Chapter 22: Forever With The CEO: Chapter 22

I wanted to throw Bob and Sophie out right now. This was supposed to be a relaxed day with the family and Allison’s friends. Having these two here made everything more complicated. What the fuck did they want to talk about anyway? All their bullshit just made Allison uncomfortable.

“When is your flight?” I asked, making it clear exactly how excited I was not to have them here.

“At five o’clock,” Sophie replied.

I almost groaned. That was a fucking eternity away.

“We’ll sit here,” I said, pointing to the two seats at the head of the table. “You can choose either side. Mom, Gran, Granddad, you can sit over here with the twins.” I gestured to the seats I was referencing.

“I think the twins want to sit with us and Ben,” Spencer said.

I turned to Allison. “That work for you, babe?”

She nodded. “Sure.”

Allison’s eyes lit up. I wondered why but didn’t have time to dwell on it.

As we all took our seats, waiters started to circulate with drinks, asking us what we wanted. They had a mix of champagne, juices, and water. It took a while for everyone to settle down. Mom was sitting right next to me. She kept glancing down the table.

“All good?” I asked her.

She waved her hand, nodding. “Yes, yes.”

“Where did you sit during the ceremony? I didn’t see you.”

“I was right behind your grandparents with Leo and Maddox. Everyone’s been treating me really nicely,” she added in a low voice, correctly guessing that that was my real question.

“That’s good.”

I wasn’t expecting my brothers to jump with joy and ask Mom to be included in all family events from now on, but I was glad that they didn’t make her feel unwelcome.

Once everyone was seated, the waiters came with the first round of finger food.

“This is unusual,” Sophie said, scrunching her nose at the plate. “To have food like this served at a wedding reception.”

Allison cleared her throat. “Once again, we’ve got kids. They need to be fed, and they like this food. It’s perfect for their little stomachs.”

“Ben was starving,” Spencer added.

“You did the right thing, Allison.” That came from Colton. “And I, for one, am extremely happy you’ve had the foresight to ask for the food to be brought the second we came.”

I gave him a nod. My oldest half brother had been the most difficult to win over. Personally, I’d never thought it was possible. I wasn’t in the habit of trying to get people who didn’t like me to change their mind. But when Colton came around, he really came around. I was counting on him to have my back in any situation.

Sophie pursed her lips as we all started to eat. I realized that Allison was tense again, so I put my left hand between her shoulder blades. She softened against my touch. I’d keep my hand here the whole damn day if it helped. Then I nudged her leg with mine under the table and put my mouth to her ear.

“You okay?”

She nodded, smiling. I was addicted to this woman: the way she smelled, the way she did just about anything.

As we ate the appetizers, Sophie said, “I’m surprised your parents aren’t here, Allison. Why on earth would they miss their only remaining daughter’s wedding?”

There was a loud clank. Gran had dropped her fork. I should have warned her about Bob and Sophie, about how rude they could be.

“That’s a very insensitive question,” Gran said right away.

The corners of my mouth twitched. Sophie’s face fell. Being scolded by a ninety-year-old was probably the height of humiliation for her.

“I didn’t mean it that way,” Sophie said, but by the tone of her voice, it was clear that she did.

“My parents are not in good health, and traveling is very difficult for them,” Allison offered. “I thought you knew that. I know Nora mentioned it many times.”

“We’re going to visit them soon,” I added as I brushed my wife’s shoulders with my fingers, rubbing them up and down.

I quickly realized I was doing it for my benefit as much as hers. This wasn’t just for Sophie and Bob’s sake. I fucking needed to touch this woman. I even shifted closer on my chair. My thigh was now touching hers, and I instantly felt a change in her body. She straightened up slightly. This was insane. The more I touched her, the more I wanted her. The ceremony at city hall made everything seem real, seem possible. If I were to have a family, this would be it.

“Hmm. And none of your friends are here either,” Sophie continued, addressing only Allison.

“Since it was such short notice, not everyone could make it,” Allison said easily. “And as you know, we wanted to keep it small since the venue couldn’t accommodate a lot of people.”

Sophie narrowed her eyes. I knew Allison was close to losing her cool. Hell, I was close to doing the same. These two assholes hadn’t even bothered spending one second with their grandchildren since they arrived, not at city hall nor here at the restaurant. Ben and the twins were running around the place, and my family took turns chasing after them. But Sophie and Bob hadn’t made any move to suggest they wanted to be around the kids at all.

I’d instructed the photographer to also take videos of the event, figuring they could come in handy for a potential trial. We’d have solid proof that they couldn’t even be bothered to be grandparents, much less the custodial guardians for the twins.

The waiters circulated with drinks and brought wine options as well. I looked around at my family, and something about this picture felt completely right. Ever since Leo had gotten engaged, I’d started to feel out of place at family gatherings. I was literally the odd man out. And while my relationship with my brothers had always been tight, there was no denying that it had changed now that they all had someone in their lives. Inevitably, we drifted apart as they spent more time at home. We didn’t do brotherly outings like before. I never truly understood why, but right now, I was beginning to.

For fuck’s sake, Nick. What the hell are you even talking about? You and Allison just signed a document to make things easier for her to keep custody.

Yet I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was simply right.

“Are you going to have a honeymoon?” Sophie asked, continuing her inquisition.

“No,” Allison replied, “there was no way I could get time off work. Maybe we’ll plan something next year for the four of us to go.”

I could see that happening. We’d take the kids to Disney World. The twins would love it.

Fucking hell, I was already making plans for next year.

“You’ll continue to work?” Bob asked.

“Of course she will. I have a strong, independent woman next to me,” I said. “CFO is no small position.”

“But I don’t understand. You’re married now,” Sophie said. She and Bob exchanged a glance. You’d think that Allison had announced she planned to be a stripper.

“There is no reason that I can’t have a career and be married to Nick.” Her voice dripped with pride.

Fuck, I loved the way that sounded. She was married to me. Allison is married to me!

Sophie straightened up. “No woman who cares about her family wants to work.”

I saw red, and all thoughts of playing it cool flew out the window.

“Not even your sister—”

“Stop right there, Sophie,” I cut her off. “Try to be civil if at all possible or else you need to leave right now.”

With horror, I realized that Allison was trembling slightly. She rolled her hands into fists, grabbing the knife and the fork so tightly that I wondered if she was preparing to launch herself at Jim’s parents.

“You’re kicking us out?” Bob said.

“You’ve definitely overstayed your welcome,” Gran replied.

“Yes. This is a time to celebrate,” Grandad added, “and you two seem to have come here looking for a reason to pick a fight. It’s not the time or place for that.”

“Damn right, it’s not,” Bob said. He rose from the table. “Come on, Sophie. Let’s go. We’ll settle this in court. We will crush you—”

“Don’t you dare talk to Allison like that,” I said through gritted teeth as both she and I stood up. “You might not know much about the Whitleys or care about us, but we have access to the best lawyers in the state. You try to intimidate my wife and you’re going to regret it.” I looked directly at Bob, and he jerked his head back at the sincerity in my gaze.

Even though they weren’t from Boston, they knew exactly how powerful the Whitley name was. Until now, they probably thought they could just intimidate Allison because she was still grieving after losing her sister. Because they thought she was alone. But my woman was not fucking alone.

She’s not your woman, Nick, just your wife.

That’s right. My wife was not alone.

“Please leave,” Allison said.

The two of them moved out of the way without another word and then left the room.

Allison released a deep breath that sounded shaky. I tilted her head to me. “Are you okay, honey?”

“That was horrible,” Mom said in disgust. “I don’t even know them, but they’re not good people.”

“They’re not,” Colton said.

It dawned on me now that everyone had witnessed the scene. This was exactly the kind of evidence we’d need for a trial, if it came to that. I checked to see where the photographer was; maybe he caught a few shots, or even better a video. I’d find out later. I still thought Jim’s parents were bluffing.

I looked at my brothers. “You all have been suspiciously silent.”

“Clearly both of you had it handled. We figured there was no reason for us to pile on too.” That came from Jake, but he was looking straight at Allison now. “What my brother said is correct. The Whitley name does hold weight, and you will win in court.”

Allison sighed, and her shoulders finally slumped. “Thank you. God, I’m so sorry for this.”

“You know what? Maybe it’s for the best,” Gran said as both Allison and I sat down. “Now we can all relax and enjoy the rest of the day.”

Allison’s face lit up. “You’re right, Jeannie. I thought those two were going to stay here right until it was time to go to the airport. I’m glad they’re gone.” She covered her mouth then, looking at the kids. Fortunately, they were with Ben, playing some game. It didn’t even look as though they noticed their grandparents left.

“I don’t know if it was smart to treat them like that,” Colton offered, “after what Hugo told you about avoiding confrontation.”

“They had to be dealt with,” I said in a tone that brooked no argument. Then I turned to Allison, once more touching her jaw so she’d look at me. “They were antagonizing you. I won’t allow anyone to do that. Ever.”

“You’re mine now,” I wanted to say, but I stopped myself just in time. Good God, I had to get myself under control. She wasn’t mine. Why did I keep forgetting?

I swallowed hard, digesting all of this.

She nodded. “Thank you.”

As I let go of her face and turned around, I noticed both Mom and Gran looking at me with very wicked smiles. Then I glanced around the table. Half of them had their eyes on us. I could practically see real wedding bells ringing in my grandmother’s mind. I could only hope she wouldn’t say anything. Allison needed more of a heads-up about how crazy the Whitley conversations could get. I needed to prepare her, and she’d had enough craziness for today.

“Well, I, for one, think we should just enjoy this beautiful, beautiful day. It was a very nice touch to have a photographer,” Mom offered.

“Yes,” Gran added. “I wasn’t even aware that there were going to be decorations and such.” She was looking straight at me, clearly fishing for information. I was going to satisfy her curiosity, but not right now.

“Nick came up with all this. I didn’t know either,” Allison responded.

I was still looking at Gran. Her entire face transformed, and I knew exactly what she was thinking. She glanced at Mom, who returned her knowing smile. Those two were getting very friendly lately, but I wasn’t complaining about it at all.

“Since they’re gone,” Meredith said loudly, “I propose a toast for two of the best people I know.” She raised her glass of champagne, and everyone else followed suit, including me and Allison.

“Thank you all for being here,” Allison replied, “and for making me feel so welcome and accepted despite the fact that you don’t know me.”

“The fact that Nick is willing to do so much,” Gran said, “is very telling.”

“But Nick doesn’t really know me that well either.”

“No, but he’s got very good instincts about people.” Then Gran looked straight at me. “And he’s not afraid to follow them.”

That wasn’t subtle at all, but thankfully, she didn’t insist on saying any more.

Everyone was much more relaxed for the rest of the meal. They served our dinner of steak and rice with mixed vegetables a few minutes later. We even had a makeshift wedding cake the restaurant had prepared, and we enjoyed dessert together.

It wasn’t too long after that the twins and Ben were sleeping on the couches by the window. Jake’s daughter was napping in her carrier. Catching up with the family was always great, and I loved that Allison was feeling at ease around them.