Chapter 16

Nicole and I flew to Phoenix on Tuesday so she could return to her job the following day, and for the next couple of evenings I helped her move her things from her apartment to the townhouse. She was settled by the weekend. In truth, she didn't have much to move, and much of what she had wasn't worth moving. I tried not to offend her regarding some of her belongings, but I couldn't and didn't try to control what I thought, so I did hurt her feelings a few times. She understood, said that because she'd been hearing thoughts so long, she'd acquired a thick skin. Instead of getting huffy or weepy when I hurt her, she kissed me and told me that she forgave me and went on with what she was doing as if nothing had happened.

Nicole was easy to live with. She wasn't a dropper. Everything had a place and she made sure everything was in its place, but she wasn't a neat freak, either. I kept my cleaning lady, but Nicole took on the kitchen duties and soon started doing my laundry with hers. We did the grocery shopping together, but I handled the running-around chores like the dry cleaning and buying the odd items not available in the grocery store. I also took out the garbage. I was surprised but pleased how easily we settled into domestic bliss.

I kept Sandy's Escalade in the garage at the townhouse, and traded the SUV for the Mercedes sedan when warranted. On our first weekend back in Phoenix, I took Nicole shopping for a car. When it came to an engagement present, she wasn't bashful about what I spent, and she fell in love with a silver Lexus SC 430 that switched from a hardtop coupe to a convertible with the press of a button. Truth be known, I probably swayed her decision. I liked the sports car's upscale and refined styling. Its interior was luxurious and comfortable, trimmed in leather and rich wood.Besides, with its rear-wheel drive and a 4.3-liter V8 that put out 300-horsepower, it could run with the Mercedes SL 500 and Jaguar XK8. It was a classy luxury car for two people dressed to the nines, and with our new wardrobes, how could we resist? She drove it off a showroom floor. I figured I wouldn't have as much fun when it came time for me to shop for my own car.

I missed Sandy, but the ache was bearable, not like the nearly overwhelming sense of loss I'd harbored before our reunion. I'd see her again in a few days when I flew to the Big Apple for my next fitting at Giliberto Designs. Nicole planned to follow me on Friday and join Sandy and I for the weekend.

I closed the apartment complex purchase with Olsen's. Harry and Nicole represented Olsen's at the closing. The double close with my buyer took place as planned, and Sandy and I were a million dollars richer until our tax accountant confiscated a healthy chunk of the profit for Uncle Sam, which I didn't begrudge. I considered the tax the price I had to pay to live in the best country in the world. That isn't to say I didn't use every legal loophole my tax accountant could find. That's the American way, isn't it?

One evening, Nicole was in the kitchen preparing dinner, and I was in my office reviewing land packages, one of which I hoped would work for the compound we'd planned for Sandy's home base and Nicole's and my home. The doorbell rang. I cast an empathic scan and immediately recognized my mother's emotional signature. She wasn't a happy camper, either, and I knew why. Nicole and I had been so busy since our return from New York, I hadn't taken the time to stop by and see Mom and Dad.

Nicole was closer to the front door, so she let Mom in, but I wasn't far behind and immediately gave my mother a hug.

"Welcome, Mom. I'm so glad you dropped by."

"Yeah, well, I figured if I didn't, I might not get to see you. Introduce me to your friend."

Nicole's presence had surprised my mother, which was understandable. I introduced them.

"Will you join us for dinner, Mrs. Johnson?" Nicole asked graciously.

"Not to..." Mom started to refuse Nicole's offer but decided she wanted to know more about Nicole, wanted to know more about a lot of things. "I'd love to," she said, "if I won't be a bother."

"We're having lasagna, so one more at the table won't be a bother at all," Nicole said with a bright smile. She was nervous, though, also understandable. "Josh, why don't you show your mother around the townhouse while I put the finishing touches on our dinner."

"May I help?" Mom asked Nicole.

"No, no, Mrs. Johnson. I have everything under control. Spend some time with your son."

When Mom and I were alone, she said, "Is she living here with you?"

"Yes."

"Is that why you moved out of the house, so you could live in sin with her?"

I grinned. "Yup. I love her."

"Oh."

"May I show you around?"

"When were you planning to tell your father and me about her?"

"When we returned from New York City the first of next week. Mom, get off your high horse and cool it. Nicole and I are in love. We'll live together the rest of our lives, so I'd appreciate it if you'd give her a chance to show you how wonderful she is before you condemn her." I guided Mom into the living room, and we sat facing each other. "Okay, ask your questions. I'll try to answer them as honestly and fully as I can."

"When did you meet her?"

Now is as good a time as any to come clean about the real estate investment company, I thought. "I met her while making an offer to purchase an apartment complex. She was and still is working for the company that sold me the property."

She frowned, and emotionally she suddenly felt very confused.

"As you know, Sandy and I have kept in close touch since she left. To make a long story short, about eighteen months ago, Sandy and I formed a real estate investment company. She supplied the startup capital, which wasn't much..." A lie, but a necessary one. "... and I did the work. I have a real knack for making money in real estate." I spent the next ten minutes telling her about some of my successes while buying and flipping real property. I even mentioned the one failure I'd experienced.

"What about college? I thought you were going to college."

"I am. I've finished two and a half years, Mom. At the rate I'm going I'll graduate with a bachelor's degree next summer. By the way, Nicole is also a college student, but at ASU. She'll graduate with a degree in business next May. We'll both continue our education online at Phoenix College. Nicole and I would like an MBA, at least, although she's been talkin' about goin' on for a doctorate."

"Humph, she's older than you then."

I grinned. "Yup, she's twenty, Sandy's age. Sandy's a month older than her. To get back to my real estate business, I closed a deal yesterday. Would you like to see the closing documents?"

"Josh, I wouldn't know what I was looking at. Just tell me about it."

I described the transaction and told her how much money I'd made.

"A million dollars!" she breathed.

"A little over a million. Mom, this townhouse belongs to me. On paper, Sandy is a part owner because our investment company holds title, but it's mine. I paid cash for it out of the proceeds from my third real estate deal."

Mom sat dumbfounded, and soon tears welled in her eyes. I understood her attitude, and I knew Nicole was reading her thoughts.

Thank you, Lord, thank you. My prayers have been answered. He's going to be all right. My baby's going to be all right. I can stop worrying about him. He'll finish college; he has a career, and... no, I don't know if that... that woman is good for him, not yet, but I will. Oh, I hope she loves him, hope she'll nurture and support him. He deserves the best.

I had Mom wrapped in a bear hug when Nicole stepped into the room and announced dinner was ready. She wore an apron and a wide smile.

"You baked the dinner rolls from scratch?" Mom asked Nicole, surprise evident in her voice.

"Yup," Nicole said. "My mom taught me baking, and after she died I became chief cook and bottle washer for my father and three younger brothers." She chuckled. "Those boys could put down the food, I'm here to tell ya, especially homemade bread and rolls. I baked every other day back then."

Good, she can cook and from the looks of the kitchen, she can clean, Mom thought.

Nicole grinned knowingly, to the extent that she looked a little smug. I wanted to kiss her.

"When Pop remarried, I turned those chores over to his new bride and happily became a teenager again," Nicole said. "Jessie - that's my stepmother's name - just as happily assumed the chores and more. She's great. I love her a lot." She sipped from her glass of red wine.

My mother frowned. I won't tell you what I understood her to think, but Nicole shook off Mom's silent condemnation without moving a muscle or altering her cheerful expression. I was drinking root beer. If Mom hadn't shown up, I'd be drinking wine - I'd discovered I enjoyed wine with food - but Nicole, wise to the teachings of the Mormon church, must've removed my wine glass from the table before we sat down to eat, and when she asked what I preferred, water or root beer, I'd gone with the root beer.

"Mrs. Johnson, I must be a shock to you. I've been nagging Josh to tell you and your husband about us, but... well, life's been a bit of a whirlwind lately. When he had the time I didn't, and vice versa. I love him, Mrs. Johnson. He's my soul mate." She took Mom's hand. "I hope we can be friends."

Mom nodded, and I noticed she squeezed Nicole's hand with affection.

"I asked her to marry me, Mom, and she said yes," I said.

"Oh, oh, my goodness! Congratulations, Son. You, too, Nicole."

Hugging across the corners of a table isn't easy, but we managed.

"Have you set a date?" Mom asked.

"Sometime in June, but that's tentative," Nicole said. "Now I've met you, I'll keep you up to date on everything. For some reason, men aren't properly equipped to handle that task."

"Tell me about it," Mom said.

I let Nicole and my mother chat. They needed to get to know each other. Nicole told Mom about her father and brothers and mentioned her trip to meet Sandy and me in New York City that weekend, which demanded an explanation from me. Mom was upset at first when she discovered that Sandy and I had finally had our often cancelled reunion, but when I told her Sandy planned a trip to Phoenix as soon as she finished working with her editor to complete her novel, Mom's spirits brightened.

Then I really made her day. "You know, I think it'd be fun for you and Sandy if you flew to New York and spent a couple of days with her. She'll have her hands full this week with Nicole and I barging in on her, but the following weekend might work. She took Nicole and me on a shopping spree to end all shopping sprees, and I know how much you like to shop. It might ease the tension here when she finally comes home for a visit if the two of you got together in New York first. With the money I made yesterday, I planned to pay you and Dad back for the tuition money you've been shelling out for me, so you'll have the money for the trip and the shopping. Waddaya say? Should I call her?"

"Oh... oh, yes, Josh! That sounds like so much fun."

"No guarantees, Mom. She might be buried in work. Look, I'll call her right now. Excuse me for a minute."

I walked to my office and hit speed-dial number one on my special cell phone. Sandy, fortunately, answered my call. I explained why I'd called, apologizing ahead of time if I'd opened my mouth and inserted foot, but Sandy quickly warmed to the idea.

"Just Mom this trip," Sandy said. "When Mom and I are alone, we get along fine. When Dad's with her, she puts on her religious-wife hat."

I laughed. "I'll make sure she understands, but I'll be subtle about it."

"Hah. When did you learn subtlety?"

She wanted to talk some more, but I told her my dinner was getting cold, and that I'd call her after Mom left.

I walked back to the dining table with a smile on my face. It was a miracle, but I hadn't screwed up.

Mom was beside herself with joy when I told her Sandy would call her soon to make the arrangements for the trip, and while Nicole engaged Mom in a conversation about shopping and clothes, I cleaned up the dinner mess and set the fresh apple pie Nicole had baked on the table.

"You baked the pie?" Mom asked.

"Yup. Josh, grab the vanilla ice cream. The pie's still warm, and nothing improves hot apple pie like vanilla ice cream, unless it's homemade vanilla ice cream."

"I know what you mean," Mom said, wistfully. "Homemade ice cream is a dying art."

"Yup, except for my pop. He's a connoisseur of homemade ice cream. In the summertime, he makes a big batch every other week."

A minute later, Mom said, "Oh, Nicole, this crust is so flaky. It melts in your mouth."

I beamed. My mother and my future wife were getting along splendidly. That would change when Dad was around, but I'd warn Nicole about Mom's religious-wife hat, as Sandy had put it.

After Mom left, I pulled Nicole into my arms and kissed her silly. "You're a wonder, Nicole Halliday. You had Mom eatin' out of your hand."

"Yeah. Well, when it comes to dealin' with my future mother-in-law, being a mind reader has its advantages. I'm just happy she barged in when she did. I have a friend dropping by to meet you a little later, and your mother and my friend wouldn't mix well - oil and water, as they say."

I read her attitude. "Sherry?"