Keeping Their Love (Griffin Brothers #7) Read online

  “What the fuck did you do to her?” Ryan asks me.

  “If I knew that, I’d have been working to fix it long before now. But I have no clue. None. Nada. Zilch. Zero. I’ve wracked my brain and there’s nothing. She just despises me all of a sudden.”

  I’m not sure despise is even a strong enough word. I tried to kiss her yesterday, and she jumped back so fast that I nearly fell over. She said she wasn’t in the mood, but it wasn’t like I was trying to maul her. I wanted to maul her, don’t get me wrong, but I wasn’t trying. I was just looking to kiss my wife.

  “I’ve tried to ask her, too, but she won’t tell me. Or Candi. She just spends most of the day sniffling. It’s making us a little freaked out, too, so I can only imagine what it’d be like to be married to her, and have that happen,” Owen tells me.

  “I honestly prefer when she’s yelling at me to when she’s crying. The yelling doesn’t tear my heart apart.”

  “Hang in there, Luke. All couples go through rough times. Your mom and I have only gotten stronger for what we’ve been through.”

  “But what if she doesn’t want to be stronger, Dad? What if she wants to leave me?”

  “Then you let her go.”

  “No. That’s the one thing I can’t do. Not again.”

  I mean it. No matter what happens, I won’t let Olivia leave again. The first time, I sent her away. No matter what, I’ll never do that again. We belong together forever. I just have to find out what’s wrong, and fix it. She’s all there is for me, and if she doesn’t already know it, I’ll prove it to her. Somehow.

  * * *

  Ryan

  I feel sorry for Luke. I really do. Chloe and I are in a great place, so all I have to worry about is a present. That’s a pretty big worry, but my marriage isn’t going to be over if my wife doesn’t like it. I may have to sleep on the couch for one night, but that’s it.

  I really don’t think Luke’s marriage will be over, either. You can’t be in the same room with him and Olivia without feeling their love, but she has been acting weird. We’ve all noticed it. Chloe says she won’t tell any of the girls, so they’re as lost and concerned as we are.

  “Okay. I’m going to take point on this. I only need a gift. The rest of you need something else. I’ll track down everything I can find about romance and special places at Disneyland,” I tell them.

  “No. I mean, thanks Ry. But we need to all do our own thing. You can look up romance all you want, but we have to live it. We have to fucking live and breathe romance for our women. A week is definitely not enough time for what I need to accomplish, but I need to figure that out on my own. I won’t turn down help, but I have to be the one who makes the plans,” Owen says.

  “He’s right. Only I know what Ollie needs. Or at least I used to. I’ll come up with something. I have to.”

  “Well, I’m here if you guys need me,” I tell them.

  “So am I,” my dad says.

  It’s time for me to go back to the drawing board. Maybe literally.

  * * *

  Owen

  I appreciated Ryan offering to shoulder most of the burden and do some research for us, but I know I need to do this on my own. Romance isn’t exactly what I’m looking for, either. I romance Candi every day. She just can’t completely show me how much she appreciates it.

  Take last night for example. I’d seen a vintage camera in an antique shop, so I bought it and waited for Hope to fall asleep before giving it to her. She loved it and was showing me her appreciation when, all of a sudden, our bedroom door was banging open. There was our girl, hands on her hips, telling us we were supposed to be asleep. Mood Killer 101 is the class that kid should be teaching. Or Cock Blocking 400 level.

  So yeah. We really need to get away. Just the two of us. Someplace that has a kitchen and a bed. Or hell, even just a kitchen. I’d make do. I need my wife and she’s told me she needs me too. Disneyland is not what we planned, but I’ll be damned if I’m not going to find some way to make this work. I have to, before we spontaneously combust from all the sexual frustration we’re bottling up.

  “What’s the exact timeline for next weekend, Miles?” I ask, hoping that having more info will give me a better chance to figure something out.

  “Alex wants us all to get there on Friday. Like I said, I couldn’t get us an afternoon wedding, so you guys would have most of the day free. I’m not sure how much primping the ladies want to do, but the wedding isn’t until eight, and the reception is after.”

  “They’ll want to primp, but that should still give us all some time,” Ryan says.

  Some time, yeah. But will it be enough? I hope so, for all our sakes.

  Chapter 3

  Miles

  “I’m sorry Mr. Corrigan, but as I’ve been telling you every day, there is nothing I can do. You cannot have the room in the park. It was given away months ago. Calling me twice a day is not going to change that,” the woman on the other end of the line tells me.

  “But it’s my wedding night. Surely you can move that other couple. Or I can. If you’d just give me their contact info, I’d ask them myself. Hell, I’d pay for all their expenses for the weekend.”

  “We’re already paying all their expenses.”

  “Really? So, you’re flying them in on a private jet, putting them up for the rest of the nights in the best suite at the hotel, and giving them unlimited spending money?”

  “You would do that?”

  “Yes. I would.”

  “What if they spent a million dollars?”

  “I’ve already offered you more than that for the room, so obviously money is of no concern to me”

  “I still can’t give you their contact info.”

  “Can you give them mine? Please?”

  “I’ll give it to them, but I’m not sure they’ll contact you.”

  “Thanks,” I tell her as I hang up. I’m not feeling thankful, but there’s nothing else I can really say.

  I’m leaning back in the chair with my hands over my eyes, sending up silent prayers that the couple will contact me, when I hear my door open. “Not right now. I need a few more minutes before you start bombarding me with my meeting notes.”

  “I was going to bombard you with something else, King.”

  I open my eyes to watch my girl lock the door and turn back to me. She’s in a dress that has a halter top and a loose skirt. Damn, she’s sexy as fuck. And I’m a very lucky man.

  “Oh yeah? Whatcha got for me, Xandy?”

  “A little stress relief,” she tells me, coming over and climbing on my lap. “You’ve been so upset lately. I want to make you happy to marry me again.”

  What? “You think I’m not happy to marry you?”

  “You’ve been kind of distant the last few days,” she reminds me with a shrug.

  My phone rings before I can answer her. I don’t recognize the number, so I’m hoping it’s the other couple. “I’ve got to take this, but we’ll talk later, okay?”

  “You’re kicking me out?” she asks with wide eyes, as I answer and ask the caller to hold. I mute the phone before I answer.

  “Yeah. I really need to take this call.”

  “I’ve sat in on business calls before.”

  “Not this time. Sorry. But later?”

  “I think I’m busy later.”

  “Xandy, don’t.”

  “Don’t what? Don’t marry you? Because that’s on the table right now.”

  “Take it off the table, please. There’s nothing I want more than to be your husband. I promise. I wouldn’t have asked you if I didn’t want to marry you. I’m just trying to work something out right now.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “Absolutely, positively sure. I love you.”

  “I love you, too. I’ll see you later.”

  We kiss and then I wait until she’s out the door before picking up the call. “Hi. Sorry for the wait, I was finishing up a meeting.”

  “No problem, Mr. Corr
igan.”

  “Please call me Miles. Did you hear my offer?”

  “Yes, I did. While it’s great, I’m afraid we just can’t take you up on it.”

  “I’ll do anything. Name a price.”

  “I’m sorry, but no.”

  “I’ll beg.”

  “I totally get where you’re coming from, but I just can’t do it. Thank you for your offer. Goodbye.”

  I want to throw my cell phone across the room, but instead I just bang my head on my desk a few times. Dammit! I needed that room. It’s the perfect place for our wedding night. Nothing else will do. But I guess someplace will have to.

  I wish we could change the date. It would make it easier for me, and the Griffins. I sit up as I think about it more. Maybe I can convince Alex. We don’t care about the lost money. She’ll want to do what’s best for all of us. I know she will.

  There’s a spring in my step as I walk into the foundation offices later that day. Alex and I smile at each other as she finishes the call she’s on. When she’s done, I lean over her desk and kiss her hard.

  “Wow,” she says when we break apart. “What was that for?”

  “I had the best idea for the wedding,” I tell her.

  “Really? What is it?”

  “We should change the date.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Your uncles all had trips planned, and I can’t get something I wanted for you this weekend. So we should push things back. It’s no big deal. We’re practically married, anyway.”

  I’m not expecting her hand to reach out and slap me, but honestly, I should’ve been. I realize my mistake a second too late. I reach for her, but she steps back. Tears are streaming down her face as she throws her engagement ring at me.

  “How about we have no wedding, huh Miles? Since we’re practically married anyway and all.”

  “Shit, Xandy. I didn’t mean it like that.”

  “How exactly did you mean it?”

  “Just that we should’ve thought more about everyone else when we decided on the date. Your uncles are really screwed right now because they have no backup plans for their wives. And I meant what I said about not being able to get you what I wanted.”

  “You’re all I want, Miles. Maybe we should’ve picked a different date, but I’ve wanted to be your Valentine for a very long time. When I was in school, and they had those balloon fundraisers, I always wished for one from you. I wanted a heart full of candy and this cute little necklace I saw at a store once. It was a heart with little pink and red fake jewels that said ‘be mine.’ It wasn’t expensive or fancy, at all. But I thought it would be something I’d want from the man I loved. From you.”

  “I’m always going to be your Valentine, Xandy. And I always was. I’ve never been with anyone else on Valentine’s Day. Never. Because I wanted to be sending you balloons, and buying you candy, cute necklaces, and everything else. I feel like I’m letting you down, by not getting what I wanted for you, but now I know that I’d be doing worse if I made you change the date.”

  I drop to one knee again, and hold out the ring. “Get up, Miles. You know I’m going to marry you. I shouldn’t have slapped you. I was just so scared that you didn’t want me anymore.”

  “That’s something you should never be afraid of. I’ll always want you. More than I want to keep breathing, I want you. I’ll be getting on my knees again later to show you just how much,” I tell her as I walk to her and slide the ring back on her finger.

  “I’m not going to argue about that. But before we go home, we need to talk to the girls and see if they can help my uncles.”

  “That is an excellent idea.”

  We run into Stella first, and enlist her to help Ryan. We were afraid that with the wedding styling, she wouldn’t have time, but she assures us that she does. She even has an idea about what she’d like to help him do, but she won’t tell us. Darcy walks up right then and says she wants in on the helping. We laugh and thank them both.

  Tegan’s the perfect choice for Owen, and she readily agrees. She knows all about finding sexy, wherever you are. She tells us not to worry at all. She’s going to call him right away, and she says she’s going to ask Audrey, who grew up in California, to help as well.

  Both Reina and Isabelle want to help Scott. They know Yasmin’s business has been failing, and they have an idea to help her. All they’ll say is that it’s something to do with a friend of Tegan’s. With Isa’s genius level mind, and Reina’s business savvy, we know Scott’s in good hands. They shoo us out as they start to plan.

  For Luke, we enlist Ellie and Jade. Along with Isa, they’re the closest in age to Olivia, and they’ve become good friends. They tell us that they don’t know what’s been bothering her, but they’ll do everything they can to help Luke. And I don’t doubt that one bit.

  I know Ainsley and Faith would love to help, but we both decide to let them spend time with their guys. Both of their relationships are really new, and we don’t want to pull them away. Plus, Faith and Gavin are working on something’s that important to both of them right now. We’ve got plenty of great help. Except for not getting the room for us, everything else looks like it will turn out okay. I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed every chance I get, though, because nothing ever seems to go as planned with us and our friends. We may need a Valentin’s Miracle. If there even is such a thing.

  Chapter 4

  Luke

  Ellie and Jade have been helping me plan for the past couple of days. We realized that since the rehearsal dinner ends at eight on Friday, and the wedding isn’t until seven thirty on Saturday, I have at least twenty-one hours to wow Ollie. There’s nothing saying that we can’t start our Valentine’s Day early. And there’s also no reason we have to stay at Disneyland that whole time. As long as I have us back by four thirty or five, we should be good.

  Once we decided that, I had the perfect idea for where to take her. We’ve been finalizing things all day, and I think we’re all set. I’ve pulled them into a group hug when Ollie walks into our kitchen.

  “Isn’t this cozy.”

  “Hey. You’re home early today,” I tell her, breaking away from the girls to go hug her.

  “You’re going to touch me after being with them?”

  “Liv, what the hell? You know we’d never do that and Luke sure as shit wouldn’t touch anyone but you,” Jade says, looking pissed.

  “Everyone wants Luke. Just look at him,” she replies, waving her hand at me. “All those girls who hang out at the hockey rink, even when he’s kissing me. The moms at his school. How long’s he going to wait for me?”

  “I’m pretty sure he’ll wait forever for you, even if you are being a royal bitch right now,” Ellie tells her.

  “I would. Beyond forever, even. I can’t stop women from looking at me, but I don’t want anyone else. I only want you.”

  I watch her shoulders slump and then she’s crying. I go to her immediately. She can push me away if she wants, but I have to try. I love her too much to give up. Miraculously, she lets me hold her. She even wraps her arms around me and pulls me tight up against her. I haven’t been this close to her in over a month, and I freeze as I feel what wasn’t there before. I pull back immediately.

  “You’re pregnant?”

  “Yes,” she says, biting her lip.

  “Oh my God, that’s great,” Ellie tells her, rushing over to hug her.

  Jade follows, and they insist that she lift her shirt to show them her little bump. I feel like my legs have weights in them, I can’t move. She has a fucking bump which means she’s at least a few months along. She not only didn’t tell me, but she’s been pushing me away. While she’s carrying my child. Or maybe not.

  “Whose baby is it, Olivia?” I ask her, barely holding onto the anger that wants to break free.

  “Wh-what?”

  “You didn’t tell me you were pregnant, even though you’re obviously a few months along. You haven’t let me even close enough to hug you in
over a month. So I’ll ask you again. Who. Is. The. Father. Of. Your. Baby?”

  There’s complete silence for over a minute as Jade and Ellie take in what I said. They were so excited for their friend that they forgot that I didn’t know. I wouldn’t have planned all of what I did if I’d known. They won’t even look at me, which is good because I wouldn’t be able to stand their pity.

  “You’re the father, Luke,” Olivia tells me in a small voice. “How could you doubt that?”

  That’s who she is to me now—Olivia. My Ollie wouldn’t have done this to me. Wouldn’t have hid our child from me. I don’t even know the woman who’s standing in front of me. And I’m honestly not sure I want to.

  “I need to leave right now. Will you guys take care of her?”

  “Yeah. We got this, Luke,” Jade tells me.

  I see the pity now when I meet her eyes. Hers widen when she sees the unshed tears in mine. I thought Olivia had broken me once, but that was nothing compared to this. I was worried about her leaving me, but now I can’t imagine even being in the same room with her ever again.

  “I’ll need a paternity test once your child is born. We can work out all the legal stuff then.”

  “Luke, oh God, no. Please, I can explain. Let me explain.”

  “I can’t.”

  “We promised. We said we’d always communicate with each other and listen.”

  “I cannot listen to a fucking word that comes from your lying mouth. Because either you’ve been keeping the knowledge of my child growing inside of you from me for months, or you’ve cheated on me. Both are about as fucked up as you can get. And I’m not sure I could forgive either at the moment. I’ll see you on the plane, and at the wedding, because I have to. But past that, I-I just don’t know where we stand, Olivia. I love you so damn much, but you just destroyed me. You know how much I want to be a dad. I never pushed you, but you know.”

  I leave before I say or do anything else. She just broke both our hearts and I want to just shake her and ask her how she could do that to us. But I’d never hurt her, pregnant or not, so I’m leaving. And I really can’t imagine ever coming back.