Can't Walk Away

by Molly McLain

  “I have no choice but to worry about it.” Even if he did help with the expenses, her share would be more than she could comfortably pay. And what if she ended up in the hospital early? What if there were other complications? Like high blood pressure?

  “Let’s get married in Vegas on New Year’s.”

  Her eyes flew to his. “What?”

  “I know it’s not very romantic and I promise we can have a bigger wedding after the baby comes. But I have insurance that will cover almost everything and it seems silly to worry about the cost when there’s a perfectly good solution to the problem right in front of us.” He squeezed her fingers and smiled. “Also...I love you. And the sooner we get married, the sooner I can stop feeling bad about wanting to make love to you all the time.”

  A small smile tugged at her mouth. Married in only a few short weeks? Things between them had been so shaky up until this past weekend. Did it really matter how fast it happened when she loved him more than anything?

  “You really want to marry me in front of Elvis?” She leaned her temple against the head rest, watching him. She certainly didn’t need a big fancy church wedding to promise him her heart.

  “I don’t care if Elvis is there, but I’m definitely down for putting another ring on your finger.” His eager grin set butterflies loose in her stomach.

  “You sure you’re not just trying to keep the fire chief at bay? He has been texting wondering where I’ve been the past couple of days.”

  Mark snorted. “Fuck Caliendo. And everyone else who thought you’d pick him over me.”

  “People in this town are crazy. You know that. I’ve always been yours and I don’t care if they think otherwise.”

  “Then let’s make this as official as possible, because I can’t wait to call you Mrs. Dunn.”

  She scrunched up her nose. “Eew, that’s your mother’s name. How about Ms. Dunn?”

  “As long as you’re wearing my name, I don’t care what version you use, babe.”

  “Then let’s do it.” She undid her seat belt and leaned over the console for a kiss.

  “Are you serious?” He chuckled, smoothing her hair back from her face. His blue eyes were so hopeful. “Just like that?”

  “I don’t need a fancy church wedding to promise you my heart.”

  “But your dad...”

  “Will have to get over it, because this is about you and me, and I can’t wait to be your wife.”

  ***

  Eileen was humming over a pot of chili when he and Ally found her in the kitchen a few minutes later. She did a double take when she realized Ally hadn’t come into the home alone.

  “Well, hello, Sheriff. Is this a business visit?” She pointed to the gun at his hip and arched an eyebrow.

  “Technically, I’m off the clock, Mrs. Barrett, but it never hurts to be prepared.” He hadn’t meant anything by the statement, but Ally must have assumed he had, because she choked on her next breath. He wouldn’t break out his weapon on her dad. Not unless the old man shot first.

  “Well, I’m happy to hear that. Sit down and I’ll get the three of us some hot tea.” She waved toward the breakfast nook. “And call me Eileen. I feel old when you call me missus.”

  Ally shot him a secretive smile and shrugged out of her coat, and he gave her butt a playful swat before he took her jacket and hung it up.

  “Is Dad around?” Ally asked.

  “He’s out in the barn, deciding whether or not he should fix the old seeder or invest in a new one. Frankly, I’m not sure he’s got enough farming years left in him to make a new one worthwhile, but you know male pride.” Eileen rolled her eyes just as Hank came around the corner from the back of the house, pulling off his work gloves.

  “You saying I’m old, woman?”

  Eileen laughed, a sound that was just as devious as Hank’s retort. Suddenly, Mark imagined Ally standing in their kitchen and him coming up behind her, stealing kisses while the kids played in the living room. He might have to step over a toy or two to get that kiss, but that just made it better.

  “What you doing here in the middle of the afternoon, Sheriff? Shouldn’t you be working on the drug problem we apparently have here in Cameron County?” Hank tossed his gloves on the island that split the main part of the kitchen from the nook.

  “Ally and I had some things to do today. I took the rest of the day off.”

  The older man narrowed his eyes and looked to his daughter. “How’s your asthma been since the fire, Ally Cat?”

  “Just fine. In fact, I’ll be back to work next week.” Beneath the table, she reached for Mark’s hand. A gesture that didn’t go unnoticed from her father’s position.

  “Allergies bothering you?”

  Ally frowned. “Not at all. The seasonal stuff has passed.”

  Hank rolled his tongue around in his mouth, his big hands gripping the counter in front of him. He gave a sniff and cleared his throat, and Mark cringed. Something was up.

  “Eileen, why don’t you take a seat with Ally and the sheriff,” Hank said all too easily. The calm before the storm.

  Eileen shot her husband a confused frown before she brought the tea kettle and enough cups, saucers, and tea bags for everyone to the table.

  “Dad...” Ally must’ve sensed Hank’s tone, too, because she rose from her seat, uncertainty in her eyes.

  “Sit down, Ally. I wanna hear this from Mark.”

  Shit.

  “Daddy, please.”

  “Ally.” The grating, ominous edge to her father’s voice lifted the hairs on the back of Mark’s neck.

  “Enough.” He pushed out of his seat and moved around Ally and the island to stand just less than a respectable distance from Hank. Not to be intimidating, but to be real. To let this man know how fucking much he cared about his daughter. “Hank,” he began and Ally’s dad swiveled his hard glare swiftly toward him, his salt and pepper bristled jaw tight. “I’ve asked Ally to marry me.”

  The man’s knuckles turned whiter in their grip. His nostrils flared.

  “She said yes, and we’re going to Vegas in a few weeks.”

  Eileen made a sound somewhere between a moan and a gasp, motherly panic spread across her face. “Why Vegas? Why so soon? I’ve always imagined you getting married here on the farm. A spring wedding. Why not wait until April or May?”

  “Because she won’t fit into her dress then, am I right, Sheriff?” Hank’s derisive tone was like nails on a chalkboard to Mark’s attempt at patience.

  Eileen blinked and her face rumpled. “Oh, Ally.” She carefully set down the tea kettle, her hands already shaking. “Is it true? Are you...?”

  Ally didn’t answer, her focus still locked on Hank. “How do you know?”

  “Funny thing happened this morning. One minute I was shaking Dr. Mills’ hand, telling him I hoped to never see his ugly mug again and the next I’m seeing my little girl and her so-called boyfriend walking into the baby doc’s office across the hall. Ain’t a hard puzzle to put together, sweetheart. Especially in light of this Vegas nonsense.”

  “Hank, it’s not nonsense. You know I love Ally and—”

  “What I know, Sheriff, is that, three weeks ago, you let her run off after an argument and she ended up almost losing her life in a fire.” Hank pinned him with another hard glare, his jaw set tight. “What I know is that you just had an outburst at the pub, which has you in the eye of Internal Affairs at the goddamn State of Nebraska.” He gave his head a shake, clucked his tongue off his teeth. “You look real tough there with your gun and cuffs, Sheriff, but the truth is I’m not convinced you’re the kind of man my daughter deserves, regardless of whether or not that’s your baby she’s carrying.”

  A hazy red fell over Mark’s vision. “It’s my baby,” he ground out, trying his damnedest to keep his hands unclenched at his sides.

  “I’m not saying it isn’t.” Hank leaned forward and sneered. “But the fact that you even felt the need to assert that point tells me you’ve h
eard the talk around town, too. Talk that should have never been and wouldn’t have been if you’d treated Ally the way she deserves all along.”

  “Daddy, stop.” Ally pushed out of her seat and jolted around the counter. “That’s not fair and you know it. Mark and I have both made mistakes. This isn’t his fault. I’ve made my own choices. I—”

  “Ally.” Mark reached for her hand and, though it wasn’t his intention, she turned into his arms and buried her face in his chest, tears falling fast and hard. Dammit, she didn’t need this shit right now. “Eileen, can you take Ally into the living room, please? Hank...outside. Now.”

  The old man’s eyes widened and for a split second, an arrogant grin twitched at his mouth. Mark stalked toward the back door, because there was no way he was letting her dad say another word that might hurt Ally any further.

  Hank took his sweet time following and by the time he stepped outside, Mark had paced a narrow rut in the driveway.

  “Don’t you dare talk to me like that in my own house ever again, son, you hear me?” Hank stepped in front of Mark when he swung around to retrace his steps. For an old man who still walked with a limp, he had balls, Mark would give him that. Not that he’d ever consider getting physical with Ally’s dad—Jesus, he might have a temper, but he wasn’t that kind of disrespectful.

  “I hear you.” Mark lifted his chin. “But as Ally’s future husband, I won’t let you talk like that in front of her either.”

  Hank’s eyes smiled. “You’re a cocky little shit, aren’t you?”

  “With all due respect, sir, your daughter’s opinion of me is the only one I’m concerned with.”

  “If that were true, you wouldn’t be here right now.”

  “I’m here for Ally.”

  “Like you were the night of the fire, too. Only that night you gave a shit what I thought. What changed?”

  “I’ve already told you—I respect you as a member of this community, Hank. I respect you even more as Ally’s dad, and I came here that night with my tail between my legs, because I knew I’d fucked up. But loving Ally? Having a baby with her? I will never be ashamed of that.”

  “You expect me to believe you’re doing this for her and her alone?”

  “Yes, I do, because it is the only reason.”

  “You know Chauncey’s looking to take your job next fall, Sheriff?”

  Fuck. He clenched his jaw. “Marrying Ally has nothing to do with that.”

  “Maybe, maybe not. But I’m pretty sure I told you to put a ring on her finger way back in October. Not two months later, after you put your hands on her again and were obviously reckless about it.”

  Mark held his breath. Counted to ten.

  “How you gonna provide for her if you don’t have a job anymore, Mark? How you gonna keep my grandchild in diapers if you lose the election?”

  “I won’t lose.”

  “Not if you put a quick Band-Aid on your screw-up and marry my daughter.” Hank gave his head a disgusted shake. “You wouldn’t man up and do the right thing after she almost died, but you’ll marry her because you might lose your job. Pardon me for not being over the friggin’ moon right now.”

  “You’re making this something it isn’t, Hank.”

  “For Ally’s sake, I wish I believed you. But you told me you’d protect my daughter and all you’ve done since is make her life more complicated.”

  “Eventually Ally and I will renew our vows here in River Bend. Before that, we’re going to give you a grandchild. I won’t have this doubt hanging like a gray cloud over my family, so I hope you can find a way to deal with your animosity before then.” He took a step back and nodded toward the house. “Right now, my fiancée and I have a wedding to plan, so if you’ll excuse me...”

  Hank stayed outside and, after apologies and congratulatory hugs from Eileen, Mark and Ally headed back to town.

  “Your place or ours?” he asked quietly, his brain needing some serious chill time after the confrontation with Hank.

  “Mine. I’d like to talk to Ruby and see what we can work out with the lease.” She turned a small smile his way. She hadn’t asked about the confrontation with her dad and he suspected she wasn’t going to, though it probably killed her not knowing. “I like the sound of our place, by the way.”

  He nodded. “Me, too. Regardless of what Ruby says, I think it’d be great if we could get you moved in ASAP. We can have our first Christmas together and then start the New Year off on the right foot.”

  “Married, too.”

  He snuck a quick glance in her direction and the excitement in her eyes sent a pulse of renewed promise through his veins. It didn’t matter what her father thought—Ally knew the truth.

  “You should ask Jenny to come along to Vegas. She can be your witness and I’ll get Sean to be mine.”

  “You wouldn’t mind?”

  He shook his head and she did a little dance in the seat. “Not at all. In fact, you two worry about what you’re gonna wear and how you want to celebrate becoming Ms. Dunn, and I’ll find out what we need for the license and get the hotel and flights booked.”

  “Oh my God, this is so exciting!” She bounded out of the truck as soon as he put it in park and ran around to throw herself in his arms and smack kisses all over his face. “Calling you my husband will be best cute nickname ever.”

  He couldn’t disagree. He just wished she wasn’t the only Barrett excited about him joining the family.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Ruby decided to keep Ally’s security deposit instead of making her pay out the remainder of her lease agreement. But a week later, just after Mark and Reed left to drop a load of her things off at Mark’s house, Ruby knocked on her door and presented her with a picture of a beautiful crib.

  “It’s yours, dolly-bumpkin. The sheriff just needs to swing by the furniture store to pick it up.”

  Ally burst into happy tears that Ruby quickly waved off.

  “Come on, girlie, don’t cry. You’ll do plenty of that when your little pipsqueak comes along.”

  “It’s just so pretty...” Ally blinked at the blurry, but gorgeous piece of furniture, aware that she was making a way bigger deal out of the gift than necessary. Damn if she could help it though. Stupid pregnancy hormones.

  Ruby rolled her eyes and Ally bet Eileen, who stood behind her, was probably doing the same thing. “Anyhow, I have to get going. I’ve invited Mr. Caliendo to dinner and I need to shave my legs.”

  Jenny snorted from the living room. “Nick?”

  Ruby waggled her drawn-on eyebrows. “Yup. Mr. Hot Stuff himself. We’re having five-alarm chili. Fitting, eh?”

  Ally stood between the kitchen and living room staring at the door for a solid minute after Ruby left. “Did she just say...?”

  “Yes, and can we pretend we didn’t hear it?” Eileen shuddered.

  “I sorta feel like we should warn Nick.” Jenny finished wiping down the windows, which aside from a quick vacuum over the floors and loading the last couple boxes into Ally’s car, was the only cleaning that remained. “I have a feeling Ruby’s five-alarm meal isn’t the only heat she plans on bringing to the party.”

  “Oh, Lord.” Ally fanned herself with the crib picture. “I’d like to think she’s just wishful thinking, but somehow I don’t think that’s the case. I heard Nick come up a while ago. I’ll go talk to him. I want to say goodbye anyway.”

  Eileen raised an eyebrow and Ally shook her head, laughing.

  “Mom, seriously. We’re laundry buddies. Sure, I’ve seen his undies, but they’ve never been on him.”

  “So, you’ve seen them off?”

  “Yes, that’s what...my God, Mom! Stop!”

  Eileen winked. “Jenny and I will take care of the boxes, then while the boys are unpacking, we’ll go shopping. That is, if you’re still up for it.”

  “I’ve waited more than twenty years to shop for my wedding dress. Of course, I’m up for it. Jeez.”

  Her mom gave her a
quick hug, then Ally excused herself. She appreciated everything her mother had done to help out this past week, getting her apartment packed back up and making plans for her New Year’s Eve wedding under the neon lights in Las Vegas. Funny how romantic the whole event was actually working out to be. Mark was even getting into it, planning something “super-secret” he wouldn’t tell her anything about. Well, aside from it being “totally epic”.

  The only thing missing from all the excitement? Her dad.

  Mark hadn’t said much about his conversation with Hank, only apologizing on behalf of her dad for the insinuation that Ally might’ve run to the arms of another man. Then he apologized for his own behavior, vowing to be the best damn husband possible. He included an advance apology for stepping in to defend her honor whenever he felt necessary, even if she preferred he didn’t.

  She very happily showed her appreciation for said apology by pulling her t-shirt over her head and letting him have his fill of her ever-growing breasts. Of course with his nimble fingers and deliciously wicked tongue, she’d come within minutes. When she’d tried to reciprocate, he’d denied her with a goofy grin on his face.

  “Nope,” he’d said. “We’re saving that for our wedding night.”

  Seriously? They hadn’t made love in weeks and he wanted to hold out for a few more?

  Suddenly Nick’s door swung open and he filled the space, a puzzled smirk on his face. “You standing on my stoop just grinning for the hell of it or is there something you came over for?”

  Whoops. She shook her head and laughed. “I’m sorry. It’s been a long day already. Can I come in?”

  He held the door open and she ducked under his outstretched arm. His place was exactly the same as hers, but with a flipped layout. And probably cleaner, too. Very much a bachelor pad with bulky leather furniture and a huge TV, but freakishly spotless.

  “So you’re moving already, huh?” He picked up a bottle of water and took a swig. “Not gonna lie, I’m going to miss your leftovers and baked goods.”

  “You can still get most of those at the coffee shop, and from what I hear, Ruby plans to make sure you’re well-nourished.”