“Let’s get you to bed,” he said as he placed a kiss on the top of my head.
“I’m sorry to be a Debbie downer,” I mumbled as we walked down the hallway.
“Don’t do that. You don’t feel well. It happens.”
I changed into a pair of shorts that Gage had surprisingly packed before I settled into the middle of the king-sized bed that sat in the center of his bedroom.
He came over moments later with a monitor in his hand that he placed on the nightstand before climbing into the bed beside me.
Reaching over, he shut off the lamp on his side of the bed.
“Where does it hurt?” he asked from beside me.
He laid his hand on top of my shirt and moved his fingers back and forth as he waited for me to answer.
Instead of using words, I lifted my shirt and placed his hand right above where my panty line was.
Using his thumb, he applied a slight pressure and began to try to massage my pain away.
“I’d take this pain away from you if I could. In the future though, don’t hide it from me. I meant when I said we were in this together. The good, the bad, or the ugly. We do it together no matter what comes,” he whispered.
I fell asleep that night full of hope and knowing that I had a great man lying next to me who accepted me and everything I was.
Chapter 11
Gage’s alarm sounded, waking me out of a deep slumber. I’d slept better than I expected. His arm was still draped across my waist, my back to his front as I faced the window.
Seconds later, I felt Gage stir and reach behind him to shut the alarm off. He let out a groan as he pulled me closer to him.
“How did you sleep?” he asked, still groggy from sleep.
“Good. You?”
“Amazing since you were here. How are you feeling?”
He snuggled his cheek into mine, the scruff from his beard scratching my skin.
“Achy. My boss gave me today off too, but I’ll just work from home. Too much to be done to take the whole day to myself.”
“You could stay here. You don’t have to leave.”
“Why do I feel like there’s another motive up your sleeve with that suggestion?” I smiled to myself with the thought of staying in his home the way a wife should.
“Maybe I just want to come home to seeing you here.”
“Maybe huh?” I asked as I slowly turned to face him, wincing in pain when I was fully turned on my other side.
“You didn’t need to move,” he said, his voice full of concern.
“I have to eventually. I’m fine. Really,” I tried to convince him and myself as I spoke the words. I knew I wasn’t fine, but I’d hide it as best as I could until he left. Now that I’d moved, the pain started to kick in the way it always did.
“I can’t tell if you’re telling the truth or not, but I hope you are. I’m gonna go get a shower before I need to go get Cheyanne ready. Go back to sleep if you can. It’s still early yet,” he said as he framed my face with his strong hands and placed a kiss on my lips. A kiss full of promise. A kiss that made me feel cherished.
He pulled away all too quickly, leaving me to snuggle into the covers. He didn’t have to tell me twice to fall back to sleep when I looked over at the clock, seeing that it was only half past five in the morning. I could get a couple more hours of sleep and get started with my day.
I woke later to the sun peeking through the blinds. With a stretch, I threw back the covers and sat up. I was about to get up from the comfy bed when I noticed a handwritten note on Gage’s pillow.
Unfolding it, I read the words he’d written just before he left.
Don’t work too hard today. I look forward to seeing you when I get home.
Yours,
Gage.
With a smile on my face, I held the note over my heart and got out of the bed. After a quick shower, I felt more like a human again. I brushed my teeth and dressed in a pair of leggings and oversized shirt then went into the kitchen.
I wanted to do something special for the two of them. Cooking was so out of the question. Gage would want his apartment in one piece when he returned home, not filled with smoke.
I mulled over a few ideas while I made a cup of coffee and went through emails on my phone. Having my work email on my phone was a blessing and a curse. Today, however, it was a blessing. I could kill two birds with one stone.
Since I only had two contracts that required immediate attention, I decided I could make a quick trip out and come back to start on them a little later. They weren’t too detailed and would take no time to draft.
I found a key Gage had left me on the counter in case I needed to run out. Thankfully he’d thought of that or the surprise I’d had planned wouldn’t be much of a surprise. I just hoped I didn’t overstep any bounds with the plan.
A couple hours later, I returned to Gage’s apartment with my arms filled with the bags containing the surprise.
Half an hour later, the surprise was all set up and I brought my computer into the living room to work. Gage would probably be home in a few hours, so I wanted to make sure I got everything done before they arrived.
Just as I finished up the first contract, my phone buzzed beside me. Lizzie’s name appeared on the screen. I moved the laptop off my lap and answered her call.
“Good afternoon, chick. Are you ready to get married in a few days?”
“I’m freaking out. You need to pull me off the ledge,” she frantically replied.
“Take a deep breath and tell me what’s going on,” I replied, giving her my full attention.
“I don’t know if I can do it.”
“Do what?”
“Marry him. What if this doesn’t work out? Is he even the one for me? What was I thinking?”
She was having a bad case of the jitters. I knew this would come and was fully prepared to talk her off the ledge.
“Do you love him?”
“Of course, I love him, but I love you too and that doesn’t mean I’m going to marry you,” she huffed.
“When you think of your life without him, what happens?”
“I can’t. My heart hurts at the mere mention of living without him.”
“There’s your answer. If you can’t live without him, you love him enough to spend the rest of your life with him. And trust me, sweetie, he loves you. He’d die for you. I see it on his face every time I see him look at you.”
“You’re sure? I’m not making a huge mistake?”
“You’re making the best decision of your life marrying him.”
“Thank you, Avery. I wouldn’t know what to do without you.”
“You won’t ever have to find out. Now calm down and think only happy thoughts. You’re about to marry the man of your dreams.”
“I’m calm now, thanks to you. Now that that’s out of the way, tell me about how you and Gage are doing. I haven’t talked to you in days. He must be keeping you busy,” she laughed.
I could tell by the tone in her voice that she was implying that he was keeping me busy in sexual ways. She couldn’t be more wrong.
“I met his daughter last night,” I confessed.
“Wow. Holy shit. How did that go?”
“Great actually. She’s super sweet, and seeing Gage with her made my heart flutter.”
“You sound smitten.”
“This is nuts. It’s only been a week and a half.”
“People do crazier things in life.”
“Not me. You know me, Lizzie. This is the total opposite of what I’d do.”
“But just hearing you talk about him makes me know there’s something there. Maybe something you haven’t fully admitted to yourself.”
I remained silent, mulling over what she’d just said.
She knew me too well. She knew I would deny anything to the fullest if it meant keeping my heart guarded.
“I’ll take your silence as an admission. We’ll talk more about this on Saturday while I get beautiful.
I’ve got to get back to work. Thanks for the chat,” she said.
I knew she’d hold me to having that conversation. Especially if she got Madeline in on it. Those two were relentless in getting anything out of me when they wanted to get to the bottom of the truth.
“You’re welcome. See you Friday.”
We hung up the phone, and I took a second to think about what she’d said. Gage knew one of the deepest things about me and hadn’t ran out the door. Maybe we could build on what we were currently sharing. Maybe I should let my guard down just this once.
I was finishing up the last touches on the contract when I heard the door open to the apartment. In came the pitter patter of tiny feet, followed my Gage’s heavy footsteps.
“You’re here. Daddy said you would be,” Cheyanne screeched as she ran up to me.
“I sure am. Did you have fun today?” I asked as I saved the document and shut the laptop.
“I did. We colored and played and I got to swing,” she went on and on about her day.
“That sounds way more fun than what I did today. I had work to do.”
“Yuck. Work is no fun,” she said, shaking her head as she took off her shoes.
“No, it sure isn’t,” I told her as I looked up to Gage staring over at us. I stood from the couch, and Cheyanne wrapped her arms around my leg then reached up for me to pick her up.
“Are you sure you should be doing that?” Gage asked as I settled her on my hip.
“I’m fine. How was your day?”
“Better now that I came home to find you still here,” he said as he kissed me on the cheek.
Cheyanne giggled at our display of affection and laid her head down on my shoulder. She’d taken to me much more quickly than I thought she would.
“Where did you think I’d go?”
“Home. I wasn’t sure if you were comfortable enough yet to stay here that long.”
“It was a nice feeling, but I should probably tell you something.”
He cocked his head and furrowed his brows as he took off his suit jacket and unbuttoned the cuffs on his sleeves.
“Cheyanne, sweetie. Why don’t you go watch something on television for a moment while we talk?”
She grumbled as I sat her on the floor, and she walked with her head down over to the other side of the living room. Only she didn’t turn on the television. She sat down with her arms crossed and pouted.
“She hates not being part of grown up conversations. I swear sometimes she’s three going on thirty. Now, what did you want to tell me?” he asked as he pulled me close to him.
“I did something today without really thinking how you’d feel about it. I just wanted to do something special, but you may not like it.”
“Just tell me and I’ll let you know.”
I leaned in and whispered to him what I’d done and pulled back to look at his expression.
He remained expressionless as he stared at me.
This wasn’t going to go over well at all. I could tell.
Then he did the unexpected.
He laughed.
He fucking laughed at me. A fully belly laugh.
“You were worried about that all day, weren’t you?”
“Yes I was. It’s not funny,” I said as I playfully smacked him on the shoulder.
“You’re right. It’s not funny. It’s hilarious.”
I’m glad he thought it was so funny.
I really was worried.
“Cheyanne, come here, baby,” Gage called out.
She quickly ran over to our sides and looked up at her daddy.
“Go look in your room. I bet you’ll find something pretty amazing in there,” he told her.
She didn’t have to be told twice. She ran as fast as her little legs would carry her down the hall to her room.
We raced after her so we could see her reaction to my surprise.
Just as we walked to the door, we heard her scream with excitement.
“Is he really mine, Daddy? Do I get to keep him?” she asked as she stared at the blue and purple beta fish that was on her bedside table.
“You do get to keep him. He just needs a name,” Gage told her as he bent down beside her to take in the sight of the fish.
I’d gotten her a fish tank in the shape of a lava lamp since it had a top on it and she couldn’t stick her hand down in it so easily. The bowl acted as a nightlight as well. I decorated the bottom with blue rocks and added in a fake plant that had green and pink leaves.
She was in awe of her present which filled my heart with joy.
“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I think I’ll name him Nemo,” she said as she hugged Gage around the leg.
“You’re welcome. But you should be thanking Avery. She’s the one who got you the present.”
She looked up at Gage with an odd expression on her face before she walked over to me.
I knelt in front of her so we’d be almost the same height.
“You’re the bestest,” she said as she wrapped her little arms around my neck and gave me the biggest squeeze she could muster.
As we walked out of the room and told Cheyanne the rules for Nemo, Gage pulled me back by the hand and looked down at me with a smile.
“Thank you for being so thoughtful. I think you’ve gotten yourself a new best friend.”
I smiled at him, feeling happy and proud that I’d made the choice to just go with the flow.
Chapter 12
I couldn’t believe this day had finally arrived. We’d planned and planned and planned some more. But today was the day I’d get to witness one of my best friends marry the love of her life. Her soon-to-be husband graciously paid for a suite at the hotel the ceremony would take place so we could all get ready in luxury.
You hear about how brides always pick out horrendous bridesmaid dresses, but Lizzie made sure Madeline and I loved our dresses before we left the dress shop. The dress was chiffon baby blue with a gorgeous corset halter top that had beautiful beading. It was the type of dress that you could wear again if you had the right type of occasion to attend. Lizzie didn’t want us to have to shuck out the money for something that would be worn one time only.
“You look gorgeous,” Madeline said as she looked over to me. Our hair and makeup had been finished about half hour ago. We both had our hair curled with the curls pinned up into a tight up-do. Our makeup was natural tones, and the artist did an amazing job making our skin look flawless.
“I’m not the one who’s going to look gorgeous. This one right here is going to look stunning when we get her in her dress,” I said as I stood behind Lizzie and placed my hands on her shoulders.
“No ma’am. You’re not making me cry today. Not gonna happen. What you are going to do is tell us about that hunk of a man that you’re married to,” she replied as she turned around to face Madeline and me.
“It’s your day. We should totally focus on you. Not me. We can talk all about Gage and me when you get back from your honeymoon.”
“This day is about me. It’s about me getting what I want. And what I want is to hear all about you and Gage.”
“You’re relentless.”
“You know me so well. Now spill, woman,” she said as she sipped on her glass of Moscato.
“Is there such a thing as too good to be true? Cause I think he is.”
“Are you going to elaborate or leave us hanging?” Madeline urged as she took a sip of the luscious white wine.
“I should leave you both hanging.”
“But you’re not.”
“He says the right things. Does the right things. He’s letting me ease into this crazy idea of us being together. His daughter is amazing, and she’s already gotten a big piece of my heart.”
“You’re in love,” Lizzie said with a huge grin on her face.
“That’s nuts. It’s way too soon to be talking about love.”
“No, it’s not. People fall in love quickly all the time. My parents are proof of that,” L
izzie informed.
Her parents were adorable. Always looking at each other with such love in their eyes. Lizzie was full of their compassion and dedication.
“I’m not ready to go there just yet,” I confessed and finished the rest of the glass of wine before me. I wasn’t going to admit that my heart fluttered when his name appeared on my phone with a new message. Or when he included me in Cheyanne’s daily routine that I felt like we were a family. Nope. Not saying that out loud.
“You keep denying it all you want. We’ll both be here ready to say we were right when you finally admit it,” Madeline laughed.
“We need to get you in your dress so the photographer can take the rest of our pictures,” I said trying to change the subject. I was done being in the spotlight for the day.
“Nice one. I’ll let it go for now,” Lizzie said as she stood and went over to the door frame where her dress hung.
She’d picked the perfect dress. We went shopping months ago, and she couldn’t find anything that felt like ‘the one.’ Until we walked by this one shop and she’d seen one hanging in the window. Her breath hitched, and Madeline and I knew she had to go in and try it on. The dress was a few hundred out of her budget, but her father didn’t care. He told her to get it and not worry with the cost. He wanted her to feel beautiful on her special day. And beautiful she was.
The dress was an off-white color that had a low neckline with beautiful straps on the shoulder. There was no back to speak of. The dress stopped right above her ass and went all the way to the floor. Once she stepped inside and slid the straps in place, she let out a sigh as she looked in the mirror. Her long hair flowed in beautiful curls down the middle of her back. Bobby pins with pearls on the end were placed in each part of the braid that went across the top part of her head. They were her something old. Her grandmother had worn them in her hair at her wedding. She had her grandmother’s pearls in her ears that she borrowed from her mother. Her dress covered her something new, and the blue lacey garter belt that she wore on her right thigh covered her something blue.
“You’re stunning, Lizzie. Grant’s one lucky guy,” I told her as I stepped beside her.
The Right Mistake Page 8
