Back to the Drawing Board (38 page)

“I’m in Florida,” I explained. “There’s a lot that has happened over the last few months. I know I haven’t talked to you since I moved, and the whole story is for a different time. But most important, I met someone, and we’re getting married. That’s what I’m doing here. I wanted to know if you were interested in coming to our wedding. It’s going to be out on Sanibel at the Beach Club, so I—-”

“Carter, I’m so happy for you,” Ronan interrupted. “I can’t wait to hear all about what’s been going on in your life over the last year. Sounds like it’s been a busy one. Thank you so much for calling to invite me. I’d love to come and meet your beautiful bride.”

I knew how Ronan felt about Sanibel, and the Beach Club in general, but I’d also felt like it would be wrong of me not to at least ask if he wanted to come. Most of it was Julia’s idea, my better half. I’d been torn about wanting to see him, especially with it being my parents’ happy place. But when Julia had reminded me that though Ronan wasn’t my blood, he’d been my family for a long time and families forgave each other, I knew she was right. I couldn’t forget what he’d done, but I had to be the bigger person and move on. That meant allowing him to be a part of the best day of my life.

“I’ll send you an email with the time of the ceremony. It’s small, just family and friends.”
So you’ll be very uncomfortable
, I wanted to say.

“Great. Thank you, son. I appreciate it.”

I wanted to tell him
not
to call me son, but it wasn’t worth the effort of getting upset. I knew just because we didn’t share blood didn’t stop him from caring about me, but it was just hard. Damn hard.

“I’ll see you this weekend, Ronan.” I hung up, and Julia smiled.

“I’m proud of you,” she said. “That was the right thing to do.”

I blew out a breath. “If my parents can handle it, I can. Right? Anyway, I’m not going to stress over it. This is
our
day. Yours and mine. In two days, you’ll be Mrs. Carter McIntyre.”

“I can’t wait,” she said, holding out her hand. “I can’t wait to see that band there that shows everyone I’m yours.” Julia picked up my left hand. “And the one that will be right here on your finger. We’re getting
married
, Carter! Isn’t that
crazy awesome?
”

“It’s beyond awesome.” We were sitting on the porch in the condo we’d rented for our time here. We were going to stay here for a few days after the wedding before heading back to Colorado. We’d flown in for Hayden and Karrie’s wedding in Fort Lauderdale last week, and we’d been here ever since.

“Let’s play a game,” she teased.

“Now what?” It was so fun playing with her, and the prize was always worth it.

“It’s called, ‘What’s This Song?’” We’d been having a lot of fun choosing music for our wedding and reception, and I was getting pretty good at it.

“I like this game,” I rubbed my hands together. “What do we get?”

Julia went to the mini bar and took out two shot glasses and a few small bottles of liquor. “If you get it wrong, you have to take a shot. And you don’t get to pick what it is.”

Uh oh. This reminded me of another night, long ago. “Is this a good idea?”

She nodded. “It is. Because even if we don’t remember tonight, I’m going to take advantage of you and know that I did and it’ll be okay.”

I laughed. “Good plan. Okay, you go first.”

Julia grabbed her phone. “Song title
and
artist. And you get the first ten seconds of the song lyrics to guess.”

Oh boy. This could get hard, fast. “Ready?”

I nodded. “Ready.”

The chords of the song started, and I knew immediately it wasn’t her favorite, Carrie Underwood. It was a man, and it was country. She’d played this song and said she wanted it at our reception. His name was . . .

“Brantley Gilbert, The Best of Me,” I said, slamming my hand down. “YES!”

She laughed. “Yup. You save yourself from drinking this time. You pick one.”

I picked up my phone and searched. I couldn’t do the same ones she always heard me play. I hit a song and sat back, knowing she was losing. She tapped her fingers on her lips, swaying her body from side to side.

“It’s . . . Coldplay . . . that guy’s voice is predictable. The song is . . . Sparks!”

“Damn! I thought for sure I had you with that one.”

“Maybe we’ve just had enough time listening to each other’s music to start learning them,” she said. “I have another fun idea.”

“A different game already? You have game ADHD.”

Julia shrugged. “I want whatever is going to get you naked the fastest.”

“Well, honey, all you have to do is ask and that can happen.”

She shook her head. “Let’s play Truth or Dare.”

“We better go inside for this,” I said. “I don’t think the rest of the beach wants to see what I’m going to do to you during this game.”

We moved our game inside, and needless to say, there were two winners that night.

Today was the day I was marrying Julia. I’d never looked forward to something so much in my life. I straightened my tie in the mirror, grinning at myself when I remembered Julia tying my bow tie in the dressing room what seemed like forever ago. She’d purposely wanted me to have one for our wedding, for memories’ sake.

“You’re . . . Ronan is here,” Hayden said, interrupting my daydream. “He wants to see you for a second. I told him you’d come out. I didn’t think it was a good idea for him to come in.” His eyes slid over to my dad, then back to me.

I nodded. “Okay. Did my mom see him?”

“Your mom was talking to him. I’m pretty sure Blake was purposely staying away.” I looked back over at my dad, who was helping Jackson with his jacket while Gretchen bounced on her heels in excitement next to them. She took her role as the flower girl
very
seriously.

Sighing, I turned back to Hayden. “Okay, I’ll go see him. Thanks, man.”

The second I stepped out of the door and heard it click behind me, I saw Ronan turn the corner and walk towards me. What had he been doing, waiting in the shadows?

He smiled as he reached me. “Carter,” he said. “You look so handsome. I can’t believe you’re getting married.”

I wasn’t sure what to say. Julia had helped me so much with coming to terms with what had happened and deciding to move forward, but still felt awkward having him here with my mom and dad.

He reached his arms out and grabbed me in an embrace, surprising me. He’d never been a very affectionate person. I could probably count on one hand the numer of times I remembered him hugging me in my lifetime.

“Thank you,” I said finally, backing up out of his arms. I smiled at him, feeling sweat dotting my forehead. My eyes darted around the hallway.

Ronan sighed. “Carter, I know this isn’t easy. I wanted to be here for you today, despite everything. No matter what, I
do
love you.”

I studied him, the age lines in his face and the gray peppering his hair making him look much older. It was obvious that his lifestyle and stress was catching up to him.

“I know you do,” I admitted. “Thank you for wanting to be here. I’m not even sure what our relationship is or what I want it to be, but I am glad you wanted to come.”

He nodded. “I talked to your beautiful bride.”

My eyes snapped to his. “What?” When had he seen Julia?

“She asked your mom to bring me in to see her,” he explained. I narrowed my eyes at him, waiting for a further explanation. “She’s something else, son.”

I gritted my teeth, wanting to lash out and tell him to stop calling me his son. But Julia’s face flashed through my mind, and I breathed out and relaxed.
He
was the one that was alone.
He
was the one that would never allow himself happiness. Not me. Not anymore. Today was the beginning of my new life with Julia, and that meant I had to try to put the past where it belonged.

“Yes, she is,” I said finally. “What did she say?”

“That you’ve been working through things, trying to accept and move on from what happened . . . what I did,” he explained. “I know I can’t take it back, Carter. God knows I wish I could. But if we could find a way to have some sort of relationship, anything at all, I would love to be a part of your life in some way.”

My chest constricted. My girl, she’d changed my life in so many ways. I knew what I needed to do here, for Julia, for our life together, but most of all, for myself.

I nodded. “I’d like that, Ronan.”

He looked surprised, and I didn’t blame him. “Really?”

“Yes. I don’t ever want to hurt Blake, but I know he’d never tell me not to be a part of your life. You raised me, and even though I don’t agree with the way you did things, I know that you care about me. As long as you don’t expect me to call you ‘Dad’ and be your son, we can be a part of each other’s lives.”

Ronan nodded. “I’m sorry for calling you son. It’s a habit. I’d like it if we could start over, as friends. Or something. Whatever you would like to call us.”

“Okay,” I agreed. “I need to get in there and get ready to marry my girl.” I reached out my hand, and he glanced at it before shaking it firmly.

“I’m proud of the man you’ve become. You’re everything I never was.”

I could’ve disagreed with him, but it would’ve been a lie.

“Bro, you’re looking hot, if I do say so myself.” Johnny, always the jokester, said from behind me. I’d been pacing ever since I came back in from talking to Ronan. I just wanted to marry Julia. Right now.

Ever since Johnny moved back to Colorado with us, we’d gotten close. His hair was short now and he had less facial hair than me. He looked nothing like the guy we’d gotten out of prison months ago. He and I worked out at the gym together every day, and the guy was seriously packing on the muscle. He was a machine.

He’d gotten several tattoos since then, and I’d seen many girls over the few days he’d been here ogling him at the pool or beach. I guessed it was the combination of the tattoos and the muscle that had them coming in droves. Some bad boy thing or something. Johnny had been working at a bar in Denver that had live music, and he’d started putting a band together again.

“Thanks, Johnny. I think. Get any ladies by the pool?”

His eyes gleamed. “I think I live in the wrong state, bro! Have you
seen
some of these women? Never mind, don’t answer that. You’re marrying my sister and I’ll have to kick your ass if you say anything.”

I shook my head. “I don’t have eyes for anyone but her, Johnny. You’re safe from having to kick my ass. How’s my girl? Is she ready?”

Johnny’s face softened. The only time I saw him be gentle and loving was with Julia. “She’s beaming. I had to hold her back from coming to see you. I better enjoy this now. It’s as close as I’m ever getting to this shit.”

“Never say never,” I advised. “If someone would’ve told me a year ago that I’d be doing this, I’d tell them they were dead wrong.”

Johnny shook his head. “Not happening. I’m happy for you guys and all that, but that’s where I draw the line. No woman is going to pin me down. Uh uh. This man is free from prison, and that means the prison of
marriage
too.”

There was no talking to him. He would see, someday. I’d bet money on it. And when Johnny fell, he was going to go down hard.