“And you can vouch for him for the entire time?” I snapped out.
“Yes, Officer.” Paul frowned. “I can.”
Dad snorted. “Look, the only thing I’m guilty of is making a few phone calls. I figured if I could cancel the reservations from some of your guests, I could talk you two into an early honeymoon. When you were gone, I’d come in and get what I needed.” He stood, dragging a hand through his hair. “I wasn’t lying about wanting to be better. After I fix this thing with the Sullivans, I want to be there for you. I want to be your father.”
“You’re about a whole lifetime too late for that,” I said dryly.
“Chelsea—”
“What did you hide in my home?”
Dad frowned. “You don’t need to know. It’s better if you don’t. Trust me.”
“Because that’s worked out great for me so far.”
“I promise, once I get this mess taken care of, I’ll go straight. Let me get what I need, and then I’ll prove I can change.”
Again, that small part buried deep inside me surged up in hope, and I wanted to take out a fork and stab it right in the stupid face. Guys like Dad? They don’t change. “No.”
Paul stood. “Chelsea—”
“You can have whatever it is you hid in here, but you can’t have me, too.” Lifting up my chin, I tightened my fists into balls. “And you’re not going to be in my kids’ life, if I even have them. I won’t let you ruin them, like you ruined me.”
Dad said nothing.
“Get what you came here for and get out. Out of my inn. Out of my town.” I pointed a finger at him, and it trembled. “Out of my life.”
He held his hands out, palms up. “Chelsea, please.”
“Do we have a deal?”
He shook his head. In a flash, a memory hit me, of Dad begging some cop for more time, because my tenth birthday was the next day and he didn’t want to be in jail for another birthday of mine. The cop refused, and I celebrated with Paul and a social worker who hated me. “Chelsea—”
“Do we have a deal?”
After what felt like a million years of silence, he nodded. “Yeah. We have a deal.”
I swallowed hard, my throat swollen and aching with bile.
Once he settled with the Sullivans, my quiet little life could resume. I could go back to focusing on marrying Jeremy. Back to running our inn, and keeping any future children as far away from Johnny O’Kane as they could get. “Then let’s get to work.”
Chapter 25
Jeremy opened the front door, his arms full of free food the caterer had shoved into his arms after he handed her a check and a contract. It had been a hell of a long day and his mind was filled with worry about Chelsea and her father. He wasn’t sure if Johnny was the man behind all these attacks, but he’d seen the footage, and that slightly crooked jawline had definitely been his.
A loud crash sounded from somewhere upstairs, and Jeremy dropped the food on the floor without a second’s hesitation. Pulling his gun from its holster, he charged up the stairs, his heartbeat pounding like a set of drums.
He rounded the corner, sliding on the hardwood floor with a short exhaled breath, and slid into Chelsea’s old room, hands steady on the gun as he pointed it toward—
“What the hell?”
Chelsea, Paul, and their father all stood wearing dust masks. They had tools in hand and the left bedroom wall was in pieces. Plaster dust filled the air. Jeremy covered his face, backing up as a new puff of the white powder exploded in the air after Chelsea slammed the hammer into the wall again. She fished around in the new hole and let out a triumphant cry as she pulled out a little black book.
Her dad dropped the hammer and snatched it out of her hands, ripping his mask off. “That’s my girl. I knew we’d find it!”
Chelsea still had her mask on, so it was hard to see her reaction to her father’s praise, but judging by the way her shoulders tensed up, it wasn’t a good one.
Paul took his mask off, swiping a dirty forearm across a sweaty forehead, leaving a streak of brown and gray behind. “That’s it? That’s what you went to all this trouble for? A book?”
Johnny nodded. “It is.” He tucked it away in his pocket, and grinned. “It’ll all be over, now that I have this again.”
Chelsea removed her mask, shaking her hair out of her face. “So what’s in it?”
“It’s better you don’t know.”
She pressed her lips into a thin line. “You’re going to give it to them, right? So they leave us alone? At this point, don’t worry about the ring if you can’t get it back. Just make sure they stay away.”
“I’ll take care of it. All of it.” He rested a hand on her shoulder, and Chelsea stared down at it with narrow eyes. “You have my word.”
She shook off his hold. “Because that’s so valuable.”
“I—”
“Guys?” Paul said, his gaze locked on Jeremy. He’d been so busy watching the tension between Chelsea and her father that he’d forgotten all about Paul. “We have company.”
Chelsea and Johnny turned slowly.
Johnny paled. “Shit. It’s the fed.”
“No. It’s my fiancé.”
Her father gestured at him. “But—”
“Can someone tell me what the hell is going on here?” Jeremy asked, trying his best to keep his voice level, but failing. “What’s in that book?”
“No,” Johnny said. “Piss off.”
“Don’t talk to Jeremy like that,” Chelsea snapped. Turning to Jeremy, she said, “The book is what he stole from the Sullivans. He’s going to give it back so they leave us alone.”
“But what’s in the book?” Jeremy persisted. If it contained critical information, then he couldn’t let them walk away with it. He should give it to Agent Thomas. “Why do you need it?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Chelsea said, locking gazes with him. “He’s leaving, and he’s giving it back to them, and then he’s never coming back to Hudson. Ever. We’ll just pretend he’s locked up in jail again. Right, Dad?”
Her father hesitated, but then nodded. “I’ll keep my promise.”
“Then go.”
Jeremy stepped forward. “But—”
“Go,” Chelsea said to her father.
Johnny did as he was told.
Paul followed him silently, but stopped at Jeremy’s side. “I tried to warn you, cop, but now you have to pick. The O’Kanes, or your precious law and order.”
“Her,” Jeremy said, his voice low. “It’s always her.”
Paul nodded in approval. “Good. Then this never happened.”
He left without another word.
Once they were gone, Jeremy gritted his teeth and spun on Chelsea. “If there was information in there that could lead to the Sullivans’ arrest, and you let it just walk away—”
“You chose me,” she said, her quiet voice cutting him off as she twisted her hands in front of her. She looked way too vulnerable for his liking. “I know you love me, but you know my family and how they work. If you’re uncomfortable letting this one go, then walk out now. Because no matter how far my dad runs, we will be in this situation again. So if you can’t handle that…if you can’t handle me? Walk away now, while I’m watching. It’ll hurt less than if you do it later, when my back’s turned.”
“Chels.” He crossed the room and pulled her into his arms, the anger and frustration inside him deflating into a shriveled balloon. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m not leaving you. I love you, and it’s you and me, together. Remember?”
She nodded, and to his horror, tears filled her eyes. Chelsea never cried, and hated weakness of any sort. He wasn’t sure what the hell to do with this version of her, or what to say. “It’s over. He’s gone.”
When she burst into tears, he did the only thing he could.
He held her until she stopped.
Chapter 26
It had been almost two months since Dad left my life with that mysterious bla
ck journal in his hand. Ever since, it had been quiet at the McCullagh Inn. No one bothered us. No one threatened us. Dad had kept true to his word.
He’d left us alone, too. No letters. No quiet pleas for second chances. Turned out, he really could keep a promise.
It was sad that I was surprised by that.
I stumbled forward blindly, cursing under my breath. Jeremy was behind me, his hard chest pressed to my back, with his hand plastered over my eyes so I couldn’t see anything. He’d told me he had a surprise for me, since I’d been so busy with the wedding planning, making up for lost time. We were getting married in three days, and I couldn’t be happier about that, but through all the plans and excitement, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing.
I never got my engagement ring back, and I touched the bare skin on my finger where it should’ve been. Regardless of who’d taken it, I made my peace with the fact that it was lost forever. Jeremy and I would have to find a time to pick out a new one soon. For now, we were going to go through with the wedding ceremony and only exchange our wedding bands.
But there was something bothering me.
“Okay, almost there.” Jeremy’s voice was low with nerves. Why was he nervous? What was he up to? “Okay, now, before I take my hand off your eyes, remember that I love you very much.”
My heart twisted with dread. “Jeremy—”
“Don’t be mad at me, but I know you, and you’ve been upset ever since he left. So this is my attempt at fixing that, and making sure you have no regrets when you walk down that aisle to me on Saturday afternoon.” He lifted his hand, and then said. “That being said, I’ll leave you to it.”
He practically ran from the room, shutting the door behind us. The sound of him locking the supply room was the last thing I heard before I saw who was with me. Then, God, I wanted to kill Jeremy, not marry him.
“Oh, hell no.”
My father held a hand out. “I didn’t make this happen. It was all him. I kept my promise, and I stayed away like you asked. But then he told me you missed me, and…”
Yep. I was definitely going to kill my fiancé. Slowly. Painfully. “He was wrong. I’m not upset. At least, I wasn’t,” I called out loud enough for Jeremy to hear. I could practically hear his flinch through the door. “Let me out of here right now, Jeremy!”
“In a minute,” his muffled voice called through the door, the only thing keeping him alive right now.
“I’m sorry,” Dad said quietly. He looked older than the last time I saw him. Like his hair was grayer, his wrinkles were deeper, and he just looked…resigned. I tried to ignore that, but ultimately failed. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you the truth, and I’m sorry I didn’t get your ring back. They’re swearing they didn’t take it and I can’t prove otherwise.”
I wrapped my arms around myself. “It’s fine.”
“No, it’s not. I messed up. Again.” He shrugged. “I wanted to make a good impression, I wanted that second chance, but I went about it the wrong way.”
“You had a second chance,” I said, my throat swollen. “And a third, and a fourth, and a fifth—”
He winced. “Okay, I get it. But it’s different now. I’m different, and it’s because of you.”
“Me?” I asked, laughing nervously. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“I’m not,” he said, putting out his hands in front of him, palms up. “You did it. You took the shitty life I gave you, and you made it something good. You have this inn and a man who loves you very much. Even if the guy’s a fed—you’re happy. And all of that happened even though you had me for a father. I tried to harden you, to protect you from all the shit life was going to throw your way, but I see now I went about it the wrong way. I always do.”
I shook my head. “Dad…”
“Instead of hardening you, I should have fought for you. I should have protected you. I should have risen past my lot in life, like you did. Then maybe I’d be walking my baby girl down the aisle instead of wishing I’d been better all the damn time. I won’t ask you for a second chance again, but if I could go back to the day you were born, I’d do every damn thing differently. I’d make you proud this time.”
Tears blurred my vision. I hated that, but there was no stopping them. For the first time in my adult life, I had the sense that he was telling me the truth. That he actually wanted to do better. To be a good man. People changed, right? I changed. Why couldn’t he?
The door opened behind us, and Jeremy stepped in, eyeing me nervously. “Okay. Your minute is up, Johnny. Time to go.”
I didn’t look at Jeremy, since I couldn’t take my eyes off Dad. His shoulders drooped as he nodded. He started for the door.
I watched him go, uncertain about what to do. Jeremy was right. I had been upset when my father had been out of my life. Even though I couldn’t trust him before, I kept wondering if he’d meant what he said now. If he really wanted to go clean. That uncertainty was killing me.
When it came down to it, I’d rather give Dad a chance to prove me wrong than wonder for the rest of my life if I’d been the one in the wrong. I needed to know. I needed that chance.
And Jeremy had given it to me.
God, I loved him.
“Be here at two on Saturday.”
Dad froze, turning slowly, his eyes lit up with something I hadn’t seen in them for years: hope. “I can come?”
“Well, I’ll need my father to walk me down the aisle.”
Joy lit up his face, and he pulled me in for a hug. His smell, that achingly familiar smell, washed over me, and for once, bad memories didn’t come with it. I pictured him making me get back on my bike on a spring day when I was seven, even though the only reason he’d taught me was so he’d no longer need to drive me anywhere. When I started pedaling, his hand had been on my back as he helped me propel forward before he let me fly free. I closed my eyes, letting myself enjoy this feeling for a second, the same I’d felt while flying on my bike.
Hope.
Chapter 27
I stood at the end of the aisle in my white dress, the small beads picking up soft light from the overhead lights, reflecting off my skin in a delicate glow. The skirt was made of tulle, and puffed out like a ball gown, and I felt beautiful in it. Dad’s arm was tense under my hand, and Jeremy stood at the other end, next to a huge floral centerpiece that matched my bouquet, staring at me with so much love in his eyes that it literally stole my breath away. I always thought that was just a saying, a cliché, but God, it was real. You could literally have your breath taken away, and it was a fricking amazing feeling.
He smiled, and without even realizing it, I smiled back.
“I love you,” he mouthed and that’s when I saw it, the tear in the corner of his eye.
I winked back at him.
He was still here. He hadn’t run away. He loved me. He really loved me.
Paul watched us and rolled his eyes, but he didn’t fool me. I saw the happiness on his face. He and Jeremy had reached a truce of sorts, and he was going to help us try to launch our wedding business. Looks like Paul was getting his happy little family after all. Go figure.
Valley valentines lined the aisle on either side and the bright sun cast a romantic glow over the ceremony just as we had hoped. The string quartet quietly strummed as they waited for my cue to begin the wedding march. A cold wind whipped my veil to the side, and a quiet lull of conversation filled the evening air. Several guests held brochures in their hands already, and I smiled. Hannah, the photographer, snapped pictures. We hadn’t gotten a single regret in response to our invitations. Even the stray cat, Bobby, showed up and sat to one side, taking in everything.
It was the perfect winter wedding in Maine. In our invitations, we’d asked our guests to bundle up for our short ceremony, and wear their finest underneath. We had cleared the snow and ice to make room for the chairs and the trellis, and brought in some industrial heaters to try to keep the chill off. I wasn’t going to wear a coat,
no matter how cold it was.
My heart was pounding and the adrenaline would keep me warm…and so would Jeremy.
Dad cleared his throat. “You ready?”
“Oh, yeah.” I took a deep breath. “I’m ready.”
I linked my arm around Dad’s, and then tucked my hand back in my white fur muff. We walked down the red carpet aisle we’d laid out, and with each step that took me closer to the man of my dreams, the man who had owned my heart, I felt more ready than ever. We could take it all on. The fear. The doubt. The pain. The worry. Everything. Anything. I could handle it all, as long as I had Jeremy by my side. Dad stopped in front of him, and they did the whole formal hand-off thing, as if it really meant anything anymore.
It was stupid, that hand-off.
But it made me tear up.
Jeremy was now the person who’d take care of me for all my life. And I’d take care of him.
He leaned down and whispered, “You look beautiful, Chels. How did I get so lucky?”
“I ask myself the same thing every day,” I whispered back.
He glanced down, taking in the delicate beading on the white neckline, and the soft flare of tulle that puffed out like a princess ball gown. It was so feminine. So dainty. So not me.
I loved it.
I smiled and kissed him. I couldn’t help myself. He leaned in, pressing a hand at the small of my back, and taking charge of the kiss, like he always did. After an undetermined amount of time, the minister cleared his throat, and we broke apart. Holy crap, I’d forgotten where we were…and what we were doing.
“May we continue with the wedding? I haven’t gotten to the kissing the bride part yet. That will happen at the end,” he said with a slightly disapproving tone.
The crowd behind us laughed, and my cheeks went hot. “Uh…yeah. Sure.”
We locked hands and faced the minister. So much happiness filled my heart that it was a miracle it didn’t burst into a million pieces right then and there. After we said our vows, the sun set behind us. The torches we’d placed strategically around the venue were lit. Everything, in this moment, was perfect.
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