Chapter 225: The Perfect Place (1)
Georgia’s POV
As expected, we were late!
An hour behind schedule, we finally pulled up to Nick’s mom’s estate, and my jaw instantly dropped. The place was breathtaking. A wide stretch of land welcomed us, framed by flowering bushes and tall, graceful trees that swayed with the breeze.
The white wrought iron gate swung open automatically after Nick placed his hand on the sleek scanner, and it felt like we were entering some private paradise.
"Wow..." I whispered, practically glued to the window as we drove in. "Your mom’s property is amazing. Look at those flowers, so full and vibrant. And the security system? That’s straight out of a movie. Is this where you grew up? The house you told me about?"
Nick’s lips tugged into a small smile as he kept his eyes on the road. "No, that house was much smaller, closer to the city. We sold it years ago. When Vicky and I started working, we pooled our money together and bought this place for Mom.
Then she sold the old house, and the money went into building this one. She’s just like you and Ella, she loves gardening, loves animals. Out of all the places we saw, this was the one that made her light up."
I couldn’t stop smiling. That image of them, two kids working hard just to give their mom a dream home, warmed my heart. "Great choice. Honestly, I would’ve picked the same. This feels like the perfect place to raise children."
I hadn’t meant anything by it. Just a casual comment, an honest observation. But the way Nick’s hand flexed on the steering wheel told me I’d accidentally opened a door in his head.
"Yeah," he said, his voice steady, but his eyes glinted with something more. "It is the perfect place to raise our children. Weekends here, summers too. Running around in the garden, climbing trees... they’d love it."
My heart did a full somersault. His words wrapped around me, warm and teasing but also so real that my cheeks heated instantly. I turned toward him, only to find him focused on the road like he hadn’t just said something that made my whole chest flutter.
"That’s sweet..." I muttered, but my voice betrayed me, soft and embarrassed.
I snapped my gaze forward, trying to calm the storm inside me, only to spot Oliver and Liam’s car already parked near the front. Beside them sat a sleek luxury vehicle I didn’t recognize, which was enough distraction to keep my blush from spreading any further.
But Nick’s hand found mine on my lap, squeezing gently, as if to say he knew exactly what effect his words had on me. And damn it—I couldn’t stop the giddy smile that curved on my lips.
Nick let out a heavy sigh, his eyes flicking toward the sleek luxury car parked beside Oliver and Liam’s. "My dad is here," he murmured, pointing it out.
I blinked at him, confused. "Wait... your dad? He and your mom are... on good terms?"
"They’re... together," Nick said simply.
My jaw nearly hit the floor. "I—I don’t understand. Isn’t Violet married to your father?"
"Yes," Nick replied, his tone calm but edged with something that sounded almost resigned. "But it’s only on paper. They show up together in public, keep the appearances. At home? They live separate lives. My dad spends weekends here—with Mom."
I gaped at him, trying to process all of that, but before I could push further, Nick parked the car and cut off my confusion with a small smile. His hand caught mine, bringing it up to his lips as he pressed the lightest kiss to the back of it. My stomach flipped.
"Don’t worry about him," Nick said softly. "Whatever you saw from him last night won’t be what you see today."
My brows furrowed. "And how can you be so sure?"
His smile curved into that maddeningly confident one that always made me both nervous and giddy. "You’ll see," he promised, and before I could argue, he was already out of the car.
I inhaled deeply several times, bracing myself, then stepped out. But of course, Nick was faster, already at my side, closing my door for me like the gentleman he always managed to be.
His hand slid to the small of my back, warm and steady, anchoring me as we walked toward the front porch together. That little touch had me blushing again, and I hated how much I loved it.
The house before us was stunning, a modern farmhouse with white cladding, cozy cream and brown brick accents, and a bold black roof. The wide wraparound wooden deck gave it the kind of charm that made you want to curl up with coffee on a lazy morning. It wasn’t just a house. It was a home.
And as Nick guided me up the pathway, I couldn’t help thinking... this was the kind of place you’d want to be welcomed into, the kind of place you’d dream of belonging.
On the porch stood Benjamin... and beside him, the woman I’d only seen in framed photos at Nick’s place. His mother.
She didn’t wait for us to reach her. With a radiant smile and arms wide open, she came down the steps to meet us halfway. The warmth that rolled off her was instant, like sunshine wrapping around me.
Before I knew it, she was hugging me, tight, genuine, the kind of embrace that spoke more than words ever could.
"Welcome to my home," she said brightly, her voice full of joy. "I’m so glad to finally meet you. I’m Prudence Carter, Nick and Vicky’s mother. Vicky’s been telling me all sorts of things about you, while this man here—" she reached over and pinched Nick’s side playfully, earning his chuckle "—only wants to keep you to himself. So selfish!"
My cheeks warmed as I tried to steady the tremble in my voice. "I’m happy to meet you too, ma’am..."
She immediately pouted at me, almost adorably. "Oh no, don’t call me that. Vicky already told me everything. From now on, call me Mom. Actually, I insist."
Her insistence was so full of affection that I couldn’t help but nod, smiling back at her. My heart did a funny little flip at how easily she made me feel like I belonged.
But when I glanced past her, my eyes caught Benjamin still on the porch, hands in his pockets, expression unreadable as he watched us. A shiver of nerves rippled through me, remembering how he opposed me being together with Nick last night, but Prudence’s presence calmed me.
"Happy birthday, my dear," she said, turning to Nick.
And then, to my utter shock, she smacked his arm with the bamboo fan she was holding. I gasped, covering my mouth, wide-eyed.
"Why on earth are you late?!" she scolded, though her eyes sparkled with teasing affection. "I was worried you wouldn’t come at all and that I wouldn’t meet Georgia. And now the food’s gone cold!"
Nick just grinned, completely unfazed, which told me immediately this was just their mother-son banter.
"We stayed up to welcome midnight together," Nick explained smoothly. "Georgia made me blow a candle and make a wish before eating cake."
Then he shot me a sideways glance, his grin curving darker, more devilish. "It was so delicious, I couldn’t stop eating it. I kept going back for more until it was done, and it was already so late."
My face burned as I realized he wasn’t talking about the cake at all, but me, with frosting everywhere. I wanted to smack him with that fan, too. Thankfully, his mom only smiled, completely oblivious to his wicked double meaning.
******
Thank you for the Golden Ticket!
hmerai