Total pages in book: 36
Estimated words: 33407 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 167(@200wpm)___ 134(@250wpm)___ 111(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33407 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 167(@200wpm)___ 134(@250wpm)___ 111(@300wpm)
“Ante up,” Barrett says, dealing a fresh round of cards to the table. I’m too agitated to sit around playing a game. My woman is across the hall and in a matter of minutes, she’s going to become my wife. Who has the patience to sit at a time like this?
“Jasper can’t. He’s out of poker chips,” Evie’s little brother says.
“How about my good leg? This particular model is worth a little over ten grand with all the upgrades,” Jasper says.
“The rest of us don’t need a spare leg,” Noah says, and the guys get into a discussion about which one of them needs a spare brain.
While they bicker, I send a quick text to my girl. She doesn’t respond to my message, though, so I call her instead.
“Stop calling her!” Thea answers Dotty’s phone. “You’re driving us all nuts.”
“Where is she? Put my wife on the phone right now, or I’m coming in there and throwing her over my shoulder and—”
“Sheesh, calm down, caveman,” Dotty’s soft voice coming on the line instantly calms my racing heart. I still have anxiety sometimes when I haven’t heard from her in a few hours. “I just stepped away.”
It feels like every time I turn around lately, she’s in the bathroom. Maybe I’ll make a doctor’s appointment for her when we get back to town. Hell, maybe I’ll demand Cash drive out to my cabin to treat my wife. Yeah, that sounds like a great idea. “Are you OK?”
“Do you have any idea how much trouble it is trying to pee while you’re wearing a wedding dress?”
“No.” The word comes out like a question because I’m not sure what the right answer here is. Nine times out of ten, the correct answer is to kiss her until she’s forgotten whatever I’ve done to annoy her. The other one time, the answer is to give her chocolate and a heating pad. I can’t do any of that stuff over the phone.
“Well, it’s really annoying,” she sniffs. “And we shouldn’t be fighting on our wedding day!”
She’s been doing this lately, crying for reasons I can’t even understand. Two days ago, there was an ad on TV for teddy bears, and she started bawling her eyes out. Still don’t know what that one was about, but I held her for a really long time after that and stroked her hair.
“I can’t wait to see you in your dress. You always look beautiful, but I bet you’re even prettier than the sun today,” I tell her softly, soothing her. Weddings are stressful, and I know I wasn’t any help. She and my mom planned most of the day’s events and decorations. All I had to do was show up in my suit.
“I’m very pretty today,” she confirms, and her voice is no longer wobbling.
“Why don’t you send me a picture of it?” I’ve been dying to see what she looks like in her dress. She’s been secretive about it. All I know is she got it from the Sew Cute boutique in town.
“Nice try,” Thea is back on the phone. “Listen, we only need fifteen more minutes. If you’d stop calling her, you might actually get married before the new year starts.”
I hear Dotty laughing softly in the background, and the simple sound fills my soul with joy. I didn’t know it was possible for my heart to feel this big. “Have my woman at the altar in fifteen, or I will come and drag her down that aisle myself.”
Dotty
I breathe a sigh of relief that I feel like I finally emptied my bladder. I thought I was getting a bladder infection. But I saw Dr. Cash yesterday and he confirmed I don’t have an infection at all. What I have is a twelve-week baby growing inside of me.
I wanted to tell Zac immediately, but we were spending the day and night before our wedding apart. It was my idea. I thought it would be romantic. At least, it sounded romantic in my head. Really, it’s made both of us cranky. I miss sleeping next to my burly man and hearing his soft growls in his sleep. I miss the feel of his arms around me and the gentle thrum of his heartbeat beneath my ear.
I wash my hands and leave the bathroom, exiting into the bridal suite where Thea, Ginger, and Mrs. Maple are. These three women have helped me with every part of wedding planning.
It’s been amazing to have their support, especially because my own parents aren’t attending our wedding. When they heard I was getting married, they barely cared at all. I’ve decided to stop contacting them. I’ve spent years reaching out to them. If they want to contact me, they can. But I won’t beg for their affection any longer.
“All better now?” Mrs. Maple asks gently. She’s been looking at me this morning like she knows exactly what’s going on, but she hasn’t said anything. I haven’t told a soul about the pregnancy. It feels like something Zac should know first.