by Kris Calvert
“Can we keep the profanity to a minimum, please?” Sam asked.
“What’s the worst kind?” I laughed.
“The kind that has money. He’s greedy. And he’s a dick. Why do you think his parents named him Richard? That’s no coincidence.”
“Mimi,” Sam objected.
“Go on then, shake his hand,” she chuckled with sarcasm. “But you’d better count your fingers when you’re done.”
“You girls never cease to amaze me. And I love you both.”
“I love you too, honey,” Mimi grinned as I gave her a kiss on the cheek and sat her down beside Momma and Miss Celia. “You might just be the most handsome man I’ve ever seen.”
“Don’t make me blush, Mimi,” I teased.
“Sam, you picked a good one. Those green eyes and sandy hair,” Mimi drawled. “Mmm, mmm, mmm. There’s nothing like a handsome Southern gentleman. Mac honey, I know you are a tough man’s man. But you’re all man to a Southern woman.”
“Well, I love all my Peterson girls,” I said, feeling the heat in my usually unflinching face. “My amazing Peterson girls.”
“Peterson girls are amazing at a lot of things Mac. And don’t you forget it. We can shoot it, skin it and cook it without getting a hair out of place.”
“Mimi, please,” Sam pleaded.
I glanced at the women all sitting together, waiting for the picture taking to be over. Mimi, Mom, and Miss Celia, who was keeping an eye on Katy. I rubbed my hands through my hair and took a deep breath. It was over. And yet it was just beginning. I smiled at all of them. There they were, the most important women in my life together in one place.
“Mind you now, Mac was pretty when he was born, but I have to say little Miss Katy is prettier still,” Celia gushed to Sam as they fussed over the baby.
“That’s because all the good parts of Katy came from her mother,” I offered as I took Sam back into my arms and kissed her again. “Will you ladies excuse us? I’d like a private moment with my wife.”
They nodded, and I smiled at Momma. I knew she was here in spirit, even if I no longer saw a light in her eyes.
Sam and I took a few steps away from the ever-growing crowd. “You,” I whispered as I pulled her cheek to cheek and nibbled on her ear, “are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. I’ve never been happier or more proud than I am right now. And I can’t wait to take you away and have you all to myself in Paris, Mrs. Callahan.”
“Baby?” Miss Celia called.
Rarely referring to me as Mac, Miss Celia had called me Baby for as long as I could remember. It was either baby or McKay if I happened to be in trouble. Even at my age, she had no problem telling me when she’d had enough of my behavior.
“Baby, your momma’s not feeling well so I’m gonna take her to a guest room to rest a spell.”
“I’ll take her up, Miss Celia,” I nodded.
“Well…” Celia paused as she smiled at Samantha. “I can do it. You need to take photos.”
“I want to,” I protested. “The photographer can wait.”
“Okay. We’ll go together,” Celia agreed. “Miss Mimi, it was so nice to see you again.”
“You too, Celia,” Mimi replied as she settled in her chair, closing her walker. “And thank you for taking such good care of my great-grandbabies.”
I gave Sam a quick peck on the lips. “Don’t go anywhere, Mrs. Callahan. I’ll be right back.”
“Okay, sweetie. But hurry. We need to finish taking photos at the gazebo and I’m sure the caterer would like to get dinner served.”
“I won’t be long.”
I helped Momma to her feet and put her delicate hand around my arm. Miss Celia took my free hand and gave it a loving squeeze. She knew how it pained me to see my mother this way.
“What happened?” I asked Celia as we distanced ourselves from the crowd.
“Miss Nancy got a little upset after the ceremony. I think maybe being here brings up memories of your daddy. She motioned to the house and began to weep a little. I think it’s just all the excitement.”
“I knew it might upset her routine to take her out of Autumn Valley for the day, but I didn’t want her to miss the wedding.”
“You did the right thing, baby. The Alzheimer’s makes her more fragile than she used to be. That’s all. We’ll get her in a guest room and let her have a rest. She’ll be fine.”
We walked past the plain-clothed FBI agents who were watching the house during the wedding. With the unsettling notes still coming, I didn’t want to take any chances on today of all days.
The extra security measures at Lone Oak were deemed a necessity now that we had children. I’d been an FBI agent for almost ten years and incarcerated plenty of scumbags, not to mention their questionable families who’d watched me put them in jail. I told Sam we couldn’t take a chance. Now that we had not only one but two small children to think of, I would always be looking over my shoulder.
We entered the guest room on the first floor. The big window that overlooked the backside of Lone Oak would provide my mother with a great view of the reception even if she wasn’t up to attending. I sat her on an oversized fainting couch and settled her in, bringing her feet off the floor.
“Momma?” I took her hands in mine, begging her to look at me. “Momma, Miss Celia thinks maybe you should take a rest.”
She nodded and then shook her head. She looked to me and then past me as if she wanted to be with me in the here and now but something was pulling her away. Her body had always been willing, but she disappeared a little more each day like melting ice on a summer day.
“Miss Nancy?”
She gazed out the window, oblivious to Celia’s attempts to reach her. She talked less and less each day and her good days were few and far between. Still, she looked as lovely as ever in the dark purple dress Sam had picked for her. She was beautiful although her tiny frame seemed to be shrinking.
Around her neck she wore the pearls my father gave her, and I watched her stroke them with her open hand as she looked out the large window draped in white. It was a beautiful view of Lone Oak. I hoped she would be able to enjoy the party at least from afar.
“Miss Celia…” I began with a sigh.
“Don’t worry, baby, I’ll come in and check on her in just a bit. But the nurse from the Autumn Valley home is here too. I think she’s gonna take a little catnap and then she’ll be ready for the last part of the evening.”
I nodded, not as convinced.
“If you let her rest now, you’ll have a better chance of spending time with her tonight.”
“You’re right,” I sighed. “I know you’re right.”
“This is your day. She wouldn’t want to keep you from it.”
“I know.”
“Momma?” I asked, pulling her attention away from the window. “I’ll be right outside if you need me, okay?”
She nodded, looking over my shoulder at the face of her nurse.
As I turned to leave I gave Celia a nod.
“Mac?” Momma uttered.
“Yes?” I turned, so happy to hear her speak.
“Help.”
“Help with what, Mama?”
“I don’t think she knows what she’s saying,” Celia smiled, trying to make the situation less uncomfortable than it already was.
Celia came to my side and took my shoulders in her hands. It was her usual way when she wanted to make sure I was listening.
“I don’t want you to be all upset today over your momma. She loves you more than anything and there’s no way she’d ever want to be a burden on your wedding day. Remember that. I’ll sit with her a spell and then I’ll leave the nurse to her duty.”
“Okay, but I don’t want you to miss anything either. You’re my other mother.”
“Baby, I’m not gonna miss one second of your big day. Now get.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I stopped at the door and watched the two women who raised me holding hands. It wa
s a bittersweet moment when I realized that the torch had officially been passed to my little family. We were the new generation of Callahans.
“Mr. Callahan,” the photographer panted from the doorway. I was certain he’d been sent to find me. “Sir, are you ready to take some photos?”
“Yes. Wait. Come in and take a photo of my mother and me.”
“Absolutely, sir.”
I put my arm around Momma and pulled her close to me, kissing her on the cheek.
She turned to me and grinned. “What am I going to do with you?”
“Love me?”
“You know I do.”
“Right here, folks,” bellowed the photographer.
We faced the camera together and smiled for our photo.
“Get back to the party, baby. There’re lots of folks waitin’ to give you their best wishes. Not to mention your bride,” Celia continued.
I gave Momma’s hand a squeeze, thankful that we’d shared something special on my wedding day.
“Oh, hey,” Dan remarked as he joined us. I could tell by the look on his face he worried he’d interrupted something.
“I’m doing my best man duties. We’re waiting on you for pictures, Mac.”
I gave him a grin. Dan Kelley looked better than I’d ever seem him. The Armani tuxedo that matched mine was a far cry from the usual bad brown suits and ugly ties he wore at the Bureau office.
“How you holding up?” he asked as we made our way back through the house.
“Great.”
“I, ah…” he hesitated. “I overheard someone make a remark that you and Sam ate dinner before saying grace? What the hell does that even mean, dude?”
“We had the baby before we got married.”
“And people care?” he asked.
“Look, I loved Samantha long before we knew she was pregnant. Hell, Dan. It was a one in a million chance I’d ever be a father. Katy is a miracle and I couldn’t care less what anyone thinks.”
“Yeah, I know,” he sighed. I knew he felt guilty for saying anything. Dan of all people knew what family meant to me and having a family of my own was more than I ever thought possible.
“Fuck ‘em all. Believe me, if a consummate bachelor like you can go from making it with every hot, available chick in D.C. to family man – well, there’s hope for all of us.”
“Thanks for taking me back there on my wedding day,” I smirked.
“Yeah. Well, sorry.”
I hurried back to Sam as she was taking photos with Mimi and Dax.
“Is everything okay?” Sam asked as she fluffed her veil, readying herself for yet another picture.
“She’s just tired. The other photographer took our photo by the window in the guestroom.”
Sam reached for me to join her in the gazebo. “Let’s get these going so we can greet our guests and eat.”
“And get on the plane to Paris, my love,” I added as I climbed the stairs to her. “I’ve already told the crew we want absolute privacy,” I whispered in her ear. “I’m not waiting seven hours to reach France before I consummate our marriage.”
“Mac,” she gasped.
“Surely you knew I had plans for you,” I murmured as I kissed her sweet and beautiful lips. “We didn’t take chances while you were pregnant. And you wanted to wait until after the wedding. So yes, my love. I have lots and lots of plans.”
“I know it’s been almost a year, Mac,” she smiled wickedly. “But seven hours longer won’t kill you.”
“This way, Mr. and Mrs. Callahan,” shouted the photographer.
“Get one of me kissing her,” I shouted back. “It’ll be my favorite photo of the day.”
“All the photos I’ve taken apart from the ceremony are of you kissing,” he replied flatly.
“See Mac? Everyone knows you can’t keep your hands off of me.”
I laughed as I brought her in for another kiss. “I’m pretty sure everyone knows I couldn’t keep my hands to myself as evidenced by Katy.”
“Don’t be a cad.”
“I love you so much, I don’t care who knows it or how much they know –”
“Or how much they hear or see?” Samantha finished with an edge to her voice.
“It’s you and me forever. Understand?”
“I understand Mac. And I love you too. But I do care who sees or hears.”
“Well, because you care,” I smiled as I twisted her hips back and forth in my hands. “I will be more discreet.”
Samantha gave me a forgiving smile and all was right in my world.
“Let’s get this over with—we’ve got a party going on that we’re not even attending.”
“Alright, we’re ready to take the formal shots. I promise not to kiss her anymore,” I shouted to the photographer.
I looked back to Sam and whispered as she smiled for the camera, “For now.”
3
POLLY
“Dr. King Giles, I presume.”
I knew who he was. How could I not? The most handsome and eligible bachelor in the town of Shadeland, Alabama was Dr. King Giles. Problem was I was pretty sure he still had a thing for my best friend.
“Yes?” he looked up from his Kentucky bourbon and set his big blue eyes on me. “I’m sorry. Have we met?”
“I’m Polly. Polly Benson.”
I held out my hand and was quickly startled when he opted to kiss it.
“I’m King. But I believe you already know that.”
His voice was deep, and the low hum of each word he spoke reverberated in my body. With his tall, muscular body and the dark hair he chose to comb straight back, he was without a doubt suave in every sense of the word.
“I was privy to the seating chart,” I confessed with a smile.
“So this is no accident?” He pulled the chair out for me and with a sweeping hand motioned for me to sit.
“If you’re asking if I requested to sit next to you, the answer is no. But Sam and Mac must have their reasons. However dorky they might be.”
“Lucky break for me,” he quickly retorted. “I’m sitting next to the most beautiful girl at the wedding. Dare I even say more beautiful than the bride herself?”
The fluidity of his rugged voice and smooth phrases were hypnotic. I could easily see how a girl could get lost in every part of King Giles.
I snapped out of the dream and back to reality. “Look,” I began firmly yet politely. “I’m not trying to be rude or anything, but I’m not going to fall for your whole Southern gentleman routine. I’m not from the South. I met Sam at Princeton, not charm school.”
“Jersey girl?” he asked with a smile.
“No. Montana.”
“Rancher’s daughter?”
“Banker’s daughter.”
“Are you a financier as well?”
“I have a degree in psychology.”
“You have a degree in psychology from Princeton?”
“You’re quick.”
I couldn’t tell if he was impressed with my brain or my sarcasm, so I decided to keep the conversation going until I found out. “Sam told me you had a deep, sultry voice,” I sighed as I leaned under the table to slip my shoes from my feet. Two could play this game.
“Did she?” he paused. “So what do you think?”
“I think you’re handsome. You have nice blue eyes. And yes,” I smiled, looking into my lap – suddenly embarrassed I’d been so honest.
“Yes?”
“Your voice is… sexy,” I confessed. “And Sam was right.”
King moved his chair closer and leaned into me, refusing to lose eye contact. “Right about what, Miss Benson?”
“You’re a nice piece of …work.”
He laughed deep and with honesty.
I was the kind of girl who said what she meant and meant what she said. I wasn’t going to temper or censor myself for a man – even a Southern gentleman.
“Sam told me you were from here. Shadeland, I mean. Grew up with Mac?”
&n
bsp; “Yes. Mac and I also went to school together – Cornell. We went our separate ways after graduation. He went to Harvard Law, I went to Johns Hopkins. How about you? How’d you meet the bride?”
“I couldn’t get a job right out of Princeton. Neither could Sam. She finally took a position recruiting executives and I began to help her. We were a great team. I dug through the candidate’s personal history and weird quirks and she handled the business end. Together we matched the best candidates with the right companies.”
“Sounds interesting. That’s why she had the position at Autumn Valley recruiting doctors?”
“Yes. Well, until Mac and the FBI raided the place and her boss put a bullet through his head trying to cover up the money he’d been giving to his hag of a secretary, hence screwing his gay affair with the Mexican janitor.” I took a breath. “No pun intended.”
King laughed and nodded. “I was there.”
“Anyway, that’s how Sam and I became a team. After Daniel died, Sam was a mess.”
“How did her husband die?” he asked.
“A driver fell asleep at the wheel. His semi crossed the lane and hit Daniel head on. He never had a chance.”
“Terrible,” King sighed, shaking his head.
“I stayed with her. By that time she was pregnant and the doctors didn’t know how well the baby would handle the stress.”
“Yeah, that’s tough.”
“After Dax was born, I just…stayed. We were like a little family. Sam didn’t want to be alone, and I certainly didn’t want to be alone, or leave her for that matter.”
“You’re a good friend.”
“I don’t know about that. I only know I care about them. They’re my family.”
“What about your parents in Montana?” he asked, taking another sip of his bourbon.
“Dead.”
“I’m sorry. But I understand. Really I do. My parents are gone as well.”
“What happened to yours?” I asked. “Because it doesn’t seem fair, you know? Sam barely even speaks to her parents and yet they’re still here. Well, here is a relative term. I mean they spend all their time on every kid but their own. When Sam was growing up she hardly knew them. I talked with mine every day and then suddenly they’re gone.”
