Baby It's You (Seven Brides Seven Brothers Book 6)

by Calhoune, Belle

  Aside from their near kiss, she was very proud of Wyatt. Despite his initial reluctance, he was all heart and soul and determination. He was an athlete. His body was in prime condition. A person didn’t get to the major leagues without being a driven individual. She wanted Wyatt to take all that drive and use it toward his recovery. And from what she’d seen today, he would rise to the challenge. It shouldn’t surprise her considering his fast rise to the top of the sports world. Wyatt Donahue was the most famous person to hail from Breeze Point, Cape Cod. It was commendable, particularly when one considered the fact that the first nine years of his life had been far from idyllic. She didn’t know the particulars—she’d never asked him—but she knew that kids were generally sent to foster care due to neglect, abuse or abandonment.

  Bless Maggie and Alec Donahue. They’d adopted all seven of their boys from the foster care system and given them a wonderful life full of faith, family and endless amounts of love and devotion. And all the Donahue boys had turned out wonderfully. Living in such a small town as Breeze Point had given their family the perfect landscape for a happily ever after.

  More than anything she envied the close relationships shared between the brothers. She and Lacey had never been close, even though Kaitlyn had tried numerous times to bridge the gap. She didn’t know why but Lacey looked down on her. It wasn’t anything new, but it hurt Kaitlyn more than she could ever express in words. She had always hoped that with time and patience her sister would grow to be supportive and loving. Life was hard enough when someone in your own family took every opportunity to take pot shots at you. No matter what she did, it was never good enough for Lacey.

  Why did she care anyway? Not every family could be as tight-knit and caring as the Donahue family. She let out a sigh. Sometimes you just had to be happy for the things you had in your life, rather than focus on the things you lacked. Her life was centered and she was happy both professionally and personally. She dreamed about finding a serious boyfriend, but so far no man had ever matched up to her ideal.

  Wyatt Donahue. He’d imprinted himself on her heart and mind when she was a young teen. Since that time, no male had ever matched up to Wyatt. Although she’d had boyfriends, she’d never let anyone penetrate the regions of her heart. She’d never made the connection before, but now that he was back in her orbit she knew that he was the reason her heart had never been accessible.

  “The Donahue brothers are like the Three Musketeers. Only there are seven of us.”

  Remy Donahue

  Chapter Five

  It had been three weeks since Wyatt had started his PT sessions with Kaitlyn. Three weeks of some of the most grueling work he’d ever committed himself to doing. The pain in his leg hadn’t disappeared completely, but it was substantially better than before he’d begun working with Kaitlyn. Although he was continuing to use his cane for balance, he was able to get around without it. And he’d gotten back behind the wheel on a regular basis which gave him a sense of freedom he’d been sorely lacking since the accident.

  When he’d flipped through his calendar this morning he’d realized that it was Boys’ Night Out for the Donahue brothers. He’d missed every single one for the last six weeks solid. Tonight was going to change all that since he intended to show up announced without his cane to support him.

  The idea of surprising his brothers at Sully’s Tavern gave him a lot of pleasure. He missed those laid-back, fun-filled nights when he could kick back with a cold beer and chill out in the presence of his brothers. He could just see their faces now as he walked over to their table and took his rightful place amongst them. And he wouldn’t be hobbling over to them with the use of his cane. Nor would he be relying on the wheelchair anymore. Thanks to Kaitlyn. She’d shown him the truth—that he’d been using it as a crutch rather than doing the hard stuff that would allow him to increase his strength and stamina.

  Just after seven his driver pulled up to the entrance of Sully’s Tavern, the local restaurant/bar that served as a meeting place for the Donahue brothers. When he walked inside and headed toward their usual table, he noted that all six of his brothers were already seated and in attendance. He’d timed his entrance perfectly.

  “Hey, guys. Sorry I’m late,” he drawled as he walked over to their table and pulled up a chair.

  The reaction was ear-splitting. Several customers glanced over at their table, no doubt wondering what all the commotion was about. Ryder, who was seated on his right, slapped him vigorously on the back while Nick quickly signaled the waiter for another beer mug. Within minutes he’d filled up Wyatt’s mug and slid it in front of him.

  “This calls for a toast,” Nick said, raising his mug in the air.

  Everyone raised their mugs as Remy offered the toast. “To Wyatt. Boys’ Night Out wasn’t the same without you, bro. Welcome back!”

  “Welcome back!” they all shouted as they clinked their glasses.

  “It’s great to be back. I owe you guys a debt of gratitude for hiring Kaitlyn. The tabs on me tonight,” Wyatt said as a feeling of supreme satisfaction raced through his veins.

  His brothers collectively let out a roar of approval. Mac ordered another pitcher of ale and a plate of buffalo chicken wings and mozzarella sticks.

  Blue winked at him. “Amazing what a pretty face will do for Wyatt’s spirits.”

  Laughter rang out at the table. Wyatt joined in on the laughter, even though he knew that Kaitlyn O’Malley was way more than a pretty face. She was wise. And sweet. A one of a kind woman.

  “So, what’s next? It’s exciting to see you walk in here without your cane,” Brandon said with a wide grin. “Have you figured out any long-term plans?”

  “I’m really excited about heading to Florida in a few weeks for Spring Training.” Wyatt was smiling so hard his cheeks hurt. “It’s about time this face got a little sun,” he said, raking his hand over his face.

  “Wow. That would be amazing,” Nick said, bumping fists with Wyatt in celebration.

  Ryder’s face held a skeptical expression. “A few weeks ago you were holed up in your beach house not doing much of anything. Now, only a few weeks later you’re planning on being at Spring Training. That seems a little fast. Maybe you need to slow down, Wyatt.”

  Wyatt groaned. “Before everyone was telling me to get up and do something other than wallow in my misery. Now you’re trying to hold me back.”

  “No one’s trying to hold you back,” Blue explained. “What Ryder is trying to warn you against is unrealistic expectations.”

  “Let’s not clip his wings,” Mac said in a gruff tone. “We don’t need a group consensus for everything. Some choices we just have to make on our own.”

  Everyone turned toward Mac. Something about his tone and expression were off. He seemed restful. Anxious.

  “Hey, what’s up, Mac? You seem on edge or worried about something,” Nick probed. He might have been the youngest of the brothers, but along with Remy, he was the most sensitive and observant.

  Mac steepled his fingers in front of him. His expression was somber. “There’s a lot of stuff rattling around in my mind. I guess it’s safe to say I’m at a crossroads,” Mac responded.

  Silence ensued for a few beats. Suddenly, Mac wasn’t sounding at all like himself. A crossroads? He was the least dramatic member of the Donahue family. Whatever he was about to confide to his brothers had to be monumental. Otherwise, Mac would have kept it to himself.

  “What kind of crossroads? Work? Your personal life?” Wyatt asked with a frown.

  “I want to track down Mrs.Worther.” Mac’s statement was like a stick of dynamite going off at the table.

  Suddenly, everything hushed and stilled at the table. Six pairs of eyes were glued to Mac.

  The name Mrs. Worther was loaded with meaning for all seven of the Donahue brothers. Mrs. Worther was the director of the foster care agency that had placed all of the boys with their adoptive parents, Maggie and Alec Donahue. Each of the boys had been hand-selec
ted by Mrs. Worther to join the Donahue clan. Without her, they all knew their lives might have ended up very differently. They wouldn’t have been together as a family. They might have languished in the foster care system. But thanks to Mrs. Worther they’d all ended up being adopted by Maggie and Alec. And yet somehow over the years they’d lost touch with the kind woman who had changed all their destinies.

  “Just hearing that name is a blast from the past,” Brandon said with a shake of his head.

  “I haven’t thought of her in years,” Blue said, letting out a low whistle. “I feel badly about that.”

  “Neither have I,” Remy admitted. “It’s quite a shame considering everything she did for the seven of us. Without her who knows where we might have ended up.”

  “She was our fairy godmother, that’s for sure,” Nick muttered.

  Ryder narrowed his gaze as he looked over at Mac. “What brought this on? The desire to find her?”

  Mac looked around the table. He seemed to be hesitating. “I want to find out about Callie.”

  Wyatt’s jaw dropped. Callie? He hadn’t heard that name since they were little kids. Was Mac serious? If he wasn’t, it was a sick kind of joke. He thought he knew his brother well enough to know he would never tease about something so troubling.

  “Mac,” Wyatt said with a hint of impatience. “If this is a joke, it’s in really poor taste.”

  “I’m dead serious,” Mac snapped. “I’ve been having dreams about her. Lots and lots of dreams. Mrs. Worther might be able to help me figure everything out.”

  “Mac, everything was figured out when you were a kid,” Blue said in a gentle voice. “That’s why we haven’t talked about this since then.

  “No, it wasn’t,” Mac spit out. He thumped his fist down on the table.

  “Easy there,” Ryder said. “What’s going on with you?”

  Mac hunched over the table. His head was down. He wasn’t making eye contact with anyone. He was shaking his head and repeating himself. “I’m not crazy. I didn’t imagine her. I’m not delusional.”

  Wyatt didn’t know what to say. This was all coming out of the blue. For years his parents had taken Mac to psychologists and trauma specialists and neurologists. All in the hopes of getting him to deal with the fact that his sister Callie had been a figment of his imagination and not a living, breathing person. The doctors had all concluded that since Mac had been subjected to horrific physical abuse he’d invented Callie as a way of surviving childhood trauma. Around the age of twelve Mac had finally put “Callie” to rest. It was jarring to hear him suddenly bringing her up again after all these years.

  He had a vague memory of his parents traveling to Boston to meet with Mrs. Worther in her office. From what he remembered, the trip hadn’t yielded any information to support Mac’s claim of having had a younger sister. Had Mac somehow forgotten that there wasn’t a single record to prove she’d existed? Was his bringing Callie back to life a troubling sign related to his well-being?

  “Didn’t Mom and Dad already go over this with Mrs. Worther back in the day?” Wyatt asked.

  “Yeah,” Mac grudgingly admitted. “She shared my files with them. Said there was never a mention of a sibling. No trace of her or that another family adopted her.”

  “A dead end,” Blue said, his voice tinged with doubt.

  “It’s only a dead end if I stop believing in my memories,” Mac said. “And I’m not prepared to do that.” He stood up abruptly. “I’d appreciate a little support from you guys. Thanks! I need some air,” he mumbled as he got up from his seat and stormed off.

  “Mac, don’t go,” Ryder called out.

  “Smooth,” Remy said sarcastically with a pointed look at Blue.

  “Hey, I’m trying to ground him before he goes flying off on some wild goose chase,” Blue said.

  “Like he said, maybe it’s not a wild goose chase,” Wyatt added. “Either way, I’m going to go talk to him, calm him down a bit.”

  Wyatt pulled his winter coat on, got up from his seat and headed toward the exit. The moment he stepped outside he regretted doing so. February in Breeze Point served up brutally cold temperatures and tonight was no exception. Mac was sitting on the bench out front, a look of contemplation stamped on his rugged face. Wyatt parked himself next to him, allowing a comfortable silence to stretch out between them before he started talking.

  “Hmm. So you seriously have memories of a sister?” Wyatt asked. As children they’d been discouraged from talking to Mac about “Callie” since his therapist thought it would be harmful to encourage Mac into believing she was real. It felt strange to say her name out loud.

  Mac turned toward him, his gray eyes glinting with sincerity. “Yes. I do. I called her Callie but her name was something more formal…Caledonia, I think. And she called me Mac the knife sometimes. Because of the old song. I think someone we knew used to love that song and listen to it over and over. Lots of stuff is fuzzy, but I remember her red hair and freckles.”

  “But there are no records to support your memories, Mac. How do you explain that?” Wyatt was trying to be gentle and supportive at the same time. Mac had been so severely abused by his family that there was no telling if he’d created this “sister” in order to make it through the ordeal.

  He shrugged. “I can’t explain it. Haven’t you ever stepped out on a limb due to pure faith? A feeling in your gut that’s so strong you can’t deny it?”

  Funny. Wasn’t that what he was doing with his rehabilitation work right now? Acting on faith. He believed his destiny was to be suited up in a Bay State Bombers’ uniform and to be standing in the infield at Brimley Park. He felt it in his gut. And all of the hard work he’d been putting in with Kaitlyn had been stepping out on a limb without knowing if God would answer his prayers.

  “Yes, Mac. I’ve felt that way before.” He let out a brittle laugh. “Matter of fact, that’s how I feel about trying to make my way back to the team. Most days I’m acting on pure faith.”

  “That’s how I feel about finding out the truth about Callie. I’ve stuffed this feeling down for the last two decades almost. I can’t do it anymore. I knew it was upsetting to Mom and Dad so I buried it.”

  “What if you’re wrong? What if all this amounts to nothing more than a wild goose chase?”

  Mac shrugged. “I’ll have to live with that. And I’d rather live with being wrong than be haunted by these dreams and images. Not pursuing something because of fear or what others might think isn’t how I want to live my life.”

  Wyatt put his arm around his brother. “You have my support. I don’t profess to completely understand what’s going on and I’m still worried, but I’ve got your back. And I know the rest of the family will too once they wrap their heads around it.”

  “I know I’m not crazy,” Mac spit out through gritted teeth.

  “Well I wouldn’t go that far,” Wyatt joked. “I mean, weren’t you rooting for the Miami Rockets that one year? That makes you a little bit crazy.”

  Mac burst out laughing. He threw his head back with complete abandon. It was nice to see him relaxed for a change instead of being so grim and serious. It felt wonderful to have been the one to make him laugh. “Thanks for having my back. And you know I have yours as well. I really admire all the PT work you’re doing. You’ll be back with the team in no time.”

  Wyatt grinned at his brother. Mac’s words served as a nice boost of confidence for him. The PT work had been challenging so far, but he’d been rewarded with progress. She had him on a homeopathic regimen for the pain, supported by the occasional dose of Ibuprofen plus regular massages. He’d learned that acknowledging his pain didn’t make him weak. It was a necessary step on the way to making him stronger.

  “Kaitlyn has been amazing, Mac. She pushes me, but not to the point of breaking me. She’s fantastic at her job. And I’m beginning to feel hopeful, something I haven’t felt in a long time.”

  Mac wiggled his eyebrows at him. A smirk rested on his l
ips.

  “What? What’s that look for?” Wyatt asked, knowing there was some hidden meaning in his gesture.

  His brother held his hands up. “Hey. I didn’t say a word. But you said a whole lot! About the way you feel about Kaitlyn.”

  “Come on. It’s not like that,” Wyatt protested. The last thing he wanted to do was give his brother the impression that he had feelings for Kaitlyn. He liked her an awful lot, but wanting to kiss her and spend time with her didn’t mean they had a future. “You know that relationships and Wyatt Donahue don’t mix.”

  Mac rolled his eyes. “So you keep saying. You can’t let your past relationships define you. Who are we if we’re not willing to grow and change?”

  “I don’t know. Stagnant I suppose.” He let out a brittle laugh. “Can you really see me with the whole happily ever after deal? The white picket fence, a wife and kids?”

  “Believe it or not, I can. When you love you love hard, Wy. You just haven’t allowed yourself to give all that love to a woman. But you’ve certainly given our family that unwavering love and loyalty. You’ve given it to the Bombers as well. Why not to a woman?”

  Wyatt had never thought of it in quite that way before. When had Mac become so introspective? What in the world was holding him back from giving a woman his heart?

  “What about you, bro? You’ve got a great heart yourself.”

  Mac bowed his head. “I don’t feel whole enough to have a relationship. Maybe someday…if I can put everything firmly behind me. I still have a lot of demons haunting me. No girl wants a guy who’s a mess.”

  “You’re not a mess.” Wyatt clapped his hand on Mac’s shoulder. “You deserve love, Mac. After everything you’ve been through. No one deserves a happy ending more than you.”