Wonderful, page 4
He sighed, then slowly shook his head; his hair seemed to be getting grayer by the second. “If you are going to be her…husband…then you will show her more respect than you did that young woman in your house earlier. What you two do in private…will remain private. Do you understand me?”
My eyes widened at that, but I gave him a nod. Of course I wasn’t going to make a sex tape with Kiera. I would never risk her being exposed like that. Ever. But after what he’d just witnessed, I couldn’t really blame him for being wary.
Martin went on for a few more minutes, explaining everything he expected from me as a husband. He never once said anything I even remotely objected to, so I just gave him thoughtful nods and let him say his piece uninterrupted. Whatever got him to accept this, accept me.
Kiera and her mom came back downstairs when Martin was finishing up. The look on Kiera’s face stole my breath. I wasn’t sure what she was thinking about, but whatever it was…she was practically glowing as she walked over to me. She was so beautiful, so wonderful, so…mine.
Stepping to my side, she wrapped her arms around my waist. Grateful she wasn’t upset, I folded my arms around her and took a moment to drink her in—the dark, wavy hair resting over her shoulders, the warmth in her hazel eyes, more brown than green today, the way her lips were curved in a loving, secretive smile, the way her thumbs stroked my sides as she held me—everything about her captivated me. I could have stared at her all day, but Martin, maybe uncomfortable watching our affection, cleared his throat.
Kiera blinked, like she’d been in a daze too. When she looked over at her dad, he asked, “Everything…okay?”
Kiera nodded, a bright smile on her face. Martin sighed, either confused by her shifting moods…or disappointed by her choice of spouse. I was betting on the latter.
Maybe seeing that her dad needed some reassurance, Kiera let go of me and hugged him. Martin made a sullen comment about our wedding at the bar, then he frowned at me and quietly said, “Are you sure about this, Kiera?” I could only assume that by this he meant me, and I had to admit, that stung a little.
Beaming, Kiera told him, “Absolutely, Dad.” It thrilled me to hear her say that, but it made Martin frown in an almost petulant way. Yeah, definitely disappointed by her choice of spouse. It was going to be a long, uphill battle to make him like me. Good thing I was persistent.
The conversation switched to Gavin after that, and I relayed my information to Kiera: Gavin would be here soon…and my car was completely fine. Thank fucking God.
Kiera and I killed time waiting for my family to arrive by listening to Caroline plan our “official” ceremony. She seemed to have some strong opinions on what Kiera should do, like she’d been thinking about this for a while. It made me wonder if she’d started planning Kiera’s wedding when Kiera had started dating Denny. Maybe. Or maybe she’d been dreaming of this since the day Kiera was born. I liked that thought better. A lot better.
The more Caroline talked about colors and dress designs, the more I could picture it…and the image of Kiera in a sparkling white wedding dress, walking down a flower-petal-strewn aisle to me…well, damn. That was a sight I couldn’t wait to see.
The visual was so intoxicating that the sound of my doorbell chiming took a second to register with me. When it did, adrenaline instantly flooded my veins. Fuck. Gavin was here. Even though I’d seen him less than twenty-four hours ago, I was suddenly, exceedingly nervous. I wanted this to go well, wanted my relationship with him to go well. I just…wanted. And wanting things was dangerous territory for me.
My heart was racing in my chest. Wanting to calm it down, and myself, I let out a long, steadying breath as I stood up. My hands were clammy, a fact that really annoyed me. Nerves weren’t something I had a lot of experience with, so I wasn’t the best at dealing with them. I didn’t want this to be a big deal, but my body disagreed; my stomach was practically doing somersaults.
Irritated with myself, I wiped my palms on my jeans before making my way to the door. I had to wipe my hands two more times and roll my shoulders to ease the escalating tension inside me. Clenching and unclenching my fists, I exhaled a short, forceful breath as I prepared to open the door. I can do this. No problem. Slapping on a breezy smile—like my insides weren’t twisting me in knots—I quickly pulled open the heavy wood before I could overthink it and completely freeze up.
Gavin’s deep blue eyes were the first thing I saw—eyes that were eerily similar to mine—and my entire body tensed. Shit, maybe I can’t do this. Throwing my heart out there for him to step on felt too…perilous. But then Gavin gave me a warm smile, and just like that, my nerves melted, and my stomach settled. Peace flowed into me. And happiness, so much happiness. Yes. Yes, I can do this.
“Good morning, Kellan,” he said, holding out his hand for me.
Grinning, I clasped it. “Mornin’, Gavin.” Releasing his palm, I gestured inside. “I’m glad you’re here. Come on in.”
Gavin nodded and stepped inside. His head turned this way and that as he scanned my home, and I was struck with the strangest feeling of surrealness as I watched him. My biological father was inside my house because I’d invited him here; I’d never anticipated this day happening. Ever.
Shaking away the bizarreness of my life, I turned to greet my half-siblings: Hailey and Riley. My sister was giggling as she waved at Kiera. Hailey was the first family member I’d met, back in December when she’d introduced herself at a concert. That first meeting hadn’t exactly been an easy one for me but being friends with her now was effortless. Hailey was a genuinely good person, and funny, smart. The two of us talked a lot, and I had to say, as far as siblings went, I’d gotten pretty lucky with her. When Hailey saw she had my attention, she tossed her arms around me in a fierce hug. With a laugh, I squeezed her tight, then released her so she could walk further into the house.
Riley was right behind her, staring up at me with wide eyes. Like Gavin, my little brother was a new relationship for me; we’d only finally met yesterday, although I’d occasionally relayed messages to him through Hailey. The expression on Riley’s young face, the way his sky-blue eyes were absorbing me, it was even more bizarre than my father being here. I wasn’t sure why, but the kid seemed to idolize me. Amused, I rumpled his messy hair, then shut my front door.
Stepping around my new family, I indicated the living room. “Please, have a seat.”
Kiera and her parents stood from the couch when we approached, and I took a moment to introduce everybody. Martin gave Gavin a firm, appraising handshake. Caroline giggled when it was her turn, then tried to hide it by clearing her throat. That made Kiera smirk, and Martin instantly switched positions with Caroline so he would be the one sitting next to Gavin on the couch instead of her. Interesting. I was pretty sure Caroline found me attractive, and Gavin…well, he was basically an older version of me—same height, same lean build, same dark blue eyes, same strong jawline, same thick hair…although his was much shorter, and as my barber would say, far more “respectable” than my shaggy mess. I had to wonder if Caroline finding Gavin attractive too would make it even more difficult for Martin to bond with me. I hoped not. There wasn’t much I could do about the way Gavin and I looked.
Riley plopped himself onto the floor while Hailey squeezed Kiera in a hug. Gavin was having a quiet conversation with Martin and Caroline, and I loved seeing it—loved seeing all of it. Smacking my hands together, I told the room, “Well, I’ll get started on brunch since it’s getting close to lunch time.” With a laugh, I again apologized to Gavin for missing breakfast. “I’m sorry I was so late in calling you.”
Gavin looked at me, then his gaze swung over to Kiera, and he smiled. Kiera’s cheeks grew rosy as Gavin nodded at her. “Yes, I hear you got married last night. Congratulations.”
I could tell Kiera was embarrassed. Her cheeks grew even redder as Hailey squealed in excitement. “You’re part of the family now, Kiera! Like it or not!”
Since Hailey clearly wasn’t upset about missing our wedding—something she’d asked to be invited to—I had to assume Gavin had explained our informal ring-swap at the bar and told her we’d be having an official ceremony later. What Hailey had just said, though…warmed me.
Walking up to Kiera, I removed her from Hailey’s arms and gave her a soft kiss. I took a moment to just look at her, appreciate her, then I repeated my sister’s sentiment. “Like it or not.”
I pressed my lips against hers again, and when I pulled away Kiera dazedly murmured, “Like.”
Good. Because I absolutely loved it.
Chapter 3
MARRY ME?
Kiera and I fumbled our way through making breakfast. Or at least we tried to muddle our way through it; Hailey ended up taking over for us. Then she chided me on being so nervous she could smell it. I wasn’t nervous, per se, just…anxious. I wanted things to be just right.
And they were.
Hanging out with my family and Kiera’s—it was one of the best afternoons that I’d ever had. One of the top five moments in my life, excluding all my moments with Kiera, of course. I helped Riley play a song on my guitar, won and lost a handful of board games, learned about even more family members I had back east, and even had a sort of heart-to-heart talk with Gavin about Joey basically blackmailing me. That last one was a little embarrassing—not really something I’d wanted my father to know about—but almost everyone else in the house knew about it, so…yeah.
All in all, it was a perfect day. Even with Joey disrupting it, even with snapping at Kiera, and even with my bandmate, Griffin, barging into my house that night like he owned the fucking place, it was perfect.
Saying goodbye to Gavin at the end of it was surprisingly difficult. A weird, sad-happy feeling filled me as I watched him say goodbye to Kiera and her parents. He approached me last, and my gaze lowered to the floor as my thoughts spun. Finally, I looked up and said, “I’m really glad you came all the way over here just to…see me. Thank you for that. It means more than you know.” There was a horrid ball of awkward tension in my chest after saying it, but it was the truth. Not many people would have traveled thousands of miles just to spend a day with me, and up until him, no one I was related to would have done that. It meant a lot to me that I was worth his time.
Gavin bunched his brows as he stared at me, his midnight eyes deepening with concern, like he understood just how little I’d been cared for over the years. Then he tossed his arms around me, and this time, I returned the gesture. “Of course, son,” he said, patting my back. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you, Kellan. Nothing.”
That made my throat cinch tight, and I had to swallow about five times in a row. Gavin released me, then smiled as he stepped back. “Call me whenever you need to, okay?”
I nodded at him, then smirked. “I’m sure we’ll speak frequently,” I said, referencing his relentless calling and texting.
Gavin chuckled as he reached for the doorknob. I stopped him with a hand on his arm. When he looked back at me, I grimaced. “I just wanted to say…I’m sorry…about your wife. Hailey told me a while ago; I just didn’t feel comfortable enough to mention it.” My eyes drifted over to Kiera, standing a few feet away, saying goodbye to Hailey and Riley. God, if I lost Kiera like that… “I can’t imagine anything worse than what you went through,” I said, returning my focus to him.
Gavin looked back at Kiera for a second. Soft smile on his face, he shook his head at me. “Yes, you can imagine worse, Kellan. You lived it,” he whispered. “And I’m so sorry.”
A brief flicker of pain tightened my chest, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as when we’d talked about this at the bar. I gave him a brief nod, and he placed his hand on my shoulder. “Thank you, though,” he said. “It’s been hard…without her. But…I haven’t been alone.” A warm smile lightened his face as Riley and Hailey stepped over to us.
Hailey looked between us with a curious expression, but she didn’t ask what we’d been talking about. Riley stepped right up to me and tossed his arms around my waist. His level of comfort at showing affection made me laugh, and I gave him a quick one-armed hug. He was grinning when he pulled away. “Hey, next time you’re in my state, do you think you could come do a concert at my school?”
“Ry,” Hailey said with a frown. “Don’t ask him to do that.”
A chuckle escaped me as Riley frowned at her. “It’s just a question, Hail.” He looked back at me, and his cheeks faintly reddened. “There’s this girl in my class…and I think she’d think it was pretty awesome if I got a rock star to play in our gym.”
Gavin sighed at his son while I laughed a little harder. Leaning down, I said, “She might already think you’re pretty awesome. Maybe you should just ask her out and see? You could show her that song I taught you. Girls dig guys who can play guitar.” I flicked a quick glance at Kiera, just in time to see her bite her lip and look away. Yep. The guitar had a seductive power all on its own.
Gavin instantly put a hand on Riley’s shoulder. “When you’re older, Riley,” he said, frowning at me. “He’s only ten, Kellan. He doesn’t need a girlfriend yet.”
Riley’s gaze snapped to Gavin’s face. “Whoa, Dad. No one mentioned the g-word. I just…I think she’s pretty.” The grin after he said that made me laugh again. And made Gavin sigh again.
Leaning past Riley, I quietly said to Gavin, “If you haven’t covered it already, you may not want to wait too much longer on the birds and the bees speech.”
Gavin gave me a wry smile. “Yeah, I’m realizing that.” Opening the door, Gavin shepherded Riley through it. As they left, I heard Riley say, “Birds and the bees speech? Does he mean that gross sex stuff that the older kids talk about? ‘Cause I’m not doing that. Ever.”
I snorted a laugh as I shook my head. Never say never, Riley. Hailey was laughing as she approached me; behind her, Kiera was laughing too. “I think you just aged Dad by about ten years,” Hailey said, wiping tears from her deep blue eyes.
I shrugged, then held my arms open. Hailey gave me a hug, then pulled back and patted my chest. “I’m glad you stopped being stubborn,” she said with a smirk.
Pursing my lips, I looked over at Kiera. “I wouldn’t say it was me.”
Kiera shrugged as she approached us. Ducking under my arm, she shook her head. “I only did what you secretly wanted me to do.” She grinned at me while I frowned at her. No, she did exactly what I didn’t want her to do…but in the end, it was the right call.
Smirking, I kissed her head. “Yes, dear,” I murmured.
Hailey nodded her approval, then she pointed a stern finger at me. “I’m not missing the wedding, got it? I fully expect an invite.”
Grinning, I made an X over my heart. “I promise, you’ll get one.”
She made a small squeal of excitement, then darted out the door after her father and brother. Kiera looked up at me after she left. “I like her.”
I laughed as I closed the door. “Yeah…I do too.”
It was really late, so we headed upstairs to go to bed. Martin and Caroline followed us up. Caroline disappeared into the guest room, to fall asleep on Kiera’s old, uncomfortable futon. Martin stood in the doorway a moment, staring at Kiera and me in our doorway. Kiera gave him a bright smile and a wave, but I could tell from the look on his face that he really wanted to order Kiera to sleep in a different room than me. He couldn’t, though…this was my house, and I was sleeping with my wife tonight.
He sighed when I gave him a small wave, then I disappeared into the room with Kiera. Shutting the door behind us, I slowly shook my head at my overprotective father-in-law. At least he had Kiera’s best interest at heart. I couldn’t fault him for wanting to shield her from harm; I wanted that too.
Grinning, Kiera grabbed my T-shirt and pulled me toward the bed. “Did you have a good day?” she asked.
“I had the best day,” I told her.
Kiera’s legs hit the edge of the bed and she shifted to crawl on top of it, my shirt still clenched in her fingers. A light laugh escaped me as I followed her onto the mattress. “Good,” she said once we were lying down. She nestled into my shoulder, her hands darting under my shirt to stroke my skin, her legs tangling with mine. Closing my eyes, I pulled her close, rubbing her back and running the tips of my fingers up and down her thigh. Every day should end this way.
But it couldn’t. I was leaving tomorrow, and Kiera would be staying here for a time. And I was going to miss her, so fucking much.
I didn’t want to waste a single second of our precious time together sleeping, and Kiera didn’t seem to want that either. We talked instead. About her family, about my family, about what the future could hold for us. There was so much possibility now, and feeling that way made me so…buoyant. I’d never expected this from life, any of this, and I was just so incredibly grateful for it. I never—not for a single minute—wanted to take any of it for granted. Take her for granted. Which brought to mind something that I did sort of feel bad about.
In my nervousness about asking Kiera to be my wife, and in my impatience to skip over everything and just be married already, I was pretty sure I’d forgotten to actually ask her if she wanted to marry me. I ran through last night in my mind, trying to remember if I’d ever officially “popped the question,” but I hadn’t. I’d taken the roundabout, passive-aggressive, sneaky way to ask her without really asking her, and that didn’t sit right with me. She should have it all, every single sappy moment.
Smiling, I kissed her hair. “Kiera?” She peeked up at me, and I immediately asked her the question I should have asked her at the bar. “Will you marry me?”
An adorable expression of confusion marked her features as she sat up on her elbows. “What?”
I grinned. “Will you marry me?”
Her gaze drifted to our fingers, to our rings. “Didn’t we already get married?”
