Chapter 34
Chapter Thirty-Four
Bridger
“Hey! There’s the man of the hour,” Dex calls out. “Right on time.”
He’s standing in front of Tequila Mockingbird by himself and grinning like a clown. Loren left without me earlier, offering some flimsy excuse about desperately needing more tampons, which would’ve been believable if I hadn’t bought her a warehouse-size supply two weeks ago.
I figured she was probably picking up a cake or something, so I didn’t offer to run to the store for her. I’m not the guy who ruins a plan.
Especially if it involves cake.
Still, showing up now, alone, feels kind of weird. Or maybe that’s just the reality of being unsurprised for your own surprise party. Dex starts clapping as I approach. “Welcome to thirty, brother.”
“Thanks, I think.” We go in for one of those man hugs, complete with a couple of back slaps, then I nod at the door.
“Are we doing this thing on the street tonight, or what?” I smirk. “That really would be a surprise.”
“Nah. The ladies will be meeting us soon. I asked you here early so we could grab a drink first. Just the two of us. But not here.” He jerks his chin to indicate a spot farther down the street.
“Uh.” My brows pull in. “So we’re gonna go grab a drink before we go to a bar?”
“Pretty much.” He stuffs his hands in his pockets. Looks at his shoes.
Fishy.
But as I already established, I’m not the guy who ruins a plan. “Lead the way, partner.”
We head down Maple, then make a right. Two blocks down, we pass the spot where Loren and I parked the night of our joint bachelor and bachelorette party. I gave her that new wedding dress at the curb right there.
Her face floats up into my memory, her shocked smile, those blue eyes shining in the moonlight. But I’m here to grab a drink with my boy, not get all mushy about my wife.
So I clear my throat and glance at Dex. “Any hints where we’re going?”
“Come on. You know me, man.” He punches my the shoulder. “I’d never ruin a surprise.”
“Right.” I’m still chuckling when I look up and note the sign at the end of the street. And I get ideas. “Dude.” I grin. “Are we going to Chop?”
Dex lifts his palms. “Busted.”
Chop is a brand-new steakhouse I’ve been dying to try, but the place just opened during the weeks of well … during my weeks of Loren. So it’s too bad Dex and I are only going here for a drink here tonight.
I sure do love a good ribeye.
Inside, Chop is exactly what I’d imagined. Rich woods. Leather seats. Pendant lights illuminate the entryway. I make a mental note to return here as soon as possible with Loren. As it turns out, in the whirlwind of this month, my wife and I have never been on an actual date.
At least not officially.
The place is packed tonight, no surprise. Dex nods a greeting to the hostess, then continues to the bar across the main dining room. But instead of stopping to look for a couple of stools for us to grab a drink, he veers left.
I follow, confused.
And that’s when I see it. See them.
Not just Loren and Sayla. But a dozen people standing around a long table in the corner. There are balloons, a birthday banner, and a ridiculous party hat with the number thirty flashing on top. Plus a cake. Not a tampon in sight.
All right, folks.
This is a surprise.
Over the next half hour, I’m swarmed by hugs and well-wishes from Dex’s entire family.
His parents and his three sisters all showed up.
Kendal’s husband, too. And Landry’s boyfriend.
JoJo is still single, but maybe not for long.
She’s definitely got eyes for Noah. The fact that Loren invited him is, sort of strangely, a comfort.
Clearly, she sees him as a friend. Part of the family.
And I do like the guy. He takes good care of Harlan.
And that’s good with me.
Am I shocked to see Rosalind here too? You bet. Then again, she did decide to stick around through the weekend so we could talk more about future business plans. We’ve got some promising stuff on the horizon already.
Since there’s no Ritz-Carlton in Harvest Hollow, she’s slumming it over at the Maple Tree Inn. But she seemed legitimately excited about the free breakfast. As it turns out, she’s about as down-to-earth as an heiress can be. I never wanted to marry the woman, but I like her as a friend.
An extremely wealthy friend with a very good heart, who also happens to be her own trustee.
Thirty minutes in, we haven’t even sat to eat yet, which is fine by me. I’ll take any excuse to catch Loren’s eye across a room and see that smile play across her face. My insides heat at the sight of her. Every time.
Just knowing she’s my wife is everything.
And I’ll move mountains to make sure she stays that way.
I’m talking to Tom, Kendal’s husband, about what it’s like being a dad of two with a third on the way, when a murmur starts behind us.
Soft hushes and excited whispers. Something’s happening.
I look over my shoulder, wondering if Loren’s about to smash cake in my face or something, but the stir is over the couple coming toward our table.
Lincoln James is here with his wife, Hadley Morgan.
Or, as they’re known on social media and in celebrity magazines, HadLink.
His latest film just got nominated for an Oscar, I think, and she’s famous in her own right as the newest host of America’s Hidden Talent.
They’re old college friends who reconnected a few years back, right here in Harvest Hollow. Then they fell in love.
A hometown music teacher and the biggest movie star on the planet.
I can appreciate a happy ending like that among friends.
“He’s coming over here,” JoJo squeals, nudging me. She’s the only one of Dexter’s three sisters who’s single. She’s also a big fan of Lincoln James, apparently.
Link offers me one of those chin nods guys do. I nod back, and that’s when I remember I’m wearing a flashing birthday hat.
Nice.
“Hey, Noah,” he says, squeezing past me to Mr. Man-Bun himself. The two of them shake hands, then move in for a back-slapping man-hug. “I miss you, man,” Link says. “My new PT’s good, but you were the best.”
Beside me, JoJo sighs. And I’m honestly not sure if her reaction is for Noah or Link. Either way, Noah makes quick work of introducing Link and Hadley around to a bunch of star-struck fans.
We learn that Lincoln James used to be Noah’s client a few years back, and now HadLink is at my birthday party.
Totally surreal.
But still not the most surreal thing that’s happened to me recently.
“I live in your old house now,” Sayla chirps at Hadley, absolutely giddy to meet her. Personal space has never been Sayla’s strong suit, so she pulls Hadley in for a big hug.
“I lived there too,” Loren chimes in as soon as Hadley manages to extricate herself. “We were roommates until last month.”
“Aww. Fun!” Hadley smiles. “My best friend and I loved that place.”
“Nina Bennett, right?” Sayla quips. “You two worked together at Harvest High? She’s a math teacher.”
“Wow.” Hadley’s brows lift. “You’re very … well-informed.”
Loren laughs, stepping in to explain. “I promise you, Sayla is not a stalker. It’s just that you’re kinda famous, and word spreads around a school district. We both teach at Stony Peak. So do our husbands.”
Yeah. That’s right. I’m her husband.
“Go, Gray Squirrels!" Hadley cheers, but then she glances around and lowers her voice. “Your baseball team beat our Bobcats at the end of the season, so I’m being a big traitor right now. But I’m just so happy for you all.” She wrinkles her nose.
“After that storm last year. The damage was so terrible.”
Sayla nods. “Yeah, you all got lucky over at Harvest High, but don’t worry. We’re good now. The renovations are almost done.”
“That reminds me.” Hadley cuts a glance across the room at her husband.
“Did anyone ever find out who put up that big donation last year? Link and I must’ve told a thousand reporters we weren’t the ones, and we felt so bad every time.
We would’ve stepped up for sure, but we were in California on set for Link’s movie.
By the time we flew home, someone else had already beaten us to it. ”
“And we may never know who,” Sayla says loudly, with an exaggerated shrug.
“Stony Peak got the money we needed,” Loren says. “That’s what really matters.” She moves over to me, looping her arm through mine and pressing her body in close. A silent signal that she knows.
Talk about what matters.
When Hadley and Link leave to meet the rest of their party, Dex orders the rest of us to find a seat at the table. We’ve barely sat down when Loren’s phone buzzes.
She casts a regretful look my way. “Sorry. I hate to—”
“Check it. Of course. Could be your dad.”
She hops up from the table, and as she ducks into an alcove just outside the room, I watch her go. My heart is on the other side of the wall now. The only birthday gift I’ll need. I lived the first thirty years without being her husband. But I plan to make up for that for as long as I can.
So moments later, when she peeks around the corner, motioning me over, I’m not exactly sad.
Me?
Alone in a dark alcove with Loren?
Put me in, coach.
I’m a man on a mission, skimming around the corner, and arriving just in time to hear her let out a little snort. Adorable. But she’s still on the phone. So I guess I wasn’t being summoned for any duties that require more … privacy.
Pity.
“Okay, okay, I see how it is.” She looks up, shrugging. “Apparently, my dad didn’t call for me.” She pushes her phone into my hands. “He wants to talk to you.”
As it turns out, Harlan called to wish me a happy birthday, and that one simple gesture makes up for a whole lot of years without my own dad taking an interest.
This is the family I’ve found.
The family I choose. Every day.
His laughter crackles over the phone, strong and loud, as he tells me a story about the year he turned thirty. Loren’s mom made a picnic lunch at Harvest Farms to celebrate. “Cheese, salami, bread, the whole shebang. They call it charcuterie now.”
He absolutely mangles the pronunciation, beginning with a hard CH like chuck, and a grin takes over my whole face.
“Elise sure was ahead of her time,” he adds, and I can hear the joy in his voice. Even though he said goodbye to her years ago, in this moment, she’s still with him.
I glance at Loren. She’s gazing up at me, her eyes wide and her smile wider. I’ve never seen my wife happier than when her father is happy. Her gaze ticks up to the top of my head, and she bites back a laugh.
Right.
My flashing hat.
I tug the hat off, then I switch the phone to my other ear. “Harlan? I’ve got one more question for you. If you don’t mind.”
“Well, my show starts soon,” he says. “And I can’t miss Jeopardy! But I suppose I can spare a couple more minutes.”
My ribcage suddenly feels two sizes too small, but the train of my intentions has left the station, so I guess we’re doing this. Now.
“I was hoping …” My neck is hot, and my tongue feels tied. “What I mean is … I want … No, I’d very much like to …” I pause to clear my throat, because I refuse to falter on the next part. “Harlan? This is me, asking for your daughter’s hand.”
Loren sucks in a breath, and her eyes turn into big pools of liquid joy.
“In marriage, sir,” I add. “Please.”
“Huh.” He grunts. “Was there a question in there, big fella?”
This earns him a laugh.
Wise guy.
“Sir. Do I have your blessing, after the fact, to make your daughter, Loren, my wife?”
She moves into me, her chin lifted, and her gaze roaming my face.
“I’d do this with you in person, but Loren’s here with me now, and I just need you both to hear me say that I love her with my whole heart, and I’ll do everything in my power to take care of her for the rest of our lives.” I skim another glance her way. “If she’ll do me the honor, that is.”
“I will,” she whispers.
There’s silence on the other end of the call.
My guts tense up.
“Harlan?”
“Yep. That’s my name,” he quips. “But you know, I’m just sitting here, scratching my head, thinking you two already had a wedding, didn’t you?”
I grin.
“Yep, you’re right about that, sir.” I nod, even though he can’t see me. “We kind of took care of the legal side without a whole lot of warning.” I reach for Loren’s hand. “So your daughter and I are married, that part’s true. But now, with your permission, I’d really like to be her husband.”