by Laura Farr
“Libby, short of giving birth, which it’s way too soon for, nothing would stop me from being at your wedding. I can’t wait to be your maid of honor and watch you marry Mason. Josh and I will be fine, I’m just so happy for you Lib.” I took her hand and squeezed it tightly just as my mom came bustling back into the room, a bottle of champagne in her hand.
“Ryan, go grab the glasses, I found the champagne,” she exclaimed, holding the bottle in the air.
“None for me, thanks Mom,” I told her as she began to open the bottle.
“Of course not,” she said, sticking her tongue out at me. My dad returned with the glasses, and once everyone had a drink and my glass was filled with orange juice, my dad led the toast.
“Libby, you came to us when you were hurt and lost. Mason found you and pieced your heart back together, and anyone who sees you two together can see how much you love each other.” He paused, and I watched as his gaze went from Libby to Mason. Mason pulled Libby into his side and kissed the top of her head. “Mason, we can’t thank you enough for being there for Libby and for loving her. I know I speak for everyone here as well as Libby’s parents when I wish you both a lifetime of happiness together.” He raised his glass, and I glanced around the room as everyone else raised theirs. “To Libby and Mason.”
“To Libby and Mason,” echoed around the room, and I lifted my orange juice into the air, tears slipping down my cheeks. I watched as Mason put his glass down and scooped Libby into his arms, kissing her on the lips.
“All right!” my dad exclaimed. “Let’s eat, I’m starving!” I laughed. That was typical of my dad—giving a heartfelt speech one minute then worrying about his stomach the next. I reached up and wiped my eyes as we headed into the dining room. I felt someone touch my arm, and I turned to see Josh behind me.
“You okay?” he asked, looking down at my tear-stained cheeks.
I nodded. “Happy tears,” I said with a small smile. “They both deserve to be happy, Lib’s been through so much.” I walked off to join the others, not waiting for him to reply.
We spent the rest of the evening eating and planning the wedding. Libby wanted a simple ceremony with no fuss, and with Mason not speaking to his family, there would only be a small number of friends and family invited.
“So, when are we going dress shopping Lib?” I asked, bouncing up and down in my seat. “There’s only one bridal store in Marble Falls, but we could always take a trip into Austin. I’m sure there are more stores there, and you’re up for a girls shopping day in Austin, aren’t you Mom?” I asked, looking over toward her.
“Sure, count me in,” she replied.
“I thought I might just get a normal dress. It doesn’t have to be from a bridal shop,” Lib said, and I turned to look at her, my eyes wide with surprise.
“Libby Davis, you are getting a wedding dress!” I exclaimed. “Tell her Mason!” I shouted across the table.
He held his hands up. “She can have what she wants Sav,” he said with a chuckle. “As long as she ends up being my wife, she can wear a trash bag as far as I’m concerned.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “It won’t be a wedding without a wedding dress.” I pouted. “Just try some on, and then decide? It’s a great excuse for a girls day, and we haven’t done that in a while. What do you say?”
“Okay, okay,” Libby said, laughing. “If you insist.”
“I do! And I bet you find something you love,” I told her excitedly.
“Never mind the dress!” Brody exclaimed. “What about the bachelor party? I’m thinking Vegas! Some blackjack, maybe a few strip clubs—you’re up for that, aren’t you Mason?”
“Brody!” I exclaimed, throwing him a dirty look. I turned as I heard Mason laugh.
“No Brode, I was thinking more along the lines of a few beers at the Brass Hall once Jack gets here.”
“The Brass Hall? We go there all the time!” He swung around to look at Josh. “Back me up on this man,” he implored Josh desperately. “We should go to Vegas.” Josh held his hands up, a smile tugging on his lips. “At least a night in Austin then?” Brody asked.
“I just want a night out with the boys—no blackjack, and definitely no strip clubs!” Mason said, shaking his head at him.
“You’re such a jerk Brody! I can’t believe you suggested a strip club for Mason’s bachelor party with Libby sitting right here,” I told him in disbelief.
“Sorry Lib,” Brody said sheepishly. “I didn’t think.”
“It’s fine. You should go to Vegas or Austin if that’s what you want to do babe,” Libby said to Mason. “Just stay away from the strip clubs,” she said, her cheeks flushing pink.
“Sweetheart, I just want a few drinks with my friends. I don’t want or need to go to a strip club.” I watched as Libby grinned at Mason before leaning in to kiss him.
“That’s settled then—no Vegas, and no strippers,” I said, giving Brody another dirty look. “I’ll start planning the bachelorette party, how about the weekend before the wedding?”
“Sounds good to me,” Libby said, smiling widely.
“That should work for the bachelor party too,” Brody said, nodding his head.
“Maybe I should get Josh to organize it? I’m not sure I trust you Brody Parker!” Mason joked, grabbing Brody around the neck, goading him into a play fight.
“I swear you might as well be 10 years old again!” my mom shouted, guiding them outside and onto the porch. “Out! Talk about guy things outside—we’ve got a wedding to plan.” I watched as she ushered all four of them outside, my dad included. Turning back to us as she shut the French doors, she rolled her eyes. “Boys never grow up!”
I laughed as we made our way into the living room. “This is so exciting!” I gushed, flopping onto the sofa. “Now, what flowers are you having? What color schemes are we working with? How are we going to decorate the barn? Have you thought about your wedding cake? And we need to think about the rehearsal dinner too.”
“Whoa, slow down! We only set a date a few hours ago! I haven’t thought about any of that stuff!” Libby said with a laugh.
“You’d better get thinking Lib, eight weeks isn’t long to get everything worked out. How about we head into Marble Falls on Monday and check out the florist? We can stop by the bakery as well, get some ideas for a wedding cake?” Neither of us had class on Mondays, and we usually tried to meet up for lunch.
“Okay.” She nodded. “I can’t believe I’m getting married.”
“I can,” I told her. “You and Mason are perfect for each other.”
“He is pretty amazing.” She sighed, grinning from ear to ear.
We continued planning and talking for the next hour or so. Before everyone decided to call it a night, I said an awkward goodbye to Josh and made my way upstairs. It had been a long day and even though I’d managed to get a nap earlier, I was exhausted. After getting ready for bed, I lay staring at the ceiling, unable to switch my mind off. I knew Josh would be at the cottage again the next day, and I wasn’t sure I could face another day of stolen glances and lingering touches knowing I’d just be left frustrated and confused. Rolling over, I closed my eyes, tossing and turning before I eventually fell into a deep sleep.
Waking up the next morning, I stretched my arms above my head and yawned. Despite having struggled to fall asleep, I slept really well, and so far I hadn’t felt the need to rush for the bathroom and throw up. I wasn’t going to hope the morning sickness was completely gone, because I knew the nausea could strike at any time. I reached across the bed to my nightstand and grabbed my phone, pushing the home button to illuminate the screen. I saw I had an unread message from Alex.
Alex: Hi Savannah, it’s Alex, your knight in shining armor from the Brass Hall. How are you?
I stared at my phone, rereading the message. With everything that had happened the day before and then with Libby and Mason’s news, I’d completely forgotten that Alex had my number. My finger hovered over the reply button, and af
ter a few seconds of indecision, I clicked it.
Me: Hi Alex, I’m okay, thanks. How are you?
I bit my lip nervously as I waited for him reply. I wasn’t exactly sure what I was doing. My head and heart were full of Josh, and I was nearly five months pregnant, but there I was texting some guy I’d met in a bar. I knew nothing could come from texting him—hell, I didn’t even want anything to come from it—but I’d have been lying if I said it didn’t feel good to have some attention from someone. I was pulled from my thoughts by the buzz of an incoming message, and I looked down at my screen.
Alex: I’m good, even better now that you’ve replied. Can I take you out for a drink?
I dropped my phone and slumped back down on the bed. I knew I should just stop this immediately, tell him I’m pregnant, and delete his number. There was no way he would want to take me out for a drink if he knew the truth, and I wasn’t even sure I wanted to go with him anyway. From what I could remember, he was extremely good-looking with bright blue eyes and short blond hair, and he had seemed really nice when I’d dragged him into my argument with Josh. I sighed and picked up my phone.
Me: I’m not sure that’s such a good idea Alex, I have a lot going on at the moment, sorry.
My screen flashed with a response almost immediately.
Alex: That’s what you said on Friday night, is this because of that guy? Just come out with me on one date, what do you say?
Me: There would be no point, trust me.
I knew I should just tell him I was pregnant; he wouldn’t even want a chance then. The phone buzzed again.
Alex: One date Savannah, say yes.
I sighed and closed my eyes. Part of me wanted to go out with Alex, even if it was only to piss Josh off, which I knew was an immature thing to do and not at all fair to Alex, but then it was Alex that was pushing for the date, even though he knew I was hung up on Josh. Josh always got so worked up when he saw me with someone else; he didn’t want me, but it seemed he didn’t want anyone else to have me either.
I smoothed my hand down my t-shirt and over my small bump. You couldn’t really tell I was pregnant, and I didn’t have to tell him, right? I could just go on one date with him, one last date before my social life was non-existent and consisted of bottle feeds and diaper changes. Before I changed my mind, I quickly typed out a reply.
Me: Okay, one date, but not a drink. Do you ride?
Alex: Sweetheart, I’m from Texas, of course I ride.
Me: A ride to the river on the edge of the ranch I live on? Are you free in a bit?
I knew I wasn’t exactly being fair to him, agreeing to a date when I knew it couldn’t go anywhere, but hopefully a date in the middle of the day screamed friendship rather than romance. I sighed and shook my head. Who was I kidding? A ride through the ranch to the river screamed romance. God, I was an idiot, but I didn’t have time to try to put him off the idea as my phone buzzed in my hand again.
Alex: That sounds great Savannah, I can be there in an hour?
He was definitely interested; I’d have to go along with it now and hope for the best. I sent him a message asking him to come at about 11:30 and told him my address. I checked the time: 9:30. I was guessing Josh would be at the cottage by now, and I knew I would have to show my face before I met Alex. Josh was, for whatever reason, giving up his free time to help me.
I sighed as I swung my legs over the edge of the bed. Standing up, I padded across the
room to the bathroom and climbed into the shower. As the hot water pounded my skin, I tipped my head back and closed my eyes, enjoying the feeling of the water massaging my body. I stayed under the spray for far longer than I needed to before drying off, throwing on some shorts and a sleeveless top, and making my way downstairs to the kitchen.
The aroma of bacon hit my nose as I pushed the door to the kitchen open. Four pairs of eyes turned to face me, and I stopped in the doorway as Mom, Dad, Brody, and Josh all stared at me.
“Morning sweetheart,” my mom said before smiling and turning back to the stove.
“Morning. What are you all doing here?” I asked, avoiding making eye contact with Josh.
“We’ve all been at the cottage since early this morning, and your mom’s just making us some breakfast before we continue with the painting,” my dad replied, crossing the kitchen and kissing me on the head. “Sit down,” he said, guiding me to the table.
“You’ve all been at the cottage?” I asked in surprise, only then noticing that they all had paint spattered on their clothes.
“It’s almost finished,” my mom said from the stove. “You should go look after breakfast.”
I nodded. “Thank you,” I whispered, finally finding Josh’s gaze. He flashed me his heart-stopping smile and butterflies erupted in my stomach. Even though I didn’t have a clue where I stood with him and was meeting Alex in just over an hour, his smile was infectious and I found myself grinning back at him.
“Savannah?” I heard my mom say, dragging my attention back to everyone else in the room. As I turned to look at her, I caught her smiling at me. “Do you want some bacon?” she asked with a wink.
“I’ll try some, it smells great,” I told her, my face flushing as I realized she’d seen me grinning like an idiot at Josh. “I hope it doesn’t make me throw up!” I exclaimed.
“Now, now, Savannah, your mom’s cooking isn’t that bad,” my dad said with a laugh.
“Hey!” my mom exclaimed, reaching out and swatting him with the spatula that was in her hand. “You can make your own bacon next time, smart mouth!” she told him, a smile forming on her lips.
“Awww, you know I love you baby,” he said sweetly, tickling her around the waist as she squealed and pushed his hands away. I looked over at them and smiled. They were so happy; I was envious of their relationship, and could only hope that one day I would be as happy as they obviously were.
After I ate a bacon sandwich and quickly threw some jeans on, we all made our way to the cottage. I was walking arm in arm with my mom as Brody, Josh, and my dad walked on ahead.
“You’re very quiet sweetheart, are you okay?” my mom asked, squeezing on my good arm, which was linked with hers. “If you’re having second thoughts about moving into the cottage, it’s not too late to change your mind.”
I shook my head. “I’m fine. I’m not having second thoughts. I need to do this—it’s the right thing for me and the baby.”
She nodded her head and smiled. “As long as you’re sure.”
“I am,” I reassured her, even though if I was honest with myself, I was nervous as hell. We caught up with the others, and they were all waiting for us outside the cottage door.
“There’s still some painting left to do, so it’s not quite ready to move into yet, but I think we might have it finished by the end of today,” Josh said, reaching for my hand and leading me through the door. My arm erupted in goose bumps from his touch, and I followed him blindly, loving the feel of his large hand enveloping mine.
The smell of paint hit me as we walked into the sitting room. The room was dark as the only window was boarded up due to the broken pane, so when the light was flicked on and the freshly painted room came into view, I gasped. “Wow, it looks amazing!” I exclaimed, looking around. The walls were painted with the ivory paint we’d chosen from Target, and the fireplace had been cleaned out, ready for a fire to be built. I hadn’t been in the cottage since hurting my hand and was glad to see that the blood had been cleaned up from in front of the window. The wooden floors looked like they had been polished. “How did you manage to get it looking like this in one morning?” I asked in shock.
“It was a joint effort honey. We each took a room,” my mom said, her eyes dropping to my hand, still encased in Josh’s. She smiled. “Your dad and I did in here, Brody took the baby’s room, and Josh, your room. All that’s left to do is the bathroom, and then it all needs a good cleaning. I think you could move in next week, if you’re ready?”
I nodded a
s I felt my stomach churn with nerves. It was actually happening—the cottage was almost ready and I’d be moving in, alone. I felt Josh squeeze my hand. “You okay? You’re really quiet—if there’s something you don’t like, we can change it,” he said.
“No, everything is great, I love it,” I rushed out. “I’m really grateful for everything you’ve all done for me.” I plastered on a smile. “I guess I’m going to need some furniture—I feel a shopping trip coming on!” I exclaimed, trying to push the nerves away. I’d never lived anywhere other than at home, and it was going to take some getting used to.
“You won’t need much sweetie. You can have all of your bedroom furniture, and the sofa from the den for in here, so you’ll just need furniture for the baby’s room,” my mom said, pulling me away from Josh and guiding me upstairs.
After seeing the rest of the cottage, I thanked everyone and made an excuse to leave, telling everyone I had a headache. My parents thought it was because of the paint and ushered me outside, but not before my gaze landed on Josh, the concern evident on his face. I dropped my eyes from his and headed back to the house. He must have known somehow that I was lying about the headache, but I didn’t want them all to know about my date. I knew I was making a mistake going out with Alex, and I was going to make sure I kept things in the friend zone with him. Once we’d gone for a ride, I’d tell him I couldn’t see him again.
As I walked back to the house, I saw Mason coming out of the stables. I raised my hand in greeting and he waved back. I hoped he wouldn’t be around when Alex arrived; I wanted to slip away on the horses without anyone noticing us. I had half an hour to kill before Alex was due, so I quickly got changed into some shorts I could still fit into and grabbed my cowboy boots before sitting on the porch swing to wait for him to arrive.
