by Kennedy Fox
As soon as I put the truck in park, Addie is out the front door, walking toward me. When I see her baby bump, I start smiling. She climbs inside and lets out a deep breath as she buckles.
“What?” she asks with a grin.
“You’re so adorable.”
Instantly, I get the evil eye. “I cannot wait until you’re knocked up. Any day now.”
“Do not jinx me. Wedding first, then seven babies.” I let out a laugh before putting the truck in reverse and heading toward San Angelo. I’m quiet on the drive over, and Addie notices.
“What is it now?” She looks at me as if she’s reading my mind.
I sigh, hating that she knows me so well. “Jackson asked me today if I loved Trent,” I finally tell her. “It’s been bothering me.”
“For crying out loud,” she says. “He had his chance. Why does he even care?” Addie has been telling me to get over him since I left for college, and I’m pretty sure I convinced myself I had, but every once in a while, doubt rears its ugly head.
“I don’t know. But the look on his face. It’s like he almost…”
“He wasn’t going to tell you anything, Kiera. He’s too stubborn, and he knows you’re with Trent. Jackson’s an asshole most of the time, and he hates Trent with a passion, but he’d never disrespect you while you’re with someone. His mama taught him better than that,” she tells me just as she has time and time again.
“I know. Why do I keep going back to this?” I want to slam my head against the steering wheel.
“Because every time you see him, it’s a constant reminder of what you two didn’t have. I’m sure it’s not easy.”
“But he was my best friend in the whole world, and there were years when we didn’t spend a day apart. Years. It’s hard to forget someone who’s such an integral part of your childhood. We’re friends, and I could never just cut him off,” I admit.
“Friends who want to fuck and who have wanted to for the past fifteen years.”
I huff. “I don’t think I like the pregnant version of you. That tiny filter you once had has disappeared. Addie’s filter, oh where have you run off to?” I glance over at her and smile.
“Landon’s told me the same thing. It’s the baby. I swear, it’s just made me insensitive.” She laughs.
“Do you think I’m going crazy?” I ask her.
“I think your relationship with Trent is getting more serious, and you’re freaking out about it. That’s the honest truth.” Addie grins, and when I look over at her, she gives me a wink.
“You’re right. I just feel like he’s planning on proposing anytime now, and while we’ve been together for almost two years, and I’m ready to move to the next level, it just seems as if everything is going by so fast. Like, when did you know Landon was the man for you?”
Her eyes get all dreamy as she thinks about Landon, and I love that she found love. “You just know deep down inside who you’re supposed to be with. You can feel it in your bones. Every time I look at Landon, there’s not a single doubt in my body that he’s my soul mate. It’s weird. Like we’ve known each other forever,” she continues. “I’m sure you feel that way about Trent.”
I smile and nod. “I do, but…”
“Don’t you dare add a ‘but’ to that sentence,” she playfully warns as I pull into the parking lot of the salon.
“You don’t even know what I was going to say!”
Addie stares at me. “You were going to say you feel that way about Jackson too.”
I sit silently for a moment. There’s no fooling her. “No, I totally wasn’t.”
She turns her body toward me. “Then what?”
“It’s stupid. Enough about Jackson. Time to take care of your jungle.” I smile, and she claps her hands.
“Finally! Here, take this.” Addie hands me an ibuprofen.
I look down at it.
“It’s to help with the pain.” I expect her to laugh, but she doesn’t.
“You are seriously making me not want to do this.”
She rolls her eyes, and I take the pill with a sip of water, then we get out of the truck and walk inside the salon. They lead us to a back room, and Addie asks me to stay for hers to see if I want to get one too. Considering I’ve never been, I agree.
“You’re not some freak who gets off on pain like this are you?” I ask Addie, and she chuckles. All I do is shake my head.
Once she’s undressed and is situated on the table with a covering, an older lady walks in with a grin. It’s hard not to smile at Addie’s cute belly.
“So what are we doing today, dear?” she asks as she puts on some rubber gloves.
“I want a Brazilian. I want it all gone,” Addie tells her, and the woman isn’t fazed by this, though I’m pretty sure my eyeballs are ready to fall out of my head. She told me a bikini wax, but a Brazilian is completely bare.
“Perfect, honey. Is this your first time?” The woman smiles at her. Strangely enough, she reminds me of my mother.
“I should have a trophy for how many times I’ve had it done,” Addie tells her, just as the woman puts wax on a popsicle stick and removes the covering. I place my face in my hands as soon as I hear the wax being ripped from the skin because I can’t watch. Glancing up at Addie, she acts as if nothing happened, and I’m pretty sure she doesn’t feel a lick of pain. Once she’s done, Addie turns to me. “Now it’s your turn.”
My face goes red, and I’m halfway tempted to chicken out, but I don’t. The older woman walks out of the room, and I look at Addie.
“It doesn’t hurt that bad.” She laughs. “Don’t be a chicken.”
This is cousin peer pressure at its finest, but I do it. Luckily, I haven’t shaved in a while, so my hair is the length it needs to be as noted in the pamphlet I tried to memorize while Addie was being waxed. Another woman walks in, and she’s just as nice as the previous lady.
“So this is your first time?” she asks with a grin, and Addie bursts into laughter.
I nod, and she explains exactly how it will work, then asks me what type of wax I’d like. Considering I can feel Addie’s judgy eyes on me, I go for the Brazilian too. The woman removes the covering and places the hot wax on me, then in two seconds, she rips it off. I scream out, and I’m sure every person in the entire salon heard me. If I wouldn't look like I had a reverse mohawk on my crotch, I’d tell her to stop, but I take a few deep breaths and allow her to continue.
“Okay, it looks like we’re done. Just need you to flip over,” the woman instructs.
I sit straight up on the table and look at her. “Do what?”
“She has to get your butt crack,” Addie adds. She doesn’t even pull away from her phone.
“My what?” My brows lift, and my mouth falls open. I didn’t get to that part in the pamphlet.
“It’s the last step,” the woman ensures me. I roll over onto my stomach and do exactly what she says, and surprisingly enough, the only thing that hurts is my ego. It’s such a weird place to get waxed, and I try to erase it from my mind as soon as it happens. She places the soothing lotion on my body and gives me some care instructions, and we’re sent on our way.
“You look like someone just stole your puppy,” Addie says as we walk through the salon.
“The only thing that was stolen back there was my dignity.”
She pays and sets up two appointments for next month at the same time.
“You’ve lost your mind.” I shake my head and laugh.
“Trent will thank me later.” Addie gives me a wink and a smile.
“I’ll thank you when my crotch stops burning.” We get in the truck and head back to her house. I don’t dare bring up Jackson again and hope I can keep him off my mind for the rest of the day. It’s easier said than done, though, especially after the way he looked at me today.
Chapter Six
JACKSON
SIX MONTHS BEFORE THE WEDDING
Time is flying by so quickly. I can’t believe it’s April al
ready and we’re having Emily and Evan’s co-ed bridal shower. It feels like only yesterday when they met, and now she’s officially going to be my sister-in-law. She practically is already. I roll out of bed and am actually surprised I don’t have a hangover considering my night.
I’ve been living in my new house for almost a year now, and the Friday night whiskey parties have continued on its regular schedule. I wake up and shuffle my feet to the kitchen to make some coffee because even though we have a family event today, the horses still need to be fed. There are no days off when you work on a ranch. Every day's a work day—rain or shine.
Once I’m in the kitchen, I walk past the couch and see Colton sleeping. He still has on his boots, and his cowboy hat is on the coffee table. Beer cans and red Solo cups are everywhere, and it looks like a damn frat house.
That’s it. I’m going to have to start making some rules at my parties—clean up after your damn self.
I lean over the couch to nudge him, but he swats me away. He obviously drank way more than I did.
“Colton, you need to get the fuck up. You’re late for work. Dad is gonna rip your balls off,” I tell him.
He bolts awake, sitting straight up and glares at me. “Shit. What time is it?”
I look at the clock on the stove. “Six thirty.”
“Fuck!” He hurries to stand but loses his balance. I place my hand on his shoulder to steady him as I shake my head.
“Somehow, I know this shit is gonna get blamed on me,” I say.
He shrugs with a smile. “You’re a bad influence. Even your folks know.”
Colton tries to smooth down his messy hair, but it’s no use. He walks to the kitchen, chugs a glass of water, then heads out the door. I’m pretty sure he’s not walking in a straight line, but that’s going to be his problem when he shows up to work for my father; not mine.
Once the coffee finishes brewing, I pour a cup, set it on the counter to let it cool, then get dressed. After I’m ready, I grab my mug and head toward the barn. On the walk over, it’s completely still outside. The wind isn’t blowing, and in the distance, I can hear the roosters crowing by the barn, but other than that, there’s not a sound.
I think about Evan and Emily, and then my mind instantly goes to Kiera. She’ll be there today, of course. We haven’t really spoken too much, other than to discuss business, and I honestly miss her. She was my best friend for a long time, and though I have other friends, with her, it’s different. Kiera understands me on a level most people don’t.
As quickly as I can, I distribute feed to all the stalls, then head back to the house. I spend the rest of the morning trying to clean up the damn mess my friends left for me. The floor is sticky as hell, and I fill an entire trash bag full of bottles. I like a good party, but damn, this is ridiculous. After I take several bags of trash out and mop all the spilled alcohol from the floor, I jump in the shower. Everyone’s going to be at this thing, so I make sure to clean up as nicely as I can. I intentionally wear nicer clothes, knowing that she’ll see me, and I put on the cologne she loves.
Though I want to tell Kiera to leave that asshole she’s dating, I know it’s useless. They moved in with each other last summer, and from what I’ve heard from everyone, their relationship has gotten serious. More than anything, I want her to be happy. It’s all I’ve ever wanted, but I always wanted her to be with someone who deserves her. Trent has always rubbed me the wrong way. I’ll have to figure out how to support it, even though the thought of it makes me fucking sick to my stomach. It’s like he wears this façade around everyone that I can see right through. Most people like him, but I see the mask he wears, trying to cover all his ugliness. One time, he made a comment to me under his breath about Kiera, and I almost decked him right between the fucking eyes. The only reason I didn’t was because I knew he’d turn it around as if I attacked him for no reason at all. He’s such a douche.
Considering Evan and Emily’s party is around brunch time, I don’t eat before I go.
Realizing it’s time, I grab my keys and head out the door. The drive into town doesn’t take long, but it’s enough time to get lost in my thoughts. When I park, I spot Kiera walking in and see stupid Trent following her with his hand on her back, as if he’s telling the whole world she’s his. I sit in the truck and wait for them to walk out of my view. The last thing I want to do is talk to him or have to look at his smug face. I give myself a pep talk, telling myself I can be around the two of them together. I’ve avoided it at all costs.
Once I make it inside, I’m stopped and told how this wedding game called Put a Ring On is played. Apparently, the goal is to get as many plastic rings as possible, and I make it my mission to win. I just have to remember not to say the words wedding or bride. Easy.
I spot my sister Courtney and her husband, Drew. Across the room, I see Mama with the triplets. They’re getting so big and almost three years old now. As soon as Courtney sees me, she waves me over, and I go to her, giving her shit as always. I love my sister with all my heart, but it wouldn’t be the same if I didn’t pick on her about something. At this point, I know she looks forward to it.
“Dang, lil’ sis. Didn’t know you were bringing the gun show to the party.” I glance at her sleeveless shirt. Of course, being the complete ham she is, Courtney starts flexing and balling her hands into fists like she’s ready to fight me.
“If you don’t watch it, you might get shot.” I’m almost convinced she’s going to sock the shit out of me, but I pull her into my arms and give her a big hug instead. Court and I get along so great, and I hated when she moved to California. I think out of all of us, I’m the closest with her, and we share a special relationship. I was the big brother who kicked all her boyfriends’ asses if they made her cry, the one who taught her how to throw a sucker punch and how to ride. Sure, I pick on her as much as I can, but no one else was ever allowed to. I was protective of her. We’ve always had each other's backs, and always will, simple as that. Just as we break apart, Evan walks over.
It’s the happiest we’ve all been in a long time, being together. Thankfully, it didn’t take a holiday or funeral to make it happen. Of course, seeing the opportunity, Mama hurries over with the triplets and Dad, and asks someone to snap a photo.
Being the bad influence, I bend down until I’m eye level with the triplets. Delaney gives me a hug, and my heart melts. She’s adorable and reminds me of Courtney when she was that age with curly blonde hair and blue eyes. There’s no doubt that any of them are Bishop kids.
“Okay, so here’s the thing. We’re going to make really funny faces,” I tell them quietly. Anderson hooks his fingers in his mouth and sticks out his tongue. “Yes, just like that. Y’all got it?” I look at all their little faces, and they nod their heads as if they understand exactly what’s happening. I chuckle as I straighten up, standing behind them, and get my ridiculous pose ready. The woman with Mom’s phone begins the countdown, and we make the silliest faces we possibly can. Mama looks over at me with a stern look.
“Can we take a serious one now?” she asks, only adding fuel to the fire. Right before the photo snaps, I make a farting noise with my mouth and everyone bursts into laughter while making their funny faces too. Mama knows that’s the best she’s gonna get and decides to give up while she’s ahead. I give the triplets high fives before they take off running toward the cake.
Eventually, Emily and Evan open their gifts, and watching their eyes light up at one another makes me so fucking happy for them. Evan deserves true happiness—actually, all my brothers do—and as I look around, I realize I’m the only person left who hasn’t found love. Well, that’s not true. I’ve found love; I just haven’t acted on it. Guilt washes through me again, and I glance over at Kiera who’s watching Emily with bright eyes. She’s wearing a cute shirt over her dress, and I love watching her so excited. They’re best friends and have always had each other's best interest in mind, and I know she’s loving this as much as the bride-to-be is. I swall
ow hard, trying to bring my attention back to Emily and Evan, though it’s hard when I have a straight shot of Kiera. She’s beautiful without even trying.
I look down at the ground, trying to bring my mind back to reality, and see all the plastic rings I’ve managed to steal from people. Just as the thought fills my mind, I hear someone close to me say bride, and I ask the woman to hand over her plastic jewelry. I could basically stand here and not say a word and probably win this game.
After we’ve had cake and are forced to play more ridiculous wedding games, I see John and Mila chatting. Kiera is standing really close to them, and Dr. Douchebag isn’t anywhere near her. I suck in a deep breath and walk across the room. Once I’m close, I notice Kiera has at least ten plastic rings on her fingers, and my new goal is to get all of hers.
John and Mila are whispering about something, and I interrupt them. I instantly pull out my shit-eating grin. “You’re falling behind a little, brother,” I tell John, and he rolls his eyes.
“Looks like you are.” Mila walks up to me and bumps me with her hip, nearly making me lose my balance.
I watch Kiera from my peripheral vision, and she notices me close. A feeling of excitement spreads through me when she walks over, finally giving me some sort of attention. The hint of a smile hits her lips when she sees my rings, or maybe it’s the cologne she smells. I’ve been wearing it for her for the last decade.
Kiera is standing close enough that our arms brush together. Electricity streams through me when we touch, and I wonder if she feels it too, but I don’t dare say shit when I know Trent is twenty feet away.
I lean over and whisper, “You’re goin’ down,” as my lips brush across the shell of her ear. I hear her breath slightly catch, and it’s the confidence booster I need. Right now, it’s just her and me.