by Beth Ehemann
“What are you thinking about, Pooks?” Alexa’s eyes looked at me sympathetically.
“Nothing.” I tried to fake a smile, but it was no use with these two. They knew me better than anyone, as evidenced by the skeptical glares they both gave me in return.
I sighed, “I just can’t get what she said out of my head, the summer fling thing.” I frowned and shook my head. “I went into this trying to be cautious, but Brody has this way of blasting right through my walls and making me feel things that I was never sure I’d feel again. I always thought one day I’d marry and assumed I’d be happy, but with him it’s different—I’m way more than happy. He makes me laugh, he makes me think, he makes me want … more out of life. When I’m with him, I’m totally drunk on him and nothing else matters.”
Tears escaped Lauren’s eyes as her and Alexa gawked at me.
“Oh my God … you’re in love,” Alexa said flatly, while Lauren grinned and nodded like a bobble head next to her, dabbing her eyes with a tissue.
“I am not. I’m just confused.” I groaned. “Trying to decide whether to pull the chute now or wait it out.”
“What’s your gut tell you?” Lauren asked.
“This is Kacie we’re talking about, you know she’s gonna run,” Alexa spat.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I glared at Alexa, not liking her accusatory tone.
“That’s what you do, Kacie. Ever since I’ve known you, you’ve always waited for the worst to happen in every situation,” she said calmly. “It got worse after Zach left. The minute he was out the door, you closed yourself off and now you run the minute things start to get real.”
“That’s not true!” My hands started shaking as my tone grew louder.
“Oh, really?” She raised her eyebrows as she challenged me. “What has Brody done to make you jump ship?”
I sat silent, looking from Alexa to Lauren, hoping she would step in and defend me, but she was clearly on Alexa’s side with this.
“Exactly … nothing,” she continued. “You’re letting those two bitches get into your head about Brody and it’s ridiculous. Seems to me that Kendall still wants Brody, but he clearly has no interest in her. Why on Earth would you believe those skanky hoes over him?”
Lauren’s gaze whipped toward Alexa. “Did you just say skanky hoes?”
“I don’t know.” I ignored Lauren, fingering my silver necklace.
“You do know but you don’t want to say it, so I’ll say it. You’re scared.” She tilted her head to the side and waited for me to argue, but I couldn’t. “I’ll continue … you’re scared because while you didn’t plan for it, you’ve fallen for this guy, head over heels. You’re in love with him and that’s a good thing, Kacie, but you don’t see it like that.”
“She’s right.” Lauren finally spoke up. “It is a good thing. Brody seems like a great guy and more than that, he seems just as crazy about you. Why would you end that?”
“Because she thinks she’s not worthy of him.”
My head snapped up at Alexa, tears stinging the corners of my eyes.
“You think that because your dad left, and Zach left, that Brody will too, and that’s not necessarily true.” Alexa came around the island and pulled my hands in hers, looking straight into my eyes. “Are you gonna marry the guy? Who knows? But you can’t keep pushing people away because you’re too scared to get hurt again.”
“Zach was a dick, Kacie.” Lauren’s blue eyes were glossy, but loving. “His reasons for leaving were his issue, not yours. You did nothing wrong. Same with your dad. Stop thinking it’s you.”
My stomach rolled, this conversation was too much. I needed air.
I pulled my hands free from Alexa’s and rushed to the French doors at the back of the house.
“You running again?” Alexa called after me, freezing me in my tracks. “You don’t like what you’re hearing so you’re gonna go? I’m not at all surprised. This is exactly what we’re talking about, Kacie. Stop running!”
My knees buckled as I dropped down on the couch, pulling my hands over my face and crying. Hard.
Lauren rushed to my side, pulling me in for a tight hug. “That’s enough, Lex, she gets it.”
“I don’t think she does, Lauren. She’s gonna blow the first good thing that has come into her life in a really long time—and for what? For Blaire? For her dad? For Zach?”
I barely heard Alexa’s words over my sobs.
“It was so hard, Lauren,” I wailed in her arms. “I don’t know why he left; I don’t know what I did. I fought like hell, but I couldn’t keep my family together. It gutted me. I can’t do it again, not with Brody.”
I sat up and wiped my hand on the sleeve of my hoodie, not caring one bit that I looked like a feral animal.
“Here.” Alexa walked up and handed me tissues.
“I know you’re right, Lex,” I muttered once I calmed down. “I know I run, I don’t know what else to do.” Tears continued to stream down my face as I desperately searched both of their faces for answers.
“What if you stayed?” Lauren asked sweetly as she reached over and brushed my messy hair out of my face.
“What if he leaves me?” I asked out loud, even though it hurt like hell to say those words.
Alexa sat on the other side of me and put her arm around my waist. “Then we egg his house.”
A tiny laugh simmered in my stomach, building slowly until I couldn’t hold it in any longer. “He lives in a condo, with security.” I sniffed.
“There are ways around security, you just leave that to me.” Alexa batted her eyelashes at me and flashed an exaggerated smile. “But … why are you worrying about what hasn’t happened yet?”
“Because she lives on the Catastrophe Cliff,” Lauren said nonchalantly.
Alexa and I both spun toward her. “The what?” Lex asked.
“Catastrophe Cliff,” she repeated. “Tommy and I learned about it in counseling. Basically, it just means that you are always on edge, waiting for the worst that can possibly happen to actually happen, though more than likely it never does.”
“Oh my God … she hit the nail on the head, Kacie. That’s exactly you!” Alexa’s eyes were wide. “Except you don’t just hang out on the edge of the cliff, you built a fucking house there!”
“Wait…” I turned my attention back toward Lauren, “Why are you and Tommy in counseling? You two are the most normal couple I know … no offense, Lex.”
“None taken, it’s true.” Alexa smirked.
“Premarital counseling. We like going there to talk our stuff out, so we’re gonna continue even after the wedding.”
“Okay, can we talk about the wedding for a while, please?” I sat up straight and cleared my throat. “We only have a few days left, enough about my issues for now. Let’s figure out what we still need to get done.”
The rest of the evening was full of pizza, nachos and gabbing … the best impromptu bachelorette party ever.
Today was the big day.
Not mine, but Lauren and Tommy’s. I was up early, running around my condo like an idiot trying to get all my stuff together. Last night, I was supposed to stay at Kacie’s but she called last minute and said she had decided to spend the night at a hotel with Lauren and Alexa. I couldn’t fault her for that and normally it wouldn’t bother me, but she’s been so distant since the Wild Kids dinner, it just seemed like another excuse not to see me. She blamed it on the wedding and trying to get caught up with school before the new semester started, but something just didn’t feel right. Regardless, I was excited to see her tonight and she did say that she was looking forward to having me stay at her place after the wedding. Maybe I was reading too far into things.
A few hours later as I pulled into the driveway at the inn, my phone chirped. I looked at the text, it was from Kendall.
K: HEY STRANGER, I’D LIKE TO TALK TO YOU. DINNER NEXT WEEK?
I deleted the message without a second thought and gathered up my thing
s from the truck. I walked up on the front porch, surprised to see Lucy sitting on the wicker couch with her hands folded in her lap.
“Hey, kiddo. What’s going on?” I went over and sat down next to her. She had on a pale yellow dress and her normally straight blonde hair was half pulled-up in loose curls.
“I told Mom I wanted to go outside so she said I had to sit here and not move.”
“Well, you look very pretty.”
“Are you coming to the wedding?”
“Yep.”
“Are you gonna dance with my mom?”
“Um, maybe. Would that be okay with you?”
She furrowed her little blonde brow and thought about that for a minute.
“Yeah. My mom smiles a lot when she talks about you. I think she would be happy to dance with you.”
I grinned like a fifteen-year-old kid who just got told in the lunchroom by a friend of a friend that his crush liked him back.
“Hey Lucy?”
Her innocent, deep brown eyes looked up at me and I was suddenly overcome with the urge to protect Lucy and Piper, and their mom. Call it being macho, call it possessive, but these three were mine and I would tear apart anyone who messed with them.
“Do you think I can dance with you too?” I asked her.
A giant grin lit up her entire face. It was her mom’s grin, crinkled nose and all.
She didn’t say yes, but she laid her head on my arm and giggled, so I was pretty sure that was the equivalent of a smiley face on a text from her mom.
“Lucyyyy! Come in here, please.” We heard Kacie call a few minutes later.
We stood up together and she charged ahead of me through the front door. I rounded the corner and stopped.
Kacie was sitting at the kitchen table with her back to me, curling Piper’s hair. She had on a yellow dress, a little darker than the girls and strapless. She was mesmerizing, the silhouette of her sitting at the table taking care of her children was visually overwhelming.
“Quit moving, goofball,” Kacie said to Piper.
“This dress is itchy.”
“Well, you look adorable in it. I’m the luckiest mommy in the world to have to two of you,” she said as Lucy parked it in the chair next to her.
“Brody said I looked pretty.” Lucy announced.
“Brody?” Kacie looked at Lucy. “He’s here?” She followed Lucy’s little finger that pointed in my direction.
She spun around and our eyes locked. It was there, whatever it was. God, she was stunning. She had on a little more makeup than usual and while I normally loved her natural look, she was nothing short of magnificent.
“Hi.” I grinned at her.
“Hi.” She repeated quietly.
“You … look fantastic,” I said, as she bit her lip shyly and looked down at herself.
“Thanks. I wasn’t sure what I thought of the color at first, but I guess it’s okay, huh?”
My eyes inspected the length of her whole body before returning her gaze. “Way better than okay.”
I strolled over and wrapped my arms around her, knowing damn well that the girls were sitting right there and most likely staring at us. I didn’t care though, things between us were strained for some reason and right then, I needed to hold her against me. When she didn’t resist my hug, I wanted to do a backflip, though someone would have to teach me how first.
After a minute of us just breathing together, she pulled back and gazed at me from under her long lashes.
“Why do you have to be so damn irresistible?” She sighed.
“Why are you trying to resist me?”
“Why are you answering my question with a question?”
I grinned down at her, and the urge to kiss those sassy lips was almost unbearable.
“You guys just about ready?” Sophia called out as she came into the kitchen. “Oh, hi Brody, don’t you look handsome.”
“What about me, Gigi?” Lucy said, jumping up from the table proudly.
“Oh, my precious babies!” Sophia’s voice cracked as she clapped her hands together.
Kacie grabbed her camera off the counter and handed it to her mom. “Would you mind taking a picture of the four of us?”
“It would be my pleasure.”
The four of us? Score.
She called the girls over and positioned them in front of us. I put my arm around her waist and pulled her in closer as she rested her hand on my chest.
This picture, this moment … felt right.
“Everybody ready?” Sophia called out from behind the lens. “One … two … three.”
“Okay,” Kacie called out. “Everyone ready to go?”
I looked at my watch. “Yep, it’s about that time.”
“So the plan is still the same, right?” Kacie turned toward her mom. “You’re going to take the girls from the church to the reception hall, stay for dinner, then bring them home?”
“You got it,” Sophia responded before yelling toward the back of the house. “C’mon, you old fart.”
Fred walked out of the powder room dressed like a pimp in a dark gray suit and yellow tie. Kacie let out a cat call that made everyone giggle.
“I cleaned up nice, huh?” Fred struck a pose, opening his suit jacket.
“We’re gonna have to beat the ladies off you with a stick tonight, Fred. Okay, I think that’s everyone, right?” I opened the front door and watched for the girls’ reaction.
Their little faces lit up; their mouths dropped open when they saw the car sitting in the driveway. “A limo!!!” They squealed as they hugged each other.
“Do you like it?” I asked.
“What is this?” Kacie looked as shocked as they did.
“Why are you answering my question with a question?” I grinned and cocked an eyebrow at her.
Her eyes laughed but all her mouth did was stutter, “I don’t understand … how…”
“Easy. I had a car brought to the reception hall for Fred, Sophia and the girls for when they’re ready to leave. I also had a car brought there for us.” I glanced at the girls who were struggling to put their shoes on and peek at the limo at the same time. “I just thought they were so thrilled with it last week, it’d be nice if they could actually go somewhere in it, not just around in circles.”
Kacie looked at me adoringly. “You’re something else, you know that?”
The church looked great. Alexa and Kacie had done a fabulous job of decorating it with flowers and yellow accents earlier that morning. Lauren looked beautiful, and Tommy wept like a big baby through their vows. The whole ceremony went as smooth as could be and then … it was time to party.
The reception was at a swanky hall with more yellow accents. I was seated at a table with Derek, the girls, Sophia and Fred. During dinner, I kept the girls entertained with my artillery of amazing knock-knock jokes and chatted with Derek, who I’d never really talked to before but ended up liking a lot. Kacie and I kept exchanging glances, holding onto each other’s eyes just long enough for the tension between us to boil at the surface. Whatever had been bothering her the last few days was nowhere in sight now, maybe it was wedding stress like she said. The food was amazing, but I wanted dinner to be over so I could boogie with the hot bridesmaid.
Finally, the waiters came around and started clearing the tables.
Lauren and Tommy had their first dance as husband and wife. Tommy cried … again. Who would’ve thought that the big, dumb jock I’d met that day before the fair was turning out to be such an emotional basket case on his wedding day? Good for him, though; good for both of them.
After the usual dances were done and people started buzzing around the outskirts of the dance floor, I noticed Sophia starting to pack up the girls’ things.
“Could you wait one minute?” I asked her.
She looked confused, but nodded as I turned and hurried to the DJ booth. He leaned over to me, covering his other ear with his hand, then smiled and gave me a thumb’s up.
“At
tention, party guests, I have a request to fulfill a little earlier than I normally would, but two little princesses have to get going and they were promised a special dance. This song is for … The Twinkies.”
I took the girls’ hands and led them out onto the dance floor as “Isn’t She Lovely” by Stevie Wonder started playing. I motioned for each of them to hop on one of my feet as I spun and bounced them around the dance floor, doing my best to keep to the actual beat of the music. I was dying to look over at Kacie’s face, but I didn’t want her to think this was about me impressing her. It wasn’t, it was about my moment with the girls who I’d really grown to love. Our moment. One of hopefully many to come.
Once the song ended, the crowd cheered and I thought my legs were going to fall off, but the huge grins on their faces made it absolutely worth it. Kacie was waiting at our table for us when we got back.
“Mommy, did you see us?” Piper asked excitedly.
“I did, you guys looked beautiful. And what great dancers you are!”
“We didn’t dance.” Lucy giggled. “We stood on Brody’s feet the whole time.”
“Wow!” Kacie slapped her cheeks with her hands, pretending to be surprised. “I think you fooled everyone.”
I offered to go with Kacie to walk everyone out, but she said she needed a minute with her mom, so I took the opportunity to get myself a beer. Derek walked up behind me and clapped his hands on my shoulders.
“Make that two, please,” he said to the server, leaning against the wood bar with me. “What a night, huh?”
“Absolutely.” I nodded toward Tommy and Lauren who were kissing on the dance floor. “Those two seem pretty damn happy.”