“Did you get all that?” Blondie says as she zips up my dress.
I smile. “I did, and I’ll try my best to remember it.”
“Good,” Annie says. “It’s worked for me.”
She sticks her tongue out at Blondie and goes back to her measuring.
I grab my dress and tell them both goodbye before I walk out of the back room.
Bryce turns when I near him. “I thought you’d gotten kidnapped.”
“They’d bring me back,” I say as he opens the glass door and we step out.
“Yeah, they probably would.”
I hit his shoulder. “You’re not supposed to agree with me.”
He laughs. “I thought that was how this worked?”
I roll my eyes as I place my dress on the passenger side before walking around to his side.
“It only works when I’m right.”
He slaps my ass when I climb into the cab of the truck. “And here I thought you were always right.”
“Oh, shut up,” I say as he shuts the door and starts the truck. “You know a lady gave me some pretty good advice back there.”
“She did?” he asks, rolling his window down and hanging his arm out. The fall breeze feels amazing as it drifts inside the truck.
“Yep. She said if you’re husband gives you any shit, just end him and find a new one.”
“End him?”
“Yep.” I nod.
“That’s pretty over the top, don’t you think? I mean, you’ll have a hard time finding a new one in prison.”
“Bryce, haven’t you heard of Love after Lockup?”
“Oh my God,” he says, looking over at me as we come to a red light. “Why didn’t I think of that?”
I shrug. “I don’t know. It’s the first thing that came to my mind.”
He laughs. “Even after all this time, you’re still funny, Kathrine Harrison.”
“I’m glad you think so, Bryce Grant.”
He grins. “After tomorrow, you’ll be K Grant.”
“Just K Grant, huh? I didn’t know that was going to be my new name.”
“Yep,” he says. “K Grant.” He waves his hand in the air like it’s written there.
I laugh. “I know you’re so excited.”
“And you’re not?” he asks, looking concerned.
“Of course, I am. Nervous, too, though,” I admit.
“Why?”
“You’re not?”
“No.”
“Not even a little bit?”
“No,” he says, his tone even.
“Don’t you go thinking too much into this. I think it’s normal for someone to be nervous about a big life change. I mean, hello, my name will be different, everything. It’s a lot.”
He shrugs. “No. It’s what’s meant to be.”
“You’re such a romantic,” I joke.
He puts his arm around my shoulder. “I try.”
I grin and look out the window, noticing we’re going a different way from the apartment.
“Umm, we going to eat or something?” I ask.
“Nope,” he says.
“Oookay. So, where we going?”
“It’s a surprise.”
“Oh boy,” I reply.
“What?”
“Nothing. I just never know what to expect from you.”
“What does that mean?”
“Well, your secrets and surprises aren’t always the best of kind.”
“How so? That one surprise was a key to my place.”
“Yeah, but it took a little bit to get that key. We had to go through a lot of shit first, and then your secrets ended you up in jail with a possible prison sentence…so ya know, I’m just a little hesitant.”
He grips the wheel. “This is different. Promise.”
I watch the city disappear and we near a more residential area. Houses pass by and my mind starts reeling. “Bryce, seriously where are we going?”
“Stop trying to ruin it,” he says, smiling over at me. It’s a boyish, happy smile that has my insides melting and my heart telling my mind to shut up. He really wants to surprise me. So, I snap my lips closed and say nothing, and when he tells me to shut my eyes, I do so. The truck comes to a halt and Bryce opens his door.
“Keep your eyes closed now,” he demands as he helps me out.
“Bossy as always,” I reply as he guides me to wherever.
“Step up,” he says. I feel boards beneath my shoes, and then I’m told to stop walking. I hear keys rattle, and then he tells me to open my eyes.
I do.
Boy, I do.
____________
Bryce
I must admit, when I decided to go forth with the idea of buying us our own place, I didn’t know if it was a good idea to do it without Kat and now, I’m really second-guessing that decision. Her expression is unreadable as she steps onto the dark hardwood from the covered porch.
My style.
It sends an uneasy feeling to my gut when she glances at the window seats with colorful bohemian pillows.
Her style.
The kitchen is moderate and not over the top because, like I mentioned, neither of us cooks.
“Everything can be changed,” I tell her as she runs her finger over the dark cement countertops. She looks up at the railroad ties on the ceiling and the subway tile as a backsplash. Her eyes go to the bookshelves in the living room and the couches that are silver gray.
“No worries on messing those up, and they’re stain-resistant,” I tell her as I gently grab her hand to show her the laundry room. “We can get a dog if you want. It’s got a built-in shower for bathing dogs or rinsing little ones off after they come from playing in the mud.” I shrug.
She looks at me, her expression still unreadable.
Fuck
I’ve messed up.
Maybe the upstairs will make her like it?
“It’s two stories. Up here is our bedroom and two more rooms if we wanted kids. I mean, I know you asked me if I did that one time when you missed your shot.” We walk down the open hallway. “It’s all open, so you can see down into the living room and kitchen.” I point like she can’t see it.
I shake my head at myself.
We enter into the master bedroom. It’s not huge, but a perfect size for a king-sized bed, dresser, and chest-of-drawers with room to spare. A burgundy rug sits over the hardwood, and the furniture is dark.
“The bathroom has a claw tub. You take baths at the apartment sometimes after a long day, so I thought you might like that. The backyard is private, so no one can see you from the windows. They all open, too, so you can enjoy the fall breeze, like I know you love. And then we have our own sinks, so you don’t have to worry about my toothpaste on the side.” I give her a cute smile, hoping this will encourage her to say something.
It doesn’t, so I keep rambling about the big closets, and then we look at the other rooms and bathrooms. We walk out to the backyard, and I tell her about the pool I want to put in. “See, I told you it was private. There isn’t a house next to us on either side, and I went ahead and bought those properties, too, to make sure of it.”
She turns her head to me.
“It’s only a little farther from Mugs & Books than the apartment, but the drive won’t be that bad. I timed it out already. It takes thirty minutes.”
With a hard sigh, I look at her as she turns to glance back at the home. Our home.
Unless she hates it, then I guess I can sell it and try something else.
“K, will you please say something?”
Her eyes bounce back to me, and I see they’re filled with tears.
Oh shit.
And then she fucking smiles. “You bought me a house?”
She covers her smile as she looks back at it.
I gently move her hand, because I’ve been literally dying to see that.
“I did,” I say, linking my fingers with hers.
“My own house,” she says in disbelief.
“Yes. Yours. Ours. Our future kids. It’s done.”
She shakes her head as a tear falls down her cheek. Me asking her to marry me didn’t get this response, and I think I know why. K has never had a place to call her own. She’s bounced around from renter apartment that she knew she couldn’t have alone. She left a house, which is no longer standing, I might add, happily, that wasn’t hers.
Nor did she call it home.
And then she moved in with me, and I know she didn’t feel like it was hers, because even months later, there are unpacked boxes slid into the closet.
But this. This is hers, and I even made sure her name was on the title. All she has to do is sign it.
“Thank you,” she says, turning to me. “Thank you for this amazing life.”
I wipe a stray tear and pull her to me in an embrace. “No, thank you,” I say, kissing the top of her head.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Kathrine
Looking at the full-length mirror, I exhale the nerves and breathe in this moment. I know Blondie thought Annie was crazy, but there’s something to be said for over twenty years of marriage. I will take her advice and I will try my hardest to remember how much I love Bryce right now.
Because I know life doesn’t work out the way we want it sometimes. And I know we are going to argue and I’m going to want to strangle him, but right now we aren’t, and I don’t.
Right now, my heart is full and overflowing.
Right now, I’m standing in my wedding dress and Claire is over by the dresser as we occupy Bryce’s childhood bedroom, fussing at how swollen her ankles are and praying everything goes smoothly during the ceremony. She’s such a worrywart.
I only smile, because honestly, I would expect nothing less. You prepare for things to go smoothly, you get disappointed less when you do, and it helps you not take life so seriously.
I know a lot of brides run around like a chicken with their heads cut off about their wedding day, but not me. I knew what I wanted, it wasn’t over the top, and we made it happen. I know that life happens, and things get messed up, so I take it as it is.
There’s no such thing as perfect. Who even made up that word?
“Here,” I say, handing over Claire’s flowers. “You look fine. You can’t even see your ankles in that dress.”
She huffs, “Whatever.” And then she looks at me. Really looks at me. Her eyes water, and she covers her mouth with a gasp. “Oh, Kat. You look absolutely beautiful, my friend.”
My lip quivers. “Stop it. No tears.”
She nods and sniffs. “Yes. No tears. My ankles may be swollen, but my makeup is on point.”
I laugh as a knock sounds on the door. “Kat?” Mills says.
“Come in,” I reply. The door swings open and there stands my dad in a black suit with a matching tie.
He clears his throat and adjusts his tie nervously. “Never worn one of these.”
I smile. “Well, you wear it well.”
He smiles back. “You’ve never looked more beautiful.”
My cheeks blush at his compliment. “Thanks,” I say.
He nods. “You ready to get married?”
“Yep. Let’s do this.”
Claire leaves first, and moments later we follow arm in arm. We make small talk as we climb down the stairs, and he says he’s thinking about retiring. I grin. “I’m really glad to hear you say that. You’ll wanna watch your grandbaby grow up.”
He gives me a puzzled, hopeful look.
I nod with a smile. “Yep. I’m pregnant.”
We stop before we get to the screen door. He hugs me so tightly, I feel my back pop. I laugh and he kisses my forehead. “We’ve missed out on so much together, but I swear my grandbaby will know me.”
“I know,” I say. We pull apart and I pat under my eye before putting my finger over my lips. “Don’t tell anyone. I haven’t told Bryce yet.”
“He doesn’t know?” he asks as the musical version of Elvis’ “Can’t Help Falling in Love” begins to play.
“Nope. You’re the first.”
He sniffs and nods, obviously too emotional to speak. This meant a lot to him, and I’m glad I told him first. There’s no doubt Mills will be the best granddad ever.
The door is open for us and we exit the enormous farmhouse. The guests turn our way, and nervous butterflies swarm inside my stomach at the attention. I look to Emily and Lou as they smile proudly at me. Lou wipes tears from her face. Mary doesn’t smile, but shows more emotion than any of them through her eyes.
This is everything to her, and she’s told me more times than I can count. She didn’t think she would see this day and she didn’t think she deserved it, but part of her therapy is learning that the mistakes she’s made in the past don’t have to follow her into the future.
She’s in control of her life and her actions. We are proud of her and the work she’s doing. She’s helped so many women get clean.
Lee sits beside his wife with a prominent grin, and Monnie’s cheeks are slightly pink as he sits uncomfortably in dress clothes I’m sure he didn’t want to wear.
The rest of the guests are family that I don’t really know and friends of Bryce’s and mine, like Becca and Ben. I look to the front and see Jace. He looks handsome. He smiles at me, giving me a wink, and I’m so glad he’s here. He and Bryce talked before the wedding and that went well and didn’t go well. He’s been shady for months, and now we know why, but that’s his story to tell. Plus, it’s my wedding day. I don’t care to get into it.
My eyes go to Bryce and my knees almost buckle as we near him. Mills holds on to me tightly and my stomach calms. The butterflies land gently, and everything and everyone disappear as he looks at me, through me.
His soul begs for connection, his heart beats for me, and they both reach with everything they have to get to mine. And in just a little bit, we will become one in front of God, our family and friends, and the universe who so graciously made our paths cross.
_____________
Bryce
I didn’t think I was nervous. I thought I was Mr. Calm, Cool, and Collected, but as I put on this suit and tie, something clicked inside of me.
I’m really doing this. We’re really doing this.
How?
I still don’t know what happened.
It was as if I snapped into a different universe.
I had everything planned out in my life. Every day I knew what was expected. What’s that saying, man makes plans and God laughs?
Yeah. The joke was on me.
I exhale as I stand in the dining room downstairs, knowing Kathrine is up in my old bedroom sliding into a dress I can’t wait to see. I stare out the window at the pasture around our house, thinking about life and the future we’re going to have.
“There you are,” I hear. Pops’ voice isn’t like anyone else’s. I turn to look at the man who made me who I am. “Nervous?”
I nod. “Yeah.”
He laughs. “I was, too. Both times,” he says to me.
“Well, that makes me feel a little better,” I reply, glancing back out as a horse grazes near the fence.
He pats me on my shoulder. “You and Jace okay?”
I shrug. “Getting there.”
“He’s your brother. The only piece of your dad that you have, ya know? Cherish each other. Don’t fight. Life’s too short.”
“You’re my dad,” I correct him.
He freezes, and I see the emotion pass over his face. He removes his hand and rubs his beard. “Thank you.”
I narrow my eyes, because in all the years I’ve been around this man, I’ve never seen him this way.
“I should be thanking you. You saved me,” I say. “You saved us both.”
Without thought, he grabs me in a hug and holds tight, only for a brief moment, before he pats my back and lets go. I swallow and try not to fucking cry myself. Jesus, what’s up with the emotion that comes with weddings?
We both straighte
n our suit jackets, and Pops clears his throat as he pulls out a cigar. He offers me one, but I shake my head.
He lights his, filling the room with a smell that will always remind me of him. “Always pick her first,” he says. “Do that and you’ll be fine.”
I nod, and then I look to see Claire standing at the doorway. “Can I talk to you?”
“Yeah,” I say. “Why don’t you sit down?” I ask, pulling out a chair for her.
She takes it, holding her stomach, and I see Austin in the living room seated on the couch, with one eye on us and one on the TV.
Claire looks me over before she straightens her back. “You know how I feel about you,” she says.
“Let’s not pretend like we’re ever going to be best friends.”
“Christ, right to the point then,” I say, sliding a chair out and taking a seat myself.
“Yeah, Claire. I’m aware of how you feel about me, and even if K plays like she doesn’t, she does.”
“I don’t hate you, Bryce, and I’m grateful that you make my best friend happy.”
“But what?” I ask.
“But if you hurt her, or put her in harm’s way, I will make you regret it.”
I tap my knuckles against the table, curious. “And how will you do that?”
She leans into me. “I will convince her that you are the worst thing she’s ever chosen. I will make her see reason, and deep down, we both know she will pick me. I’ve been with her since she stepped off a Greyhound. You’re just a boy who owned a nightclub.”
I smirk. Damn, she’s something else.
I nod. “Okay, Claire. You have a deal.” I’m not going to get pissed off at her, or tell her what I really know, which is Kat would choose me. It’s my wedding day. She’s Kat’s best friend and I know she loves the girl, so despite how she’s making my blood boil, I’m going to choose not to entertain this little threat of hers.
She narrows her eyes at me, and I stand up from the table, adjusting my tie. I run my hand down the back of my hair. “Don’t worry about K, Claire. She’ll be just fine. You have my word.” I go to walk away. “I’m sure she needs you upstairs.”
“Hey,” Jace says when I walk out onto the porch. He’s sitting in a rocker, his tie crooked, and a smoke hanging from his fingers.
Give Me Forever Love (Give Me Series Book 3) Page 15
