From This Moment On

Chapter 20

Lisa was getting adjusted to living with the Carters....the kids seemed to get along with her and so did AJ. She liked being a nanny, it was better than being back in the daycare in Texas. She was still going to college part time, but doing online courses in child psychology. Living in Florida wasn't all that different from back home but it had its moments.

"Baby not here." she said as she stole kisses on the front porch. Brian grinned and pulled her in for another as they spotted Nick's car heading down the street.

"That was a close one. Have you told them about us yet?" Brian whispered. Lisa fixed her blouse and coughed, adjusting her hair.

"No. Have you?" she asked.

"Hell no. I don't think Nick would like me dating his nanny. You're only....what...21?" he chuckled as Nick parked his car.

"Hi Brian. I see you've met Lisa...." he said, walking up the steps. Brian nodded but when Nick wasn't looking he snickered. Brian and Lisa had actually met in a chat room online a few weeks ago when she was still in Houston, and it was complete coincidence that she moved to the town where he lived. Brian followed Nick into the house, leaving Lisa to finish sweeping off the deck.

"So, how have you been?" Brian asked. The two hadn't spoken in a while, not since Bryan was born.

"Busy. You know me. Always got a project I'm working on. I've been writing some stuff....working in the studio a bit. Howie even was talking about me mentoring another artist like JC did when I started out." Nick replied as he poured himself a cup of coffee.

"Yeah, me too. I've been promoted to detective. I got my own office at the station and everything. No more patrolling and handing out speeding tickets for me." Brian said.

"Crap....I guess you can't waive my traffic violations anymore?" Nick joked, but half serious. Since the car accident he had actually gotten a lot better with his driving and hadn't gotten a ticket in a very long time.

"Haha, funny. So how's Amanda and the babies?"

"Bryan is a total momma's boy. Celine is talking up a storm now....she's getting so big, I can't believe only a while ago she was just born." Nick beamed.

"Before you know it, she will be a teenager and you'll be beating potential boyfriends off with a stick." Brian teased. Nick thought about this, his daughter was pretty....then he wondered what she'd look like grown up....

"Oh god, Brian. She's going to be gorgeous when she gets older. I can see it now. Amanda said so too....between her and me Celine is going to be a handful when she gets older." Nick said, setting down his mug.

"Told you. Better hope nobody steals her away." Brian laughed with a wink. The two of them talked for a long time and Brian left to go home. Nick went to see Celine, who had just woken up from her nap and smiled when she saw him.

"Daddy!"

"Hi baby. Daddy missed you today." Nick said, picking her up and kissing her forehead.

"Hey you." Amanda called from the doorway. She kissed Nick on the cheek and then took Celine from him, the little girl throwing her arms around her mother's neck and smiling.

"When did you get home?" Nick asked. Amanda put Celine down and he put his arms around her, giving her a proper kiss. His hands traveled down her back until she swatted them away.

"Just now. How was your day?" Amanda told him, giggling. She went to check on Bryan, who was sleeping in the crib next to Celine.

"Fine. Howie went over some things and we talked about the next album...some other stuff we want to do. It went really good, baby." Nick answered. He decided not to tell Amanda about the mentoring until it actually happened, nothing was set in stone as of yet. Nick watched Amanda interact with the children and smiled at his family.....life couldn't be any more perfect and he was grateful.

"Lisa, I'm gonna be on a conference call so can you just keep an eye on things for me? AJ is picking Aaron up so you don't need to worry about him." Nick called from the office a few days later.

"Sure, Nick. No worries." Lisa smiled. She went about washing the dishes in the kitchen until the doorbell rang.

"Hello. May I help you?" she said. A short blonde woman with brown eyes stood there, smiling. She looked a bit like Nick....Lisa could see the resemblance.

"I would like to see Nick, is he home?"

"He's on a conference call, would you like to come in? May I ask who you are?" Lisa offered. The woman stepped in, smiling as she looked around the living room. She was wearing a dress and sandals, her blonde hair tied back but looking brittle with specks of grey showing.

"I'm Jane....his mother." the woman replied. Lisa looked at her in surprise. She hadn't seen any photos of Nick's family since she'd been living there. Having been a fan of his, she remembered Nick didn't mention them at all, as if they didn't exist. Lisa wondered why he would hide them from everyone.

"Oh, wow. You're his mother? It is such an honor to meet you, Nick will be so excited to see you, I'm sure." she said fervently. Jane wandered around and picked up a picture frame sitting on the coffee table....one of Celine the day she was brought home from the hospital. A smile appeared across her lips.

"I don't know about that, but I'm sure he will be surprised." she stated. Nick emerged from the office a few moments later but when he came into the living room, he stopped dead in the doorway, his bottom lip quivering a bit.

"Nickolas...." Jane said with a warm smile. Lisa smiled at them both but it soon faded.

"What are you doing here? After all you've done.....why?" Nick shouted, his eyes narrowed.

Lisa then realized she had made a horrible mistake.