Then Comes Marriage (Hanna’s Happily Ever After Book 1)

by Lillianna Blake

  It wasn’t my alarm.

  My phone rang again and, half asleep, I grabbed it. Was it my alarm? Through blurry eyes I saw that it was about twenty minutes before my alarm should go off.

  “Zoe?” I cleared my throat as I attempted to talk.

  “Hanna, we have a problem.”

  “What is it?” I sat up in bed as my mind grew clearer.

  “I just went to wake up Blu to start getting ready for the wedding and she isn’t in her room.”

  “What do you mean she isn’t in her room?” I gasped, then looked over at Jake, who was still asleep. In a quieter voice I continued. “She was there last night, right?” I slipped out of bed and into the living area of the room.

  “Yes, I left her there last night. I made sure she was tucked in and everything. She said she was fine. I knew I should have stayed with her, but I didn’t want to leave Trent alone.” She sighed. “What are we going to do if we can’t find the bride?”

  “Oh, we’ll find her. Let me just get dressed and I’ll meet you in the lobby. Maybe she couldn’t sleep and decided to go out for something to eat.”

  “I sure hope so. Do you remember how nervous she was?”

  “Yes, I do.” I grimaced, then hung up the phone.

  As I hurried to get dressed, Jake opened his eyes then closed them again. I didn’t blame him; it was early and we’d had a late night.

  I managed to tug my dress down over my stomach. As I tried to pull on my shoe, my stomach twisted in pain. I couldn’t hold back a short cry.

  “Hanna?” Jake tried to jump up, but his feet got tangled in the sheet and he landed on the floor instead.

  “Jake!” I gasped and rushed over to him. “Are you okay?”

  “Are you okay?” He looked at me with concern.

  “I’m fine. I’m sorry. It was just a pain that took me by surprise. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  “It’s okay.” He nuzzled the curve of my neck, then kissed me. “Where are you off to so early?”

  “Blu is missing in action.” I raised an eyebrow. “We’re going to hunt her down.”

  “Oh, no. You don’t think she’ll stand him up, do you?”

  “No, I don’t think so. She adores AJ. She’s probably just nervous. We’re always nervous.”

  “Were you?” He looked into my eyes.

  “Yes, of course I was.”

  “You mean you thought about not showing up?”

  “I didn’t say that. It’s just like this pregnancy. I’m excited to meet our little girl, but I’m nervous about the huge change. It isn’t easy to risk your freedom and independence, you know.”

  “Is that what you did?”

  “I think in some ways it’s what all women do when they step into these situations, but it’s worth it, because we love our partners.”

  “Hanna, I had no idea you felt this way. We should talk about this more.” He frowned.

  “It’s okay, Jake. I’m more excited than nervous, and the best part is, I get to share it all with you.” I kissed him, then headed for the door. “I have to find Blu before AJ finds out she’s missing.”

  “Love you, Hanna.”

  “Love you too!” I pushed the door closed behind me and waddled as fast as I could to the lobby.

  Chapter 19

  I spotted Zoe in the lobby along with Callie and Alex.

  “Where do you think she could be?” I frowned.

  “Clearly she doesn’t want to be found.” Alex frowned. “Maybe we should give her some space.”

  “No way.” I shook my head. “My bet is she went off somewhere and fell asleep. She probably doesn’t even know it’s morning. We have to find her before AJ finds out she’s missing. How do you think he will feel if he knows Blu took off?”

  “Awful.” Callie sighed. “So where do we start?”

  “Well, I’ve texted everyone to see if she’s in one of their rooms and no one has seen her. Samantha and Dawn are going to try to join us soon, but they have the girls to get breakfast for before their hair appointments. And Noella is busy with the boys too.”

  “Yes, I’ll bet she is.” I closed my eyes and tried to imagine being in Blu’s shoes. Where would she go? “Maybe she just went out for a walk on the beach?”

  “The rain is just stopping, I doubt that she’d be out there.” Zoe peered through the large glass doors at the front of the hotel. “It’s possible, but she’d be soaking wet.”

  “If she was on the beach, she’ll be coming back soon. Hanna, why don’t you wait here to see if she comes in through the lobby?” Alex met my eyes. “Find a comfortable spot.”

  “No way, I want to look for her.” I frowned.

  “What if she comes in and no one knows it and then she’s looking for us?” Alex pointed to a soft chair not far from the entrance. “Just sit down and relax.”

  “Alex, I’m pregnant, not broken.” I narrowed my eyes. “Blu is my best friend, I’m not going to let this happen—”

  “Which means you’ll be the most likely one that she’ll contact—all the more reason to be here and available. Plus Samantha, Dawn, and Noella are going to need updates.”

  As I looked from friend to friend I realized that they might think I would slow them down. As much as I wanted to protest, I thought that they were probably right. With my need for frequent bathroom breaks and the pain in my back, the last thing I wanted was to be trapped in the car.

  “Someone should check at the bar.” I sighed as I slumped down in the chair. “Maybe she slept there for some reason.” An awful thought ran through my mind. What if she’d gone back and met up with the man at the bar? Surely the bartender would have intervened. But what if he hadn’t?

  After my friends left, I sent Blu another text. There was still no response. Of course if she was sleeping, there wouldn’t be.

  If she was going to take off, she would have told me, wouldn’t she? Was there some reason she wouldn’t feel comfortable confiding in me? The thought made me sick to my stomach. Had I been too focused on my discomfort to recognize that she had real doubts?

  “Oh, Blu, wherever you are, I hope you know that whatever you decide we will all support you.”

  When my phone buzzed I hoped it would be her, but instead it was a text from Zoe letting me know that Blu was not at the bar.

  I decided sitting around wasn’t going to cut it. What if she’d had more to drink than I thought and she’d wandered out on the beach? I decided to take a walk there. We’d need to know how the sand was for the ceremony anyway.

  I stepped out through the rear doors of the hotel that led to the beach where the wedding would be taking place. It was hard to believe that in just a few hours the empty sand would be transformed with flowers, an archway, chairs, and runners. Blu couldn’t have picked a more beautiful place.

  Though the sand was wet, it was easy to walk in and the sunshine that poked through the clouds promised to dry everything out very quickly. From what I could tell, the beach was deserted.

  My heart went out to my friend. I understood her struggle. I’d had doubts before my wedding too, but for different reasons. I just wished she’d come to me with them.

  My group of friends had come together for my wedding and supported me every step of the way. We’d jokingly called them my bride tribe throughout the process and then we really did feel like a tribe—a gathering of women who empowered and supported one another in a world where women could sometimes feel a sense of competitiveness. Their friendships and support had meant so much to me.

  I could only hope that it meant the same for Blu. If it did, she would come around, I knew it. Blu’s love for AJ was one thing I was sure about. I knew if I just had a chance to speak to her, we could straighten it all out.

  After I’d walked for some time, my stomach began to clench in a painful way. I groaned and rubbed my hand over it. As much as I wanted to find Blu, my friends had been right, I should have stayed at the hotel and rested.

  I turned back toward the
hotel and realized how far I’d walked. With a sigh, I trudged my way back through the sand. I was a warrior woman, just like the woman featured in Samantha’s book, Becoming Zara.

  I’d spent so much time imagining myself as Zara when I was first dating Jake. I was sure that he couldn’t truly be attracted to me at my size. The confidence that I borrowed from Zara was the only thing that kept me from running away. If it weren’t for my friends, that book, and that particular character, I didn’t think I would be where I was—married and about to have my first child.

  When I reached the hotel, I realized that there was only one person who would know Blu better than me. That was AJ. He had to be up by now and I guessed that he’d noticed that Blu wasn’t answering his texts. It wouldn’t be right for him to be the last one to know that she was missing. If I told him the truth now, he might be able to reach out to Blu and fix things.

  I tried his number. It went straight to voicemail.

  I decided I would just go up to his room.

  On the elevator ride up, I wondered if Blu would see this as a betrayal. Would AJ understand why Blu was nervous and not hold it against her?

  When I stepped off the elevator, a wave of dizziness threatened me and my stomach churned. I was feeling pretty stressed and the party the night before had left me sore.

  When I knocked on the door, my bladder was about to burst.

  “AJ? Are you in there?”

  Chapter 20

  I heard a grunt from the other side of the door, followed by a few thumps. When the door finally opened, AJ looked at me groggily.

  “Is it the baby? Are you okay?”

  “What?” For a few seconds I’d forgotten I was even pregnant. That in itself was a shock. “No, it’s not the baby. I’m fine. I need to talk to you, AJ, but first I have to use your restroom!”

  I pushed past him and into his room, then ran for the bathroom. As I passed by the bed, I noticed a pair of feet sticking out from beneath the blanket.

  It wasn’t until I’d relieved myself that I realized what I’d seen.

  “AJ!” I shouted at him before I was even out of the bathroom. “Who is that?” While AJ sputtered over his words, I grabbed the blanket, tearing it off the hidden person. “Oh my!” I gasped at the sight of a nearly nude Blu, just beginning to wake up.

  “Hanna?” She blinked. “What is going on here?” She grabbed at the blanket to cover herself up, while AJ finally found his voice.

  “I’m sorry, Blu. She just barged in here and I couldn’t stop her.”

  “Blu! We’ve been looking everywhere for you!” I sighed as I placed my hands on my hips. “Don’t you know you’re not supposed to see the bride before the wedding, AJ?” I shot him a look.

  “The wedding!” Blu gasped as she shot up out of bed with the blanket held tight around her. “I forgot to set my alarm! Oh boy, how late are we?”

  When I saw the panic in her expression, I couldn’t be upset any longer. My heart softened and I smiled.

  “Don’t worry, we have plenty of time. Let’s just get you back to your room—you know, where your dress is?” I shot another look at AJ.

  “It’s not my fault!” He held up his hands. “A beautiful woman showed up at my door in the middle of the night—no way was I going to turn her away.”

  “Oh, this is funny to you, isn’t it?” Blu threw a pillow at him. “It’s our wedding day, AJ. Are you going to take it seriously?”

  “Of course I am.” He groaned as we rushed past him. “But why does it have to be so early?”

  “Tux, AJ!” I called back over my shoulder as I hauled Blu out into the hallway.

  She’d tossed on a robe, but was still barefoot.

  We passed a few people in the hall at a full run and I wasn’t sure if the stares were because of my bouncing belly or Blu’s flapping robe. Either way, we made it to her room.

  As she jumped in the shower, I sent a text to my friends to let them know that she’d been found. How scandalous was it that she’d ended up in bed with her future husband? I laughed at the thought and the memory of my fury as I bolted out of the bathroom.

  “Oh, Hanna, how could I oversleep?” Blu huffed as she struggled with the zipper on the garment bag that held her dress. “It’s my wedding and I almost slept through it.”

  “That’s not true. You have plenty of time to get ready. Honestly, I’m glad that you were with AJ. I was worried that you’d taken off.” I walked over to her and helped her with the zipper. “Why don’t you sit down? Dawn is on her way here with breakfast and soon everyone else will be here too. We have hair and make-up in a few hours and then it’ll be wedding time.”

  “You really thought that I’d disappear on AJ?” She frowned as she sat down on the edge of the bed.

  “Not really, to be honest, but when I couldn’t find you, I didn’t know what to think. I knew you were a bit nervous yesterday.” I smoothed out the garment bag, then sat down beside her on the bed, taking her hand in mine. “I want you to know that no matter what happens today I will love you and always support you.”

  “Thanks, Hanna.” She sniffled. “The truth is, I didn’t know where I was going when I left my room last night. I think I could have just as easily ended up in a cab driving away. But at the last second I knew I had to see AJ. Honestly, I just crawled in bed with him and he held me. That was it.” She wiped at her eyes. “I never thought getting married would have this much of an impact on me.”

  “It’s a big step.” I squeezed her hand. “But one that I know in your heart you want to take.”

  “I do. I can’t imagine being with anyone other than AJ, but at the same time, I can’t help wondering what I’m giving up by getting married.”

  “What do you think you’re giving up?”

  “Freedom? Independence?”

  “You’ve been with AJ for a long time; do you think he limits you or holds you back?”

  “No, not really.” She sighed. “I just feel like I’m starting down a path that there’s no turning back from. You know I’ve always struggled with what direction to take and now, finally, this is a solid direction.”

  “But it’s not really a direction.” I shrugged. “I mean, it’s part of a journey, but it’s not the journey itself.”

  “What do you mean?” She met my eyes.

  “Today you and AJ will exchange vows, you’ll exchange rings, and on paper you’ll be officially married. But that is just a definition of your partnership, it has nothing to do with your lives or your future. You and AJ will create that together and in some ways, you’ll create your own separate futures as well. Yes, there’s a lot of talk about merging into one, but the truth is, you don’t. You’re still two individual people with individual hopes and goals. Sometimes those hopes and goals will fall into the same category and sometimes they won’t. They don’t have to.”

  A light knock on the door interrupted our conversation. Then it swung open to reveal Dawn with a tray full of pastries and Alex with two carriers of coffee cups. Behind them, Samantha and Zoe stepped in followed by Callie and Noella.

  Chapter 21

  “Enough, I know exactly what she needs. I’ll be right back.” Zoe took off out through the door as I handed Blu a few more tissues.

  “I just feel like everything is going to go wrong, Hanna. Look at the wind picking up!” She gestured to the window. “If it keeps up it will blow the chairs away.”

  “It’s not going to keep up, it’s going to stop any second.” I studied her with an aching heart. “Blu, this is going to be the happiest day of your life—or at least one of them. I promise.”

  “It doesn’t feel like it.” She sniffed. “It feels like a disaster waiting to happen.”

  “But there will be cake.” Dawn smiled as she patted her knee. “Remember? I made the cake this morning and it looks amazing. You can count on that.”

  “True. I wish I could have some right now.” She laughed.

  “You want cake? I’ll get you cake.” Alex win
ked at her, then disappeared through the door.

  “Sweetie, everyone gets teary and nervous before their wedding.” Noella rubbed a hand along Blu’s back. “It’s okay to feel this way. But the important thing is to look beyond it. This is just one day and tomorrow it will all be over. Then it will just be you and AJ off enjoying your honeymoon.”

  “That’s the other thing.” She sighed. “We really can’t take a honeymoon. It’s too soon to leave the bar. We thought we had it planned out well, but then we lost one of the employees we trusted the most. He took off for Mexico and it really left us in the lurch—one other thing that went wrong.”

  “I’m sorry. That must be frustrating. But you can still have fun at home and you can do something terrific later—when you have the chance.” Noella kissed the top of her head. “Try to think of something positive.”

  “Okay.” She winced. “Sorry, I know I’m being a huge pain.”

  “You’re not being a pain.” I patted her hand. “You’re scared and it’s okay to be scared. But it’s important to remember how much you love AJ. Think of all the memories you and he will make together. You have a whole lifetime ahead of you to create and explore with one another.”

  “Yes.” She took a deep breath, then closed her eyes. “That does sound good.”

  The door swung open and Zoe marched in with AJ in tow.

  “Everybody out!” She swung her hands at us and then toward the door. “The lovebirds need a few minutes.”

  “Blu, are you okay, honey?” AJ frowned. “Have you been crying?”

  We filed out the door and the moment it was closed Dawn and I pressed our ears against it. Unfortunately, the wood was so thick we couldn’t hear anything.

  “Do you think they’ll call it off?” I looked over at the others.

  “I can’t say for sure.” Noella shrugged. “This may just be too much for Blu.”

  “If she calls it off, then we’ll have to make sure we’re there to help her handle everything.” Zoe crossed her arms. “No one should get married unless they’re ready for it.”