Face-Off at the Altar

by Toni Aleo

  When everything had happened with Skylar all those months ago, he didn’t know he needed the help of a doctor. Having Dr. Wren Lemiere in his corner was his saving grace. He might have even ended up like Baylor had, a mess after her attempted rape, but he was standing on his own two feet, a confident man.

  A man with no hate in his heart whatsoever.

  He would be forever grateful to the woman who sat across from him. She helped him get through something that could have broken him. But with her help and Mekena’s love, he was able not only to forgive Skylar but also to move past it. Now when he thought of Skylar, he didn’t think of the bad she caused him but about the good she had done, growing up with Mekena. That was mostly Mekena’s doing, though. She lived in the good times and not in the bad, and he was thankful for that. He didn’t want her to hurt, even though she did from time to time.

  He still found it very difficult to watch. He wanted to protect her, stop the feelings, but it was hard when she didn’t let him. The problem was it had taken longer than he’d thought for Mekena to accept that it wasn’t her fault. But when she finally did, the healing started. It has taken the help of her family and him, but now he knew Mekena was going to be okay. But if for some reason she wasn’t, he would be there, supporting her with everything inside of him.

  Because he loved her.

  He loved her more now than he ever thought he could. They just worked, and even though they’d had some roadblocks and a few bumps, they were going to be okay. Because they had each other.

  Together they could do anything.

  But it wasn’t only him who helped Mekena. Avery had been a lifesaving angel. She hadn’t even gone home until two weeks ago, staying just to help with everything and be there for Mekena when she needed someone to talk to besides him. He appreciated her best friend, especially when he had to leave for road trips. Elli had insisted Mekena take some time off, and those few weeks had helped her heal even faster.

  Another thing that surprised him was that his family had come to her aid. They had come to the funeral and brought food for not only Mekena and him, but also her family. His mom even texted to check on Mekena, and in his eyes, they had accepted her. But that could change at a moment’s notice. His family wasn’t really reliable and he knew that, so that was okay. He knew who he was dealing with and wasn’t expecting more than they were able to give. In the end, he would always have the Sinclairs.

  But above all, he knew they were going to be okay as a couple. They were both too stubborn to allow their lives to be anything other than great. Did they still cry? Get mad? Yes, but he figured that was a part of life, and they were building a life. Together. The apartment was coming along beautifully, Mr. Right had lost a good three pounds, and they had bought a car together. They worked together, they enjoyed each other’s company, and above all, they made love often. Everything was how he wanted it, needed it, and he was more than a little bit excited about it.

  Because he was with her.

  “Sorry about this, guys. They called when I was in my appointment to say that it was ready, and I wanna give it to Mekena for Christmas.”

  Jayden waved Markus off as they walked down the sidewalk outside Green Hills Mall where they would meet Mr. Preston before going into Tiffany to pick the gifts up for Mekena and Mrs. Preston. “No big deal. Lunch can wait.”

  Vaughn scoffed. “I don’t know why you think that, because I’m starving, and I was told I was being fed.”

  Markus rolled his eyes. “Why didn’t you drive, then?”

  “’Cause you told me we were eating!”

  Jayden and Markus laughed. “We’ll get there, I promise.”

  Vaughn grumbled. “Listen, I’m hungry and pissed. I had to do media today, and I just want food.”

  “Aw, did Vaughn have to talk to Brie, and it made him angry?” Jayden teased, and Vaughn glared.

  “I hate you as much as I hate her.”

  “You don’t hate her. You want to bang her, but she won’t give you the time of day, so you’re a dick.”

  Vaughn scoffed. “If I wanted her, I’d have her.”

  “Sure,” Markus laughed. “She’s way out of your league.”

  “Ha, like you have any room to talk. Mekena is a hottie, she should holler at me, not your scrawny ass.”

  Markus laughed harder. “Please, my woman loves me and only me.”

  “Speaking of Mekena,” Jayden said. “Are they not back yet?”

  Markus shook his head, checking his phone. “She should be home in about two hours. I think they got stuck in Georgia.”

  Mekena had flown to Florida and met Avery to drive back home. They were on their “girls trip” they had been talking about for months. Markus figured it was a great idea and flew her down there a couple days before since they had a five-day break between games. He was lucky that Avery was free, and that Autumn was actually already down there visiting so that she could keep Ashlyn. It all worked out, and he knew that Mekena needed some girl time with her best friend. She had been bummed when Avery had to go home after staying with them for so long, and he’d admit, he missed them too.

  Or better yet, he missed Ashlyn, because watching that toddler chase around a fat cat was basically the highlight of his mornings.

  As they walked into the mall, Markus sent her a quick text.

  Markus: Where you be at, woman of mine?

  Mekena: Three hours away. We stopped for food.

  Markus: Ugh! HURRY, I miss you!

  Mekena: Good, cause I wanna bang.

  Markus: Jesus, you horndog.

  Mekena: Haha. I miss you. See you soon.

  Smiling, he tucked his phone into his pocket as they entered the mall, where Markus found Mr. Preston waiting by the directory. He had called Stan when he left the Assassins office since he had gotten Mrs. Preston the same gift he had gotten Mekena.

  “Hey,” he called, and Stan smiled as he came off the sign. He didn’t look how he had when Markus had first met him. He was skinnier, looked tired, and Markus knew it was because Mrs. Preston wasn’t handling Skylar’s death well. She was in more advanced therapy since the complimentary one ran out after the first month. Mekena tried to lift her mother up, but Linda still blamed herself and felt like a piece of her was missing. Markus knew he could never replace that piece, but he thought maybe the gift he had made for her and Mekena would help.

  “Hey, thanks for letting me tag along.”

  “Of course. These are my buddies, Jayden and Vaughn. Guys, this is Mekena’s dad, Stan.”

  “Stan, the man,” Vaughn laughed, but Stan didn’t laugh.

  “Nice to meet you.”

  Shooting Markus a look, Vaughn shook Mr. Preston’s hand before they started for Tiffany. They made small talk, mostly about hockey since that was an easy subject all four men could agree on.

  When the sign for the store came into view, Markus smiled just as Jayden said, “Hey, why don’t Vaughn and I go to the Cheesecake Factory and wait for y’all? There is no reason for all of us to go. This is a family matter, ya know?”

  Markus hadn’t even realized that, but then, he thought of the guys as family. They were his best friends. The Assassins was his home, and he was so lucky that the contract he had signed was a three-year deal with a no-trade clause.

  Thank you, Elli Adler.

  Vaughn made a face then asked, “Why? What are you doing?”

  “We’re picking up necklaces for Mekena and her mom. They have a little charm with the ashes of Mekena’s sister who passed a month or so ago in it,” Markus said, and he didn’t miss the sadness that took over Stan’s face or the pure alarm on Vaughn’s.

  “Oh, yeah, count me out on that. Not to sound insensitive, but that’s sad as hell,” Vaughn said, holding his hands up. “I’ll be at the bar.”

  He turned and walked away, leaving Jayden to shake his head. “He’s such an ass.”

  Markus scoffed but shrugged his shoulders. “You don’t have to leave, bro.”

&nb
sp; “No, man, it’s good. Go ahead, I’ll go eat and entertain JoJo. Come join us after, please,” he said, more to Stan than Markus, due to the simple fact that Markus was his ride, so obviously, he’d be coming.

  “Yeah, maybe,” Stan said, holding his hand out. Jayden took it as Stan said, “Just in case, it was good to meet you.”

  “You too,” he said with a nod before turning and walking away, sending Markus a small smile of encouragement.

  He didn’t even know he needed it until that moment.

  Sucking in a breath, Markus looked at Stan. “Let’s do this.”

  Entering the store, they told the clerk why they were there, and she took them to the viewing room. As they waited for the jeweler who was in charge of the special pieces Markus had ordered, Markus leaned back in his seat, looking over at Stan.

  “So, how are you?”

  Stan nodded, wringing his fingers together. “Okay, taking each day as it comes.”

  “Linda any better?”

  He shrugged. “Some days, but it’s been hard. On both of us.”

  “I’m sure, but I think this will help a bit.”

  “Yeah, thanks for this. It’s a wonderful idea, and I think she’ll love it. So will Mekena.”

  “I hope so,” Markus said optimistically as he crossed his arms over his chest.

  “How’s Mekena? I haven’t talked to her in a few days.”

  “Working a lot and getting the apartment exactly how she wants it. It’s going well,” he said, letting out a breath. He hated small talk. It drove him crazy, but he was nervous. He wasn’t sure why, but he was. He knew Stan liked him; that wasn’t the problem. Really, he wasn’t sure what his problem was, but his heart was pounding and his stomach was a mess.

  Thankfully, the jeweler who had done Markus’s order entered with a smile on her face. He was excited when Jayden had suggested Marylou to him. She was a genius when it came to jewelry, and when Markus told her what he wanted, she came back at him with the most amazing stuff. Stan had loved the design, and Markus was excited to see the final piece.

  “Hey, Markus. Mr. Preston, I presume,” Marylou said as both men stood, shaking her hand. Markus noticed in her other hand were three little boxes, and his heart kicked up in speed as she set each out. He knew what each one held, and the last one made his heart skip a beat and then crash into his stomach. He felt Stan look at him, but it was only for a second before he looked back down at the three little boxes.

  “I thought we only ordered two?”

  Marylou smiled as she nodded. “You did, but this third box is something special that Markus ordered,” she said with a wink, and Markus smiled over at Stan, who just looked confused. Reaching for the first two boxes, she opened them to reveal a beautiful pendant that almost looked like a galaxy of stars, but it was really crushed up jewels mixed with Skylar’s ashes. It was stunning, and on the back, it was engraved with, “I’ll meet you in the stars.”

  Markus reached out, cupping Stan’s shoulder as he fought back tears.

  “It’s beautiful.”

  “It is,” Markus said, the emotion thick in his voice.

  “I’ll give y’all a moment,” Marylou said, walking out the back, and Markus smiled when Stan looked over at him.

  “This was a great idea.”

  “I hope they think so too.”

  “They will,” he said, running his finger along the pendant. “You’ve been really great, Markus. I don’t think I’ve said that enough. Linda and I really appreciate everything you’ve done for our family. Taking care of Mekena, of us, cooking, cleaning—it’s been really great of you.”

  “I wouldn’t want to be any other way,” he said, his voice rough and not really sounding like his own. “I love Mekena. I’d do anything for her.”

  “Oh, I know. We all know… Hell, everyone knows,” he laughed, wiping away his tears. “The way you’ve stood by her is really something, and I’m very lucky to know you’re the man who loves my daughter.”

  Swallowing hard, Markus held Stan’s gaze and said, “And the man who wants to marry her.”

  Stan paused, his eyes widening. “I’m sorry, what?”

  Reaching for the third box, Markus opened it to a stunning four-carat teardrop diamond that had a row of smaller half-carat diamonds encircling the band. Holding it up, he knew he had the biggest, goofiest grin on his face, experiencing the same feeling of wonder he had when he first saw the ring. He had only meant to come to the store to order Mekena’s and Linda’s gifts, but then he saw the ring he knew belonged on Mekena’s finger.

  The ring that symbolized his love for her.

  Meeting Stan’s wide eyes, Markus’s grin grew. “I never have nor will ever love anyone like I do Mekena. I want to marry her. I want to make a life with her, but I can’t do that in good conscience without knowing you support us. So may I please marry your daughter?”

  Stan looked away and shook his head. “She’s so young.”

  Markus’s heart dropped, taking his breath away, but somehow, he said, “Eh, she’s very mature, though.”

  Stan laughed. “She’s been very mature since she was about nine.” Markus’s heart was in his throat as he waited for Stan to answer him. When he looked up to Markus, he was smiling. “She’s my baby, and I’ve always had such a special place in my heart for her. She’s so damn smart, sarcastic as all hell, and I swear, sometimes I think I can’t love her enough. But then I met you, and I can’t help but feel like you love her even more than I do.”

  “I do love her, Stan, and I’ll always love her. I will.”

  “I know, and because of that, the answer is yes. Markus, you have my blessing—or whatever you want to call it. You can marry her, and hell, I’ll even pay.” Markus laughed, but before he could say anything more, Stan stood, pulling him up into a backslapping hug. “Thank you for asking, Markus. I didn’t think guys did that anymore. To know you wanted to, and you have, leads me to believe you are a gentleman and you’ll love her right and for the rest of her life.”

  “Oh, I will,” he promised, hugging his future father-in-law. “As long as she says yes,” he joked. Though, he was sure she would.

  “She’d be crazy not to say yes.”

  “I hope you’re right.”

  “When will you ask?”

  “Christmas, maybe? I’m not sure. When the moment feels right.”

  “I’ll keep my mouth shut, won’t even tell Linda.”

  Markus nodded. “Thanks. I haven’t told anyone either.” Well…Jace and Avery didn’t count.

  “So we wait,” he said, holding out his hand, and Markus took it with a huge grin on his face. He hadn’t thought Stan would say no—that thought hadn’t even crossed his mind—but now that he had said yes, a sense of relief washed over him. He hadn’t really planned the proposal. He wanted to do some huge scene, make it special, but he needed time to plan it. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do, but he wanted it to be unique and perfect.

  Because Mekena deserved that and more.

  And Markus was going to give it to her.

  Looking out the window as the hills of Tennessee passed, Mekena smiled while Avery sang along to Taylor Swift on the radio. The last four days had been a blast. Mekena and Avery’s Wild Adventure, as they were calling it, had started in Fort Lauderdale where they sat on the beach for a whole day doing absolutely nothing. It was glorious. They then went and packed up the trailer with all Mekena’s things, and then her car before hitting the road. They stopped in Jacksonville to get Markus’s things from his ex-roommate and then stopped in every town along the way that interested them.

  They went to old music stores, stopped at some parks, and sometimes just parked the car and lay on the hood. They stayed at funky hotels just for the thrill of it and even went to the Space & Rocket Center in Alabama, something Mekena had always wanted to do. Whatever they felt like doing, they did, and it was amazing. They ate until their guts were full, and boy, was the food good. It was all awesome and ever
ything that Mekena needed to clear her head.

  It had been five weeks since Skylar had passed, and Mekena still wasn’t totally okay. If it weren’t for Markus, she would probably still be in bed, with no purpose but to breathe. It was heartbreaking, and she didn’t really understand her feelings. She was mad at the person who had killed her sister. Who had tried to rape her boyfriend and then took him away from her for two years. But she loved and missed the sister who taught her how to do her makeup and attempted to teach her how to talk to boys.

  That person she missed more than she could ever put into words. But as bad as it sounded, she was glad the person who had been killing her sister slowly was finally gone. The only problem was that villain took her sister with her. There was a hole in Mekena’s soul, one that would slowly heal, but at that moment, it still felt empty. She didn’t understand why or how this could have happened to someone who used to be so vibrant and fun. Her sister was supposed to go places, be an amazing dancer with a huge career, but instead, Mekena had found out that Skylar was working at a strip club as a dancer, doing cocaine every night.

  It made her sick.

  She didn’t want to know that side of her sister.

  Thankfully, she wasn’t going through this alone.

  She had Markus.

  God, he was an angel. So understanding, so sweet, and helpful. He did everything he could to make the loss of Skylar that much easier. He listened, he fed her, made her comfortable, and by God, he loved her. He loved her so much that sometimes it was suffocating. But he picked up on that, and he gave her space. He knew her inside and out, and it was nice to be certain he was there. No matter what. Not everyone got that person who would die for them, and Mekena had two.

  Avery and Markus.

  Like Markus, Avery had been there every step of the way. She didn’t leave for the three weeks after Skylar had passed, sacrificing time with her husband to be there for Mekena and her family. Mekena owed Avery the world, but they both joked that since Ashlyn almost killed Mr. Right on numerous occasions, they’d call it even. A grin came across her face as she remembered Ashlyn lying on her baby, holding him down as he tried to get away. But he wouldn’t bite her because he loved the sweet baby too. It was great, and a really good laugh.