Reckless (Thoughtless, #3)(9)
Wanting to change the focus, I murmured, “I should go talk to Dad, calm him down.” He was probably still a little thrown by the whole sex-tape thing, as well as the marriage thing. Poor Dad. Today was just not his day.
I decided to change into some comfortable clothes before I faced my father. This dress tended to hike up my thighs, and I didn’t want to be constantly readjusting it as he scolded me. It also didn’t allow for a bra thanks to its square, super-low-cut neckline; a perk on my wedding night, but not so great for a one-on-one with Pops.
Mom was perky as she watched me throw on some jeans and a T-shirt; she was still planning the wedding details, going on and on about the ideal floral arrangement. Once dressed, I headed downstairs. Mom’s description of my wedding ceremony never ceased, and her words filtered into my head with each step I took. As I plodded down the steps, I pictured myself walking down the aisle to my husband. When I reached the bottom step, Kellan was standing by the windows, nodding at my father with a solemn expression on his face. I imagined Kellan in a tux and me in a satin gown. In my mind, he was stunning, as usual, and I, for once, was beautiful. The thought of the room full of people made me a little nauseous, so I instead imagined that Kellan and I were alone. Butterflies started to tickle my stomach as the wedding march played in my head.
Kellan looked over at me and cracked a smile. I was pretty sure he wasn’t having the same vision I was having, but the expression on his gorgeous face was filled with just as much love and wonder as mine. Flushing with the anticipation of how wonderful our wedding ceremony could be, I walked over to Kellan and wrapped my arms around his waist. Grinning down at me, he enclosed me in his arms and kissed my head. We were dopily staring at each other when my dad cleared his throat.
I snapped out of my romantic vision as I looked over at him. His brow scrunched in confusion, he asked, “Everything . . . okay?”
I smiled and nodded, and Dad sighed, clearly not understanding how I’d gone from one extreme to another in a span of twenty minutes. I giggled as I let go of Kellan and gave my dad a hug. Mood swings were just a fact of life around Kellan. He could lift me up or crash me to the ground. While I sometimes enjoyed the swings, finding balance with him was something I really wanted. We would need that calm if we were going to maintain a long-term relationship. And marriage was pretty long-term. For me, at least.
When I pulled back to look at Dad, he looked over my shoulder at Kellan. I clearly saw the division in his heart. Dad wanted me to be happy, but he wasn’t thrilled about me being with a rock star. A rock star with a sex tape in his pocket. Leaning in, he said, “Kellan told me about your . . . marriage . . . at the bar.” He frowned and glanced at Kellan. “Are you sure about this, Kiera?”
Smiling bright, I kissed my dad on the cheek. “Absolutely, Dad.”
My response didn’t brighten Dad’s features any. In fact, he seemed to age right before my eyes. Seeing the sullenness in his frown lines, I clutched his arms. “Did Kellan tell you his father was going to come by for brunch?” Looking back at Kellan, I asked, “Did you get a hold of him?”
Kellan lifted the cell phone in his hand. “Just got off. He’ll be here in a half hour.” Kellan’s deep blue eyes sparkled with joy. Positive feelings for a family member were a new emotion for him, and he’d been reluctant to let himself feel it. I think a part of him was still hesitant, like he was bracing himself for the inevitable emotional implosion that was coming. But, for the moment, he was being optimistic about it.
Still beaming, Kellan pointed at the front door. “My car’s fine, too.” I laughed at his relieved expression. He probably would have tracked Joey down if she’d damaged his baby.
While we waited for Kellan’s family to arrive, Mom asked me about color themes for the wedding; the daggers coming from Dad lengthened with each question she asked. Kellan held my hand with an amused smile on his face as he listened to my mom. I was sure he would agree to whatever outlandish ceremony she proposed. He didn’t mind being the focal point of everyone’s attention, and he certainly didn’t mind watching me be at the center of it either. He was constantly pushing me to be more confident and outgoing. While embarrassing, I loved that Kellan cared enough about me to gently encourage me to grow.
Gavin rang Kellan’s doorbell right on time. Exhaling a slow, controlled breath, Kellan stood and wiped his palms on his jeans. I didn’t see a bulge in his pocket when his hand brushed over it, and I thought maybe Kellan had thrown his sex tape away. I hoped so. I didn’t ever want to see him being with another woman, but I knew, if I came across it, the curiosity would kill me. It was possible that it would drive me crazy enough that I would watch it. And there are some things you can’t ever unsee. Kellan making his ex-fling squeal was not something I wanted burned into my brain. Just imagining it was bad enough.
Kellan was visibly edgy as he walked to his front door. It was adorable; he so very rarely got nervous. But seeing his father was a really big deal to him. I wasn’t sure exactly what he was feeling, but if it were me, it would be a mixture of excitement, apprehension, and terror. So much can go wrong when you hold your heart out to another person, especially one who is related to you. Kellan was being immensely brave right now, and I couldn’t have been more proud of him.
Like he was mentally fortifying himself, Kellan let out another short burst of air as he arrived at the door. Slapping on his effortless grin, he pulled the heavy wood inward. I stood from the couch as Kellan’s father came into view. Gavin was so much like Kellan that their lineage was undeniable. Same build, same height, same shade of sandy brown hair, same deep, midnight blue eyes, same strong, right-angle jaw. Looking at the two of them side by side was like being given a glimpse into Kellan’s future. And from all I could see . . . Kellan was going to age very, very well. Gavin was hopelessly attractive.