Chapter 43
Scottie
“I’m nervous.I can’t believe I’m nervous. Why am I so nervous?”
Mom steps behind me, resting her hands on my bare shoulders while I stare out the window at the small gathering seated in white chairs behind the house.
Koen built a beautiful arch, and his mom and brother wrapped it in pink garden roses and lavender peonies beneath the boughs of his majestic Encino Oak tree. The front yard has a rented tent with tables for a small reception.
“You have a guest.” Steph pokes her head into the bedroom.
“Koen can’t see me.” I turn toward the door.
Steph adjusts the waist of her light-blue chiffon sleeveless V-neck dress that matches all three of her girls. My three flower girls. “It’s Price.”
My mom smiles. “I’ll give you a few minutes.”
As soon she disappears, my first love steps into the room looking dapper in his heathered, light-gray suit, tailored to perfection.
White shirt. Royal blue tie.
“Nervous?”
I shake my head, and his gaze lands on my hands as I pick at my fingernails, which have been professionally manicured for the first time in my life.
“A little. I don’t like being the center of attention. And I’m worried that I won’t remember my vows. Maybe I should run. What do you think? Will you drive me? I’ll leave Koen. You’ll leave Amelia. And we’ll …” I scrape my teeth along my bottom lip several times. “I don’t know. Maybe we can go to an island. I bet you could buy an island for us, huh?”
A slow smile swells on his handsome face while he casually slides a hand into his front pocket. “I could probably swing a small island.” He glances at his gold watch. “But if we’re going to do it, we should probably go before it’s too late to get a flight out.”
“There’s no way you don’t have a private jet.” I run the pad of my finger below my eye. Why did I let my sister talk me into makeup? It feels weird, even though she says it’s light.
“I might. Do you want to think about it before we make a rash decision?”
He’s so calm. That used to be my role.
“You’re stunning, Scottie.”
“Don’t.” I fan my face. “I’m wearing mascara. If you make me cry?—”
“Shh … stop interrupting the universe.” He pulls something from his pocket and saunters toward me.
“Stop stealing my line.” I grin.
“I’m sure Koen would rather I steal your line than steal the bride. Here.” He opens his hand. “Don’t worry. It’s for your ankle, not your wrist. No one has to see it. It’s white gold and?—”
“Blue sodalite,” I whisper, picking up the delicate anklet.
“For tranquility and emotional balance.” He takes it from me and hunches at my feet.
I lift the tulle skirt of my vintage boho A-line dress. It has a lace bodice with a low back, and I feel like a princess. Price fastens it around my ankle.
“I thought it would be you,” I say softly.
He lifts his gaze. It’s surprisingly sad. “What if I said okay? What if we could be on the island before sunrise tomorrow? What if everyone else has just been part of a complicated and emotional path back to each other?”
I start to smile because it’s funny. We’re being silly. Right? But my smile dies when I see something in his eyes that I haven’t seen in twelve years.
This isn’t the man who left Austin two months ago. That man had found peace with his body and mind and yearned to be reunited with his wife and daughter.
I can’t speak. The mind keeps emotions alive long after the moment has died. We spent a summer in love, and when everything died, including our baby, my mind kept Price alive. It fed my imagination just enough to keep one tiny ember burning in my heart.
My lips part to speak.
“Time’s up.” Steph and the girls breeze into the bedroom, bringing a fresh floral scent from the bouquets in their hands.
Price stands, straightening his jacket and tie.
My heart flutters out of control, and the words on the tip of my tongue vanish like waking from a dream.
He smiles, sliding my wispy bangs away from my eyes. “In our next life,” he whispers.
“Do you have the rings?” Steph asks Price while she fixes Winnie’s barrette.
He turns. “I do.”
The second he disappears, I silently gasp.
“Are you okay?” Steph snaps her fingers at the girls. “All three of you, on the bed. Hands to yourselves. And stop picking at the flowers.” She turns back toward me. “You look like you saw a ghost.”
I shake my head. “It’s all the powder you put on my face.”
She rolls her eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous. Here, let’s gloss your lips one last time. And stop picking at your nails.”
I fist my hands at my side and give her a guilty smile while she swipes the lip gloss wand over my lips.
“I still can’t believe Koen asked Price to attend your wedding. I don’t know what kind of witchery you use on men to make them fall in love with you and each other, but it’s impressive.” She recaps the lip gloss. “It’s time. Are you ready to say ‘I do’?” Avery jumps off the bed and hands me my bouquet.
I smile at her and nod to my sister. “Take me to my prince.”
“Follow me, girls,” she says. “Do it just like we practiced yesterday. Avery, hold Winnie’s hand the whole time.”
“I will.”
Steph and the girls take a left to head to the backyard when we step out the front door.
My dad greets me with a smile and offers his arm in his black suit. “Cold feet?”
I walk several steps and turn the corner, immediately making eye contact with Koen, and the rest of the world fades away.
Those blue eyes alight just for me.
The black three-piece suit and gold tie.
Sexy, wavy hair.
And that smile …
“No cold feet,” I say, gently squeezing my dad’s arm as he walks me toward my groom while a friend of his mom’s plays Paul Hankinson’s wedding version of Taylor Swift’s “Lover” on a keyboard.
It’s just our family and a few close friends, but I don’t see anyone but Koen.
Six months ago, I didn’t know he existed. Now, I feel like we only exist for each other.
“Love you.” Dad kisses my cheek. Then he sets my hand in Koen’s and says, “Take care of my girl.”
Koen nods. “Always.”
Price is right over my shoulder, but I can’t spare a single glance. And that’s how I know there will be no island for us. My heart knows it.
Taking me and everyone by surprise, Koen leans forward and kisses me.
The minister clears his throat.
Koen returns to his space, rubbing the lip gloss from his mouth. “Sorry, I couldn’t wait.”
Our family laughs.
It’s a short and sweet ceremony. I remember my vows. And Price gets Scrot to bring us the rings on cue in a velvet box attached to his collar.
I fight the tears as Koen slides the ring onto my hand. And I lose the fight when I slide the ring onto his finger, and the minister pronounces us husband and wife.
“Now … you may kiss your bride.”
“Forever, I will kiss my bride,” Koen whispers before we kiss.
His hands gently cup my face, and mine grab his jacket, making a lifelong claim.
He’s mine.
There’s clapping. Kaleb whistles. Both moms wipe their tears. And Scrot barks.
It’s perfect.
Koen interlaces our fingers and walks me to the house and up the stairs to the bedroom.
“We have guests.” I giggle before he kisses me.
“I think there’s something,” he kisses his way down my neck, “in Texas law,” he kisses my shoulder, “that says for a marriage to be legal, it must be consummated within thirty minutes of vows being exchanged.” He drags his mouth back up my neck, grinning the whole way.
I laugh, fingers playing with his wavy hair. “My nieces will be looking for us in a matter of minutes because they know we have to cut the cake before they can have any.”
“Let’s wait several years before having kids.” He laughs. “I want you to myself for a while.”
I … well, I try to laugh, but I can’t.
“Why the look?” He narrows his eyes, fingers teasing the back of my neck.
Pressing my lips together, I shake my head.
His eyes narrow a little more. “Scottie Sikes.”
I fight my grin, loving the sound of my new name. My nose scrunches. “I stopped my birth control the day you proposed to me.”
Koen’s eyebrows climb up his forehead.
“And it’s been a while since I’ve had my period. So, I bought a test and planned on taking it tonight. But now you want to wait, and?—”
“Where’s the test?”
“In the bathroom.”
He pulls me into the bathroom, opening drawers until he finds the box of pregnancy tests. Ripping open the package to one of the sticks, he hands it to me. “Pee.”
I laugh. “Later.”
“Now.” He lifts the toilet lid.
“My dress.”
“I’ll hold it up for you.”
Suddenly, after being excited about it all day, I’m scared to take the test. If it’s positive, will he be happy? Or did I make a flawed assumption and a terrible mistake?
“I have one ovary. I might not be able to get pregnant.”
“You only need one.”
I frown, taking the test from him and lifting my dress. He holds it while I pee on the stick. We have family and friends waiting for us. This isn’t how I imagined this happening.
He takes the stick from me while I wipe and flush the toilet. I can’t stop staring at it while I wash my hands.
“The best time to take the test is in the morning. I might have diluted hCG levels from?—”
“Scottie, it’s positive.” He holds it up for me to see as I dry my hands.
The two lines stare at me. I know how I feel. And it’s killing me to hold back my excitement. I have another chance at this. “Are you … disappointed? I didn’t know you wanted to wait.”
“Scottie,” he runs his fingers through his hair. “We’re going to have a baby!” His grin reaches his ears before he kisses me.
And if I wasn’t pregnant two seconds ago, I am after this kiss.
He squats and lifts my dress, hiding under it like a fort. “Hi, baby. I can’t wait to see you.” His hands grip my hips while he deposits kisses below my belly button.
I giggle. “Stop. She’s the size of a raspberry. I don’t think she can hear you yet.”
Koen paws at my dress, digging his way out, hair all mussed as he eyes me. “She?”
I shrug. “My sister has all girls.”
“Yes, but my sperm decide the sex of the baby.”
“Are you saying you don’t want a girl?”
“No.” He stands, backing me into the counter, hands on either side of me. “I’m saying he could be a boy. That’s all.” That grin of his is so contagious.
“We’re having a baby,” I whisper. “But I don’t want to tell anyone. Can we keep it a secret?”
“Yes, Mrs. Sikes, we can keep it a secret. After all, my grandpa will be told it’s a honeymoon baby, and we haven’t left for our honeymoon, so mum’s the word, Mommy.”
My arms wrap around his neck. “Let’s go celebrate. This dress was made for dancing.”