The Keys to Jericho (96 page)

“You haven’t been living here. We haven’t told anyone.” Is he serious?

“What the hell, Dad? You’re dating a woman Hadley and I know nothing about?”

“That’s why I don’t tell you about any girlfriends, normally.”

“This one is different?”

He slowly nods. “Yeah. She is.”

“What’s her name and where’d you meet?”

Dad anxiously licks his lip. “Her name is Nora. Brenda set us up.”

“Jesus. Please don’t say she’s related to her in any way. I refuse to be Kat’s brother, but I’ll do without being a cousin, nephew or uncle, too.”

Dad shakes his head and laughs again. “She’s Brenda’s best friend. She’s an executive at an insurance company. She used to live in Annapolis, but she took a job in Chicago. She didn’t like it and came back.”

“I’m shocked. I thought you and Brenda were… I can’t believe you’ve been with a woman all this time and haven’t told us.”

“I’ve always done it that way, Jared.” Holy fuck.

“Keeping women you’re dating from us?”

He nods. “Yeah.”

“Why?”

“I didn’t want you two to worry about me or to introduce the wrong women, and you instantly compare them to… Thinking they’re…” He sighs. “I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, Jared.”

“What’s that mean?”

“Just like you had your own reasons to keep Kat or any of your past girlfriends a secret, so did I.”

I mutter, “Well, shit.”

“Never expected to hear that from me, huh?”

“Not exactly. I thought maybe you solely relied on Rosy Palm.”

He laughs. “Why? Like father, like son?”

I scowl. “No comment.” Finally shooting the ball, it bounces off the basket and he easily snares it, and I don’t fight him for it. I ask, “When are we going to meet Nora?”

“Tomorrow. I was going to tell you and Hadley about her tonight after the rehearsal, but since your bachelor party is later, I thought I should tell you now.”

“Wow.” My hand goes to my hat, anxiously shifting it, and I stammer, “Are… Are you in love with her?”

He stops his dribbling and says, “Yeah, I am.”

“Did you have trouble admitting that to yourself like I did?”

“I thought I would, but seeing you go through it with Kat, I learned a thing or two.”

“Like what
not
to do?”

He laughs. “Something like that.”

“You went through all that alone? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I’m your dad. It’s one thing for me to help you, but for me to be at a loss and show that to you, I guess my pride was on the line.”

“Jesus, Dad.”

“You indirectly helped me. Seeing you fall in love with Kat was a learning experience for you
and
me. I didn’t hide it from Nora for long.”

I shake my head and toss out my hands. “I have no idea what to say.”

“Is that good or bad?”

“I honestly…Are you going to marry her?”

“Uh, I…” He shakes his head. “Not without you and Hadley meeting her first. I don’t want to take that step if you two don’t approve.”

“Dad, you’re an adult. Why do you need our permission?”

“I don’t, but I feel like you two should have a say, since it’s my fault your mother left. I wasn’t enough for her.”

“I doubt that, but she didn’t have to abandon her children.”

“No. She didn’t. Leaving me was one thing, but leaving you two and not looking back? That’s unforgivable.”

“Wow. I’m still stunned.”

“See? Your dad still has some tricks up his sleeve.”

“Understatement.” I walk over to him, putting my hand on his shoulder. “It’s about damned time you found someone.”

“I guess I was waiting for the right one, too.”

I grin at him before stealing the ball out of his grasp, dribbling to the basket for a layup. Rubbing it in, I laugh at him for being gullible.

Shit.

I’m more my father’s son than I ever realized.

Shit.

That makes me rather proud.

“There’s the groom-to-be!” Brenda shouts from the steps of the gazebo as I cross over the footbridge.

“Here I am.”

“Your bride is somewhere around here. Maybe she ran off with one of the caretakers here.”

I scowl at her. “Thanks a lot.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Just teasing. You nervous?”

“No,” I lie. Even taking a shower after basketball hasn’t helped calm me.

“Kat’s a bundle of nerves. She keeps shaking and can’t stand still. I’ve never seen her like this before.”

Chuckling, Dad says, “She’s getting married.”

Brenda laughs. “She’s done this before!”

Again, I say, “Thanks a lot.”

Brenda scoffs, “That asshole didn’t count, though. I just mean, she’s been through the technicalities of it.”

Dad says, “But she’s marrying the love of her life this time. Right, bud?” Since Dad told me to leave my hat at home, he messes up the back of my hair, teasing me, no doubt.

I cross my arms, and glance around the area. “Shit. I hope so.”

Brenda covers her mouth. “I guess you’re nervous now?”

I unconvincingly reply, “No.”

Dash nearly skips over to me, yanking the blue sucker from his mouth he shouts, “Jericho!” He looks past me to Dad, mumbling, “Mr. Beckett.” His gaze then searches behind us to the bridge.

I say, “Hadley isn’t with us.”

Dash shrugs, but the corners of his mouth drop. “I was looking for Rio.” What a lie.

“Why would Duquesne be with me?”

“I don’t know.” He shoves the sucker back into his mouth and pretends to be interested in his phone.

Rolling my eyes, I walk up the stairs, and I’m struck with the memory of proposing to Kat twice in here. Shit. I’m more nervous now and it’s only a rehearsal.

For the biggest day of my life.

Looking to the back of the gazebo, I see Kat standing in front of a bench with her back to me, which isn’t a bad thing, since I get to stare at her ass. I haven’t seen her naked in two weeks, with me packing up my apartment in Philly, while Kat packs her place, which is no easy task with all the shit she got for her bridal shower. Then with all the wedding chaos, we haven’t had time or energy to have sex when we are together, let alone say two words before falling asleep.

Putting my arms around her, I rest my chin against the side of her head and say, “Hey, baby. Nice ass.”

She loudly whispers, “Jared! You can’t say that to me in here! We’ll be getting married in this gazebo in less than 24 hours!”

“Yeah. Married. Not becoming saints. Can’t I rehearse my kiss for my bride?”

She continues to look out at the park. “Nope. Not until tomorrow.”

“Are you serious? I kissed you last night before you fell asleep.”

“No. I’m saving my lips for our big moment.”

I whisper, “You know, I’ve had them before.”

She whispers back, “You know, you’ve waited longer than a day to kiss me before, too.”

I sigh and tighten my arms around her stomach. “I know that, Kit Kat, but now that I’ve had them, you can’t deny me when you’re right here.”

“Just until tomorrow.”

I growl near her neck. “You’re killing me.”

Kat giggles. “You can live through a little more torture.”

“Like hell I can.”

Brenda walks over and says, “The weather report is calling for rain tomorrow, about an hour after the ceremony. It’s a good thing the reception is indoors.”

Kat turns around, putting her hands on my shoulders as she sulks, “I heard.”

Looking at Brenda, I retort, “You’re the bearer of anxiety today.”

“Oh, shit. I am, aren’t I? Rain is good luck on your wedding day, though.”

Kat frowns. “I’ll take a rabbit’s foot over rain on my wedding day.”

Brenda sighs. “Damn it. I need to put duct tape over my mouth.”

Kat says, “I’ll do that for you.” Brenda dismisses Kat with a wave and turns to say something to my dad.

“Hey, Beckett.”

I look over my shoulder and narrow my gaze. “It’s about time, Duquesne. Jesus. Kat and I already married. You missed it.”

“What? I didn’t get to object when the minister asked? That’s bogus.”

Kat laughs and I testily ask, “What’s so funny? You hot and heavy with Rio, and now you’re going to run off together?”

Rio says, “Exactly. Come on, Kat. We’d better go now to beat the traffic.”

Liberty states, “Let me get my luggage out of the trunk first. You can’t take off with my new shoes. I’ll hunt you down.”

As the three laugh, I irritably mutter, “Aren’t you all funny today?”

Kat says, “Someone has to be.” She strokes her fingers over my jaw and says to the other two, “Jericho is nervous about marrying me.”

“I’m not nervous.” Fuck. Yes I am.

Kat regards me with obvious doubt before she squeezes my hand, and smiles. “I’ll be back.”

She follows Liberty, and when they’re out of earshot, Rio laughs. “Nervous
now
? Wait until you hear what Douche has planned for you tonight.”

“Holy fuck. I’m going to murder my dad for handing off the bachelor party to Calder. I didn’t want one anyway.”

Rio says, “It’s so fucked up, but it’s going to be a riot.”

“I’m going to riot and torch beds if it’s out of hand.”

“Just remember, it was all his idea.”

“Is it something you’d be okay with me doing for yours in a couple months?”

Biting his lip, he glances at the gazebo’s rafters. “Uh…”

I sigh and swing my head to catch sight of Dash, but no such luck. “Fucking Calder. He just upgraded his death warrant to
next
.”

Howie, the minister, arrives. He’s a friend of Brenda’s, who is a FedEx driver during the week, but also an ordained minister. I guess it pays to make friends everywhere, as Brenda obviously does.

Following Howie is my sister. Rio looks her way, and then looks back to me, quietly saying, “Jesus. She looks frail.”

“Yeah. I told her to sit the whole thing out, but she doesn’t listen worth shit.”

“She’s a Beckett, no doubt about that.”

I scoff, “Stubborn. I know.”

Rio says, “Tough as hell, too. Everything she’s been through? Fuck. I don’t see how she’s still standing.”

Shaking my head, I watch her and say, “I don’t know, either. One thing is for sure, I will be taking care of shit after I get back from my honeymoon.”

“Jare, no. She’ll never speak to you again.”

I argue, “I can’t stand by and let her waste away.”

Appearing somewhat relieved, he says, “Oh. I thought you meant you’d visit…”

“Yeah. That, too.”

“Oh, fuck. Don’t do it.”

“Who’s going to stop me?”

Rio sighs. “Me?”

I grin. “You only put out the fires, Smokey.”

“Yeah, and only
you
can prevent them. Jared, I’m telling you again, do
not
do it.”

“Don’t worry about it. Just a friendly chat with Finn.”

He folds his arms over his chest, and inhales. “Christ. I’ll need to come with you.”

I laugh. “Not a chance in Hell. I work alone.”

Rio mumbles something sounding like, “Fuck me,” as Howie gathers us around to start the rehearsal.

Since there isn’t much to rehearse, it goes off without a hitch, literally. Kat also refused to kiss me, staying true to her word. For now. I know I can get her to cave at some point.

While Kat talks with Hadley, and Duquesne’s warden, I’m ambushed by Dash, Rio, and my dad. Dash puts his arm around my shoulders and says, “Tonight is going to be the bomb, Jericho.”

“Don’t ever say anything is
the bomb
ever again, Calder. Fucking lame.”