Total pages in book: 128
Estimated words: 121210 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 606(@200wpm)___ 485(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121210 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 606(@200wpm)___ 485(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
I snort. “Way better than cat eyes.”
Norah gets to work on covering my face with a primer, but when my phone starts ringing from the pocket of my white robe that reads “Bride-to-be” on the back, I pull it out of the pocket to find Incoming Call Breezy on the screen.
“Hey, girl,” I greet. “How was your flight?”
“Flight was good,” she says, but her voice sounds frazzled. “But there are no rental cars available.”
“What? How on earth?”
“I know,” she huffs. “I can’t get ahold of Bennett. I don’t know what else to do.”
“Nore, where’s Ben?” I ask, leaning my head away from the receiver.
“He has Autumn,” she says, and it’s all she needs to say. Poor Autumn has been going through a little bit of a colicky phase. It always tends to hit worse in the afternoons.
“I guess I could try to call a taxi?” Breezy questions in my ear, but I quickly calculate a plan in my head.
“Breezy, stay put. I’m going to find you a ride. Call you back in five,” I say and end the call, my fingers immediately going to the screen to call Clay.
“Well, hello to my beautiful bride,” he greets, and I roll my eyes. I also smile. “Are you ready to marry me again?”
“I am, but I have a little bit of a favor to ask.”
“You need me to come over to CAFFEINE and ease your nerves with a little…”
“No, you pervert.” I snort. “I need you to go to the airport to pick up Breezy.”
“What?” he questions on a half shout. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, I need you to go to the airport to give Breezy a ride into town because she can’t get a rental, and I don’t want to make her get in the back of some strange man’s taxi.”
“You do realize that I’m a little busy today, right? You know, trying to get ready to marry you again?”
“Please, Clay?” I ask, forcing my voice to the quiet, needy tone that always ends up with me getting my way.
“Dammit, woman,” he mutters, but then it’s not long before he says, “Fine.”
“You’re the best husband-who-never-filed-divorce-papers-that-I’m-going-to-marry-again in the whole wide world.”
“Yeah. Yeah.” He groans, but he also chuckles. “Love you, Josie.”
“Love you too, baby. See you in a few hours. I’ll be the one in the white dress.”
“And I’ll be the stunningly handsome groom, standing at the altar, smiling at you.”
We end the call shortly after that, but the smile on my lips is so big that even Norah nudges me with her elbow. “Sis, you are smitten with a capital S. I freaking love it.”
So do I. It’s about damn time we have our happily-ever-after.
…
Clay
“Clay, I know I’ve thanked you a thousand times, but I feel compelled to thank you again,” Breezy says from the passenger seat of my truck as we cross the yellow bridge and head into town.
“Don’t worry about it, Breeze,” I tell her, even though there’s a teeny-tiny part of me that’s annoyed I had to make this unexpected trip when I was in the middle of trying to make sure everything is perfect for Josie’s and my wedding today.
But again, I love Bennett’s sister. I know Josie loves Bennett’s sister. The two women have grown so close over the last few months. Clearly, I also wanted to make sure she got into town safely.
“You’re in the middle of building your dream home, and you’re finally getting your big wedding. I couldn’t be happier for you and Josie if I tried, Clay.”
I look over to find Breezy smiling at me.
“Thanks, Breezy. Appreciate that.”
Everything is coming up fucking roses these days. Josie and I bought the five-acre plot of land behind Rose’s old house, so that Josie doesn’t feel pressured to sell it and we can easily keep it maintained. We’re in the middle of building a house on our new land. And today, on the anniversary of our first wedding day, my wife is going to marry me again in front of our nearest and dearest.
It doesn’t get any better than that.
Well, technically, only one more thing needs to happen to make it all perfect…
“You excited?” she asks, and I nod, looking up toward the sky for the water tower that’s moments away from coming into view.
“Very excited,” I mutter, and she asks me another question, but I’m too busy looking at the water tower to hear.
That water tower is a huge part of Josie’s and my story, and I enlisted the help of a few boys from town to create something special for my wife. Since we’re having our wedding in the town square, Josie will be able to see the water tower from the altar, and there was no way I could let the opportunity pass without capitalizing. I’d planned on staying with them and seeing it through, but I had to leave it in their hands to pick up Breezy.