“They’re finally doing it,” Brennan says, smiling wide.
“Doing what?”
“Getting married,” she replies with a look that clearly says, Duh.
“Oh. When?”
“This Saturday,” Drake says. “I know, it’s a little last minute, but we figured, why wait any longer? Everyone we’d invite is already here anyway. It’s just a family affair. And I’m sorry, but that means Dad too.” Drake laughs out.
I wave my hand through the air. “That’s awesome. Congrats.” I pull him in for a hug.
“I actually have some news of my own.” Suddenly, I feel nervous. I slide my hands into my pants pockets.
Everyone gathers around.
“I don’t know who all knows this, but I’ve been dating Autumn for a while now, and as it turns out…she’s pregnant. Can you believe it? I’m going to be a father!”
Everyone’s faces light up as they cheer and celebrate with me. Everyone gives me hugs and pats me on the back.
“So, as you can probably assume, I’ll have a plus-one for the wedding. Plus-two, if you count Bryce.”
Drake smiles and places his arm around my shoulders. “There will be plenty of room. But you gotta help me get this yard wedding ready.” He motions toward the archway that he and Colton were working on.
I laugh. “Drag out the welder,” I say, bending down to piece the thing together.
The girls go off and do more of their planning. I work on the archway, and Drake and Colton stand around, talking and drinking beer.
“So, what’s going on with this brother thing?” I ask, standing the archway up to see if it’s tall enough.
Drake sits on a hay bale. “Well, Celeste has been working to find him. We think his name is Peter. Peter Slade.”
I turn and look over my shoulder at him. “He has our last name?”
He nods. “She had to search through a lot of birth records to find him, and it’s not a hundred percent. She’s making her way through the records in her spare time.”
“Why not just look him up and call? Ask if he’s the one that’s been sending the letters? I mean, how does he expect to get anything if he’s too afraid to come forward?”
Drake shrugs. “Honestly, I want to know as much about him as I can before the day comes that we actually talk. But right now, we have a wedding to focus on.” He smiles as he pats me on the back. “Come on, let’s get the lights and flowers on this thing.”
I’m pulling into the drive just as Autumn is pulling in with Bryce. He jumps out of the van and runs straight to the backyard for the tree house. Autumn and I meet at the front of our vehicles.
“He talked about that thing the whole way home.”
I reach out and pull her against me. “My brother is getting married on Saturday. Will you be my plus-one? I really want you to meet everyone.”
She smiles up at me, her green eyes shining. “I’d love to, but you’re going to need a plus-two.” She wraps her arms around my neck, tilting her head back to meet my eyes.
I chuckle. “I already told him.” I close the distance between our lips and kiss her softly.
The week goes by quickly and the next thing I know, it’s Saturday and we’re getting ready for the wedding. I’m already dressed in nice jeans, boots, and a white dress shirt that’s tucked in, with my gold belt buckle showing. Autumn is running around the house, trying to get herself and Bryce ready. She throws items at Bryce as she passes him. So far, he’s sitting on the floor in his undershirt and boxers, playing his game as the clothes around him pile up. He’s got a pair of socks, shoes, jeans, a nice shirt, and a belt.
“Come on, buddy. Let’s get dressed before your mom loses her shit,” I joke as I help him up and straighten out his clothes for him to put on. He gets dressed and then sits beside me on the couch to play his game while we wait for her. I’m drifting in and out of sleep when she finally comes down the steps. I look up to see her come to a stop at the bottom. She’s wearing a light blue summer dress with a floral print. It’s completely strapless, making her chest seem even bigger as it holds up the dress. It’s long and flowing, ending just past her knee. She’s wearing a pair of wedged sandals that give her at least an inch of height, and her long dark hair is curled perfectly, bouncing with her every step. Her plump lips are glistening, drawing in my attention and making me crave to feel them on my own.
I stand up and close the distance between the two of us. “You look beautiful,” I whisper as I lean in for a kiss.
She quickly kisses me, the smile never leaving her lips. “Thank you,” she whispers, glancing toward Bryce who isn’t paying us any attention at all.
“You ready to go?” she asks.
He nods and gets up, heading toward the front door and never taking his eyes off his screen.
The three of us load up in the truck and make the short drive over to Drake’s. The backyard is all set up with hay bales, a white carpet that leads from the back porch to the archway, and flowers everywhere. Off in the distance is a couple of tables set with dishes for dining and a big centerpiece with flowers and candles.
Colton and Drake walk out of the house. They find us and head in our direction.
“Autumn, you’ve already met Drake, but this is my brother, Colton. Colton, this is Autumn and her son, Bryce.”
Colton shakes both of their hands. “It’s nice to meet you both. My fiancée, Brennan, is in the house with my daughter, Milly. They’re helping Celeste get ready. I’m sure you’ll meet them all after the wedding.”
“Where’s the rest of the guys and Dad?” I ask Drake.
“Not here yet. Why don’t you make yourselves comfortable? Can I get you something to drink?” He looks at Autumn.
She offers him a smile. “Water would be great.”
He rushes toward the house, leaving us alone with Colton.
The three of us take a seat on the hay, and Bryce runs off to play on the tire swing.
“So, when are you and Brennan tying the knot?” I ask.
He laughs and shrugs. “She wants to wait until the house is done to do it on our property.”
“How’s that coming along?”
He nods. “Really well. The structure is built. Now it’s just all the drywall, tile, carpeting, and paint. It should be move-in ready by winter.”
I hear a car pull into the drive behind me and I turn to look, but can’t see past the edge of the house.
“Looks like Dad’s here,” Colton says, standing.
We all stand up and turn to face the front yard. I take Autumn’s hand in mine and give it a reassuring squeeze. I lean in closer. “Just smile and nod along with everything my dad says. Chances are, he’s still drunk from last night,” I joke.
Twenty-One
Autumn
Clay seems nervous. It’s like he’s worried that I’ll change my mind about him after meeting his family. But I know one thing for sure. Nothing will change my mind about him. I know how hard he works. He’s a good man, and I’d be crazy to even think of leaving him. I meet one of his brothers and he seems nice enough. Then his father arrives. Things seem to change. Everyone seems a little more on edge. I wrap my arm around his, and he leads me to the side of the house, meeting the other man halfway.
The old man has deep wrinkles lining his face and eyes. Looking at this man makes it easy to see where Clay got his beautiful blue eyes from. They’re exactly the same, from the color to the shape. His father has the same dark hair as Drake and Colton. Clay must have gotten his lighter hair color from his mother. The man is shorter and on the thinner side, which is just something that probably comes with age. As he draws closer, the smell of whiskey wafts my way, instantly reminding me of Glenn.
“How’a doin’, Dad?” Clay asks, mustarding up a small smile.
“Same old,” the old man answers, continuing to walk past.
“This is Autumn, the woman I’m seeing,” he says.
The old man looks me up and down. Finally, he smiles and holds out his hand.
“It’s nice to meet you, darlin’. What’s a looker like you doing with a man like my son?” He laughs.
I shake his hand. “It’s nice to meet you,” I force myself to say. Being around Clay’s father only makes me think of Glenn. The smell coming off the man sends me right back to Ohio. If I close my eyes, I can see Glenn moving on top of me, breathing that stench down on me. Goosebumps prickle my skin, but not in a good way. It’s like a ghost just breathed down my neck.
The old man finally walks past us and goes to have a seat on the back deck. I wrap my arms around myself, and Clay notices immediately.
“What’s wrong?” he whispers in my ear, hugging me to his chest.
“Nothing, I’m fine,” I tell him not wanting to ruin this day for him.
“Bullshit. Tell me what’s wrong, Autumn. If we’re doing this, there’s no more hiding from each other.”
I let out a long breath. “Your dad stinks of whiskey. It’s coming off his breath and out of his pores.”
He nods once. “I know. We’ve all tried to get him to slow down, but he’s drank that way since we were kids.”
“The smell just reminds me of Glenn. It makes me uneasy. I can’t control it.”
He seems to understand. “I’m sorry. You won’t have to talk to him again. We’ll sit far away from him,” he promises, leading me back to the hay bale we were sitting on.
Colton sits with his father on the porch and Drake hangs out with us until someone walks out the door. I turn and look to find a beautiful strawberry blonde. She’s tiny and adorable but has a classy look to her. “Everyone, get in your places. We’re ready to go.”
“Where are your other two brothers?” I lean in to whisper.
He chuckles. “Hudson is in the military and he probably couldn’t get leave. And Wyatt, well, he likes to travel. He’s probably halfway around the world right now.”
Colton stands under the archway with Drake in front of him. The beautiful redhead walks out of the house with a little girl in her arms. The little girl has a basket in her tiny hands. Every couple of steps, she throws down a handful of flower petals.
The music is light and cheerful, a nice change from the usual Wedding March. The back door opens again and out walks a woman in a white dress. It’s not the kind of dress you’d see in some fancy bridal magazine. It’s a white summer dress that’s light and airy. It has thin spaghetti straps and is form-fitting until it reaches her hips, where the skirt flows freely, ending perfectly at her ankles.
Colton, Bryce, and I stand as the bride walks by, giving us a wide smile and a wave. When she takes her place next to Drake, I see the change in his eyes. I’ve only met Drake once before, and I haven’t met Celeste at all yet, but already I can see how much they love each other. Drake always seemed to have a hardness about him, but all that falls away when she’s near. It makes my chest swell with emotion. I only hope that someday, someone looks at Clay and I and thinks the same thing.
The music shuts off and Colton begins the ceremony. The bride and groom exchange vows and put on the rings. When they’re announced as husband and wife, they kiss unabashedly. Everyone cheers and Bryce hides his face in my lap. I laugh and brush his hair back until the newlywed couple break away and invite us all over to the dining area for a cookout.
As we’re walking over, the bride and the woman with the red hair and little girl on her hip stops us.
“You must be Autumn. I’m Celeste,” the bride says, holding out her hand.
I quickly shake it. “It’s nice to meet you. And thank you for inviting me to your wedding. It’s absolutely beautiful.”
“Thank you. I wanted something big and fancy, but I couldn’t wait another day to be Mrs. Drake Slade.” She beams with pride and love.
“I’m Brennan, and this is Milly, Colton’s little girl.” She says as she holds out her hand.
“It’s nice to meet you too. This is Bryce,” I say introducing them.
“Come on, everyone. Let’s get this party started,” Drake says, reaching out for Celeste. He grabs ahold of her wrist and pulls her to his chest, where they kiss again.
“Ew. Why do people kiss so much here?” Bryce asks, wrinkling his nose in disgust.
I laugh. “It’s a wedding. Why don’t you go over there and play with Milly?” I point to the tire swing, and he runs over to play.
Clay and I take a seat with Colton and Brennan. As the guys talk, she fills me in on the family.
“Colton and I will be getting married soon. I’m thinking next spring after our house is finished up. Are you and Clay?” she starts but then snaps her mouth closed.
I laugh. “Our situation is a little different. We’re taking things as slow as we possibly can. I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready for marriage again. Hell, I haven’t even gotten out of the last one yet,” I joke, and everyone that hears joins in on my laughter.
The more I sit and talk with Brennan and Celeste, the more I start to feel like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. They’re all just a little piece of one big family. These will be the aunts and uncles of this little baby. I smile to myself. For once, I actually did something right. Even if something happens to me, I know this baby will be loved and cared for. That’s easy to see. They all act as if Milly was their own, and I have a feeling that they’ll all be the same with Bryce and this new baby. No way will I let Glenn ruin this. I finally have a family—a real family.
Later that night, Drake gets behind the grill and fires it up. Coolers out full of cold drinks are brought out, and music plays softly, putting all of us in a good mood. Some of us even get up and start to dance. We all just hang out and get to know one another a little better. We eat food off the grill and then top it off with wedding cake. Clay, Bryce, and I all end up leaving around ten when Milly crashes. On the dark, quiet drive home, Bryce falls asleep with his head on my shoulder.
I laugh quietly. “I think he’s worn out,” I tell Clay, pushing Bryce’s hair away from his face.
He chuckles and nods. “I’ll carry him up to his room. No sense in waking him,” Clay says, turning into the drive.
He parks the truck and opens the door, reaching in for Bryce. With him no longer on my shoulder, I’m free to step out and follow along behind them. I step up onto the porch and get the overwhelming feeling that someone is watching me. I freeze, turning to survey the land around the house. The big moon is hanging high in the sky, lighting up the earth around me. I look into the field in front of the house and don’t see anything but high grass. I turn and look at the barn. It’s filled with shadows I can’t see into. The hair on the back of my neck stands on end as a cool breeze whips around my body.
“What are you doing?” Clay asks, stepping back out onto the porch, causing me to jump.
I shake my head. “Nothing,” I tell him, walking into the house and locking the door behind me. As he shuts off the lights, I go into the kitchen to check the windows and back door. Everything is locked and just as I left it. A part of me wonders if this is how it will be from now on. Everything feels so perfect, like I finally have the life I’ve been working towards. Will thoughts of Glenn always creep up to rob me of my happiness? What do I have to do to make it stop?
“Ready for bed?” Clay asks as he moves behind me, pressing a kiss to my neck. His arms are around me, hands landing on my stomach. He pulls he against him, my ass pressing against his growing erection.
I close my eyes and let his touch chase away the bad memories, the scary thoughts. I nod. “Mm-hmm.”
Without warning, he picks me up, one arm around my back and the other under my knees, carrying me up the stairs to our bedroom.
The feeling from that night doesn’t fade over the next several days. Whenever I’m alone, I always feel as if I’m being watched—like I’m behind a two-way mirror. I can’t see anyone, but I know they’re there. I can feel it. I try telling myself that it’s the pregnancy hormones, but I know that isn’t it. I’ve been pregnant before and I never had this feeling. It
started as a shiver up my spine the night of the wedding. I expected it to go away. However, when I woke in the morning, I could’ve sworn that I smelled Glenn’s cologne like he’d been in the room while I was sleeping. In fact, I smelled it in Bryce’s room too. My heart doubled its rhyme as panic set in. I tore through the house looking for Bryce, only to find him at the kitchen table, enjoying a bowl of cereal with Clay.
I checked all the doors and windows, and they were still locked. I knew it had to be my imagination. But since then, it’s been little things like I’ll think I’ll hear my name being whispered as I’m outside hanging clothes on the line. I’ll catch a glimpse of something out of the corner of my eye, but when I look, it’s gone or never there to begin with—I’m not sure which. I haven’t mentioned anything to Clay about it. I would if I had some kind of proof, but I’m afraid he’ll just think it’s stress or maybe that I’m crazy. Since we moved to the farmhouse, I haven’t heard from Glenn or my lawyer. I did try calling Judith, my next-door neighbor back home, only to be informed by her daughter that she’d passed away unexpectedly.
After I take Bryce to daycare for the day and Clay has left to start a new job, I sit at the kitchen table with my phone in my hands. I call Lidia, my lawyer.
The office phone rings and rings before being cut off. I try her cell, and it gives me an error message like she’s changed her number. I Google her office, wondering if the number has changed for some reason. To my surprise, it states that the office is closed permanently. That uneasy feeling consumes me again. Why would everyone who’s helped me suddenly shut me out? I still can’t believe Judith’s passing. She was only in her seventies and seemed to be in excellent health when I lived next to her. She did mention she had the flu. I wonder if it was just too much for her body to handle? When I tried getting details, her daughter was too upset to speak of it. Fear consumes me when an unsettling thought drifts into my mind. What if Glenn had something to do with all of this? What if he knew Judith was helping me? Would he hurt her—kill her? And Lidia, did he do something to her to make her close her office and run? I would like to think that Glenn isn’t capable of such evil, but deep down, I know he is. Suddenly, I’m too afraid to even be alone in my own home. What if that feeling I’ve been having isn’t stress? What if he’s here? What if he’s watching?
The Slade Brothers: A Complete Small Town Contemporary Romance Collection Page 54
