EIGHT
Callie weaved her way through the crowded baggage terminal of the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, dodging passengers and carts loaded with luggage as she looked for Matt. Because of the location of the airport and her condo in relation to her family reunion , he’d insisted on taking a taxi to her place because picking him up would have been out of her way. And they’d be cutting the timing close enough.
She’d finally pretended to give in. But surprising him as he gathered his bags had been her plan all along. Because Matt had decided to make the trip back to New Orleans again. A special trip, just to see her. And she had every intention of making the most of the three-day weekend.
She knew how hard he’d worked to clear his schedule so he could come back for her family reunion . The effort he’d exerted on her behalf generated a lovely feel-good buzz, along with an anticipation and hope that left her alarmed at her own stupidity.
Don’t expect too much, Callie.
She shoved back the warning voices in her head, promising herself not to think negative thoughts. Matt hadn’t gone out of his way to steal an extra couple of days with her just so she could wallow in doubt about the future. She spied a broad back and sandy hair that curled a little at the collar, and pleasure flushed up her back.
Nope, not a chance. She intended to enjoy every second they spent together.
She grinned as she tapped one side of a very nice set of shoulders. “Excuse me, sir. Do you have the time?”
Matt turned, and, if she’d been holding out for a smile, she’d have been disappointed.
Instead of responding, he hooked his hand behind her neck and dragged her close, her body crash-landing into his. He kissed her without apology, nothing tentative or hesitant about the maneuver. Hot and hungry and brimming with heat, his hard lips moved across hers as if he’d been thinking of nothing else for the entire flight down. Perhaps since last night.
Maybe for the past two weeks.
Callie gripped his shirt and pulled him close, moaning into his mouth as she plastered her torso tighter against his. She met him turn for turn, taste for taste. Despite the crowd, she did her best to show him she’d missed him, too. His tongue rasped against hers, want and need and determination stamped in his every action. Like a gentle assault she couldn’t quite fend off, not that she had any desire to do such a ridiculous thing.
When the need to inhale grew too great, Callie pulled back.
“Though my appreciation for Skype has skyrocketed, I much prefer face-to-face encounters.” Matt grinned and looked down the front of her blouse, no doubt seeing the lacy cups of her push-up bra. “You hiding a watch down there?”
“Nope.” She held up her wrist. “Today I’m wearing one like everybody else.”
His lips quirked. “How disappointing.”
“No worries,” she said, mimicking his favorite phrase. “I’ll make it up to you later.”
“You mean after I eat lunch with the LaBeau family and start sweating cayenne pepper out of my pores?”
Callie laughed. “I can’t wait.” Though the thought of the entire LaBeau family being present left her nibbling on her lip in concern. All those aunts and uncles and cousins she hadn’t seen in so long, swarming around her...
The day had started out cloudy and cool and stayed so for most of their two-hour drive. Fortunately, the sun finally broke through the clouds just in time for Callie to arrive at the outdoor park by the Mississippi River, Matt by her side. The crowd of LaBeaus had already gathered around the tables set up lengthwise, enough food to feed the town of New Orleans, and then some.
Callie eyed the crowd, a swell of nausea slaying the last of her appetite. “I’m thinking we should do this in small doses.”
He frowned in confusion. “You mean eat?”
“No,” she said. “Meet my relatives.”
“If I can survive Aunt Billie’s étouffée then I can definitely handle your relatives.”
“Oh, they’ll love you.” Callie’s smile felt tight. “It’s me they might have a problem with.”
Aunt Billie stopped by first, and Callie was grateful her aunt was so reliable. A few teasing comments later, and Callie knew she was blushing, and then a warm welcome for Matt was delivered with a hug and an offer to bring him some of her étouffée herself. Promising, of course, to bring him the milder version this time.
The next thirty minutes passed uneventfully. A few aunts and uncles and distant cousins wandered by, not to mention a few people she couldn’t pin down her relationship to. Callie made the introductions and there were a few wayward comments about how long it’d been since she last came to the reunion . Several questions about her business, and one or two that were an indirect reference to her past. All in all, mostly just a whole lot of chitchat that didn’t mean much. But, in some ways, meant everything. Slowly, her tension eased to bearable levels, and she stopped bracing every time another family member approached.
And then her parents arrived.
Callie watched her mother make her way across the grass in Callie’s direction. They had the same figure, except her mother’s hips reflected her love of the homemade biscuits she had perfected years ago.
“Hey, Mama.”
She leaned in to kiss her mother on the cheek, even as dread curled up in her stomach and took up more than its fair share of room.
“I just heard about the weekend event you’re arranging for Colin,” her mother said. “A friend of mine heard about it on the radio.”
Callie bit back the sigh and plastered a smile on her face. “Actually, I’m arranging the weekend for a client, Mama.” She gestured at Matt, grateful for his steady presence at her side. “Matt Paulson hired me to help with his brother’s wedding. Tommy and his fiancée met online playing one of Colin’s games.”
“What a lovely story,” her mother said with a nod at Matt.
The way her mom eyed him made it clear she couldn’t care less about the engaged couple. The brother of the groom, on the other hand...
“Callie’s doing an excellent job,” Matt said.
“I’m sure she is,” her mother said. She turned to look at Callie. “Your little party business does seem to be doing quite well.”
Your little party business...
Her mother always qualified Callie’s business in such a way as to make her feelings known. As if being a themed wedding planner was okay, but only if you had no other options.
Callie’s heart slipped lower in her chest as her face strained to maintain the smile, and she ignored Matt’s gaze as his brows tented curiously over his eyes. He opened his mouth as if to say something, and then pressed his lips into a firm line. Apparently, in five seconds Matt had surmised the best way to deal with Callie’s mother.
The proverbial biting of the tongue.
Though Callie wished she was biting his instead.
Heaven help her, not the thought to be having while holding a tricky conversation with her mother. Matt reached out and settled his hand in the small of her back, and Callie sent him a grateful look. The smile he responded with calmed her nerves and she returned the smile.
“Callie is quite bright,” her mother said to Matt before turning back to Callie. “Imagine what you could have done if you’d applied the same energy to a law practice.”
Her heart slipped to her toes. She knew how proud her parents had been when, in high school, she’d announced she wanted to go to law school. They’d proudly shared the news every time they’d gone back to visit their old hometown. There wasn’t a single relative, distant or otherwise, that hadn’t been invested in her progress at college.
And then she’d gotten arrested and lost her scholarship and...
Dear God.
Callie tried to come up with a response. “Mama—”
But that was it, because what else was there to say?
“She’s the best themed wedding planner in New Orleans,” Matt said smoothly.
Jeez, why was she standing here so tongue-tied? She should say something to her mother. She should defend her business, her life, her choices. Instead, she let Matt come to her defense.
“Of course she’s the best,” Callie’s mother said. “But there really isn’t that much competition.” She tipped her head and met Matt’s gaze. “Are you two dating?”
Callie’s heart attempted to leap from her chest and she lightly gripped her mother’s elbow. “Mama.”
“What?” Belle LaBeau said, as if she didn’t understand why Callie was so upset.
Callie shot Matt an apologetic smile. “Matt, will you excuse us for a moment please?”
The amusement twinkled in Matt’s eyes. “No worries.”
Callie began to drag her mother in the direction of a flat, grassy spot overlooking the river.
“Mama,” Callie said, careful to keep her voice low. “What are you doing?”
“When my daughter brings a man to our family reunion , I have to assume he’s more than just a client.”
“Matt is—” Callie wearily swept her hair from her face. “He’s not—” She dropped her hand to her side, frustrated by her inability to identify what Matt was, not only to her mother, but to herself, as well. “He’s just...a friend.”
Good Lord. She’d been reduced to a lying, babbling idiot.
“Does Matt live in New Orleans?” her mother asked.
The question landed like a well-placed barb in Callie’s gut. What was it about mothers that gave them the ability to sniff out the painful heart of a matter in 3.3 seconds flat?
“No,” Callie said, and her face felt like it would crack from the effort to keep from frowning. “He lives in Manford, Michigan.”
“Never heard of it,” Belle said.
“Neither had I before meeting Matt,” Callie said.
“Does he have family around these parts?”
“No,” Callie said, gritting her teeth.
“No ties to New Orleans at all?”
“None whatsoever, Mama.”
The longer the back and forth went, the more tense Callie’s spine became, until she’d thought she’d snap in half. The fact her mother was verbalizing Callie’s secret concerns only made matters worse.
Thankfully, Callie’s mother paused. But before Callie’s tight muscles could lessen even a smidgen, Belle LaBeau opened her mouth to speak again, and Callie interrupted her.
“Is this really necessary, Mama?”
When they reached the far end of the grassy spot, Callie let go of her mother’s arm.
“It’s just a simple question, Callie. Surely Mr. Paulson doesn’t mind? You two are either dating, or you’re not.” She hiked a brow. “So?”
Callie opened her mouth. “I—”
Belle LaBeau’s brow shifted even higher.
“I don’t know,” Callie finished in a rush.
The disappointment in her mother’s eyes was a familiar look. “Callie,” she said with a defeated tone. “When are you going to do more than arrange other people’s weddings and find a man of your own?”
And with that, her mother pivoted on her heel and headed back to the pack of relatives in the park. Callie stared after her.
Are you two dating?
How come she didn’t have an answer to her mother’s question? But there were also more important questions at hand. The wedding weekend was coming up quickly, and once the event was over, what would happen then?
* * *
Matt swung the handle with everything he had, and the ax rotated through the air and struck the wood with a solid whump, well outside his intended target. The small crowd gathered around the booth moaned in sympathy. Matt propped his fist on his hip, frowning at the bright red bull’s-eye, the blade buried a good two feet from the outside ring.
Clearly he wouldn’t be winning any awards today.
“Good thing you have other skills to recommend you, because I’m not sure you’d do so well in the Middle Ages.”
At the sound of Callie’s voice from behind, Matt smiled and turned to face her.
Dressed in a simple medieval barmaid dress, Callie grinned up at him. Friday had been pure chaos as the wedding guests who’d arrived early at the designated hotel had gathered for dinner at a local restaurant. Matt’s time with Callie had been disappointingly limited since he’d arrived in town for the wedding, too much of Callie’s days taken up with last-minute details or impromptu meetings with Penny and Tommy.
And Matt refused to be amused by the sight of Callie’s and Tommy’s heads bowed together, both getting excited over some ridiculous detail about the weekend. Last evening he’d caught the two of them huddled together in a corner, engaged in an earnest debate about how to set up the ax-throwing competition so as many people as possible could enjoy the view.
Unfortunately, at the time, Matt had had no idea this would be to his disadvantage.
“I think I just lost the first round,” he said as he headed for Callie.
She smiled and stepped closer, closing the gap between them. “You need someone to cheer you up?”
Matt linked his fingers with hers and led Callie a few steps away, pulling her beneath the awning of a neighboring tent that wasn’t quite as crowded and offered a bit of privacy. Fortunately the heat wave had ended long ago, and while the skies were clear and sunny, the cool breeze meant Matt wouldn’t be needed to treat the participants for heat stroke.
A definite plus in his book.
Grateful for the rare moment alone, he leaned in to nuzzle Callie’s ear, enjoying the scent. Her hair smelled of magnolias and her skin smelled like...well, like Callie. And how he recognized the scent after only two months, with only two actual weeks together, was beyond him.
“Cheer me up? What did you have in mind?” he said.
Callie placed her hand on his chest and leaned in close. “I’ll tell you tonight if you stop by my place before heading back to the hotel.”
“I could skip going back to my hotel room altogether.”
“You could. However, if you spend all night at my place I won’t be at my best tomorrow.”
“So?”
He kissed his way up her neck and lightly nipped the delicate shell of her ear before stealing a hard kiss. But the simple contact felt majorly insufficient. He returned to delve deeper, tasting her tongue with his, enjoying the way she gripped the hair at his neck, as if needing the stability to stay upright.
“Just how much sleep do you need in order to pull tomorrow off, anyway?” Matt asked against her mouth.
“I’m not sure,” she whispered back.
The sound of a throat clearing broke the spell.
Matt looked up and found Tommy staring at them both with the hugest grin on his face, his arm wrapped around Penny. With her black, pixie cut hair and petite frame, she looked fragile enough to break. That she’d survived what she’d done to her body never ceased to amaze Matt. Tommy was taller than Matt by an inch, but thinner by twenty pounds. At least he no longer appeared gaunt. Neither one looked as if they were nervous about the wedding tomorrow. In fact, in their medieval outfits they looked like just two of the guests enjoying the day.
Tommy’s gaze shifted from Matt to Callie and then back again. “Can I steal Callie for a second, Matt?”
Matt fought like hell to pretend that heat wasn’t rising up his face at his little brother catching him necking like a stupid schoolkid. Tommy looked intensely amused, if not a little shocked. Not surprising given Matt hadn’t been forthcoming about his relationship with Callie. Mostly because he knew there would be questions. Questions he didn’t know how to respond to.
Questions he didn’t know the answer to himself.
Matt’s voice came out gruffer than he’d planned. “No problem. Have at it. I’m sure you both have stuff to discuss about tomorrow.”
Callie didn’t look embarrassed at all. Instead, she seemed to find something in Matt’s face humorous.
She reached up to plant a kiss on his lips. “I’ll meet you at the LARP tent at two?”
“Sure.”
Tommy and Callie instantly launched into a debate about a problem with this afternoon’s schedule for the live-action role-playing as they headed in the direction of the LARP tent. Penny turned to look up at Matt, and he felt her gray gaze all the way to his medieval-approved work boots.
Wasn’t dealing with a kid brother enough? Must he endure his soon-to-be sister-in-law’s amusement, too?
But Penny’s eyes were somber as she looked at Matt. “I want to thank you again for agreeing to walk me down the aisle.”
Matt bit back a groan and shifted on his feet. He’d almost prefer being mocked for acting like a schoolkid who couldn’t keep his hands to himself. When he’d decided to tell Penny he’d changed his mind, he chose to make the announcement with as little fanfare as possible. So two nights after his conversation with Callie, and the spectacular Skype call, Matt had mentioned at dinner that he’d be fine with walking Penny down the aisle, if she still wanted him to.
Tommy had looked speechless, and Penny had barely managed to let out a shocked yes before Matt had picked up his plate and concentrated on the cleanup. Too bad he didn’t have any pressing activities he could bury himself in now. Somehow, he didn’t think signing up for a second try at ax-throwing qualified as pressing.
Especially given his hideous lack of skills.
He swept his gaze across the field of white tents, the setting like the base encampment prior to one of the many epic battles in The Lord of the Rings. A crowd of people milled about in their costumes. But, unfortunately, nothing required Matt’s immediate attention.
He aimed for a nonchalant shrug, hoping he pulled it off. “No biggie.”
Penny let out a small laugh, but Matt got the impression that there was zero humor in the act. “It’s a very big deal for me. I mean, I know I’m not exactly the girl you had in mind for Tommy.”
Despite everything, Matt let out an amused scoff. “That’s assuming I even gave the matter much thought. I was too busy trying to keep him alive.”
He hadn’t meant to let the last bit slip out.
“I know you were.” She stepped forward and laid a hand on Matt’s arm. “I love him, Matt. I really do.”
Oh, God. How had he suddenly become the trusted sidekick in a chick-flick movie, slated as the confidant he never wanted to be? Ever. In this life, or the next.
“I know how close you two are, and I just wanted to say...” her lips twisted, and she paused before going on “...thanks.”
He cleared his throat. “Well, whether you want to be or not,” he said, his voice gruffer than he’d planned, “you’re part of the family now.”
Tears welled in her eyes and left Matt dying to escape. Before he could figure out how to make that happen gracefully, Penny pulled him into a hug that caused the sword at his hip to jab him in the abdomen. Two of the longest seconds of his life later, Penny pulled back and reached on tiptoe to plant a kiss on Matt’s cheek.
Which was nicer than he’d thought it would be, but all he really wanted was to find Callie and grab a few minutes alone. Penny shot him a beautiful smile, spun on her heel and took off.
Feeling a little lighter, he watched his soon-to-be sister-in-law thread her way through the crowd. At least the weekend weather appeared to be behaving for tomorrow’s wedding. The sunny days came complete with a cool breeze and mild temperatures. Good thing, too, seeing how most of the guests were dressed for the times. No shorts or tank tops or T-shirts, just tunics and cloaks and surcoats, not to mention petticoats and peasant dresses.
He scanned the sea of colors, looking for Callie, when a hand clapped him on the back.
“Can I buy the best man a beer?”
Thwarted again.
Matt turned and hiked a brow at his kid brother. Tommy swept the brown waves of hair from his face—a nervous habit since he’d been a little kid. The sight never failed to trigger a swell of affection in Matt’s heart.
“Mead,” Matt said. “Callie very specifically instructed me to call it mead.”
“Yeah.” Tommy’s brown eyes crinkled at the corners. “About Callie—”
“Beer,” Matt said, fighting the scowl and hoping to put off any further questioning. Mentioning Callie’s name had been tantamount to asking for his kid brother’s harassment. “I’m definitely up for a beer.”
Tommy shot Matt a look that screamed, “Nice try, sucker,” clearly communicating that Tommy was on to his big brother’s deflection technique and was only humoring him.
For now.
Matt wasn’t entirely sure why he didn’t want to discuss Callie with Tommy. They’d been living in each other’s pockets for so long the reluctance felt strange. But something about his time in New Orleans felt too personal to discuss. A private time Matt didn’t want to share with anyone.
Including his brother.
Regardless, a small knot of tension curled low in Matt’s gut as they weaved their way through the crowd of people, passing the strolling minstrels on their way to the largest tent set in the middle of the field. A meeting place, of sorts, with a crowd clearly intent on reliving the feel of a medieval tavern.
Tommy found two empty stools at the end of a crudely constructed wooden table. A barmaid arrived to take their order and, as soon as she returned with two mugs of beer, the two of them were left alone with nothing but the noise around them and several years’ worth of unresolved issues between them.
Sticking with the matter at hand seemed best.
“To you and Penny,” Matt said, lifting his mug.
Tommy grinned and toasted Matt back. When his brother took a drink and set his beer down, the determined look on his face left Matt wishing he could go back to throwing another ax, even if it meant risking getting booed by a large crowd.
“There’s something I’ve wanted to ask you,” Tommy said.
Matt felt like a fool for not meeting his brother’s eyes. “Fire away.”
“What’s up with you and Callie?”
Matt lifted his gaze to his brother’s brown eyes—puppy eyes, their mother had called them. Funny how Matt had forgotten about that until just now. But she’d been right. Tommy had the same look that managed to look happy and sad, wise and innocent, all at the same time.
Matt shrugged. “We’ve decided not to label the relationship just yet.”
Long-distance was the only label that fit. But the idea totally sucked. He’d been down the long-distance relationship road before. He couldn’t imagine this time would end any prettier.
“But you’re sleeping with her,” Tommy said.
Frowning, Matt ran his thumb up his mug, staring at the trail left behind in the condensation. Not being the kind to kiss and tell left him in a bit of a quandary. He only had two choices, to either share too much or lie. And neither sat right with Matt.
Tommy let out a laugh. “Never mind. Your silence is good enough. Actually, I’m kind of relieved.”
“Really?” Sleeping with Callie certainly made Matt feel better. But why the heck would Matt’s relationship make Tommy feel better? “Why?”
A grin crept up his kid brother’s face. “Because all that time you were down here in New Orleans, arranging this shindig, I felt bad that you had to be the one working out how to pull this weekend off. When a few days turned into almost two weeks...” Tommy ruffled his shaggy brown hair. “I don’t have to tell you I was feeling pretty guilty.”
“No worries, sport.” Matt reached across the table and gave Tommy’s shoulder a cuff. “You just owe me your undying allegiance for the rest of your life. Simple enough.”
Matt’s attempt at dodging a heavier discussion with a lighthearted response didn’t work. Tommy’s expression remained fixed on Matt and serious. And the look never went well for Matt.
“But before you stand up beside me tomorrow,” Tommy said. “I want to say it again.” Tommy leaned his elbows on the table. “I’m sorry for everything I put you through.”
More than just the words, the expression on his little brother’s face left Matt on edge.
Matt didn’t look away, and every ounce of tease in his tone disappeared. “I know you are.”
“But I also need to know that you forgive me,” Tommy said.
Well, hell.
Matt sat back and stared out at the chaos beyond the tent. Forgiveness, he’d found, had been harder and harder to come by. The first relapse had been easy. The second, not so much. By the third round of rehab, forgiveness had been a huge struggle. A battle Matt had sometimes thought he wouldn’t win.
But here they sat, two years later...
You can’t make them keep paying for the same mistakes over and over again.
Callie was right. Even if they had been in this very spot before, and Tommy had screwed up again. And clearly Tommy needed a truthful answer and not a glib response. Maybe Tommy had put his brother through an emotional wringer, but his hard work this past twenty-four months meant he deserved nothing less than an honest answer.
That and the fact the man was set to get married tomorrow.
Matt delivered the words while staring at his mug. “I’m not gonna lie, Tommy. It hasn’t been easy.” He lifted his gaze to his brother. “But...come on.” Matt leaned forward and folded his arms on the table. “Why would I help arrange this weekend if I still had even a trace of resentment left? All I want is for you to be happy. I mean, look around you.” He gestured toward the scene that included knights, and maidens, and trolls. Matt let out a huff of humor as he looked at his kid brother. “You think I’d go to all this trouble otherwise?”
Sam’s serious face didn’t budge. “Yeah, you would. You totally would.” Despite the words, a grin slowly spread across Tommy’s face, bringing the same the response from Matt. “But it’s good to know that’s not the case.”
Matt blew out a breath, and the tension in his shoulders eased. “Well, now that we have all that cleared—”
“I’m not done, Matt. I need you to lighten up a little.”
“Lighten up?”
“You know what I’m talking about,” Tommy said.
The noise of the tent filled the air between them, and tension curled in Matt’s gut. He watched a juggler wander by, wishing he could avoid the upcoming conversation.
“Look,” Tommy said, “I’m getting through this, day by day. Both Penny and I. And yeah, sure—” Tommy pushed his hair back from his face “—some days it takes all I have to make it through. But I’m clean.” He stared at Matt. “I’m clean.”
Matt blinked back the pain, hating the words that needed to be said, even after all this time. He’d spent ten years watching Tommy, struggling to help him fight this demon that had him firmly in its grip. He’d never said the words before, because the sentiment had felt like a betrayal. But they needed to be said now.
I’m clean.
Because how many times had Matt heard those words?
Matt’s words came out rough. “Yeah, I know you are, Tommy,” he said. Two sharp heartbeats thumped by. “But for how long?”
Tommy barely registered a flinch on his face.
Jesus, Matt. You’re such a bastard.
“You have to stop hovering, Matt,” Tommy said. “I’m not a kid anymore.”
“I know you’re not.”
Tommy went on as if Matt hadn’t spoken. “Because you and I know there is no end point here. I’ll always be at risk. Some days are so damn hard I want to curl up in a corner and cry.” Tommy leaned closer, and Matt’s chest ached so hard he thought his ribs would fracture. “I know you have this intense need to fix things. I know you see a problem and your first extinct is to swoop in, tough love and all. But you can’t fix this for me. This is something I have to do all by myself.”
“Maybe so.” Matt set his mug on the wooden table with a thump. “But I can damn sure be around if you start to slip again.”
Be around, stuck in a job where the typical day left Matt wishing he watched paint dry for a living. What was the point of this conversation? What could it possibly solve? Matt had been examining Tommy’s problem from every possible angle for the past ten years. And as far as he figured, there was only one solution.
“Now if were done with the best man talk,” Matt said, easing his words with a gentle pat on Tommy’s back. “I’ve got another ax-throwing competition to lose.”