Changing Scenes (Changing Teams #2) (21 page)

Chapter

Forty-One

Astrid

After Sam’s relations from Iowa had been introduced to everyone, we piled into a few vehicles and drove to the mansion for the wedding rehearsal. Britt’s maternal grandparents had met us in the restaurant’s parking lot, and Jorge and Matilda were already there, busily setting up our wedding wear in one of the dressing rooms. As soon as we entered the mansion, Matilda shepherded Britt and I into said room for a little something Jorge had planned.

“A surprise from Jorge?” I asked. “What is it, a monogrammed measuring tape?”

“Ha ha,” Matilda said. “Jorge wanted to surprise Britt with a special rehearsal dress.” Matilda unzipped a garment bag, and inside was an off the shoulder red gown, edged at the neckline and wrists with white fur, of all things. It looked like something Santa’s younger mistress would wear. Britt, being the cheeseball she was, loved it.

“He really made me a dress trimmed in fur,” Britt squealed, then she threw her arms around Matilda. “I love you guys so much!”

“We love you too,” Matilda said. “Now go put it on.”

Britt grabbed the dress and ran into the bathroom to change. After she shut the door I looked at Matilda and shook my head. “I cannot believe Jorge made that.”

“Me either,” Matilda said, “But he loves Britt and Sam. Speaking of love, did you talk to Donnie?”

“I did. Not about everything,” I added, “but we’re good again. We’ll talk more tonight.”

Matilda smiled. “Good.”

***

The rehearsal went off without a hitch, not that I’d expected anything less.

Britt’s father, Sean O’Rourke, arrived with his twin girls, Penelope and Veronica, and his cranky girlfriend/mother of his twins, Emily, along with Britt’s paternal grandparents, while we were setting up for the practice run down the aisle. As soon as the introductions had been made the most curious case of side eye occurred. Emily glared furiously at Britt’s mother, and came close to visually eviscerating her. Cin had the grace to ignore Emily’s bad manners, but her husband didn’t. Instead, Patrick glared at Sean as if he’d stolen his puppy.

“Sugar, what is going on with your parental units?” Michael asked as we queued up on the stairs. “Why so much unloveness between them?”

“Oh, it’s a long story,” Britt muttered. “Like, it would take hours to tell long.”

“I believe you, but what I really don’t understand is why Emily and Patrick are the only ones hating,” Michael continued. “Your mother and father are getting along famously.”

Britt shrugged. “Who knows. Aren’t you supposed to be down there with Sam?”

It was Michael’s turn to shrug. “I’m playing hard to get.”

“With Sam?”

“No, his sexy cousin.” Michael leaned over the railing and waved at Sam and David. “Okay, looks like they miss me. See you girls at the end of the rainbow.”

With that Michael bounded down the stairs and took his place next to Sam. The music started up, and Britt’s adorable sisters toddled down the aisle, their mother kneeling behind Sam and encouraging them. Melody went next, and then me. When Britt descended the stairs and walked toward Sam on her father’s arm, there wasn’t a dry eye in the place. I could only imagine what would happen tomorrow, when she wasn’t wearing that ridiculous furry dress.

“Great rehearsal,” Sean said afterward, ruffling Britt’s hair. “You’re the most beautiful bride in history, pumpkin.”

“Thanks, Dad,” Britt said, then she glanced at me. “Well? Is there more, or are we ready to head back to the restaurant?”

“I am,” I said. “Um, has anyone broken the news to Patrick that a few more will be at this dinner than he’d planned on?”

“You’re letting Patrick pay for the dinner?” Sean asked.

“Actually, we’re kind of swindling it out of him,” Britt replied. “Come on, I want to get there first and see the look on his cranky face.”

Sean grinned. “All right, pumpkin. Let’s watch Patrick get cranky.”

I just shook my head. Like father, like daughter.

Chapter

Forty-Two

Astrid

The look on Patrick Sullivan’s face when he saw Thirty-Nine and Twelve’s banquet room decked out for the rehearsal dinner was priceless. Instead of his small dinner for six, the entire wedding party was there, and then some; the only ones not in attendance were Britt’s sisters and her father’s mother, who had taken the twins back to the hotel to put them to bed.

Britt and Sam were seated at the center of the long table, Sam’s parents on his left and Britt’s on her right. That was a bit awkward, seeing as how Britt’s mother had married Patrick over ten years ago, and that her dad had fathered a set of twins with his girlfriend since then. From the way Cynthia and Sean were laughing and whispering with each other, you’d never know they’d separated at all.

I was seated next to Melody at the far end of the table. When our first course was delivered, which was raw oysters and Prosecco, most everyone made jokes at Britt and Sam’s expense while my stomach did one of those flip flops I was gradually getting used to. Sam’s parents just sat there looking confused—I guess there aren’t many oysters served in Iowa—while Patrick and Emily just looked pissed.

“What is going on down there?” I wondered, taking in all the unkind glances and whispered secrets between the four of them.

“More importantly, someone’s watching you,” Melody said. I followed her gaze through the room’s entrance and saw Donnie leaning on the wall beside the kitchen door.

“Be right back,” I said, then I rose and made my way toward him. “Shouldn’t you be cooking dinner?” I asked once I reached him.

“Shouldn’t you be eating your appetizer?” he countered, then he laced his fingers with mine and pulled me close for a kiss. “How was the rehearsal?”

“Beautiful. Tomorrow will be beautiful.”

He smiled. “I bet it will. Wait here a sec.” Donnie pushed open the kitchen door and barked a few orders, then he tugged me in the opposite direction.

“Where are we going?” I asked.

“Someplace quiet.”

“But what about dinner?”

His gaze slid toward me. “Babe, I will make you whatever you want for dinner, tonight and every night for the rest of my life. You’ll never go hungry with me around.”

“I’ll never button my jeans with you around.”

We reached a nondescript door, and Donnie pulled me inside what looked to be an office. Donnie shut the door, then he paced back and forth, doing his damnedest to wear a hole in the carpet.

“What is this room?” I asked.

“Christa’s office,” he replied, then he halted and stared me in the eye. “Look, you really caught me by surprise earlier.”

“Are you upset we met up here?”

“No, not that.” He ran a hand through his dark hair, then rubbed the back of his neck. “I had this whole speech prepared about how I was wrong to butt into your life, about how much I missed you—”

“And I stole your thunder?” I deduced.

Donnie smiled, warming me to my toes. “Yeah. You did. But there’s more.” He strode up to me and took my hands in both of his. “Never leave me. Never let me leave you. I want you, today and every day. And I don’t want you to give up a damn thing for me, not your career or living in New York or all those shoes. We’ll work it out.”

My heart was in my throat, and a cold sweat bloomed across my chest. “What are you saying?”

“You know, this sounded a lot better in my head,” he replied with a smirk. “I want you, Astrid, every day and every way. I know you weren’t expecting this, not from me at least. Just think about it?”

“Think about what?” I demanded. “Donnie, you haven’t asked me anything.”

“I’m asking you about being Astrid Coehlo.”

I gasped and stepped back, feeling the floor drop out from under me. When Donnie yelled and grabbed my waist I realized that the floor wasn’t moving, I was. Donnie’s question had literally floored me.

He lowered us to the ground, him on his knees holding me against his chest. “Did you just swoon?” he asked. “I didn’t think women really did that.”

“I didn’t either.” I looked up at him, his sweet brown eyes and that scruff of a goatee any self-respecting chef would have done away with ten years ago. “You really mean that? You want to get married?”

“You know I do,” he said, then he kissed me. I kissed him back like a woman possessed; I don’t know if it was my little fainting episode, the shock over what he’d asked, or the fact that I’d just missed him so much over the past few weeks. I pulled away the neckerchief he wore and tugged at the buttons on his white chef’s shirt, trying and failing to reach skin.

“Whoa, babe,” he said, catching my hands. “That a yes?”

“It’s an ‘I’ll think about it,’” I replied. “Show me how much you mean it.”

“Here?” he asked. I responded by pushing him flat on his back and straddling his waist. “We don’t really have time for this.”

“We’ve got time for a quickie,” I teased. As much as I wanted him, I didn’t really think we’d have sex then and there. Only crazy people do it on the floor in their boss’ office, know what I mean? Then Donnie grinned, and I knew I was in way over my head.

“You want it, you got it,” he said, then he sat up and flipped me onto my hands and knees. I heard his zipper and the crinkle of a foil wrapper, then his hands were pushing up my skirt. “Panties, huh? That’s new.”

“It’s cold out.” He pulled my panties down to my knees, his strong hands kneading my butt.

“You’re so fucking gorgeous,” he said, teasing me with his cock. “You sure?”

“Donnie, just do it,” I said, then the blunt head of his cock pushed inside me. I gasped as he stretched me; I hadn’t really been ready, but even though it hurt a bit I didn’t want him to stop. I never wanted him to stop.

Donnie widened his knees and grabbed my hips, his fingers digging into my flesh as he held me to him, then he was thrusting into me so hard I couldn’t catch my breath. Heat pooled in my belly, and I don’t know if it was the fact that I missed him or hormones or that we were doing it in his boss’ office, but I had one of the fastest, most intense orgasms of my life. Donnie tensed a moment later, grunting before he slumped across my back.

“God, I love you,” he murmured, kissing the back of my neck, my ears. “You’re fucking perfect, you know that?” He kissed my jaw, then he swore.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Just making a mental note to empty Christa’s trash before she, ah, knows.”

“Oh.” I twisted around, feeling him slide out of me. “I’m sorry. I didn’t really think this through.”

Donnie shrugged. “What’s done is done.”

“Speaking of things being done.” I turned around as Donnie dealt with the condom, throwing some extra paper on top of it in the wastebasket. I pulled up my panties and straightened my skirt, since this was the sort of discussion one should be clothed for. “I, um…”

“You um what?” Donnie asked. “You okay?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “Donnie, I think I’m pregnant.”

Donnie stared at me. “Since me…”

“Since you, there’s been no one,” I snapped. “But I do recall a certain incident in your shower.”

Donnie’s frown melted into a smile. “Really? You’re having my baby?”

“I haven’t taken a test or anything,” I said. “I wanted to talk to you first.”

“We will take the test,” Donnie said as he draped his arms across my shoulders, “and we will go to the doctor, the hospital, and anyplace else we need to go.”

“You’re really okay with this?”

“Astrid, I love you. I want to marry you. How could I not be okay?”

“You were so—”

“I was an ass,” he said over me. “Britt and Melody pounded that into my head.”

“Did they?” I said, snuggling against him. “My friends are awesome.”

“They sure are.” Donnie kissed my hair, then he laid his hand on top of my belly. “Think it’ll be a girl, pretty as her mama?”

“I hope it’s either a girl or a boy,” I said.

“Fresh girl,” Donnie said, squeezing my hip. “We better get back out there before someone comes looking for us. You should eat too.”

“About all that seafood.” I looked up at him and wrinkled my nose. “I don’t think I can eat that.”

He laughed softly. “All right then, what would mama and baby like for dinner?”

“Donnie, we aren’t even sure if I’m pregnant.”

“Humor me.”

“Okay. Maybe a grilled cheese?”

“Grilled cheese it is.” He kissed my lips and asked, “Stay at my place tonight?”

“I can’t,” I replied. “I’m staying at the hotel with Britt. Maid of honor duty and all.” Worry flickered across his face; I wondered if he thought I was rejecting him. “Stay with me, at the hotel.”

Worry now gone, Donnie kissed me. “Good plan, mama.”