On the Ropes

by Dania Voss

  After a full round of air-kisses between them, they ended up in a fit of giggles. “Think we can convince everyone to air-kiss us so we don’t ruin our makeup?” Abbey asked.

  Cassie frowned and shook her head. “Probably not, but at least we have the makeup bags Angel made up for us. We’ll be able to look amazing for the entire day.”

  “That’s true,” Leah agreed.

  Someone knocked on the conference room, startling them. “It’s Dad. We’re ready for you.”

  “Okay, Dad, one minute. Leah, can Abbey and I have a minute?”

  Leah nodded and headed to the door. “Of course.” The door clicked softly behind her as she left.

  “Abbey, can you do me a favor today and this weekend?”

  “I’m sorry I overreacted at the hotel about Luke. It’s just…”

  Cassie squeezed both of Abbey’s hands tight. Her warmth seeped into Abbey. “I don’t really mean Luke. I can tell something’s bothering you. Something other than Luke.”

  Abbey desperately wanted to tell Cassie about losing her job. About her nervousness of the future, and yes, of seeing Luke, but she held back. Although Cassie seemed calm and collected, she wondered if Cassie had her own anxieties too. After all, Cassie was getting married, was pregnant, and keeping her pregnancy a secret for now. She didn’t want to add to Cassie’s own worries. Especially today.

  “I know you probably don’t want to say anything, especially today and that’s all right. I understand. It’s not necessary, but I understand. Just promise me you’ll give that overactive brain of yours a break this weekend. Have fun. Don’t overthink anything. Just relax and go with the day. Can you do that?”

  Abbey scoffed. “I don’t have an overactive brain.”

  “Oh, really? You’ve spent the last ten years at OSG working your ass off while going to night school. Your brain needs a reboot—for the weekend at least.”

  Cassie was right to a certain degree. The last ten years had been hectic for her. She’d worked hard at OSG, initially being hired as an entry level Support Desk Analyst and working her way up to a Senior Systems Engineer, responsible for the IT Service Management system they used to manage the support desk, computer assets, and IT change management process. All the while attending night school to first earn her BS in Computer Science and then her MBA six months ago. Maybe Cassie had a point—a weekend brain reboot might be what she needed.

  “Maybe you’re right.”

  Cassie smiled brightly at her, her sparkling blue eyes filled with love and understanding. “I know I’m right. So just go with the flow this weekend and have fun. Whatever fun means to you. Regardless of what happens today and over the weekend, know in your heart you’ll be all right. That everything will be all right. Can you do that?”

  “Cassie, we really need to take our places,” their father said through the door.

  “Okay, Dad, one second,” Cassie called out to him.

  Abbey smiled back at her sister. She felt the stress of the last couple of days slowly drift way. She would do her best to do as Cassie asked. To go with the flow and have fun. She could pick up the pieces of her life on Monday.

  “I will, Cass, I’ll relax and have fun this weekend. I promise. And I’ll be fine come Monday. Now enough about me, let’s get you married.”

  ****

  All the men looked at the door. Heath looked visibly relieved, assuming the conversation about Leah had ended. Luke didn’t think Jake would be so easily deterred.

  “Come on in,” Jake called out. “We’re not finished talking about this,” Jake told Heath.

  Hannah and Luke’s Uncle Darren stepped inside the office. “Darren,” Jake, Heath, and Rocco called out.

  Luke stood back while the guys greeted his uncle. His stomach tightened as he looked at the strong, vibrant man before him. In his mid-sixties, Darren Stryker was still a force to be reckoned with. Six-feet-two with a full head of mostly gray and blond hair, he had the outward appearance of a healthy and successful businessman.

  And at the moment, Darren Stryker was exactly that. He had inherited ownership of the Chicago Cobras from Luke’s grandfather Bradford twelve years ago, along with all real estate amassed by Stryker Real Estate Holdings. Stryker Real Estate Holdings owned and managed a significant number of commercial and residential properties throughout Chicago and the surrounding suburbs, as well as properties in Nevada where the Cobras’ Triple A minor league team, the Windy City Rattlers, was located. Darren had grown the company’s real estate portfolio several times over since inheriting it. The success of the Cobras, Rattlers, and his real estate holdings had made his uncle a billionaire. Darren had never married, making Luke his uncle’s sole heir.

  Luke felt a boulder-sized lump form in his throat and his eyes burned. Shit, he was going to lose it in front of everyone. His shoulder problem was nothing compared to the news his uncle had shared while he was in the hospital Wednesday night and Thursday. Darren turned to Luke and shook his head slightly.

  Luke stood up straight, cleared his throat, and took a deep breath. Then another. He nodded at his uncle.

  Keep it together. It’s not over yet. Uncle Darren, Dad, is the toughest man you know. Just relax and enjoy the weekend. Darren’s counting on you.

  Luke looked around the room. Darren’s long-time companion wasn’t here. “Where’s Maureen?” Maureen Taylor, a lovely woman in her early fifties, had been with his uncle since the day she interviewed with the Cobras Children’s Foundation five years ago. She made his uncle happy, and he loved her for it.

  “I already escorted her to her seat. I’ll join her in a minute. I wanted to see you boys first,” Darren replied.

  Jake shook Darren’s hand and clapped him on the back. “Thank you for everything, Darren. Everyone with Hailey’s has been amazing. They’ve made preparing for today a lot less stressful. Cassie’s been thrilled rather than stressed out and we have you to thank for that. We wouldn’t have been able to book Hailey’s otherwise.”

  Darren waved a hand dismissively. “No need to thank me. You’ve been like a brother to my boy and so has Heath. Anything you two need, just say the word.”

  Luke was touched by Darren’s sentiment. It couldn’t have been easy for him when Luke’s parents died and Darren became an insta-daddy to a devastated ten-year-old boy. Luke’s father James, a former Army veteran and a member of the All Army Sports Program for softball, was Darren’s younger brother by two years.

  The brothers had been close and Darren hadn’t hesitated in becoming Luke’s guardian after his parents’ death. Although a confirmed bachelor with no children of his own, Darren did all he could to fill the void that losing Luke’s parents had created in his heart. He would be forever grateful for his uncle’s guidance and support the last twenty years. Luke was the man he was today because of Darren’s guiding hand, sound advice, and influence.

  “Thank you, sir,” Jake and Heath both said.

  Darren turned to Hannah, who had been sneaking glances at Rocco. An adorable blush stained her cheeks. “They all cleaned up pretty well, wouldn’t you say?”

  Darren looked at Luke with a brow raised. Luke grinned and shrugged.

  “Um … well yes they did. The tuxedos fit perfectly. But what about the boutonnieres?”

  Jake grabbed his out of the box on the table and handed it to Hannah, looking embarrassed. “Yeah, no way any of us would have been able to pin these on. Can you give us a hand?”

  Hannah made quick work on pinning Jake’s boutonniere to his tuxedo lapel. The groom’s boutonniere was comprised of a white and cornflower-blue dyed rose with some additional frilly flowery stuff attached to it. Luke’s and Heath’s boutonnieres were only a single cornflower-dyed rose with the same frilly flowery stuff attached. Hannah pinned Luke’s and Heath’s with quick care and stood back, admiring her work.

  “Perfect. I think you three are all set. The ladies are here and they look absolutely beautiful. Wait until you see Cassie, Jake. She’s stunning.�
� Hannah smiled at Jake as he tried to make his way out the door. She grabbed him by the shoulders, doing her best to stop him.

  Luke ran to the door, standing in front of it, blocking Jake’s escape. “Whoa, you can’t see her now, Jake, you know that.”

  Jake fisted his hands. “Why not? We’ve been together for years. What difference does it make if I see her for a minute before we start the ceremony?”

  “Tradition,” everyone in the room except for Jake exclaimed.

  Luke laughed when Jake crossed his arms over his chest and pouted. “Fine. It’s a stupid tradition, don’t you think? It’s 2017, not 1817.”

  “Maybe so,” Hannah said, “but it is what it is. I’ve got to finish up with a few last-minute arrangements. I’ll come back when we’re ready for you to take your places.”

  Luke backed away from the door entrance, giving Hannah enough room to walk out.

  “Hannah, wait,” Rocco called out.

  Hannah turned to Rocco, blushing. Luke chuckled to himself. Whatever this thing was between the Italian Marine and the little event planner, it would be fun to watch play out.

  “Do you have any mints in that magic bag of your for the guys?”

  Hannah stared at Rocco for a beat, not saying anything, and then rummaged through her bag. She retrieved a small clear plastic container and shook out a couple tiny white mints into Jake’s, Heath’s, and Luke’s hands.

  Rocco walked up to Hannah with a smirk on his face. He held out his hand out, palm up. “Don’t I get some too?”

  Hannah looked at Rocco with wide eyes and nodded. Luke saw her hand shake slightly as she shook three mints into Rocco’s palm.

  Rocco popped them in his mouth. “Mmmm.”

  Hannah gasped, blushing even harder and turned to leave. “I’ll be back soon to get you all,” she said and dashed out the door.

  “Damn, Roc. Get a room, why don’t you?” Luke laughed and winked at his uncle.

  “What are you talking about?” Rocco crunched his mints with gusto.

  Darren rolled his eyes. “Come on, Rocco, you’re obviously interested in the woman. From what I saw, Hannah appears interested in you as well.”

  Rocco shook his head. “No sir, not interested.”

  Darren grunted. “You should be. Hannah’s an amazing young woman. She’s bright, educated, a hard worker, and as lovely as can be. I happen to know she’s not seeing anyone seriously at the moment. There were sparks between you, don’t deny it.”

  “No, sir, there most definitely were not. I was just giving her a hard time is all. She’s a bit bossy.” Rocco pulled out a bottle of water from the beer cooler and chugged half of it down in two gulps. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Heath’s not seeing anyone, maybe he should ask her out.”

  Jake took the bottle from Rocco and chugged down the rest. He shook his head. “No, Heath is interested in Leah.”

  Darren clapped Heath on the shoulder, smiling. “That’s wonderful. The girl adores you. Always has. Good for you.”

  “No, not back to this. I’m not interested in Leah like that. I told you. And even if I were, and I’m not, I wouldn’t do that to you.” Heath looked to Luke for support. He just smiled back at him and shook his head.

  “And I told you that I wouldn’t stand in your way if you wanted to pursue Leah. I know somewhere along the way your feelings for her changed. You stopped thinking of her as an annoying little sister and started thinking about her as a woman.”

  Heath frowned and looked down at his shoes, seeming embarrassed. “Jake, Leah and I together isn’t a good idea and I won’t do anything that could ruin our friendship.”

  Darren stood in front of Heath and placed his hands on his shoulders. “Look at me, Heath. That girl has loved you all her life. Before she knew or understood what love was.”

  Heath blew out a breath and raised his head. “I don’t think I’d be good for her. She can do a lot better than me. And what if things didn’t work out? I don’t want to ruin a lifelong friendship.”

  It hurt Luke to know Heath thought so little of himself. As far as he was concerned, any woman would be lucky to have him. He was a good man.

  “Bullshit,” Rocco said. “You’re more than good enough for Leah.”

  “She deserves someone whole,” Heath whispered.

  Jake motioned to Darren, and he stepped aside. Jake looked Heath in the eyes. “None of us are perfect, Heath. A good woman will love us flaws and all. Mine does. She trusted me enough to wait until I felt confident I could provide for us. I knew there were people who tried to convince her to leave me. Tried to convince her I was just stringing her along. But she loves me and stuck with me.”

  “What if my hearing deteriorates and hearing aids don’t work for me anymore?”

  Jake laughed and shook his head. “Dude, Leah knows how to sign better than we do.”

  Luke had no idea Leah could sign. She’d never mentioned it. Heath was a lucky man. She had prepared herself for that possibility all long, just like he, Jake, and Heath had.

  Heath looked shocked at that. “Really?”

  Jake nodded. “Yeah, I saw her at mom’s one day. The news on and she was translating the newscast. She was really good. She doesn’t know I saw her.”

  Heath frowned. “Don’t you see? She shouldn’t have to deal with something like that.”

  “But she chose to learn without anyone saying anything. That means something,” Rocco stated.

  “Relationships are hard even under good circumstances. If things didn’t work out between us, what about our friendship? She’s your sister, not some random woman.”

  This time Darren spoke up. “As I see it, as long as you approach a relationship with Leah honestly and make a sincere effort, and if it doesn’t work out, then I’m sure you and Jake will be just fine. Isn’t that right, Jake?”

  “Darren’s right. If you both make an honest effort and things don’t work out, you won’t have any issues from me. You have my word on that. I know you wouldn’t intentionally hurt her.” Jake stuck his hand out to Heath. Heath hesitated a moment and shook it.

  “I’m still not sure it’s a good idea, but I’ll think about it, okay? That’s the best I can do for now.”

  “That’s a start,” Darren said. “Now that that’s settled, I’m going to join Maureen. Good luck, Jake.” Jake and Darren shook hands and Darren left the room.

  “How about you guys give me a break and we talk about Mission Abbey,” Heath suggested.

  Luke was good with that. “Unlike other people, I’m ready to go after my girl,” Luke said, grinning. Heath flipped him off and everyone laughed.

  With a determined look in his eyes, Jake said, “There are too many secrets being kept today, but what can we do to help?”

  “I know I missed rehearsal, but tell me how the ceremony is supposed to go.”

  Luke listened intently as Jake explained how the ceremony would proceed. He hoped Cassie wouldn’t mind the small changes he intended to make to the processional. It would be the first step in his mission to make Abbey his for good. Luke had been on the ropes for far too long. That ended today.

  “All right, I think we have a workable plan for Mission Abbey. Thanks for having my back.” Luke couldn’t have asked for better or more loyal friends than Jake, Heath, and Rocco.

  “No problem, you have ours,” Jake said.

  Rocco snickered. “Heath, this plan puts you in the line of fire with a certain someone. Think you’re going to be able to handle that?”

  “I’ll be just fine, asshole,” Heath snapped back.

  Jake laughed and said, “Laugh it up, Roc. You’re seated at Hannah’s table.”

  Heath smirked at Rocco. “Think you’re going to be able to handle that?”

  Rocco grunted and shook his head. “I’ll be just fine, asshole. I told you I’m not interested in her.”

  Luke wasn’t convinced. “Whatever you say, buddy.”

  Rocco glared at them all and checked
his watch. “I’m going to check on the security detail and take my seat. From what I’ve seen so far, we’re in good shape.” Rocco shook Jake’s hand and clapped him on the back. “Good luck, Jake.”

  “Thanks, Roc, for everything.”

  Rocco nodded curtly and left the room. Luke was eager to get the events of the day and the weekend started. Too much was riding on this mission. His future happiness depended on a successful outcome.

  Shortly after Rocco left the room, the pastor performing the ceremony, Pastor Jenkins, stepped in. He was a tall, thin man with a receding hairline, salt and pepper hair that had more pepper than salt, wire-rimmed glasses, and kind eyes. Pastor Jenkins looked solemn in his black suit and white collar. Exactly what Luke expected from a man of the cloth.

  Pastor Jenkins shook all of their hands. “So Jake, we’re almost ready to get started. Your bride is a vision to behold.”

  Jake scowled at Heath and Luke. “I wanted to see Cassie for a minute before we got started, but they wouldn’t let me.” Jake nudged his head toward Luke and Heath.

  Pastor Jenkins chuckled. “Good things come to those who wait, Jake. And with a seven-year engagement under your belt, a few more minutes won’t make much difference, will it?”

  “I know it took us a while to get here, but I wanted to be sure I had everything in place to do right by Cassie. The way she deserves.”

  Pastor Jenkins placed a gentle hand on Jake’s shoulder. “I know that, Jake. And that’s commendable. If more people took the time to better prepare before they got married, fewer would have problems down the road and get divorced. It took me a while before I felt ready to marry my wife, but we’re all the better for it now.”

  Luke was so proud of Jake. Jake hadn’t succumbed to all the pressure from everyone around him over the years to get married before he felt ready. He wanted to do right by his bride and he couldn’t fault the man for that. And Pastor Jenkins was right, Cassie and Jake would be all the better for it.

  Jake smiled. “Thanks, Pastor, I appreciate that.”

  “Why don’t we pray before things get started?” Pastor Jenkins reached out and Jake and Luke each took one of his hands and one of Heath’s. With their heads bowed, Pastor Jenkins prayed over them, offering God’s blessings for a joyful day and holy union. Luke smiled when Pastor prayed for continued pleasant weather. What bride wanted rain on her wedding day? Although Luke vaguely recalled Rocco mentioning something about Italians considering rain on your wedding day to be good luck.