Charlie Grace slapped the table, her nerves getting the better of her. “Yes,Shark Tank. Oh, my goodness, you know her?”
As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she wanted to gobble them back. He was in the film industry. Of course, he hobknobbed with celebrities.
“I needed some advice.”
This time Charlie Grace had the good sense to exercise restraint. She nodded and acted as though it was no big deal to be friends with a multi-millionaire who was known across America. Even more, she stomped down her hidden worry that his news might not be what she wanted to hear.
He grinned. “Don’t get impressed.”
She quickly bobbed her head in agreement. “No, exactly. No big deal.”
Nick’s smile broadened. “As you know, Barbara is known for her business acumen, especially in real estate.”
“Oh?”
He continued to grin. “We’re neighbors,” he confided.
She let out a deep breath. “Not just friends. Neighbors,” she repeated.
Nick seemed to draw immense pleasure from her being starstruck.
“I suppose you spend the holidays with Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez.”
His silence hit her between the eyes. “Wait…you know them? You’re acquainted with the famousBennifer?”
He shrugged. “It’s no big deal. But no, I won’t be spending the holidays in L.A. I hope to enjoy the snow this year. Do the whole winter scene thing for Christmas…you know, the horse-drawn sleigh, skiing the slopes, and roasting chestnuts on an open fire.”
He paused, gazed at her intently. “I wanted Barbara’s advice on selling my house in Pacific Palisades.”
Charlie Grace eyed Nick. “What are you saying?”
Nick’s gaze bore into hers, filled with a vulnerability she had only seen a few times before. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. Reflecting, if you will. Every moment away from here, from you, only solidified where my heart truly belongs. I want to make a life here…permanently. I listed my place.”
She stilled. “You’re selling your house?
He smiled from across the table. “I want to make Wyoming my permanent home.”
Emotion welled up as she processed his words. The man who had reignited her passion and hope in life wanted to be with her. The weight of the realization settled deep within her, filling spaces she didn’t even know were empty.
“Nick, this is…it’s a big step. Are you sure?”
Nick looked deep into her eyes, the weight of his own emotion evident. “You know, I never saw it coming, Charlie Grace. The idea of finding love seemed like something out of the movies, an elusive thing that never happens in real life. But then you walked into my life, and everything shifted. I’ve treasured every shared laugh, every whispered secret, it’s brought a clarity I never knew I was missing.”
The news was thrilling, but as she processed his words, she couldn’t help but turn to the practical implications. “What about your job?”
“I can work from anywhere. Thunder Mountain will be my home base. I’ll continue to travel for extended periods, as necessary. I’d change even that if I could, but my trips are not up for negotiation. At least not until I can retire, which I plan to do as early as possible.”
Reaching across the table, she touched his face, fingers tracing the familiar lines. “Nick, are you sure?”
He stood and came around to her, lifted her from her chair, and pulled her into an embrace. “Absolutely, I plan to spend every possible minute with you.”
Charlie Grace flung herself at Nick, arms twining up around his neck, fingers tangled in the deep brown shock of his hair. She kissed him hungrily, her mouth, her body, every ounce of her being caught up in the moment.
The older couple sitting at the nearby table smiled at them.
She had never seen this coming. Even so, she was delighted she wouldn’t have to bid Nick and their romance goodbye.
While hard for her to admit, the notion of happiness had eluded her for much of her adult life. Oh sure, she’d enjoyed many good things in life. But she’d also spent years wrestling with uncertainty, frequently second-guessing her choices, and feeling perpetually let down by life. The struggle to find personal happiness had been a constant uphill battle.
