Authors: Natalie Ann
“Thank you, Uncle Sean and Aunt Carly!” Sean turned his head to see his niece Brittany as she uttered those words loudly, then watched as she rushed to Carly’s side and started asking questions about the camera. He’d never been so ignored by the kids in his family in his life.
It wasn’t the first time he heard “Aunt Carly” either. She seemed to take it in stride, which was good, since she would be their aunt soon enough. Of course she did make it through the last holiday with his family, unlike other women he’d dated in the past. That alone should have proven she wouldn’t have a problem with the kids running over to her today.
Watching the kids tear through all their gifts, he’d felt kind of guilty for taking the easy way out and giving gift cards for years.
The girls were all swooning over the clothes that Carly picked out. He’d been hopeless there, but she seemed to know exactly what the elementary-aged ones would like. She even confessed to him that she asked another teacher with teenage girls what the latest style was to help out with the older girls. He was touched that she went the extra mile for his family, though he shouldn’t have been surprised by it.
His nephews were easy. All he did was buy them each a jersey of their favorite athlete and whatever accessories they needed for the sport of their choice. Then again, he’d always been easy to buy for, too. He guessed that was just the nature of the beast, boys were more generally simple, basic even.
His parents were thrilled with the cruise that he and his siblings all chipped in together to get. He was ecstatic Kristy had thought of that and saved him from coming up with a gift.
His mother all but cried when she saw it, and though his father grouched about who was going to run the pub, everyone jumped in and said it would be covered. He couldn’t remember the last time his parents had a vacation, let alone a week out of Boston. It would do them good.
He was watching the kids tearing into more gifts. They were at the pub again for Christmas dinner. Each family did their own Christmas breakfast and gift giving, then came together at the pub to exchange gifts with everyone else. When dinner was done, as a family they would put the pub back to rights so that his father could just open on time the next day.
He and Carly had swapped their own gifts this morning in bed. Call him sentimental, but since he got the heart-shaped ring, he decided to keep with the theme and gave her a white gold heart-shaped locket.
It was probably an old-fashioned gift, but he remembered Brynn saying that Carly was a throwback to the fifties and he felt deep down she might be one of the few women who would appreciate the gesture of a locket.
Even though it was corny and over the top, he put the locket in a heart-shaped box. At first she was thrilled over the keepsake box, thinking that was all he got her. She should have known better by now, but when she opened it up, her eyes widened and she pulled it out, holding it close to her chest, turning toward him and saying, “I’ve always wanted a locket. How did you know?”
“Just a lucky guess,” he’d told her.
She didn’t believe it, but it was true. He was beginning to realize that he knew her almost as well as he knew himself. Especially after she scolded him for buying it, saying that the ring was more than enough and she didn’t expect anything else for Christmas.
Her gift to him, well that brought tears to his eyes, and he wasn’t embarrassed to say that. He’d opened the prettily decorated box, pushed the tissue paper away and saw a big frame holding three photos. The first was him cupping her jaw and looking into her eyes, seeing the love radiating off of her to him. Seeing that look in front of him caused his breath to catch.
He’d always been able to see her love, but looking at the two of them together in that picture made him realize why his family had been positive he was going to propose to Carly so quickly. He was certain he’d never looked at another woman that way before. Ever. Because he sure the hell never felt that way before.
The second picture was her hands on his cheeks as she gave him a laughing kiss. He didn’t even remember her doing it that day and was stunned that it was captured in a picture.
The last picture was the two of them with their heads together smiling at the camera. “Courtney did a wonderful job with these pictures. I’m amazed.”
“I set the camera on multiple frame shots and just told her to keep her finger pressed down. The camera was taking multiple pictures and focusing on its own, but don’t tell her that,” she’d said, smiling. “I thought you could put that on your wall. I’m your family now too, right?” She giggled when she said it. He could see the nervousness over the statement, even though she shouldn’t have felt it.
“You are my family, but I’m not going to put it on the wall, at least not on that wall.”
“You’re not?” She looked so sad and confused, he couldn’t help leaning forward and placing a kiss on her pouting lips.
“No. That’s the other thing I wanted to talk to you about. I know we haven’t really discussed the future, where we are going to live or anything.”
“No. I figured we had time yet,” she agreed.
“Not a lot of time. I don’t want a long engagement,” he told her.
“That’s good, because neither do I.”
“Anyway. My townhouse is too small really.”
“My house isn’t much bigger.”
“No. I thought since we both had our own places, why not have something that is just ours.” He rushed out to say it before he could lose his nerve. He wasn’t sure how she was going to feel about this and hoped she was on board. “I talked to Alec and Brynn last week about seeing if we could get bumped before everyone else in the development. Maybe build a new house together and move in this summer? What do you say? I get special treatment there. It’s the least they can do for what I’ve had to put up with working with them.”
“Really? You want to build a new house with me? In the development?” She looked happy, he thought, her eyes were wide, and she was smiling. He knew living in a development wasn’t the ideal setting for a lot of people. Not everyone loved suburbia living, but he wasn’t bothered by it. Hell, he was around enough people and kids growing up. The neighborhood she lived in right now was child friendly, and she seemed to enjoy it.
“Yeah. I figured you for the white picket fence around the house in the middle of a cul-de-sac.” He was teasing her, but it was the truth: he totally pictured her living that way.
“Don’t laugh at me, but I’ve always had childhood dreams of that. Corny, I know, but it just seemed so much like the American Dream.”
“Then I want to give it to you.”
She reached over and hugged him tight. “I feel like this is all a dream to me right now.”
“It’s not, it’s reality. A few more things though,” he’d said, moving her back and pushing her hair out of her eyes, then tucking it behind her ears. “We have to finalize the house plans pretty quickly when we get back. They had no problem bumping us, but that means we don’t have a lot of time and I’m sorry for that. If it’s okay with you, I told them to narrow it down to the four biggest two story houses. You can pick the layout and design, but I want big, and a finished basement.”
She smirked at him, almost reading his mind. “A place for your family to stay when they visit.”
“Exactly.”
“Okay. So what’s the other thing? You said a few, or is that it?”
“Just that you know they are opening up a few new streets to build on, and we have to decide that too, the plot we want. They’re also naming the streets after family.”
“I know. I thought it was cute that they named one Palmer Place after Brynn and Mansfield Manor after Sophia.”
“Well, if you pick a plot on one of the streets no one else is on yet, especially the one with a cul-de-sac, they said they were going to name it Callahan Crest.”
“Seriously? That is the nicest thing I’ve ever heard. See, Sean, you’ve had brothers all along.”
He looked out over the pub at his family now, at his sisters and his brothers-in-law and the few nephews. Yeah, he was in the minority growing up, and since he moved away, he never really had a chance to get too close with his sister’s husbands. They were all several years older than him, and they all got along, but he knew they viewed him as the baby of the family. The one that everyone told what to do, and he just did it to keep the peace.
Then he thought back to his life in Saratoga. The life he made for himself, the life he wanted to make with Carly. Yeah, he had brothers back home. Not of blood, but of friendship. Not much different than Carly and Brynn, and wasn’t that the best type of family of all?
“Why do you want to make all of these favors by yourself?” Sean asked, picking up one of the pastel pink ribbons. “And I can’t believe our wedding has an Easter theme.”
“It does not,” she argued. “Just because we’re getting married the week before Easter doesn’t mean it has an Easter theme.” She eyed him when he picked up the mini white wicker baskets and pastel ribbons in a big handful, titling his head at her. “Besides, aren’t you the one who said you wanted a short engagement?”
“I did. And Alec, Brynn, and Phil are thrilled that we’re getting married before the summer, even though the spring is still pretty busy for them.”
She snorted. “It’s not like the three of them are working on the site. They can be away for a few days.”
“That’s true, and they’re only going to be away from the office for two days. Almost everyone is traveling on Friday and will return on Sunday morning.”
“Tell me again what your father said when you asked him to be your best man,” she said smiling at him, picking up another basket and a ribbon at random and weaving it through the wicker.
“He cried. He couldn’t believe it. He said he thought for sure I’d ask Phil or Alec, but I said it was always him. He and I weathered the Callahan women together, the least he could do was stand up there next to me and give me away like he did his daughters.”
“You didn’t tell me you said that to him.”
“He bawled like a little baby. Then my mother grabbed the phone and said that she thought it was only fair she gave me away, since Dad gave the girls away. I told her if I thought it would stop her from trying to baby me, then she could have the honors.”
Carly giggled, she could see him saying that to Claire. “What was her response?”
“She snorted and said my father was going to look wonderful in a tux at the altar.” He took the finished basket out of her hand and handed her another one with a different colored ribbon. “You’re positive you want the reception at the pub?”
“It’s a little late to change now, don’t you think? And yes, I’m positive.” They were thrilled that they managed to secure the same church all of his sisters were married in, but knew there was no way to get a hall on this short of notice.
Honestly, Carly thought it was fitting that the reception be held at his family business, but she and Sean insisted that it be catered and no one from his family lift a finger for anything in preparation. His parents were so honored they agreed.
He walked away and opened the refrigerator and pulled out one of the beers his father had sent him in a care package with soup, a recipe for Carly, plus more double chocolate cookies. “When are you going to make the pretzels?”
She decided to fill the baskets with mini gourmet pretzel sticks since they were such a big hit, along with chocolate-covered caramels and nuts. Chocolate went well with Easter, and though she insisted it wasn’t an Easter theme, her mind was going back and forth with ideas that led that way. “Not until two weeks before; they will stay fresh if cold. I might even make them just the weekend before.”
“Carly, you’re crazy. I know you can order them at a candy store. Why stress yourself out over this? It’s not a money issue.”
He wouldn’t understand. “No, it’s not. It’s my wedding, Sean. I only want to get married once. Since I know you love me and know me so well, you should accept this. You already think I’m this little homemaker,” she said smirking at him. She knew she had him with her statement of knowing her so well.
“Suzy,” he interrupted her.
She shook her head. “Fine, Suzy Homemaker. Either way, I always dreamed of doing everything for my wedding. I want it to be homemade with what I like, things I make, a representation of me.”
“So that’s why you wanted the reception at the pub.”
“Why’s that?” she asked, wondering if he finally figured it out.
“You want it to be a representation of me, or my family rather, even though I don’t live there anymore.”
“Is that a problem?”
“No,” he said, pulling her forward for a hug and holding her so tight, making her feel so safe and sound.
She hadn’t felt this safe in longer than she could remember. Maybe never. Even living alone, she’d always jumped at sounds in the night. But since Sean moved in, nothing bothered her anymore.
His townhouse was so modern and up to date, they decided to put it on the market when they returned from Christmas. She never expected Brynn to sell it in three weeks. Sean was just as happy, packed up what he wanted, put the rest in storage and moved into her house.
Brynn had said she’d be insulted if Carly put her house up for sale with anyone other than APH Real Estate, but Carly was embarrassed. Her house was nothing like the newly modern and flipped houses that Harper’s built, bought, or sold. Her house was older and had charm. It wasn’t new and modern, even though it was in good condition.
She’d reluctantly agreed to upgrades first, to help the house sell faster, but refused to lose the character or charm. And she absolutely did not want any type of deal from Harper’s to do the work. They already were starting to build her house first and she knew darn well they weren’t charging her and Sean close to what a house in that development sold for.
Not that she asked Sean what they sold for. Well, that was a lie, she did ask, and he evaded her question, and then she asked Brynn who did the same thing. In the end, no one would answer her and no matter how much research she did, she knew they were still charging her and Sean significantly less.
Alec had argued and said it was an employee discount, but Carly didn’t believe him. She finally threw her hands in the air, but she laid the law down on her house. So the compromise was Sean had to do the work, with Brynn and Alec supervising.
She’d thought Sean would balk over it, but he didn’t. They weren’t doing that much to the house really, just new countertops, repainting her kitchen cabinets, and installing new vanities and tiling in the bathrooms.
All the supplies had been ordered and were on the way. She was going to struggle with the kitchen being torn apart, she knew that, so she begged and pleaded that he do that first and get it out of the way. He insisted he could do every project over a weekend, especially if Brynn and Alec stopped over and helped.
If it wasn’t for her being without her kitchen or bath for so long, she’d never have agreed to the help.
“I wonder who that is,” Carly said when the doorbell rang.
“I’ll check. It’s probably just the paperboy. You’re the only person I know who still has the local paper delivered and has to pay weekly to some kid.”
“It’s a good first job for them. Don’t knock it.”
He walked out shaking his head.
***
Sean opened the door and looked at the older man on the other side filling the doorframe, his deep voice asking, “This is Carly Springfield’s house, right?”
“Yes. Who are you?” Sean eyed the man. A few inches taller than him with a full head of white hair and wrinkles all around his eyes, the man looked like someone who worked outside and squinted a lot. He had a big barrel chest and thick arms, Sean could tell even under the guy’s winter coat. He looked haggard like he hadn’t slept in days, nor shaved, the shaggy full growth of beard giving that away.
“Joe Springfield, Carly’s father.”
Sean froze, not sure what to say or what to do. He knew Carly hadn’t seen her father in over twenty years. He’d never even asked her father’s name before, but looking at the man, he could see some of the similarities. Not in height or build, but in the eyes. They shared the same light brown, almost golden eyes. They even had the same round face.
“I know you’re Sean Callahan,” Joe said before Sean had a chance to respond, but he quickly found his bearings.
“What if I am?”
“I know Carly is engaged to you; I read it in the paper. I’ve been trying to contact her for a long time and she hasn’t responded back to me. When I read about her engagement, I saw where you worked.”
“Your car was outside of my office yesterday.” He remembered it now. At the time he didn’t think anything of it, not at first. There was a lot of traffic around their office, but the hair stood up on his neck, something he hadn’t ever remembered feeling in his life. It made him look in the rearview mirror on the way home and he’d noticed the aging blue sedan that was following slowly behind him. The car had turned before he got to Carly’s so he had put it out of his mind. Now he suspected Joe had driven around looking for his car to find Carly’s house.
“Yeah,” Joe acknowledged. At least he didn’t try to deny it. “Is Carly home? Can I come in?”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. She obviously has no wish to see you if you’ve been trying to reach her and she hasn’t responded back.” Carly wasn’t that type of person. There had to be a reason for it.
Joe ducked his head down, ran his hand over his face in frustration, looked nervously around the neighborhood, then took a few deep breaths. “Will you tell her I stopped by?” He pulled out a piece of paper and handed it over. “My number is on here if she wants to reach me.”
Sean took the paper and nodded, then shut the door. He was seriously considering just destroying the number, but that wouldn’t be right. He still had no clue what was going on with Carly and her father. It wasn’t his place to keep the information from her, even though he didn’t want to upset her with it.
He walked back into the kitchen and saw her head down. She was quietly singing to the radio that had been playing low. She always had music on in the house. She never was really much of a TV person that he’d noticed.
She looked up at him, her eyes so soft, and the happiness was just bursting through as she gazed at him expectantly. Suddenly he felt like what he was going to say was going to wipe that happiness away. He knew it deep down and it killed him.
“It took you long enough to pay the paperboy. Did he wrangle a bigger tip out of you?” she asked, joking. He always picked on her about getting the paper, but she was right, he always tipped the kids more too. It wasn’t a job he would ever want and figured if the kids were willing to do it and most likely were getting paid peanuts, the least he could do was give them a little more.
“No. It was your father.”