Chapter 25
Chapter Twenty-Five
BARRETT
Four Months Later…
I turn from the hallway mirror, where I’m doing my best to straighten my bow
tie, to see Wren’s “surprise.”
Sadly, it isn’t the red dress with the cleavage, I was hoping for.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” I glance down at the basket she’s holding where a grinning Keanu Reeves sits dressed in a tiny tuxedo complete with sparkly red bow tie and some kind of red fur dye on the tips of his ears.
Wren beams. “No, I’m not kidding. I’m a genius. He doesn’t freak out in the basket! It’s the carrier he hates, not car rides. I did a test run this morning while you were at the hospital. There was nary a whimper, groan, nor death rattle and he stayed in the basket the whole time like a very good boy.”
Keanu death rattles and wags his tail, clearly agreeing that he is, in fact, a very good boy, despite the fact that he’s been peeing on our produce boxes on the porch all summer.
“The basket is fine. This outfit on the other hand…” I drag my gaze down to the glittering red buttons on the front of the shirt. “He looks like a hairy little Dracula. With extra fangs.”
“He does not!” Wren cradles the basket closer. “He looks handsome.” She strokes his beastly little head. “And what else is he supposed to wear? It’s a formal wedding and this is his only formal attire.”
“He could wear nothing. He’s a dog. Naked is acceptable for dogs. Or he can stay in the laundry room while we’re gone and contemplate why he enjoys peeing on cucumbers so much.”
Wren’s jaw drops. “And disappoint all his fans at the reception? No way. Not to mention Sarah Beth’s been looking forward to going over his DNA report all week. I think she might end up becoming a scientist. If the professional roller skating doesn’t work out.”
“She’s going to be disappointed in the results,” I warn.
Wren waves a dismissive hand. “She won’t be disappointed. She’ll be intrigued. Like I am. How can dog DNA results end up ‘inconclusive?’ That’s unheard of. And, as far as I can tell, there’s only one explanation.”
I eye Keanu’s still very cat like claws as he digs them into the edge of the basket, seeming to enjoy the crackling sound it makes. “He’s a science experiment gone wrong?”
Her eyes light up. “I was thinking an alien whose spaceship recently crash landed on Earth, but you could be right. I’ll tell Sarah Beth that we’ll have to look into lab escapes in the area.” She cocks her head to one side before adding in a softer voice, “You don’t really hate it, do you? I worked hard on his ears. And I made the buttons myself.”
“Of course, I don’t hate it,” I say, my heart melting the way it does every time she uses her soft, sexy, “you still love me the very most of all, right?” voice. Because I do love her the very most of all. The past four months have been the best of my life. I can’t imagine things getting any better.
Except for one thing, that I hope to take care of tonight…
“I was just a little sad that you chose the blue dress instead of the red,” I say, bending to press a kiss to her upturned mouth.
“Because you’re obsessed with my boobs,” she murmurs against my lips.
“Obsessed is a strong word, but I’m definitely a fan,” I say, deepening the kiss, pinning a purring Keanu between us. My ward may be a weirdo of uncertain genetic origin, but he doesn’t have a jealous bone in his body. He loves snuggling on the couch with Wren and me at night, but he never tries to get in between us. He respects and enjoys our love if not always our tomatoes and baby eggplants.
“I’m a fan of you in a tux,” Wren says, pulling back to scan me up and down. “Here, hold the baby.”
“He’s not a baby. He’s a feral creature.”
“Well, you’re a feral creature, and I still love you.” She passes Keanu’s basket over before adjusting my bow tie and sweeping her thumb across my bottom lip. “There. You had lipstick.”
“You should have left it. I like to wear your mark whenever possible. Show all the other women who I belong to.”
She grins. “You could get a tattoo on your forehead. Property of Wren Baxter.”
“Might be a turn off in the delivery room. Doctors with face tattoos don’t inspire confidence.”
“But they inspire friskiness,” she says, her brows bobbing up and down. “I can’t wait to rip your clothes off later.” She grabs her purse from the entry table and slips her feet into her silver high heels. “You ready? I told Kinsey I’d get there early and help entertain her stepmother, so Pam doesn’t get into it with her mom or try to take Uta’s flask away again.”
“I can’t believe she invited Uta,” I grumble. “She’s a hot mess.”
“She is,” Wren agrees, “but she’s still Kinsey’s mom. Pam raised her and they have a great relationship, but there’s something about that mother bond, you know? I imagine it would be hard to shake.” She sighs. “I’m so grateful Starling and I have a good relationship with our mom. That kind of conflict would be so rough.”
She has a great relationship with her mom and so do I. When I asked her for permission to ask Wren to marry me last week, she cried, hugged me, and said she’d always wanted a son. I couldn’t have asked for a warmer welcome into their family.
Now, I just need Wren to say yes.
Surprisingly, I’m not nervous. I feel pretty certain she’ll say yes, and if she doesn’t, I can wait. I’ll wait as long as she needs to wait to feel the time is right. I’ll wait forever, if I have to, because I already know there’s no other woman in the world for me. It’s Wren or no one.
Well, Wren or Keanu Reeves and me sharing a bachelor pad, but no one wants that.
Especially not Keanu. All the way over to the marina, he keeps a paw on Wren’s hand, bending to lick her fingers every so often in a sloppy display of affection. And when we’re parked, he sits like a good boy while she gets his leash on and adjusts his outfit.
Unfortunately, Kyle is not quite so well-behaved…
We’re about to head toward the dock when I’m nearly knocked over by a feathered body descending on Keanu.
“Kyle, no! Kyle, sit!” Starling cries out from behind us as Kyle does his “happy to see you” dance, nearly crushing Keanu in the process. “Sorry!” A breathless Starling arrives beside us and gently pulls Kyle back a few feet. “He’s just so excited. It’s been too long since they’ve had a playdate.”
“It’s fine,” Wren says, laughing as the turkey bends his head to Keanu’s, cooing and clucking. “Aw, they’re so sweet. I feel bad. I’ve just been so busy lately, helping Kinsey with the wedding plans and training her replacement.”
“It’s okay,” Starling says. “But maybe I could take Keanu home with me tonight? Kyle could really use some friend time. He’s been trying to jump over the fence again and make friends with the wild turkeys.”
“That sounds like a brilliant idea,” I say, glancing Wren’s way.
She nods. “Yeah, that would be great. Give us a chance to sleep in tomorrow.”
Starling sighs. “Oh, good. I’ll get to sleep in later, too. Kyle always sleeps later when Keanu’s there to snuggle.” She reaches for the leash, her hand hovering above Wren’s. “You want me to take him now? I could take them for a walk, make sure they get all their wiggles out before the ceremony.”
“Sounds perfect,” Wren says, handing Keanu over to her sister. As they walk away, she leans in for a hug. “Save me a seat, okay? I’ll join you as soon as I make sure Pam and Uta aren’t up in arms.”
I kiss the top of her head. “Will do.”
Twenty minutes later, she joins me in the third row—Starling is in the back with the rest of the people who brought pets to this “pet friendly” ceremony—and we watch a friend and talented co-worker exchange vows with her long-term boyfriend. Kinsey and Clark have been dating since their senior year of college and are some of the best people I know. I’m going to miss Kinsey in the office and both of them at our annual Christmas and summer parties.
But Kinsey has a great opportunity to advance in Minneapolis, and I know she’ll go on to do wonderful things with the rest of her career. Just like Wren, who’s applying to med school for next year. I have no doubt she’ll be an incredible doctor, and lately, I’ve had a new dream for our future.
One I hope will make it clear how much I want to share my life with her.
After the vows, we adjourn to the marina’s party room, with the wall of windows overlooking the lake. The sun set just a half hour ago and the air still glows with a pink light that makes the simple decorations look luxurious and timeless. I wouldn’t have noticed that before Wren, but now I do.
I notice more of the little things, including the fact that my brother looks happier than he has in months.
Since he and Starling were both hired on to work the fundraising gig for Furry Friends full-time, in fact, with Starling serving as Christian’s boss.
“Decided you like weddings, after all?” I ask, stepping into the beer line beside him. Kaps is here with bottles of Keanu Pale Ale, and I’ve developed a taste for it—good thing since she gifts us a case every other week as a thank you for letting her take Keanu out for “brand ambassador” events at the brewery.
“I’ve always liked weddings,” Christian says, still grinning. “You were the cranky one who hated expensive, public displays of affection.”
“True,” I say, laughing.
“But not anymore,” Christian says, thumping me on the back. “I’m happy for you, man. You and Wren are perfect together.”
“And you and Starling are finally getting along?” I ask, glancing to where Starling, Kyle, and Keanu are already strutting their stuff on the dance floor.
“Yeah, we’ve turned a corner. I’ve actually learned a lot from her.” He grins. “It also helps that this is my last month as her subordinate. I landed a full-time gig at a non-profit in Minneapolis. I start early November.”
“Congrats, man, that’s awesome,” I say, turning to pull him into a hug.
That’s another thing I do now. I hug my brothers. Often. And I don’t feel awkward about it. Loving Wren has made loving all the other people in my life easier and better, too. She’s given me the confidence that I know how to do this, after all.
“But Mom’s going to be bummed,” I add as we part. “You know she likes all of us living in a ten-mile radius.”
Chris laughs. “Yeah, but I’ll come visit all the time. And I think it’ll be good for the guys I hired to work and manage the bike shop to have me out of their hair more. They’re doing a great job; I’ve just had a hard time letting go.”
“Understandable. I would feel the same way about the practice. So, is Starling excited to go it on her own? Or is she planning to hire another assistant after you’re gone?”
He clears his throat, his smile fading. “I’m not sure. I…haven’t exactly told her yet. But I will. I’m just waiting for the right time. We’ve been getting along so well lately. I don’t want to rock the boat until I absolutely have to.”
Speaking of boats…
I glance outside. The light is perfect now, a gauzy orange-pink that Wren calls “magic hour.” I originally intended to wait until later in the evening, but it occurs to me that Wren might want a picture if all goes well, and the boats will make a nice backdrop.
“I’ll keep the news to myself then,” I say, giving Christian’s shoulder a squeeze. “Grab me a beer? There’s something I need to do first.”
I abandon the line, finding Wren where I left her, chatting by the windows with several of the other nurses from the practice and Tatum, who is thankfully having an easy pregnancy. She’s six months along, but only has a small “baby bump.” Still, she and Drew have decided to postpone their marriage until after the baby’s born, when Tatum will be able to wear something other than maternity wear and have a glass or two of champagne.
“Could I steal you for a moment?” I murmur, as I appear at her elbow.
“Totally,” Wren says, beaming at me over her shoulder. “Tell Sarah Beth I’m sorry she’s feeling sick, Tatum, but that I promise to come talk dog DNA with her next week. And I’ll bring her a piece of cake.”
Tatum lifts a hand my way, waving as she says, “No worries. She’s just running a tiny fever. She was bummed to miss the wedding, but she’s having fun at Grammy’s house. They’re watching an appalling number of Barbie cartoons and she gets as much Ginger Ale as she wants.”
Leaving the other women to discuss just how many Barbie cartoons is an appalling number—I vote one—I take Wren’s hand, leading her out through the lobby and down to the dock. To my surprise, she doesn’t ask where we’re going. She just leans her head on my shoulder when we stop beside a slip with a gorgeous view and says, “So pretty. And warm. I’m glad we’re having a mild fall so far.”
“Me, too,” I say, my throat tightening now that the moment is nearly at hand. I had a speech prepared, but I suddenly can’t remember a word of it.
I swallow, trying to talk myself down, but my brain remains one big blank.
“It’s okay, you don’t have to be nervous,” Wren says, squeezing my hand. “I already know.”
I glance down at her to find her watching me with a warm smile. “You know what?”
“You left the ring on your desk at the office. I saw it while I was grabbing your gym bag for you the other night.”
I exhale. “I ruined the surprise.”
“No, you didn’t,” she says. “You just gave me a chance to plan a surprise of my own.” She brings her fingers to her lips and lets out a piercing whistle. A beat later a metallic bark pierces the air and I turn to see Keanu tearing down toward us like that first day at the park.