Grand Slam

by Heidi McLaughlin

  We walk hand in hand into the police station, which is ironic since the police station, albeit a different location, is really where everything started for us. The day she walked into the interview room to sit with me is the day I realized that she was more than a publicist for me. I can’t believe it’s taken me two years, and countless women, to figure it out.

  “Hi, I’m here to meet with Officer Frey,” Saylor tells the desk clerk.

  “Have a seat. He’s with someone right now.”

  “I believe he’s with my lawyer,” she says. The clerk nods and instructs her to go to room 2. I follow, because I’ll be damned if I’m letting her do this alone. I know Irvin is here to help, but he’s not exactly keen on us getting married, especially without a prenuptial agreement. I explained that, with everything she’s going to lose by being with me, the least I could do is make sure she’s taken care of for the rest of her life.

  Irvin’s eyes catch mine as we walk into an interrogation room. Officer Frey stands and shakes my hand, ignoring Saylor.

  “This is my…” Saylor sighs as she gets lost on what to call me.

  “Fiancé,” I tell him.

  “Nice to meet you. Please have a seat.” The legs of his chair scrape against the linoleum, causing my spine to go rigid. Being in this box brings back memories of when I was arrested. The interrogation was brutal, and it didn’t matter how many times I said I didn’t do anything to that woman, they came back with the same question, only asked differently, all meant to screw you up and get you to admit you’ve done something wrong.

  “Ms. Blackwell, it seems you’re in a bit of a mess.”

  Saylor nods as her hands twist together.

  “You’re two years removed from the accident and have already violated your probation. However, I have to say you’re doing better than some of my other probationers.”

  “I know, and I’m sorry,” she answers meekly. I want to butt in and explain everything for her, but it’s not my place. “I didn’t drink,” she says. “And I haven’t since the day of the accident. You can check my place if you want.”

  “Why’d you go into the bar in the first place?”

  I wish her answer could be because of me. Because she was trying to save me from making a giant-ass mistake, but if she said that, she’d commit perjury when she goes to testify for me.

  Saylor takes a deep breath and looks her probation officer square in the face. “I received a letter that really threw me off-balance. The bar was right there, and I walked in. I ordered a drink and held it in my hand. Travis interrupted my thoughts and made me realize that I was making a mistake. I quickly left.”

  “And you haven’t been back since?”

  “No.”

  “Did you drink that night?”

  She shakes her head.

  “Am I to understand that the only reason you’re here today is because you’re the key witness to Mr. Kidd’s case?”

  “Yes.”

  “With all due respect, Officer Frey, do any of your cases come in here willingly to let you know they’ve violated their probation?” Irvin makes a very valid point, and it was something I was going to say. “Let’s be fair here. My client is here confessing her actions and asking for leniency. She made a mistake and is willing to complete another round of community service.”

  Just no jail, I plead silently.

  Officer Frey taps his pen on the table. The constant echo is annoying and getting on my nerves rather quickly. His face contorts from an expression of anger to concentration and into some odd look that I can only liken to constipation. When he finally sets his pen down, he leafs through the file folder in front of him. I’m assuming it’s Saylor’s case. I catch brief glimpses of photos of what looks like a car accident. My insides turn, knowing that she was in that mangled mess and drunk because of me. And Jeffrey. I know it’s not entirely his fault, but I can blame him. If he hadn’t texted her that night, none of this would’ve happened. For all I know, we could’ve been together this entire time, and our lives would be different.

  “I’m going to assign you thirty hours of community service, which needs to be done by March first.”

  Saylor’s body visibly sighs. “Thank you.”

  “Ms. Blackwell, I like you. You’re one of my few cases that actually follows the rules. Please don’t get into any further trouble. Next time I won’t be lenient, and you will face jail time.”

  “Yes, sir. Thank you.”

  “Let me know when you start your CS hours and where. I’ll be watching.”

  Irvin motions for us to stand and leave, and honestly, I can’t get out of there fast enough. As soon as we step out, I pull her into my arms and give her the best fucking hug I can give her.

  “Piece of cake,” I whisper before adding, “one down, and two to go.” My court date is next, but not before we have a chance to get married. When she takes the stand in my defense, she’ll be my wife, and she’ll tell the truth about that night. Part of me is hoping that Blue, or Rachel Ward, decides to testify. I know that rape victims get to keep their names out of the paper, but something tells me that she’ll want everyone to know who exactly is bringing Travis Kidd down.

  I wish I could tell her that I’m ready for her and there isn’t anything she can say that will hurt me. I know the truth, and so does she. Now Irvin has to make sure the judge realizes it.

  Thirty-Four

  Saylor

  I have thought about my wedding day for as long as I can remember. As a young girl, I dreamed about the horse-drawn carriage and my father walking me down the aisle. My bridesmaids would be dressed in soft-pink dresses with their long hair cascading down their backs in intricate braids with flowers woven throughout. As I got older, the scene changed with the times. And there was this one moment in high school when I met a much older guy who I thought was my soul mate, and I had convinced my best friend that he was going to whisk me off into the sunset to elope in front of Elvis in a Las Vegas wedding chapel. Thankfully, I came to my senses on that last one.

  One thing that I’ll miss today is my father. I always thought, like most daughters, that my father would be around to walk me down the aisle. A massive heart attack took him from me years before Lucy was born. I told both Travis and my mother that walking down the aisle in the city courtroom can easily be done alone, but both balked at the idea.

  When Travis proposed, I knew it was going to be a quickie wedding. Not once did I stop and imagine a massive ceremony with all our friends and family gathering to watch us exchange vows. After I accepted, I knew my wedding would be in front of a judge, and we’d be nothing more than a number being called in a long list of people eager to get married on New Year’s Eve.

  I should’ve suspected something was up when Travis was evasive about a date or when my overly eager mother sat down on my couch with a pile of bridal magazines and interrupted my self-induced pity-party movie marathon. By all accounts, I should’ve been happy. I escaped being brought back in front of a judge by my probation officer, and I was marrying Travis. A true dream come true for any romantic at heart. Yet I couldn’t bring myself to be happy about my impending nuptials. Or the fact that Elijah hadn’t called or contacted me through his lawyer. I’d like to think he hadn’t heard the news, but even I’m not that naïve.

  My mother gushed over dresses, asking for my opinion. Even going so far as to ask Lucy what she thought I’d look pretty in. I sat there while the two of them marked page after page, until she abruptly left. I asked my five-year-old what that was all about, and she shrugged before she went back to coloring. I should’ve known there was a master plan to make me cry on my wedding day.

  “You look beautiful,” my mother says as she stands behind me with her hands on my shoulders. I stare at myself in the mirror. The woman who stares back is someone I’m not sure I know. My makeup is flawless, and every blemish I have is somehow gone. My hair is down and loosely braided, with tendrils outlining my face, and while they look out of place, they’
re perfect. And the dress I’m wearing—the off-the-shoulder, cream A-line cut—is one that I never knew I wanted until it was taken out of the bag and I was told it was mine.

  “I can’t believe all of this is happening”—this being a wedding in a church, with flowers, guests, and a minister, but it seems that my groom-to-be wanted something more than a trip to the courthouse. I imagine he’s probably tired of being in that place, and I can’t blame him.

  “It is, sweetie, and you deserve it,” my mother says.

  Do I? I keep questioning why all of this is happening to me. Surely he’s not in love with me, unless he is and hasn’t said anything. Here he is spending his hard-earned money to make sure I have a ceremony that I’ll remember…That’s love, right?

  “I don’t know that I do, Mom. We’re getting married for all the wrong reasons.”

  She sits down next to me and hands me a wad of tissues. “Saylor, sometimes the wrong reasons become the right ones. I know that Travis feels responsible for Elijah seeking custody and that he’s using marriage as an answer, but I’ve seen you guys together. I’ve seen the way he looks at you. That man is smitten, and he’s not willing to let you get away from him.”

  “I keep questioning whether or not he’s good for Lucy.”

  “He is. I saw them together yesterday, and everything between them is natural. I know you don’t believe in fate or kismet, but I believe in my heart he is meant to be a part of her life, and a part of yours.”

  She wipes the tears that have welled in my eyes and rests her forehead against mine. “Saylor, if I had any doubt about you marrying Travis, I would tell you. The anxiety you’re feeling—every woman goes through this. The only difference is that they’ve had time to adjust; you’ve had a few days. I was the same way with your father when he asked me. I second-guessed my reasons for saying yes, much like you are now, and I can easily tell you that once I said ‘I do,’ all the self-doubt I had was gone.”

  “You dated him much longer than I’ve known Travis.”

  My mother shrugs slightly, as if to brush off my statement. “It’s all relative. Some people meet in Vegas and marry right off, and they’re still together.”

  I turn back to the mirror and stare at the bride I’ve become. Travis has gone out of his way to make this as memorable as possible. We will have a story to tell, other than saying we married in front of a justice of the peace with my mom as our witness.

  I push the vanity stool back, and more of my dress comes into view. When I stepped into the gown earlier, I felt like a princess. I know it’s a cliché, but there’s a feeling that washes over you when your fairy tale is about to come true, even if it isn’t exactly how you imagined.

  My hands brush down the front of my dress as I stand. I turn on my heels so I can hear the tulle underneath swish back and forth. The sound brings a smile to my face. It’s something I’ve always wanted to hear. “Okay, I think I’m ready.”

  “One thing,” my mom says as she comes behind me. I feel cool metal against my skin before I can register what she’s doing. I bend my neck forward, allowing her to clasp the necklace. “This is your something old and blue,” she says as my fingers fiddle with the sapphire. “This belonged to Travis’s grandmother, and his mother has asked that you wear it today.”

  My hand covers my mouth as an “Oh God” slips out. “It’s beautiful.”

  “And perfect for you,” she says as she brushes her hands up and down my arms in comfort. “I know you’re scared, Saylor, but sometimes being scared means you care, and I know you care about that man who is standing at the altar, waiting for you.”

  “I do.” I love him but have yet to say those words to him out of fear that he may not feel the same way.

  “Don’t tell me; tell him.”

  Mom hands me my bouquet of red and champagne-colored roses. It’s simple, yet elegant, and matches her corsage. She opens the door to the vestibule where I’m greeted by Lucy and Branch’s son, Shaun, who is dressed in a tux. Along with Ainsley Bailey and Daisy Davenport, who are dressed in long red dresses that match the cut of my gown.

  “What’s going on?” I ask, looking at my mother.

  “Travis wanted Ethan to stand up for him today, and when he asked me about your friends, I told him that most of your college friends are living out of state, so he improvised.”

  “We hope you don’t mind,” Ainsley says with a smile.

  “Shaun is going to walk me down the aisle,” Lucy says as if it’s a bigger deal than the fact that her mother is getting married.

  “Right, well, let’s do this,” I say, threading my arm through my mother’s. “Who is my maid of honor?”

  “That’ll be me, since Ethan is the best man,” Daisy says as she comes forward to straighten my dress. “Travis is a lucky man.”

  “What if I’m the lucky one?”

  Daisy shakes her head. “I’ve known him for a while now, but something changed in him. Now I know what it is. You’re good for him, Saylor, and he needs you.”

  He needs me. This whole time I’ve been looking at this marriage from the angle of my needing him. That he’s saving me from my impending doom.

  “He needs me.” I mutter the words that Daisy has spoken, and by the time I’m done, my smile is so big my cheeks hurt. I nod, letting the door attendant know that I’m ready. Once the doors swing open, music starts. I don’t know what to expect when I turn the corner and see Travis standing there, waiting for me, but whatever it’s going to be will be worth it, because as soon as I take a step toward him, I can’t continue to second-guess myself and this marriage. It is what it is, and Travis and I will have to work to make it the best thing for both of us.

  Ainsley heads down the aisle, followed by Daisy. Lucy and Shaun go next, and instead of waiting for the music to change, I turn the corner with my mom at my side and watch my daughter throw rose petals onto the aisle.

  It takes me a minute or two to meet Travis’s gaze, and once I do, a rush of heat washes over me. As the wedding march begins to play, I step forward, trying to look everywhere but at him for fear that my steps will falter. I smile at the guests who are here—some I know and others I can only assume are his family. His parents are easy to spot in the front row, and I mouth a thank-you to his mother as I pass by.

  The church goes quiet as my mom and I come to the altar. Travis keeps his eyes on me, causing me to blush, and each time I look at him, the heat within intensifies. Seeing him in a tuxedo is doing things to me.

  “Welcome,” the minister says as he steps forward. “Today, on the eve of our new year, we are here to celebrate the marriage between Saylor and Travis. I have known Travis since he arrived in Boston and am looking forward to getting to know Saylor and Lucy.” I look at Travis questioningly. He smiles and shrugs, keeping his face as calm as possible.

  “Love is the most unconventional feeling we’ll ever experience. It warms you, it guides you, and it can also cause you immense heartache, but it will always be there to heal. Love brings people together; it blends families and makes us stronger. Love unites us as one.

  “And that is why we’re here today, to share in the union between our friends, Saylor and Travis, and help them start their path as a blended family with all the love we can give them. Who gives this woman to this man?”

  “I do,” my mom says. She cups my face with tears in her eyes and smiles. “I love you, Saylor.”

  “Love you, too.”

  I take a deep breath and step forward, matching the way Travis is standing. Behind me, Daisy fluffs my dress, and somewhere I can hear the shutter of a camera snapping pictures.

  “Travis and Saylor, please join hands,” the minister says. I turn and hand my bouquet to Daisy.

  “Travis, do you take Saylor to be your wife?”

  “I do,” he says.

  “Saylor, do you take Travis to be your husband?”

  I nod and say, “I do.”

  “Do you promise to choose each other every day?” he
asks.

  “We do,” we both say at the same time.

  “Do you promise to treat each other as equals and support each other’s goals?”

  “We do.”

  “Do you promise that no matter what you both may face, whether it be a crazy ex, a tabloid scandal, or a trade to the worst baseball team in the league, you’re in this together?”

  “We do.” Only, this time I hesitate briefly, causing Travis and the guys to laugh. I look over his shoulder at Ethan and Cooper, and both refuse to look at me. I’m starting to question who wrote these vows. I suggested we stick to traditional vows because of our situation, but these sound more like Travis has had some input.

  “And, Travis, do you promise to be the coolest, most amazing father to Lucy, and when boys start asking her out on dates, do you promise to show them your barbed-wire baseball bat?” I cover my mouth to stifle my giggles.

  “Hell yes,” he says through laughter. Everyone in the church roars. I knew this wouldn’t be serious. Nothing can be when Travis Kidd is in the room.

  “The rings, please.”

  Travis lets go of my hand and turns to Ethan. They exchange words as I watch, realizing that I didn’t even consider getting Travis a ring. The thought never crossed my mind that he would want one. The soft tap on my shoulder has me turning around, and Daisy hands me a band.

  “Oh, thank you.”

  “Lucy, can you please step forward?” the minister requests. My eyes go wide as Travis gets down on his knee in front of Lucy.

  “Lucy, I would like you to accept this token of my friendship, love, and intent to be not only your friend, but also your stepfather, as well as your protector.” I watch as Travis puts a chain around her neck.

  “What does the K mean?” she asks.