Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 94279 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 377(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94279 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 377(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
My jaw dropped, but I somehow managed to recover with a smile. “Wow. That’s … well, fast. But great news. Congratulations.”
He beamed. “Piper wanted to start a family right away. It happened the first month we tried.”
“That’s amazing.”
Piper came down the hall. She had on a barely off-white dress—at a wedding. Yet she looked me up and down.
“Green.” She pursed her lips in a judgy smile. “Again.”
It was difficult to not roll my eyes. Instead, I forced an over-the-top smile. “Hello, Piper. How are you?”
“Pregnant.”
“Yes. Congratulations.” I pointed to her husband. “Aiden just told me the good news.”
“I would’ve liked to have waited, but I didn’t want to be pregnant at the same time as half of Aiden’s friends. It was bad enough we all got married the same year. I’d like to at least have the limelight for myself and my baby instead of sharing it again.”
That might be the first positive thing I’d felt about being pregnant … It would annoy Piper when she found out.
“I hear you and Wilder are still a thing?” she said, narrowing her eyes.
I nodded. “We’re together, yes.”
“Then I guess congratulations are in order for you, too. You’ve held on to him longer than the rest of them.”
This woman was really something. I couldn’t even muster a good fake smile—she got the plastic one. “I should get going to the bridal suite.”
I was thankful she wasn’t one of the bridesmaids, so I didn’t have to be around her anymore. Though when I walked into the bridal suite and saw a sea of the same blue dresses, I wondered if she was the only guest who wasn’t part of the bridal party. The room also smelled like the Sephora perfume department the week before Christmas. It made me a little nauseous.
“Hi.” I looked around and spoke to an attendant. “I’m a writer for Bride magazine. I’m covering the wedding tonight for a feature. Is the bride here?”
“She’s in the next room with the rest of the bridal party.”
“The rest of the bridal party? How many are there exactly?”
The woman laughed. “Twenty-two bridesmaids. Apparently that’s the bride’s lucky number. Counting the groomsmen and the bride and groom, there are forty-six in the wedding.”
“Wow.” Note to self for a future YouTube episode: How many bridesmaids is enough? I’d have to text that to myself so I wouldn’t forget. “Did you happen to see a photographer from the magazine?” I asked her. “I’m meeting someone, and I’m not sure what they look like.”
“I think he’s already in with the bride. But to be honest, I’ve lost track of where everyone is because there are so many people.”
With a nod, I took a deep breath and went in search myself. I’d been expecting the worst—a bride with twenty-two bridesmaids must be a diva—but I was pleasantly surprised. Marley seemed lovely. It turned out her family was a foster-care host, and most of the bridal party were her foster siblings from the last two decades. She didn’t want to leave anyone out since she considered them all family. I’d misjudged that one. The hour I spent getting to know everyone and working with the substitute photographer was pretty fun.
As the bridal party lined up for the ceremony, I realized I hadn’t even thought about the fact that I was pregnant. At least until a hand wrapped around my stomach. Wilder hauled me against him. “There’s my girl.” His hot breath against my neck sent chills across my body.
I turned. “Hey. You made it.”
He pressed his lips to mine. “I missed you.”
I smiled. “It’s only been three days.”
“Three days too long.”
The music playing in the chapel stopped, and I thought they might be getting ready to start the wedding march. “I’d better take my seat.”
“See you after the ceremony.”
I always tried to sit toward the back of the crowd, not wanting to take a better seat than a real guest. But I’d lingered in the bridal suite too long, and now there were only seats left toward the front. Mine had a clear view straight to Wilder once everyone had taken their places, and I felt him watching me throughout the ceremony. There was a warmth in his gaze that I hadn’t noticed before, and it made me think maybe … just maybe he might not be upset with my news.
That was a dangerous thought to have. I’d readied myself for the worst response—that he wanted nothing to do with me or the baby. Because I could handle being happily surprised. But I wasn’t sure I could handle allowing myself to believe things could work out and then being disappointed.
Though the seed had been planted now. And all I could do for the next forty-five minutes of stolen glances and exchanged smiles was water it and watch it bloom.
Maybe he would be happy.