I groan. “Can’t we just stay here?”
“No, you need a wedding dress and that’s that.”
I give her a salute. My sister-in-law offered to help do a lot of the wedding planning since she had hers not all that long ago. It’s hard because I always dreamed I’d get married at the Park Inn. Not only did my relationship with Jack start there, but also it’s beautiful. Instead, we rented a huge chateau a few towns over. It has floor-to-ceiling windows and is stunning. It’ll house everyone and give us the best of both worlds: quaint but also bougie. “Fine, fine. Let’s all get changed.”
We head into the changing area, everyone laughing, talking, and moving around. The spa gave us a subsection to ourselves.
I enter the bathroom to find both Winnie and Delia coming out of stalls. I go to wash my hands and panic hits me.
Oh my God.
“Shit!” I yell when I look down at my hand, realizing my engagement ring is gone. “My ring!”
“Relax,” Winnie says, “we’ll find it.”
Jess comes rushing in. “You lost your ring?”
I nod. “I had it on when we did toasts.”
“Okay.” Jessica is calm. “Did you have it when you got changed?”
I think, trying to retrace my steps. “Yes. It has to be in here.”
Everyone starts to move around, checking the floor, and I go through the stall. When I reach around the trash basket, I feel it. “It’s here! It must’ve flown off.”
A few sighs of relief sound, and when I step out, Jessica is standing there, holding something in her hand that I know very well.
A pregnancy test.
“Why are you holding a pregnancy test?” Winnie asks.
“It was right here,” she explains. “I’m . . . I mean, I’m seven months pregnant so we know I wasn’t taking it.”
“Is it positive?” Delia asks.
“Yes,” Jess confirms. “So, which of you guys is pregnant?”
“How do you know it was one of us?” I ask.
“Because this room was spotless when we came in and we’ve been the only people here.” Jessica looks at Winnie, Delia, and then me.
I do the same, scanning the faces of my two close friends. “Is it you, Win?”
“No!” she says quickly. “I have an IUD and Easton wraps that shit up.”
“Deals?” Jessica asks.
“No, definitely not. I’m not having sex, so I can’t really get pregnant.”
My gaze darts to her, and she stares at me. Well, I know that’s a lie since yesterday she was sneaking out of Josh’s RV. All eyes turn to me. My lips part, but I know it’s not mine, which means it’s Delia’s or Winnie’s. Both of them are watching me, but where Winnie looks as though she’s about to pee herself with joy, Delia looks like she might break down in tears.
I turn to Jessica. “Yeah. I mean, you found out. It’s me. I’m . . . pregnant.”
“Oh my God!” Winnie rushes toward me, pulling me into her arms. “I am so happy. Does Kinsley know?”
Shit. Shit. Shit. “No, no one does, and you can’t tell her. Please. Not until I figure things out.”
Because I’m not pregnant.
“This is amazing.” Jessica smiles, her watery eyes brimming. “Our babies are going to be just a few months apart, and they’ll be best friends.”
I force myself to smile. “For now, can we not talk about this—at all?”
They all nod. “Of course, we’ll be quiet.”
“Thank you.”
“Come on, let’s get back before Kinsley gets curious,” I suggest.
God, if she heard any of this, I will be in so much trouble. I’ll have to explain that I lied, and then if Jack somehow catches wind of this before I have time to give him a heads-up. Just . . . not good.
As we all exit, I hang back, pretending I need to look at something in the mirror. As soon as Jess and Winnie are gone, I grab Delia’s arm, pulling her back in.
I keep my voice to a whisper. “We are so going to talk about this.”
Tears fill her brown eyes. “I know, just not today. Can you give me a few days?”
“Is it Josh’s?”
The tear falls. “A few days, Stella. I just need a few days.”
I pull her in for a hug and make her a promise. “A few days.”
I’ll give her the time she needs, but there are not enough minutes in the world to change the struggle she’s about to face if this baby is my brother’s.
Thank you for reading Jack and Stella’s story. I don’t know how to express the joy I had writing it. To be honest, when I finished Return to Us, I had no idea the direction this story would go, but it unfolded, and I’ve learned not to fight the characters.
Want more Jack and Stella? Swipe to the next page for access to an exclusive Bonus Scene!
Now, I’m giddy over Delia and Josh.
Josh is . . . well, he’s really special and Delia is so much fun.
Preorder A Moment for Us and be ready for a love story that will leave you speechless!
Bonus Scene
Dear Reader,
Could Have Been Us might just be my favorite story I’ve ever written. I loved Jack and Stella and I hope you did too. I was not ready to let them go. Honestly, I don’t know I ever will be. I have an EXCLUSIVE bonus scene as a thank you! All you have to do is click the link below, sign up for my newsletter, and you’ll get and email giving you access!
https://www.subscribepage.com/chbu_bonus
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Books by Corinne Michaels
The Salvation Series
Beloved
Beholden
Consolation
Conviction
Defenseless
Evermore: A 1001 Dark Night Novella
Indefinite
Infinite
The Hennington Brothers
Say You’ll Stay
Say You Want Me
Say I’m Yours
Say You Won’t Let Go: A Return to Me/Masters and Mercenaries Novella
Second Time Around Series
We Own Tonight
One Last Time
Not Until You
If I Only Knew
The Arrowood Brothers
Come Back for Me
Fight for Me
The One for Me
Stay for Me
Willow Creek Valley Series
Return to Us
Could Have Been Us
A Moment for Us
A Chance for Us
Truth Between Us
Co-Write with Melanie Harlow
Hold You Close
Imperfect Match
Standalone Novels
All I Ask
You Loved Me Once (Coming Summer 2021)
Acknowledgments
To my husband and children. You sacrifice so much for me to continue to live out my dream. Days and nights of me being absent even when I’m here. I’m working on it. I promise. I love you more than my own life.
My readers. There’s no way I can thank you enough. It still blows me away that you read my words. You guys have become a part of my heart and soul.
Bloggers: I don’t think you guys understand what you do for the book world. It’s not a job you get paid for. It’s something you love and you do because of that. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
My beta reader Melissa Saneholtz: Dear God, I don’t know how you still talk to me after all the hell I put you through. Your input and ability to understand my mind when even I don’t blows me away. If it weren’t for our phone calls, I can’t imagine where this book would
’ve been. Thank you for helping me untangle the web of my brain.
My assistant, Christy Peckham: How many times can one person be fired and keep coming back? I think we’re running out of times. No, but for real, I couldn’t imagine my life without you. You’re a pain in my ass but it’s because of you that I haven’t fallen apart.
Sommer Stein for once again making these covers perfect and still loving me after we fight because I change my mind a bajillion times.
Michele Ficht and Julia Griffis for always finding all the typos and crazy mistakes.
Nina and everyone at Valentine PR, thank you for always having my back and going above and beyond. I love you all so much.
Melanie Harlow, thank you for being the Glinda to my Elphaba or Ethel to my Lucy. Your friendship means the world to me and I love writing with you. I feel so blessed to have you in my life.
Bait, Crew, and Corinne Michaels Books—I love you more than you’ll ever know.
My agent, Kimberly Brower, I am so happy to have you on my team. Thank you for your guidance and support.
Melissa Erickson, you’re amazing. I love your face. Thank you for always talking me off the ledge that is mighty high.
To my narrators, Jason Clarke and Ava Erickson, I am so honored to work with you. You bring my story to life and always manage to make the most magical audiobooks.
Vi, Claire, Chelle, Mandi, Amy, Kristy, Penelope, Kyla, Rachel, Tijan, Alessandra, Laurelin, Devney, Jessica, Carrie Ann, Kennedy, Lauren, Susan, Sarina, Beth, Julia, and Natasha—Thank you for keeping me striving to be better and loving me unconditionally. There are no better sister authors than you all.
About the Author
Corinne Michaels is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of romance novels. Her stories are chock full of emotion, humor, and unrelenting love, and she enjoys putting her characters through intense heartbreak before finding a way to heal them through their struggles.
Corinne is a former Navy wife and happily married to the man of her dreams. She began her writing career after spending months away from her husband while he was deployed—reading and writing were her escape from the loneliness. Corinne now lives in Virginia with her husband and is the emotional, witty, sarcastic, and fun-loving mom of two beautiful children.
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