Conflagration

by Tessa Teevan

  “Yes, yes. Absolutely yes!” I gush, practically squealing as he slides the ring back onto my finger. “Holy crap! I never expected you to propose again. That was perfect!”

  He laughs, bringing my hand up to his lips and giving the ring a kiss. “I don’t know about that. I was planning on doing something elaborate, but now that you’re sitting here, my ring on your finger, I realize how it was done didn’t matter. All that matters is that you said yes. Again.”

  Sliding my arms around his neck, I lean in and press a kiss to his lips. “I’ll say yes every single time,” I whisper, nipping at his bottom lip.

  He steps back, and I groan at the missed contact. He grins as he glances at the clock, and I see that we’re going to be late. Branson takes my hand and helps me off the counter.

  “We’ll pick this up later on,” he says, placing his hands on my hips and pushing me towards the front door. When we get outside, he takes hold of my hand. “Want to walk?” he asks

  I nod. It’s unusually cool on this last weekend of August, and with my flats, I know I can last the couple of blocks to his parents’ place.

  As we walk hand in hand, I start to think about his family, wishing we could announce our engagement for real this time. Then I remember Shane’s incredulity at our story.

  “Hey, Branson?”

  “Hmm?” he responds.

  “Do you think we should come clean about us?”

  He stops and looks down at me. “What do you mean?”

  “I don’t know. It’s just… Now that Shane knows, I worry about someone else finding out about us. And now that this is genuine, that you’ve proposed for real, I don’t want anything to mess it up.”

  “Ariana,” he says, his hand coming to cup my cheek. “No. There’s no reason for us to tell anyone how this happened. Not of that matters now, anyway. We’re getting married. That’s all anyone needs to know.”

  Unease fills me, but his smile is reassuring. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, I’m positive. Nothing good will come out of it, and we’d just spend more time trying to explain it than anything else. And it’s our relationship. I love you. That’s all anyone needs to know,” he reaffirms.

  “Okay,” I whisper, and he drowns it out with a kiss that leaves me breathless as soon as he pulls away.

  During the rest of the walk to his parents’ place, the fears try to surface, but I push them away and instead focus on the gorgeous man next to me. My fiancé. For real.

  “I HEAR you’ve officially come over to the dark side,” a chipper voice whispers in my ear, startling me out of my reverie.

  The Wellington men decided that the best way to celebrate Knox’s being back home would be with an impromptu game of two-on-two—both Knoxes on one team, Cohen and Branson on the other. I almost didn’t want to let him play, but he swore to wear his brace and Knox promised he wouldn’t push him around—too much. Not wanting to be a downer on his bonding time with the men in his family, I relented reluctantly.

  Unsure of what she means, I tear my eyes away from my shirtless—gorgeous—fiancé and slowly turn to see Charlie grinning at me, Andi right behind her. For a split second, I think she means my engagement, and my heart starts beating wildly as I look around, thankful that Amelia’s nowhere in sight.

  “What do you mean? I ask, feigning ignorance and glancing back at the basketball court, where I appreciate the view—and the elder Knox’s insistence that the other team would be skins, not his.

  She says something, but I don’t register her words as I watch Branson go in for a dunk over his dad, his torso stretched, his muscles flexing, and beads of sweat rolling down his chest. A finger snaps in front of my face, and I blink twice then look at her only to see a huge grin on her face.

  “Why do you look like you’re the one who just spent seven days on a honeymoon and you’re sad to be back to reality?”

  I blush, a sheepish expression crossing my face, wondering how she could so easily read my mind. “Seven days? Try seven weeks. Seven weeks of lying around the house with no one but each other. I’ve gotten a little too used to it, I think,” I lament, letting out a deep sigh. “Branson barely made it five hours at work on his first day back before he came home and spent the rest of the week working from his home office.”

  “Right, like he got much work done,” Charlie teases, and my blush increases.

  “No, it wasn’t like that. I swear. It was actually pretty standard. We woke up, had breakfast and coffee together, and then he closed himself off until lunch. After that, he went right back to work until dinner.”

  Charlie’s eyebrows rise. “And after dinner?”

  I grin. “After dinner is none of your business.”

  She and Andi look at each other with knowing smiles. “You’re really good for him, you know,” she says. “It’s been about a year since I first met him, and the change in him? It’s incredible.”

  Andi nods in agreement. “It’s true. He’s so different now that you’re around. Happy. It’s nice to see.”

  “I can’t take all the credit. He’s done some of that on his own,” I protest, and Charlie gives me a soft smile.

  “That’s probably true, but since we have no idea when the two of you got together, I couldn’t tell you whether you were a catalyst or not.”

  I blanch, but she shakes her head.

  “I’m only teasing. It’s just… It’s nice to see him happy with something other than work. After his divorce, he spent even more time at the office, and I know Amelia was really worried about him for a while. Now? It’s like he’s a completely different person.”

  “It’s not just me, Charlie. It’s the family, too. I think all he really needed was to know he was forgiven. That he still had a place among the Wellingtons that didn’t include the office. I know his choices are what ultimately led to the rift in the family, and he needed to forgive himself before anyone else could, but I know being close with his brothers and his parents has been therapeutic for him, even if he won’t admit it.”

  “I know Knox is happy that everything’s behind them. It’s just crazy. Flash back a year ago and I never thought I’d be standing here, married, pregnant, and watching Knox play basketball with his brothers. And with two soon-to-be sisters. Don’t get me wrong. I love my dad to pieces, but growing up with just him was lonely sometimes, and I’m so happy my family has expanded so much.”

  “What?!” Andi squeals, beating me to the punch. “You’re what?!”

  Charlie reaches over and pinches her arm, shushing her at the same time. She looks around to ensure no one heard Andi’s outburst. The men are oblivious, and Amelia must still be inside.

  Charlie turns back to us, a beaming smile on her face. “It’s true, but dammit, I didn’t mean to blurt it out like that. It wasn’t planned or even expected. I started getting sick on the honeymoon, and after looking at the calendar, I realized I was late. As soon as we got back home, I took a test. And well, it was positive.” Tears shimmer in her eyes as Andi and I both squeal, piling on her for a group hug. She wraps her arms around us quickly then pushes us away. “Okay, okay. Back off, ladies.”

  “We can’t help it!” Andi exclaims. “The first Wellington baby. Amelia’s going to be so excited.”

  Charlie laughs, wiping her eyes. “We weren’t planning on telling anyone until after we went to the doctor, but I’ve always been horrible about keeping secrets.” She then looks at me, raising an eyebrow. “I guess Grandma Kate’s going to lose the pool.”

  “What?” I ask, completely confused. “What pool?”

  Andi grins at me. “I completely forgot about that already! After watching you and Branson all over each other at the reception—not to mention the way he couldn’t take his eyes off of you at the wedding—Grandma Kate thought it would be fun to make a wager with Amelia to see who was going to give her the first grandchild. She put her money on you. And, well, I did, too. Looks like we were both wrong.”

  “What?! That’s insane,”
I protest, and she just raises a brow at me. “Okay, so maybe it’s not that crazy. There were a couple of times we didn’t use condoms, but I got my period as normal. No babies brewin’ in here,” I tell her, patting my stomach. A small hint of disappointment washes over me, but I’m quick to mask it.

  Apparently, I wasn’t quick enough.

  Charlie leans in, whispering conspiratorially. “I see that look on your face, Ariana. Baby fever is going to hit you so hard. And we used birth control, too, but you know what they say… It’s not always one hundred percent effective. Come on. How fun would it be to have cousins close to the same age?”

  She has a point. “Okay, so I admit that does sound pretty nice. Especially with what you said, not having grown up with a large family. I didn’t either, and I’d love that for my kids. Plus, Branson was so good with Jacob, and I think he’ll be a great dad. But Jesus, we haven’t even set a wedding date yet.”

  “Don’t discount Vegas if he suggests it,” Charlie jokes.

  “Trust me. I have half a mind to suggest it myself.”

  “Ariana Covington, don’t you dare even joke about something like that!” Amelia huffs as she walks up behind us.

  Charlie blanches, and I give a slight shake of my head, almost positive that she didn’t overhear anything about the pregnancy.

  “Cohen insists he’s going to make me wait at least four years for his wedding, so you and Branson better not even think about running away to elope.”

  Turning towards her, I decide not to remind her that she’s already sat through one of Branson’s weddings. “To be honest, I haven’t even thought about the kind of wedding we want to have. Actually, eloping sounds kind of a like a good idea.” I’m just teasing her, but her eyes narrow.

  Just as I’m about to tell her I’m kidding, I feel a warm arm wrapping around my waist as Branson’s voice fills my ear. He overheard every single word.

  PLACING MY arms around Ariana’s waist, I pull her in and nestle my chin on the crook of her neck. She squeals and squirms as my sweat slides onto her skin, but I hold her tighter against me, not letting her go.

  “Elope? I like the sound of that,” I say.

  “Branson Andrew Wellington! You’ll do no such thing!” Mom exclaims, and I have to choke down my laughter.

  “Don’t worry, Mom. I’m just teasing. But we better start planning. I don’t want a long engagement, so break out those books or Pinterest boards or whatever you have to do to get the ball rolling. I want to be married by Christmas.”

  “Christmas?! That’s only a little over three months from now. How do you expect us to put a wedding together by then?” Mom says with a panic.

  Looking down at Ariana, I see that her eyes are wide, and I grin at her. “What do you think about something small and intimate?”

  She swallows and blinks twice. A slow smile spreads over her face. “Small and intimate sounds nice. As does a Christmas wedding.”

  There. It’s set. When she asked me earlier when I wanted to get married, she freaked out, apparently not having intended to say the words out loud. Even though I’d wanted to plan a true proposal, I knew that was the right moment to do it. And in the end, I realized that it was perfect. Simple and intimate—just the way I like it.

  “There you go, Mom. We’ll look at a calendar later for a date, but for now, December. Plan away,” I say, knowing full well I should probably talk to my fiancée before giving Mom carte blanche, but I can’t help myself. The thought of flying off to Vegas to marry her is tempting, and even just a three-month wait is going to feel like forever. Now I get why Knox said that eight months was nearly torture.

  Mom claps her hands together then takes one of Ari’s, pulling her from my grasp. As she leads her inside, Ariana looks back at me, giving me a glare, to which I respond with a smile. There might be hell to pay later, but it will be so damn worth it.

  “Well, that was quite a show. I don’t think Ariana knew what hit her,” Charlie says, walking up beside me. “I should probably get in there to help, but I think I’ll give her a few minutes alone with your mom. After all, I had to go through it. I’m sure, one of these days, Andi will, so Ariana might as well get the Wellington wedding treatment.”

  “The Wellington wedding treatment?” I ask, and she just grins with a nod.

  “I know you were drunk half the time, but surely you remember your mother barely getting through brunch before dragging me to the living room for her wedding planning sessions?”

  I wince at the harshness of her words. “I deserved that.”

  She sighs, her expression softening. “No you didn’t, and I shouldn’t have said it.” She steps closer, surprising me when she wraps her arms around me.

  I pause, unsure of what to do. Then I slowly place one arm around her and hug her back.

  Looking up at me, she smiles. “I’m happy for you. She’s great, and you two are great together. I know I’ve only known you a year, but I’ve never seen you happier than you are right now.”

  “She is. And I am. At the risk of sounding like a complete tool, I don’t think I knew happiness before her. At least not true happiness. My whole world’s changed since she came into my life. I don’t think I’d be here right now with my family if it weren’t for her.”

  Charlie takes a step back and looks at me perceptively. “I don’t think that’s true. I don’t doubt that Ariana’s played a role in this change in you, but it began with you, Branson. Your parents love you. Your brothers love you. That has nothing to with her and everything to do with you. Don’t disregard your own actions. Before you even brought her around, things were changing with you and the family. They don’t love you any more than they did before just because you’re with her now. It’s just finally easier for you to accept the truth—that your family loves you.”

  Letting out a deep breath, I look down at her. “I appreciate that, Charlie. And I know you’re right. I held back, but I was still trying. She just made it easier to believe I deserved it.”

  Her smile is warm. “I’m glad.”

  “Dude, get your own wife,” Knox growls from behind me.

  I spring back, almost pushing Charlie out of my arms, causing her to laugh. He slips his arm around her waist, giving me a grin.

  I hold my hands up. “Just a friendly hug, Knox. Promise. My future wife’s inside with Mom.”

  “Branson, I was kidding. Calm down.”

  Charlie rolls her eyes then wrinkles her nose. “I love you two, but you both smell, so hit the showers. It’s probably time I relieve Ariana from Amelia’s wedding planning.” She leans up and places a kiss on Knox’s lips before heading inside.

  He turns and looks at me. “Wedding plans? Did you catch the fever or something?”

  I laugh, shrugging my shoulders. “There’s too much wasted time in my past to take things slow with her. She’s it for me and no amount of time dating or having a long engagement is going to change that.”

  “I get it. As soon as I slipped that ring on Charlie’s finger, I wanted to whisk her away and get married immediately. Eight months was a bitch.”

  “Fortunately, I don’t have to wait that long. By Christmas, I’ll be a taken man.”

  “Well, damn. I didn’t know it’d be that soon, but I’m happy for you, Branson.”

  I look at him thoughtfully. “You know, everyone keeps telling me that.”

  He slaps my shoulder. “Then it’s about time you start believing it.”

  AS BRANSON and I walk home from the Wellingtons’ house, a chill fills the air and I wrap my arms around myself. My head is swimming. I’m not sure if it’s from all the wedding planning decisions Amelia threw at me or the four glasses of wine I had to combat my anxiety. You’d think a girl who was to be married a little over two months ago would be used to this, but after discussing everything from party favors to the pros and cons of a plated dinner versus a buffet, I realized just how much Victoria and Benjamin’s mother planned.

  Even though I feel overwhe
lmed at putting together a wedding in such a short time, I vow to play an active role in the planning this time around, and with Amelia there to guide me, I don’t think there will be any problem. A Christmas wedding. The idea is suddenly dizzying, and I stumble slightly.

  Branson laughs, putting an arm around my waist and pulling me into him. “I think someone had too much celebratory wine tonight,” he teases as we walk up to the house.

  I’m silent as we head down the hall to our bedroom, his hold on me never loosening.

  “Maybe,” I mumble belatedly, and he laughs again.

  He picks me up and sets me down on the bed. Slowly and with expert efficiency, he undresses me then slips one of his oversized T-shirts over my head. As he moves away, he strips down to just his boxer briefs and I can’t take my eyes off him.

  “Get under the covers,” he orders when he returns to the bed.

  I scoot back, doing just as he says. He disappears from the room, only to return with a pack of ice.

  Bolting up, I wince. “I knew you shouldn’t have been playing ball!”

  Shaking his head, he climbs in beside me and places the ice on his knee before turning off the bedside lamp. “It’s fine. Just a little sore. Plus, it’s not like I could wimp out and say no when Knox challenged me and Cohen. Now come here,” he says.

  I slide over, placing my head on his chest, my hand on his abdomen. His arm settles around me.

  “Next time, you’ll wimp out. Or I’ll threaten you. I don’t mind being the bad guy,” I tell him.

  His chest rumbles with laughter. “Okay, baby. Next time I’ll let you boss me around.” His hand slides up into my hair and he plays with the loose strands. “So, a Christmas wedding?”

  “Well, to be honest, the idea of eloping was kind of nice. Just you and me, no pomp and circumstance. No waiting. No pressure,” I tell him, and his hand stills.

  “Baby, we can do whatever you want. I know Mom protested at the thought, but at the end of the day, she’ll get it over it. After all, it’s not the wedding they really want to see. It’s the aftermath. The happily ever after.”