One Last Chance (11 page)

“What the hell are you doing here?” Cole snap
ped as he hurried towards her, grabbing hold of her arm and directing her back towards the door of the taxi.

“COLE, STOP!” She protested. “You’re hurting me.”

“I don’t give a toss about you,” he growled angrily through his teeth. “You have no business showing up here.”

“But I need you,” she cried out. “I need help.”

“I couldn’t care less,” Cole spat back. “Now get your cheap, skanky ass into the car and get the hell out of here.”

“WHAT ABOUT BEN?” She screamed.

“He is not my problem either,” Cole shot back. But even as he said the words he knew he didn’t mean them. The ache in his chest confirmed that too. His eyes instantly dropped to Ben and he longed to hold him. He watched as the little boy wriggled miserably in his mother’s arms the tears streaming down his face.

“Oh for God sake,” Cole snapped as he instinctive
ly reached for Ben and took him from Steph. He held him close to his chest. “Shush, it’s okay little man.”

Ben instantly calmed and nuzzled into Cole chest.

“He remembers his Daddy,” Steph said.

“Do not call me that,” Cole growled at her. “I am not his father.”

“You could be,” she said, stepping closer to him. “You could give us a try.”

“Are you kidding me?” Cole laugh
ed completely taken back by her directness. “Or are you just completely stupid? I am getting married today. I love Ally. We are having a child. My child Steph. What part of that are you having trouble understanding?”

“She isn’t right for you,”
Steph snarled.

“And you are? “Cole laughed. “Steph
, what is it you want?”

“I am in trouble,” she said as her eyes instantly dropped to the ground. “I owe this guy money.”

“And why is this my problem?” Cole said as he instinctively pulled Ben closer to him.

“He said if I didn’
t pay him by tonight,” she continued looked up at Cole once more. “He was going to hurt Ben.”

“Go to the police,” Cole said feeling his blood instantly boil at the thought of anyone hurting Ben.

“I can’t,” she cried. “You don’t understand. He would kill us both if I did that. Please Cole, I promise I will never bother you again.”

Cole didn’t reply for a moment. Instead
, he looked down at the now sleeping baby in his arms and he knew he had no choice.

“Fine,” Cole said
, passing Ben back to her. “But this is the last time Steph. I mean it. I told you the other day, you need to sort your shit out.”

“I will,” she nodded as the look of relief washed across her face.

He turned and walked back into the house. As he walked through the door, El was watching him with a pleased grin on her face.

“Catching up with old friends are we?” She purred like the cat that got the cream. “I am sure the blushing bride wouldn’t be too thrilled about this little get together. A
nd you certainly looked very cosy playing Daddy.”

“Be careful Ella,” Cole said. “Stay out of my business. I don’t care who you are. You try
to ruin things for me with Ally, I will crush you like the bottom feeding nobody you are. You have my word on that.”

Cole hurried to his room,
grabbed his check book from his briefcase and headed back down to where Steph was waiting for him in the front garden.

“Everything okay?” Nathan said as he emerged from the living room as Cole made his way back down the stairs.

“Not really,” Cole sighed. “But I am taking care of it.”

“Anything I can do?
” Nathan asked.

“No mate,” Cole shook his head. “I think I need to sort this myself.
”

Cole walked out the front door and made his way to where Steph was standing.

He opened the cheque book and wrote a cheque for Fifty Thousand pounds and made it out to cash.

“Here,” he said as
he tore the check from the book. “Take this and pay the guy off.”

“I only owe him ten grand,” she replied, surprising Cole with her honesty.

“Take the rest and try and make some sort of life for you and Ben,” Cole said as his eyes fell to the little boy once more. “But understand this Steph, no more. You contact me again I will ring the police and social services. Are we clear?”

“Crystal,” she replied. Without another word she climbed back into the car
. Cole stood and watched as the taxi pulled out of his parent’s driveway.

“Are you okay son?” Ella’s voice came from behind him, startling him a little.

Cole turned to face his mom and smiled when he saw her standing there in her lilac dress, jacket and matching hat.

“You look simply beautiful Mom,” he said as he walked to his mother and kissed her ch
eek. “And yes, I will be okay. I think that is the last we will hear from her.”

“Good,” Ella replied. “Because you have everything you need in Ally and your baby. Time to let go of the past son.”

“I know Mom,” Cole agreed.

“Come on son,” she said
, linking Cole’s arm. “Let’s get you to the church, we don’t want to keep your beautiful bride waiting.”

As Ally stood in front of the full length mirror in the wardrobe, she did her best to hold back the tears.

“Ally pet,” Nan said from the doorway of the wardrobe. “You couldn’t look any
nicer sweetheart. No bride has ever looked more beautiful.”

“Thanks Nan,” Ally said as she blinked ba
ck the happy tears. “I wish my mom was here. But I have you and Pop, I am glad you are here with me. You have been more like a mom to me these past few years. I really do love you Nan.”

“We are very proud of you pet,” Nan said as Ally wrapped her in her arms. “Now come on, you
r granddad is waiting patiently to see his best girl. And so is that strange boy Rob.”

Caitlin and Hannah, who were also shedding a tear, couldn’t help but giggle at the mention of
Rob’s name.

N
an took Ally by the hand and led her from the wardrobe, through her bedroom and out to the main living room where Pop, Sid, Annette, Rob and his assistant Lola were all waiting patiently to see the bride.

The moment
Pop seen Ally, the tears broke free and fell down his cheeks as he quickly wiped them away.

“Ah Ally, sweetheart,”
Pop said as he kissed his granddaughter on the cheek. “You are simply breathtaking. That young man is a lucky boy to have such a beautiful girl on his arm.”

“Thanks Pop
,” Ally sniffed.

“Baby girl,”
Rob suddenly piped up. “Don’t start with the tears. We don’t want you messing up that make up job.”

“I’ll try my best,” Ally laughed.

“I won’t lie,” he continued. “You look so hot, you could turn me straight.”

Ally just laughed out loud
.

“Ally,” Sid said
, suddenly beside her. “I never thought the scrawny girl in the oversize overalls that turned up in the garage all those years ago, would grow up to be as beautiful as you are today. Cole is a very lucky man.”

“Thanks Sid,” Ally said as she kissed him on the cheek.

“Ally,” Nick called from the doorway. She turned and looked at him. And he gave her a nod and a big smile, Ally couldn’t help but smile back at him. “It’s time.”

She nodded and turned back to her grandfather.

“Guess we should get going,” she said and her grandfather smiled back at her. She took his arm, he led her to the lift and down to the awaiting cars.

Twenty minutes later they were pulling up
outside the picturesque and elegant Syon House.

Nick was driving Ally and
Pop while the rest were in another car Cole had arranged for them, for the day.

When they pulled to a stop
, Nick was quickly out of the car to open the door and allowed Pop out first before he reached in and took Ally’s hand.

“You are beautiful,” he said quietly as she climbed out of the car on to the red plush carpet
that was running from the car into the main door, and stood before him.

“Thank you,” she whispered back and her face flushed with embarrassment.

“Come on Pet,” Pop said as he once again held out his arm for Ally. They were now joined by Nan and the girls, Sid and Annette.

Nan kissed Ally one last time before
Sid escorted her and Annette into the large off white building in front of them, followed closely by Caitlin and Hannah.

Linking her arm, Pop led Ally to the door followed closely by Nick, but stopped once the
y stepped through the big doors.

“Are you okay?” Ally said
, looking at her grandfather with concern. She could hear the music her and Cole had chosen for her to walk down the aisle, begin to play.

“Ally sweetheart,” Pop said
, looking nervously at his granddaughter. “I love you Ally with all my heart, I truly do. And to walk you down the aisle would make me the proudest man in the world.”

Ally’s heart began to beat faster in her chest. She looked from her grandfather to Nick, who was still standing behind them and back to Pops.

“But this is not for me to do,” he finally continued. “Gus is your father. He has loved you from the day you were born. And though you never knew it, he was always your dad. This is his job not mine. Please Ally.”

Ally blinked back the tears that
had quickly filled her eyes.  She looked over her grandfather’s shoulder and saw Gus standing there looking incredibly nervous.

Her grandfather leaned in and kis
sed her softly on the cheek then walked in through the door he should have been walking her through. She turned to Nick and he raised his eyebrows and Ally knew he was asking her if she was okay with what had happened. She simply nodded and he followed Pop into the building, leaving Ally standing alone with a terrified looking Gus.

“You look
stunning,” he finally managed to say as he stepped closer to her. “I am sorry. This was not my idea. I mean, there is nothing I would love to do more than to walk you down the aisle but I never wanted to upset you, or ruin your big day.”

“I know this is
Pop’s doing,” Ally replied as she glanced toward the door her grandfather had just disappeared through.

“Ally,” he said as he took a big steadying breathe. “I know I have no right to ask you to let me do this. And if you say no, I will respect that. But I have loved you all your life and I will for the rest of it. I have failed as your father in so many ways. Please let me make up for that now and hold your hand as you walk through that door and to your future.”

Ally didn’t reply for a moment. She stared at this man she had loved her whole life. He had been the father she longed to have. He had been the one who never let her down. He was her Dad.

“Would you do me the honour,” she said as she reached out her hand. “And walk me down the aisle, Dad.
”

Gus smile
d brightly as he took her hand and, looking every bit the proud father, led her to the door.

Ally stared down at the black and white floor of the hall for a moment as she took a couple of deep steadying breaths. Finally she looked up
, and her eyes instantly met Cole’s at the far end on the hall.

Instantly
, a smile lit up his face and she couldn’t help but smile back as she began to make her way to the man she loved.

*****************************************

Cole was holding his breath. She was finally here and she was just as beautiful as he knew she would be. He clenched his fists at his sides to stop himself from running up the aisle and taking her in his arms.

He didn’t know how, b
ut he knew in that moment he had never loved her more.

His heart hammered hard
er as she stepped closer and closer to him, her eyes never leaving his, almost like she could see no one but him. Like they were the only two in the room.

Final
ly, she reached him and Gus held out his hand to Cole and shook it.

“Take care of our girl,” he said before he turned to Ally and kissed her softly on the cheek. “I love you.”

“Love you too, Dad,” she whispered back before he took her hand and placed it in Cole’s then stepped back.

“Hey gorgeous girl,” Cole whispered when they were finally alone. “Wow, you are breathtaking.”

“Hey yourself,” she smiled in return.

He couldn’t keep his eyes off her. Even as the
y stepped towards the registrar. Cole’s eyes where still on Ally.

“Shall we begin?” The middle aged
man asked with a slight laugh as he leaned into Cole and Ally. Cole finally broke his eyes from Ally and turned to the registrar and nodded.

As the man began to talk, Cole turned back to Ally and he didn’t hear a word
the man was saying. Just the one thought ran through his head over and over again.