Hold On

He didn’t need to.


*

Cal

July, Three Years Later

Cal stood at the back of the church.

Tony’s bud had just escorted Vi down the aisle.

It was time.

Fuck, where was Kate?

He caught movement at the corner of his eye and turned to watch Keirry rushing up to him as fast as she could, considering she was wearing her long bridesmaid gown and she had her little sister’s hand in hers.

Angie was rushing right alongside Keira. Then again, his baby girl would follow his big girl right to the mouth of hell.

Fact.

He just had to hope Keira didn’t lead her there. Keirry was a magnet for trouble and Cal thanked God she hooked her shit to Jasper Layne, who’d die for her.

He watched them come his way and he did it feeling his jaw get hard.

He’d put his foot down about those fucking bridesmaids dresses.

And, as usual, his girls had rolled right over him.

It showed too much cleavage.

And it was too fucking tight.

It was also too late.

The other bridesmaids started filing out behind her.

So this shit was going to happen.

Fuck.

“Daddy!” Angie shouted, breaking free from Keira and rushing to him, looking pretty in her flower girl dress.

He bent and caught her.

Swinging her up in his arms, he murmured, “Hey, baby.”

“Hey, Daddy,” she replied on a big grin and an assessing look that reminded Cal of her mother. “You look handsome.”

He kissed her neck. “And you look even more beautiful than your normal beautiful.”

Her smile got bigger.

Keirry made it to him and grabbed his arm.

“Joe, Kate wants to talk to you.”

He looked down at her. “Come again?”

“Kate wants to talk to you,” she repeated.

He looked to the doors of the church that had been closed after Vi was escorted down. They were supposed to open so Kate’s friends and sisters could walk down the aisle before Kate marched down it to get married way too young to a Chicago cop who Vi, Keira, Angie, Sam, and Ben all adored but Cal fucking hated.

He looked back to his girl. “Keirry, now’s not the time for a chat.”

She reached to Angie and pulled her sister out of his arms. “Then you better hurry.”

Jesus, maybe she was having cold feet.

That would be the best news he had all day.

Though it would make her mother lose her mind.

He growled.

No words came out, he just growled.

Then he prowled through the vestibule and around the corner where the girls got ready.

He stopped dead when he saw Kate standing in the hall there.

He also stopped breathing.

“Hey, Joe,” she whispered.

Fuck, his girl was beautiful.

Not his girl.

But still.

His girl.

She moved to him.

She hadn’t gone big, not Kate. No humongous skirt. No humongous price tag.

He and Vi would’ve given her a wedding on the moon if she’d wanted it.

She wanted what she was getting.

Easy. Elegant.

Kate.

Now, Keira’s was gonna mean selling a kidney, and Cal could say that even being loaded.

Juggling her bouquet, Kate reached for his hand.

The instant she touched him, his fingers curled around hers.

“I gotta say something, Joe,” she whispered.

Oh no.

They weren’t gonna do this.

He could barely handle what was happening that day.

They sure as fuck weren’t gonna do this.

“You don’t gotta say it,” he whispered back.

Her fingers tightened in his. “I gotta say it.”

“Katy—”

“Joe.”

He shut up and held on to her hand and her gaze, giving in.

As usual, with his girls.

She spoke.

“No one on earth I’d wanna be right here, right now, but you.”

Christ.

“Baby…” His voice was so rough, that word grated his throat coming out.

“No one, Joe.”

Cal swallowed and pulled her closer.

“He’s with me. He’s always with me,” she told him. “So I’m glad I get to be with you too.”

“He’d be proud of you, Kate.”

She nodded, her eyes getting bright. “I know.”

“So fuckin’ proud, honey.”