Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

Zena

We arrived at the Hilton Downtown Nashville, in the heart of Honky Tonk Highway and directly across the street from the Bridgestone Arena, where the Sea Lions would face off against the Predators tonight. Not surprisingly, Dad had arranged for Nolan and me to stay on the same floor as the players. My parents stayed put in the suite at the Hutton Hotel, free to do whatever their hearts desired without the possibility of someone walking in on them and being scarred for life.

After checking in and getting our room keys, we wheeled our suitcases toward the elevator.

Nolan winked at a little girl we passed with her parents, then playfully nudged me with his elbow. "Wouldn't it be funny if we got the room next to Mitch again?"

I shook my head, amused. "Be careful what you wish for, mister."

As we waited for the elevator, my mind drifted to the fun day we'd had exploring Nashville. We had hit up a handful of the popular tourist spots, from the Grand Ole Opry House to the Country Music Hall of Fame and the historic Ryman Auditorium. However, my favorite part was, without a doubt, the way Nolan always wanted to hold my hand. The thought made me smile.

Standing in front of the elevator, I leaned in close to him, wrinkling my nose dramatically. "What's that smell? I can't put my finger on it, but it has been following us around."

Nolan's eyes sparkled with amusement. "That's my new cologne, Calvin Klein Eau de Hot Chicken."

I chuckled, thinking back to our walk through Centennial Park. We'd passed a middle-aged couple eating chicken sandwiches near the Nashville Parthenon and asked where they'd gotten them. The man pointed across the street to Red's Hot Chicken, and Nolan and I knew we couldn't resist another round of spicy goodness that made our foreheads sweat and our noses run. It exceeded our expectations and was as enjoyable as Hattie B's, but I'd been teasing Nolan about his scent ever since. Not to mention the sauce stain on his shirt.

"Well, I do declare, you smell good enough to eat," I joked as I wiggled my eyebrows.

"And you smell like trouble," Nolan added, leaning in close, his breath warm against my ear. "The kind of trouble I can't wait to get into."

A spark of electricity seemed to jump between us, leaving me feeling charged and alive from his tone and gaze. Before I could respond, the elevator arrived with a ding, and we stepped inside. As the doors were about to close, an arm shot through the opening, forcing them to open again. And there, standing before us with a grimace on his face, was none other than Mitch.

"This can't be happening again," he muttered, stepping into the elevator and reaching for the button to his floor. When he saw the "8" already illuminated, he froze, his eyes widening in disbelief.

Nolan smirked, clearly enjoying Mitch's discomfort. "Oh, are we on the same floor again? What a coincidence."

Mitch clenched his jaw and glared at him. "Shut your pie hole, pretty boy, before I shut it for you."

"Relax, Twitchy Mitchy—don't get your tighty-whities in a bunch," Nolan said, holding up his hands in mock surrender. "How was the pregame meal?"

Mitch didn't answer.

"Oh, come on, tell me what you ate today," Nolan continued. "Was it the usual Gerber's turkey and gravy? No, don't tell me, mashed banana and avocado! Did you also get the Capri Sun fruit punch juice box with the sippy straw?" He made fish lips, pretending to sip from an imaginary straw. "Mmm, yummy for your tummy."

I watched as Mitch's left eye twitched, and I had to bite my lip to keep from snickering. The elevator dinged again, and Mitch practically jumped out, stopping at his door and glancing back at us as we stopped at the room next to his.

"Seriously?" he practically yelled. "Again?"

"We didn't choose this room," I said. "It's a delightful happenstance."

"No—it's a nightmare," Mitch said. "You'd better not mess with my pregame routine today. This game is important."

Nolan placed a hand on his chest, looking offended. "I would never!"

Mitch scowled before disappearing into his room and slamming the door behind him.

Nolan and I exchanged amused smiles as we entered our room. We rolled our bags off to the side and both made our way to the window to look out toward the Cumberland River.

I scanned the area, enjoying the view.

I gestured down to the street right below our room. "Oh, look! Honky Tonk Central!"

Nolan slipped his arms around my waist. "I enjoyed going there with you last night. A lot."

I leaned into his touch, the warmth spreading through my chest. "Me too. I'm enjoying everything about you, Nolan."

Nolan smiled as he turned to face me. His expression unexpectedly morphed into something more contemplative that was difficult to read.

"What's going on in that head of yours?" I asked.

"Let's sit for a moment." Nolan took my hand and led me to the bed, where we sat down on the edge. He sighed, looking like he was trying to find the right words. "Something has been on my mind and I wanted to talk to you about it. I didn't mention it before because I have been conflicted about what to do. I'd like your thoughts on the subject, if you don't mind."

I was confused, but nodded. "Of course."

Nolan hesitated, then asked, "Do you ever get the feeling that this is all wrong?"

I didn't like the energy shift and needed clarification. "What's wrong? You mean our relationship and what's happening between us?"

He shook his head quickly. "Are you kidding me? I love this, us, and I love the direction we're headed. I don't want to change a single thing about it."

Relief washed over me. "Good." I smiled and tilted my head to the side. "Then what is it?"

"It's Mitch, and my job to push his buttons to irritate him," I said. "I mean, don't get me wrong, he's an egotistical world-class bonehead, and the way he treated you and so many others is inexcusable. But stooping to his level sometimes doesn't sit right with me, even if it helps the team perform better."

I studied his face, trying to understand. "Are you feeling guilty?"

Nolan shrugged. "Maybe. Okay, yes, I am. It seems wrong." He scratched the side of his face, deep in thought. "Honestly, I would have never agreed to something like this if my job wasn't on the line. It's not in my nature. I even wondered if I wanted to work for someone who would ask me to do such a favor."

I nodded, considering his words. "Well, keep in mind that I told Dad ‘no' the first, second, and third time he asked me to do this."

"I had no idea," Nolan said. "What made you change your mind?"

"He told me the only reason Mitch signed the contract to play for the Sea Lions again was because he was planning on dating me again, as if I didn't even have a say in the matter. Mitch had much better offers from the Red Wings and the Maple Leafs, but turned them down. Anyway, my answer to your question is, I said yes because I thought that pretending to be in a relationship would get Mitch off my back, plus it would help Dad lower his stress level by winning games. But yeah, this is weird and unorthodox, I agree. Mitch is using my Dad to get back with me, and my Dad is using you and me to make Mitch play better so they can win the Stanley Cup." I fell silent, then asked, "So what do you want to do? Are you thinking of telling my dad you've changed your mind?"

"I have no idea. What I know is if I didn't say yes to your dad, I never would have met you, so there is something supremely positive that came out of this. Anyway, I wanted to be honest about how I've been feeling. You deserve to know where my head's at, and I want us to talk openly about anything and everything. Honestly, I'm more afraid of disappointing you than losing my job or facing your father's wrath."

His words melted my heart on the spot.

I couldn't resist the urge to kiss him.

When we pulled apart, Nolan asked, "What was that for?"

"You could never disappoint me, Nolan." I smiled softly. "I wonder about my dad's health and what it might do to him if we told him we didn't want to do this anymore."

Nolan's brow furrowed. "You and your mother have mentioned his heart before. What exactly is going on with him?"

I sighed. "High blood pressure, high cholesterol, and a family history of heart disease. He's a prime candidate for a heart attack if he doesn't slow down and manage his stress."

Nolan nodded, looking concerned. "I certainly wouldn't want to see that happen because the guilt from causing him to have a heart attack would be a million times worse than the guilt of picking on Mitch to make him play better." His eyes lit up. "There is a possibility I'm overthinking this whole thing."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Nolan's eyes sparkled with a newfound clarity. "What we have between us now, it's real." He took my hands in his, his touch warm and reassuring. "There's nothing wrong if we enjoy each other's company and show our affection naturally, not to get a reaction out of Mitch, but because it's what we genuinely feel." A soft smile played on his lips as he continued. "Maybe we can just ease up on pushing Mitch's buttons. Now that you and I are together, it feels wrong to rub it in his face. We're better than that."

Nolan's words were filled with sincerity and respect. It was a testament to his character, and I admired him more for it, but it certainly would not stop me from having some fun at his expense.

"Who said you and I are together?" I said, trying to keep a straight face.

He pointed up, not buying my comment for a second. "It's written in the stars, baby."

I laughed. "I like it when you call me baby, but I do have to point out that it's still daytime and there are no stars out. Nice try."

Nolan pulled me closer. "Kiss me and we'll replace the stars with fireworks."

"Okay, not a bad recovery. A little too cheesy, but I'll accept it," I said, then closed the distance between us and pressed my lips to his.

A few seconds later, my ringing phone interrupted our kiss, and I reached for it to check the caller ID.

"It's my mom," I told Nolan.

"Answer it!" he urged. "Ask her what she was talking about when she said we need to plan a wedding. It has been driving me crazy and I don't want to wait until we get back to San Diego to find out."

I smirked. "Scared the wedding is for us?"

"Yes!" Nolan admitted. "Pick up. Now."

The phone stopped ringing.

Nolan crossed his arms. "You're trying to torture me, aren't you? Why didn't you answer the phone?"

"Because you were talking, and I was waiting for you to finish!" I said. "Obviously, something came up and she'll call me back when she gets a chance. Is my future fiancé already getting cold feet about our wedding?" I bumped him playfully.

"My feet are not cold—they're frozen," Nolan smirked. "Anyway, it must be something else, but what?"

"They do have their big thirtieth wedding anniversary coming up," I said. "Maybe she wants to throw another big shindig and get married again."

Nolan shrugged. "But she said we need to plan a wedding to get your father on our side. I don't see how it could be connected to their anniversary. Whether it's a fake wedding or a real one, it's a little too over the top for my taste. It also makes little sense of how that would win your father over when he thinks we are from two different worlds."

"Being from two worlds has nothing to do with it," I said. "My parents had a quickie wedding because her parents didn't think my dad was good enough for their daughter. They figured her parents would have to accept it after they had said ‘I do.'"

"And did they accept it?" Nolan asked.

"Not at first, but they eventually came around," I said. "Nine months and two days later."

Nolan smirked. "The day you were born …"

"It's hard to resist a grandchild," I said with a smile.

The phone rang again.

"Pick it up!" Nolan said.

"Tone it down!" I said with a laugh before answering the call. "Hi, Mom. You're on speakerphone. Nolan is with me, and he's paranoid that you want us to get married."

"Nolan is a wise man," Mom said.

We both stared at the phone, waiting for more, but only silence followed. The tension grew with each passing second.

Finally, unable to take it anymore, I blurted out, "Mom! Come on, what's this wedding you were talking about?"

Her laughter erupted through the speakerphone. "Oh, you two are too easy! Relax, we're not going to plan your wedding. At least, not yet. But I need your help with something special."

Nolan and I exchanged glances, relief clear on both our faces.

"What is it?" I asked.

"A surprise vow renewal ceremony for me and your father," Mom continued. "I want to marry him again."

I turned to Nolan. "I knew it!"

"It's perfect because our anniversary falls on a Saturday this year," Mom said excitedly. "We can make it a big celebration, and I'd love for you two to be a part of it and help me plan it."

"Mom, I would love to," I said, my heart warming at the idea. "Of course, anything to help. It sounds like fun!"

"It sounds amazing, but how does your vow renewal help get Mr. Dalton on my side?" Nolan asked.

"Ah, that's the beauty of it!" Mom replied with enthusiasm. "When he finds out that you two practically planned the entire thing, he'll see how well you work together as a team. Plus, he'll realize how much you care about the family, Nolan, considering you're taking the time to help even with your busy schedule."

"That's true," I agreed. "And Dad's always been a sucker for grand romantic gestures. Seeing you put in the effort to make their anniversary special will earn you some brownie points."

"Well, in that case, I'm happy to help," Nolan said.

Something occurred to me and I sat up. "Mom, are you sure Dad can't hear you? We don't want to ruin the surprise."

"Don't worry, honey, he's been out for a couple of hours," Mom assured me. "Oh wait, speak of the devil. I hear him coming in right now. I better go. See you at the game!"

The call ended abruptly.

I turned to Nolan, crossing my arms and flashing him a playful smirk. "Well, well, it looks like you dodged quite the bullet there, mister. No need to marry me after all."

For a moment, it appeared he might brush it off with a joke. Instead, his lips curved into a soft smile as his eyes met mine.

"It's probably for the best," Nolan said, his voice low and warm. "My heart couldn't handle that level of happiness."

Before I could process his words, he winked and sauntered toward the bathroom, leaving me frozen in place. The door clicked shut behind him, and I blinked rapidly, my mouth hanging open.

Wait a minute …

Did he imply what I think he implied?