her pregnant? She's probably anorexic as it is."
"She'd probably freak out if she gained an extra ounce."
"Tiffany would be so much better for him."
"Maybe you should call her and have her stop by."
"Maybe I will."
Nick was pissed. In light of Sara's confession to him last night, his anger built as he listened to his sisters' malicious gossip. He had enough. When he rounded the corner into the stable, the southern charm of Ashley and Amanda was laid on thicker than icing on a cake.
"Nicky, hello, hon." Ashley gushed.
"Just where is that dear sweet girlfriend of yours?" Amanda added.
Nick glared at his sisters. "Cut the crap you two. I heard every word you just said. You have absolutely no right to talk about me or Sara that way. You don't know her, and quite frankly you don't know me either. Ashley, just because you got pregnant to get Chuck to marry you, does not mean that every other woman on the planet is going to do the same thing. And Amanda, I'm sorry that your marriage to Jack didn't work out, but that doesn't give you a right to try and make everybody miserable. As for your friend Tiffany and any of your other society friends, forget it. I'm not interested. I love Sara. I've never met anyone I've ever loved more in my entire life, and you had better get the hell used to that idea because I'm pretty sure I'm going to marry her someday. And let me make one other thing clear, stay the hell out of my bedroom, what I do in there is absolutely none of your damn business."
Ashley and Amanda stood there with their mouths hanging open in disbelief at what Nick had just said.
"Bravo, Nicky." Natalie stood behind Nick smiling. She and Sara had returned from their ride and they had been bringing the horses back into the stables when Nick had begun his tirade at Ashley and Amanda.
Sara just stood there dumbfounded holding Daisy's reins. No one had ever defended her like that; no one had ever told her that they loved her that much. She was in shock.
Nick locked eyes with Sara and smiled at her.
Sara didn't move, she nervously played with Daisy's reins.
Nick turned and walked over to Sara enveloping her in his arms and whispering in her ear. "I love you so much, Sara."
A smile spread across Sara's face and she slid her arms around Nick's waist. She rested her head on Nick's shoulder. "I love you too, Nick."
Nick leaned down and kissed her soft and deep.
Daisy nickered and nudged Sara.
Nick and Sara stepped apart giggling. Nick raised his eyebrow. "I guess we should put the horse up."
Natalie interjected. "Actually, she's the reason we came back so soon. She's pulling up a little lame."
Nick raised a concerned eyebrow. "Which leg?"
Natalie pointed at Daisy's right front leg.
Nick pulled her hoof up and took a look to make sure she didn't have anything lodged in her shoe. Not seeing anything he put her leg down. He shook his head at Natalie.
"I'll take care of the horse, why don't you two go for a walk or something now that the bitch patrol has left." Natalie had a grin on her face. Ashley and Amanda had skulked out of the stable while Nick had kissed Sara.
Nick looked a little surprised at the comment, but then started laughing. "I don't know that I would have come up with that name, but it sure as hell fits."
Sara tried to restrain a grin as she handed Daisy's reins over to Natalie.
Nick looked into Sara's eyes and reached for her hand. "Want to go for a walk?"
She nodded silently.
They laced their fingers as they walked. Neither of them said anything for a while. Finally, Nick broke the silence. "I meant what I said, I hope it doesn't freak you out."
Sara chuckled softly and cast a sidelong glance at him. "Honestly, it does a little, I mean everything about us has taken me a little by surprise."
Nick squeezed her hand. "I love you, Sara. I've never loved anyone the way I love you."
Sara blushed. "I heard that."
"I'm not going to rush you though." Nick assured her.
Sara pulled Nick to a stop under a tree near the shoreline of the pond and faced him, a smile playing at her lips. "Nick, I said it only freaked me out a little."
Nick looked a little dumbfounded.
Sara released his hand and cupped his face in her hands. "I love you." She pulled his face towards hers and kissed him softly. As she pulled away, they grinned at each other.
"I'm not going to ask you to marry me quite yet." Nick looked into her eyes and caressed her face with his thumb.
Sara chuckled. "Good, because I'm not sure I could handle that yet."
Nick's eyebrows shot up. "Yet?" He had a hopeful expression on his face.
She smiled and nodded. "Yeah, yet."
He had almost succeeded when Audrey chuckled. "Morning, Nicky."
Nick grinned as he kissed his mom on the cheek. "Morning, Mom."
Audrey raised an eyebrow at her youngest child. "Sleep well?"
Nick nodded but his brow furrowed slightly.
"Tell me about it." She continued with her food preparations as she studied him.
Nick let out a deep breath. "It's Sara."
"Everything ok between you two?" Audrey asked gently.
Nick nodded and smiled. "Yeah, she is the most amazing woman I've ever met."
Audrey laughed softly. "Nicky, you look good in love."
A wide grin took over Nick's face. "Thanks."
Audrey looked at Nick curiously. "So what's the problem?"
Nick studied his mom and furrowed his brow again. "It's complicated."
She chuckled. "Life is seldom simple, Nicky."
"I'm not sure I can tell you everything without asking Sara if it's ok." Nick looked conflicted.
"Then you need to ask her permission. She's out riding with Natalie. I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you joined them." Audrey smiled at Nick and reached over and tousled his hair like she did when he was small.
"Ok, I will. Tell Dan, Jake, and Peter that they're going to have to either go get the turkey without me, or wait to interrogate me about Sara until I get back." Nick grinned as he headed for the door. "Oh, and ask them to see if they can find a tofurkey for Sara."
Audrey shook her head and laughed. "Ok, Nicky."
As he neared the stables he overheard Ashley and Amanda talking. He slowed his steps.
"What was he thinking bringing her here anyway?"
"Yeah, it's not like she marriage material."
"She's probably only in it for the sex, you should have seen them when I walked in."
"That thought just makes me sick, I would have said something."
"I mean she's the kind that'll forget to use protection so she can trap him into marrying her."
"Can you see her pregnant? She's probably anorexic as it is."
"She'd probably freak out if she gained an extra ounce."
"Tiffany would be so much better for him."
"Maybe you should call her and have her stop by."
"Maybe I will."
Nick was pissed. In light of Sara's confession to him last night, his anger built as he listened to his sisters' malicious gossip. He had enough. When he rounded the corner into the stable, the southern charm of Ashley and Amanda was laid on thicker than icing on a cake.
"Nicky, hello, hon." Ashley gushed.
"Just where is that dear sweet girlfriend of yours?" Amanda added.
Nick glared at his sisters. "Cut the crap you two. I heard every word you just said. You have absolutely no right to talk about me or Sara that way. You don't know her, and quite frankly you don't know me either. Ashley, just because you got pregnant to get Chuck to marry you, does not mean that every other woman on the planet is going to do the same thing. And Amanda, I'm sorry that your marriage to Jack didn't work out, but that doesn't give you a right to try and make everybody miserable. As for your friend Tiffany and any of your other society friends, forget it. I'm not interested. I love Sara. I've never met anyone I've ever loved more in my entire life, and you had better get the hell used to that idea because I'm pretty sure I'm going to marry her someday. And let me make one other thing clear, stay the hell out of my bedroom, what I do in there is absolutely none of your damn business."
Ashley and Amanda stood there with their mouths hanging open in disbelief at what Nick had just said.
"Bravo, Nicky." Natalie stood behind Nick smiling. She and Sara had returned from their ride and they had been bringing the horses back into the stables when Nick had begun his tirade at Ashley and Amanda.
Sara just stood there dumbfounded holding Daisy's reins. No one had ever defended her like that; no one had ever told her that they loved her that much. She was in shock.
Nick locked eyes with Sara and smiled at her.
Sara didn't move, she nervously played with Daisy's reins.
Nick turned and walked over to Sara enveloping her in his arms and whispering in her ear. "I love you so much, Sara."
A smile spread across Sara's face and she slid her arms around Nick's waist. She rested her head on Nick's shoulder. "I love you too, Nick."
Nick leaned down and kissed her soft and deep.
Daisy nickered and nudged Sara.
Nick and Sara stepped apart giggling. Nick raised his eyebrow. "I guess we should put the horse up."
Natalie interjected. "Actually, she's the reason we came back so soon. She's pulling up a little lame."
Nick raised a concerned eyebrow. "Which leg?"
Natalie pointed at Daisy's right front leg.
Nick pulled her hoof up and took a look to make sure she didn't have anything lodged in her shoe. Not seeing anything he put her leg down. He shook his head at Natalie.
"I'll take care of the horse, why don't you two go for a walk or something now that the bitch patrol has left." Natalie had a grin on her face. Ashley and Amanda had skulked out of the stable while Nick had kissed Sara.
Nick looked a little surprised at the comment, but then started laughing. "I don't know that I would have come up with that name, but it sure as hell fits."
Sara tried to restrain a grin as she handed Daisy's reins over to Natalie.
Nick looked into Sara's eyes and reached for her hand. "Want to go for a walk?"
She nodded silently.
They laced their fingers as they walked. Neither of them said anything for a while. Finally, Nick broke the silence. "I meant what I said, I hope it doesn't freak you out."
Sara chuckled softly and cast a sidelong glance at him. "Honestly, it does a little, I mean everything about us has taken me a little by surprise."
Nick squeezed her hand. "I love you, Sara. I've never loved anyone the way I love you."
Sara blushed. "I heard that."
"I'm not going to rush you though." Nick assured her.
Sara pulled Nick to a stop under a tree near the shoreline of the pond and faced him, a smile playing at her lips. "Nick, I said it only freaked me out a little."
Nick looked a little dumbfounded.
Sara released his hand and cupped his face in her hands. "I love you." She pulled his face towards hers and kissed him softly. As she pulled away, they grinned at each other.
"I'm not going to ask you to marry me quite yet." Nick looked into her eyes and caressed her face with his thumb.
Sara chuckled. "Good, because I'm not sure I could handle that yet."
Nick's eyebrows shot up. "Yet?" He had a hopeful expression on his face.
She smiled and nodded. "Yeah, yet."