“If Leslie or Jennifer brought home a guy who looked like me, wouldn’t you be reluctant to accept him as the future father of your grandchildren?” When Dad opened his mouth to protest, Gabe lifted a finger at him. “Be honest.”
“It might take me a while to get used to the idea,” Dad said.
“They’ve already come around,” Melanie said. “I didn’t give them a choice. I love Gabe. I choose to love him and at the same time have no choice in the matter. So they both know love me, love my rock star.”
His mom and sister practically melted on the spot, and Gabe doubted it had much to do with the brutal midsummer heat.
“You see why I have to marry her?” Gabe said, turning his head to brush his lips against her hair. “You just don’t pass up a love like hers.”
“So when’s the big day?” Mom asked, her smile lighting up her eyes. “We keep hearing you’re making plans, but haven’t heard any concrete date.”
“The last Saturday in August,” Melanie said.
Mom’s bottom lip quivered. “That’s less than six weeks away.”
“I couldn’t stand to wait any longer than that,” Melanie said, glancing up at Gabe and gifting him with her most dazzling smile. “We have an important reason to get married as soon as possible.”
Because he was impatient. That was a very important reason.
A sudden hush fell over the mingling partygoers. Gabe turned, looking for the source of everyone’s sudden attention. Owen was wheeling his older brother down the makeshift plywood ramp that had been built over the back steps of the house.
“I can do it,” Chad grumbled testily, and Owen lifted his hands from the wheelchair grips. The chair zoomed down the ramp until Chad caught the wheels with both bandaged hands. In fact, there wasn’t much of him that wasn’t bandaged. Half of his dark blond hair had been shaved, and a large white bandage covered one side of his head all the way to the corner of his eye and the top of his ear. He had another bandage on his neck and probably more beneath his loose baby-blue T-shirt and gray running shorts. The most gut-wrenching bandage was the one that encased the stump of his right leg that now ended just above the knee.
Gabe swallowed the sudden knot in his throat, trying to process what this damaged war hero had gone through over the past few weeks and what he’d continue to go through for the rest of his life. Gabe was so utterly shocked that he couldn’t help but stare, awash with sympathy.
Chad looked from one solemn face to the next. “I told Owen this was a mistake. Sorry to ruin your fun.” He spun his chair around, but his path was blocked by Lindsey, who did indeed look like she was about to pop that baby out right there on the patio. Gabe knew she still had a good two months before she was due; what kind of giant newborn was she incubating? Lindsey leaned forward and touched Chad’s cheek, whispering into his ear. He shook his head slightly, his gaze trained downward.
“Hey, Chad,” Gabe shouted, not sure what had come over him. “Nice haircut. You don’t mind if I steal that style as my own, do you?”
Half the crowd gasped. The other half gaped at Gabe as if he’d just challenged Chad to a one-legged ass-kicking contest. Chad’s head whipped around, and Chad leveled Gabe with a challenging stare.
“Banner, you aren’t cool enough to pull this off.”
Gabe’s feet were moving forward on their own, and he was tugging a reluctant Melanie along behind him. “That’s a fact. Chad Mitchell has always been the coolest guy on this block.”
“That’s because only old ladies live on this block,” Kellen quipped. “Oh, and Owen here.” He clapped Owen on the back, and Owen immediately drew away, as if Kellen were wearing a leprosy-infected glove.
A few nervous laughs twittered through the crowd.
“I’m glad you made it home,” Gabe said when he stopped in front of Chad’s chair.
He hated that Chad had to crane his neck to look up at him, so he crouched down and took Chad’s hand for a punishing handshake. Chad gripped Gabe’s fingers so hard, Gabe would probably never play drums again, but he got it. Chad needed to feel strong, to feel whole. Gabe held his grip and urged Melanie forward with his free hand.
“This is Melanie. My fiancée.”
Chad smiled up at her guardedly. “So this is the girl who stole Gabe Banner’s heart.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” Melanie said. “I now see why Owen sent you off to fight the bad guys overseas. There’s no way he’d ever get laid in the shadow of a hot-looking brother like you.”
“Don’t I know it,” Owen said, and he actually grinned. His gaze shifted to his brother and his smile vanished before he ducked his head and glanced away.
“Eh, he might have a chance now,” Chad said.
Melanie’s smile faltered, but then she shook her head. “I doubt that. And thank you for fighting to keep us safe.” She leaned in and kissed his cheek. “I know those words don’t mean much—”
Chad released Gabe’s hand and took Melanie’s. “They mean more than you realize.” He then released her hand to push his chair back several inches and said, “What does a guy have to do around here to get himself a cold beer?”
Owen practically tripped over his own feet trying to get to the nearest tub of ice.
“Thanks for coming, Chad,” Gabe said. He left the I know it wasn’t easy part unsaid.
“Thanks for having me. And congratulations. I’m glad you found someone who loves you.”
The sadness in Chad’s eyes stole Gabe’s breath, but the display of his grief was gone in an instant as he claimed his beer from his brother and wheeled off to mingle.
Lindsey appeared at Gabe’s elbow and squeezed his arm with both hands. “Thanks for making him feel normal.”
How else should he make him feel?
But before Gabe could even open his mouth to comment, Lindsey hurried after Chad, barely acknowledging young Jordan, who was all smiles as he made his move to talk to her.
“I think Lindsey likes him,” Melanie said quietly.
“Who? Jordan?” Gabe asked, watching Lindsey walk away from the young, blond-haired roadie without so much as a glance in his direction.
“Not in the slightest. I think she likes Chad.”
“What’s not to like?” Gabe shrugged.
Melanie suddenly squeaked with excitement and darted off toward the grassy area of the yard. She hugged her mom first and then her dad, who both looked road weary. Gabe headed in that direction, his thoughts turning to Jacob for some reason. Probably because Melanie’s parents could drive ten hours to make it to the party, but Jacob couldn’t even be bothered to drive across town.
“Thanks for coming,” Gabe said. “How was the drive?”
“Summer road construction is utter hell,” Melanie’s dad grumbled.
“Oh, Mark. Just think of how nice the roads will be when they’re finished,” Linda said.
“The problem is they’re never finished,” Gabe said. “They just move to a different section.”
“Truth!” Mark said. He shook Gabe’s hand. “I hope you’ve been taking good care of my little girl.”
“She does an excellent job taking care of herself,” Gabe said, earning a bright smile from Melanie. “I just try to stay out of her way.”
Mark chuckled. “She gets that from her mother.”
Gabe glanced around for his parents and found them walking toward their small group. Dad was limping along slower than usual, which surprised Gabe. The warm weather was usually good for his joints. Sometimes it struck him that his parents were aging. There was no getting around that fact.
After introductions were made, Gabe attempted to break the ice. “So Melanie’s got an appointment tomorrow to get her first tattoo. I do think my name in bold letters across her forehead will look amazing. So glad she thought
of it.”
Without missing a beat, Melanie said, “I just can’t decide on a color. Do I go with fuchsia or neon green?” She tilted her head and tapped her cheek reflectively.
“Oh, honey,” Mom said, a hand over her mouth.
“Over my dead body,” Mark bellowed.
Dad and Linda exchanged eye rolls before trying to calm their respective mates.
“It’s a joke, dear,” Linda said, patting Mark consolingly.
“I don’t think she’s the type to get any tattoo,” Dad said,