Decker (Torey Hope: The Later Years #1) Read online

  The wedding was short, sweet, and extremely emotional. Katie’s eyes welled with tears when Audrey did a reading about bringing her son’s wife into their family as her own daughter. Those tears spilled over when both Beckett and his bride, Kenja, shed tears and choked up on their vows. When Decker grasped her hand and handed her a tissue, she almost lost it. She didn’t know if she was ready for marriage just yet, but the ceremony convinced her that she wanted it one day, and she knew exactly who she wanted her happily-ever-after to be with.

  As they left the ceremony and headed to the reception, Decker cocked his head and turned to Kate. “Not that I mind her being here, but how did your grandma get invited to the wedding? Who does she know in my family?” Katie loved how they could have deep, emotional conversation just as easily as they could have random, meaningless chats as well.

  “Oh, she’s friends with Jack and Judy Jordan. They play bingo together at the senior citizen center at least once a week.” Climbing in his car, Katie continued. “Did you know the senior citizen center is going to have to cut a lot of their programming? They are losing some funding. Grandma says that the bingo and other game nights will be the first to go.”

  She looked out the window, sad to think of her grandma losing one of the weekly activities she looked forward to the most. It wasn’t so much about the bingo, it was about the socializing with friends and getting out of the house.

  “Decker! What if we started running a few programs just for the senior citizens in town? I mean, I know we already have classes and courses that cater to the older generation, but what if we ran a bingo night and a card game night? Grandma and her friends love Uchre; I know it would be a hit.” She gave him an expectant look, waiting for his answer with a sneaking suspicion that he already loved her idea.

  “I think it’s a great idea, Bug. I know my grandparents would be happy to go to game nights at The Center+; the senior citizen center is on the outskirts of town, it’s not always convenient for the older folks to get to. Let’s put it on the agenda for our next staff meeting, and we’ll see what we need to do in order to get it rolling.” He pulled her hand to his lips. “Now, I don’t mean to change the subject if you still want to talk about work…” He spoke with a question, and Katie shook her head to indicate she was done talking about work.

  “Good. Not to sound as crass as Kendrick, but I can’t wait to get that dress off of you later. You are absolutely stunning. If I was as crass as Kendrick, I’d be looking for the nearest restroom and locking you inside with me.” Katie’s body shivered in delight as Decker’s words whispered over her as he helped her out of the car. “Mmm, I saw that shiver. Do you want me to lock you in a restroom and have my way with you?” He smiled the coy glance she gave him. “There you go again, my little trouble maker. I told you that song was perfect for you.”

  “I’m not sure I’d go through with bathroom sex, especially at your cousin’s wedding, but I’m already looking forward to our own little after party when the reception winds down.” Katie wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered in his ear. “Just to give you something to anticipate throughout the evening, I’m not wearing anything under my dress.” She licked her lips and laughed at his exaggerated groan as she walked away with an extra sway in her hips.

  **********

  Katie couldn’t shake the feeling that something was going on. Sawyer and Decker had been trading whispered comments for the thirty minutes they’d been at the reception. Grandma kept walking by and tsking Katie while ogling Decker’s ass. And there was just an undercurrent in the air, like someone was watching her.

  Decker had gone to do a couple shots with his brother and cousins, and Katie had taken the moment to stop by the ladies’ room. Leaving the facility, she started toward Decker and the guys, but she practically ran into a woman she’d never seen before who stepped right into her path.

  “Hi, you’re Kate, right?” The woman stuck her hand out as if to shake, but Kate was instantly wary; she knew most people in town and this woman was not a local. Trying to remind herself that Beckett and Kenja had friends from school, Katie extended her hand to shake.

  “Yes, I’m Kate, and you are?” The cold hand in hers was not comforting, and she couldn’t fight the feeling that this woman in front of her wasn’t here for good reasons.

  “Oh, how rude of me. I’m Angela, Decker Morgan’s girlfriend.” Angela sneered her words.

  Katie took a deep breath, understanding in that moment that she was dealing with a jealous ex-lover. She had heard the guys speak of Angela a couple of times. The woman in front of her was beautiful in a very severe way; she couldn’t picture Decker, who was currently smiling and laughing with the guys over drinks, with this angry person in front of her. Knowing that Angela was hoping for a reaction, Kate just smiled.

  “Nice to meet you, Angela. Decker has spoken very little of his ex-girlfriend, but I recognize your name from the jokes his cousins and brother have told me.” Katie couldn’t help but get a couple little jabs in with her reply.

  Choosing to ignore the barbs, Angela sniffed and spoke condescendingly. “Decker and I parted ways amicably with every intention of rekindling our romance when we were settled with our business ventures.”

  “Oh? And where exactly is your business venture? Have you gotten yourself all settled? I’m sure Decker will be just thrilled to see you’ve shown up in town for the rekindling.” Katie had never had a bitchy or catty bone in her body, but it was obvious they had just been in hiding all of these years.

  “You silly little dear. I’m not here for Decker just yet; I’m building a name for myself at a very prestigious company and climbing the ladders quite successfully. I’m simply here to enjoy the wedding. Decker and I will be together when it’s right.” Angela’s voice dripped venom as she spoke down her nose at Katie.

  “So, you’re here with…who exactly?” Katie racked her brain trying to determine how in the world Angela had landed an invitation to a very small event in a town Katie would guess she’d never even stepped foot in.

  “An old friend of mine was a classmate of the groom’s; he needed a date, so I did him a favor and accompanied him to this lovely little town.” Katie didn’t miss the nasty emphasis Angela placed on her words.

  “Well, if I’ve got a limited amount of time with Decker, I think I’ll go enjoy our evening. So great to meet you, Angela.” Katie started to back away when she sensed him behind her. She didn’t want to look like a simpering female, but her heart kicked up a couple notches when she realized he was there to step in and protect her.

  “Angela, what the hell are you doing here?” Decker’s jaw ticked rapidly as he waited on an answer. His arms moved Kate from in front of him to behind him.

  “Decker, so good to see you; you look great as usual baby. I was just telling your friend here that an old friend of mine was classmates with the groom and he invited me to the wedding. Such a quaint little affair. We should definitely grab a coffee this weekend and catch up.” Angela’s voice had taken on a sickening sweet tone and Katie fought the urge to gesture with her finger down her throat. She turned her head and caught the guys watching the whole scene go down; when Kendrick did put his finger down his throat and pretend to gag, she laughed out loud and knew she’d love that guy and his crass ass forever.

  “We won’t be getting together for coffee or catching up, Angela. I’d like to say it’s been good to see you, but since you seemed to be harassing my girlfriend, I’m going to just have to say goodbye. Come on, Kate, let’s go dance.” Decker started to grab her hand, but Angela’s cackle stopped him short.

  “Oh, that’s rich, Decker! If you want me to think you’re over me, you need to do better than pretending you’re going to dance with the poor girl. Don’t forget, I dated you for a long time; I know you don’t dance. Ever.” Angela spoke as if she’d just revealed the biggest secret every kept.

  “Well, you obviously don’t know a damn thing about me now, because I learned to dance j
ust for Kate, and I intend on spending the rest of the night with her in my arms.” Decker did grab Kate’s hand then and stalked away, leaving Angela standing gaping like a fish out of water.

  “Decker? Decker, slow down. There was no reason to lie, you could have just told her to get lost.” Katie found herself almost running to keep up with him. “Decker!”

  “Sorry, Bug. I just got angry when I saw her corner you and start giving you a rough time.” Decker slowed down and cupped her cheek, running a thumb along her bottom lip. “Are you okay? I’m sorry about that. I had no idea she was coming here this weekend.”

  She started to speak, but the guys walked up and everyone started talking at once.

  “Damn, Katie-girl, where did that little hissy spunk come from? Mee-ow!” Sawyer hugged her. “That was great. I told Deck you didn’t need him, you were holding your own just fine.”

  “Dude, there’s something fishy going on here. I call bullshit on her having a date here tonight. I’ll keep an eye on her; I think she’s up to something. It doesn’t make sense that she would travel all this way just to attend a wedding with an old friend.” Kendrick narrowed his eyes as he contemplated Angela.

  “She said she was basically just counting the days until the time was right for her and Decker to ‘rekindle’ their romance. Maybe she came with the date just as an excuse to see Decker?” Katie had never really been jealous and she wasn’t feeling the emotion as she spoke, but she did feel like something was off.

  “Come on, we’ll sort of pull together and keep everyone close for the rest of the reception. That way she can’t get close to Decker or Katie and we can keep an eye on her.” Zach led the group back to the reception tent. Grabbing Zoey’s hand, he explained the situation and had her find Aly and Asher.

  “Come on, Bug, let’s dance.” Decker held his hand out for her.

  Laughing, Katie rolled her eyes, “Yeah, right. It’s okay, I don’t think she’s looking, you can stop pretending.” She sat down on one of the soft cushioned chairs.

  Crouching down to rest his elbows on his knees, Decker spoke softly. “Kate, this isn’t the way I wanted to surprise you, and damn Angela for making me blurt it out like that, but I did learn to dance for you, and I want to spend the rest of my evening with you in my arms. Now, if I know Sawyer, he’s asking the DJ to play a special song just for us right now. So, Kate, will you do me the honor and dance with me?” He held out his hand again and smiled when she reached for him.

  Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud” came through the speakers. “This isn’t the song I want to call ours, but it will do for now.” Decker rested his right arm around her waist and pulled her close to him; grasping her hand in his. “For my debut performance, I plan on doing this right.” He smiled and glided her around their small space on the dance floor.

  Katie couldn’t take her eyes off of his face; he learned to dance. For her. Just for her. Her heart caught in her throat as he leaned in and kissed her softly.

  Decker glanced around at the other wedding attendees; he saw his parents dancing and caught the tears sparkling in his mother’s eyes when she saw he was dancing with Katie. His mom had tried for years to get Decker to dance, with no success; she smiled at him through her tears, and he knew she understood why it took Kate to get him to dance when his mom couldn’t get through to him all those years.

  When the song ended, Sawyer swooped in to steal Katie away for just one dance. It was a fast song; Decker wasn’t feeling confident enough for a fast routine just yet, so he let Sawyer take his girl and headed to the restroom.

  “Decker, can we talk?” Angela tried grabbing his hand as he exited the restroom.

  “No, Angela, we can’t talk. We broke up, I have no clue why you’re here, I’m in love with Kate; we have nothing to talk about.” Decker knew he sounded harsh, but he was not happy with Angela being here or her treatment of Kate earlier.

  “You can’t love her; she’s not good for you. I took a little time from my job so you and I can reconnect; I just want us to give our relationship another chance.” Her voice shook and he took a good look at her for the first time. She was shaky and sweaty, her face was pale and she had lost weight. It was not a good look for her.

  “Angela, I’m sorry if I wasn’t clear when we left school. We are over. I came here to build my life; you went your separate way to start your own life. We weren’t meant to be together. I don’t want to be hurtful, but I never felt for you what I feel for Kate; she’s my perfect match; we just click. Now, I need you to leave us alone, leave town, and go on with your life.” Decker walked away, trying to ignore the nagging feeling that jabbed at his brain.

  Swinging past the DJ station, Decker asked the man if he could play a certain song. Once the song was found, Decker requested the microphone.

  “Good evening. I wanted to start by saying congrats to Beckett and Kenja. You two are truly perfect together, and I wish you much happiness. Now, without stealing the spotlight for too long, I want to dedicate a song to someone special. This song is old, I’m pretty sure my grandparents were fans of it years ago. My brother, a music aficionado, suggested it was the perfect song to describe what this girl has done for me and what she means for me; he was completely right. This song is perfect. Kate, this song is for you; this is our song. Before you, my world was black and white; when I met you, you brought color into my life. I never knew what I was missing until you showed me how to live. So, thank you; I love you.” He handed the mic back as the song floated from the speakers.

  Wrapping Kate in his arms, he held her close and nuzzled her neck. “Listen closely to the lyrics. It’s called ‘You Decorated My Life’ by Kenny Rogers. That’s what you did, Bug, you came along and added your spark and flare to my life; you balance me perfectly. This is our song, forever. I love you, Kate.”

  Katie’s heart was full-to-bursting wrapped in Decker’s arms listening to beautiful lyrics. She didn’t think she could get any happier…until Sawyer dragged her out on the dance floor with Decker, Zach, Kendrick, Zoey, and Aly and made them dance to a couple fast numbers. Watching Decker let loose, laugh and have fun with his family and friends touched her heart in a deep way; knowing that he was having fun because he learned to dance just for her was overwhelming.

  Decker really played it up during both songs. “Shut Up and Dance” by Walk the Moon was a lot of fun; Katie got to pull some attitude on him and get a little sassy. “Dance With Me Tonight” by Olly Murs was just sweet, silly, fun; they all got into the moment by acting out the video. By the end of both songs, everyone was sweaty and laughing and having the time of their lives.

  Heading over to grab drinks for Kate and himself, Decker was waylaid by Grandma. “Is it true that you’d never danced before tonight?” Her rheumy old eyes squinted at him as if trying to gauge his answer for truth.

  “Yes, ma’am, it’s true. I’ve never been a dancer; never felt the need. But, Kate wanted me to dance with her one night, and I felt bad saying no. So I had my brother teach me so I could dance with her tonight.” Decker drank from a bottle of water while he waited on their drinks to be prepared.

  “So, let me get this straight. You learned to dance just so you could come here tonight and make an absolute fool of yourself shaking your ass all over the dance floor, and you did it all for my granddaughter?” She spoke unbelievingly.

  “Well, I didn’t plan on making a fool of myself, but if I did, so be it. Yes, I did it all for Kate.” He smiled as he realized what he’d said was true, he didn’t care if he’d looked like a complete idiot out there. The smile on her face had been worth it.

  “Well then, boy, I think I may have misjudged you. My Stanley learned to dance just for me, and he was the best man I’ve ever met. So, I’m willing to give you a chance with my Katie. But, so help me God, if you hurt her, you’ll answer to me. It will be awfully hard to dance or run a business with your cock-n-balls missing.” Water spewed from Decker’s mouth and nose. She had turned and walked away before h
e could dry himself off and stop coughing. Turning around, she walked back to him. “If you want to shake that sweet ass of yours later, come find me when they play The Cha-Cha Slide.” She winked as she smacked his ass and shuffled away.

  Laughing as he carried the drinks back to his beautiful girl, he couldn’t help but shake his head at the old woman. When Katie saw him laughing and looking a bit shocked, she raised an eyebrow in question.

  “You don’t want to know.” Decker grabbed her and kissed her as he chuckled.

  Exasperated, she persisted. “What? Did Kendrick say something ridiculous?”

  “Are you sure you want to hear this?” Decker questioned. At the look of impatience on her face, he held up his hands and gave in, “Okay, okay, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  Pulling her closer, he look down into her waiting eyes. “Your grandmother is giving me a chance; she likes the fact that I learned to dance just for you. I guess your grandfather did the same thing for her.” As Kate’s face softened and her eyes teared up, Decker delivered the blow. “And, she said she would cut off my ‘cock-n-balls’ if I hurt you.” At the wide-eyed look of mortification on her beautiful face, he threw his head back and laughed. “I kid you not, Bug, she used that exact phrase and told me it would be hard to dance or run a business with my package missing. That woman is scary, but I think I love her.”

  He leaned in and captured her embarrassment with a long, lingering kiss. When she had gotten over some of her humiliation, he felt the kiss change direction. No longer was her mouth lazily accepting his; she increased the pressure of her lips on his and easily opened when his tongue sought entry. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she moaned a bit when he rubbed himself against her middle.

  “You ready to head out of here?” Decker spoke huskily into her ear and reached down to covertly adjust himself; saying their goodbyes to family while he was sporting a tent in his pants would be more than a little awkward.