Saved (Surrender Series Book 3)

by J. G. Sumner

  From the side, the corner of Kendall’s mouth creeps up in a smile. By the time she turns around, Kendall is as stoic as ever. “He did well. I can’t wait to see you in this.”

  Kendall’s response was just what I needed to reassure me things were going to work out. My heart is warm and full of love as I wait and anticipate my impending union with Tony.

  “Pardon me, but there’s one here for you too.” Meg interrupts as she enters my old walk-in closet. Out she comes with a satin navy-blue bridesmaid gown just like the one from my notebook. I picked this dress out with Kendall in mind knowing how well it would fit her petite frame and accentuate all her assets. Normally a bride would want to have all eyes on her, but Kendall would absolutely kill me if she weren’t in a stunning dress.

  Kendall looks from me to the dress, and then back to me with wide eyes. For once, I can’t read her expression. I think there’s a lot going on inside that head of hers right now.

  Meg holds the dress against Kendall. “It’s a size two, and from what I can see, it will be a perfect fit on you. Why don’t you go try it on and see if we need any last-minute alterations?”

  Kendall takes the dress and walks toward the bathroom. “I doubt it will, I’m a size zero, but I’ll put it on for Katherine’s sake.”

  I smirk as Kendall makes her way past me. She loves this dress, but isn’t about to admit it. If Tony were here right now, I’d kiss him. He just made my best friend’s day.

  “Now Ms. Anderson, we need to get going with your hair. This is Penelope and she’s going to work some magic.”

  I turn around and face the mirror as the ladies get started on the transformation that’s going to start my new life with Tony. This day would be perfect if it weren’t for my dad dying. All I can do is try and block that out, think of the positive, and give Charles Anderson his last dying wish.

  Chapter

  Twenty-Seven

  Tony

  “Well, you did it, Mate. I’m not sure how you pulled it off, but you got the woman of your dreams to marry you. When I found you in that motel room, I never thought this day would happen. It’s nice to see that you finally pulled your head out of your arse and got your shit together.” Jasper pats my shoulder as I straighten the bowtie that’s threatening to suffocate me.

  “I couldn’t have done it without you. I swear to God you’re a fucking magician. I’m not sure how you get things done so quickly, but you deserve some sort of award or something.”

  “I’ll settle for an increase in salary,” Jasper states as he throws on the vest to his tuxedo.

  I chuckle. “You’ll be lucky if I keep you on the payroll. Now that my cousin is dead and Emilia is being taken back to Italy with her mom, I don’t know that I’m going to need your services.”

  “Ha! Trust me, Mate. You get in enough trouble without anyone else’s help to keep me around for years to come. If nothing else, I’ve proved to be a very valuable personal assistant. You’re going to need someone to keep you in check.” Jasper’s right. I need him as much as my own arm. However, not in the way he thinks. The man has been the best friend anyone can ask for. There’s no way I’m letting him disappear even if it means I have to bankroll him for years to come.

  “That’s what Kate’s for. I’m sure she’ll have me and the babies whipped up into a routine in no time. I won’t have a chance to get in anymore trouble.”

  I sit down on the bed of one of the guest bedrooms, and lean over to put my shoes on. “So, what’s going on with you and Kendall? Are there wedding bells in future?”

  Jasper gives a half laugh. “You know, not everyone needs to tie the knot to be happy. Kendall and I are just fine with the way things are now. The last think we need is to a throw a wrench like that into our relationship. That woman is a wild cat and I’m not sure she’ll ever be tamed.”

  “Watch out for that one. She could rip you up and leave you for dead. Kendall is dangerous and I’d rather not see you become her next prey.”

  Jasper rests a hand on my shoulder. “No worries, Mate. I’m just having a little fun. Besides, I’m busy enough taking care of all your problems, I don’t have time to get into anything serious with Kendall. I have a feeling if I go down that road with her, Kendall is going to require a hundred percent of my attention.”

  I laugh. “Make that one-hundred and fifty percent. She’s as high maintenance as they come.”

  When I finish attaching the boutonniere to my jacket, I take one last look in the mirror. “Not too shabby.” I never imagined what I would look like on my wedding day, but the dark circles from fatigue were never part of the plan. It’s hard enough to get sleep with two newborns without all the chaos Kate and I have endured the last few days. I can only hope things will settle down once we’re married.

  “You clean up nice. I’m sure Kate won’t be able to keep her hands off you.”

  I force a smile. “I can only hope you’re right. I dread to think she might be marrying me to make her dad happy.”

  “You must be out of your mind. You know Kate better than that. She’s as stubborn as they come. If she doesn’t want to do something, she won’t. When I encouraged her to go drag your ass home from San Diego, she refused stating you were a grown man and could do as you please. As much as she wanted you to know you were the father, she wasn’t about to chase you down. No, without a doubt, that woman is head over heels for you.” Jasper opens the heavy wooden door leading to the hallway. “Now get your arse downstairs and let Kate make a man of you yet. Times a wasting.”

  The jitters have made an appearance. I’m not nervous about marrying Kate. Maybe it’s more that I fear she won’t go through with it. Whatever the cause, it’s time to get this show on the road.

  I have the weight of the world on my shoulders as I move my now very heavy legs down the hallway lined with dark wooden panels. This house has a very warm feeling but the entire thing reminds me of a study or library. There’s wood everywhere and it has the scent of a burning fireplace and old cigars.

  As Jasper and I walk into the room where Charles is resting, I can’t help but notice the amazing transformation. When I give Jasper a task, he certainly doesn’t half-ass it. There are various fragrant flowers throughout, and an altar complete with a runner with rose petals leading up to it. Flickering candles make the room more intimate, and for a moment I almost forget that a man I’ve considered a father figure for the past couple of years is dying right before us.

  Elizabeth and David are sitting in one of the white chairs roped together with navy-blue ribbon facing the altar. The nurse is doting on Charles at his bedside, and the minister is flipping through his little black book preparing for my upcoming vows. The only people missing are Kendall and Kate. Butterflies begin to ravage my stomach at the thought of Kendall talking Kate out of this. I silently pray Kate will show up in the gown I had made for her after the discussion with Charles that he was dying. I never in a million years expected it would be this quick.

  “Looks good, yeah?” Jasper gives me a pat on the back.

  “You’re a miracle worker, my man. I couldn’t have done it without you.” I’m not usually an emotional guy, but this is amazing and tonight, I’m finally going to have Kate as mine.

  “Yeah, just remember that the next time I need a favor. The way I see it, you owe me about a year’s worth.” Jasper remarks before heading over to the minister.

  “Can everyone please take their positions? The bride is ready for the ceremony.” I’m not sure who this woman is, but my guess is that she’s the coordinator Jasper brought in.

  As I walk over to the right of the altar, the butterflies have reached maximum elevation and are now pounding against my heart causing it to beat out of control. The moment is finally here. I’ve wanted to marry Kate since I saw her tied up across from me in my grandmother’s basement. Her strength and resolve were amazing and I knew then, she was the only woman who would ever own my heart.

  As if on cue, the ukulele version of “
Somewhere over the Rainbow” plays. Kate loves this song. I never thought much of it before, but right now it’s fitting. Dreams are coming true. Kate and I are getting married, and Charles is present to see it happen.

  Kendall makes her way into the room with a plastered smile on her face. She’s trying to be happy about this for Kate’s sake, but she doesn’t do a very good job of covering up her displeasure. There’s nothing subtle about Kendall and unfortunately, she and I are like oil and water. As she makes her way down the aisle, she glares daggers at me before giving Jasper some sex-crazed maniac eyes that screams her plans for ripping the tuxedo off of him the first chance she gets. Good for Jasper. Hopefully he makes it out in one piece.

  The music pauses, announcing Kate’s arrival in the doorway. I look up and I swear my heart stops beating for a minute. She looks fucking amazing in that wedding dress. Part of her hair is pulled back and the rest is falling down in loose ringlets. She’s biting her bottom lips as she locks her eyes with mine igniting every nerve ending in my body and shooting electricity throughout causing my hairs to stand on end. How does that happen? How does this woman have that power over me?

  I stare into her eyes from across the room. Kate is clearly questioning whether or not she can trust me. I plead and let her know I will never leave again—not for anything. Her brow furrows. Not for anything I repeat through our silent conversation. The sparkle in her eyes and the trust returns. She gives a little nod and the music picks up where it left off.

  Kate begins her march down the aisle and our eyes remain locked. My heart flutters like the butterflies have somehow gotten in and are trying to figure a way out. I’m not scared or nervous, but instead anxious to finally make this woman mine.

  It dawns on me that I’ve finally beaten Matteo at his own game. He wanted to destroy everything that had any meaning to me so he could watch me self-destruct. It almost worked…almost. He tried to take Kate, but instead we’ve grown stronger and overcome every obstacle presented. We’re a family now and there’s nothing that can get in the way of it. Our lives are starting over right now. The past is going to be left right where it belongs, taking all the heartache, pain, and bad memories with it. We are now being guided into the future of love, understanding, laughter, and happy memories. I promise to give Kate the world.

  Just steps before Kate gets to my side, she stops and stares at me. My heart stops and my stomach has somehow found its way into the back of my throat. Kate turns around and walks toward her father. I want to run to Kate’s side to prevent her from leaving, but I allow her to go knowing she needs to do this.

  Kate leans down over Charles and whispers into his ear. His eyes slowly open followed by a cough. She looks to me, weary, and knowing there’s not much time left. I turn to the minister and beg for him to begin the ceremony.

  “We are here today for the union of Massimo Anthony Bertalucci and Katherine Elizabeth Anderson. May I ask who will be giving the bride away?”

  Kate whispers into her father’s ear. Through weak garbled speech, he proudly announces, “Her mother and I do.” Then he coughs again. Kate kisses his cheek before standing tall and slowly making her way to me. The lone tear running down her right cheek is all that’s needed to tear me apart. What I wouldn’t do to take this pain away from her.

  As Kate gets to my side, I take her hand in mine. I hold onto her death grip to let her know I’m here. I’m her rock, and she can lean on me through this. Kate is trembling, so I give her a gentle squeeze to reassure her.

  The minister begins speaking, but the only thing I can think of is to pray that Charles makes it through the ceremony. He’s a strong man and I’m sure he’ll fight for as long as possible, but when it’s your time, there’s no fighting it.

  “Does anyone have any objection to these two people getting married?” Why did he have to ask this? Immediately my shoulders grow tense and I glance at Kendall. She is smirking at me like a cat that caught a mouse. I do my best to hold back the sneer that wants to grab hold of my face. I dislike Kendall so much that I love her. What we share is almost like a sibling rivalry.

  “Stop. You can’t do this now!”

  Kendall’s lips don’t move. The words aren’t coming from her, but from another female. Kate and I turn around to find one of the nurses from the NICU standing in the doorway. Kate and I glance at each other both wondering what in the world could possibly be happening and waiting with bated breath worried that something is wrong with our babies. My heart stops again. If it keeps up, I’m going to need a defibrillator to get it going again.

  Kate lets go of my hand and runs toward the nurse. “My babies. Are they okay? Please tell me they’re all right!” If I didn’t know better, I’d think Kate was going to shake the answer out of the nurse.

  “Yes, Miss Anderson. The babies are doing remarkably well. In fact, we brought them here to share in this special moment with you.” The nurse turns around and a team of people roll Abby and AJ in the room. AJ no longer has the breathing tube in and looks much better than he did during the night. Abby is looking around wide-eyed and so alert.

  Kate’s eyes grow big as I gasp and make my way over to the kids. I rush to AJ’s side first to make sure he’s still in fact breathing on his own. When I’m satisfied, I lean down and plant a kiss on his forehead before picking Abby up in my arms.

  I stare into her beautiful blue eyes and wonder how this all came to fruition. My children are here to witness me and their mother getting married and uniting our family together. I glance at Jasper who’s dabbing his eyes with a handkerchief. He nods, indicating he was the mastermind behind this plan.

  “How did this happen?” Kate asks.

  Elizabeth joins us and puts a hand on Kate’s shoulder. “I asked Jasper for some help to see if this would be possible. I wanted your father to see them one last time and thought it would make your wedding more special if your children could be here with you.”

  Kate turns around and embraces Elizabeth.

  “Quite honestly, I didn’t think it would happen. It’s not something the hospital administration typically allows not to mention, AJ hasn’t been stable for very long. However, with a little convincing, a large donation, and AJ fighting to get better so he can come home, all the pieces seemed to fit together.” Elizabeth shoots me a smile from over Kate’s shoulder. “I just wasn’t sure if they would make it here on time. I’m so glad things worked out.”

  Without prompting, I rush Abby over to Charles’ bedside. His eyes open as soon as I touch his hand and slowly shifts his eyes to my daughter. “Sh—she’s even more beautiful than…I imagined.” A smile creeps up on the corners of his mouth. “W—where’s that grandson of mine?”

  I glance over at Kate and the nurse who is pushing AJ’s bassinet and IV pole over to us. Kate is the protective hen looking over her baby to make sure nothing happens. I back away from the bed so the nurse can wheel AJ in as close as possible. Kate raises the head of Charles’ bed to give him a better look.

  For a second, there’s a sparkle in Charles’ eyes like Kate has when she’s happy. “I think he takes after his grandpa.” The entire room breaks out in laughter as tears fill our eyes. Charles doesn’t close his eyes or look away, but instead continues to watch AJ for several minutes before finally taking a deep breath and glancing up at the family now hovering over his bed.

  “I—it’s my time.” He pauses. “Make sure these rascals know how much I love them.” Charles closes his eyes and takes a couple more shallow breaths before his breathing stops completely.

  “Daddy, No!” Kate cries out.

  I clutch onto my daughter as the life of the man in front me comes to an end. Tears flood my eyes and break the dam as they flow down my cheeks.

  “No, Daddy. You can’t go now! You have so much to live for.” Kate drapes herself over Charles’ lifeless body. Sobs cry out from around the room. “You were supposed to watch me get married. You were supposed to witness my happy-ever-after.”

  I ap
proach Kate and rub her back trying to soothe the pain of her heart being ripped from her chest. My touch goes unnoticed and Kate moves her ear from Charles’ mouth to his chest. “Please daddy, just hold on a bit longer. Take another breath. Please…Do it for me.”

  Despite Kate’s pleading and will to bring her father back to life, he continues to lay there without any movement. The beacon of this family and the restaurant mogul has left this life and moved on to another world. This one will never be the same.

  I hand Abby to one of the nurses and wrap my arm around Kate. “Baby, he’s gone.”

  “Nooooo! He can’t be. We didn’t get married. That was his last wish.”

  I pull Kate into my arms and she buries her face into my chest. “He got to see his grandbabies one last time. That made him very happy. We did everything possible to meet his last request. You can’t beat yourself up over that.” I inhale the fragrant smell in her hair and let the impact of what has happen sink in.

  Kate’s sobs shake her chest. I hold on tighter refusing to let go and to provide the comfort she needs in this moment.

  “I can’t believe this is happening. How is it possible he’s dead? He was just working two days ago.”

  “Baby, your dad has been sick for a while. He’s lost tons of weight and has been gaunt. I’m surprised you didn’t notice before now.”

  Kate pulls away and gazes into my eyes. “I thought he was just stressed. He’s been trying to expand the business and help my brother take over. I had no idea he was sick.”

  I kiss the top of her head. “Nobody had any idea. He kept it hidden pretty well. I’m not exactly sure why he told me other than he wanted me there to take care of you. I promised him that, and I’ll keep my word.”

  A rogue tear slips down Kate’s cheek. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “He swore me to secrecy stating he wanted to be the one to tell everyone. I tried to respect that. I had no idea that he wouldn’t ever say anything. Had I known…I don’t know. I would’ve encouraged him to do it differently. I’m sorry.” I squeeze Kate a little harder hoping she’ll know how much I love her and want to protect her from this pain. I pray she doesn’t hold this against me.