Breaking Kate: The Acceptance Series

by Kelly, D.

  “Boys I raised you better, you know I don’t back down. You shouldn’t have put the song in the mix if you didn’t want to chance having to hear your mother sing it.”

  She doesn’t do too bad. It’s cute to watch the boys blush as their mom serenades Bryan. Even though it’s off key, she sings it with confidence, emotion, and lots of touching herself, but not in a bad way.

  Jake’s up next, and from the look on his face he definitely got one of the songs we picked.

  “Really, girls? You really had to go there? I can’t do this one alone.”

  He walks over to the boys. Bryan decides to sit this one out, but Daniel and Connor decide to suck it up and help Jake. He never does announce the song, but once the music starts playing, we can’t stop giggling. They’re singing The Right Stuff by New Kids On The Block. Jake takes the lead as Jordan and he really does have a great voice. They’re all trying to do the New Kid shuffle and failing miserably at it. I’m laughing so hard tears are streaming down my face and my vision is blurred. Connor and Daniel are so off key, and I wonder if it’s on purpose since no guys really like NKOTB. Jess looks over at April, unable to keep the smile off of her face.

  “April, my Jordan Knight fantasies might have just been fulfilled. Do you maybe want to switch brothers for the night?”

  April looks like she can’t tell if Jess is playing or not, but finally answers her, “Sorry, I’ve only ever had a Jordan fantasy, and tonight I plan on making it happen. Wanna switch sleeping assignments with me instead?”

  “Oh, no can do on that one, girl, I’m a screamer and I can’t be within the walls of the parents’ house. Sorry.”

  I’m so glad Linda went and got a drink because I know Jess wouldn’t have used a filter and no mom should have to hear about her son’s screamer. When the boys step off the stage, we give them cat calls and whistles. Considering April looks like her dog just died, though, I can see this isn’t much fun for her.

  April picks her song and sends instant daggers to Daniel. “Seriously, Daniel, I never want to see this song in here again. You’ve finally won; I finally have to sing it.” Jess and I exchange questioning looks as the boys all laugh.

  Daniel slaps Jake on the back and says, “This one’s for you man.”

  Do Ya Think I'm Sexy by Rod Stewart has never been so entertaining. April can’t sing, but the girl can dance. The best part of her performance isn’t April though… it’s watching Jake watch April. He’s watching her with a combination of lust and love. It’s HOT. It’s also very romantic. As she finishes, Jake grabs her off the stage, spins her around, and kisses her passionately.

  Bryan finally speaks up, “If you two don’t stop, I’m going to turn the hose on you.” April breaks away immediately, looking embarrassed, but everyone is just smiling at them, basking in their love.

  Next up is Daniel which means it’s almost my turn. When Daniel pulls his song, he starts busting up and struts to the stage. He begins tapping his foot, waiting for the music to come on. He didn’t share his song with anyone, so we’re all a little curious. Jess recognizes the beat immediately and starts whooping and hollering. Daniel’s singing I’m too Sexy by Right Said Fred. After about a minute, he takes his shirt off and swings it around his finger a few times, launching it right at me. He’s so fucking hot; I may not give his shirt back to him. I pull it up to my face and inhale. It smells like him and I fucking love the way he smells. I look up at him and he’s unbuckling his belt.

  “Yeah, baby, take it all off. It’s the only way I’ll ever get a look!” Thank god he’s just teasing. Jess doesn’t get to see the goods, and I’m sure the rest of them don’t need to see them, either. Once the song’s over, Daniel stands in front of me patiently waiting for his shirt, but I don’t hand it over right away.

  “Can I help you?” Since he’s standing above me, his gaze travels right down my V-neck shirt. I catch his eyes and see nothing but desire.

  “Well, sweetheart, I think you have something that belongs to me. I could sit here shirtless all night, but your friend might take advantage of me while you’re on stage. It wouldn’t be polite for me to turn her away, would it? I mean, she is an adoring fan and all…” I stand up so I can go get my song and put his shirt over his head.

  “We wouldn’t want you to get mauled by rabid fans or anything, so I guess it’s only right to give it back to you even if it does smell amazing.”

  “Baby, I smell just as good and taste even better. If you’re good I might let you have a taste tonight.” Hot damn, he’s right about that. I push away from him to get my song—the sooner this is over, the sooner he can take me to bed.

  Of course I pick a serious song. I’m thinking Jake put this in hoping to get to sing it. There’s no way to funny this one up so I just drag the stool to the center of the stage and start singing Marry Me by Train. If I can’t be funny, I can at least do the song justice. I’m not one to be self-conscious, but everyone is watching me intensely. April’s actually crying, Linda looks like she might cry, Jess is beaming from ear to ear, and all of the boys have the same look of awe on their faces. I’m so glad when the song’s over. I’m not used to little crowds hearing me sing; it’s a little unnerving. Jess and I usually do upbeat collaborations together when we perform. Once I step down from the stage, I hear Connor talking to Daniel who is looking at me like I walk on water.

  “Holy shit, dude, have you ever heard her sing like that? I mean, I know she can sing, but all I’ve ever heard is upbeat fun stuff. That was fucking awesome. She could seriously be on the radio now.” Daniel’s just shaking his head no because he hasn’t heard me sing like that before.

  April and Jake have their heads together, but after a minute April pops up. “Kate, seriously, that was incredible. Would you maybe want to sing that at our wedding? It could totally be your present to us.”

  “I don’t know, guys. What if I screw it up?”

  “You won’t screw it up, Katie; now say yes.” Jess only calls me Katie when she’s emotional, so I know it must have been okay.

  “Sure, April, I would be happy to, but just the one song, okay? I don’t want to change my career path to wedding singer anytime soon.”

  April squeals in happiness as she wraps me up in a big hug. “Thank you, thank you, thank you. Eeekkkk I’m so excited right now! Who would have known we have our very own Mariah Carey among us?”

  Connor pulls out his song and cockily struts up to the stage like he’s the king of the world. He doesn’t ask anyone to go up with him, so he must be pretty confident in his song. Soon enough, the music to I Wanna Sex You Up by Color Me Badd comes on and I bust up laughing. This was my pick and I was hoping he would be the one to get to sing it. His voice isn’t the best, but he absolutely makes up for it with his performance. He sings directly to Jess and slides around the stage a lot, falling to his knees; it’s hilarious. Connor finishes, blows Jess a kiss, and heads back toward the guys section of lawn.

  Jess picks her song then sticks her tongue out at the boys with her fingers in her ears, wiggling them around which is classic Jess. It must be something they think will trip us up or something.

  “Okay, Kate, this one is for the two of us. We totally got this.”

  Not letting me respond, she’s grabbing my hand and pulling me to the stage. Without even letting me see the song she finds it on the machine, but once I hear the music I know she’s right—we’ve totally got this one. In eleventh grade, Jess and I did a talent show with this song. Believe it or not, we brought down the house with our rendition of If You Wanna Be My Lover by The Spice Girls. Sometimes we do it around the house just for fun, although the boys would have absolutely no way of knowing that. They probably just think the song is stupid and it would be funny to see someone sing it. Jess takes the lead and we alternate roles of singing and dancing the whole time. This is so much fun. I’m not even paying attention to the audience; it’s just me and Jess being us and having a blast. When the song’s over, even the boys stand up an
d clap. Connor’s the first to speak up, though.

  “I should have known when I picked that song that you two do you would have an act for that one. Seriously, though, you guys have the best voices; you should go on tour or something.”

  “Wouldn’t you miss us if we went on tour? I mean, we probably wouldn’t miss you or anything because I’m sure guys would be trying to break down the door of our luxury tour bus.” Jess bats her eyelashes at Connor dramatically a few times.

  “Damn, woman, if you think we would let you go on tour without us, you’re crazy. We would be your bodyguards and in-house stud muffins, ready and eager to please your every desire.”

  Everyone has coupled off, and Linda and Bryan are yawing which makes me yawn.

  “I hate to interrupt the stud muffins, but do we have a winner for the night or do we need another round?”

  Jake speaks up fast, “No, Mom. After hearing Kate and Jess I think without a doubt the girls won tonight, and I got a wedding singer. I also think Connor and Daniel need singing lessons or we need a new family game since we have no shot of winning anymore with them on your team.”

  “No way, Jake you’re just a sore loser. Your mom and I have lost against you for years. What goes around comes around and payback is a bitch.”

  “Okay, kids, I think we’ll call it a night. I can’t wait for our spa day tomorrow, girls, it’s going to be so much fun.” Linda and Bryan give each one of us a hug and a kiss. I’m in love with how much they love their family. I’m a little sad I missed out on all this for years, but on the other hand, I’m super happy I won’t miss out ever again; this is my family.

  “Goodnight, Kate, we’re so glad you’re here. Your mom would have been so proud of the woman you’ve become.” As she moves on, I hear her tell the boys in sequence, “Daniel, use protection. Connor, use protection. Jake, no grandbabies until after the wedding unless you want to move the date up.” When she gets to Jess and April, she tells them both the same thing, “Thank you for loving my sons.” I swear I actually see tears in Jess’s eyes; she doesn’t speak, just nods.

  Jake and April head off to the house with Bryan and Linda as the rest of us head down to the guest house. All of us are yawing by the time we get in the house. We’re not even interested in staying up and talking; we just say goodnight and head to our rooms.

  Chapter 19 – Daniel

  Today’s been a long day. I can’t believe how tired I am even after the good night’s sleep I had last night. While I’m waiting for Kate to finish up in the bathroom and come to bed, I think about all the things we found out today. I think it’s awesome that Kate and Connor grew up together and she now has an extended family, which happens to be my extended family, too. I vaguely remember that day we all hung out together when we were kids. I wish I remembered it more, but it was a long time ago. I’m completely lost in thought when I feel Kate snuggle into my side.

  “Damn, Kate, my shirt looks much better on you than it does on me.”

  “I don’t know about that. I think it looks damn sexy on you, but I can’t help but want to wrap myself up in your scent.” I know the feeling. I pull her in tighter to me, loving that we’re spooning.

  “Daniel, do you mind if we just lay here and talk tonight? I just need to take a little time and absorb all that’s happened today.”

  “Of course not. Don’t ever think we have to have sex just because we’re together. I have some willpower. I’m happy just laying here and spending time with you wrapped in my arms.”

  “Daniel, do you think my mom would be happy with the way things turned out today?”

  I flip Kate over so she’s facing me and run my fingers through her hair. “I think she would be happy. I think she would have been pissed that your dad kept Linda away from you when you lost her. I know you had Maryanne, but it seems Linda knew your mom better than anyone. I’m happy that you’ve found your extended family, and even happier that they’re also my extended family. Now you need to decide how you’re going to deal with your dad. If he really wants a fresh start with you, he’ll be willing to do whatever it takes to facilitate the relationship and bring them into your new family with open arms. I know Linda can hold a grudge, but I think for your sake she would try to get along.”

  I love how she rubs my back and looks me in the eyes the entire time I’m talking to her. “My dad has done some pretty shitty things in his life, but this is one of the worst. I don’t necessarily think he kept her from Linda on purpose, because my mom never had any problems spending time with Maryanne. Maybe they just grew apart, especially with living further away from each other. My friendship with Jess probably made a relationship with Maryanne easy. My dad isn’t the easiest person to approach and he was hurting when he spoke to Linda. I wonder if she made other attempts over the years to get back in my life, that might have made all the difference, you know?”

  She seems so sad. I give her a kiss on the forehead; they always seem to perk her up a bit. “I know, but she probably decided to abide by his wishes. It had already been a few years since you guys had been getting together. She saw how hard it was on Connor to lose you, she probably didn’t want to see either of you go through that pain again. The ball is in your hands now. Don’t dwell on the past, gumdrop, just focus on your future. Everything and everyone else will fall in place.”

  “My dad called this morning. They went and saw Lila Hope today. They were both crying and apologetic about it all. Maybe I should have let them in sooner, but I felt like by keeping her to myself I could stay closer to her. Now that they’ve seen her, I know Michael needs to be told. This isn’t fair to him or me. I need closure, Daniel, so that the one percent of my heart that is still open to him will be completely yours.”

  I hate hearing that he still has part of her heart. Even if it’s a tiny piece, it’s a very significant part of her soul. I’m so proud of her for realizing it and coming to a decision because after this she will be completely mine.

  “I can’t wait to meet your daughter, Kate. I’m sure she would want you to be happy, and someday we’ll take her brothers and sisters to meet her, too. I know she wasn’t a part of your life for long, but while she was here she made an impact on you that helped you become who you are today.”

  She just nods her head as silent tears escape her eyes and all I can do is hold her. I think that’s all she needs me to do. Within a few minutes, she’s sleeping so peacefully, curled up in my arms. I can’t think of a better way to fall asleep.

  Morning comes all too soon. With the girls scheduled to leave for the spa at ten a.m., the fact that we slept until almost nine doesn’t give us much time. I’m excited for her to have a day with the girls and for her to get to know April’s family. Everything seems to be falling into place; I’ve never been in a relationship before where everything just fell together like it was meant to be. I can’t wait to see her all dressed up tonight, although I’m sure that as soon as I see her in that dress all I’m going to want to do will be to peel it off of her.

  “Kate, sweetheart, you don’t have much time; you’d better get in the shower. You only have about an hour before the limo gets here to take you guys to the spa.” Raising one questioning eyebrow at me, she looks adorable.

  “The limo? You guys rented a limo to take us to a spa?”

  “Yes, a limo for the spa. Jake wanted everything to be prefect and special for April today. She doesn’t let him spoil her, so he takes advantage when he can.”

  “That’s sweet. I could tell how much he loves her last night. Just the way he looks at her shows how much in love they are. They adore each other. That’s why I agreed to sing at their wedding because of the loving looks they shared while I was singing. It was like they were promising each other forever with their eyes. Their love is undeniable, it’s truly a blessing..” Kate’s eyes glaze over a little bit and I pull her hand to my mouth and kiss her ring finger.

  “You know, promise rings are typically worn on the right hand, but when I placed you
rs on your finger, I put it on your left because you’re it for me. If I would have placed it on your right hand I would have felt like there was a chance to take back what happened, and I don’t ever want to take it back. My love for you is undeniable. You’re mine to love forever and to worship until the day I die.”

  “Mr. McCormick, it’s not just your body that sets me on fire, it’s your way with words as well. Please come and worship every inch of my body in the shower or I will never make it through today. I love you so much. I love that people constantly think I’m engaged. I wouldn’t have wanted you to place my ring anywhere else. You found the perfect ring and the symbolism behind it is profound, you were staking a claim to me. I like that and one day when my name is on your back, everyone will know that you’re mine and I can’t wait for that day when I get to claim you.”

  Holy fuck that’s hot. I don’t waste a second; I grab her off the bed and take her to the shower. “Baby, that is the hottest thing I’ve ever heard. Most girls would freak over the symbolism of the ring and tattoo especially so soon. Not you gumdrop. I love you so much. I’m going to fuck you in the shower and it’s going to be quick, baby. I’m so turned on right now my eyes are crossed. Tonight, I’m going to take my time with you. I am going to show you how much I worship every single part of your incredibly sexy body.”

  I turn her around, placing her hands against the shower wall, and she immediately spreads her legs. I slide my fingers across her clit and inside of her; she’s so wet already; I can’t wait another second. I thrust inside of her and reach around her wet, naked body. I’m not coming alone, but I’ve got to make this fast. I begin kissing her neck, using one hand to massage her breast and tug on her nipple ring. I take my other hand and slide it across her wet pussy, tugging on her clit. She’s so fucking responsive; I immediately feel her gripping me tighter, clenching me with her muscles, and I’m about to lose it.