That Summer Night (Callaways #6) (23 page)

"Really? You didn't bring a date? You always have a date." Colton had been popular with the girls since they were in middle school. But while he had a lot of dates, he didn't have many relationships. She had a feeling he had a hard time finding a woman who could keep up with him.

"Not today. I'm on my own."

"I'm sure not for long. I think Ria has some single friends coming today."

"We'll see. I guess we should go inside."

"One second," she said, putting a hand on his arm. "There's something I've been wanting to ask you, Colton."

"That sounds serious. What's up?"

"Did it bother you when I skipped ahead of you in school?"

His eyes widened in surprise. "That's what you wanted to ask me? Why?"

"Reid and Robert are twins."

"Soldier boy and Doogie Howser are twins? I never would have guessed that."

"Robert skipped way ahead of Reid in school. And Reid mentioned that his genius brother got a lot of attention from his parents and the rest of his family, and it made me think about us."

"You think you took all the glory?" Colton asked with a teasing smile.

"I'm serious, Colt. Did it bother you?"

"That you were smarter than me? Sometimes it annoyed me that you could do your homework so fast, but frankly when you jumped ahead in school, I was happy to get rid of you. Having my sister in my grade was cramping my style."

"Gee, thanks."

He grinned. "You asked. And, frankly, I'm thrilled that you're such a brain and that you wanted to be a doctor. I can go to you instead of the E.R."

"That should save you a lot of money. You've broken more bones than the rest of us combined."

"No pain, no gain."

"True."

"We're good, Shayla. I have no festering feelings of anger toward you."

"I'm glad. I thought we were okay, but I started to wonder if I'd been too self-absorbed and maybe missed some things. I can get tunnel vision sometimes."

"That's what makes you good at what you do."

"Where's your grandmother?" her grandfather, Patrick Callaway, interrupted with a sharp tone.

Shayla didn't take offense to the gruff note in her grandfather's voice, because he'd always had a big bark, but rarely did he bite, and that was only when he was feeling protective. And Patrick Callaway had always protected his wife. It was killing him now to know that there was nothing he could do to make her better.

"She's inside," Colton said.

"She seems to be feeling well today," Shayla added.

He nodded. "I hope it lasts until the ceremony is over. I need to get to her."

"We'll go in with you," Shayla said. It was time for her to be a bridesmaid.

* * *

"You haven't told me how you met Shayla," Eleanor said to Reid as they sat together in the first pew at the front of the church.

"Through my brother." He looked around for Shayla, thinking he did not need to be sitting with the family, but she was nowhere to be seen.

Since escorting Eleanor into the church, he'd been introduced to several other Callaways, including Shayla's parents, Lynda and Jack, who thankfully had been too busy to question Eleanor's declaration that he was Shayla's boyfriend.

"Shayla always liked Robert," Eleanor mused. "He was kind to her when she first started college. She was so young, so out of her depth, not with her studies, of course, but with the other students. She used to tell me how she didn't fit in. I felt so badly for her, but I knew she would find her way eventually. She's a strong woman. She reminds me a lot of her father, my son, Jack. He was a smart kid, too, not like Shayla, but very quick. And very determined to be the best." She paused, smiling. "Actually, I just described most everyone in the family."

"Shayla has told me a little about her family. They sound amazing."

"And Shayla needs an amazing man." Eleanor gave him a pointed look. "Are you up to the challenge?"

"I think you have the wrong idea about us."

"Oh, I don't think so, and I'm too old and too wise for you to argue with, young man."

He tipped his head, liking Eleanor more and more. "You remind me of my grandfather. He was not one to be disagreed with."

"Do you take after him?"

He thought about that for a moment. "Maybe I do. My grandfather was his own man. He didn't march to anyone else's beat. Some people didn't like that about him, but I always respected how comfortable he was in his own skin."

"Is he still alive?"

"No, he passed away."

"I'm sorry. But it sounds like you had a good relationship." Her gaze turned reflective. "I was always close to the grandchildren, but my husband, Patrick, never had enough time to really get to know them. I think it was his loss as much as theirs. But he was a busy man. He was very focused on his career."

"Shayla told me the family business is firefighting?"

"It is. Sometimes I wish it wasn't." Her eyes filled with shadows. "The fire stole too much from us."

He frowned, her words not making much sense. He suddenly had the feeling that Eleanor was slipping away, and he couldn't let that happen. He knew how important it was to Shayla and her family to have their grandmother present and lucid for the wedding.

"Tell me about Shayla," he said in a commanding voice.

And like all the men and women he had led into battle with that tone, Eleanor straightened up and her gaze became more focused. "Shayla?"

"What was she like as a child?"

Eleanor's smile came back. "Shayla was very controlled, organized, and determined. I used to pick her and Colton up from school when they were little. When we got home, Shayla would immediately start on her homework while Colton would go outside and play."

"Sounds like my brother and me. He hated anything that took him away from his books."

"Well, Shayla did like her books, but she was also good at sports. She could kick a soccer ball halfway across the football field. Surprised just about everyone she played against. They didn't think so much power could come from such a small package."

"She never told me she played soccer."

"She was a good swimmer, too. She won all kinds of medals on the swim team. She thrived on competition, and she hated to lose."

Something he had in common with her. "She didn't tell me about the swimming medals either."

"Well, I'm sure you two have more interesting things to talk about, or maybe you don't talk much at all," she added with a gleam in her eyes. "When I remember my life, which isn't all that often these days, I do remember what it felt like to be young and in love. It gives me so much pleasure to see my grandchildren experiencing the same joy."

"Shayla and I are not in love."

She put her hand on his arm. "Sometimes you can't see what's right in front of you. Or maybe you don't want to see it. But take a little advice from an old woman. The greatest thing that can ever happen in your life is love. It's not that easy to find the right person, but when you do, you don't run away from it."

Her words stirred him on a deep and emotional level. He tried to tell himself that he wasn't in love with Shayla. How could he be? They barely knew each other. And yet he felt like he knew her better than some people he'd known for years. "Thanks for the tip," he said. "I'm going to sit in the back. I think we're about ready to start."

"Don't be silly. You won't be able to see Shayla from there."

Eleanor had a point, but as her husband, Patrick approached, Reid decided to make a run for it. He could handle Eleanor, but he had a feeling Shayla's grandfather would be a little tougher.

"Patrick, this is Reid, Shayla's boyfriend," Eleanor said as her husband reached the end of the pew.

Reid stood up and shook Patrick's hand. "I'll let you sit by your wife."

"Thanks for keeping her company," Patrick said. "Sorry Ellie, I got waylaid by the relatives."

"I wasn't worried."

"I'll see you later," Reid said, giving Eleanor a smile. He nodded to Patrick as he left the pew and hustled down the aisle.

He took a seat in the back of the church. From his vantage point, he could see the bridesmaids lining up in the vestibule. His heart sped up when Shayla caught his eye and gave him a smile.

Even in a sea of beautiful women, she stood out. In fact, he couldn't really see anyone else, and a knot grew in his throat as their gazes clung to each other.

Maybe it was the wedding. Maybe it was because he hadn't been in a church since the night of his rehearsal. Maybe it was because Shayla was so goddamned gorgeous. Whatever the reason, he couldn't seem to get his pulse to slow down, and he'd always been a master at calming himself down. He'd had to hone those skills in the service. His jobs in special ops had required him to remain silent and still, sometimes for hours at a time, and he'd never ever
not
had complete control over himself. But tonight he felt like he was hovering on the edge of a cliff.

He didn't have to fall or to jump, he reminded himself. He could slowly back away. And the first step was breaking eye contact with the hot blonde in the short silky gold dress.

He forced himself to turn his head, to look at the church, to listen to the music, to see the groomsmen filing out to the front of the altar. There seemed to be some discussion going on among the ushers. He wondered if Shayla's older brother had made it to the church.

The music began to play, the crowd hushed, and Kyle and Brandon started their walk down the aisle. They wore matching black pants, white shirts and gold ties, their blond hair slicked back. Kyle held on to a pillow with one hand and Brandon's hand with the other as they made their way down the aisle. Reid could see Ryan sitting in the second row at the front of the church, watching the boys with an eagle eye, obviously ready to swoop in at the first sign of a problem.

Brandon didn't look at anyone in the church. His gaze was on the floor, but he did keep walking. When they got to the front, the twins slid into the pew next to Ryan.

Reid turned his head back to the entrance. Shayla was about to start down the aisle but paused as a loud siren echoed through the church.

The crowd shifted in their seats as the siren got louder. From his vantage point, he could see the edge of a red fire engine pulling up outside. Then he heard a man shouting at them to wait.

Shayla walked back into the vestibule as a man came running into the church, shrugging his way into a suit coat, a gold tie in his hand.

Shayla said, "Burke, you made it."

Nicole stopped her brother, fixed his tie, and then sent him on his way down the aisle.

When Burke got to the groom, he said, "Sorry, I'm late."

Drew slapped his brother on the shoulder. "First time in your life that you're late, and it has to be today?"

"I'm here now."

As Burke joined the other groomsmen, Reid was struck by the similarity of their features. They all had brown hair of varying shades. They were all about the same height, within a few inches, and they had a presence about them.

Shayla was right. The Callaways were a formidable group.

And yet she hadn't turned to any of them for help; she'd turned to him.

He liked that a little too much.

The music began to play. Shayla started down the aisle again, giving him a big smile as she passed by. When the wedding party was settled in at the front of the church, the bride made her entrance.

Ria walked alone, her head held high, her gaze on the man waiting for her.

Reid liked that she was on her own, that she was giving herself to her husband. And it was obvious that her groom adored her. The look of love that passed between them made his heart turn over in his chest.

After his botched wedding attempt, he'd given up on love. He'd thought it was an illusion, but he couldn't deny what was right in front of him. He rationalized that everyone looked like this at the beginning. It was the middle and end that changed things. But as his gaze moved back to the first pew, to Eleanor and Patrick, he had yet another shining example of a long-term union. And then there was Lynda and Jack, Shayla's parents, watching the ceremony with pride and love.

His gaze returned to Shayla, and he felt the knot in his throat get bigger. Shayla would want all this—the love, the marriage, the kids. Well, maybe not the marriage and kids right away. She was a doctor, and she wanted to work. But he knew in the end she would want the same kind of family she'd grown up in.

But he didn't want that…did he?

He felt suddenly uncomfortable, like his tie was choking him, like he didn't have enough air, like he didn't belong here.

The real problem wasn't that he didn't belong—but that he wanted to.

As the ceremony continued, he fought to stay in his seat. When Drew and Ria finally sealed their vows with a kiss, he slipped out the back door as the crowd burst into applause. He walked across the parking lot to a patch of trees and drew in several deep breaths.

He didn't know what the hell was wrong with him. He'd faced down a barrage of automatic gunfire without even flinching, but a wedding ceremony had left him with his heart pounding against his chest. He couldn't even blame the emotion on what had happened to him before. It would be easy to try to make it about Lisa, but it wasn't about her at all.

It was Shayla. She was the one who had him so rattled.

Shayla would be out of his life tomorrow, he reminded himself. She'd go back to her world, and once he found his brother, he'd go back to his.

But they still had tonight to get through.

Chapter Seventeen

Shayla saw Reid leave the church right before the wedding party made their way down the aisle. She was a little disappointed by his hasty exit, but then again he'd probably lasted longer than she should have expected. He didn't know the people getting married, and no doubt the whole wedding experience was one he preferred to avoid. She wondered if he'd ever be able to make that trip down the aisle.

But maybe she wasn't giving him enough credit. Judging by all the medals he'd won, the man had more guts than most. However, that was physical and mental bravery, not emotional. And it would take a lot for a man with his level of pride to put his heart on the line again.