are you? You haven’t called in days. You can’t still be upset at Erin. I know she hurt your feelings, but it is her wedding, you know.”
Ally rolled her eyes.
“Just be thankful your sister is nothing like mine. Now, lunch has been pushed back to one-thirty tomorrow, and I need you to stop by the store and get the wine. With everything going on today, I just don’t have the time. I swear, your grandmother is going to put me in an early grave…”
Ally walked across the room and turned the volume down on the machine. Chris did not need to hear her mother carrying on about the crisis of the day. “That could take a while. I’ll listen to the rest later.”
“I take it Erin is your sister, but why would you be upset with her?”
Ally tried to think of a tactful way to put it, but came up empty-handed. “She kicked me out of her wedding.”
“Why?”
“Because I’ll be seven months pregnant at the time.”
Chris frowned. “I know this is your family we’re talking about, but isn’t that…”
“Selfish? Self-centered? Slightly sanctimonious?”
Chris leaned back in his chair and spread his hands. “Well, I wasn’t going to say it.”
“Erin’s turned into a Bridezilla over this wedding. I’m kinda glad to have an excuse to be out of the fray.”
“And you’re expected to have lunch with her tomorrow?”
Ally returned to her chair and poked at her fruit. “The Sunday family lunch. Isn’t it a time-honored tradition for every family?” She sighed.
“You don’t sound too keen on that tradition.”
“As I’m sure you’ve gathered by now, my family is a little bit nutty. They’re not happy unless they’re driving me insane.” Ally wanted to take the words back the moment they left her mouth. She’d gotten so cozy with Chris this morning, she’d forgotten her need to keep her crazy family under wraps.
“I understand the feeling.”
That got her attention. “Seriously?”
“I can’t sympathize completely because I don’t have siblings, but I do have several cousins. And Pops can be over-the-top sometimes.” The corner of his mouth curved upward. “Families drive everyone insane. It’s just part of the package.”
“Well, my family has a jumbo-size package of crazy going on. It’s almost like they try to outdo each other.”
“Is your mom a good cook?”
Ally nearly choked. “Are you angling for an invite to lunch?”
“I should probably meet them at some point—we are about to be related, after all. Plus, you shouldn’t have to bring the wine since you can’t drink it.”
Related. Chris said it so offhandedly, like it was a foregone conclusion. Technically he was right, but it still sounded like something else entirely. But showing up to a family event with Chris…“I don’t know.”
Chris looked at her oddly. “I take it you haven’t discussed me with them yet.”
“Not exactly. I mean, they know I’m pregnant, but I made it clear the topic of the father was off-limits.”
“That was before. Now that you know I’m going to be around, they should probably get used to the idea.” At her skeptical look, he added, “What, you don’t think they’ll like me?”
“Oh, they’ll like you.” And then I’ll never hear the end of it if this doesn’t work out. On the other hand, she’d never hear the end of it, anyway. She’d held her family at bay for the time being, but eventually…Of course, once Chris met the Bat Crew, he’d probably beat feet back to Charleston, solving a number of her problems right there.
She just wasn’t sure if that’s what she really wanted anymore.
“Then it’s a date.” Chris drained the last of his coffee, and Ally watched in amazement as he grabbed empty plates off the table and efficiently put everything in the dishwasher. She didn’t know people with a Y chromosome could load a dishwasher.
She stood to help, only to be waved away with an “I’ve got it.” The surprises just kept coming from Chris. Domesticity was not something she expected from a golden boy like him.
Chris closed the dishwasher with a snap and came to kneel next to her. “As much as I hate it, I have to go. I’m going to be late as it is.” He kissed her gently on the forehead. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Ally followed him to the door. “That’s an awful lot of driving for one weekend.You don’t have to come tomorrow. It’s okay.”
He was threading his belt through the loops of his jeans and didn’t look up. “The driving is a pain, but it’s not an issue anymore.”
“Oh.” Had he changed his mind in the last two seconds?
“Victor had the tail rotor taken apart this week, but he promised to have the helicopter back in working order sometime today.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Helicopter? You own a helicopter?”
Chris smirked, then hooked a finger under her chin, closing her mouth and turning it up to his at the same time. “Not personally, but the company does. It saves a lot of time.” He brushed his lips across hers. “Bye.”
Ally closed the door and leaned against it. She could hear the powerful motor of his car roar to life, then fade into the distance as he drove away.
Like she didn’t have enough to process. He owned a freaking helicopter, as well. And he’d be flying down tomorrow just to have lunch with her family. Suddenly, the hundred miles between Savannah and Charleston didn’t seem like such a stumbling block.
Just when she’d begun to think she had her feet under her and a plan in place, Chris had pulled the rug out. Bit by bit, he was slowly chipping away at her entire wall of defense.
How this vapid family produced someone like Ally baffled him.
She’d picked him up at the helipad, then spent the entire drive to her mother’s house “preparing” him, saying her family was a bit crazy but generally harmless. He hadn’t said anything in response to her anecdotes, because everyone thought their families were a bit insane or embarrassing.
Instead, he’d been introduced to the most selfish, narcissistic, self-centered people on earth. They were quick to put two and two together and realize he was the father of Ally’s child, but that hadn’t stopped the snide remarks made to Ally about her unwed, pregnant state.Yet no one seemed to make the same comments to Steven or his obviously pregnant girlfriend, Diane.
Ally favored her mother, Hannah, who didn’t look old enough to have three adult children, but the similarities ended there.
Hannah vapidly bounced from topic to topic, complaining about everything from wedding plans to the way Ally wore her hair. Erin, whom he mentally dubbed “princess,” treated Ally to condescension while simultaneously expecting Ally to manage everything. Ally’s brother was a real piece of work, a man-child who was obviously used to the women of his family waiting on him hand and foot. It extended to his girlfriend, as well, who even in an advanced state of pregnancy perched on the edge of her chair waiting to care for his next need. Through it all, Ally’s father wore the look of a man who’d learned it was easier not to interfere while his family swirled around him.
The entire lot disgusted him. Was Ally sure she wasn’t adopted?
After half an hour, he’d been hard-pressed not to drag Ally out of that toxic atmosphere, but she’d given him a pleading look and a whispered “It’s okay. They’ll get it out of their system soon.”
No