30. This Is A Lot
30
THIS IS A LOT
“ A re you sure you want to stay alone tonight?” Coy asked the next day.
It wasn’t what he had planned the night before his wedding. Not when his future wife was pregnant. But if it was what she wanted, he wouldn’t tell her no.
Angel turned from where she was brushing her hair in their room. After they’d checked in last night, they decided to just do their own thing in terms of food, as the kids were restless. Angel wasn’t feeling a hundred percent so they got dinner in the hotel restaurant and retired to their room where she passed out before nine.
“I think it’s the right thing,” she said. “Aren’t brides and grooms not supposed to see each other until the ceremony? I know none of this is traditional.”
“It’s what we want it to be,” he said. “And if that is what you want, then that is what you’ll get.”
“Spencer doesn’t care that you’d stay with him. It will be like the good old days,” she said, laughing.
“True,” he said. “We’d done a lot of spring breaks together.”
She scrunched up her nose. “Don’t do any of those things tonight.”
“That’s not funny,” he said, sighing.
There was a knock at the door, so he went to open it after he laughed at Angel’s eye roll.
Bode and Drew were standing there. “The guys and girls are breaking up tonight. Giving you a heads up.”
“What does that mean?” he asked.
“Bachelor party and bachelorette party.”
“Don’t get him drunk,” she said, moving next to him.
“That’s the fun of it,” Bode said.
“I’m not getting drunk. We just got done with breakfast since the kids got up early,” Drew said. “Mom and Dad were there with Barb and Todd. Since Coy has this afternoon set up for the women anyway?—”
“Thanks for ruining my surprise,” he said. “Go.” He shut the door in his brothers’ faces.
“What surprise?” she asked.
“Just a spa day. I thought it’d be nice for you to relax. You can hang out with your future sisters-in-law and the mothers. They need it too.”
“Who is going to watch the kids?” she asked.
“The guys while you are all doing that. Then we’ll meet up for the rehearsal and go our separate ways for dinner and the night. If you’re okay with that?”
“I am,” she said. She moved in and kissed him. “Thank you for the spa day.”
“You’re welcome. Let’s get some breakfast and then check on the wedding plans.”
“This is crazy,” she said. “I still can’t believe it’s happening.”
“You want to be surprised,” he said. “Don’t you? I can let you know more if you want.”
“I want to be surprised,” she said. “I don’t know why.”
“Then you’ll get your way. My mother and yours have all the instructions they have been handling with the small details. Your hair and makeup are set up for tomorrow, right?”
“Yes,” she said. “My mother told me about that for everyone.”
Not that there was any bridal party, but everyone was going to look nice and casual for the beach wedding.
“Then let’s feed my child.”
“What about feeding me?” she asked, knocking her hip into his. She didn’t look pregnant to anyone, not even when she was naked in his eyes.
“You too,” he said, giving her a kiss on the head. “You’re not nervous about marrying me, are you?”
She turned and looked up at him. Her eyes searched his for a good ten seconds.
“I’d be lying if I said no, Coy. This is all a lot.”
His heart sank. “I don’t want you to do something you don’t want to do. We can call it off. It’s fine.”
She put her finger to his lips. “I want to do this. No doubt in my mind at all. Please don’t think that. But nerves are normal and real. I was only being honest. This is new territory for us all. I’m nervous to be a mom too, but it’s not as if I’d change a thing.”
“Really?” he asked softly. It might have been the best thing she could have said to him at this moment.
He never thought he’d have doubts or nerves when his wedding day came.
The only doubt he had was that Angel wasn’t sure.
The fact that she said she wouldn’t change a thing lightened his mental load more than anything else could have.
“Yes,” she said. “The timing of everything. The order in which it’s happening. None of it was what I’d planned.”
“Life is full of broken plans and re-dos,” he said.
“Don’t I know that,” she said, snorting. “And I’m embracing this as best as I can. We’ll have a great story to tell our kids.”
“Kids?” he asked, grinning.
“I know you want more than one. I do too. Not sure how much more so don’t get any ideas in your head about filling all those bedrooms.”
“None at all,” he said. “Things happen for a reason and this reason is one I won’t ever complain about.”
“Then we can go feed our child and me,” she said. “The future Mrs. Bond.”
“Future Mr. and Mrs. Dr. Bonds.”
“I like the sound of that,” she said. “Might be confusing in the office, but I don’t care.”
Just what he hoped she’d say.
They left their room, went to the hotel restaurant to get some breakfast, and saw Spencer by himself on his phone.
“Do you care if we join your brother?”
“Why would I care?” she said.
They moved to Spencer’s table and pulled out chairs. “Hey,” Spencer said. “I don’t want company. Aren’t you two supposed to be snuggling up before you don’t get to see each other again?”
“We can move if you want,” she said. “But you did tell Coy to keep an eye on me and I thought since you two don’t see each other much, you might want to spend some time with him too.”
“Let’s not talk about the way he was keeping his eye on you,” Spencer said drily.
“Are you upset over this?” she asked her brother. “Be honest. I don’t need anyone interrupting my vows with an objection.”
“I’ll beat his ass right in front of you if he does that,” Coy said.
Spencer laughed. “I’m not afraid of him and he’s joking. I’m not upset. It’s all settled in about as well as it’s going to. I’m going to get a niece or nephew out of this. You were right, Angel. Coy’s the best and wouldn’t I want the best for my sister?”
“Thanks, dude,” he said.
“I might be a little put out that I’m not your best man. We always talked about that too,” Spencer said.
He cringed. It had been a topic they had discussed before. He was close with his brothers, but it’d been known that Spencer would be above his brothers.
“You can be the ring bearer,” she said, laughing.
“At least it gives me something to do,” Spencer said. “And sorry, but I’m doing the best man toast. I mean it.”
“Deal,” he said. He wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.
No, life wasn’t meant to be planned out perfectly, but it appeared it was happening the way it was meant.