Complete Indelible Love Series

by Cee, DW

“Hello, my beautiful niece.” I hugged her tight, and kissed her several times over. “Did you have a good flight over here? Where are your brothers?”

  As soon as the words left my lips, James ran over with a grin that reminded me much of his mother. “Hi, Unca Max,” he greeted sweetly, waiting patiently for an embrace.

  “Ellie, why don’t you come greet your Auntie Jane?” She put out her arms for Elizabeth to jump into.

  “No. No likey you. My Unca Ax.” This little girl would be the death of all us men.

  “Brat,” Jane muttered and decided to greet our godson who was cradled in his mother’s arms.

  With Ellie hanging solidly onto my left side, I picked up James with my right arm and gave him equal loving.

  “Hello there, Auntie Jane and Uncle Max.” Emily greeted us with an adorably plump child in her arms. I leaned in and kissed her on the cheek as well.

  “Oh my gosh, JR’s grown so much and he’s so chunky.” Jane’s squeal got JR’s attention and enthusiasm. He waved his arms feverishly, and my bride could do nothing other than pull him into her body and give him ample attention. “You’re so adorable!” She cooed while kissing his pudgy cheek repeatedly. “I think you’re much cuter than your sister,” Jane whispered very softly knowing Ellie would not be happy to be out-cuted by her four-month-old brother.

  JR had grown immensely since we last saw him in Florence. The couple of times we’d flown into Heathrow, there was never any time to visit with the family. We headed straight back to our wedding locations. In those months, he grew from an infant to a bubbly soon-to-be toddler.

  “Is it just my imagination or is he bigger than the twins?” I asked no one in particular.

  Jake answered, “He’s built like Nick in every way. He’s taller than the twins by a couple of inches, chunkier than the twins by ten pounds, and has the disposition of a third child who smiles his way through everything.” Jake surprisingly took JR into his hands and threw him in the air. Rather than a frightened holler, JR drooled in happiness. “This one is crawling already and has a commanding understanding of Ellie and James-language.”

  “Me, too, Dada.” Ellie demanded to be thrown up in the air.

  While Jake switched kids with me, Emily explained, “Somehow, he knows exactly what the twins are saying. A lot of times, the twins talk to one another in a way that’s baffling to Jake and myself, but not to each other. We’ve noticed lately that JR has somehow caught onto this language and follows their lead. These three get into plenty of trouble together.” Emily cuddled JR again while we all played musical kids until we reached the dining room.

  Jane and I were so busy greeting the family and receiving more congratulations that we didn’t notice what would be my doom by the end of the night. Though it took a while, we finally reached my parents and Garret, and out of the shadow, Hannah apparated like a Harry Potter character, to greet us. I knew this was the end of after-sex-glow-Jane when her body stiffened. Shit. When the hell was good going to win over evil? Hadn’t I done enough good in my life to be awarded some peace by now?

  “Hey, Hannah. I didn’t realize you were coming tonight.” All eyes were on the three of us, so I needed to break the ice and make everything feel normal again.

  “Mom said it’d be OK for me to join the Reid family since I had nowhere else to go tonight.”

  I knew Jane would send me to hell and back after hearing Hannah call Mavis Davis, “Mom.” This situation was starting off worse than I could have ever imagined.

  Jane flat-out ignored Hannah and embraced the Davis family as warmly as she embraced her own. She pulled out her phone, showed them pictures of our wedding location, and talked about my namesake wedding coordinator.

  Once everyone realized Jane had not killed her fiancé with her bare hands, Thanksgiving festivities went on as usual.

  Roland and Gram sat at the head of the very long table, and we each found our assigned seats. My future mother-in-law knew to seat Jane and myself far away from Hannah. While Mom, Garret and Hannah sat at one end of the table with Jake’s family, Jane, my father and I sat more toward the opposite end with Uncle Henry and Nick. The rest of the Reids were scattered in between us.

  “Has Laney reached Donovan in Switzerland?” I asked Aunt Babs, hoping to better Jane’s mood with a completely different topic.

  “She has.” Aunt Babs smiled. “She’s as sick as a dog, but left as soon as school was done on Tuesday.”

  “Those two cannot seem to part for more than two weeks at a time. Roland, are you sure Donovan is working?” Uncle Dave asked. “You need that company sold off so you can start your retirement.”

  “He’s working his ass off and doing a hell of a job. He’s courted two buyers, increased AAP Europe’s bottom line by courting more clients, and is playing chicken with the Germans and English. I was supposed to be in Germany with him this weekend, but changed my mind when Jake and Emily’s plans changed.”

  “What happened?” I continued the conversation, ignoring the evil eye Jane was darting down the table. “I thought you and the family weren’t coming home for at least another week.”

  “Roland was supposed to be in Switzerland with Donovan, but he decided to give the happy couple the week to themselves. Since the plane was on standby, he thought it a waste to have it sitting in the hangar. He suggested we come home for the long weekend, so here we are.”

  “Are you staying?” Jane asked.

  “No. Maybe the women and children might stay, but I believe we are all heading back to pack up Belgravia.”

  “Has Donovan given you a to-do list in London, too?” Nick asked a confused-looking Jake. “He’s been calling all of us, making us do his wedding bidding in LA. Max and I were just at the Ducati store picking up their motorcycles.”

  “Well, Jamie and I were just at his friend’s workshop making sure the Cinderella carriage is ready to roll from home to church and back,” Aunt Babs added.

  “Wow. What kind of man is this Donovan? What a lucky woman your daughter is.” Hannah spoke to Aunt Babs, who was sitting next to Jane.

  Damn. Jane’s body went even tighter, almost brittle to the point of cracking. I’d have to have a talk with Mavis Davis once this night was over. She appeared to have not an iota of a clue how perturbed her future daughter-in-law became at the sight of my ex.

  “It’s not my daughter who is the lucky one. It’s her future husband who is fortunate to have finally come to his senses and courted my baby.”

  “I was told he was her first and only boyfriend?”

  “That’s right.” Uncle Henry continued the conversation. “Are you seeing anyone, Hannah? I know a few doctors at the hospital who would like an introduction.”

  Hannah turned bright red, and I became hopeful. If she were to get serious with another man, I’d be off the hook.

  “I haven’t dated anyone seriously since Max.”

  Fucking hell! Now why on earth did she have to bring me into this conversation? Scared of my fiancée, I immediately grabbed hands that were not willing to be grabbed. Jane was pissed.

  “How could you have not dated since Max? Wasn’t that back in high school? Was he that unforgettable?” Damn Jake was taking pot shots at this ugly situation. “How unforgettable could he be? My wife had no issues forgetting him. Isn’t that right, Love?” Emily stayed dead silent. She was most likely my only ally at this table. Jake continued the slaughter. “Now that I look around, you’ve dated a quarter of the women at our dinner table.” All the men were now outright laughing, smirking, guffawing. I sent him a death glare that told him I’d kick his ass once dinner was done. His look told me this was payback for the Grand Canyon incident.

  “Um…yes…Max was very special…he was my first…” she nervously uttered. “I mean…he was my first boyfriend.”

  What the fuck?! I was a dead man now, as half the men at the table excused themselves, coughing up in hilarity. Hannah was red with embarrassment. Jane was
red with anger. I just wished to be anywhere but here.

  “AX!” Thank God for Elizabeth Reid, who came running into the dining room. “Pray?”

  “Is she asking to pray before dinner?” Aunt Babs asked.

  “No. She means to say play, but it comes out as pray.” Bless the Reid women. They were doing their best to take the attention off me. “Elizabeth, are you done with your dinner, already?”

  “Yes, Mama. Pray, Ax?”

  “Uncle Max isn’t done with dinner, yet. How about you and your brothers play while we finish?”

  Elizabeth didn’t look pleased. I picked her up and plopped her on my lap. “You want to sit with me while I finish dinner?” I kissed her chubby cheek.

  “Yes!” She declared.

  With the arrival of the boys, our conversation headed in the right direction—away from me.

  “Are you angry?” I whispered to my bride. Her response was as cold as my baked Alaskan dessert. I leaned in to kiss Jane’s neck the same way I had kissed our little niece; Jane did not giggle the same way Ellie giggled. In fact, she did nothing resembling a giggle. It was more like a growl.

  I was going to have to grovel—why I had no idea, but I’d do it for the sake of our future marriage.

  Before the next family get-together, I’d get a few things straight.

  First—no more Hannah. I would uninvite her to our wedding as soon as I got a chance to speak with her.

  Second—I’d have a talk with Mom. She needed to understand how much Jane did not like Hannah’s presence.

  Third—I’d have a talk with Jane. I was done feeling like a prisoner of history. I’d never thrown her past at her, tonight was the last night she’d make me feel like shit whenever my past decided to revisit.

  Once those three actions were in place, all should be (fairly) smooth sailing. With Jane Sydney Reid, there were no guarantees.

  “Ax, Pray?” My beautiful niece, who was getting impatient sitting on my lap, brought me back to my misery at hand.

  “Are you done with my ice cream?” While I did my damnedest to finagle a smile from my hopefully-still-soon-to-be-bride, Ellie had devoured the large serving of salted caramel ice cream baked Alaska. “You really like that stuff, don’t you?”

  “That’s all Emi ate when she was pregnant with the twins.” Jake walked over and picked his daughter off my lap. “If you’re done, my little darlings, I think it’s time for bed.”

  “No!” Ellie let her displeasure be known by yelling at her dad. “Pray time.”

  “Do not yell at me, Elizabeth Reid. It’s time for bed.” Jake’s warning wasn’t a deterrent for this little miss.

  Ellie didn’t give a damn what her father said. She twisted her body and howled for me. I decided this was my chance to get the hell out of here and catch my breath.

  Jumping out of my seat, I caught Ellie’s outstretched arms and threw her in the air. “Do you want Uncle Max to help you get ready for bed?”

  “Yes!” Both kids answered. I traded kids after a few throws so James could get his turn.

  “Remind me to kick your ass after I help you put the kids down.” I threatened Jake, who had not a worry in the world. He laughed so loudly the twins joined him in mocking me.

  While Emily went to nurse JR, I followed Jake’s lead in this putting to bed, business. After a very long reading session, the ice cream wore off enough for both kids to fall asleep as soon as the lights went off.

  “I take it all is well, otherwise?” Jake’s smirk made me feel violent. “You need to get a better handle on my sister. If you keep accepting all her pouts and tantrums, you’re in for a lifetime of trouble—you and Donovan both.”

  “So says the man who married the most even-tempered woman.”

  That smirk reappeared. “It’s the husband who brings out her smile every day. It’s all in how you handle your woman.”

  “Oh really, Dr. Reid?” Emily appeared with perfect timing. “And how have you handled me?”

  “With care and lots of love.” He grabbed Emily’s hand, and pulled them in the opposite direction from the staircase. “We landed this morning and we are tired.” Yeah, right. “Please make our excuses for us, Davis.” Like the asshole that he was, he led his wife into their bedroom with the same cat-got-the-canary look perfected by his daughter.

  “Jerk.” I mumbled to no one in general, and went back to the dinner from hell at my in-laws’.

  “Max.” Jane ran to me with tears lining her eyes.

  “What’s the matter, Gem?” Dear God! I hoped she hadn’t gotten into a brawl with Hannah.

  “Maximilliano called just now and says we can’t have the wedding at Monticello.”

  Fuck. That was even worse news. “Why? What’s wrong?”

  “He says they just discovered that the land the villa sits on is unstable and needs reinforcing. Nothing has been done since they first built the place, and there’s been too much natural erosion. They will shut down the villa indefinitely for retrofitting.”

  “Damn!”

  “Do you think our wedding is doomed?” Jane was about to cry.

  As a gesture to soothe my distraught bride, I held her close. “It is not doomed, Gem. We will find something even better.”

  “Gimpy says he’ll send the plane back to us next week so we can look for another sight. Will you be fine going to Florence right before finals? We have to do it now, or we won’t be able to get in to see anyone until after New Year’s. All the villas will be busy hosting holiday parties.”

  Jane was right, but did I want to be on another jaunt to Europe when work was piling up, and studying was paramount? No. But, did I have a choice? The answer—another big fat no.

  “We’ll go find another villa to have the wedding of a lifetime,” I reassured my fiancée.

  One good thing that came out of this wedding debacle—Jane completely forgot about Hannah.

  My bride and I would get married in Florence, even if I had to build a damn villa myself.

  Shit. Why was something as simple as declaring our love for one another, so difficult?

  Chapter 4 Jane: Planning Be Dollared

  “How the hell did you get those two to join us on our trip to Europe?”

  Laney displayed a loud and proud grin. “Force. Threat. Guilt. And exposure.”

  “What the hell, Laney Reid. You always talk in your own language.”

  “I know.” Laney giggled. “I had the most amazing time with Donovan in Switzerland. I’m so happy I get to see him two weekends in a row, I don’t give a damn if Nick and Bee are upset with me.”

  Somehow, Laney had worked her magic and “forced, threatened with exposure, and guilted” the unhappy “couple” to join us.

  “Explain to me why I had to be a part of this trip?” My brother acted bothered, but the way he had Bee tightly in his grasp, whether it was a knowing gesture or not, he was happy to be with her.

  “Then, please explain to me, Laney Reid, how I ended up on this trip since I’m not a Reid and I’ve got more work than time to finish your gifts for the wedding!” Bee sounded a tad bit more upset than my brother. But, she had no problem holding his hand just as tightly. Those two would make a fantastic addition to our generation of couples, once they worked out their kinks.

  “You want to answer?” I left it to Laney to smooth over this situation.

  By the “What the hell?” remark from both my brother and his girlfriend, Laney’s explanation wasn’t a satisfactory one. We were in for a long ride.

  Laney pushed us onto the plane and sat in front of Max and myself, placing her small duffel bag on the other seat to round out our foursome captain’s chairs. Nick and Bee decided to sit away from us.

  “Thank you, Jesus!” Laney whispered when the plane took off and the (un)happy couple started drinking and having fun. “Did you get a chance to look at the website of the villa that belongs to the duke’s friend?” she asked me.

 
“I did. After we lend our hands in Belgravia, that’s where we will visit. I assume you and Donovan will be joining us?”

  “I don’t know. There’s a lot of junk I need to pack once I land.”

  “We will all help. Gimpy says we can take the plane into Florence whenever we’re ready.”

  “The sooner the better,” my fiancé mumbled while studying for finals.

  Once I saw that three out of five of us were studiously immersed in their textbooks, I decided to sleep the rest of the ride. As it always was with sleeping on a plane, it wasn’t restful, but we landed in no time.

  “Donovan!” The lovebirds reunited, and it looked to have felt really good for the two of them. They went off on their own while the four of us took a cab to Belgravia.

  “I see the workers and one Bee are here,” my brother greeted us. The twins ran to Max, Nick, and Bee, and I found Emily and helped where needed.

  “Jane,” Emily spoke, “do you have a place in mind to visit when you head to Florence? I did some research for you the last few nights and made a list of possible venues.” My sister was the greatest.

  “Thanks, Emily. I’ll take your list and compare it to what I have and to what Ruby sent over.”

  “I’m sure you’ll find something this weekend. All the locations in Tuscany appear stunning.”

  “I hope so,” I answered, not sounding too hopeful.

  “If nothing pans out, Jake and I would be honored to host your wedding at our home.” Emily spoke those words cautiously. She understood that I still had a very, very small issue with her past relationship with Max.

  It was time to let this “issue” go. “Emily.” I leaned in for a hug. “Max and I would be the ones honored to have a wedding at your home. We love you and Jake for all that you’ve done for us, and know that had it not been for you both, we might not be here in Europe looking for a wedding venue.”

  Emily hugged me back just as fiercely. “I think you two would have been fine regardless of our meddling. You know how much Max loves you, right?”

  “I know.” I agreed whole-heartedly. “I try to love him just as much, but it’s hard when I’m with the most giving person on earth. His entire attitude is about how to make me happy. I don’t know if I’ll ever grow up and catch up to Max Davis.”