Chapter Twenty-Nine.

a-aa- My phone rings early the next morning, but it's not who I expect. "Yeah?" I greet Kevin after pushing the talk b.u.t.ton. I glance at the clock, seeing that it's only six a.m. I got maybe three hours of sleep after making love to Angel until she was good and tired, too exhausted to fight sleep any longer.

At the sound of my voice she sits upright beside me, her eyes going wide and questioning. I cup my hand around the phone to m.u.f.fle the sound, and whisper to her, "It's Kevin."

He doesn't sound very happy. "Do you know where I am?"

How would I? "Sorry, my mindreading powers don't kick in until at least seven a.m."

"Funny, man. I'm at a little podunk-a.s.s airport, about to board an even smaller podunk-a.s.s plane, so I can fly to an even smaller podunk-a.s.s town at your father's beck and call."

The h.e.l.l? "Why'd he call you in?"

"Apparently Ian was right, and that kid's your brother's. What we hadn't discovered yet is that the baby mama's family might not be so thrilled if they realize that the baby is with Daddy. Something about a will, and money. d.a.m.n, why does this s.h.i.t always come back to money with you people?"

I bristle. "So you're going to do what? Play baby bodyguard?"

"That's what it sounds like. I should be on my way to Philly this morning with Lexi, to enjoy three blissful weeks of nothing but her and me and no trouble. But no, she's driving alone, and I have no idea how long your father's going to expect me to be in Cedar Rapids."

"You want me to talk to him?"

"d.a.m.n straight I want you to talk to him. I'm going to go get boots on the ground and make sure everything is on the up and up, but I've no intention of staying out there long-term."

"I'll see what I can do. Call me and update me when you land."

I try not to stress over it, but my father must have deemed the threat to be at least somewhat credible for him to fly Kevin out. That or he's taking the overprotective grandpa thing to an entirely new level of crazy.

It's mid-afternoon before I hear from Kevin again.

Plane was delayed taking off. Finally here and headed to hospital. Cell service sucks. Will call when I have something to report.

The whole d.a.m.n lot of them are enough to drive me crazy. They must know I'm sitting here worrying to death. You'd think one of them could pick up the phone and put me out of my misery.

I'm walking toward the kitchen when my phone finally rings later that afternoon. I s.n.a.t.c.h it out of my jeans pocket, seeing Dad's name on the caller I.D. It's about f.u.c.king time.

The first thing I hear are sirens in the background. Dread grips my throat, and it's hard to speak. "Dad?"

"Axel. It's bad. There are multiple gunmen inside the hospital, and we can't find your sister."

I must have heard him wrong. That's the only possible explanation. "Come again?"

A strangled sound comes through the phone, and I think my strong rock of a father is holding back sobs. His voice is breaking when he answers me. "They were here for the babyaWare has a babyaand Chelsea managed to distract them and lead them away to protect Ware and Lily."

My legs suddenly weak, I sink to the floor and sit as I try to process this. Angel comes in the front door from taking Molly for a walk and rushes to my side.

It's only then that I realize I hung up with Dad several minutes ago and still haven't moved. From Angel's eyes, I can see that she fears the worst. "We need to pack a suitcase and go to North Carolina," I tell her. "There's an active shooter situation in the hospital where Ware's daughter is, and Chelsea is unaccounted for."

Angel's hand flies to her mouth as silent tears streak her cheeks. "What about the bar? Do you want me to stay here and handle things?" I see it killing her to offer that, when she wants nothing more than to be there for me and Chelsea.

"s.h.i.t, no. I didn't even think about the bar. Is that awful?" I stand, heading for the bedroom to find a suitcase.

"No," Angel whispers. "That's not awful. Mom's flight comes in at six tomorrow morning. She's on the redeye out of Tucson tonight. Why don't I call her and see if she'd be willing to watch Molly for us, and keep an eye on the bar? With Vince there to direct her, I'm sure she can run the girls in the front of the house. She's used to corralling high school students."

I nod and Angel dials. Ten minutes later it's all arranged. Vince is going to drive me and Angel to the airport in the morning. I was going to fly out tonight and have Angel join me tomorrow, but all flights were completely booked. Vince will then take Angel's mom back to Tuck's Tap and get her settled in the apartment over the bar. Dougie is going to come give everyone a hand, and for now we're going to put our anger with him aside for the good of everyone. I know he's not a bad guy, and I have hopes that we'll be okay with each other. Someday.

Angel told her mom she felt bad about leaving the day she gets here, and it only made me like her mom more when I heard her say, "Baby girl, you've got a second family now, too. You take care of them, and I'll take care of everything else."

I'm zipping up my suitcase when Angel cries out. I run to the living room to find her sobbing into the phone. "I'm so glad you're okay." She looks up at me, and with her smile the tightness that's been in my chest since Dad's call eases just a bit. My phone rings a few seconds later, and when I answer it's Dad, calling to give me the same news Angel's hearing from Chelsea. Dad, Mom, Ware, Chelsea, and even baby Lily are all okay. At least for now. Apparently the reason Ware missed the Gala is that Lily was taken to the hospital by ambulance. Her need for heart surgery has now become dire, and thanks to my father's checkbook it will be occurring in a few days.

"Hey Dad, can I talk to Ware for a minute?"

"Sure, son. One moment." There's a bit of rustling, then a tentative h.e.l.lo. Ware sounds like he's been through h.e.l.l. "Sorry, Axel. I tried to look out for her. I really did. But she saved herself in the end."

That's Chelsea. I shouldn't have expected any less. "All good, brother. All good."

"So we're cool?" I hear the hope in his voice.

"More than cool. We're brothers. Let me talk to Mom."

Chapter Thirty.

a-aa- "They're here, they're here, they're here!" Angel pounces on my chest in nothing but a thong and a t-shirt, her eyes br.i.m.m.i.n.g with unrestrained excitement.

I slowly pry my sleepy eyes open, pausing long enough to savor the sight of Angel straddling me before I ask, "Who? Santa and his reindeer?" I had no clue she'd be this excited about Christmas morning, and my thoughts are still hazy under the blanket of sleep.

"No!" She smacks my chest playfully. "Ware and Chelsea brought the baby."

"Oh." My fog evaporates, and I sit up, using my arms to hug Angel to me as I do. "You keep waking me up like this, and we're going to get lots of practice at making one of our own."

She laughs and climbs off of me so I can stand. This seemed like a great plan yesterday, but faced with the a.s.s-crack of dawn, it doesn't feel like it now. It's been almost a week since Chelsea faced down a crazed gunman, and only five days since my father paid to bring a surgeon in on a Sunday to perform a life-saving operation on Lily. She was released from the hospital yesterday afternoon, and Chelsea and Ware drove her home. Meaning home to their little apartment above Tuck's Tap. Angel was over there much of the last several days helping Chelsea decorate the nursery, and I think it's given her more than a little baby fever, because she presses a kiss to my lips all of a sudden, then gives me a wicked grin. "Soon, I think," she says.

As much as we all wanted to be there to greet them when they brought Lily home, we knew they needed time to settle in. Dad made us all promise we'd be here for Christmas morning, though. Even though he's already had a nursery put in upstairs in an old guest room, Ware and Chelsea said they'd bring her over when they woke up, since they were still trying to get her used to her new room at home. I just didn't realize when they woke up would be so d.a.m.n early, since apparently babies don't sleep. I'm glad Angel suggested we stay over, agreeing that it would be easier to relax and enjoy family this morning if we didn't have to worry about making the hour drive.

Christmases since my mother left have all been quiet, somber affairs, but I can already hear the house below us humming with life, just like I remember from when I was a kid.

Angel and I dress, then I lead her down the stairs with her hand tucked into mine.

In the corner of the family room, a large floor-to-ceiling Christmas tree is spectacularly illuminated, decorated with perfectly coordinated designer ornaments. The mantle is adorned in similar fashion, all designed to make our house feel like a cozy place for a family Christmas. But to be honest, I think the tiny townhouse with our amateurish tree blows these decorations out of the water. Because they were done with love, by me and Angel together, rather than by some interior designer that my father or I hired. But what this sitting room has that my townhouse doesn't is all of the people I love.

My father is crouched by a mountain of presents, Lily tucked tenderly in his lap as he points to the gifts. I know without asking they're all for her. I wouldn't be surprised if Mom had to stop him from buying more.

Speaking of Mom, she greets me with a warm smile as we come in. "Merry Christmas." Her eyes look like they're so full of happiness she's about to burst. I lean down, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "Merry Christmas, Mom."

Things are much better with us, and I know that's probably the best gift I could give her. Still, I've got a photo alb.u.m under the tree for her that Angel helped me put together, so she can see several of the things she's missed over the years. It was mostly Angel's idea. I was trying to find something to buy her, thinking maybe a new cabin or something since hers was burned down, but nothing felt quite right until Angel told me I needed to do something that came from the heart. Plus, she's perfectly content living in the cabin that was her old studio, at least for now. She said it lets her be close so she can get to know me, while still giving everyone their own s.p.a.ce. I'm predicting it will only be a matter of time before she moves back into the main house. Every so often, Dad takes his eyes off Lily just long enough to smile at Mom.

Vanessa isn't here, and I don't know if that bothers Chelsea or not. All I can do is make sure she knows that whether her mom is here or not doesn't matter. As far as we're concerned, she's my sister and Tucker's daughter from now through forever.

Chelsea doesn't look too upset about anything at the moment, and I think maybe she and her mother have come to terms with their changing relationship. Chelsea is sitting in a plush white armchair, her head resting against Ware's side as he perches on the side of the chair, one arm around her back. He only has eyes for her. "Hi Ware," I say. "Glad you're here." I mean it.

He looks up, almost startled, like he was so busy making gooey eyes at Chelsea that he didn't hear me and Angel come in. He stands and wraps his arms around me briefly, then pats me on the back in a man-hug. "Glad to be here, brother."

And that's all we really need to say. He and I haven't talked about how things were between us, but we're good, and that's just how it is. Thank G.o.d we aren't women and don't feel the need to talk it to death. I'm here for him. He's here for me. Good enough for us both.

Angel's mom comes down the stairs behind us from one of the other guest rooms. "Merry Christmas, Mom." She accepts a brief hug from Angel, and then goes to sit on the couch.

There's a short chime of the doorbell from the front hall, and then the sound of the door opening. "Merry Christmas!" Lexi calls down the hall, then bounds into the family room with the rest of us. Kevin is smiling behind her.

"Oooh!" she squeals, catching sight of Lily.

"Don't get any ideas," Lexi's dad warns from the doorway, and I couldn't agree more. I'd hate to have to kill Kevin.

Warnings aside, I'm glad they're here too. We feel like one big happy family, and I think this Christmas is the first of many that will be crowded and joyful at the Chadwell home.

I turn to my side, looking down at my Angel. As happy as I am to have all of the rest of them here with us, it's Angel that matters most to me, and if she hadn't snuck around behind my back to get in touch with my mom, we might not all be here together now. She tilts her chin up, offering her lips to me. It doesn't take any more encouragement than that for me to take her mouth in a soft, sweet kiss. "I love you," I whisper. "You really are my Angel."

Epilogue.

a-aa- "Stop pacing," my father orders.

I ignore him, continuing to make a circle back and forth around the family room. I can hear the girls giggling and moving around upstairs, but no one will let me go up. Just knowing Angel is up there getting into her wedding gown is driving me out of my mind. "Were you this nervous when you married Mom?"

A feminine laugh comes from the doorway, and I stop pacing long enough to stop and give my mother a nervous smile.

"Oh good lord no. Your father was the picture of calm." The smile she gives Dad is almost shy and secretive, and I know she's remembering their good times.

Dad's lips quirk into a grin. "Thought that, did you?"

She nods, and their eyes are glued together by an invisible tether. Oh my.

"Well, I'll have you know, my knees were shaking so bad I was convinced that the priest could hear them."

Ware and Kevin chuckle in unison across the room from their spots on the couch. They finished seating guests not long and ago, and for the last few minutes they've been watching my miniatureaokay, fine, majorafreak-out with great amus.e.m.e.nt. "I'm not going to be nervous when I get married," Ware says without any hesitation.

A few weeks ago, I would have felt sick at the thought of him marrying Chelsea. Now I just smile. "You say that now."

"What about you? Think you and Lexi will tie the knot anytime soon?" Ware asks Kevin.

"Not if he values his life," I growl.

"I wasn't nervous."

The room falls eerily silent, as if no one is able to breathe. I pivot on my heel, narrowing my eyes at Kevin. "Tell me I heard you wrong."

He shrugs. "Lexi and I went to Vegas last week. She and I both saw no reason to wait. We know what we want, and we know every day is precious."

"She's too young!" I thunder.

My anger doesn't faze him. He stares at me with a lazy smile. "And that att.i.tude is why we saw no reason to invite you. We didn't want our day ruined by anyone getting judgey. Like it or don't like it. Doesn't matter to me, unless you give Lexi trouble over it." The warning in his words is clear, and somehow makes me feel better. She is young, and trouble-p.r.o.ne. But if anyone can keep her safe, it's Kevin. He's good for her, and good to her, and clearly I'm going to have to get used to them together.

"That's why it took you so long to get to North Carolina, isn't it?"

He nods. "We were on our way to the Poconos when your dad called."

I do feel a little bad. A very little. "Well, hopefully this week will make up for it." I mean that.

"Have you told Angel about that yet?"

"Nope." The plans for our honeymoon are a secret I've closely guarded.

Our wedding planner sticks her head in the door. "Mr. Chadwell? It's time. If you'd like to come out and take your place."

She doesn't have to tell me twice. I'm ready to bolt through the door and up to the altar, but my father stops me with a hand on my arm. "I just want to tell you that I'm proud of you, son. Now let me make sure your tie is straight before you go out there." He eyes me from head to toe. "All right, you're good."

Having pa.s.sed inspection, I hurry through the door and around the side of the house, where large white tents have been erected for the reception. Beside those, rows upon rows of white chairs have been laid out in an arc around the white gazebo, which is covered in lush green ivy and red and white roses. A white carpet has been rolled out, creating an aisle, and it's at the end of this that I take my place in front of the pastor.

I look out at the chairs, full of my father's business a.s.sociates, old family friends, people from the bar, and our close friends and family. They're all smiling back at me, and for the first time this feels real. I'm getting married today!

Ware seats my mother, Lily in her lap. Kevin seats Mrs. Sterling. Vanessa, looking murderous, walks to her place on my father's arm. A hush falls over the crowd.

With a last clap on my shoulder, my father takes his spot beside me. Kevin's next to him, and Ware stands on the end. Now all that's left is to wait for my bride.

Fortunately, she doesn't keep me waiting long.

The music begins to play, and the first person to start up the aisle is Johanna, Angel's friend from Tucson. I met her last night, and she seems like a nice girl. I'm not the only one watching Johanna with interest; Dougie, sitting in the second row, can't take his eyes off of her. I saw them talking over drinks last night at the rehearsal dinner, and I wonder if they hit it off. Dougie managed the guest book for us today. It might not be a huge role, but I still wanted him involved in some way that wouldn't have him directly interacting with Ware and Chelsea. After what he did, he said he understood.