"Ah..." He smirked. "I'm the outcast of my own family, as well. It's nice to meet you."
"How is everyone? Crazy?" I walked in and looked around, wishing that I had the same warm welcomed feeling standing in my own house that I did at Tate's mom's place.
"The wedding frenzy has taken a hold of just about everyone, but I didn't say anything." He pursed his lips.
I laughed, liking him already. "Mums the word."
"Valentine?" My mother's voice caused my muscles to lock and a cold chill to run down my spine. There was no other person in the world that could make me feel as small as she could, and she hadn't even done anything yet. It was the promise of the berating to come.
"Yes, Mother?" I picked up my bag as she walked into the foyer.
"Don't carry your own bag." She turned her attention to the bellman. "James, this is your job. Do it or you'll be packing and looking for another one."
"Mom, I got it. Seriously." I lifted the small suitcase and wagged it in front of her. "It's one-"
"Now!" She ripped the bag from my hand and half threw it at the guy. "And you, don't teach these people around here that they don't have to do their jobs. I can't stand your generation and their willingness to bend the rules for anyone or anything. I swear."
"Nice to see you." I smiled. "You look pretty."
"Don't chastise me, young woman." She poked me in the chest. "Your sister is going to have a beautiful event tomorrow and you're not going to ruin it or you will pay for it for the rest of your life. Understood?"
"Is Val here?" My sister bounded down the stairs, and I was grateful for a reason to turn away from the witch in front of me.
It hurt that I didn't have tears in my eyes from the way she spoke to me. I was too calloused by it.
"Hey, you." I moved to return the warm hug Allison gave me. "Are you excited?"
"Very, but I'm nervous, too." She giggled. "We're doing the run through in an hour, so get changed into something nice. After that we'll have the dinner, and then Bart and I are going out for a drink. Mother said that-"
"That I have a boy I want you to meet. He's a great choice for you, Valentine." She cleared her throat. "You do remember me mentioning him, right?"
"Yes, Mom, but I'm seeing someone. I'm not-"
"Surely not that biker trash that your father had to warn off." She laughed, and my blood ran cold. "Please tell me that you didn't disobey us to that extent."
I kept my eyes on my sister. "Am I going with you and Bart for drinks? Is that part of the blind date?"
"Yes, and your date is a great guy, but we'll talk later. Go get ready." My sister pressed her forehead to mine and whispered, "Before she eats you alive."
"Amen." I turned and jogged up the stairs as my sister moved in to interfere on my behalf. I couldn't thank her enough for being good to me. It was nice to know that I didn't stand alone as the only decent Scott in Minnesota.
I would go on the stupid after-party date and be nice to the poor guy, but I wasn't interested and nothing would become of us. I was falling in love with Tate, and nothing was going to change that.
*
"Well? What did you think?" Allison stopped in front of me as we wrapped up the rehearsal dinner. My mother and father were busy saying goodbye to various guests who had come to be part of the event. My mother had showed her ass three or four times during the evening, and I needed more than one stiff drink to get through much more with her.
"It was perfect. The wedding is going to be great." I looped my arm into my sister's. "It's about time for my mail-order groom to show up, right?"
She laughed as we walked out the back of the house onto a large balcony that overlooked a large frozen lake. "You how Mom is."
"Yes, and I'm glad that her meddling worked out where you and Bart are concerned, but I-"
"Val, I don't love him." She glanced over at me as her big blue eyes filled with tears.
My heart broke in my chest as I reached for her. "Then why are you going through with this?"
"Because I have no choice." She choked on a soft sob. "I keep thinking it's going to be okay, and he really is a great guy, but I just would rather be friends. There's no passion between us. No heat."
"Oh. Wow." I hugged her tightly and moved back as someone coughed behind us.
Bart.
"You pretty girls ready? My cousin is almost here." He gave us a warm smile, and I could see why Allison liked him, but if she wasn't in love...
"Yeah, we'll meet you out front. We're just having a sister pow-wow." I offered him a smile in return and waited until he left to give my sister my full attention. "You need to tell him, Allison. Maybe he's not in love, either."
"No, he is." She wiped at her tears angrily. "I know you think I've always had it so easy, but I haven't. Mom and Dad are no different with me than they are with you. I just comply because I hate strife more than anything else. I just want them to love me for being me, but they don't."
"I get that." I reached up and wiped a tear off of her cheek. "You can't go through with this."
"I have to. My whole future rides on wrapping up this last promise to them. They want me married to Bart. His family is powerful and they own half the oil fields in Texas." She rolled her eyes. "It’s complicated."
"Do you have any debt?" I ran my hands over her shoulders and squeezed softly.
"What? No, of course not." She shook her head. "I just don't want to walk out of here with nothing. I mean, like...nothing."
"You can't live like this. Marriage is forever." I moved back and tugged at the sleeve of my blue ball gown. "I feel like a frumpy Cinderella in this thing."
"You look like one. Your tits are way too big for that." She rolled her eyes and walked with me back into the house. "Mom picked them out. Ugh."
"Oh, great. You get to look like a princess and I'm stuck looking like a swollen blueberry."
"Stop it." She laughed and shook her head. "Please don't worry about me. I'll be okay. Bart's a good man."
"This conversation isn't over, Allison." I turned as we approached Bart and another guy who was a little bit bigger than him. His voice was a little too familiar. Kade Jones.
His eyes widened as he saw me. "No freaking way."
I laughed and walked toward him. "Please don't tell me that you're my blind date."
He pulled me into a hug and chuckled. "It would seem so. I guess our parents aren't too horrible from time to time."
"Wait. You guys know each other?" Bart asked as he wrapped an arm around my sister's shoulders.
"Yeah. He's the TA for one of my classes, and we've been to a few parties together." I looked up at him, realizing how incredibly handsome he was. My mom had done well this time. Too bad I was taken.
"I've been trying to get this girl's attention for a month now. She keeps trying to set me up with her damn friends," Kade laughed again and let out a long sigh. "I feel much better knowing it's you, Val. Let's get this show on the road."
Worry rushed through me as we followed my sister and her fiancé out. I reached for Kade's arm and pulled him to a stop.
"Hey. I'm with Tate. You know that, right?” I released him and took a step back. "We're just friends, me and you."
"And, I can't twist your arm for anything more?" He reached out and touched my face. "I have a lot to offer, Valentine. I think you know that."
"I know you do, but I have all that I need." I moved past him and tucked my arm into his. "Now we just need to find the right woman for you."
"Oh Lord, not this Amy stuff again." He clamped his hand over mine as I held onto his arm. "I'm interested in you, but you know that."
"I do, and if I was free, I'd return your interest, but I'm not. I'm in love with my biker boy." I got into the back of the car and was grateful that Kade got in the front with Bart and left my sister to get in the back with me.
He turned around and pinned me with a hard stare. "And, if that ever changes?"
"Then, I'll come looking for you first." I
smiled and leaned back.
*
Dinner was great with Kade there, and I could so easily see myself fitting into his life, and him fitting into mine, but he wasn't Tate. Not in the slightest.
We stopped at the door, and he watched me with desire in his gaze, but I ignored it. Allison gave Bart a quick kiss and turned, jogging up the stairs and calling after me to join her.
"Night." Kade reached out and touched the side of my face. "No chance at all, right?"
"Nope. Not even a little one." I cupped his hand on the side of my face and smiled at him.
"That's a lucky guy you're with. He knows that right?" He moved closer.
I released him and pushed at his chest. "He knows. Get out of here before I have to pull out some of my self-defense moves on you."
"Yeah, cause that makes me want to leave," he laughed.
"Night, Kade. See you tomorrow at the wedding." I turned and jogged up the stairs feeling good. I dropped down on my sister's bed and let out a long, girly sigh. "That was fun."
"You seemed to really enjoy Kade. Why are you so dead set on being with this other guy? Because it pisses Mom and Dad off?" She moved up beside me and propped her head up on her hand.
"No." I looked over at her. "Because I like him a lot. I want him in my future."
"Really? Maybe you should borrow my dress and get married tomorrow. That would be a win-win, for me and you." She tried to smile, but her expression saddened. "I want to love someone like that."
"Like what?" I reached over and brushed her hair back from her face.
"In a way that I didn't care about what it meant to be together or what it cost. That strong bond between two people that nothing could break, least of all the pressure of their parents." She rolled onto her back. "I don't know if I can do this tomorrow."
"Then don't." I moved onto my side. "You'll miss out on the greatest adventure you could ever have."
"Fending off Mom and Dad?" She smirked.
"No, silly. Being in love."
Chapter 29
Tate
I'm not sure I could have been any more nervous about going out to meet up with Val at her parents’ place. I was a grown man, and yet felt like a wayward teenage kid as Sam and I walked through the department store at the mall.
"Dude, I can't thank you enough for saying you'd go with me out there today. I honestly feel like I'm going to barf." I reached for a white button down shirt and held it up to my chest. "Yeah? No?"
"No worries, man. You know that I'd never leave you out to dry. Besides, I almost want to see if these rich bastards are going to act like trash in front of their wedding guests. I can't imagine that Val's father is going to be able to hold back his anger at seeing you."
"Yeah, you're not helping, at all." I put the shirt back on the rack and growled before tugging at my hair. "Maybe I should just tell her that I can't make it."
"Tate, you know she needs you out there. Stop acting like that. We need to get your clothes and get over to the Gamma house soon, though. We have about two hours before we need to be in our seats at the wedding. Hurry up." He leaned against a rack of jackets and gave me a look.
"Alright, well help me find something. I've never worn one of these monkey suits before." I checked the price tag and almost passed out. "What the fuck? This is insane. I'm not spending that much on an outfit I'm going to wear once."
"You'll wear it a lot more than you think you will." He pulled out his wallet as I lifted my hand.
"No, I'm paying for whatever we end up getting." I shook my head and moved away from him.
"Fine, but my mother sent this hundred dollar gift card to this place. She got it at Christmas from my grandma and doesn't want it. They won't give her anything but store credit, which does no one any good, right?" He laughed and moved up beside me, pressing the card to my chest. "Take it. I have plenty of suits."
"Alright, fine, but tell her that I said thanks. I'll come over and tell her myself soon." I found a black suit that didn't look too terribly bad. "What about this one?"
"They're all the same. Just get one, try it on, and let's get the fuck out of here." He picked up a dark gray shirt and handed it to me. "This would look good, and that black tie over there."
"Shouldn't I wear white?" I walked over to the tie rack and grabbed the tie as a stiff-looking guy glanced up from the register and gave us a look of open annoyance.
"Can I help you two?" His voice was almost as condescending as his glare.
"Nope. We're just looking, but when we start buying, you can take our money. That sound good?" I lifted my eyebrow and tilted my head just a little.
The guy swallowed hard and glanced back down, mumbling his agreement.
"How do you do that?" Sam whispered as we walked to the dressing room.
"Do what?" I walked into the hallway, trying to ignore the anger that fluttered in my chest over the clerk's attitude.
"Make other guys almost shit themselves."
"It's the tats," I called behind me before walking into a dressing room. "You should get some."
"Fuck, no."
I laughed and tried on the suit, liking it quite a bit. I walked out and Sam glanced up and gave me two thumbs up.
"You riding with us over to the wedding or taking your bike?" He stood after I changed back into my jeans and sweater.
"My bike. I'd almost feel naked without it." I shrugged and put the clothes on the counter. "Besides, I need to make a good first impression, right?"
He chuckled. "And, what message are you hoping to make by riding your bike up to their fancy house with all their friends around?"
I glanced over at him. "The one that says, 'fuck you,’ big and loud. The bastard threatened me and my mother. Just me being there is enough to tell him Val's mine. Period."
"Okay." Sam lifted his hands in the air as if surrendering and backed up a little. "I should call ahead and tell them that Billy Bad Assis headed their way."
I laughed. "Keep it up, funny boy, and I'll tell the pretty girl whose panties you're trying to get into that you sleep with the closet light on."
"She already knows." He poked my side. "She sleeps with it on, too. Ask me how I know."
"Oh Lord." I rolled my eyes, paid for my stuff and walked out next to my best friend as he dove into every intimate detail of having slept with Lucinda. Some part of me wanted to shut him up, but I couldn't. He felt like he'd found his match in life. I understood his excitement all too well.
*
I changed at home and walked into the living room about thirty minutes before I needed to get on the road.
My mom glanced up from the couch where she was reading and smiled.
"Wow. Don't you look incredible?" She got up and fixed the collar of my shirt before brushing her hands down the front of my chest. "You're going to be okay, right? They're not going to hurt you?”
"Mom. They're rich people with a chip on their shoulders, not axe murderers." I smirked and pulled her in to a hug. "I love you. Don't wait up."
"Okay, but please text me and let me know how you're doing throughout the night. I know you're a grown-ass man and all, but please...or have Val do it. She won't mind." She touched the side of my face. "I love you, too. Be safe."
"Will do. Lock up and don't answer the door." I walked to the door and glanced back at her. "See you tomorrow."
"Get out of here and stop stalling." She dropped back down on the couch, and I left her cuddled up with her book as I jogged through the freezing cold. It seemed like winter was never going to relent.
Val's sister had to have an indoor wedding. There was no way anyone would be able to stand out in the cold for more than a few minutes without having icy fingers and toes.
I started the bike and pulled on my helmet, suddenly worrying about my own extremities. I tugged a pair of gloves from my pocket and zipped up my jacket before taking off to Val's parents’ place. I had the address on my phone, but I'd seen the beautiful mansion a few times on some of my lon
g rides through the city and surrounding countryside.
There was a comfort in knowing that Sam and Val's closest friends would be out at the wedding before me. It was like being welcomed into a crowd of people that I sort of already knew without having to stand alone and pray for the night to be over.
I drove a little slower than I normally would, but I couldn't help it. Trepidation sat heavy on me as I pulled up and parked my bike beside a large line of overpriced cars. I locked it down and glanced up to see Val's father standing on the front porch, staring at me with malice on his face.
"Fuck," I mumbled under my breath and pulled my helmet off. "Time to get this shit over with."
I walked toward him with my chin held high and my eyes locked onto his. "Mr. Scott."
"Tate. I'm a little surprised to see you here today, and yet I realize that men like yourself cling tightly to any hope for a better day tomorrow than you've had today. You're not getting a penny of my money. Not a dime." He shrugged and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Why in the world would you think I want your money? I've never had money. I wouldn't know what to do with it in the first place." I smirked and moved past him into the house.
That went much better than I thought it would.
I heard Valentine laughing before I laid eyes on her, but when I did, my heart almost stopped in my chest. Her dress shimmered slightly and fit her beautifully. She was in the middle of her friends, and one of them must have alerted her to my presence, because she turned around.
"Damn," I mumbled and let my eyes run down the length of her. The dress was tight around her narrow waist and accentuated her breasts beautifully – almost too much.
"Tate." She walked toward me and reached for me.
"Hi, baby." I slid my arms around her and pulled her in for a quick kiss. "Your dad was waiting for me at the door, but hopefully that was the only run-in we have to have tonight."
"Doubtful, but I'm glad to see you alive and not bloody." She nipped at my lips before rubbing her nose by mine. "You look so good."
Valentine (A Standalone Novel) (Bad Boy Romance Book) Page 20
