Chapter 5
Five
Holt strode into the rental house he shared with Jonah, Brax on his heels. He had his orders, and they were many, but he intended to execute them without a hitch because Cayla deserved nothing less.
Jonah emerged from the kitchen, a Coke in his hand. “You’re back.”
“They’re getting married.” Brax blurted the news with all the enthusiasm of a rich housewife spilling the tea.
Jonah’s mouth fell open. “I’m sorry, what now?”
Holt grunted an acknowledgment. “Everything go all right after Brax left?”
“The bakery is fine. I sold every crumb, save for the last two apple cinnamon oatmeal bars because I got hungry. Don’t be avoiding the subject. Married?”
“Married,” Brax confirmed, his tone full of delight and metaphorical popcorn. “The real deal.”
Giving them both up as lost causes, Holt headed straight for his room, hauling an enormous duffel bag out of the closet and starting to fill it with the essentials. Before he’d emptied his underwear drawer, his friends were crowding into the room.
Jonah inserted himself between Holt and the bag. “Hold up. How the fuck did you go from some kind of guard duty request on Cayla’s mom and daughter to marriage?”
“Cayla’s ex-husband is out of prison and threatening to come after Maddie. I’m making sure that doesn’t happen.” He skirted around his buddy and added a stack of jeans and cargo pants to the bag.
“What kind of threat? Kidnapping? Why aren’t we talking about setting up a protection detail instead of matrimony?”
Holt sent up a prayer of gratitude that his friends immediately went to protection, without question. “Because I told the son of a bitch I was her husband.”
“Uh… and you did that why? ”
“Because he’s the kind of fucker who thinks a woman is property, and he’s more likely to respect the claim of another man than her own boundaries.” And if claiming her that way had felt natural as breathing in the moment, Holt didn’t have the bandwidth to process it just now. He had gym clothes to pack.
“Okay. So the ex is an asshole Neanderthal. I follow that logic. How did that lead to actual wedding bells?”
Holt headed for the bathroom and began loading his toiletries into a bag as Brax explained.
Jonah didn’t look convinced when Holt came back out. “I mean, that’s noble and shit, but aren’t you the one who said you weren’t looking for the whole package deal? That you’d done your time as a caretaker with Hadley?”
Hands braced on the duffel, Holt paused and dropped his head. “Yeah. Yeah, I said that.” And he’d meant it. He’d spent all his childhood, all his youth, and a good portion of his adult years being a parent to his baby sister. He’d never resented Hadley, but he’d resented the hell out of the necessity. Out of the fact that his life had never been his own because their mother had never stepped the fuck up. So he hadn’t planned on getting married, playing house, doing the family thing. Not now. Maybe not ever.
He turned to face his friends. “None of it mattered a good damn when I walked in and saw her looking like a fucking ghost, while she faced off with her worst nightmare. I can’t let her deal with that alone. I won’t.”
“Again, noble. That’s kinda your schtick. But this isn’t just a bodyguard detail, man. There are gonna be feelings involved. Already are, on your side, from where I’m standing.”
He was getting married in a few hours. It didn’t seem worth denying it. “I feel more for them both than I wanted to. Tried to stop. It didn’t work. That kid is in here.” With one fist, he thumped at his chest. “That alone would’ve been enough for me to do this. But Cayla. She’s…”
There is nothing monstrous about you.
He could still feel her hand against his cheek, see the conviction in those big brown eyes. Without even trying, she’d rocked him to the core, evaporating all his good intentions. He wanted her on levels he hadn’t even begun to process. “There’s something there, whether I want it or not. So I have to do this. I have to protect both of them.”
Jonah’s green eyes were sharp, assessing. “And when the threat is past?”
Who the hell knew when that would be? “We’ll just have to figure out the rest when we get there. This is the immediate priority.”
Jonah and Brax exchanged a look, and he braced for judgment. For them to call him out for being completely nuts. Hell, he knew he was. It didn’t change a damned thing.
His buddy nodded. “All right. I guess I’m gonna be digging out my suit. Brax, you’ve got one floating around in your closet somewhere, right?”
“I’ll have Mia grab it. She’s not gonna want to miss this.”
“Why can’t you get it yourself? When is the wedding?”
“They have an appointment with a judge in Johnson City at four-thirty,” Brax announced. “Called the courthouse myself.”
“ Today? ” Jonah dragged out his phone. “Shit. I’m calling Mom. You need a haircut if you’re tying the knot.”
Holt dragged a hand through his too-shaggy hair. Yeah, serious occasion called for a proper cleanup. “Appreciate it.”
Brax was next. “On a more serious note, what do you need?”
He reviewed his mental list. Clothes and shit for a couple of weeks, at least. He needed to go on and dress for the ceremony here, as he didn’t want to mess with a wardrobe change and his prosthesis in a public bathroom. There hadn’t been time to discuss the full details of him moving in with Cayla before she’d been whisked off by her mom to do everything on her list. He didn’t want to just show up with everything he owned tonight. She was facing enough shock and change today. But they’d need to make that transition sooner rather than later.
“I’m packing a bag with the essentials for the night, but I expect I’ll need to pack the rest of my stuff to get it ready to move over, quick and quiet. We’re keeping this under the radar and not making a big production of the when we got married.”
“Yeah, we can help take care of that.” Brax waved the details away. “But there are some other things to consider for today.”
“Like what?” He had his ID. Cayla had to take care of the lion’s share of other requirements for their marriage license since she had to produce her dated divorce decree.
Brax rolled his eyes. “Like the fact that this is your wedding day, man. More importantly, it’s her wedding day. This is not just about all the technical shit. Yeah, okay, it’s unconventional. But any woman deserves something special. And Cayla’s a freaking wedding planner. I know there’s not a lot of time, and there’s no opportunity to put together the kind of shindig she would, but let’s figure something out to make this a positive, memorable occasion and not some kind of business transaction, okay?”
Jonah punched Brax in the shoulder. “Marriage has turned you into a hopeless romantic.”
“Shut up, asshole. I know what I’m talking about.”
That was a fair point. Holt checked his watch. “It’s, what, an hour to the courthouse?”
“Yeah, about that.”
“I’ve got an idea. If I hurry, there’ll be just enough time.”
Arms outstretched, Maddie twirled until the skirt of her dress belled. “How come we’re all dressed up, Mama?”
How come, indeed? In the mad scramble to pull together everything needed for this impulse wedding, there hadn’t been a single moment for Cayla to figure out how she was going to explain things to her daughter. She wasn’t about to say a word about Arthur. Maddie didn’t know about him. Up to now, she hadn’t ever really questioned that she had no father. Cayla knew that wouldn’t last, especially now that she was nearing the end of her first real year of school. Her classmates would certainly talk about their two-parent households, and eventually that difference would strike her as odd enough to ask about. Cayla still had no idea what to say to those questions.
How did she explain to a five-year-old that her father was a bad man? More, how did she explain the sudden addition of Holt to their household? She hadn’t even dated anyone since Maddie was born. She’d been too worried about the prospective impact on her child, worried about her getting confused or attached to someone who might or might not stick around. Maddie was already besotted with him. And while Cayla was certain the feeling was mutual and that he’d remain a part of Maddie’s life no matter what, how did she protect her daughter’s tender feelings from being crushed when this charade was over, and Holt moved out again?
She ignored the tiny voice asking how she’d protect her own and crouched down to her daughter’s level. “You know how I help plan people’s big events, like weddings?”
“Uh huh.”
“We’re here for a wedding.”
Maddie screwed up her face in confusion, looking around at the uninspiring civic building that was the courthouse. “But this isn’t a church, and there aren’t any flowers or music. And you’re the only one in a pretty dress.”
Cayla glanced down at the pale pink wrap maxi-dress she’d snagged from her closet. She’d bought it as business attire to wear to events she organized. It was hardly bridal, but with the ruffled hem and V-neck, it looked nice, and it was the best she could do on no notice. Working to pin a smile in place, she gave Maddie a little doughboy poke in the belly that had her giggling. “You’re in a pretty dress. And anyway, not all weddings are the same. Some happen in churches. Some happen outside. And some are done at courthouses like this one.”
Maddie leaned closer and whispered. “Churches and outside are prettier.”
Cayla huffed a laugh. “Generally, yes. But there are lots of reasons people might not want to do it that way. Some people prefer a small ceremony instead of the big flashy party.” She happened to be one of them. Her wedding to Arthur had been the big, pretentious society wedding, held out in California where almost no one had been seated on the bride’s side. She’d told herself it was fine, that she was getting her prince. But she’d ended up with a toad in the end. All the gorgeous dresses and flowers and music in the world couldn’t make up for that.
Angling her head, Maddie considered. “That might be okay, as long as there’s cake. Do I get to have some cake?”
Oh boy. Basically, nothing about this wedding was going to meet with Maddie’s expectations for what weddings should be, and Cayla had no one to blame for that but herself.
“We’ll see about that.” She sucked in a breath, tucking a lock of Maddie’s hair behind her ear. “The thing is, Munchkin, this is my wedding. I’m marrying Holt.”
Those brown eyes that were so like hers looked far too serious. “Does that mean Holt will be my daddy?”
She was not prepared for this. Not for the instant and resounding no that echoed through her head, nor for the whisper of yes that followed. How could she and Holt not have discussed this? Established rules and boundaries and gotten on the same page for how they were going to present this to the very person it was meant to protect?
“Not exactly.” Feeling like the worst mother ever, she cupped Maddie’s shoulders. “We’re gonna play a really big game of pretend. See, Holt really needs a family right now. And since he and I are really good friends, and he likes you so much, I thought we could give him that gift and let him be part of our family for a little while.”
She sent up desperate prayers that Maddie didn’t ask why, and that she was enamored enough with Holt that she simply went along with it.
“Okay! But there should totally be cake. Chocolate cake.”
Relief had Cayla’s knees wobbling as she stood. “We’ll see about getting you some cake.”
The echo of approaching footsteps had her turning, expecting to see her mother, who’d been on the lookout for the groom’s arrival. Holt strode down the corridor with confidence, his dark blonde hair freshly cut, his beard trimmed neat and close to highlight that square jaw. A charcoal suit hugged his muscular frame like a lover. Cayla’s mouth went dry. But it was the flowers in his hands that kicked her heart into high gear.
He came to a stop in front of her, his blue eyes looking faintly uncertain. “Hi.”
“Hi.”
“I picked up a few things. These are for you.” He offered her the bouquet of stargazer lilies. Her favorites.
“Oh!” As stunned pleasure flashed through her, Cayla took them with numb fingers, barely resisting the urge to bury her nose in the blooms, lest she end up with pollen on her face or worse, up her nose. The last thing she needed was a hideous sneezing fit. “Thank you.”
“You look beautiful.”
“So do you.”
Humor replaced uncertainty. “I clean up okay.” He shifted his attention to Maddie. “And this is for you.” From behind his back he produced a crown of flowers, with trailing ribbons.
Maddie bounced and clapped. “It’s a flower princess crown!”
Holt’s lips curved in that gentle smile that seemed reserved for her daughter. “It seemed fitting. Pretty princess flowers for a pretty princess.”
Cayla pressed a hand to the knot behind her breastbone as he carefully knelt and settled the crown into Maddie’s hair. Donna swept in with bobby pins to make sure it stayed put. Only then did she notice the rest of the entourage. Jonah and Brax were likewise dressed in suits. Behind them beamed Jonah’s mom, Rebecca. Mia brought up the rear in a bold floral print dress that was so far from the jeans and work boots she habitually wore as a contractor, Cayla had to blink.
Mia stepped around the guys. “I hope you don’t mind my crashing. Brax told me what was happening.”
“Spousal privilege and all that,” he added. “Plus, Holt has us. I wasn’t sure if you’d have anybody here for you besides your mom and Maddie.”
Moved by his thoughtfulness, Cayla rose to her toes to brush a kiss over his bearded cheek. “Thank you.”
Then she hugged Mia, beyond grateful to have one of her girlfriends here. “Thank you for coming.”
“I wouldn’t have missed this for the world.”
“The Black-Steele party?”
They all turned toward the forty-something woman in the cat-eye glasses who stood in the doorway to an office further down the hall.
“Judge McCormick will see you now.”
Hands clammy with nerves, Cayla swallowed. This was really happening.
Holt offered her his arm. Shifting the flowers to her other hand, she took it, appreciating the solid curve of muscle beneath her palm. Everything about him was steady, a rock in this sea of insanity.
He covered her hand with his. “Okay?”
She squeezed his arm. “Yeah.”
They trooped inside the office, following the receptionist back to Judge McCormick’s chambers. It was a large space, furnished in heavy, gorgeously polished wood furniture and leather. Books filled one wall. Legal texts, Cayla assumed. Several potted plants added life and softness to the room.
The judge rose from behind the desk. “Good afternoon.”
Maddie bounced straight over to him. “We’re getting married today!”
“Maddie!” Cayla hissed.
Judge McCormick only smiled. “Is that right?”
Her daughter nodded vigorously. “And then there’s gonna be cake!”
The older man’s lips twitched. “That’s very important.”
“Right?”
Everybody gave up trying not to laugh.
Holt whispered out of the corner of his mouth. “Did you arrange for cake?”
“No, but we’ll figure out something. You and your friends are bakers, after all,” Cayla whispered back. “Maddie requests chocolate.”
“Noted.”
They shuffled around, taking their places. As the judge began the ceremony and she stood with Holt’s hand in hers, her daughter and her mother by her side, Cayla reflected that this wedding couldn’t be more different from her last, and this man couldn’t be further from the one she’d wasted her heart on for far too long. No matter how many doubts she had that this was the right move, she knew she was making a better decision in this moment than she had the first go round. So when it was time to slide the ring on his finger and repeat her vows, she made them in a clear and steady voice.
When it was his turn, Holt gently slid her grandmother’s ring onto her finger and held there as he repeated his own, those sharp blue eyes never straying from hers. When the judge would have continued, he held up a hand.
“I have something else.” Releasing her hands, he reached into his coat pocket. The little silver necklace glinted in the late afternoon sun streaming through the window as he knelt down to Maddie. “This isn’t just about me and your mom. It’s about you, too. So I wanted you to have something from me today as a token of my promise.”
“What is it?” she whispered, eyes big as saucers.
“A bumblebee, because you’re mine.”
Cayla’s throat went thick as he clasped the necklace around her daughter’s neck and rose to take each of their hands in his. “‘If by my life or death I can protect you, I will.’”
Oh, dear Lord. He was quoting Aragorn in his vows. Viggo Mortensen had nothing on Holt as he looked into her eyes. The man was going to make her swoon.
Judge McCormick cleared his throat. “Well then, by the power vested in me by the state of Tennessee, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
Holy shitake mushrooms. They’d really done it. They’d really gotten married. And now he was really going to kiss her. In front of an audience.
Cayla’s breath caught in her throat as he took a step closer and lowered his mouth to hers. She didn’t even have a moment to gasp at the contact because it was already over. A perfunctory brush of lips that might have been quicker than the nervous first kiss she’d gotten in seventh grade from Josh Pattinson.
Holt was already turning away, accepting congratulations and taking Maddie’s hand. “I believe someone requested chocolate cake.”
And so her new marriage began, not with a bang, but with a quiet whimper.
Hers.