by Hadley Quinn
“He’s an amazing guy,” Kellie stated. “That’s the most important thing you need to know. Nope, he’s not an actor and not a musician, and that’s what I like most.”
“What’s his name?” Craig asked her as he grabbed a glass of whiskey from the wet bar.
“Tate,” she answered. “He’s a retired marine and also a tat—”
“A marine?” her uncle cut in. He was entirely too interested in that piece of information, but before Kellie could be pleased it was for patriotic reasons, Craig killed the moment when he added, “Think he’d be interested in consulting on this movie I’m producing? He’d get paid and it would be a good chance for us to get to know him—”
“No,” Kellie answered right away. Her uncle looked surprised by the abruptness. “He wouldn’t want to,” she added hastily as she grabbed her handbag.
“He wouldn’t want to or you wouldn’t want him to?” Craig smiled at her. She hated that smile. It was arrogant and condescending all at the same time. It was a powerful smile, one that expressed too much superiority that he didn’t deserve.
“Both,” she answered honestly. No she couldn’t speak for Tate, but she couldn’t imagine he would be interested in something like that. She wasn’t about to let her family manipulate him into it, either.
“Kellie, don’t forget about the luncheon next Sunday,” Grandpa included before she left.
“Yeah, I’ll be there,” she nodded. Grandpa smiled his satisfaction, but she was only going because Max invited her. It was some gathering for bigwig actors and producers. She wasn’t interested in it other than spending the time with her cousin.
She spoke a vague goodbye to both men and found her way to the front entry. Meredith was already there, opening the door for her exit. She gave the woman a pleasant smile as she passed, but Kellie secretly wondered how much that lady had to endure. She’d been the McCallans’ housekeeper for as long as she could remember, and unlike some of these shows where the housekeepers or nannies are close to the kids, Meredith hardly spoke a word to them.
Kellie knew without a doubt part of her signed contract was to keep her mouth shut about anything that had to do with the McCallans.
And that confidentiality clause was a doozy with this family.
***
When Tate picked her up that evening, Kellie could tell he was in a somber mood. He wasn’t normally moody, but by the time they got to his sister’s house, she had to ask what was on his mind.
He didn’t reply right away—it almost seemed like he didn’t want to. “So I stopped to see my grandma today…”
Her heart changed pace just from the look on his face. One thing was for sure… He didn’t look ecstatic.
“Um…what happened?”
He slowly shrugged. “I don’t know, you tell me. Apparently someone with a lot of money came in there waving it around and made some changes happen.”
“And is that a bad thing?” she asked, feeling confused. She couldn’t imagine anything worse in that place than what it had already been.
“Well, no…” he began. “I mean things seem way better. The staff seems great—amazing, really—and the entire atmosphere of that place has changed immensely for the better.”
She waited for more, but that’s all he said. “And? So what is the problem?”
“Did you have something to do with it?” he asked directly. “I mean it just seems like too much of a coincidence that you keep asking me if anything’s gotten better there.”
Kellie wanted to deny it—she sooo badly wanted to deny it—but she couldn’t lie to him. “Yes. I went in there looking for you that day…I was just…it was a horrible feeling for me. And the lady at the front desk, oh my God she was a bitch and I just— I felt so bad, and I’ve heard about the elderly being treated poorly in some of those places so I… Yes, I used my family’s influence to make a change. No, I don’t do that often—I hate doing that, to be honest—but I felt like it was something that I could help with. I’m sorry if I overstepped my bounds. I guess I acted impulsively because that chick got under my skin—”
“Kellie, I’m not mad,” he interrupted, taking her hand that was waving around expressively. With a tiny smile he shook his head. “I just wondered what happened. I was there a couple of days ago, and then today I stop in after work and it was an entirely different place.”
“Sorry it took so long.”
He arched an eyebrow and lightly laughed. “Well for an entire overhaul it was pretty damn quick.”
He climbed out of his truck and came around to open her door. Kellie scooted toward the exit but he remained standing in front of her so she pulled him close to kiss him. His warm lips felt so familiar and comfortable against hers, she couldn’t imagine not having that in her life.
When he pulled back slightly, she was surprised when he asked, “It’s not going to cause any friction with your family, is it?”
“What do you mean? Asking my grandfather for his help?”
“So you asked your grandpa? Was that okay? I don’t want any problems because of it.”
“You mean for me or you?” she asked with a light laugh. She wasn’t quite sure what he meant.
But he frowned. “For either. Why, am I supposed to expect some kind of fallout from it too?”
“No,” she exclaimed quickly. “Not at all. Is that what you’re worried about?”
He paused for a moment. “Well, you say anything that has to do with your family is poisonous. I just… I don’t want anything negative to affect my family.”
She eyed him cautiously. “Then you’d better watch out for me, too. I’m a McCallan. Most likely venomous.”
Tate sighed and shook his head. “Not what I meant, Kellie.” He placed his hands against her face and kissed her forehead. “You’re included as mine too, babe.”
As his family???
He took her hand and pulled her gently out of the truck, shutting the door behind them. They walked right into Rayne’s house without knocking and found that the party was already in full swing.
“My sister already looks drunk,” Tate stated after they spotted Rayne sharing a story in the kitchen in a very animated fashion.
“Well it’s her birthday,” Kellie shrugged with a smile. “We’ll keep an eye on her.”
One thing that Kellie realized about Tate was that he seemed to appreciate her willingness to have anyone’s back. He was obviously pleased to hear her say that, and Kellie knew it had to do with him being overprotective of his only sister and having an intolerance for drunk people in general.
Rayne looked like she was having fun though, laughing with a mixture of friends. Melanie was already there with Sarah, but as for other guests, she only knew a few.
“Let’s go squeeze the birthday girl,” she said as she pulled Tate toward the kitchen.
“Oh my gawwwwd, you guys are here!” Rayne squealed when she saw them. “My adorable big-ig brother and my twinsie,” she giggled with a hiccup. “Why are you late?” she peered at them with a drunken smile. “Were you guys having orgasms? Hehe! Wait, ew, my brother and orgasms…”
“Okay, now,” Tate smiled as he pulled her close to him for a hug. “Happy birthday, baby girl. You’re officially drunk and stupid.”
“Nooooo,” she giggled again. “I’ve barely started.”
“Well you should probably slow it down a bit,” he said quietly.
“Really?” she whispered loudly.
Kellie watched this interaction for a minute in silence. Rayne seemed to have enough sense to listen to her brother when Tate led her over to a couch to sit down. He glanced back at Kellie and mouthed “water,” so she grabbed one from the fridge and joined them. She’d seen Rayne buzzed before, but never fully drunk.
“No, really, were you guys having sex?” Rayne hissed loudly again as she looked at Kellie. “I won’t tell, I swear!”
Kellie sat on the couch next to her and smiled with amusement. “No, sweetie. Tate was working late and we ca
me as soon as he was done.”
“He works too much,” she slurred as she looked right at Kellie. “Don’t let him work too much.”
Kellie glanced at Tate but he only shrugged.
“Okay, hon,” she told Rayne as she put her arm around her to pat her shoulder. “I won’t let him work so much.”
“And be good to him, he’s my br-brother.” She laid her head against Kellie’s chest. “I like your boobs.” She pushed her face against them a few times and cupped one in her hand.
“I like yours too, hon,” Kellie smiled, giving her a pat on the shoulder again.
“Be good to him,” came another mumbled statement.
“I try to be, sweetie.
“Let him spank you, too.”
“Well that’s how I’m good to him,” Kellie joked, glancing at Tate.
He rolled his eyes as he shook his head with a sigh. It was kind of funny.
“I need to be tied up and spanked,” Rayne said.
Tate pretended to plug his ears. “God, she is so gone right now.”
Kellie smiled and was about to respond, but warm liquid seemed to soak her entire chest, stomach, and lap. It took a moment to realize that Rayne had silently thrown up all over her.
And then she did it a second time.
“Okay, sis,” Tate jumped in, sitting her up right away. “Come on, baby girl. You need to drink some water.”
“No, I-I will just throw up-up more,” Rayne stuttered.
“That’s fine, then let it be water, okay?”
Tate got her to drink some more and somehow led her down the hall to the bathroom. Kellie was still staring down at her chest and lap, trying not to throw up as well. Thankfully it was pure liquid.
“Oh God,” Melanie said as she and Sarah came to offer assistance. “Wow, I didn’t realize she was that wasted.”
“I think it hit her hard after that last drink,” Sarah said as she handed Kellie a kitchen towel. “Poor babies. Both of you.”
“Hmm, well I smell amazing,” Kellie joked.
She made it to Rayne’s bedroom to strip out of her puked on clothes. She could hear Tate talking to his sister in the bathroom as she found a pair of sweats and a t-shirt to change into, and then she peeked in to see how Rayne was doing. The poor girl had her head hung over the toilet and Tate was sitting on the edge of the tub holding her hair back as she wretched again.
He looked up at Kellie and frowned. “This might be a long night.”
Chapter Seventeen
Staying at his sister’s house hadn’t exactly been in Tate’s plans, but Rayne was so out of it by the time midnight had hit, he was worried about her. He told Kellie she could take his truck and head home for the night, but she chose to camp out with him on the futon in the TV room.
He didn’t exactly sleep, though.
At seven a.m. he heard signs of life at the end of the hall so he carefully left Kellie asleep to check on his sister. He found her knelt at the foot of her bed, her face in the blankets.
“I’ll come back later if you’re praying for mercy,” Tate said as he paused in the doorway.
She groaned loudly. “I probably should be. Unfortunately, I got up and decided I couldn’t get any further.”
He smiled as he sat on the edge of the bed. “What can I get for you? Aspirin? Water?”
“Tranquilizer,” she mumbled.
“Hmm, fresh out of those.”
“My dignity?”
He chuckled. “Well, I’m sure it’s redeemable.”
She pulled her head up to look at him. God, she looked like shit. Her eyes were red and her makeup was smeared, and her cheeks were puffy and flushed.
“Redeemable?” she frowned. “Oh God…” She dropped her face into the bed again.
“Don’t worry, hon. You had some good friends take care of you. I can do the puke thing, but when you started stripping off your clothes to get in the bath, that was all Kellie and Mel.”
“Oh Jesus,” he barely heard her moan. She looked up again. “Tell me, how bad was I? Scale of one to ten.”
He laughed and said, “Man, I could really be a dick right now.”
“Ugh, be honest.”
“Honest? You were fine, Rayne. Just puked on Kellie twice, a few more times in the toilet, and only a few lesbian comments here and there.”
She narrowed her puffy eyes at him. “Who’d I get lezzy with?”
“Just Kellie.”
“Oh. Well she already knows,” she shrugged.
He raised an eyebrow. “Oh. Didn’t realize you’d taken that step yet.”
She shrugged again, like she didn’t give a fuck. “It came out one time. I figured if she wanted to do something shitty with it, I had plenty I could dish back.”
He studied her carefully for a second. “What the hell does that mean?”
“Ugh, it means nothing. I’m kidding. I even told her that. Told her I’d come out with her as my partner.”
He barely smiled. “Well that would be awkward for me.”
She laughed, and then cringed as she grabbed her head. “Fuck you, don’t make me hurt.”
“You did that all on your own, sister.” He stood and found the aspirin in the bathroom and held it out with some water. “Take it and lay back down.”
“I have to pee so bad right now.” She reached out so he could place the tablets in her palm and received the cup of water. “Don’t ever let me drink that much again.”
“You were already wasted when we got here. What time did you start drinking?”
She downed the aspirin and frowned. “Noon. Shots at work.”
Tate shook his head. “Well that’s fine ‘cause it was your birthday, Rayne, but Jesus, did you eat anything yesterday? It was all liquid that came out of you.”
“Hmph,” she shrugged as she attempted to stand. He had to grab her elbow to assist. “I honestly don’t even remember. I think I had a burrito at some point.”
“Let me make you something to eat, okay? Go take a piss and then get back in bed.”
“Yes sir,” she grumbled, stumbling for the bathroom. “Gah, my fucking head,” she cried as she shut the door behind her.
Tate made his way to the kitchen, trying to keep quiet so he didn’t wake Kellie, but she was sitting up when he walked by.
“Is she doing okay?”
“Hmm, define ‘okay’,” he joked.
With a sleepy smile she stood and joined him in the kitchen. “She sounds pretty miserable. What are you making?” she asked when he pulled out a frying pan.
“Eggs if you can grab some from the fridge.”
He turned the stove on and searched for a spatula, but Kellie said, “Don’t see a single egg in here.”
Tate frowned. “Does she have bread?”
She searched the counters and then a couple of drawers until she pulled out a bag that contained just the heels of a loaf of bread.
“Well she’ll have to make do,” he said, taking the bag from her. He turned off the stove and dropped the two pieces into the toaster as he leaned against the counter, releasing a sigh.
“What’s your schedule today?” Kellie asked, wrapping her arms around him. She rested her face against his chest and just allowed him to hold her for a minute.
“No one’s scheduled until eleven, but I wanted to visit my grandma beforehand if I can.”
Kellie faced him with a hopeful smile but didn’t say anything.
“Um, you wanna come with me?” he asked.
“Yes. Can I?”
“Yeah, of course. If you really want to.”
“Of course I do. Is Rayne going to be okay? Should we leave her?”
“Pssh, she’s got a hangover, she’s not dying,” he smirked.
The toaster shot the bread up, so Tate found some butter, spread it on, dropped the two pieces on a plate, and delivered them to his sister. She had the blankets over her face, so he just left the food on the end table and told her he was heading out.
**
*
Tate knew Gram would love Kellie. He had no worries about that one bit. But it was kind of the reason he’d been hesitant to bring her along to Bonny Park.
His grandmother was going to make a huge deal out of his girlfriend.
When they arrived, he let Kellie take her time looking over the changes that had occurred at the facility. She was pleased, and it made him even happier to bring her. He knew she felt uncomfortable asking her family to step in, but as much as she struggled with those kinds of decisions, Tate felt it was something that did a lot of good for a lot of people this time. Neil McCallan may have waved his money hand for his granddaughter, but he may never truly understand the impact it had made on some average people and their families.
“This feels so much nicer,” Kellie said as they stood at the doorway of the social lounge.
The furniture was new, the entertainment in the room had been updated, and there were more smiles present that day. But most importantly, the extra staff that had been hired in was a tremendous improvement.
“It’s made a huge difference,” Tate agreed. “Better food and accommodations, but also more care and supervision. It’s resulted in more visitors, even, which means there’s been more laughter, more stories shared… It’s a huge change.”
“I’m so happy for that,” she smiled.
“A few of the guys from the VA hospital are going to stop by this weekend. I talked to my counselor over there and we’re trying to arrange something consistent like that. I think it’d be good for everyone, the elderly and the wounded warriors. A little Girl Scout group came in here the other day to deliver some free cookies, too,” he added as they walked down the hall. “Man, oh, man did that make my grandma’s day. She has a horrible sweet tooth.”
They stopped in front of Gram’s room and paused. She was sitting on the edge of the bed with her back to them, staring out the window, but turned slightly when she heard them.
“Don’t be talking about my sweet tooth,” she warned playfully.