Marrying My Best Friend's BFF: A Friends to Lovers, Accidental Baby Romance (Love You Forever Book 2)

by Alexis Winter

  Piper stops and takes the baby from Mom then goes to stand across from Calvin. Riley finally makes it to my side and I swear, it’s like I’ve forgotten to breathe. Looking at her, I feel dizzy and a little sick. A good sick though.

  The music cuts off and the preacher clears his throat. “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to bear witness to—and celebrate the union of—Preston Young and Riley Westfeld as they come together in holy matrimony.” He looks at the both of us before carrying on. “If anyone has anything to say, speak now or forever hold your peace.”

  He looks around at all our guests but no one makes a sound and I couldn’t be more relieved. It wouldn’t surprise me if her mom decided to speak up at the worst time, considering she thought I was going to bail on my kid.

  The preacher nods and carries on. “I’ve been told that the couple has written their own vows. If you’d like to proceed . . .” he says, looking at me.

  I turn to Calvin and he hands me the wedding band. I hold it out to Riley and start the only way I know how. I’m not the romantic type, so hopefully she doesn’t hate me later for not being more creative. “Riley, I know in the short time we’ve been seeing each other, things have been a little back and forth. And that didn’t change when I was afraid of the feelings I had for you. But I want you to know that without a shadow of a doubt, I am on board. I will never get scared and run away again. I vow to run to you. I vow to put you and our family before myself. I vow to take care of you and love you for the rest of my life.” I slide the ring onto her finger.

  The preacher looks over at her. She turns and takes the ring from Piper before turning back to me. “Preston, the first time we met, it was destiny. The first time we kissed, it was fate. So us getting married here today was written in the stars from the beginning. The first time you brought me here, I could see myself marrying you, but I never thought it would actually be here, the place we had our first date. Every moment with you has been epic and I can’t wait to see what our future holds. I vow to stand by your side through it all. I vow to love you, protect you, and honor you with every passing day.” She slides the ring onto my finger.

  “Do you, Preston, take Riley to be your lawfully wedded wife?” the preacher asks.

  “I do,” I agree.

  “And do you, Riley, take Preston to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

  She smiles sweetly at me. “I do.”

  “Then by the power vested in me by the state of Illinois, you may kiss your bride.”

  My hands pull her in by her hips, my lips finding hers. We share a long, deep kiss full of love and passion. My lips are tingling, and my lungs are numb from the lack of oxygen. This kiss can be felt in the tips of my toes and in every nerve ending. This is the first kiss of the rest of our lives. I pull back and our guests clap and cheer as we turn to face them. Riley’s face is pink from embarrassment as I lead her down the white carpet runner that takes us back to the dugout.

  When we step inside, I pull her against me. “Have you ever had sex at Wrigley Field?”

  She laughs. “No, but I totally want to!”

  “Come on.” I pull her through the building and into the employee elevator to go to my office. I sneak her down the quiet hall. Since it’s Saturday, no one’s around to catch us, but in theory, my boss could be around here somewhere. Once inside my office, I spin her around and press her back to the door. Her leg hitches up on my hip and I push her panties to the side as I free myself from my pants and push into her. We both let out a moan with the connection.

  It doesn’t take either of us long to fall off the edge of the earth together and we sneak back out just as quickly as we snuck in. Now that the wedding portion of the day is over, we make our way back to the field to take some more pictures. Today’s date is on the scoreboard in the background. These pictures are going to be epic!

  Sixteen

  Riley

  The wedding, though not traditional, was perfect. Wrigley Field is special to both Preston and me. He works there and loves baseball. Growing up, I used to watch all the games with my dad, and that’s where Preston and I had our first date. I never imagined I’d get married on a baseball field, but really, it couldn’t have been better. Even little Mason wore a jersey. I had no idea they even made them that small!

  After we take our pictures, we all get in our cars and head over to the restaurant to eat and have some good old-fashioned wedding cake. Preston and I are the last to arrive, and when we walk into the private room, all of our friends and family are already there, cheering us on. Preston and I take our seats together and everyone else gathers around the big table. Waiters and waitresses come out, pouring everyone a glass of water and loading the table down with fresh rolls, butter, and honey. Instead of having everyone order off the menu, Preston handpicked the meal and everyone will be having the same thing like a catered event.

  “I got you guys a present,” Piper says, handing over a bag from across the table.

  I take it and set it in my lap. “You didn’t have to do that,” I gush.

  “Hush, it was nothing,” she says, trying to hold back her smile.

  Inside the bag is a beautiful handbound photo album. The outside is made up of old leather and the front reads: Any moment wasted with you is time well spent. This is us. The Youngs. And she’s already started it for us. She’s included pictures of us from her wedding and our first sonogram picture. Tears sting my eyes.

  “This is perfect,” I say around the tears as they begin to roll down my cheeks.

  She smiles and quickly rushes over to pull me in for a hug. Preston reaches over and rubs my back to calm me. “This is great, Pipes. Thanks,” he says as she goes back to her seat.

  He leans in to whisper in my ear. “My parents gave us a gift too. It’s the down payment on the house we’re buying.”

  My eyes double in size and I gasp as I turn to look at him. “That’s too much, Preston,” I whisper.

  He smiles and shakes his head. “They did the same thing for my brother and Piper. It’s fine.”

  I’m momentarily frozen. “That’s going to save us so much money! I can’t believe they did that.” The tears start to fall again, and I can’t hold them back.

  He chuckles but pulls me into his side, soothing me. “She’s just had an emotional day,” he says to everyone staring.

  I nod and dry my eyes. “Sorry, everyone. Hormones,” I laugh out as I wipe away my tears and they all chuckle with me.

  My mom, sisters, and brothers approach the table together. “Mom, this is Preston. Preston, this is my mom, Beth.”

  Preston offers up his wide smile and shakes her hand. “I finally see where Riley got her good looks.”

  Mom blushes and playfully slaps at his hand. “Flattery will get you everywhere,” she laughs out. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Preston. I hope you can make my daughter as happy as she thinks you will.”

  He nods. “I’ll never stop trying.”

  I then introduce Preston to my siblings. My sisters clearly find him attractive and giggle when he pays them compliments, and my brothers rib him about the shotgun wedding, but it’s so great to see everyone finally coming together.

  Everyone talks while we snack on our bread and people finally start to get the drinks they ordered. I grab my sweet tea and take a long sip. It’s cold and refreshing, only making me wish I had some food to go along with it. Almost on cue, a long line of servers streams into the room as they start setting down plates in front of everyone. The smell of steak makes its way to my nose and has my mouth watering. I’ve always had a big appetite, but this pregnancy has only made it worse. By the end of it, I’ll probably have gained 50 pounds.

  All of us talk and laugh over dinner. When everyone is done and the table has been cleared, two staff members roll in the cake. A few pictures are taken as Preston and I make the first cut. We feed each other a small bite before it’s rolled off to be cut and served.

  By the end of the party, I’m completely
stuffed and filled with so much love and happiness that I’m sure I could burst. We say our goodbyes to Calvin, Piper, and Mason and thank them for the gift. Preston’s parents are after them. Preston and I are standing at the doorway and they hug us both. “Mr. and Mrs. Young, I can’t thank you enough for your more than generous wedding gift,” I say as I hug Mrs. Young.

  Mr. Young speaks up. “You’re very welcome. We just can’t wait to have all our kids, grandkids, and daughters-in-law back home.” He looks at Preston. “See you soon. You make sure to take care of your beautiful wife.” He pats his shoulder before they leave the restaurant.

  My family’s up next and my mom leans in and gives me a long hug. “Love you, honey. Call me . . . a lot. I want to know all about this baby.” She pulls away.

  “I will,” I promise.

  Finally, my siblings and I all come in for final hugs before they head to their cars.

  When no one is left in the room but Preston and me, he pulls me into his side. “So, what did you think of our shotgun wedding?”

  I laugh as he leads me back to the table to collect our things. “I loved it and wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.”

  “Good, I’m glad,” he says, cupping my cheek. “I’m going to go pay the restaurant. Want the keys to take that bag out?”

  I hold out my free hand as I hold Piper’s gift in the other.

  He drops them into my palm and places his hand on the small of my back to lead me out of our private room. Once we’re through the doors, he goes to the right to pay and I go to the left to exit the restaurant.

  I make my way to the car and pop the trunk, placing the bag inside. Then I take my place in the passenger seat, waiting for him to come out. It only takes him a few minutes before he’s joining me in the car. He takes the keys from me and puts them into the ignition. The car roars to life.

  “Thanks to your parents, we’ll have extra money to buy all-new matching furniture for the new house.”

  He looks over at me. “What, you don’t like all my mismatched pieces?”

  I laugh. “I love them, but a beautiful new house calls for beautiful new furniture, don’t you think?”

  “If we can afford it and it’ll make you happy, then I’m all in,” he agrees.

  The week passes by quickly with everything we have to do regarding the house and our new status as newlyweds. We’re in heaven, calling each other husband and wife anytime we get the chance. At the end of the week, we’re making the drive down to physically see the house and sign the papers. The ride down is long and boring and it doesn’t help that we have to stop every 50 miles so I can have a pee break, but Preston never lets it bother him. We finally make it to town and the excitement of it all fills me and bubbles over. I’m practically dancing in my seat.

  “Seriously, again?” Preston asks.

  “What?” I ask, looking over at him.

  “You’re doing the pee dance again,” he points out.

  I laugh. “This is my can’t-contain-my-excitement dance.”

  He laughs and shakes his head. “They look a lot alike. Maybe in 20 years I’ll be able to tell them apart,” he jokes.

  We’re finally pulling into the driveway and the house looks even better in person than it did online. It’s a massive two-story white home with an attached porch that wraps around to the back of the house. The front yard is big and manicured perfectly with shrubs and flowers planted along the front of the house.

  Preston helps me out of the car and walks me to the front door. He knocks and a moment later, a distinguished gentleman answers the door. He shakes our hands and introduces himself as Kevin, the owner’s son.

  He leads us into the house to look around.

  “Dad is already at the Winding Paths Nursing Facility, so feel free to check out any room you come across. We’ve already started the process of cleaning the place out, so some rooms may be a bit of a mess. I hope you don’t mind.”

  “Not at all. Thank you.”

  We check out the bottom floor first, seeing the big living room with hardwood floors and a fireplace. Then we move into the dining room, which has the same dark wood and crisp white walls. The kitchen is fairly new. The appliances only seem to be a few years old. There’s a big island in the center and a massive window that looks out into the backyard. We take our time going from room to room. We talk about what each room could be for us, pick out our master suite, and assign rooms to our future children. We talk about painting, wallpapering, and decorating. By the end of the tour, I’m more excited than when we arrived.

  “So what do you think? You want it?” Preston asks when we make our way back down to the entryway.

  “Yes!” I nearly shout, jumping into his arms and throwing my arms around his neck. “Yes, yes, yes!”

  He spins me around in a circle while laughing at my excitement. Kevin walks back into the room and Preston sets me on my feet. “We’ll take it.”

  Kevin smiles. “Right this way.” He leads us into the kitchen where he’s already set out the paperwork on the small kitchen table. There’s a man sitting at the table and Kevin explains, “This is Mr. Niles, my attorney. He’ll help us expedite the process.” We each shake his hand.

  Preston sits down and picks up the pen, reading over the document. Our attorney has already been over it and given us the go-ahead, but Preston wants to ensure everything is in order. I look at Kevin and he’s looking around the room. It’s like he’s trying to memorize every last feature.

  “Did you grow up here?” I ask, feeling the sadness rolling off him.

  He looks at me and nods. “Yeah, all of us kids did. It’s funny, but every time I walk in that front door, I swear I can still smell my mom’s famous pot roast . . . even though she’s been gone for years now.”

  I smile. “It sounds like you had a good childhood growing up here. I hope to give our child the same thing.” I place my hand on my stomach that’s growing bigger by the day.

  His eyes glance down to my hand on my stomach and then back up to my eyes. He smiles. “It’s about time this house saw a family again. You’ll liven up the place, that’s for sure. It’s just been Dad here for the last 10 years or so. And his health has been declining since Mom’s passing. My siblings and I have discussed putting him in a home for a while, but we didn’t want to uproot his life. But your interest in this house came at the perfect time. He suffered a stroke a year ago and has been relying on me for everything. It’s time I get my life back and he understands that. He didn’t want me taking care of him all this time anyway.”

  I place my hand on Preston’s shoulder as he puts down the pen and stands up. “It sounds like you and your family had many happy years here, and I hope we can fill it with many more years of happy memories, and then at the end, pass away in each other’s arms.” He looks at me and I can see love and a possible tinge of sadness in his eyes.

  I laugh and look at Kevin, who’s probably confused by it all. “We already have plans to have a Notebook death,” I tell him.

  He frowns. “Excuse me?”

  “You know the movie The Notebook? The couple grows old together, and in the end, they die in each other’s arms?”

  He nods and I can tell he has zero clue what I’m talking about. “Oh, well, I hope that works out for you.” He smiles but probably thinks we’re crazy. What couple actually plans out their deaths?

  Mr. Niles takes the opportunity to speak up after going through the document. “Well, I’ll get this paperwork processed and my office will be in contact with you. The place will be yours in 30 days.”

  I smile. “Thank you.”

  Kevin walks us back out and Preston opens the passenger-side door, allowing me to slide in. Instead of driving back to the city today, we have plans to stay with his parents. Preston was worried that two long drives would be too much for me.

  We make the drive over to his parents’ house, and to our surprise, Calvin and Piper are getting out of their car just as we’re pulling in. Piper’s hold
ing Mason in his carrier and she asks us, “Hey, what are you guys doing here?”

  I climb out of the car. “We just signed the paperwork on our house.”

  Her mouth drops open. “You bought a house?”

  I smile and nod. “Mm-hmm.”

  She looks torn between being happy for us and being sad, because there’s no possible way we could have bought the house next door to her. It’s not for sale. “Oh . . . congrats,” she says.

  “Piper, let me show you a picture of it.” I grab my phone and pull up the photo. I walk the short distance over to her and show her the screen.

  “That’s beautiful, Riley.” She looks closer. “Wait! Is that the house next door to ours?” She looks up at Calvin, then to Preston, and back to me.

  I smile and nod. “It is.”

  She squeals and throws her arms around me, even though she’s still holding Mason’s car seat. Calvin comes over and takes it from her. “Careful with the baby, Pipes.”

  She laughs. “I’m sorry, I was just so excited. When do you move in?”

  “It’s legally ours in 30 days!”

  She jumps up and down, clapping and giggling. “Yay, we’ll all be together soon!”

  The guys grab our bags and Piper takes Mason back as we make our way to the front door. “So, what are you going to do about your law office, Calvin?” Preston asks.

  “I think I’m going to open a new location. I have Daniel at the office in the city, so he can run things there. It’ll become a chain,” he jokes as he opens the door and allows us all to walk in ahead of him.

  Preston’s mom comes rushing around the corner. “Oh, all of my kids at home at once!” she gushes, giving all of us hugs. When she gets to me, she says, “Just so you know, you’re one of my kids now too.”

  I smile. I’ve never been welcomed so warmly and quickly before. It really makes me feel like I have a whole new side of my family, and I couldn’t be happier. Plus, my best friend and I are now sisters-in-law. What more could a girl ask for?