Getting to the Church On Time (3 page)

Levi felt the liquor warming him from the inside out and calming his jumpy nerves and had to admit the idea of driving four blocks rather than six snow-covered miles sounded damned good.

“That’s really nice that you all wanted to be here and moved in for the night.”

“Two nights at least,” Travis said. “We expected the party after the wedding to be a damned good time.”

Levi grinned. “The boys are moved in too?” he asked Tucker. Tuck and his girl, Delaney, had four boys. They were actually Delaney’s nephews, but after her sister and brother-in-law passed away, she’d become their guardian and Tucker was preparing to adopt them as soon as he and Delaney got married.

“The boys are at Hailey’s with Mom and Dad,” he said of the Bennett parents, Kathy and Thomas. “Ty’s house is where we’re all bedding down.”

Levi shook his head and took his second shot. That one went down smoother. “Damn, you guys are the best.”

“Oh yeah, let’s get the groom plastered tonight,” Travis chuckled. “We’ll be in trouble.”

Levi shook his head. “But I’m not the groom. Kate’s stuck in Vegas.”

Just then his phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and looked at the display. Kate. Finally. “Hey.”

“Oh my God, Levi, thank goodness.”

He smiled just hearing her voice. Then frowned. Her voice was in Las Vegas with the rest of her.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Yes. Well…I…no.”

“Where are you?” He would send his assistant to her in the limo. Candice, his Vegas-based assistant, would make sure she was completely taken care of. She could take Kate up to the spa and make sure she was pampered and showered with—

“Denver.”

His thoughts completely stopped. “Denver.”

“Yeah.” She sounded so miserable. “I was trying to get to Vegas. I knew you wouldn’t get home and I couldn’t stand the idea of being apart tomorrow even if we’re not in Sapphire Falls. But the storm is bad and we barely got out of Omaha and now nothing is leaving Denver and…” Her voice broke slightly and she sniffed. “Now Phoebe and Joe and I are stuck in
Denver
.”

“Ah, baby,” Levi groaned. “I’d do anything to be with you and get you back here.”

“I know. I didn’t really want to be in Vegas but I thought at least we’d be together. Now we’re both away from home and the wedding is a bust and I don’t know when I’ll be back there. I don’t know if I should go to Vegas when things clear out or if I should head back home.”

“Home. Definitely,” he said. “As soon as you can.”

“Okay, so you’ll head home as soon as you can too, right?”

“I’m already home.” He instantly regretted telling her that.

He heard her suck in a quick breath. “What?”

“I’m in Sapphire Falls,” he admitted. “I got in just before things got bad.”

“You’re in
Sapphire Falls
?” Kate demanded, her voice rising. “You went home early? Why didn’t you tell me? You haven’t been answering your phone and I assumed you were in meetings!”

“I was trying to surprise you,” he said quickly.

“Why was your phone off?”

“I was probably…in the air,” he finished weakly.

“Argh!”

“I know. I know. I’m sorry. I wanted it to be a surprise.”

“Well, it is that.”

She was pissed. He got it. She was stuck in an airport—which always sucked. And the wedding…

“We’ll do the wedding,” he promised. “The minute you get here. No matter what.”

He heard her sniff again. “It won’t be tomorrow,” she said quietly.

“Kate,” he said firmly, frowning at the salt shaker but seeing her face instead. “That’s not the important part. You have my heart. Today, tomorrow, every day for the rest of my life. As far as I’m concerned we
are
together. In the ways that
really
matter. And we have been since I first set eyes on you on that bar stool in the Come Again.” He was looking at that bar stool right now in fact. “In my heart, we got married
that
night.”

She sniffed.

“But the second you get to town, we’ll do it in front of everyone and have the big party and dance and laugh and celebrate right here at home. Okay?”

“Okay,” she finally said. “I’m sorry.”

“For trying to get to me because you couldn’t be without me for another second?” he asked lightly with a grin he knew she could hear. “Hey, you know my ego needs that stuff.”

She laughed. Thankfully. “Your ego doesn’t need one bit of help.”

“Well maybe it’s another part of me that needs you.”

She laughed again. “That part of you could probably use a break.”

He grinned. He loved when she teased him. “Well, dirty girl, I was talking about my heart. But…”

“Oh okay, nice save, Mr. Smooth.” Her voice was lighter now and he could tell she was smiling.

“I love you, Kate.”

She was quiet for a moment, as if surprised. “I love you too.”

He would never get tired of hearing that.

“You gonna be here tomorrow?” he asked.

She sighed. “It’s not looking good. The radar is showing snow through tomorrow evening.”

Dammit. There really were things money couldn’t buy.

But he tried to keep his voice light. “Okay, keep me informed. I’m so sorry, babe.”

“It’s not your fault. I love that you tried to come home early.”

“I love that you tried to come to Las Vegas.”

They were both quiet for a moment.

He heard glass clinking in the background on her end almost as loudly as the noise on his end. “Where are you?”

“Airport bar.” She paused and said, “Again. We started in the Omaha bar.”

Levi shook his head. “Let me talk to Joe.”

A moment later his brother said, “’Lo?”

“Thank you for going with Kate,” Levi said.

“Sure thing.” It sounded like Joe had already had a couple of drinks.

“But do me a favor, okay?”

“Sure thing.”

“I’m going to have Candice call you guys a town car. Take Kate to a
nice
place for the night. Get her a nice dinner, get her to the spa. Spend as much as you need to. Then tell me where you are so I can send flowers.”

“You’re a good guy,” Joe said. “Will do.”

“Think you can find your way down to where the car will meet you?” Levi asked dryly.

“Sure thing.”

Levi sighed. “Let me talk to Phoebe.”

A moment later his perky sister-in-law said, “Hi, Levi.”

“Hi.” He repeated what he’d said to Joe, including his thanks for being there with Kate.

“It’s not a problem. I’m glad we’re here too,” she said and Levi knew she meant it.

“Okay, so get down to where the car will pick you up. And be sure you go to the spa too and treat yourself to dessert at dinner on me.”

Phoebe laughed. “If you think I’m
not
having a massage and chocolate on your tab, you don’t know me very well.”

He laughed again. “Let me say goodbye to Kate.”

“Hey,” came her soft reply a second later.

“Hey.”

“I miss you.”

“Ditto.”

“See you soon.”

“Not soon enough.”

“Be good.”

“I’m always good.”

They said they loved each other again and then disconnected. Levi knew it was melodramatic to even think but whenever he hung up with her when they were in different cities, it hurt a little.

TJ handed him a shot without a word. Levi tipped it back. And the peppermint flavor made him feel lonely and nostalgic and horny and in love all at once.

He was in trouble tonight.

He quickly called Candice about the town car in Denver. She, of course, said it was no problem. It was nice to know there was
one
thing about the situation that was no problem.

“Denver?” Travis asked as Levi pocketed his phone.

“Made it out of Omaha but not all the way to Vegas.” One disadvantage to living where they did was the low number of direct flights anywhere.

“Ah, man.” Travis grimaced. “That sucks.”

“It does.” Levi stared at his shot glass. It was a rare day when he felt down about something in Sapphire Falls. It was as if they pumped happiness into the air and water. He’d actually asked Hailey once what she thought the magic ingredient was. She’d given him a secretive smile and said “just enjoy it”. So he had. He’d breathed deeply and drank often. He took it all in. He wallowed in it. He’d thought growing up the son of rich parents who believed affection and obedience could be bought was the ultimate in happiness.

He’d been wrong.

But now, after only about thirty minutes of knowing that he was here without Kate, he also knew it wasn’t the air or the water. It was her. It was how much
she
loved it here, how the town made her feel and how she’d gotten involved in the community, established relationships, and had found her piece of heaven right there beside him. Sapphire Falls wasn’t the same without her.

“Hey, I’ve got a lot of friends in Denver,” Ty said. “Let me know if they need anything.”

“Thanks.”

“So, you’re
not
getting married tomorrow, right?” Tucker asked.

Levi nodded. “Right.”

Dammit
.

“And that means all those decorations and invitations and the cake are just going to go to waste?” Ty asked.

Levi tuned back to the men around him. They were acting strange. Something was up.

“I guess. Why, you want a slice?” he asked. It was
peppermint-vanilla cake
. That cake going to waste was a tragedy all on its own.

“I want the whole cake,” Ty said.

Levi shrugged. “Take it. Someone might as well enjoy it.”

“Just what I was thinking,” Ty said. “Same goes for all the decorations and the fact that the entire town will be showing up in the same place and expecting a wedding and a party, right?”

“Hey, just a second,” TJ said, sitting up straighter. “Are you thinking what I think you’re thinking?”

“He’s fucking thinking the same thing I’m thinking,” Tucker said, glaring at his younger brother. “No way, Ty.”

Ty just looked at his brothers. “Why not? It’s a win-win situation.”

“What is?” Levi asked, looking between the Bennett brothers.

Travis was watching the other three, shaking his head. “Oh boy.”

“It’s a win-win,” Tucker agreed. “But why
you
?”

“Hailey and I have been together the longest,” Ty said. “We’re ready.”

“You two haven’t even been a couple in public for five months,” Tucker argued. “Delaney and I have the boys. And we’ve been talking about it but just haven’t been able to find a time that works.”

“I’m the oldest,” TJ said. “It should go to me and Hope.”

Levi swung his head to look at the oldest, and least romantic, brother. He knew what they were talking about. “What are you talking about?” he asked anyway.

“Delaney and Hailey are both older than Hope,” Ty said, ignoring Levi’s question.

“So?” TJ asked. “I’ve been waiting for her longer than you two have been waiting for yours.”

“You sure you’re not just thinking you need to tie her down before she wises up?” Tucker asked TJ.

“What are we talking about here?” Levi asked again.

“I want your wedding,” Ty said. He leaned to the side and withdrew his wallet. “How much?”

Levi cocked an eyebrow. “You want my
wedding
?”

“Yes.”

“I do too,” Tucker said. “We’ve been friends longer than you’ve been friends with TJ and Ty.”

“But you tried to date Kate,” TJ said. “You were flirting with her as recently as Valentine’s Day.”

TJ was absolutely right. Levi looked at Tucker. “He’s got a point.”

“But then you should be even
happier
to get me hitched to someone else,” Tucker rallied. “Then I’m not threat.”

Levi laughed at that. “You’re no threat anyway, Bennett.”

Tucker was the only one he called Bennett, even though it applied to all of the men at the table.

Tucker gave him a grin. “See, you know it was all a running joke.”

“You
wouldn’t
have dated Kate if she’d given you half a chance?” Levi asked, not believing that for a second.

Tucker had been Kate’s blind date last Christmas. She’d mistaken Levi for Tucker, and Levi had mistaken her for Hailey, and the rest was history. But Tucker still liked to joke about how it could have been him and Kate falling in love. Of course, it only took about five seconds around Tucker and his fiancé Delaney to know that there was no other woman on the planet for Tucker Bennett.

“I would have dated her,” Tucker said with a nod. “And then Delaney would have come to town and I would have had to break Katie’s heart. It all worked out for the best.”