Noah

I agreed with Callie.

Kate and Dani had taken to impromptu wedding planning like it was a new reality show competition worth a billion dollars. I was fine with most of it, except for the sleeping apart the night before the wedding. I mean, I could understand if we were virgins or saving ourselves for the wedding night, but I had my tongue, among other things all up in her last night.

She was in a naughty mood, so the innocent and pure act the night before the wedding didn’t make sense.

“Dude.” Preston hit me on the shoulder. “Stop moping. It’s one night. Play your card.”

Preston, my dad, Callie’s dad and Corey, Dani’s husband sat around the dining room playing cards and drinking cognac.

“Leave him alone.” My dad reached out and pinched my cheek. “He’s in love.”

I pushed his hand away.

Malcolm the chef cooked us a steak dinner, with lobster mac and cheese and mashed potatoes. We dusted off a couple of bottles of red wine and now the climax of my bachelor party, losing at poker.

“I fold.” I threw my cards down.

The last time I saw Callie was this afternoon.

We woke up this morning and I helped her wash her hair. I redressed her wound and she redressed mine. We talked and laughed and made love, I did all I could to distract her and keep that smile on her face.  We all took a walk out to the deck, and I held Callie close as she peered over the edge to see if she could see the rock that took her out.

Nip wasn’t as enthusiastic about the wedding venue. He was afraid someone was going to tie him to the edge again.

We made it back to the house by lunch and an hour later, the ladies were all packed up and heading to the hotel in town.

“Read them and weep, gentleman.” Callie’s dad laid down a full house.

“No one is that lucky.” Preston threw his cards on the table.

“Gentleman, just tell me when you’re ready for me to stop taking your money.” He took a sip of his cognac and continued to count his chips.

“My deal.” Preston said as the swiped the cards in his direction.

“Deal me out.” I stood up and wandered into the kitchen. The staff milled around working on preparing the place for tomorrow.

I would avoid the million plus wedding price tag, but for as hard as these people worked to pull it together at the last minute, I owed them a big ass tip.

I couldn’t even call Callie. I got her a phone, but I didn’t want to give it to her yet. My only instructions to Kate and Dani, make sure Callie stayed off the internet. If she had access then she would check her blog and if she checked her blog, she’d see the posts and the comments.

“Hey,” Preston walked in the kitchen. He stole a carrot off the tray one of the staff was working on. “You want in on the next hand.”

“Naw.” I hit him in the chest. “I think I’m going to turn in.”

“It’s ten o’clock.” He looked at his watch.

“I know. I’m tired.”

“I’m sure Callie is fine.”

“I know.” I rubbed my face.

Preston hit me in the chest. “Come on.” He waved for me to follow.

We crossed the kitchen into the mudroom that lead to the garage. On the wall hung two sets of keys. Preston snagged one and headed outside.

“What are you doing?” I whispered. “We can’t steal their car.”

“Steal.” Preston hit the unlock button and the SUV furthest away beeped. “I paid for that car.”

“Preston.”

He climbed into the driver seat. I walked around the back of the car.

Preston took off. He skidded to a stop halfway down the driveway.

As he lowered the window, his booming laugh echoed in the crisp cold air.

I jogged to the truck and slid in the passenger seat.

“You are an idiot.” I shook my head and buckled my seatbelt.

“You want to see your girl or not?”

“Kate’s gonna be pissed.”

“Yeah, well, I can handle my woman.” Preston said with his chest puffed up.

We both laughed. The truth was our woman handle us and we were fine with it. I held on as he sped down the winding highway toward town.

 

Preston knocked on the hotel room door.

“Ms. Stone. I have a special delivery for the bride.”

“Maybe it’s something from Noah.” Kate said as she opened the door looking. When she turned, her face dropped. “Preston Carter.”

Preston swooped in and grabbed Kate around the waist and kissed her neck. “Kate, baby.” He laid a loud kiss on her neck. “I missed my girl.”

Kate swatted him on the shoulder, but melted into his arms. He had her giggling in two seconds flat; it was a record.

I stepped inside the door of the suite.

“What is …”Callie came out of a hallway, and pulled the ties on her short white terrycloth robe tight around her waist.

When she spotted me, her face lit up my world. Damn. I love the way she looks at me.

She ran and leaped into my arms. She wrapped her legs around me.

I squeezed her ass with my good hand and wrapped my other arm firmly around her waist.

“What are you doing here?” She asked as she laid kisses on my neck.

“It’s my last night of freedom,” I walked back toward the hall she came from. “I wanted to spend my last bachelor moments fucking the hottest chick in the world.”

Callie gripped the wall and stopped my momentum.

“My mother is back there.”

I looked over her shoulder.

“Hi Mrs. Blake.” I yelled.

“Hello Noah.” Her mom yelled from the room and giggled.

Callie covered her mouth and laughed.

“Y'all can have my room,” Kate said.

“And what room are we going to use?” Preston huffed.

“Oh, we’re already married.” She pulled him toward the couch. “We can cuddle.”

“Ugh.” Preston grabbed his head. “Dude, you sure you want to go through with it. This is what happens.” He pointed at Kate.

“Oh please.” Kate grabbed his hand. “Sexually deprived is not something you can claim.”

“Thanks Kate.” I said and laughed. “Love you guys.”

“We love you too.” Kate sang out. “It’s okay that you f’ed up my ..." she placed her hand on her chest, "our plan.” I stopped.

“If I remember correctly, you two spent your wedding eve together,” I said.

Kate’s eyes grew wide.

“No we didn’t.” Kate sat up. “We went in my room and played cards.”

Preston stood behind her make obscene finger gestures and mouthing, “No we did not.”

Callie’s face turned red. We laughed as I carried her down the other hall and into the bedroom.

Needless to say, Callie and I didn’t play cards either.