“I’ve been good. Busy. Not as busy as you…” Mia grinned and her eyes slid from Alison’s face to her disguised belly.
“Seriously? You can’t possibly have noticed.” Lower and less audibly, she muttered, “I’m going to kill Hailee.”
“Oh come on, who am I going to tell? I live in freaking Canada!” Mia whispered. She made a gesture with her hand, like she was turning a key and locking her lips. “I swear, your secret is safe with me. So, how are things with your hockey hottie?”
“Oh, she’ll tell you the juicy gossip but leave out the details?” Judging by the confused look on Mia’s face, she was sure the girl had no idea what she was whining about. “It’s complicated.”
“Oh, honey. I know all about that. But I can read people, and you want him. So what’s stopping you?”
“Her hard-headedness.” Hailee appeared from behind Mia.
“You were going to keep it a secret. Remember, it’s my secret to tell,” Alison whispered quietly so none of the other guests could hear her.
“Ali, she lives in freaking Canada. Who is she going to tell? The moose in her backyard?”
“Hey!” Mia scowled at Hailee, holding back a laugh. “That moose hasn’t been around in about a month.”
“But seriously, Ali, she’s not going to say anything.” Hailee’s attention got pulled to where Dom was waving at her to join him. “I have to go. Dinner is going to be served in a few. Yum! I’m starving. And Ali, you’d better eat something. I’ve got my eye on you.” She motioned from her own eyes to Alison.
“So, what’s your plan?” Mia asked, with a devilish expression and a raise of her eyebrows.
“Plan?”
“You know, with Kaden.”
“None, not really. I haven’t been ready to deal with him since he made a comment that made me think… Well, it’s complicated.”
“It’s complicated. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get it. What did he make you think, exactly?”
“That he was going to be with us out of responsibility for the baby.”
Mia’s expression grew serious and she tilted her head in confusion. “Huh?”
Alison let out a resigned sigh. “I figured if he only was going to be with me because of the baby, then I’d only get hurt in the end. Because that’s always what happens.” Except, she didn’t really believe it deep in her heart, did she?
“You don’t really believe that,” Mia calmly said.
“How could you know that?” Alison’s head was spinning and she didn’t like how transparent she was.
“I told you that I can read people. Ali, do you love him?” The nervous look on Alison’s face must’ve led to Mia’s follow up question. “Did you ever tell him?”
Alison gently shook her head. Before Mia could ask any more, their food was served. It looked good, but the aroma wasn’t being kind to her. There were vegetables, pasta, and chicken on her plate, and she knew she needed to eat something more than the cookies. Even though she’d finished them off first.
Pushing the chicken around, she picked at the vegetables and managed to force about half of them down. Mia chatted about Kaden while she ate, but Ali wasn’t paying any attention to her words. It was all she could do to keep the vegetables down. She pulled apart the biscuit, eating about half of it before excusing herself and quickly exiting the dining room.
She needed air. The cool night breeze hit her in the face and helped to calm her uneasy stomach. Damn Mia for bringing up her feelings for Kaden. She wasn’t lying about being able to read people. She was dead on. Glancing back at the restaurant, she decided she was done. Hailee would forgive her for leaving early.
It had been a long evening, and she had about a million things to think about tonight. Kaden being part of every one. A warm, comfy bed, easy to eat mashed potatoes, and ginger ale, waited at home for her.
Tomorrow was Hailee’s big day. It would be now or never for Alison to talk to Kaden. If her heart was right, tomorrow would change everything for her, as well.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Kaden
Kaden scanned the room, but there was no sign of Ali. She has to be here; it’s the rehearsal dinner. His phone buzzed in his pocket. Hoping it was her, he quickly looked at it.
Kassie: Just checking in to tell you that Mom is fine. She wanted pizza, so we ordered in and just rented a movie.
Kassie: Mom wanted me to tell you not to worry about us and have a good time. You deserve it.
He’d just left them and Mom had seemed fine. Kaden had taken her to her doctor’s appointment, then spent the rest of the afternoon with her and Kassie. They stopped by the arena, and he’d bought each of them a new Renegades jersey, O’Conner of course.
His mom found a plush blanket that she liked, and fought him on buying it too, but it was no use. Whatever they wanted, they got. Even though he knew she was doing well, he still worried. Sure, the doctor gave her a good report.
It wasn’t that he wanted to worry about his Mom; it was more that he couldn’t help it. Once she went back to Toronto, he wouldn’t be able to see her whenever he wanted to make sure she was okay. I should be with Mom and Kassie. Dom would understand, wouldn’t he? Tomorrow I’ll be here all day. Ready to leave, he searched the room for the happy couple.
But what he found instead was Ali. Standing in the corner by the desserts, she looked beautiful. Her face seemed a bit fuller than he remembered, but her sweet lips and her sparkling blue eyes were still the same. According to all the pregnancy books, she should have a small baby bump starting to show, but her layered bohemian style dress hid any signs of one.
An overwhelming sensation of needing to talk to her filled him. He started making his way across the busy room to get to her. People were standing around talking, eating hors d’oeuvres, and drinking. Dinner would probably be served soon, and by the look of the room, Hailee and Dom were sitting at their own table. The rest of the guests were split up amongst round dinner tables.
“Kaden!” Tyler’s voice startled him before a hand clamped down on his shoulder.
Turning towards the voice, he faced his captain and Kris, both of them smiling.
“Hey Kaden.” Kris waved towards a table where his wife Kat, and Tyler’s wife Paige sat. “You’re over here with us.”
“But I was just—”
A loud voice over the PA system interrupted him. “Good evening everyone, and thanks for joining us. We’ll be serving dinner in a few moments, so please find your seats. Thank you.”
Kaden looked back across the room to where Ali had been standing, but she was gone. “Did you guys see where—”
“Hey buddy!” Dom approached him. He grabbed Kaden’s hand, and then pulled him into a hug. “Glad you could make it, bro.”
This was supposed to be the team’s weekend off before playoffs started. Instead, it was the start of their off-season. At least his friend’s wedding was something joyous to celebrate. Kaden was having a hard time smiling, but he did his best.
“Yeah, everything looks nice.” What are you supposed to say about a rehearsal dinner? “Sorry I missed things at the church. Hope Hailee wasn’t mad about that.”
“Of course not. How’s your mom doing?” Dom answered.
“She’s good. Pushing me to get back to a social life, so the usual.” He shook his head at the irony of it all.
“Yeah, your mom was always like that,” Dom said with a laugh. “Hailee wanted me to make sure you know they’re welcome to come tomorrow. We can fit them in at a table, no problem.”
“I’ve told them, but Mom doesn’t want to impose, as always.”
“You going to be able to survive a whole day away tomorrow?”
Even without saying the exact words, Kaden knew Dom was right. He couldn’t remember a recent day he wasn’t checking in on them, at least.
“Yeah, I really haven’t been doing much else since they got here.” Being preoccupied with his mom’s condition had taken his mind off of Ali. Ali—where was she anyway? �
�Dom, where’s Ali sitting?” There were still three seats empty at the table he was assigned to.
“Well, we had her at your table, but Hailee moved her across the room. Because… well. Anyway, she’s sitting with Mia.” Dom pointed across the room.
Hailee was standing by Alison, talking to her. Hailee made eye contact with them and she nodded to the bride and groom table.
“I have to go,” Dom said. “See you guys in a bit. Hey Sam, Trina. Glad you guys could make it.” Quickly he returned to his bride-to-be’s side.
Sam and Trina took their places at the table, and that left only a seat for him and one empty chair that should’ve been for Ali. Kaden’s head was spinning with all the people and the low hum of their conversations. He needed to see her.
The servers entered the room and began placing plates in front of each guest. Hailee was shooting him a death stare. No time to find her now; he needed to sit down. But he would make it a point after dinner to get to her.
Once his meal was in front of him, he was more interested in what Ali was doing than eating. She nibbled at her food, and smiled as Mia and the other guests talked. Even from all the way over here, she looked a bit green. Maybe it was the chicken sitting in front of her making her ill. He looked down at his own plate. Or the broccoli, or the mushrooms with pasta.
Maybe he could pull her aside and they could talk. As delicious as the food looked, his stomach churned from all the stress he’d been dealing with. Maybe I could pull her aside for just a few minutes. But as Kaden pushed his chair back to stand up, Sam began talking about Willow.
“You guys should see her now. She’s the cutest little thing. The dogs adore her, of course.” He gushed. Willow was about a year old now, and Sam had never looked happier.
“The fun is just beginning, guys.” Kat spoke up. “You’re in the lots-of-hugs-and-snuggles stage. In a year or two, all she’ll want to do is run, and you’ll be running after her. She’ll still like to snuggle; it’ll just take more work to get ahold of her!” She laughed at her own comment.
Kaden didn’t move a muscle. For the first time ever, all the talk about kids hit him right in the gut. Now he knew why Kris and Sam never looked happier than after they became dads. It finally made sense.
“O’Conner, why do you have that goofy look on your face?” Tyler asked, trying to imitate the look while laughing.
Waving him off, Kaden chuckled. “Whatever, bro. I was just wondering if Sam has taken little Willow out surfing yet? At what age do surfers start teaching their mini-surfers?” It was a running joke in the locker room that Sam looked like a “surfer-dude.” His blond locks and California background had started it all.
Forgetting his intention for a minute, Kaden continued the “surfer-dude” banter with the guys until Dom’s voice interrupted them.
“On behalf of Hailee and myself, I want to thank you all for coming, and I hope you are enjoying your dinner. Don’t forget, there are plenty of wonderful treats over on the dessert table as well. You are all very special to us, and we’re glad you could be part of our wedding celebration.” He looked down at Hailee. “We are very excited to share tomorrow with all of you. So, drink, eat and have fun. And as for me, I can’t wait to finally marry this girl.”
Dom gave the guests a show as he passionately kissed his soon-to-be-wife. Cat calls and whistles filled the room until he let her come up for air.
Hailee fanned herself, and her face was flushed when she stood and grabbed the microphone. Clearing her throat, she proceeded to speak. “But don’t drink too much. No hangovers allowed tomorrow.” She winked with a grin before they made their rounds to the tables.
Hailee slid her arm around Kaden’s neck, and Dom sat down next to him. “Mister Best-Man, are you ready for tomorrow?”
“I am. Can’t wait. Hailee, I am sorry again that I couldn’t make it to the church for rehearsal.” He was starting to realize how much he was actually missing out on, having been so preoccupied with his family matters. As always, his mom was right. Hovering over her was making him forget about his own life.
“Not a big deal; your job is easy. Just make sure my groom gets to the altar on time. See? Easy.”
“Sweet-tart, I wouldn’t be anywhere else…” Dom pulled his bride-to-be down into a kiss.
Before they left the table, Hailee leaned down and spoke quietly into Kaden’s ear. “I’m glad your mom is going to be okay.”
Snapping his head around so fast he thought he might have given himself whiplash, he gawked at her, and shot Dom a glare. He wasn’t supposed to tell her. What if she told Ali?
His friend lightly slapped Kaden on his shoulder. “She’s going to be my wife, dude, relax.” At the same time, Hailee made a gesture of zipping her lips. Then Dom lowered his voice for one last comment before they moved to the other guests. “But I still think you need to talk to her. She deserves to know what’s been taking up all of your time.”
Kaden knew Dom wasn’t wrong. He watched the two of them holding hands and laughing with each of their guests. This is what he wanted. All this wedding talk had him thinking.
It was time to take charge of the situation, and maybe his “talk” with Alison needed to include something else from him. Something he hadn’t been willing to put into words before. And it needed to happen now.
Excusing himself from the table, he zig-zagged around guests towards Ali’s table. Confidence built up inside him; it was time to confess his love. When he finally got there, her plate was still mostly full, but she was gone.
* * * *
The morning came too fast. Kaden tossed and turned all night, thinking about Ali. She had slipped through his grasp again. Maybe if he had spotted her earlier and gotten to her before dinner was served… Maybe he would’ve had a chance to talk to her.
He yawned as he looked in the rearview mirror and ran a hand through his wavy blond hair. Today was Dom and Hailee’s big day, and it was his job to get the groom to the church on time. That wouldn’t be a problem. Dom was standing on the sidewalk waiting for him.
“You could’ve waited inside. I know where the front door is, you know,” Kaden said, as Dominic jumped in the car.
“Dude, I couldn’t sit in the house any longer.” His knee bounced, and his fingers tapped on the door of the car. “I’m so ready to get this day going!”
“Little excited, are we?” Kaden smirked at his overly anxious friend. “Run out of decaf, bro?”
“You have no idea. I’ve waited a long time to make Hailee my wife. The priest saying the words ‘You may kiss the bride’ can’t come soon enough!”
Dom had been patient. He’d waited longer for this than any man should. Kaden’s friend was living proof that perseverance did pay off. I wish I was half the man that he is. Even during his and Hailee’s years apart, he never gave up on her.
“You looking forward to seeing Ali today?” Dom’s voice crashed through his thoughts.
“Yeah, of course. But today can go one of two ways.” He shook his head.
“You don’t think she’ll be happy to see you?” Dom tapped his fingers along to the rock song on the radio, and nodded his head to the beat.
“I don’t know.” He shrugged. “You know how it’s been. If she’s not, then it’s going to be a very long and uncomfortable day.”
“Dude, trust me, it’ll be fine. Just show her that you’re not trying to be a dick about things. Sometimes it just comes so naturally that you don’t even know you’re doing it.” Dom chuckled, finding his own words amusing.
He wanted to call Dom a name and tell him to shut up, but Dom wasn’t wrong. Even though he kept texting her, Kaden always tended to say the wrong things when they did talk. Not to mention keeping Ali out of the loop about his mom. Maybe he was acting like a dick unintentionally, and maybe that’s how she would see it. Dammit, I hate when Dom’s right.
They pulled up to the church to find the photographer waiting for them outside. Kaden did a quick check around the parking lot
for Ali or Hailee’s car. No cars. “Dom, is the limo bringing the girls?”
“Yeah.” He grabbed his tie and headed towards the church. Looking at his watch, he added, “They won’t be here yet, so we’re fine.” He stopped to talk to the photographer and then waved Kaden into the church along with him.
Hiding away in a room off the altar area, Kaden made sure Dom’s tie was straight and that he was ready to see his bride. The guests were starting to filter into the church, and the organist was playing soft music. Once the church was full, the music got a bit louder, and the priest came into the room to greet them.
“It’s finally the big day. Are you ready, Dominic? The bride is here.” The priest smiled.
“More than you know, Father.” Dom was still bouncing excitedly. Father laughed and patted him on the back before leading them out to the altar.
Kaden’s stomach was a mess with nerves, twisting and turning. Within a few moments, he would be staring across the altar at Ali. Taking his position on Dom’s right side, he clapped his friend on the shoulder with a plastered-on smile.
The church was quiet now, except for the organist. The beautiful music filled the air. It would’ve been calming if his heart hadn’t been pounding against his chest.
Once Alison entered the room, he literally thought his heart stopped for a moment. This must be what folks mean when they say their heart skips a beat.
All eyes were on Ali as she made her way down the aisle. The guests anxiously waited for Hailee, and a collective gasp echoed in the church as the bride appeared in the doorway.
But Kaden’s eyes never left Alison. His heart was full, and his chest ached. I know without an ounce of doubt that I love this girl with all my heart. If only she feels the same. She was stunning in her light blue gown. Her holding the flowers at her waist made it impossible for him to see if she was showing at all. Maybe that was the point.
SHOOTOUT SAVE (The Renegades Series Book 6) Page 16
