How to Switch a Groom

by Cami Checketts

  Cally let out a shriek of surprise. She clapped her hand over her mouth as Emma laughed.

  “I take it you’re interested?”

  “Interested?” Cally jumped up and down. “This would be a dream come true.” Her charity started, and one of the top home builders in the nation wanting her to be their designer. She’d been eating humble pie the past few weeks, starting as the newest designer at a small firm in Ogden. It was fine, but this was heaven handed to her.

  The doorbell rang, and Cally’s heart seemed to stop. Tate. She was ninety-nine percent certain taking this offer would mean relocating to Chicago or maybe moving with each new project. She wouldn’t know until she met with Kamilla, but how could she turn down the prospect for her charity and the perfect job in the hope that something would happen with her and Tate? She couldn’t. She wouldn’t. But oh, it hurt.

  “Thank you, Emma. I’ve got to go. I’ve got a date with Tate.”

  “Oh … Tate. This will change the way things have been progressing between the two of you, I take it?”

  The woman must be a fairy to know things had been progressing, but Cally simply said, “Yes, ma’am, it will. But I want to meet with Kamilla, and I’m so grateful you’re helping me like this. Can you please text me the details?”

  “Of course, dear.” Emma sighed. “Just a word of advice.”

  “Yes?” Cally would take anything this woman wanted to give. She was like the good fairy.

  “Don’t miss out on love for money or opportunity.”

  Cally didn’t know how to respond. She and Tate had an awkward relationship, no promises, and after their one beautiful kiss, she’d called him Colt. This opportunity wasn’t truly about money anyway. It was about finally starting her charity and working at the very top of her career. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

  “I appreciate everything you’ve said and done, Emma,” she finally said.

  “I know you do. I’ll talk to you soon.”

  As soon as she hung up, a contact card came through with Kamilla Yates’s information. Cally sent a quick text to say she was thrilled with the opportunity and could come in the morning. Dots appeared immediately, showing Kamilla was typing, and her stomach pitched with excitement and nerves.

  A rap came at her door. “Cally? Tate’s here.”

  Tate! Oh, Tate. Would he follow her to Chicago? Not in a million years. He seemed to hate the very mention of that place.

  “Coming,” she called to her mother.

  The text appeared. We’re thrilled as well. I’ll send you the flight information and see you soon.

  Thank you.

  She squealed and dropped her phone on the side table. She’d focus on the flight and getting ready to go after her date. Right now, she wanted to give Tate her full attention. She hoped that with everything racing through her mind, she could still show Tate how much she cared for him, and not confuse both of them even more.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Cally thanked her mother, hurried through the second story, and pumped down the grand staircase. Her steps faltered when she saw Tate standing there in a soft blue, short-sleeved shirt and gray dress shorts. His hair was wet from the shower, and his sculpted face lifted into an irresistible grin when he saw her. His blue eyes sparkled with a mixture of mischief and desire, making Cally wonder what exactly he had planned tonight.

  “You look beautiful,” he greeted her.

  She pumped her eyebrows and finished crossing the distance to him. He smelled like the most intriguing mixture of bourbon and musk. “Not quite as beautiful as you.”

  “Well, it’s hard for most people to keep up.” He winked.

  Her mother gasped from behind her. Cally rolled her eyes. Here they went.

  “I was only teasing, Mrs. Young,” Tate said. “Cally is the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”

  “Better,” her mother said and brushed past them. “Treat her right,” she threw at Tate as her heels tapped from the foyer.

  Cally grimaced. It appeared her mother was recovering from the scare of almost losing her. Tate didn’t comment on the irony of the woman who’d mistreated Cally her entire life instructing the man who’d treated Cally wonderfully most of the years she’d known him to “treat her right”. Her mother was trying, but she still had a stick up her butt. Cally didn’t want to end up like her, and she’d been progressing that way before reconnecting with Tate. Could she take the opportunity in Chicago, start her charity, and still be with Tate? All while being the fun Cally he’d told her he loved to be around? It seemed like a tall order, maybe impossible.

  “She still doesn’t like me,” was all he said.

  “She’s still trying to like me, don’t take it personally.”

  Tate threw back his head and laughed. He was so appealing to her. Did he really think … “I’m the most beautiful woman you’ve ever seen?” she asked in a voice that wasn’t nearly confident enough.

  Tate sobered and stared deeply at her, as if drinking her in. “You are.” No teasing was in his voice or eyes.

  “Thank you,” she murmured, pushing her long hair over her shoulder.

  He tilted his head. “Are you ready for your dream date?”

  Cally smiled. “You know what my dream date is?”

  Tate’s smile was borderline cocky, but there was something in his eyes that showed he wasn’t as confident as he seemed. “I’m hoping any time spent with me is your dream date.” He wrapped his arm around her waist and escorted her to the front door.

  Cally’s body trembled from his possessive touch. “So that would make you my dream man?”

  Tate winked down at her. “That’s the hope.”

  “We’ll see.”

  He grinned and opened the door, walking her to his truck. “There are a lot of things we’re going to see about tonight.”

  Cally’s breath caught as excitement about what the night might bring and fear of what she had to share fought inside her. The offer from Kamilla Yates. How was she going to tell Tate? Tonight already felt like a dream date, but it wasn’t going to end well when she told him she was leaving. She bit at her lip and didn’t respond.

  Tate got her door and gently helped her into the truck. The scent of freshly baked bread and cookies washed over her. It was almost as appealing as Tate’s cologne. Cally squeezed her eyes shut and said a brief prayer. She wanted to be with Tate, but she wanted to help people and achieve her dreams too. Could the Lord give her both, or was this another hard choice she had to make? It seemed like she made most of those wrong in her life. Heaven help her, she’d probably choose wrong again.

  Tate nodded to the unmarked police car parked in Cally’s parents’ driveway. They said they’d follow them on their date. Tate had teased that this would be Cally’s dream date, but he hadn’t had much time to plan and hadn’t wanted to make things too hard on the police. The policeman he talked to wasn’t concerned about the Jack guy coming after Cally again, but they wanted to be cautious with her safety until he was caught. Tate hoped it wasn’t too long. He didn’t want police following him on the dates he was going to plan for her. Dates that would sweep her off her feet, making her his. He hoped.

  They drove south to Cemetery Point Beach by Huntsville. Cally didn’t say much. Tate didn’t know if she was nervous for their date or if she was stewing about something. It seemed like the wheels were spinning in her head, so he’d guess the latter.

  He found a quiet picnic table as most of the people who had come to the beach today were already headed out. Cally helped him set up the picnic. As they ate, he kept sneaking glances at her. She was gorgeous with her long, shiny blonde hair trailing down her back, wearing a black and white striped jumpsuit kind of outfit that was sleeveless and ended above her knees, showing off her shapely legs.

  “You’re awfully quiet tonight,” he said, worried. Maybe she was regretting going out with him, maybe she didn’t like the picnic and would rather go to a fancy restaurant. They could do fancy resta
urants, adventurous dates, whatever she wanted, but tonight he wanted to be alone with her and just talk. The past day and a half had been insane, but he hoped something good had come of the kidnapping, namely Cally seeing him as the man who wanted to be with her, who would do anything for her.

  “Sorry.” She smiled and took a drink of lemonade. “My mind is running faster than Usain Bolt tonight.”

  He smiled. “That’s fast.” He set his almost finished sandwich aside and turned on the picnic bench, straddling it so he could face her. “You want to talk about it?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t really know how to, because I don’t know …” She swirled her hand between them, “what’s going on here?”

  Tate nodded. “I can see how we both might need some clarification. Do you want me to tell you a little about what’s going on here from my perspective?”

  She blinked up at him, and then seemed to slide closer. “Sure.”

  He swallowed, suddenly uncertain. She’d given him some pretty good cues that she was interested, but what if he was reading her wrong? She’d also called him his brother’s name after the one time they kissed. He wanted to be mature about things, but that one still stung.

  “I feel like …” He paused and called himself all kinds of wimpy names so Brody wouldn’t have to do it for him, because there was no way he could explain the level of his devotion without her sprinting away faster than Usain Bolt. So instead of admitting that he adored her and had his entire life, that she tainted every relationship with every other woman because of how perfect she was for him, he decided he had to know, “Do you still love Colt?”

  Cally’s blue eyes filled with frustration, and she stood. She paced away from the table, and then rounded back. Tate cautiously got to his feet. He’d upset her, and that hadn’t been his intention but didn’t he have the right to know if she was over his brother? If he actually stood a chance?

  “I’m sorry, Tate.” Her blue eyes searched his, as if begging him to believe her. “I already told you I was over him.”

  “No.” He remembered things very differently than her saying she was over Colt. “You said if he wasn’t getting married, you’d still be with him.”

  She drew in a breath and pushed it out. “Nothing I say is going to convince you that I’m over him, not after …” Her voice trailed off, and she looked away, and then she turned and strode off again.

  Tate groaned and rushed after her. “Cally, stop, I shouldn’t have led with that.”

  She stopped and stared at him, giving him the chance to explain. She didn’t look mad, more frustrated and confused. Tate was … scared. He felt like his chance at happiness with the woman he’d always adored was contingent on his next words.

  “I should have told you.” He shoved a hand through his hair and stared at her. Her beautiful face was turned up toward his, waiting for him to explain. “That I want to be with you. I want to date you. I want you to give me a chance and only me.”

  Her eyes softened, and she tilted her head to the side, her shiny sheet of hair falling over her toned shoulder. “C’mon.” She gestured with her head.

  Tate was hoping for some kind of answer. “Where are we going?”

  “Rope swing.” She gave him an absolutely irresistible smile.

  Tate’s heart lifted, even though she hadn’t told him she’d give him a chance. “And just like that, Cally is back!”

  She laughed and started running in her sandals across the sand, heading up the gravel road to the rope swing on the opposite side of the inlet. Tate kept pace with her, feeling carefree and like a kid again, but maybe this time around he was the Jepson brother who had a chance with Cally. Maybe.

  They reached the swing, and she slid out of her sandals and dropped them. Tate retrieved the rope and handed it to her. “Ladies first.”

  “Thank you, kind sir.”

  “You’re really going off in that outfit?” he asked.

  “Try and stop me.” She winked and grasped the rope in her hands.

  Tate loved her. He knew it absolutely, without a doubt. She was smart, independent, driven, and fun. He pled silently with the Lord above to please, please let him have a chance to win her heart.

  Cally swung out over the lake, looking like an angel to him with her blonde hair streaming behind her, and her eyes lit up with happiness. When she reached the highest point, she let go and sailed a little farther before plunging into the water with a cute little scream of joy.

  She surfaced, and the water streaming down her face seemed to sparkle. She glowed, and Tate could hardly wait another second to kiss her. So what if she hadn’t answered his question about still loving Colt. So what if she hadn’t responded that Tate was the one she wanted. It didn’t matter. He was going to prove to her that he was the one she wanted, and he was going to start right now.

  He slipped out of his shoes, put his keys and phone in one of them, ripped off his shirt, and grabbed the rope. With a Tarzan yell, he swung out across the lake. Cally’s laughter echoed from below him as he dropped. She’d better watch out, because he was a man on a mission and that mission was to win her over. Right now.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Cally tread water as she waited for Tate to swing off the rope. She’d probably ruined another expensive outfit, but she didn’t care. She was remembering how to have fun. She was with Tate, and it was like old times. She wished she could’ve answered him earlier, told him how she loved him and not Colt. Her eyes had been opened, and Tate was the man she was seeing and wanted to see, but she was flying to Chicago in the morning and planning on accepting her dream job and starting her charity. How could she admit she was over Colt and wanted to be with Tate, and then ditch him? He’d been so ticked at her for ditching all of them five years ago. He would definitely not take it well right now.

  Tate yanked off his shirt, and her jaw dropped wide open. She had to swim quickly to where she could touch the silty bottom of the lake or risk drowning as she stared in awe at his beautiful physique. She’d seen and felt his chest in the dark last night, but seeing it with the sun glistening off of it and watching as he grasped the rope, his biceps and shoulders bulging, made her mouth dry and pulse race. Tate was definitely all man, the best man she’d ever known, and he wanted her. What was she doing thinking about leaving him? Yet how could she turn down this opportunity for her charity?

  He let out a Tarzan yell, and she laughed as he swung out across the water and dropped with a terrific splash. He surfaced and pushed his wet hair back from his face then swam to her with sure strokes. Grinning, he said, “That felt great.”

  Cally splashed him and couldn’t stop herself from admitting, “You’re pretty great, Tate.” Then she laughed when she realized she’d rhymed.

  Tate grinned but sobered as he asked, “Does that mean you want to be with me?”

  “Oh, Tate.” Her stomach swirled with desire for him even as it seemed to plunge with worry over what she needed to tell him. “I do, but …”

  “No, buts.” Tate pushed closer to her in the water. “Let’s concentrate on the I do. I mean, not like that, yet, but you know.”

  Cally smiled despite the turmoil inside. “There are some things I need to tell you.”

  “I want to hear them all.” His voice dropped irresistibly low and appealing. “In a minute.”

  He swept her into his arms and bent his head close to hers. Cally knew kissing him wouldn’t make leaving any easier, but she was powerless to resist as his handsome face drew closer and then his lips captured hers, joy and desire exploding within her.

  No kiss had ever captivated her like Tate’s. She wrapped her hands around his muscular back and held on as their bodies melded together, the weightlessness from the water and his firm, passionate lips making her feel like she was floating. How could she have ever thought Colt was the one for her when Tate’s kiss felt so exhilarating and all-encompassing? Every other kiss with any other man was a Tootsie Roll, and Tate’s kiss was a hot fudge sundae from
Ghirardelli on Michigan Avenue.

  She matched him kiss for kiss, pulling herself even closer and wrapping her legs around his back. Tate cradled her tight against him, his hands firm and strong on her lower back and his mouth the most impressive appendage she’d ever known a person to possess. Wow, could this man kiss. Yet she knew it wasn’t simply his skill with his lips. It was a connection and a rightness that existed between them … and she was leaving in the morning.

  Cally yanked back and studied him as they both tried to catch their breath.

  “Wow,” Tate said softly. “Either you’re the most proficient kisser I’ve ever met or we’re meant to be together.” He smiled. “I think it’s the latter, but the former is probably true as well.” His smile became more intimate, and his blue eyes swept over her in a gaze soft as a caress. “I love you, Cally,” he said almost reverently.

  “Oh, Tate.” Cally hugged him fiercely to her, burying her head against his shoulder. Tate held her close, and she savored the connection that wasn’t just physical between them. She loved him too, and not just like a brother as she’d thought throughout her younger years. She loved him, and she wanted to be with him. Unfortunately, she really had to tell him everything before she made the hardest decision of her life.

  She pulled back and said, “I’ve got to talk to you. Explain some things.”

  He nodded, his eyes serious. “Okay.”

  She moved away from him and pushed through the water toward the shore. They were both quiet as they gathered their shoes and his shirt, keys, and phone, making their way back to the truck. The rocks stung her feet a little bit but she was okay. She’d completely forgotten about the police officers following them. They were in an unmarked car far enough away that they could keep an eye on them but give them some privacy. She hoped that awful Jack guy was caught soon and made a mental note to call the police officer in charge to tell them she was going to Chicago tomorrow. What if they forbade her going? That would make her decision easier.