Lisa and Josh worked together on his business. They had made many changes and were making plans for his fifth restaurant. Lisa loved working on the accounting side. She would be able to be home when their baby was born, but still be able to help him each day.
Josh went back to work at the fire station. Each time he left, Lisa worried until he walked back through the door. They would talk about what happened. She wanted to know what he had been through. Lisa found it getting a little easier each time. She still worried about him, but she knew he would come back home.
They planned their wedding and were excited for their day to come. It was only going to be family and a small group of friends. Lisa wanted to have the wedding at the fire station. It was an important place for both of them. He saved her from that fire and their relationship grew from there. It was a very large part of their life together. Lisa had met so many wonderful friends there. The reception would be at Josh's restaurant closest to the station.
A few days before the wedding, Lisa and Josh found out they were having a boy. Josh was so excited. Lisa cried tears of joy. Neither of them could wait to tell everyone, as they both hurried to text their friends and family. They spent an entire evening talking about baby names. Lisa looked over at her wonderful fiance. She loved him so much. His father was the most important man in his life, and she wanted to name their baby after Josh's dad. When she told him, she could see the love and happiness in his eyes. It was settled, the baby's name would be Jack.
The fire station was decorated by the firefighters and their spouses. It looked adorable. They had balloons, flowers, a white runner on the ground with an arch at the end, and chairs set up in rows. The trucks were parked out back. Lisa could see all of their gear hanging along the walls. A tear ran from the corner of her eye. It was perfect. She was directed into an office, out of site, where she could get ready. She had stayed the night at Becky and Gavin's, so she didn't see Josh before the wedding. Becky brought in the stuff Lisa needed to get dressed, and they got to work.
Lisa picked a cream color dress that stopped just above her knee. She was adorable in it. Becky laughed and joked with her about not wearing white. Her baby bump looked so tiny and cute. Becky rubbed Lisa's belly and told the baby how lucky he was to have such a great family. Lisa saw Becky tear up and knew something was up. She knew her friend was hiding something from her. Lisa took Becky's hands and looked into her eyes.
“Spill it,” Lisa said.
“What are you talking about?”
“Becky, you're hiding something from me. I am not going anywhere until you tell me what it is,” Lisa said.
“We have to get you ready. The guys are going to be here soon,” Becky said.
“They will have to wait,” Lisa sat down on a chair and held her hands together.
“Seriously, get up and get ready. We don't have much time,” Becky said, as she pulled Lisa by the hand.
“I said spill it.”
“There is nothing going on.”
“Becky, don't lie to me.”
Becky put her hands over her face and groaned. When she took her hands away, she had a smile on her face.
“If I tell you, you have to promise not to say anything. This is your day with Josh. You can't tell a single person. Me and Gavin agreed to keep it quiet until after today.”
“I promise, just tell me. Now I'm even more freaked out,” Lisa said.
“I'm pregnant,” Becky said, with a grin.
Lisa jumped to her feet and hugged her best friend.
“Congratulations! I'm so excited for you guys. We are pregnant together. This is so exciting. How far along are you?” Lisa was almost shouting.
“Shhh, Gavin can't know I just told you. We promised not to tell today. I'm not sure exactly, I think about four weeks. I just took the test yesterday. We are so excited. He is so happy that he's going to be a dad.”
They hugged each other tight.
“I told you, so we need to hurry and get you ready for your big day,” Becky said, pulling Lisa back into the chair.
Becky put Lisa's hair up and curled it. Her hair was so long and beautiful. She had curls going down the side of her face. Her brown hair matched her soft tan skin. Becky kept the makeup light and natural. Lisa had gorgeous green eyes that sparkled when the light was on her face. She had on light blush and eye shadow, with mascara and pink lip gloss. Lisa had on a pair of earrings that Josh's mom had worn at her own wedding. Lisa stood in the mirror as she looked at herself.
“You are so beautiful,” Becky said. “That man is going to go weak at the knees.”
“Thank you so much for being here for me. You are an amazing friend. I love you,” Lisa said.
Becky hugged her tight.
“I love you too.”
There was a knock at the door and Julie peeked her head in.
“Are you ready to get this party started?” Julie joked. “You look so beautiful.”
She hurried in to hug Lisa.
“These guys won't last much longer, and I'm ready to kick Ethan's ass already. Plus, I want you to meet my date. Hurry it up,” she joked and hurried back out the door.
Josh and Lisa had chosen Gavin as the best man and Becky as the maid of honor. Heath, Jack, Tammy, and Julie also stood up in the wedding party. All of the guys had black suits and all of the ladies wore pink dresses. Everyone was in place as Becky and Lisa walked around to the back. The music started as Josh waited patiently for his fiance. Gavin and Becky looked so cute walking down the aisle together. They grabbed a quick kiss as they separated at the front. Lisa was so happy for them. Heath and Tammy walked down the aisle next, followed by Jack and Julie. Lisa wanted the rest of Josh's friends in the wedding, but she didn't have enough girls to match up with them. The music changed and Lisa appeared. Josh eyes widened as he looked at her. She smiled at him and he smiled back. Lisa hadn't noticed Heath walk around to the back. He appeared next to her. She didn't have anyone to give her away and had planned to walk down the aisle by herself. He looked over at her and put his arm out to her.
“May I?” he asked.
“You don't have to do this,” she said. “I will be fine by myself.”
He looked into her eyes.
“You are my best friend, and I love you very much. I am so happy that you found love. When I look at the two of you, I know you belong together. Someone has to put up with him, and I'm glad it's you,” Heath said.
Lisa pulled him into a tight hug.
“I love you too. I am so glad to have you for my best friend. Thank you, this is perfect,” Lisa said, as she wrapped her arm in his.
The music changed and they made their way down the aisle, Josh's eyes on hers the entire time. When they got to the front, Josh stepped forward to take her hand from Heath's.
“Thank you for being a great friend. Thank you for taking care of my girl until I could come to my senses. Thank you for always being there for and helping her through all of the tough times in her life. Thank you for being her best friend. Most of all, thank you for being here for us,” Josh said.
Heath looked Josh in the eyes.
“We've been friends ever since I can remember. You are a great man. Lisa is my best friend. I give her hand to you, because I know you will love and cherish her. I know the two of you were made for each other. I just want you to know, if you ever do anything to hurt her, you better run. I will always have her back. So, please take good care of her and this precious baby. I am to old to chase you,” Heath said, as they all three laughed.
Heath stepped back into his place in the wedding party and the wedding continued. Lisa and Josh stared into each other's eyes. It was like there was not a single person around them as they professed their forever love to each other. Everyone cheered as they kissed as husband and wife.
Josh led her outside by the hand. She looked up and laughed. Out front sat a fire truck decorated with wedding decorations and a just married sign. Becky hurried out to Lisa before they left. She ha
nded her two balloons, flowers, and a bag. Josh looked over at her with a questioning look. She shrugged and walked toward the truck with her arm in his.
“I love you,” she said.
“I love you too baby. Your chariot awaits,” he smirked.
Josh helped her into the truck and then walked around and got in. He turned on the lights and sirens and pulled away.
“We have a little time before the reception starts. I wanted to know if you could take me somewhere?” she asked.
“Where would you like to go?” he asked.
Lisa sat for a moment, nervous to continue. Had she made the right decision?
“I want to meet your dad,” she said.
Josh looked over at her.
“What?” he asked.
“I would like you to take me to meet your dad. I want to tell him what an amazing son he has. I want him to know how much I love you,” she said, trying hard to hold it together.
“I never go there,” he said.
“I know, but will you take me there to meet him? I am only asking for this one time,” she said. “I want him to be a part of our special day.”
“Is this what you really want?” he asked.
“Yes, it is what I really want,” she replied.
He drove the truck to the cemetery. She could see his hands shake against the steering wheel. It was important to her for them to go. They would be there together. Josh helped her out of the truck. She grabbed the things Becky had given her and walked hand in hand with him to his father's grave. Josh stopped in front of it.
“My mom does a great job of keeping it nice,” he said, through a shaky voice.
“It's beautiful. She must spend a lot of time here,” Lisa said.
The lawn was perfect and there were tons of flowers. Lisa could see how much love surrounded his dad.
Lisa took the flowers from her hand and placed them in a vase that was sitting there empty. She reached in the bag she was carrying and pulled out a little sign that said Dad and another that said grandpa and placed them in the ground next to the flowers. She took Josh's hand and leaned against him. When she looked up at him, there were tears streaming down his face. He put his head against hers and stood silent. They stood quiet for at least five minutes. She reached in the bag and took something else out. Hold it together, she thought to herself. Lisa wanted to be strong for him. She turned to the grave.
“I wanted to introduce myself to you. My name is Lisa. I have just married your son Josh. He is the most amazing man I have ever met in my entire life. You raised him well. I remember watching you and Josh play ball in the front yard. I was the little girl that used to sit next door and watch all day. I bet you remember me,” she began.
Josh stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her, but didn't say a word.
“I finally got that boy to notice me, after all those years. He saved my life. He works hard every day to save lives and help people. I want you to know how proud I am to be his wife. I will spend every moment for the rest of my life making him as happy as I possibly can. Your wife has taken me in as her own. I feel so lucky to have such a great family. I am so happy to have her for my mother. I wanted to tell you that you're going to be a grandpa. We are having a baby boy, and we are going to name him Jack, after his amazing grandpa. I am going to leave a picture of him here for you. He is going to be one special baby. We all already love him so much. His grandma is already spoiling him. Thank you for raising your son to be such a wonderful man. I love him with all my heart.”
Lisa could feel tears in her eyes as she bent down to put one of her ultrasound pictures with the flowers she had left. She turned to look up at Josh.
“Thank you for doing this,” he said, through blurry eyes. “I'm glad you brought me here. I don't know what I ever did to deserve you. I will never disappoint you. You're the best. I love you so much.”
Lisa kissed his cheek.
“I am the one who's lucky. I got the boy. The one I always wanted. Now, I have a family. I feel so special and so loved. Thank you for being my everything.”
They hugged tight. Lisa pulled some paper and pens out of the bag and looked at Josh.
“I want us to write a note to your dad. We can tie them to the balloons and let them go to him. Will you do it with me?” she asked.
“I will,” he answered.
They both wrote their notes and folded them. It was something private from each of them. She tied them each to a balloon. They both looked up into the sky as they released them together, until they could no longer see them. Lisa turned and kissed Josh on the cheek.
“You ready to go to our party?” she asked.
“Yes, I am,” he answered, as he looked back at the flowers she left one more time.
Josh took her hand and helped her into the truck.
On the way to the reception, Lisa thought about Becky and Gavin. She looked over at Josh for his reaction.
“Did Gavin say anything to you today?” she asked.
“Like what?” he answered.
She saw a smirk on his face and she laughed.
“He did, didn't he?” she asked. “He told you.”
“Yes, he did,” Josh answered. “He couldn't hold it in.”
“Our little ones are going to be able to grow up together. It's going to be so amazing.”
Everyone was already at the reception when they got there. Josh's mom walked up to them as soon as they walked in the door. She gave her son a huge hug and told him how much she loved him. Lisa hugged her and smiled.
“Thank you for doing that for him. Was everything okay?” she whispered into Lisa's ear.
“Perfect,” she answered.
Josh and Lisa made their way around to talk to all of their guests as soft music played in the background. Some of the tables had been moved out to make room for a dance floor. There were balloons and a few decorations. There was a DJ set up in the corner of the room. The cake was three layers and beautiful.
Lisa was surprised that Julie brought a date. They were sitting at a table alone, when Lisa walked up. He seemed to be about Julie's age and was handsome. Julie introduced him to Lisa. He was a doctor that Julie met at a conference. His hair was short and dark, and his eyes were blue. He was handsome and seemed very polite. Lisa noticed that the two didn't seem to talk to each other much. Julie seemed very serious. Lisa was used to her being sarcastic and funny. She was definitely seeing a different side of her.
Lisa saw Ethan, John, Heath, and Gavin's cousin Chris with his wife Sarah, son Chris, and baby daughter Katie sitting one table away from Julie and her date. She made her way to them and sat down to talk. Lisa held the new baby girl and cuddled her in her arms. She also played with the little boy as he laughed and giggled. Lisa noticed Ethan stare over at Julie's table. She waved her hand in front of his face.
“You okay over there?” Lisa asked.
“Fine,” he growled.
Lisa laughed to herself. Where's Mr. Smartass tonight, she wondered? Ethan was a player. There was no doubt about it. He was sarcastic every moment he was awake. She watched him intently. He refused to take his eyes off of Julie and her date.
“Why didn't you bring a date, Casanova?” she asked.
“I don't know,” he replied.
Lisa dropped the subject as Josh walked up and sat next to her. He kissed the top of her head.
“What's my wife doing over here with all these men?” he joked.
She motioned her eyes to Ethan and Josh laughed. He shook his head.
“Ethan, everything okay?” Josh asked.
“Fine, fine,” he grumbled. “I'll be back.”
He stood up, shoved his chair with his fists at his sides, and walked outside. John, his brother, shook his head and walked out after him.
“I have never seen him act like that,” Josh said. “Gavin better be on his game tonight. She's with a clean cut, nice guy, not some badass. Ethan is not going to let this go. It's killing him that she won't give him
the time of day. I think he may have met his match. If she acted the slightest bit interested, he would move right along to the next woman. She's smarter than that. Julie has known him since she was fifteen. She knows he's an ass. She also knows it drives Gavin crazy. That girl has them all wrapped around her finger.”
The DJ let everyone know that dinner was ready. They made their way to their seats. The servers brought out their salads, and then their main dishes. Everyone talked as they enjoyed their meals. Josh and Lisa couldn't take their eyes off of each other. He kept leaning in to rub her belly.
Josh and Lisa danced to their first song as husband and wife. The rest of the wedding party danced with them to the next song. Josh danced with his mother and Heath danced with Lisa for the third song. She was happy to have him step up and make her feel special. He was going to make some lucky lady happy one day. The party was in full swing with couples dancing everywhere.
When the song ended, they heard a voice and looked up. One of the firemen had the microphone. He walked over to Lisa and Josh.
“Lisa, we wanted to welcome you to our family. We have all come to love and appreciate you as one of our own. We have no idea how this guy got so lucky, but please don't let him go. He could not get that lucky twice,” he laughed. “You have done so much for all of us and our families, and you take such good care of our boy. Thank you for marrying him and becoming part of our family. We know the baby is boy, so we got you a little something to start him off, and there's something in there for you too.”
He handed them a box. Lisa unwrapped and opened the box. Tears filled her eyes immediately. She pulled out a t-shirt that said “Future Hero Inside Firefighter Baby”, and another that said “My Heart Belongs to a Hot Firefighter.” Josh laughed and lifted out the tissue paper from the box. His eyes widened as Lisa pulled out tiny turnouts. There were even boots and a little helmet. Lisa burst into laughter as she took the microphone.
Hot for Love (Bachelor Billionaire #2) Page 19