He frowned. He hated going to bed. I couldn’t blame the kid. He always thought he was missing out on something.
Ryan strolled in the kitchen a few seconds later. “Is dinner ready?” Kaitlyn threw her coat and scarf on the back of one of the chairs.
But the room was quiet. No one answered him.
I placed Grayson’s feet on the floor. Moira and Frank were staring at Kaitlyn. I wished I could say it was the diamond on her left hand that they had spotted first, but it wasn’t. Inside under normal lights, I realized her dress accentuated just how beautiful her body was. I wasn’t the only one who saw how gorgeous her breasts were or how the swell of her bump made her glow. This dress made sure our babies were front and center. There were no more coats. No more scarves.
Her mother’s mouth dropped open. “Kaitlyn.”
Kaitlyn held the two wrapped boxes in her hand. She shoved the gifts toward her parents.
Her father took his in slow motion. His eyes hardened as they lifted to mine. I didn’t waver. I put a hand around her waist, holding her close.
“Open them,” Kaitlyn urged. “Please.”
I didn’t know what Kaitlyn felt as we watched her parents open the gifts, but I knew it was as if someone had plowed a sword into my lungs. I hurt for her. I didn’t know how to shield her from what was happening.
I wanted to shake them. I wanted to yell in their faces.
Ryan watched silently from the corner of the kitchen.
Moira picked up the picture of the babies. “So you’re pregnant?” Her eyes looked between us.
Frank held an identical photo.
Kaitlyn nodded. “Yes. Twins. Can you believe it?” She was shaking. I added another hand to steady her.
They weren’t going to do this. They weren’t going to scare her, or ruin this moment. I wouldn’t let them.
Her father glared at me. “How did this happen?”
“Dad,” Kaitlyn eked.
“Frank,” Moira placed a hand on her husband’s wrist. “It’s Christmas Eve, please.”
There were a lot of things I knew about Frank Thomas. He went to church every Sunday. He had worked a steady Monday through Friday job at the same company for twenty-five years. He loved bourbon. He loved his family. And he believed children came after marriage.
It was as if I were staring down the barrel of a gun. His rage was palpable. But I wasn’t about to let this get out of hand. Not in front of my son and not in front of my pregnant fiancé.
Ryan walked into the center of the circle. “This is great news. I can’t believe I’m going to be an uncle.” He leaned in to hug Kaitlyn. “Congrats, sis.”
I heard her choke back a sob and she whispered something in his ear.
“Yes, honey. Congratulations.” Moira followed her son with a hug.
They stepped back and watched Frank. “You have until the end of the week, son.” He looked at me.
“Excuse me?” I cocked one eyebrow higher than the other.
“Dad,” Kaitlyn pressed. She tried to show off the ring on her left hand, but he interrupted her.
“You are going to marry my daughter by the end of the week, or you’ll never step foot in this house again.”
He shoved his hands in his pockets and walked out of the kitchen.
I pulled Kaitlyn into my arms. I didn’t know what else to do, but hold her.
19
Kaitlyn
“Merry Christmas, darlin’.”
I heard the words Cole muttered in my ear as I tried to climb out of a deep sleep. Everything was peaceful and calm. I tried to cling to the last bits of the dream I was having, while still relishing his words. As the last threads slipped away, I opened my eyes.
“Merry Christmas.” I smiled.
“It’s Christmas morning.” He winked. It was still dark outside. I knew we had to walk next door before Grayson woke up. He didn’t completely understand, but this was his first year with Santa. Cole wanted to make sure we had everything videoed.
I nodded. And then the horror of last night hit me. I covered my eyes with my palms.
“Hey, don’t do that, baby.” He pulled my hands from my face. “It’s going to be ok.”
I shook my head. I remembered the look on my father’s face. He didn’t care that Cole and I had created a family together. He couldn’t get past how it had happened. As if it were meant to be a personal assault on his conservative values.
“I wanted Christmas to be perfect for you.”
“It is.” He brushed the hair from my neck. “Don’t let what your father said ruin today. He was just mad. It will blow over.”
My eyes widened. “You think that was an idle threat?”
Cole shrugged. “He wasn’t serious.”
I sat forward, my breasts spilling out of my tank top. I huffed. “He was completely serious.”
“That’s crazy. He can’t demand we get married.”
I bit my lip. “He did.”
Cole shook his head. He still didn’t believe me. We had stumbled through an awkward Christmas Eve dinner, everyone pretending the bombshell hadn’t happened. My mom focused on Grayson, making sure he put cookies and milk out for Santa. Ryan kept handing Cole beers until it was time to go to bed.
I didn’t even say goodnight to my father. I couldn’t remember a Christmas Eve ever ending like that.
“What do we do?” I asked.
He leaned forward, raking his warm lips against mine. “I’ll do whatever you want.”
I smiled. It was the first time since last night I thought we might make it through this.
“We’ve got to get going.” He jumped out of bed, surprising me with his quickness.
“It’s so early,” I whined.
“Yep, come on. It’s Christmas. I don’t want Grayson to wake up first. We’ve got breakfast and presents. Parents waiting. Your dad might need my help with the fire.”
I studied him as he rifled through his suitcase.
“Cole?”
“Yeah, darlin’?” His head was buried in a pile of clean clothes. He tossed a pair of jeans on the bed.
“You’d really consider getting married this week?”
“It’s not going to come to that.” He was distracted.
“But if it does?” I pressed.
“I’d marry you right now, if that’s what you wanted.”
I sighed. Yeah, we were going to be ok.
* * *
After the excitement of Grayson waking up to find Santa had brought him a scooter, we settled into the normal Christmas routine. No one said anything about the babies or a forced wedding. We each took a spot in the living room, our coffee mugs in reaching distance. Cole and I claimed the couch. Dad always played Santa and started distributing gifts as soon as we were settled. Occasionally Ryan pitched in.
“Ok, first up is Kaitlyn.” He handed me a silver box tied with a purple ribbon. I recognized my mother’s handiwork before I even read the tag.
“Cole, for you.” He placed a long, thin box in front of Cole. I never asked Mom what they bought him. I just hoped it wasn’t socks and underwear.
After the last of the presents had been divvied up, we started unwrapping, everyone stopping to admire what had been unveiled.
Deep in the pile, my mom uncovered a diamond bracelet that matched the earrings from last night. Dad got a gift certificate to a motorcycle repair shop. Cole received a Texas State shirt. I opened a pair of Carolina pajama pants. Ryan seemed happy with a set of steins with his initials engraved on them.
Grayson had more toys than I could remember getting. I didn’t know how we’d get all of them home on the plane. We were going to have to ship them back to Texas.
The floor was littered with wrapping paper and bows. It was hard to believe we had been exchanging presents for two hours.
I was impressed Cole had chosen gifts for my parents without consulting me. He said he wanted them to be just from him.
Mom gushed over the wine glasses he sele
cted and Dad seemed to love the pocketknife from Texas.
“My turn.” I picked up a small box with an oversized bow on it. Cole had signed the tag with an extra note.
Merry Christmas, baby.
I smiled at him then turned to the tiny box in my hands. For a second my chest tightened. It was the kind of box that screamed jewelry.
I carefully removed the paper and held my breath as I lifted the lid on the soft leather case. I knew all eyes in the room were on me, especially Cole’s. I could almost hear his heart beat, he was that close.
I stared at the sparkle in my hands. It was a single diamond pendant.
“It’s beautiful.” The light from the fire caught the underside of the stone. It had to be close to two carats.
“I’ll add a second diamond,” Cole explained. “I didn’t know about the twins.” Cole maneuvered to help fasten it behind my neck.
“I don’t need another diamond.” I looked at him. “I have everything I need.”
I saw the hungry look in his eyes. The one that I had fallen for time and time. When he stared at me that way everything else disappeared. I didn’t worry about anything but the two of us.
Until my father interrupted.
“Son, the diamonds are nice. And I know they cost you a lot, but did you make a decision last night? Are you going to make this right? Bring some honor back to my daughter’s name?”
“Frank, not now,” Mom tried to silence him.
“Dad,” I protested.
Ryan held up a dress shirt he opened. “Thanks for this. Nice to have something blue instead of desert camo.” But his distraction didn’t work this time.
Cole and my father were deadlocked. I held my breath.
20
Cole
There was no way the old man was fucking serious, was there? He couldn’t force a wedding on Kaitlyn. I wasn’t going to stand for it. Did he think this was the 1950s?
“Sir, we have made plans. Kaitlyn wants a fall wedding. If there’s one thing you don’t have to worry about, it’s me making sure she’s happy. There’s nothing more important to me. If she wants to be an October bride, then that’s what’s going to happen.”
She grabbed my arm. My bicep tensed. There was animosity in this room. It was the last thing we should feel on Christmas morning. But there wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do for her. That included, standing up to a man she adored.
I wouldn’t back down until she had exactly what she wanted.
“I’m sorry, that’s not a good enough answer for me.” Frank had deep crease in his forehead. The gray at his temples seemed even whiter today.
Grayson rustled in the wrapping paper. He freed a set of Matchbox cars Ryan had given him and started racing them on the coffee table.
I hung my head. I was running out of options to keep this civil.
“New Year’s Eve,” Kaitlyn whispered.
I looked at her. “What?”
She faked a smile. “A New Year’s Eve wedding here in the snow. Candles and twinkle lights.”
“Oh honey, that sounds beautiful.” Her mother didn’t have to pretend to smile. There was relief written all over her face.
Ryan stared at me. Fuck. That was less than a week away.
“Dad, you’re pushing too hard,” he argued. He had my back, but there wasn’t much he could do. This wasn’t his fight.
But Frank shook his head. “No, I’m not. A New Year’s Eve wedding here would be a nice way to end the holidays, pumpkin.” He left his chair and waded through the gifts to kiss Kaitlyn on the forehead.
Kaitlyn looked at me expectantly while her father hovered between us. His hand was extended. I shook it.
“Sir, if that’s what she wants.”
She nodded. “It is. I want to get married on New Year’s Eve.”
I closed my eyes. “Then there’s something I need to tell you, baby.”
“Oh shit,” Ryan murmured across the room.
Frank stepped backward.
I cleared my throat. “If this is how you want to get married, then I’m all for it.”
“It is. It will be beautiful.”
“Maybe we could talk in the other room,” I offered. It was going to be hard enough telling her. I didn’t need a damn audience.
“What’s wrong?” Her face filled with panic.
“Nothing is wrong. I’d just like to talk to you. Alone.”
“All right.”
Grayson was preoccupied with his toys. I felt Frank and Moira’s eyes on our backs as we walked to the dining room.
“What is it? You don’t want to do this, do you? You’ve changed your mind?”
I grabbed her shoulders. “You are going to be my wife.” I stared in her eyes to steady her. “Don’t doubt that for a second.”
She exhaled. “Then what is it?”
I pulled one of the formal silk chairs out for her. “Sit.” I pointed.
I didn’t know I could rely on another person the way I relied on Kaitlyn. I’d never put enough time into a relationship before to get something in return. But she had changed my life—for the better. And I knew what I was getting ready to do to her would break both our hearts.
“Listen, baby. I got a call from the Pentagon.”
“What? When?”
I pulled out a second chair and sat, my knees brushing against hers.
“The day you left Padre a colonel called me about a mission.”
“What kind of mission?” she asked.
“Not something I can go into detail about.” I rested a palm on her thigh. “But I’m the only guy who can help them out.”
She shook her head. “You aren’t a Marine anymore. They can’t call you. That’s not possible.”
“I didn’t think so either. However, this is an extreme case. They are out of options. If I don’t go, I’m risking American lives. That’s not something I think I could live with.”
Her bright green eyes misted. Shit. I didn’t want her to cry.
“How long? Where are you going? When?” she sputtered.
“So this is the thing. I leave in the morning.”
A choke strangled her words. “Tomorrow morning?”
I didn’t want to acknowledge it was that soon. “Yes. First thing.”
Her eyes darted back and forth. “But New Year’s Eve is less than a week away.”
“I’m only supposed to be gone five days. I have one day in DC to be briefed on the mission and retain my security clearance before I had overseas. Three days there. One day back and a day to debrief. I’ll be here by the thirtieth. I should be.”
“Should be?”
“I will be.” Saying it didn’t mean it would happen, but I couldn’t tell her that.
“This can’t be happening,” she whispered.
“I know it’s not a great scenario, but it’s five days. We can handle five days. I’ll be back for the wedding. Back to finally make you my wife.”
I brushed a tear from her cheek with my thumb.
“Say that part again.”
“You’re going to be my wife,” I growled. “Only mine.” My lips crashed into hers, crushing her mouth with a fiery possessive kiss. My tongue twisted against hers. I kissed her until she mewed. She crawled into my lap.
“You’ll be here for the wedding? You promise me?”
I swallowed hard, reaching for her lips again. They were fucking addictive. I’d never tasted anything like them. Soft and sweet.
“I promise.”
She wrapped her hands against my neck.
Fuck. I didn’t want to be the man who broke that promise.
21
Kaitlyn
To say Christmas was an emotional hurricane, was an understatement. It was more like an earthquake, tsunami, and tornado had been hurled at me. But after my mother convinced me to lie down for an afternoon nap, I woke up feeling like I could handle it.
My dad was at peace with our decision. The hostility was gone. And my mom had spent my entire nap c
ooking and preparing for dinner.
Cole was in the backyard with Grayson. It was as if the storm had never hit. It was eerie.
But I knew it had. I had a wedding to plan in less than a week, and a fiancée to send off to a warzone.
I unplugged my phone from the charger next to the bed. I needed reinforcements.
Mary Ellen had texted a picture of her and Aiden sitting next to the Christmas tree. She was holding a necklace in her hand, obviously trying to show me what he had gotten her. I wrote back.
Merry Christmas. Love the necklace. Tell Aiden Merry Christmas from us.
I put the phone down. I decided not to call her right now. I needed her help this week, but it could wait another day.
I pulled on a sweater and walked outside. Grayson wanted to try out his new scooter from Santa. Cole had cleared the snow from the patio so he could make a track. Ryan was shoveling another section.
“Hey, sis.” My brother grinned.
“Hi. You look busy.”
“Well, the kid needs to try out his new wheels.”
I laughed. It was nice to see Ryan happy. He was always so serious. I knew it wasn’t his fault. I knew it was his job. He had been through things I couldn’t imagine. It had changed him over the years. And I was getting ready to send Cole to that same place.
I didn’t want him to come home darker and sullen. I didn’t want the mission to change the man I loved. The father of my children.
He walked over. “Feel any better?”
I nodded. “I think so. I couldn’t keep my eyes open once I laid down.”
“Good. Everything is fine out here.” He shrugged. “All problems solved.”
I shook my head. “It was that simple all along I guess.”
Ryan joined us. “Yeah, I heard mom making caterer lists while she worked on the mashed potatoes. And Dad called Grandma and Grandpa already to tell them they couldn’t go to the country club on New Year’s Eve.”
Don’t Tell: The Series Page 38