Stay with Me (Callahan Series)

by Marchman, AC

  “You needn’t worry about that, Allison. I will have the staff hand deliver the girls the bouquets. Why don’t you scamper along and mind your business?” What the...? Scamper? Mind my own business? What the hell is her problem?

  “Well, excuse me, Donna,” I roll her name off my tongue with disgust. “I’ll be more than happy to get out of your way.” I lay the flowers back in the cooler, slam the door hard, and start to walk past her. I keep my eyes downcast, not wanting to look into her plastic face. I might just snap if I do, or turn to stone, who knows? Suddenly, I feel a tug on my arm and nails digging into my flesh. What the...? My head whips around and I see anger written all over her face.

  “You look here, you little bitch.” Her tone is quiet and full of rage. “This family does not want you in it, you hear me? You think you can waltz in here and we would all accept you? I know you’re hiding something, Allison,” her voice dripping with venom and hate. I feel shivers travel down my spine, my heart stops. Jackson? How can she know about my son? There’s no way, I’ve kept it secret from everyone except for Donovan. He wouldn’t tell her, would he? No, he hates her.

  Screw this skank. I look her, deadpan. “You don’t know shit, Donna.” I yank my arm out of her grip and glare her down. “So, if you’ll excuse me.” I walk away as fast as I can, my temper is about ready to explode.

  When my hand reaches up to swing the door open, she hisses, “He won’t fall in love with you, you know that, right? He’s stringing you along, all while still having feelings for...well you know. You’re just a good fuck.” I feel the shit eating grin she has on her face. I can feel like my heart has been yanked out of my chest, but I have to remember who I’m dealing with. She presents herself as a glamorous trophy wife, but when there’s no one around , her real colors show. She’s mean, nasty and conniving. I refuse to give her the satisfaction of knowing how bad she’s hurt me. I don’t turn around as I slam the doors open and stalk out of the kitchen. I walk down the hallway and find the closest empty room.

  Once inside, I slide down against the door and hug my arms around my knees. Tears start feeling my eyes. I try to shake it off and remember that it was Donna telling me Donovan doesn’t love me. I don’t believe it for a minute, but when someone tells you something like that, it’s impossible not to question it. I don’t know why she would say things like that to me. It’s already bad enough that Adam hit on me, now his stepmother hates me for whatever reason. I let out a heavy sigh, trying to get the weight off my chest that seems to be crushing me. I manage not to spill any tears, but I stay in the room for a little while. Then I heard Megan coming down the hall asking, “Where in the world is Allie?”

  I stand, smooth my dress down, and wipe my eyes, in case any makeup smudged. I quietly open the door and see Megan heading back my way. She has some of the flowers in her hand. She sees me, stops in her tracks, and cocks her head at me. “Sorry, I needed the bathroom and I got lost.” I smile, trying to mask the pain I feel clawing at my heart. It seems to work, because she grins back at me. She points to the second door on the left. “It’s this door, silly.”

  “Thanks,” I tell her. “Do you still need help getting the bouquets?” I feel bad, but that stupid woman wouldn’t let me. I wonder if she treats Megan this way.

  “Nah, I got it. Just come back when you’re done,” she says, then walks back to the bridal bathroom. I nod and step in. I check myself in the mirror; thank God I don’t look like I feel, which is pure hell. How can I bring this up to Donovan this weekend? I have no idea how to approach him on this matter. If I tell him now, he will go off on her and I don’t want him upset during the wedding. God forbid there be a scene. If I don’t tell him, it’s going to gnaw at me and depress me. I’d rather feel crappy then have Donovan feel awful. I’ll just tell him later, along with the Adam incident. I pull up my big girl panties, refusing to let anything ruin my day, and head back to the girls.

  Chapter 13

  Donovan

  Gabe looks like he’s going to have a coronary. He looks so freaked out. His face is all red, he’s shaking and the way he’s pounding back the shots, I’ll be surprised if he can stand at the altar without puking. “Uh, Gabe, slow down, man. You want to be shit faced at your own wedding?” Daniel, our other best friend, says, trying to take the glass out of his hands.

  Gabe is sitting in the leather chair in the “man cave”, shaking his knee and trying to take another swig of whiskey. “Nah uh, dude. I don’t think so.” Leave it to Daniel to be the responsible one. He’s been married for six years and has two kids. He’s much more settled down then any of the rest of us. He puts the liquor back on the shelf. “I’m not going to let you screw up your big day.”

  “Really, I’m fine, see?” Gabe stands and tries to walk a straight line with his eyes closed, only to trip over his feet. He stumbles and holds on to the chair to steady himself. “Okay, you’re right. I won’t drink anymore.”

  “Good. Go sit down, we only have twenty minutes before we have to get the altar,” I tell him, looking down at my watch; It’s 2:25. Thank God Pops and Daniel are driving the Hummers down to the tents. I’d keel over from heat exhaustion if I had to walk. All ten of us gather around Gabe, who’s trying to sober up with water. “What?” he asks, eying us like what the hell are you gonna do?

  “Don’t worry, Gabe. It’s nothing bad, we just want to say how happy we are for you and Stacey. We all chipped in and got you two a gift,” I say, with a sly grin on my face. I actually paid for it, but I’m not calling them out like that. It’s a present from all of us, not just me. Chance, his brother, pulls out an envelope. The groom looks at us, confused. “Here, take it.”

  He narrows his eyes, looking at each one of us. Chance hands the envelope to him, He slowly opens it up and peeks in. His eyes widen and the stupidest grin covers his face. “Holy crap, are you serious? No way!” I know some of the guys are wondering what the hell it is, too. They don’t even know what “we” got the groom for his big day.

  “I know you’re the guy that can have anything that he wants. With you, money is not an issue, but we wanted to pay for your honeymoon to Cabos.” I feel a huge grin creep onto my face and I see the groomsmen who didn’t know almost piss their pants. “It’s just our way of saying, thanks for being there for us.”

  He pulls out two plane tickets and the keys to a small bungalow on the beach that I rented. If I didn’t know better, I would say he’s got tears in his eyes. “Thank you. Thank you all. That means a lot to me.” He stands to hug each one of us. When he gets to me, he whispers, “Thanks, dude. I know it was you.” I just smile, knowing I made him happy. It’s the least I could do for him being there for me through a lot of crazy shit. I couldn’t ask for a better friend than him, except for one, and I screwed things up with that one. Oh well, after the way things went down between us, I guess I can’t blame him.

  Pops busts in the door and claps his hands together. “Alright, boys, let’s go. The Hummers,” Jacob, the ring boy tugs at his jacket,”and the ring bearer are waiting.” We all laugh as Jacob gives him a smug grin. We all start heading out, and that’s when I catch a glimpse of Allie. My breath catches in my throat every time I see her, but today, she looks incredibly beautiful. My dick starts to twitch, just from having those thoughts about her. She looks at our group and her eyes seek me out. For some reason, they look so sad; like something is really wrong with her. I raise my eyebrows at her, silently asking if she’s okay. She gives me a shy smile and waves, then turns back around, heading in the opposite direction. What’s going on with her?

  I keep thinking about her expression, even as we drive to the tents. I stay quiet, trying to think of what could have happened to make my girl so upset? I hope Donna didn’t say anything to her. When she tried to talk to me in the room last night, she used the word ‘bitch’ to describe Allie and I thought I would tackle her to the ground. That damn woman pisses me off so bad, and I swear, if she said anything to her....

  “Hey, Do
nnie. You coming?” Pops snaps his fingers in front of my face, bringing me back to the present time.

  “Huh? Oh yeah, coming.” I slide out the truck and immediately start sweating. “Good Lord, it’s so hot out here.”

  “Don’t worry, I had the crew put in a lot of fans to keep all of us cool,” Dad says. “Hey, is something bothering you, son? You were fine at the house, and all of a sudden, you’re all spaced out.”

  “I’m alright, Pops. Just, uh, thinking about all the charts I have to go through when I get back home.”

  “You know, you wouldn’t have to do all that if you would take over the business.”

  “Dad, we have talked about this. I’m not a businessman; I’m a doctor. I care about my patients and their families. I enjoy helping others. With the vineyard, I can’t do that. Besides, I’m not good at math,” I say, running my hand through my hair. Dad’s gray eyes wrinkle at the sides when he smiles.

  “I know, son, I know. I’m very proud of what you’re doing. I just dreamed of always letting you take over the place,” Pops says, slapping my shoulder blade. “Now, let’s get the hell out of this heat. I’m dying over here.”

  As we walk to the tent, I bring up Donna. “Pops, what do you see in Donna?”

  The question stops him in his tracks. His shoulders slump over and he looks somehow defeated. “You want the honest answer?”

  “Yes.”

  “I didn’t sign a prenuptial agreement. If I divorce her, I lose half of everything. I don’t know how to get around it. I’ve been talking to my lawyers and they are trying to figure out something as we speak.”

  “Are you kidding?” I can’t help but feel a bit elated that he wants to kick her out of his life. On the other hand, I can’t stand to see him lose half of everything he’s worked for, especially to that hateful bitch. “Why didn’t you sign one?”

  “She didn’t think it was necessary; she said we would be together forever, and I believed it at the time. I was blinded by her beauty, and she could talk me into anything.. She was really nice when we were dating and even when we first married.” He wipes the sweat off his brow. “But when she convinced me to send you to boarding school was when it went downhill. I couldn’t believe that I let her do that. I’m...I’m sorry, Donovan.”

  I’m stunned; he’s never said he’s sorry for that, not ever. “Dad, it was a long time ago, and I’m who I am today, partly because I went there. But also, because you always believed in me. You never let me fail or give up on anything. I’m not mad at you. But I could do without Donna.”

  Pops gives a throaty laugh. “Trust me, son. I could, too. But we should get in there, the girls will be coming soon. I told Megan to bring Allie with her.” Her name brings a smile to my lips. We head into the large white tent. The way it’s set up is pretty cool, considering it’s not a church. There are over nine hundred seats, all filled with guests; the outside chairs draped with pink roses. There’s a pink carpet that we will walk down; I hate the color, but it’s not my wedding. Gabe is standing on the altar already, nervous as hell. The preacher is sitting in a fold out chair, waiting for his cue to stand. All of the rest of us will stand behind some curtains as we wait for our time to walk.

  Dad walks up to me after he seats Donna up front. “Donnie, I really like Allie. I hope you hold on to her. I’d love to have her as a daughter-in-law someday.” I roll my eyes and groan.

  “Can we not talk about me getting married and just focus on Gabe?” He chuckles and turns around to go sit next to the wicked bitch of the South.

  I see the girls coming in the Hummers that dropped us off. I can’t wait to see Allie. I’m hoping I read her expression wrong and everything is okay. The trucks pull up as close as they can; Daniel and I open the doors for the ladies. Hannah, the flower girl, steps out first, and I grab her hand to help her. She smiles at me as she swings her basket of rose petals. Some of the bridesmaids get out, then turn to help Stacey with her dress. Seriously? That’s a lot of fuss over a piece of clothing. My eyes scan for my girl and I see her in the other truck. I trot over to give her my hand to help. Her look of sadness is gone and my happy Allie is back. I can’t stand seeing her so upset, especially when I don’t know what it is and how to fix it. Our fingers link around each others; I wish I could walk with her down the aisle instead of Stacey’s sister.

  “How are you?” I ask quietly ask, brushing my lips against her cheek. I swear I hear her moan. Well, maybe I want to hear her moan. Damn my libido.

  “Yeah, I’m fine. Where do I sit?”

  “Beside Dad, if you want.” I see her face drop. “Is that not okay?”

  “No, it’s fine. I’ll sit next to your dad. Where is his row?”

  “I think I saw him sit in the second row from the front. I’ll catch you later, baby doll.” I kiss her lips quickly, wishing I could make it last longer. I hear the music start playing. She squeezes my hand and takes off to sit down.

  We pair up to our partners, tallest to shortest, or something like that. I stand in front of Stacey and the kids with the maid of honor. We link arms when it’s our time to walk; one foot in front of the other. My eyes zone in on Allie. She looks uncomfortable, squirming in her chair; maybe it’s the heat? Maybe not? I have no freaking clue and it frustrates me that I can’t find out what’s the matter with her right now.

  I watch her closely as we reach the front. We pass right by and I look directly at her. She has that look on her face again, but when she sees me, she smiles like everything’s fine and dandy. WTF? I’ll be glad when this thing is over and I can get some time with her. I need to know what the hell is going on, and who or what caused her mood change?

  Chapter 14

  Allie

  Wow, he looks so handsome, standing there with his hands crossed at his waist. Donovan knows he’s beautiful, but he has yet to see how much of that beauty comes from his soul. I look at him intently, when his eyes lock with mine. He winks at me, and I have to grin. As crappy of a day this has turned out to be, he will always bring a smile to my face. The bridal march starts to play, but I hardly notice. It’s when everyone around me stands that I realize I’m a step behind. I take in how many people are at this wedding, I’m glad I’m not up there; I would freak. But Donovan doesn’t seem the least bit nervous, like he’s in his element. I tear my eyes away so I can watch the bride.

  Stacey and her father step in time with their arms linked at the elbows. The veil, which probably costs more than my rent for a year, is encrusted with tiny diamonds. The dress looks even better on her than the hanger. I turn to look at her future husband and his mouth is open wide. I cover my mouth, trying not to giggle. We all turn to watch her father lift her veil and give his daughter away.

  As Gabe takes her hand, you can see the look of love on their faces and it’s heartwarming. I steal a glance at Donovan; he’s still looking right at me and I blush a bit. Screw what Donna said to me. For whatever reason, she does not want us to be together and I refuse to let her come between us. Thank goodness Rob is in the middle; things might still get ugly. He may not have said the three words every girl longs to hear, but his actions sure do show it.

  The bride and groom have decided to write their own vows, with Gabe starting first.

  “Not a single day goes by that I’m not glad you walked into my life. From the moment I first saw you, I knew there would never be anyone else. You are the reason I wake up each day, and what I think about when I go to bed at night. I thank the Heavens above that you’re mine. You own my heart, body and soul. I promise to honor and adore you until the day I die. I can’t wait to make you my wife, the mother of my children, and the woman that I grow old and gray with. I love you with everything in me, Stacey.” He holds his hand out to Jacob, the ring bearer, and the boy drops it into his palm. Gabe slips the wedding band on her ring finger and squeezes her hand.

  I think everyone in the house starting tearing up at Gabe’s sweet words about his soon to be wife. It takes Stacey a few minutes to st
op sniffling to say her vows to him.

  “Gabriel, I knew I loved you when I saw you sitting on the lawn at Harvard. I hadn’t talked to you or even met you, but somehow, I knew I was going to marry you. Call it what you will; fate, love at first sight, destiny, or intuition. I just knew I couldn’t let you slip you away, and I’m so happy that I didn’t. Without you, life wouldn’t make any sense. I swear that I will always be by your side to support and love you. I can’t wait to share our entire lives together.” She repeats the action, only this time, linking their fingers together once the band is in place.

  That did it; everyone in the place has tears streaming down their faces, including myself. I look to Donovan, and he’s even wiping his eyes. His baby blues are red rimmed and it’s actually pretty cute that he felt that moved by their words. The preacher finishes, asking if they both accept each other as their lawfully wedded spouses. After they both say, “I do,” the preacher says “By the power invested in me by the state of Georgia, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss your bride.”

  Gabe cups Stacey’s face and kisses her gently, then she wraps her arms around his neck, making the kiss deeper. The crowd claps and whistles as they pull away, both flushed and grinning big time. I peek over Donovan’s way and he seems so genuinely happy for his friend. My heart swells with emotion, knowing this man is kind and gentle; not some sleazebag Donna is trying to make him out to be. His eyes meet mine and time stands still for a moment; like there is no one around but us. He puckers his lips at me, making me yearn for his touch. I’ve hardly seen him all day, and my body craves him, like flowers crave rain. I watch as he takes the maid of honor’s arm by the elbow and follows the happy couple down the aisle. He flashed his pearly whites at me and I melt.