Chapter 39
Fact or Fiction?
The Fletchers get shit done.
Luke
It’s wedding prep madness on Fletcher Mountain as my brothers and I assist the rental crew who are here to set up the large
outdoor tent for the reception tomorrow night. The tent comes equipped with ceiling heaters and clear sides that zip closed
to keep the warmth in without impeding the view of Fletcher Mountain. It’ll feel like we’re in one of those clear igloos I
see at restaurants in Denver. But here we’re in the middle of the mountain. It’s spectacular.
My mom and Everly are buzzing all over the place, literally wearing matching headsets as they transform the space into a winter
wonderland of garland, pine cones, wood accents. They bark orders at Dakota, Trista, and Cozy, who all took the day off to
help prep for the big day tomorrow. Even John’s girlfriend Edith showed up to help with all the decorating. For a small wedding,
this is looking like quite the production.
Wyatt walks out from behind his house, carrying a large box of twelve-inch logs sliced into cookies, similar to the pieces
I cut off for the lumberjack competition.
“What the hell are those for?” I ask as he sets them down on the nearest table.
“Those are the wedding favors for guests!” Everly exclaims, walking over to us with her own box in hand.
She sets it down and pulls out a mason jar with a white LED tea light candle inside.
The jar is wrapped with a piece of twine that holds a sprig of eucalyptus and baby’s breath around it.
She sets it on top of the round wooden slab and smiles.
“They’re the table centerpieces and everyone gets to take one home at the end of the night. ”
“Eucalyptus was marked as her favorite green filler plant on the quiz,” my mom says, rushing by with a box just like Everly’s.
“Think Addison will like them?”
I smile and nod even though I don’t really know for sure if eucalyptus is her favorite plant. I just knew that was the scent
on the lotion she wears every day, and it was an option in the multiple choices, so I marked it.
I watch as Everly and my mom begin placing the centerpieces along the long wooden tables that are covered with deep green
velvet runners down the center.
A bar is stationed in the corner with a hot cocoa sign that’s written out in calligraphy on a chalkboard. There are twinkling
fairy lights running up the beams that support the tent casting the space in cozy, yellow lighting.
“Another truck is coming!” Ethan yells from the pasture where he’s chasing Trista’s alpacas around like a wild man. Rufus
is MIA, likely fearing for his life.
A loud beep sounds on Everly’s headset. “Grandma, the chair rental guy is here. I’m going to go meet him and tell them where
to set them for the service.”
“By the bench, dear.”
“Copy,” Everly says and marches off.
Calder calls out to Everly. “Do you want me to bring out my—”
“Shhhh!” Everly hisses at Calder. “No, we’re not revealing that until later tonight after the dinner.”
“Got it, boss.” Calder salutes.
I cut him a look. “She’s even got you in on this shit?”
Calder waggles his brows. “Oh yeah . . . I’m all in, bro. Speaking of which, I need to go check on the car service guys your wifey had us book for everyone tonight. They’re doing pickups at Judy’s, and I need to make sure those guys have four-wheel drive. Better go find my phone.”
He takes off to resume his work and I look around, seeing that everyone seems to have a job, except me. Glancing at my cabin,
I decide that maybe my wife could use some help inside, so I make my way out of the tent to head up the hill.
It was Addison’s idea to host the rehearsal dinner at our place and do all the cooking even though I said we could have the
Mercantile do the food. They’re already catering tomorrow night, so it would have been very easy to add to their list, but
my wife would not be deterred.
As I walk into the house, my nose is filled with the scent of savory meat and smoked spices that makes my stomach growl. Addison
opted for a cowboy-style dinner of brisket, short ribs, corn on the cob, and some kind of twice-baked potatoes that she made
me taste test earlier in the week. And of course, she worked her ass off late last night making fresh sourdough bread rolls
and cinnamon butter to go with everything.
My wife is an overachiever.
Which is only confirmed when I find her in the kitchen wrapped in nothing but a bath towel as she bends over the oven to temperature
check her meat.
I’d like to temp check her right now.
She turns her head when she hears me coming. “How’s it going out there?” she asks, closing the oven and shooting me a nervous
expression.
“It’s total chaos,” I reply, stifling down my dirty thoughts.
Her face falls. “Shit . . . I should go out and help.”
“No, you shouldn’t,” I bark firmly, glancing at the windows to see the curtains are all still closed. “Everly and my mom insisted
this all stay a surprise and that’s what we’re doing. No peeking.”
She groans and grips the towel wrapped around her head. “I shouldn’t have let them do all the planning. They’re probably going overboard.”
“Oh, they’re definitely going overboard,” I confirm and laugh at my wife’s panicked expression.
She spins to walk away, but I capture her in my hands, pulling her back to me. “Relax, they love this shit.”
She shakes her head. “I just . . . I’m starting to feel guilty about everything.”
“Don’t,” I rasp, pressing a kiss to her lips. “They love doing this. They love you.”
“They do?” Her brows lift and she looks up at me timidly, like it’s even in question.
“Of course they love you. You’re . . .” my chest contracts with the emotion swelling inside of me “. . . easy to love.”
Her lower lip disappears between her teeth as she stares at my chest, mulling something over. What I wouldn’t give to have
the power to reach inside her mind and hear what she’s thinking.
Just say it, Addison. Say you love me. You look at me like you do. You touch me like you do. Why can’t you just say it?
“How much hair did you get cut this morning when you went to town?” she asks, changing the subject as she pulls my hat off
and musses my locks.
“A decent amount. I thought it would look better for the pictures.” I drag my hand through my freshly trimmed beard as well.
“Do you hate it?”
She shakes her head. “No, I like it. I . . . love it.”
My brows pop. “Love it?”
“Yeah.” She combs her fingers through my tresses, scoring her nails on my scalp as I melt into her like I always do when she touches me.
“I . . . love it,” she confirms, making it very clear she’s capable of using that word.
I stare deeply into her eyes, willing her to say more, but she inhales sharply and looks away.
“It’s getting late, and my dad is going to be here soon, so I better get ready. You too, Fletcher.”
She pushes me away playfully and I struggle to hide the disappointment on my face. We’re so close . . . and yet . . . so far
away.
Addison
My heart races as I hold a glass of wine to my lips and glance around the dining room table consisting of my dad and Edith,
Luke’s mom, his three brothers and the ladies, plus Everly, Ethan, and Stevie.
I smile as I watch Stevie at the far end of the table struggle against Trista’s attempts to wipe barbecue sauce off her cherubic
little cheeks. Wyatt is grumbling next to them while dabbing at a barbecue sauce stain that Stevie managed to smear all over
his white button-down and a strange premonition hits me.
I swear I can see me and Luke in a similar scenario. The two of us at this table with a little one of our own. Arguing over
whose fault it is. What would the baby look like? Me or Luke?
My heart races with that imagery because it doesn’t make me panic. It makes me happy. It makes me feel excited about the future.
I twine my fingers through Luke’s on top of the table, and he turns to smile at me, pulling my hand up to press his lips to
my knuckle. He laughs at something Ethan said, looking away as his eyes crinkle in the most delicious way. His new haircut
and trimmed beard give me butterflies as he sits there in a dark green dress shirt that brings out his eyes. What a husband
he makes.
When I finally pry my attention away from him, I catch Everly grinning at me from across the table.
I shift in my seat, adjusting the turtleneck of my cream sweater dress self-consciously because I swear, I’ve caught that girl looking at me all night.
I’d be developing a complex if she didn’t seem so happy.
Everyone is happy.
I am happy.
I am in love.
I push back from the table, needing some air because no matter how many times I say that in my head, it still sends me into
a mini panic. “I’m going to get the dessert.”
“Can you wait a second on that, Addison?” Johanna asks from her place at the end of the table. She stands up from her seat
between Trista and Edith and holds her glass up. “I feel like I’m doing a lot of toasts these days.” She eyes Trista and Wyatt,
rubbing her hand on Trista’s back affectionately. “I don’t love doing them, but I know Steven would if he could so . . .”
Everyone’s smiles twitch as she sighs heavily, staring into her wineglass. “It’s an accomplishment to fall in love with another
person. To open your heart and decide to let someone in. It puts you at great risk of being hurt because, well . . . your
heart is open. It’s more vulnerable and that can feel scary.”
Her hand trembles so she brings her other up to steady it. “Luckily, you two kids started off as friends, so your hearts opened
to each other slowly over time. You always knew it was in safe hands. Which is why none of us were really that shocked to
find out you got married on a whim without telling anyone first.”
The table laughs and Luke squeezes my hand, kissing it again. God, this all feels real.