After he finished with his PT session Wyatt headed over to Nick’s restaurant, the Cove. It was at the other end of Breezy Beach, nestled at the top of Cove Road. For days now an idea had been brewing in his head. In order for it to go anywhere he needed Nick’s stamp of approval.
When he walked into the Cove there was a bustle of activity going on as Nick’s employees hustled to get ready for the lunch crowd. As soon as he walked into the room, numerous greetings were thrown in his direction. Fredo, one of the servers, made a beeline toward him.
“Hey, Wyatt. If you’re looking for Nick he’s been holed up in his office doing some paperwork for the last hour or so.”
“Thanks for the heads-up, Fredo.”
“I’m counting down the minutes till opening day.” He stuck out his hand. Wyatt shook it vigorously, always happy to greet a true fan. Every time he saw Fredo they talked about the Bay State Bombers and their chances of winning the World Series. This was supposed to have been their year to take the championship. Maybe they still would.
“You and me both, Fredo. It won’t be long now. We’re less than two months away.” Just the thought of it made Wyatt want to puff up his chest out of pure pride and love for the game. If he closed his eyes he could picture opening day at Brimley Park. The spring air would be exhilarating and the smell of peanuts and popcorn would fill the air. Everywhere he looked in the stands there would be people decked out in their finest athletic jerseys, T-shirts and caps, all emblazoned with the Bay State Bombers’ logo.
Fredo smiled. He jerked his chin toward Wyatt. “You’re looking good. Will you be suiting up this season? I follow the team’s social media links but they haven’t announced it yet.”
Wyatt clapped his hands together. “I wouldn’t miss it. I’ll give Nick some tickets for you and the kids.”
Fredo’s face lit up like Christmas morning. “That would be amazing. Thanks for thinking of us, Wyatt.”
“Thanks for being such a loyal fan to the Bombers.” With a wave, Wyatt walked down the corridor toward Nick’s office.
After pressing his ear against Nick’s door to make sure no one was inside with him, Wyatt rapped on Nick’s office door, then slowly pushed it open and peeked his head inside.
“Hey, little bro. What’s going on in this fine establishment today?”
Nick swung his gaze up from his paperwork. His dark eyes swept over Wyatt. He eased back in his chair. “Well, look what the wind blew in. What brings you out here? Looking for a free lunch?” he teased.
Wyatt sat down in one of the mahogany chairs in front of his brother’s desk. He glanced around him at the tastefully decorated room. Nick’s office was all dark wood and splashes of vibrant color. On the walls were framed posters of the classic movies they’d grown up watching. A picture of their parents hung nearby while a gold framed image of Layla sat on his desk.
“I just wanted to see your handsome face. Why else?”
Nick scoffed. He drew his dark brows together. “Try again, Wy. What’s up?”
“Hey. The simple truth is, I need a favor.”
Nick’s eyes widened. “Dangerous words coming from you.”
Wyatt frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Lots of our childhood misadventures began and ended with that phrase.”
Wyatt chuckled as memories of mayhem and shenanigans raced through his mind. In a household full of seven kids there was always something mischievous going on. More times than not, he’d been at the center of it. He didn’t regret a thing. His time in the Donahue household had been wonderful.
“Hey, you weren’t exactly innocence and light, although you always managed to convince Mom and Pops that you were.” Wyatt shook his head and chuckled. Nick had been the mastermind behind a few of their stunts, but because he was the youngest, blame had never been placed on him. Somehow he’d managed to perfect the art of appearing as if butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth.
Nick threw his head back and laughed. “I did, didn’t I? Those were some good times.”
“They sure were,” Wyatt agreed. For a few moments silence reigned as the two brothers settled in to their memories.
Wyatt decided it was time to put forth the reason for his visit. “So, I need to borrow one of your reception rooms.”
Nick eyed him curiously. “Borrow? For what?”
“For a prom.”
Nick sat back in his chair. A hint of a smile appeared on his face. “A prom?
“It’s for Kaitlyn. Long story short, she never had the chance to go to prom. I want to take her, Nick. I want to give her the prom she never had. She deserves her princess moment. And I need your help to make it happen.”
Nick steepled his hands in front of him. “You really must care about her to be going all out like this. It sounds fairly elaborate.”
Wyatt shrugged. “Nothing too over the top. Just the usual.”
“From what I remember from prom there’s tuxedoes, dresses with all the trimmings, a dj, food, a limo.”
“I hadn’t thought of all that,” Wyatt admitted. “But she’s worth all the hassle. And luckily I have the resources to pull it off.”
“So…is this serious?” Nick asked. He was leaning forward in his seat, waiting expectantly for Wyatt’s answer.
“Is it ever?” Wyatt cracked. For some reason it was still difficult to think of himself as being in a serious relationship. It was much easier to joke about it or pretend he was simply passing the time as he’d done with so many other relationships. Nothing could be further from the truth at the moment. His feelings for Kaitlyn were deep and profound. Feeling like this scared him a little, but it also felt like a rush of adrenaline was coursing through his veins. He just needed to remind himself that Kaitlyn was the real deal. Messing things up with her wasn’t an option.
“Whatever you say,” Nick said, his voice tinged with skepticism. “The room is yours. What day were you looking at?”
Wyatt flashed his most winning smile at his brother. “How about tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow?” Nick asked in a raised voice. “You can’t put together a prom in twenty-four hours, Wy. It doesn’t sound like you’ve done all the legwork.”
“Is the room available?”
“Yes,” Nick said, “but only because it’s Wednesday night in February. You can’t pull off a prom by tomorrow night.”
Wyatt winked at Nick. There was nothing more intoxicating to him than a challenge. “Oh yeah. Watch me.”
***
Kaitlyn didn’t know what to think of the message that had arrived this morning from Wyatt. She’d read it at least ten times and her eyes were beginning to ache from focusing on it so intensely.
Expect the unexpected read the note. Then this afternoon a wrist corsage had been delivered to her at the hospital. Weren’t corsages reserved for weddings? She’d nearly fallen on the floor from laughing so hard at the idea that Wyatt was whisking her off to a wedding chapel to get married. His mysterious note had caused her thoughts to go haywire.
It was a beautiful corsage though. Wyatt had impeccable taste. It was a stunning lavender colored rose attached to a pearl bracelet. She’d never had a corsage before, but she imagined this pearl bracelet was all the rage these days. She raised it to her nose, inhaling its sweet scent and letting her mind wander to a candle-lit dinner and dancing with Wyatt. Dancing might be pushing it considering his leg. But, he was making great strides with his physical therapy, so why not? After all, he had instructed her to expect the unexpected. She put the corsage back in its box and reminded herself to stick in the fridge when she got home.
The unexpected? What was Wyatt planning for this evening? The anticipation was driving her crazy. If this was what it was going to be like dating Wyatt Donahue, then her world had suddenly gotten a lot more interesting.
When she arrived at her house late in the afternoon a big white box tied up with a baby blue ribbon was waiting for her on her stoop. “The plot thickens,” she said as she scoo
ped up the box and let herself into her modest-sized bungalow. Before she forgot to do so, she headed toward the kitchen and placed the corsage box in her fridge. She quickly made her way back to her living room where the mystery box sat on her coffee table. Unable to contain her curiosity, Kaitlyn eagerly dug into the box. When she untied the ribbon and lifted the box open she let out a gasp of absolute wonder.
“Oh, Wyatt,” she whispered. A stunning peach-colored dress sat inside the box. She reached out and touched the rhinestones on the bodice. They sparkled and glinted at her. She took the dress out of the box and held it up so she could inspect it from top to bottom. It was a full-length ball gown with cap sleeves, a sweetheart neckline and a sweeping tulle skirt.
A white velvet bag lay in the corner of the box. She reached in and pulled out a pair of blush colored shoes with sparkles all over them. Kaitlyn gasped. This really was turning into her Cinderella moment. She couldn’t believe that Wyatt had gone to all this trouble for their date this evening.
Where could they be going in Breeze Point that required such formal attire? Her head was spinning trying to figure it out.
She turned toward the box, wanting to put the dress down so she didn’t mess it up. A note had been tucked in the box beneath the ball gown. It had gone unnoticed until now. She reached in and pulled it out, opening the envelope with her nail so she didn’t ruin it. Be prepared for a formal evening of fun and laughter. Wyatt.
She pressed the note against her chest. At the moment she couldn’t still her racing heartbeat even if she’d tried.
Hair. Makeup. Accessories. This one of a kind evening gown deserved to be worn by someone who was going to do it justice! She didn’t have much time for her transformation. If Wyatt had gone to all this trouble to create a wonderful evening for her, she wasn’t going to disappoint him. She wanted his jaw to drop when he saw her in the evening gown he’d selected for her to wear tonight.
Lord, thank you for bringing Wyatt back into my life. He’s given me so much joy and laughter. For a while now I’ve just been existing, afraid to hope for love to come calling. Wyatt changed all that. Everything in my world is in color now. Right this very moment I’m living my life out loud with no apologies, no excuses.
Kaitlyn headed to her bedroom where she began scurrying around looking for her hair curler, makeup kit and jewelry. After taking a quick shower she began to put herself together. Once she had her dress and shoes on, as well as jewelry to complete the look, she gazed into her full-length mirror. Her eyes widened as her reflection gazed back at her. In all her life she’d never looked more elegant. She could hardly believe her eyes.
At six o’clock sharp her doorbell rang. Casting one last look in the mirror, Kaitlyn quickly made her way downstairs. She had to pull up the hem of the gown as she walked down the stairs so she wouldn’t trip over it. Wearing this dress made her feel like princess for a day. And the shoes were so pretty and dazzling. It was well worth any extra addition to detail. A shiver ran through her in anticipation of the enjoyable evening that stretched out before her like a promise.
Every woman, she realized, should feel just like this at least once in their lifetime.
When she opened the front door, Wyatt stood there with a bouquet full of pink roses and baby’s breath. He was grinning at her like someone who was happy with what he was looking at. His pleased reaction to her made her feel ten feet tall.
He let out a low whistle. “Kaitlyn! I didn’t think it was possible for you to look even more beautiful, but you proved me wrong. You look unbelievable!”
“Thank you, Wyatt. Not just for the compliment, but for the dress…and the shoes. You really know how to make a woman feel special.”
From what she’d read about Wyatt in the newspapers and tabloids, he’d always been quite the lady’s man. Was this just one of the things he did for the current lady in his life? Was this par for the course for Wyatt Donahue?
“Come on in. You look pretty spectacular yourself,” she raved, blown away by how debonair he looked.
As if he wasn’t already handsome enough! Decked out in a midnight black tuxedo and a blush colored shirt and matching bowtie, Wyatt looked as if he’d just stepped out of the pages of a fashion magazine.
He fidgeted with his collar as he stepped into her foyer. “I can never quite figure out how to fasten these things.”
“Let me try. I used to do this for my father all the time. Bend down a little.” Kaitlyn reached up and straightened his bowtie. “Wait a second. Turn around so I can fix it in the back.” Wyatt complied and Kaitlyn quickly made the adjustment.
Wyatt turned back toward her. “The limo is waiting outside. Do you have a wrap?”
“Oh, yes. Here it is,” she said, scooping up the faux fur short coat that seemed perfect for a formal winter event. Wyatt took the coat from her and stood behind her so she could slide her arms into the sleeves.
“Oops. I almost forgot the corsage. It’s in the fridge. Let me get it,” she said, walking quickly toward the kitchen. When she retrieved the corsage, Wyatt was standing right next to the fridge.
“May I?” he asked, reaching for the corsage. Kaitlyn handed it to him and held out her wrist so he could place the corsage bracelet on her. Kaitlyn silently admired how graceful it looked on her wrist.
“I feel badly about not getting you a boutonniere,” Kaitlyn said regretfully. “But since this whole thing came out of the blue, you caught me off guard,” she said with a laugh. “I’ve barely had time to catch my breath.”
“No need to worry. My boutonniere is in the limo. You can put it on for me on the ride over,” Wyatt drawled.
“Impressive. You really did think of everything.” Kaitlyn narrowed her gaze. “The ride over where?” She still had no idea where they were going or what they were doing tonight. Wyatt was playing his cards close to the vest.
He put a finger up to his lips. “It’s top secret. All will be revealed in about fifteen minutes.” With a sly grin he held out his elbow. “Shall we?” Kaitlyn joined her arm with his and exited her house, making sure to lock up behind her. The limo driver opened the door with a flourish while Wyatt took her hand and helped her step inside.
As the limo wound its way through Breeze Point, Kaitlyn tried to get a sense of where they were headed. Wyatt did his best to distract her with his infectious laugh and zany sense of humor. He was relaying anecdotes about his teammates and life on the road as a member of a pro baseball team. Through his stories the players were coming to life as personalities. Alejandro was the one who fell for all of his teammates’ pranks. Doug was the prank master, devising all the stunts and practical jokes the team played on the rookies. Kaitlyn could sense that Wyatt missed his friends dearly. His stories spoke of camaraderie, light-hearted fun and deep friendships.
By the time the car stopped, Wyatt had distracted her so much that she had no idea of their destination until she peered out the window. They were at The Cove, his brother Nick’s popular restaurant. Before she knew it the limo driver was helping her out of the car and Wyatt was whisking her into the restaurant.
“Wyatt, aren’t we a little overdressed for dinner?” she asked, darting a nervous glance around the dining room.
“Don’t worry. We’re not going into the dining room. We’re going this way.” Wyatt grabbed her by the hand and led her down the hall. She stopped in her tracks as she saw a big sign saying “Breeze Point High Prom.” Blue and white balloons were floating in the air.
She was totally confused. Prom wasn’t in February. It was held toward the end of the school year in May or June. What in the world was going on?
Suddenly the doors to the banquet room burst open. Tess, Gabrielle, Rose and Layla were standing in the doorway. They were all dressed in beautiful evening gowns. They all had brilliant smiles on their faces. Kaitlyn didn’t think she’d ever seen so much tulle in her life. Remy, Ryder, Brandon and Nick were right behind them, each decked out in a tuxedo. Remy was wearing a vintage powder blue tux
. The men all had sheepish expressions on their faces while their wives looked excited.
“Welcome to your prom,” Wyatt announced, throwing his arms wide in a ta-dah gesture.
“No way!” Kaitlyn said, looking up at him to see if he was teasing. He was smiling, but not in a teasing manner. His expression was one of satisfaction. He was watching her carefully, presumably to gauge her reaction.
This was her prom? Tears misted her eyes. Was this for real? Had Wyatt really done all this for her? Creating a prom so she could enjoy the moment that had eluded her in high school?
“Yes way!” Wyatt teased. “There’s a dj, refreshments…and friends,” he said, jutting his chin toward his family. He lowered his voice to a whisper, “The ladies are really excited, but my brothers took a little convincing.”
“Wyatt, this is too much. I-I don’t know what to say.” She blinked her eyes in an effort to stem the tide of emotion that threatened to overwhelm her. No one had ever done anything quite as magnificent for her in her entire life.
“You don’t need to say anything. All I want is for you to enjoy tonight. It will make me really happy.”
Kaitlyn went to the doorway and peered in. Music flowed from the dj’s booth and she watched as Gabi grabbed Remy and pulled him onto the dance floor. The others soon joined in. The thumping beats of the music were infectious. It made her want to get out there and tear up the dance floor.
“Come on, Kaitlyn. Let’s put your coat with the coat check and get our picture taken by the photographer,” Wyatt suggested, gently pulling her away from the doorway.
After checking in her coat, Kaitlyn and Wyatt stepped in front of the blue screen and happily posed for their prom pictures. Wyatt was making funny comments under his breath to make her laugh.
Baby It's You (Seven Brides Seven Brothers Book 6) Page 10