Hitched (4 page)

This whole thing was nuts. There was no way Gavin was here. The stress had finally gotten to her. She’d finally cracked up.

Josh sighed, stepped closer to Gavin and lowered his voice. But Allie could still hear him.

“Don’t do this, Gavin. Haven’t you messed with her enough? Just let her be happy.”

Allie felt a twinge in her heart at Josh’s words too. He was such a good guy. He was her friend. He really was trying to protect her.

“That’s exactly what I want to do,” Gavin insisted, not backing down an inch. “Is that what
you
want?”

“I’m standing next to her in a tux in front of a minister. What do you think?”

Crap. Crap, crap, crap. Josh was standing next to her in a tux in front of the minister because he was a really good guy who was trying to do a good thing. The
right
thing.

Of course he was. That was all he or Allie knew how to do.

He loved her. She knew that. She loved him. She was equally sure of that. They would have a great life together.

“I think that if you don’t let her talk to me, you know that she’ll always wonder,” Gavin said. “You don’t want that, do you? To have your wife wondering about another man?”

Allie felt her eyes widen. Damn, but that was kind of romantic. And sexy.

And no, she’d never love Josh the way she had loved Gavin.

Josh blew out a long breath and shoved his hand through his hair. Then he half turned to her. “Allie?”

Ah, crap. She was going to have to make a decision here? She hadn’t even been able to pick out her bridesmaids’ dresses or her own shoes.

“What would I wonder?” She meant specifically. She had about a billion questions and thoughts swimming through her liquor-saturated mind.

“You’d wonder what I had to say to you so badly that I would fly over four thousand miles so I could rush in here to stop your wedding.”

Well…
yeah
. As would every other person sitting in that church.

There wasn’t a sound in the church. Allie couldn’t breathe. She looked at Josh. He looked angry and like he really wanted to hit somebody. That made sense.

Then she looked into the pews. She found her father sitting in the front pew. He seemed confused. That made sense too. Except that she knew he was more confused than most. This was bad. This would shake him up terribly. Things needed to happen with organization and routine for Owen Ralston. Everyone, especially her mom and Allie, had made sure that things in his life went according to plan.

This was
not
according to plan.

Could her brothers help her out here? This once. Could making sure her dad was okay fall on someone else’s shoulders, just once?

She felt a surge of anger—or maybe it was resentment—flash through her.

She always did what was expected. She always kept it together for everyone else.

Her brothers, Charlie and Danny, were standing at the end of the line of groomsmen. They looked—curious, almost amused.

Amused?

Really?

Her life was being tipped upside down—and that was before Gavin even showed up—and they were feeling
entertained
?

Could she really trust them to step up and make sure things were okay for their dad?

Finally she pressed her lips together and shook her head.

Double holy crap with a cherry on top. She couldn’t do this.

But oh, she wanted to. She wanted to pick up her skirts and run off with Gavin. Just seeing him again made her ache and want and need. If he touched her, she was a goner.

Allie felt the sting of tears in her eyes.

Nobody ever said life was fair.

“Allie.” Gavin finally broke the silence as he took a step forward.

“You’re too late,” she whispered. She couldn’t let him touch her. She felt a tear slip down her cheek.

“Bullshit,” he said.

Bullshit? What did that mean? He couldn’t just…

He strode forward, bent and scooped her into his arms, then headed for the side door.

“Gavin!”

Oh, no. He wouldn’t really do this. He wouldn’t really just march into her wedding and literally sweep her off her feet. No way. This was bad.

She kicked and he tightened his hold.

“Just a damn minute—” Josh started.

Gavin turned. Several people were on their feet, including her dad. He still looked confused—more so, really. She glanced at her brothers as all of the groomsmen stepped forward. Even Hayley Stone was on her feet.

But no one came any closer. This was Gavin Montgomery, after all. He wasn’t a stranger. Most of the town probably didn’t know she had a past with him, but he was hardly some bum off the street. In spite of how he was currently dressed.

“Give me a chance,” Gavin said, addressing Josh. “Let me talk to her. Let me tell her what I came here to say. Then if she wants to come back, I’ll walk her down the aisle myself.”

Allie felt her heart do another double flip, then sink to her toes.

There was no way in hell Gavin was walking her down the aisle to marry another man.

Anyway, it was crazy to ask Josh to do that.

No way would Josh let Gavin just carry her off. Surely, he’d…

But Gavin didn’t wait to hear the other man’s response. He started toward the door again.

She thought maybe she should struggle, or cry for help, or something. Maybe she would. In a minute. Right after she enjoyed the feeling of strength and warmth that surrounded her. She felt like she melted a little when Gavin shifted her tighter against his chest.

He felt wonderful. He smelled wonderful. And she was pretty sure he’d taste just as good.

“If you really love him, he has nothing to worry about.” Gavin’s voice rumbled low enough that only she would hear him. She felt the vibration in his chest and sighed. “And if he loves you, he’ll wait.”

Yeah, he had a point there. If she was in love with Josh, then nothing Gavin could say or do would change that. And vice versa.

She looked up at him, then to Josh over his shoulder, then back to Gavin. “Am I dreaming?”

His mouth curled at one corner. “I’m real, darlin’. I’m here.”

She sighed. God, that sounded nice. It sounded so protective and reassuring. This felt good. Having Gavin swoop in after more than a year and carry her off from her wedding felt good.

There was something really wrong with her.

Allie buried her face into Gavin’s neck as he turned and again headed for the door the pianist rushed to open for him.

They stepped out into the beautiful June day, and Allie didn’t even flinch when the door banged shut behind them.

But the peace lasted only a few seconds.

“Wait!” Josh yelled from behind them.

Gavin stopped.

“What the fuck, Allie?” Josh demanded. “Are you
leaving
with him?”

Gavin turned with a sigh. “Allie called me last night.”

Allie stiffened in his arms.
What
? He was ratting her out?

Josh’s eyes went to her and his frown darkened. “You did?”

Oh…
crap
.

Allie made a squeaky little noise. Her mouth was wide open, no words coming out. Because her brain couldn’t think of any. There was no way this could turn out good for her. A lie, in church, was surely a ticket straight to hell, and the truth would hurt one of the best men she knew.

“She called and told me that she’d always love me.”

Allie groaned and closed her eyes, wishing Gavin had just kept walking. Or that he’d really done it right and ridden in on a white horse to whisk her off. They could be miles away by now.

What he said wasn’t entirely true. She’d
sung
that she would always love him. Drunk off her ass.

But the message was the same—on the night before her wedding to another man, she was thinking of Gavin.

Crap. Damn. Hell.

“Allie?” Josh asked, eyebrows drawn tightly over his eyes. “Is this true?”

She swallowed hard. She breathed hard. She prayed hard.

Finally she said softly, “Well…”

Josh shook his head. “Jesus Christ.” Then he pulled himself to his full height, anger blazing in his eyes. “Were you drunk?”

God, yes. “Maybe a little.”

“You called Gavin the night before our wedding and told him you’d always love him?” Josh’s voice rose and she winced.

“Not
exactly
,” she said. “I didn’t tell him to come or anything. I didn’t
say
that I loved him.” Were white lies okay if you weren’t technically
in
church?

Josh pinched the bridge of his nose. “Allie. We’re getting
married
. You don’t just change your mind at the last second about something like this.”

She had no idea what to say. There was really no making this better at this point. What were they going to do—walk back in there and go through with the ceremony as if nothing had happened?

“I’m sorry,” she finally whispered. And she was. Not sorry enough to go back inside, but sorry.

“That’s all I needed to hear.” Gavin turned and headed for the car that was parked at a crazy angle at the curb in front of the church.

Allie just hung on tight.

Chapter Two

Gavin headed for the rental car, mostly because he had no idea where else to go. It was right in front of the church, parked crookedly at the curb, the keys still in the ignition.

Just how he’d expect someone to park who was about to break up a wedding and steal the bride.

Break up a wedding. Steal the bride.

Hell. What had he just done?

Had he really just carried Allie out of her own wedding?

Gavin felt a trickle of sweat slip down his back—and it wasn’t that hot out here.

Holy shit.

He’d really done it.

And looking down at the woman in his arms, he knew he would do it all over again.

It was moments like this that being a selfish bastard—as his father so eloquently put it—was a good thing. He wasn’t going to lose any sleep over Josh Brewster and the wedding without a bride. Maybe Josh really loved Allie. Maybe his heart was in pieces right now. But Gavin didn’t really care. This was about him and the fact that
he
was in love with her. Josh was on his own.

Yanking the passenger door open, he nudged Allie inside and slammed the door before jogging to the driver’s side. He slid behind the wheel, shifted into drive and pulled away from the curb, aware of Josh’s angry presence by the church’s side door. Gavin kept his eyes on the street until they were a block away, then he glanced over at Allie. She was watching him with those big green eyes that had made him mush for years.

“You okay?” he asked, giving her a little smile. She would be if she wasn’t now. He’d make sure of it.

“Strangely enough, I think I might be,” she said.

One corner of her mouth curled up at the corner, and Gavin knew he was right to interrupt the wedding. It wasn’t like declaring that he still loved her and wanted her back could have really waited until
after
the wedding.

He smiled. “How do you feel?”

“Like the dream I had where you came home and swept me off my feet finally came true.”

Those words were clear and they punched Gavin in the gut. “Yeah?” he asked gruffly.

“Yeah.”

He couldn’t believe he’d been within minutes of losing her for good. He took a deep breath. He’d come here to tell her how he felt, to beg her not to get married.

The not-getting-married thing seemed taken care of. For now anyway. Now for the I-was-stupid-to-let-you-go speech. “Allie, I—”

“I’m starving,” she interrupted.

Ooookay. “What do you want?”

“A cheeseburger. With bacon.”

He couldn’t help his smile. Allie was one of those girls who could eat like crazy and never gain weight. Then he frowned. She’d never been
this
skinny though. She hadn’t been eating any bacon cheeseburgers lately.

“You don’t look good,” he said simply.

Her eyes widened. “Well, thanks.”

“Seriously. Did you sleep last night?”

“Four hours.” She wrinkled her nose. “Maybe three.”

“And you haven’t eaten?”

She shook her head. “Couldn’t.”

“But you’ve been drinking.” The way she’d slightly slurred her words in the church had made that clear.

“Definitely,” she confirmed. “Lots.”

“Today too?”

“Champagne.” She spread her arms wide. “Happiest day of my life.”

Uh-huh.

That champagne was playing a huge part in her leaving the church with him.

Gavin shoved one hand through his hair, taking a corner too fast. He knew that her state of mind came, at least in part, from a bottle, and he knew that he should be torn about that. But he wasn’t. He’d had to get her out of that church. At least long enough to tell her that he was still in love with her.