The McCallans

by Hadley Quinn

  She’d just deal with that as it came.

  After that day with Teague and Jay, she began to seriously consider another move with Tate. She brought it up that night, after three different neighbors had come down to introduce themselves; neighbors that didn’t even live on Tate’s street but two and three streets over.

  He agreed that it wasn’t something he wanted either of them to deal with, so they began looking for another place. Tate even decided he would sell his Shelby so they could find a place that was truly worth staying in for a while, but Kellie just about shit herself. She refused to let him sell his father’s car. She actually found a place in Glendale that seemed like a perfect fit for her and Tate. She would have preferred to be further west where Jay, Teague, and Tyse lived, but the commute to work for both of them would have tripled.

  You avoid traffic as much as you can in the Los Angeles area.

  After moving in mid-May, Melanie and Rayne had thrown them a housewarming party. Kellie was actually super excited to have everyone over; their house was pretty unique on the inside because both she and Tate had pretty artistic tastes. She still had her Marilyn room, but it was now an office that was also sort of a library/media room.

  Their bedroom was a bit interesting. It was mostly filled with a very large bed; one that Max had custom ordered for them as a gift. She was a bit blown away, especially because he’d had Tate’s sleeping issues in mind. He knew Tate was a restless sleeper and sometimes wouldn’t even sleep in the same bed with Kellie when he was feeling his worst. This bed was…a phenomenal idea. She could be as close to him as she wanted when it was an option, or several feet away if she needed to give him space. It wasn’t a sure-fire solution, but it made Tate feel more comfortable and that was all Kellie could ask for.

  “Hey, I have some news for you,” Jay told her that evening when the housewarming party was dying down a bit. “I wanted you to be the first to know.”

  Her excitement grew instantly, having an inkling of an idea what it was about. “It happened?” she whispered anxiously.

  Jay nodded with a big ass grin on his face. “It happened. It’s official. Cade is legally my adopted son.”

  Chills ran up and down her body. She was so happy for him; so happy for his family! She knew Melanie had been an emotional mess while they went through the process—her brother, too—but finally Cade’s case had been finalized!

  “Oh, I am so extremely happy for you guys,” she said, squeezing him tight. “So so very happy. I love you!”

  “Thanks, sis. I love you, too. This has been quite a crazy couple of years, huh?” he lightly laughed.

  “No kidding,” she nodded, pulling away.

  “The way life has zig-zagged for us… Wow.”

  “Yeah, wow is right. And Tate and I are ready to announce our news to everyone, too. You share, then I’ll share.”

  He smiled but shook his head. “No way. You first. I’m extremely happy for you and glad you told me before I found out through the media.”

  She chuckled but had to agree. There were some things that were kept hidden—truthful things—that even the media got a hold of sometimes. Thankfully, that hadn’t been the case this time.

  By the time everyone had gathered to hear the newest McCallan secrets, it was just as well that Grandpa Neil had stopped by for the tail end of the party. Kellie hated that her feelings of joy somewhat wavered just from his presence, and especially when he asked to speak with her privately.

  “I’m sure what you want to talk to me about is going to get answered in five seconds,” she told him.

  He gave her a watchful eye. “About the photos of you and Tate coming out a jewelry store yesterday?”

  She smiled, but it was because they’d kept the original secret for four weeks now and no one knew except Jay since just this morning. Leave it to an outing in Los Angeles to have the media scrambling, and it had been less than twenty-four hours before it got back to her grandfather.

  She found Tate and wrapped her arms around him as she announced to her guests, “By the way, we got married a month ago.”

  The mix of reactions was amusing. Some cheered right away and some were wide-eyed and silent at first. But the ones in shock eventually joined the verbal exclamations and Kellie and Tate were congratulated right and left.

  “When?!” Melanie squealed excitedly. “And where?!”

  Kellie barely shrugged. “Just in Vegas, before we headed to Seattle.”

  “Oh my God, you sneaky little wench!” Rayne exclaimed. “And you,” she scoffed loudly, slugging her brother in the arm. “Why didn’t you guys say anything? You know we would have come in a heartbeat!”

  “And you know we would have been happy to help plan a wedding,” Camryn added.

  Kellie shook her head. “Not my kind of thing. We’re very happy with our choice.”

  “You mean you’re happy with no media hype,” Grandpa stated a bit dryly. She couldn’t tell if he was pissed, just a bit unhappy, or flat out disappointed in her, but she really didn’t care.

  “Very happy with no hype; media or otherwise.”

  He was still as a statue for a moment, but gradually nodded his head. “Understandable. Just wish you would have at least told me.”

  “Why? I’m not some business asset that you have to be concerned about.”

  He pursed his lips in thought. “No, you’re not. But you’re my granddaughter and…I’m happy for you. I would have liked to congratulate you like any other grandfather would.”

  That could have been met with a myriad of responses based on past issues in their family. She could never tell if he was being sincere or just trying to keep some semblance of a relationship between them, but it did touch her heart somewhat.

  Either way, it didn’t matter and Kellie chose to look past it. Tate was her husband and he’d treated her like a queen. She’d never been happier in her entire life. There was nothing that her family could do or not do that would ever change that.

  After the congratulations died down, she turned to Jay and said, “Your turn.”

  So he and Melanie shared the news about Cade, and just seeing how happy and supportive the people were in the room made her feel extremely mushy. And then Melanie blurted out, “And I’m pregnant!” and the room pretty much fell apart.

  It was an amazing night—one that Kellie would never forget. And even though Max was there, keeping somewhat of a low profile with Tyse off to the side, she was happy to have the people she cared about under one roof. Upon closer examination, even her grandfather seemed comfortable being in the mix. There was something going on with him, something that Kellie couldn’t put her finger on, but having a bit of harmony during a family gathering with him in attendance was welcomed.

  “Hey, I was thinking about your shop,” Tate said to Jay just as people were starting to head out for the night. “I think you should give it more character with some wall art.”

  Jay slowly nodded as he considered the possibility. “Hmm, I’m interested. What do you have in mind?”

  “Mural or two? Maybe some of your favorite makes and models? I don’t know, you say what you want and I can do it.”

  “I’m liking the idea,” Jay agreed. “I’ll let you do what you want, but just know this… If you do a half naked pic of my sister, I swear to God I’ll fucking kill you.”

  The easy smile on Tate’s face was hilarious. Kellie covered her face with her hands and shook her head, but no matter what amount of embarrassment she ever felt around the guys, she couldn’t be happier that Tate fit in with them all quite well.

  When Teague gave her a hug before he left with his wife and baby, Kellie had been talking to Max. There was a bit of hesitation lingering between the boys, but there seemed to be so many good feelings and vibes in the room that night, maybe it was enough to break down some of the walls that needed to perish.

  “I love you and I’m happy for you, Kell,” Teague said as he gave her another hug. “I wish I could have been t
here with you guys, though.”

  She paused for a brief moment and nodded. “I understand, but I know you guys love me and want what’s best for me,” she looked at both Teague and Max. “Tate and I wanted a marriage, not a wedding. It’s what we both decided on. I only kept it to myself because it was only us for once. We got to share that with each other exclusively, just for a short time, because it’s what we wanted.”

  “I completely get it, you don’t have to explain,” Teague nodded. “Just know that I’m always here for you guys, no matter what.”

  He briefly glanced at Max and then turned away. The guy was eventually beginning to see that she shared the same type of friendship with his brother, but there would surely be some major bridges to be rebuilt.

  She was up for the challenge.

  “I’m heading out too,” Max told her, offering the same hug. “Congrats to you two. I love you. Don’t let married life shut me out.” When he pulled back, she could detect the hint of a smile.

  “I won’t, but my life with Tate comes first.”

  “As it should,” he nodded resolutely. “Maybe someday I’ll be in the same boat.”

  She cocked an eyebrow at him. “With Tate?” she joked. “Sorry, not gonna happen.”

  He chuckled and shook his head. “Well, you found yourself a good one. I’m happy for you, cuz.” He leaned forward and whispered, “And I’ll herd Grandpa out of here quickly so everything can stay pleasant.”

  Kellie appreciated the thought. It was just like that, too. There was no telling how quickly the mood could change with her family. She couldn’t handle any change in atmosphere right now.

  After the rest of the guests slowly trickled out, the house was extremely quiet. She looked at Tate, knowing he felt it too.

  “Well I think that went well,” he said.

  Amused, she could only agree. “Yeah, it did.”

  “And your brother didn’t kill me.”

  Laughing she shook her head. “No, he actually already knew.”

  “Oh?”

  “Yeah, he saw the ring box on the dresser this morning when he was moving some stuff in our room to make a space for the extra food table.”

  “Ahh, I see. And how did he react?”

  She tilted her head in thought. “Pretty well. He was in a good mood today. Good things happened this week.”

  Tate nodded.

  She shrugged and added, “But he looked at it, paused, looked at me and said, ‘So you’re finally proposing to him, huh? Make sure it’s not in front of a huge crowd, I hear that’s frowned upon.’”

  Tate lightly laughed but shook his head. “So you told him we were already hitched and that was just the after thought?”

  “Haha, yes. The after thought. Rings, right?”

  That had been the case entirely. He’d tattooed an infinity symbol through a pink lily on her ring finger. It was what she wanted, but Tate had insisted on a ring for her and they each picked one out yesterday. He’d made her promise they wouldn’t wear them until after the party tonight.

  “Well let’s go follow through on our agreement and get those rings exchanged,” he winked at her, removing them both from the box.

  That look on his face was sexy as hell, and she knew exactly what he meant. Forever with this man was going to be one hell of a ride.

  EPILOGUE

  Three months later…

  In the blink of an eye, my life had literally blown up in front of me. I couldn’t feel half my body, yet all I could feel was pain; pain that was so commanding and controlling, I wished myself dead.

  Then I saw Shane get shot to hell. It was like his life was flashing before my eyes at that moment, not my own—his wife Cassandra and their twin girls, Celine and Cara. I couldn’t get them out of my mind. I’d only seen pictures of them, but they had become important to me because they were important to my combat brother. They were his world; therefore they were a part of mine.

  I think back to that day two-and-a-half years ago. It still seems fresh, even the panic that physically runs through my body just from the memory. When Shane went down, all I could see was red. At first I was aware he’d been shot up—I was coherent enough to understand that—but it took me a while to realize his blood and brain matter were splattered all over my face and body, and our comrades were having a hard time deciphering where exactly I had been hit after we’d been carried to the chopper. I remember I kept shouting for them to help Shane, but I really didn’t comprehend that they were shouting at me to be quiet and let them help me…because Shane had already died.

  A part of me died too that day and another part of me turned to stone. Sometimes tragedy and loss closes you off to the bright and happy aspects of life, and unfortunately, I was willing to let it. You should never lose sight of those things, but it happens. However, God knows there are only certain heartaches that you need to experience in order for a better road to be paved for you; to open up doors you might not have ever passed through. I feel like that has been my path recently, although I didn’t understand it at the time. Don’t ever ask, “Why is this happening to me…?” The only thing you should be asking is, “What do I need to do to get through this?”

  It took quite a lot of anger to get through in order to see this—a lot of cursing and a lot of one-man pity parties—but my eyes have been opened. Had I not experienced those trials, I may have arrogantly gone on with my life without a single shit or concern for another human being. You can look at yourself and think, “Well, I’m not really a bad guy,” …But it’s not until you truly go through the fires of hell that you realize you could be so much more. I’ve learned that now, and I’m thankful for the refining fires I’ve been through. If it has made me cherish the beautiful woman I get to call my wife the way she deserves to be cherished, then I am truly a blessed man. I can only hope my unborn child—and any future children we have—see the potential they have to change not only their own world, but the worlds of others.

  I have honestly become a man I can be proud of, and I’m only halfway there.

  Kellie wiped the tears from her face as she set the journal entry down. One of the hardest decisions for Tate was to allow her to read his therapy journals, but she was glad she’d been able to do so. This was his most recent entry—one he’d written only a few days ago—and he’d left it by the bed for her to read before he went to work. It was something she knew he was going to continue doing—writing—and she supported him one-hundred-percent.

  It made the gift she had for him even more significant. She couldn’t wait to give it to him, and truthfully, she couldn’t believe she’d kept it from him for so long. When the proof copy had arrived, she almost peed herself. After editing one last time and making a few minor formatting changes, she’d received the final copy just yesterday. She hid it in the laundry room until there was a perfect opportunity to show him.

  He’d only been working half days at the tattoo parlor since he’d had his hip replacement four weeks ago. She was always ecstatic to see Tate when either of them got home from work, but when he came home around one o’clock that afternoon, she almost couldn’t contain herself.

  She could tell he noticed right away, too. It was kind of hard not to when your pregnant wife was jumping up and down with a big ass grin on her face.

  “Okay, what happened?” he asked with a huge, gorgeous smile. He kissed her before anything else, and then waited for her to share.

  “I have a present for you!” she blurted out.

  “For me? And you’re this excited to give it to me?” He cradled her barely-there baby bump in his hands and asked, “How are you feeling?”

  “Fine. How’s your hip feeling today?”

  He bobbed his head. “Pretty good. And you’re sure you’re feeling okay? No morning sickness?”

  “Just a little, but I’m fine. Now come on.” She dragged him to the laundry room, even though she could have just asked him to wait a second, but his bewildered laugh was worth it to have for the trip
down the hall. “Okay,” she said, still smiling with excitement as she paused. She wasn’t quite sure how to proceed.

  “Well?” he shrugged, waiting.

  “Okay, I’ll just do it,” she rushed, pulling a book out of a cupboard. She was so excited she practically shoved it against his chest and then covered her mouth to contain herself while he figured out what it was.

  He looked down and held the book out in front of him. She watched him read the cover, and then his eyebrows furrowed with intrigue. He flipped it over and read the back, and even though he was a quick reader, it seemed to take forever. Kellie was about to blurt something out again, but she forced herself to be patient.

  He opened the front cover and read the title page, and then flipped it to the next one where the dedication was.

  Finally he swallowed and said, “I can’t believe this. How…? When in the world…” He turned a few of the pages, to get a look at the rest of it, but then he returned to the dedication again and read it out loud. “For my Tater Tot and Rayne Drop… May you always find peace and happiness within yourselves, and if you’re ever seeking help during the torrential storms of life…maybe this will help guide your way.”

  He swallowed again and looked at Kellie. There were tears in his eyes and it made her feel emotional too.

  “How did this happen?” he whispered, holding up the book titled From My Heart to Yours.

  “When I would go to the nursing home to visit her…I started bringing a digital recorder. With her permission, I documented all of her stories, her memories, her advice… Anything that I could possibly get from her. Everything in that book came from your Gram; all I did was type it up and organize it. And there’s more at the end just for you but… Maybe you should take the rest of the day and read it? I have a copy for Rayne, too. I’ll get it to her tomorrow when we go shopping for baby things…”