Reminding him with Allie’s every breath just how much he stood to lose all over again if this time he couldn’t make her forever his. It wasn’t just them he’d be losing, but also their son. A boy who only after knowing a few weeks he already fiercely loved.
Chapter Ten
Caleb avoided Allie as best he could the next few days—tough considering he was being paid to protect her.
At the moment, he was standing outside the Morning Glory Inn, hands shoved in his jeans pockets, yet again trying his damnedest to avoid the inevitable. His only solace was that Allie looked equally uncomfortable, surrounded by his sister, baby niece, brother-in-law and dad. His brother Beau chatted with Adam. His son and stepniece played on a swingset in the two-story inn’s side garden. Now that so many of Francis’s gang had been rounded up, Caleb’s twelve-man team had been slimmed to four.
Allie looked beautiful.
Really extraordinarily beautiful.
The day was sunny and fine, like when they’d been to the petting farm. She wore her long hair down. When the light breeze tickled it against her cheeks, she kept brushing it away. Her denim dress and black boots looked hot. Gillian’s baby fisted one of the ends of her orange-and-black scarf, making Allie laugh while his sister passed the baby off to her. Chrissy put the scarf all the way in her mouth, happily gumming the candy-corn decorated silk while the two women talked.
Anger clenched Caleb’s gut.
Allie had cheated him out of so much. Out of so many never to be reclaimed moments like seeing her hold their baby. Of sharing holidays with their son and his family. How many different Halloween costumes had he missed?
Chrissy snuggled against Allie’s breasts, bringing to mind still more questions. Like had she really asked him to make love to her?
Had he really turned her down?
“What’s got you so deep in thought?” his dad asked.
Caleb laughed. “As always—a woman.”
“She’s a looker, I’ll give you that.”
“It’s not her looks that have me bugged.”
“Yep,” his dad said. “Gotta say I’ve had a few angry moments myself over this whole situation. Your boy’s handsome. Smart as a whip. Just wish I would’ve had more time to fish with him or sit with him on my knee.”
“I know what you mean.”
“So when are you two going to tie the knot?”
“Not sure,” Caleb said.
“You asked her though, right?” The sound of Cal’s laughter rose above his father’s question. Looked like he was having a ball getting to know his cousin, who was currently chasing him, trying to conk him on the head with her fairy princess wand. He took a harmless swing at her with his plastic sword.
“Yes, sir,” Caleb said. “But she hasn’t given me an answer.”
“You planning on keeping after her? Demanding she make a choice?”
“I guess. But unfortunately, we’re not living in the old west. I can’t just drag her and Cal back to my mountain cabin.”
“So then you’ve put her on a deadline?” his dad asked. “Marry you, or else?”
“Not in so many words, but I think it’s understood that as soon as she delivers Francis’s sentence, I’m gone—not out of Caleb’s life, but hers.”
His dad frowned.
“What? I should just hang around like a sap? Waiting for her to make up her mind?”
Shrugging, his dad said, “Got anything better to do?”
“Thanks, Pops. You’re a lot of help.”
“You’re welcome.” He winked. “Let me know where to send the bill.”
“I SURE APPRECIATE you throwing this party,” Allie said to Gillian, early that evening. “I can tell Cal’s having a super time.”
“What about you?” Gillian asked, making a last-minute repair on a Halloween-themed gingerbread haunted castle she and Meghan had spent the past week perfecting for the party. Allie had been under the impression that they were just going to have an intimate get together for family, but Gillian had instead hired a party planner who had transformed the inn’s event room into a spooky wonderland complete with carnival games that Cal and his cousin were happily trying to win. Piles of candy, and howling coyote and cackling witch sound effects were also crowd pleasers.
Cal’s entire class was invited, along with all of Allie’s co-workers. Allie told Giselle Caleb was officially off-limits—not that Allie yet knew what she’d do with him, but the point was to keep her options open. Giselle now used her many charms on Bear, who stoically stood guard near the door. Though his arms were crossed, face grim and alert, Giselle looked determined to make him smile.
Allie’s mom hadn’t been able to come. Turns out she’d promised to dog sit for neighbors who were taking a twenty-five-year wedding anniversary cruise. While Allie missed her mom, she was secretly relieved to put off at least her portion of the family reunion.
Allie had been touched by Gillian’s gesture to throw the party. Touched, but also confused. Why would Caleb’s sister do all of this for her and her son? Especially after she’d kept Cal from the Logues for all these years?
“Sure, I’m, ah, having lots of fun.” Allie flashed Gillian a hesitant smile.
“Look,” Gillian said, licking black frosting from her thumb, “before all of Cal’s friends get here, there’s something I need to get off my chest. Let’s talk.”
“HERE IT COMES,” Allie said with a grimace in a relatively quiet corner near Coyote Mountain Slide, which was not yet in use. “I’ve been wondering when you’d let me have it.”
“Oh, Allie, no.” Gillian surprised her with a hug. “Where would you get that idea?”
“Maybe because that’s what I’d do if I were standing in your shoes?”
“Yell at yourself?” Gillian laughed. “What purpose would that serve?”
Tears sprung to Allie’s eyes. “Oh, Gillian, I’m so sorry for what I’ve done. At the time, it just—I couldn’t see any other option. Caleb had so many plans, all of which centered around a career that could snatch him from me and our son. I never meant to lie about Cal. It just happened. Every year, I planned on telling him, but the more time that went by, the more scared I got. I didn’t know how he’d react. Couldn’t imagine.”
“Shh…” Gillian said, patting Allie’s back. “Now that you and my brother are finally getting married, you can put all that behind you. Yes, you hurt him—all of us—but we’re a forgiving bunch.”
Allie nodded.
“Whoa,” Gillian asked when Allie couldn’t stop crying. “What’s the matter now?”
“N-nothing,” Allie said with a sniffle.
“You and my brother are getting married?”
“I—I don’t know.”
“He asked, didn’t he?” Gillian demanded to know.
“Uh-huh.”
“Then what’s the problem?” Scooping up a handful of M&Ms, Gillian popped a few into her mouth and chewed.
Sighing, Allie asked, “Got a few years?”
“Honey, after what Joe and I went through to get together, I know what you mean. How about you and I trade our punch for wine and head upstairs for some serious girl talk. The boys can handle the party.”
“You think?” Glancing at the four rowdy kids already assembled, Allie had a tough time imagining Caleb handling even them, let alone more.
“Oh, sure. Joe’s great with kids, and it’s high time my brother learned.”
CALEB FLASHED a panicked look at his brother-in-law, Joe. “Where’d that wife of yours run off to?”
“She said she and your soon-to-be-wife were just going for one quick glass of wine. Next thing I knew, you and me were both banished to kid hell.”
Laughing, Caleb yanked a Power Ranger off of the snack table.
After corralling a daisy, a vampire and Miss America, then finding time to snag a few hot dogs, Caleb was hiding out with Joe in the haunted house when he asked, “How long did it take for Gillian to give you an answer after you proposed?”
“About two-point-five seconds once I got my head out of my behind enough to get up the nerve to ask. Why?”
“No biggee,” Caleb said around his latest bite of hot dog.
“All right, Gil’s gonna kill me if I don’t ask the obvious question.”
“What’s that?”
“Well?” Joe peeled the foil from a chocolate cupcake. “What’s the problem? We’ve all been planning a Christmas wedding. Should I make your sister cool her matchmaking heels?”
Rolling his eyes, Caleb said, “You should know better than anyone that you can’t make Gillian do anything.”
“True,” Joe said. “Hey, you know that kid?”
“Which one?” Caleb leaned to his right, peering out the crooked haunted house window.
“The one with the pink hair and spiders for eyelashes who’s fishing in the punch fountain?”
“Sure. That’d be my son’s pal Billy Stubbs. Save my spot while I feed him to the werewolves.”
“TIRED?” Caleb asked Allie after they’d said goodbye to the last little goblin.
“Mmm-hmm…” She eased her arm around his waist, resting her head on his shoulder. It was such a simple gesture. One that in the grand scheme of things probably meant nothing, but he couldn’t help but feel a stir of hope.
“Judging by the size of Cal’s grin when he took off with Reider and Sam, I’d say the night was a complete success.” Because of minimal risk, Caleb agreed to the sleepover under the condition that Sam’s home had been previously surveyed for potential security weaknesses, and the boy had been accompanied by a security team. His parents had also been apprised of the still potentially dangerous situation, as had all of the parents of the children who’d attended the party.
“Thanks,” Allie said to Gillian and Joe. “I can’t get over how much trouble you all went to in welcoming Cal into your family.”
“Sure,” they said in unison.
The couple stood with their arms around each other, occasionally sharing glances that told anyone looking they’d found what it sometimes felt like the whole rest of the world was seeking—love.
Gillian said, “Don’t forget, tonight was also about welcoming you into our family. You’ve just gotta remember to—” She leaned over to Allie, whispering into her ear.
Allie busted into the kind of laughter Caleb hadn’t heard coming from her in years. “Will do.”
“What was that about?” Caleb asked Joe.
“I’m too tired to decode it tonight. Come on,” he said to his wife, taking her by the hand to tug her toward the stairs. “You’re going to bed—with me.”
“Yes, sir,” she said, but not without an over-the-shoulder grin to Allie.
After they’d left, Caleb said, “Spill it.”
“What?” She batted her eyelashes.
The marshal on duty with them at the far end of the inn’s lobby cleared his throat. “Should I, ah, give you two some privacy?”
“Thanks, Kent.” Damn. Caleb had forgotten he was even there. “But Allie and I were just leaving.”
“We were?” she asked, at it again with those flirty eyelashes, adding a pout to her uncharacteristic sex-kitten routine.
“You been drinking?” he asked.
“Just a smidge.”
“That why you left chaperoning the party to me and Joe?”
“Maybe,” she said, toying with one of the buttons on his shirt.
“What the hell are you up to?” he asked, using a lock of her hair to tweak the end of her nose.
She wagged a hotel key at him.
Again, Caleb was left groaning. “What exactly have you and my sister been talking about?”
“You know.” Wink, wink. “Girl stuff.”
“No, I don’t know,” he said, taking the key and putting his hand on the small of her back to lead her up the stairs. “How ’bout you tell me.”
They’d been in the room exactly forty-five minutes—long enough for room service to deliver wine and hot artichoke dip—when Allie fell asleep.
Caleb sighed.
Whatever Allie and his sister had gabbed about, it looked like it’d be morning till he and Al got a chance to talk.
He took off his roommate’s boots and scarf, then tucked her in for the night. But it was only nine-thirty and he was still wide-awake, so he made a quick call to both security teams to make sure all was still well, then headed down to the inn’s small bar in hopes of finding his dad and brothers.
“HEY THERE, SLEEPY HEAD,” Caleb said to Allie the next morning in their suite. He’d been reading the paper at a small table in front of a large bank of windows. If he’d opened the shades, no doubt sunshine would’ve flooded the room. But until Allie and Cal were one hundred percent out of danger, he saw no sense in tempting fate. “I ordered breakfast. A little of everything.”
“Thanks.” She sat up only to clutch her stomach and forehead. “Whoa. How much wine did your sister and I drink?”
“Considering the fact that you, and according to Joe—Gillian—were both out by nine-thirty, I’d say you both had more vino than you thought.” He went to her, perching on the side of the bed. “Need anything? Aspirin? A cool cloth?”
“Yes, please. To both.” She grimaced. “And while you’re at it, how about a new head?”
“Will do.”
In a few minutes, he was back with both items, along with a cold can of Sprite. He opened it for her to help wash down the two white tablets.
When she’d finished, he took the can, setting it on the bedside table. “I don’t know about you,” he said, “but that was one of the most romantic nights of my life.”
While he settled on his side of the bed, bunching the pillows behind him, she stuck out her tongue.
He sighed. “Remind me to let my sister have it next time we see her.”
“She was only trying to help.”
“By getting you sloshed?”
Allie rolled her eyes. “I would hardly call a few glasses of wine sloshed. I’m just not used to drinking, that’s all.”
“I know,” he said, cupping his hand to her sick belly. “I’m just messing with you. Wouldn’t have even mattered if you were awake. Remember? How my job kind of makes you off-limits? I shouldn’t even kiss you, let alone want to do way more.”
He tried lifting his hand, but she put hers on top of his.
“Stay.” She swallowed hard. “One of the things your sister and I talked about was me being more open. Not only with myself, but you.”
“Oh?”
Half laughing and shaking her head, she said, “I’ve made such a mess of things.”
“I’d say we both have.”
Hand still over his, she said, “Right here—now—let’s start fresh.”
“Nothing would make me happier.”
Leaning close, she kissed him. Softly, sweetly, as if maybe it were for the first time all over again.
“When I was pregnant,” she said, her cheek against his, her body against his, her soul too close to his for anything but truth, “I missed you so bad. I lost count of the number of times I almost called you. I used to fall asleep cupping my hands to our baby, wishing they were your hands. Praying they were your hands.” Tears streamed down her cheeks.
“Geez, Al, all it would’ve taken was one call. Hell, I tried finding you, but your mother told me you didn’t want to be found.”
“I know,” she said. “I was so young. Proud. Stupid.”
“And now?” he asked, almost afraid to.
“Now, I’d like a second chance. I’m begging for a second chance. But I can’t just marry you in a quickie wedding. It’s been so long, Caleb. I need to know these feelings between us are real. Yes, Cal needs a father. And I would never again in a million, trillion years deny you, or your family, another moment with him. In fact, if for some reason you should decide marriage isn’t in the cards for us, I would explore finding a bench closer to Portland so that you and Cal could be together.”
&nb
sp; “You’d do that?” he asked. “For me?”
She nodded. “Considering the years I took from the two of you—yes. It’s the least I can do to make amends.”
Caleb released a gush of air he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. What could’ve caused this sudden turnaround in Allie’s stand on their relationship—or lack thereof? “What exactly did my sister say to you last night?”
Chapter Eleven
Lips curving into a brilliant smile, Allie said, “It wasn’t so much what she said to me, but what she showed me. We looked through photo albums of your family. In them there were so many wonderful shots of Gillian and Joe and the life they share. But there were also a lot of you playing with your nieces. Of all of you hamming it up on family ski trips and sitting around the table at Thanksgiving and Christmas. It made me see how much Cal and I are missing by not being part of all that. And not just us, but my mom, too. It’s been only the three of us for as long as I can remember. Sitting around her big empty dining room table at holidays. Only having a roasting hen because there aren’t enough of us to justify a whole turkey or ham.”
Caleb pulled her in for a hug. He rolled onto his back, lifting her on top of him, sliding his fingers deep into her hair.
Over the past nine years, they’d both missed so much—but no more. Starting today, this second, neither of them was ever going to miss out on anything again.
AT SCHOOL ON MONDAY, Cal couldn’t stop smiling. This had been the best Halloween ever. He loved his new uncles and grandfather and aunt and cousins, and man, if he could have any wish in the world, it’d be to live with all of his new, big family forever.
But back at Reider’s house after the party, he’d IM’d Clara, and she said that unless his mom and dad got married, he wouldn’t ever get to see his new family ’cept for sometimes on weekends and during summer vacation. Well, that just wasn’t enough. Which was why he was now hungry—because he’d had to pay Clara his lunch money for her to tell him how to get his mom and dad married.
“Want my cookie?” Sam asked.
“You sure you don’t want it?” Cal asked.
“Nah. Reider gave me his ’cause he’s allergic to raisins.”
Marrying the Marshal Page 12