Tripp scowls and drinks the rest of his beer. “I can’t understand what happened. A year ago, we were all perfectly single, living the high life. Now, three of you are getting married.” My eyes dart to Gabe. He slaps Tripp on the back of the head, causing him to choke.
“Dickhead, don’t talk so loud.”
“Something I should know?” I raise an eyebrow at him.
“I’m going to ask Harper to marry me.”
“I got that much. When?”
“Tomorrow afternoon.”
“Anything special about tomorrow?”
“Nope, that’s why I’m doing it. She’s been moping around for days, ever since she heard about Ember and you. Pretty sure she thought she was next. You could have given me a heads up.” He frowns.
“Why would I do that?”
“Because, apparently, moping means no sex, and I’ve been denied for a week now.”
“Ouch,” I sympathize.
“Let me get this straight. You’re going to ask Harper to marry you because you want to get laid?” Tripp looks horrified.
“No, dumbass, I’m going to ask her because I love her and want to spend my life with her.”
“The disease is contagious.” Finn shakes his head.
I open my mouth to argue with him, but Thad and Dad join us on the porch. Thad looks pale as he grabs a beer from the cooler.
“Jenna is going to corrupt my little girl.”
“How?”
“Because, right now, she’s planning the grandest wedding Nashville has ever seen.”
My phone buzzes with a text from Ember: 311!!! 311!!
“Gotta go reel Mom in. She’s freaking Ember out.”
“Told you,” Thad grunts.
I walk inside just as the next wave of people come through the door. Blake, Charlie, Nate, and Cooper all walk in. Charlie goes straight to the group of women with a clearly uncomfortable Ember in the middle.
“I told you!” she yells and grabs Ember’s hand.
The guys each give Ember a hug then go to the back with Declan following. I squeeze through the group and pull her to my side, kissing her forehead lightly.
“You guys smothering my fiancée?”
“Hardly, we’re talking about the wedding. I’m trying to convince Ember that next fall would be a great time to get married.”
“No,” I say.
“No?” Ember questions me.
“No fucking way. We’re not waiting that long. How about March?”
“March?” my mom asks, horrified. “There’s no way we can plan an event like this in a few months.”
“I hate to say it, Robbie, but I’m due in March. It would suck to be big as a house at your wedding,” Raven tells me.
“She’s going to be a bridesmaid,” Ember explains.
“All right, let’s do it in December. We don’t want anything huge, anyways.”
My mom’s face heats up, and she looks like she’s going to explode.
“We can’t do December. That’s when Abbi and Jimi are getting married,” Ember says quietly.
I look at all the women, and Charlie’s the only one grinning.
“April, and that’s the longest I’ll wait. That’s pretty gracious, considering the fact that I want to take Ember to Vegas tomorrow.”
My mom gasps as Raven bursts into laughter. “Oh my God! You and Declan are both crazy.”
“Beginning to see where he was coming from,” I tell her, remembering Declan trying to elope.
“I can do April.” Ember links her hand through mine. “Or I can do Vegas, too.”
“Are both my children going to rob me of a big wedding? This is what mothers dream about, and twice, my kids have stolen it away.”
“Mom, I really didn’t have a choice. And you still had your big party.” Raven tries to help.
“Ugh! I’m not even sure we can pull it off in six months.”
“Jenna, I want something small and intimate. I don’t have a lot of family. The people that are most important are all here locally.”
Mom’s face softens when she realizes Ember’s social circuit is much smaller than hers.
“I can do that. But promise me you won’t go to Vegas.”
“I make no promises. You get out of control, we’ll leave immediately,” I tell her seriously.
“Okay, we’ll look at April. Ember you pick a date, and then we’ll get to work,” she finally agrees.
“You okay?” I ask, nibbling on Ember’s earlobe.
“Yes. Thank you.”
“I’m going outside with the guys. Let me know if you need me.”
She nods.
When I get to the back, Declan gives me a shit-eating grin. “Told you, man.”
“Shut the fuck up.”
Cruz and Alex walk out, carrying bottles of champagne. “Before you say anything, this is a celebration and you are drinking champagne when we toast,” Cruz tells me.
“Wasn’t going to argue,” I respond.
Raven walks out, wiping her eyes, which sends Declan scrambling. “Sparkle, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Ember just showed us her wedding dress, and I got emotional.”
We all exchange glances. RJ’s emotional about everything now that she’s pregnant.
“It is so beautiful. She designed it herself. Robbie, you’re going to die. She’s going to look like an angel.”
“She already does.”
“Disease,” Tripp and Finn say at the same time.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way, and I’m not ashamed to admit it.”
Ember
I thought the house was pretty big, but when you add our family and friends, it’s standing space only. Abbi and Jimi, Kendall and Brian, and Ella and Will finally arrived, so Robbie started the grill.
Jenna and Raven have been to our house several times since we moved in three weeks ago, but most of the others are seeing it for the first time. After the tour, I made everyone Cosmos. Raven looked at us with pure jealousy. Charlie rubbed it in her face until Jenna made her stop.
My kitchen is a huge success. Chloe, Jenna, and I picked up only the things I wanted right away, and the rest will be going on my registry. Jenna wouldn’t let me pay for anything, insisting it was a housewarming gift. She and I never spoke about my visit to their house, but she watches me closely, always showing me affection.
Chloe has become a huge part of our group and is now invited to all the ‘girl functions’. Charlie and her get along like long lost sisters, both saying anything that comes to their mind. I’m pretty sure they talk about sex all the time.
As if on cue, Chloe sits at a barstool and gives me a mischievous grin. I groan.
“Don’t be a stick in the mud. We need to talk about a few things.”
“Like what?”
“Your honeymoon. I want a baby in this house. Think you can get knocked up?”
I drop the pan I’m holding in the sink and whip my head around. Every woman in the room is grinning. “You did not say that!”
“It’s not like you don’t fuck like rabbits anyways.”
“Chloe!” I screech, moving my eyes to Jenna.
“What?”
“Please stop.”
“I kinda agree with her.” Jenna laughs.
“Um, hello! I’m about to have two of them. All hands on deck, Chloe. You can share mine.” Raven tries to save me.
“Can we change the subject?” I fan myself, suddenly very flushed.
“What did you girls say to her?” Robbie comes in and kisses my neck.
“Chloe and Jenna want y’all to have a baby,” Kendall answers.
“Thinking this is a conversation for the women. I’ll do my part. Just let me know.” He runs his hands across my stomach and winks.
“Oh my God! Do not encourage them.”
“It’s not them I’m encouraging.” He leans in, brushes his lips against mine, and then walks away.
My hand moves to my lips as his words soak
in.
“Okay, so that’s taken care of.” Chloe looks at me happily.
“Now, we are definitely changing the subject. Let’s concentrate on the next wedding.” I look at Abbi, who’s grinning.
She gladly takes the spotlight, showing us all the final decorations for the reception. I watch her face light up, and a feeling of excitement spreads through my body. In a few months, that will be me.
“Bye!” I wave to my dad and Chloe as they get into their cars. Robbie wraps his arms around me from behind and nuzzles into my neck.
“Thought we’d never be alone again. This is the last party for a while.”
“Robbie, it was an engagement celebration.”
“Next time we celebrate where I can get you away.”
“Seriously? You’re crazy.”
“Ember, it’s been six hours since people started invading our home. In those hours, Cruz made me agree that he and Alex could plan my bachelor party, Thad lost his shit when I mentioned getting you pregnant, and Declan busted my ass. This is it, no more interaction for a while. We’re going into hiding.”
“We have the gala in a week, Thanksgiving at your mom’s, Abbi and Jimi’s wedding, and then there’s Christmas. Think it’s going to be hard to hide.”
“Not for me.”
“Robbie!”
He chuckles in my ear and leads me back to the kitchen. Two glasses of champagne sit on the counter, and he hands me one of them.
“I should have done this weeks ago when I proposed, but better late than never.”
He drops to one knee and kisses my ring finger sweetly. “Thank you for being in my life and making me the happiest man alive.”
My breath catches as I sink down to him. “It goes something like this. A man walks into a store for a tuxedo, and instantly, the clerk falls in love. I’m pretty sure I’m the happiest woman alive.”
We clink glasses and sip the champagne. Without a doubt, after all the shit that’s been handed to me, this man is my everything.
Epilogue
April
Ember
I stare out the window in Robbie’s childhood room and watch the activity in the back yard. Men and women scramble around, finishing the last minute touches. The whole property has been transformed into a magical wonderland. In a few short hours, I’ll be Ember Hayes, and we’ll be celebrating with all the people we love.
The day after our engagement party, we set our wedding date for April twenty-sixth. Jenna went into planning overload, convinced she couldn’t pull off a wedding with our timeline. After a week, Robbie and I sat her down and told her what we wanted.
A small ceremony in a quaint little chapel in Franklin, and a reception at their house. Her eyes filled with tears as I explained how much I loved her and James’s home. Their backyard was perfect for a celebration. Also, we could protect our family. Sayge was a huge name in the music industry now. There was a good chance that any venue we chose would be swarmed with rabid fans. Plus, with the birth of the twins, we could arrange for a babysitter to help out, so the babies would be close. At the mention of the babies, she was convinced.
I tried endlessly to get Robbie to actively participate in the planning, but he had no opinions at all. He repeatedly told me, “The only real thing that matters is you, walking down the aisle to marry me. You and me, babe. I’m still considering Vegas.”
Outside of helping choose the menu and the cake, he was pretty invisible. So now I watch as months of planning comes to life in the Hayes’s backyard.
There’s a quick knock at the door before Chloe comes in carrying a garment bag with my dress. Butterflies flutter excitedly in my stomach. She and I are the only two people that have seen the actual gown. The sketches didn’t do it justice. We worked endlessly on bringing it to life, and I contacted an old classmate for help with the custom beading. It turned out perfect.
“Just a warning, I don’t think Robbie’s doing too well with the whole ‘not seeing the bride until the wedding’ thing. They’ve caught him twice, trying to come up here.”
“I feel the same.”
Her eyes soften and glow when they meet mine. “Are you about ready to get dressed?”
“There’s one thing I need to do first, and I was hoping you’d do it with me.”
“Anything.”
I walk to my bag and pull out the crumpled envelope from so many months ago. Chloe’s face goes slightly pale as she figures out what it is.
“Little Star, are you sure this is a good idea? Today’s your day. Natalie doesn’t deserve to even be in you head right now.”
“She’s not really- at least, not in the way you’re thinking. I’ve won. Today is another new beginning for me, and she can’t touch it. She could come rip-roaring through the door, and everyone in this house would jump to protect me.”
“So why bring out the letter now?” she questions.
“I want you to read it with me.”
“You sure?”
“Absolutely.”
I open the envelope with firm hands and unfold the single page. Chloe links her fingers with mine as we read the letter silently.
Ember,
I’m not sure where to start this letter, because there are so many thoughts running through my mind. This is supposed to be a letter to apologize for all the terrible things I’ve done, but an apology doesn’t seem like enough.
The night I almost overdosed was the final wake-up call for me. Even through my hallucinations, the panic on Dad’s face when I mentioned you is burned in my brain. Never before has he looked so scared.
Then memories of growing up consumed me for days. Every single one of them was about you. You have always been so loved, Ember, and now I know that is what I was jealous of. Grandma and Grandpa, Dad, Aunt Chloe, Cruz— everyone adored you. I was so envious I couldn’t see straight. All those years, all the awful things, all the pain I caused was because I wanted to be you.
Dad cut me off, and the anger he has toward me is justified. Out of respect for him and you, this will be the last you will hear from me.
I’ve been in intense therapy with a new counselor. She’s brutal and sees through all my bullshit, so I’ve decided to try to tell you exactly how I feel.
I’m sorry for hurting you as we grew up.
I’m sorry for sleeping with your boyfriends.
I’m sorry for chasing away all your friends.
I’m sorry for the part I played in sending Dad to prison.
I’m sorry for coercing you into sleeping with Brad.
I’m sorry for all the humiliation and disgrace you endured.
I’m sorry for lying to Trey and putting you in a dangerous situation.
But most of all, I’m sorry I’ll never get to know the amazing woman you turned out to be.
You are loved fiercely, Ember, and you deserve all the happiness in the world. I really mean that. Maybe one day our paths will cross again, but it will be on your terms.
Good luck with all that life has to offer.
Natalie
“Wow.” Aunt Chloe exhales loudly.
I don’t say anything for a second, but quietly fold it and slip it back into my bag.
“She wrote Dad a letter too, but I never asked what it said. Hopefully, it was similar.”
“Are you okay?”
Right as she asks, my phone chimes with a new text.
Robbie: Have I told you how much I love you today? One more hour and we start the rest of our lives.
I smile widely and turn to her. “I’m perfect. Absolutely perfect. Let’s get me dressed. My fiancé is waiting.”
There’s another knock at the door before Raven, Jenna, Abbi, Charlie, Cruz, and Alex barge in. The girls are dressed in their bridesmaid’s gowns, and I smile at how beautiful they look.
“Where are the babies?” I ask, referring to Raven’s newborn son and daughter.
“They’re with the grandpas. The sitter is helping, too.”
“And don’t forg
et, Declan’s less than five feet away.” Abbi rolls her eyes.
“Let’s get this show on the road!” Cruz claps. “I’ve been waiting for this day forever.”
“Me too.” My dad steps in, his eyes full of love. He kisses me briefly on the cheek.
“All right! All men out! I have a bride to dress!” Chloe waves her arms around dramatically.
The guys leave, and the room becomes a flurry of activity. Chloe leads me to the bathroom and helps me into the gown. She grins snidely at my lingerie but keeps her mouth shut. As soon as we walk out, everyone goes silent.
“My brother doesn’t stand a chance.” Raven comes to stand in front of me and puts her hands on my shoulders. Her eyes brim with tears. “You had a shitty sister growing up, but I take the job seriously. I can’t wait for you to be in my family.”
“No, no, no. No tears, Raven! You always do this shit.” Charlie fans my face to help stop the moisture building.
“She’s right, Rave. You had me crying fifteen minutes before I had to walk down the aisle,” Abbi agrees.
I look around the room filled with the women who make up my family, and realize Natalie is right. I am loved fiercely.
Robbie
“That’s the last time you’re leaving my arms tonight.” I pull Ember closer, wishing she could physically crawl into my skin.
“Are you jealous I was dancing with my dad?” she teases me.
“Yes, I freely admit to being jealous of every man who’s had their hands on you tonight.”
“You’re being ridiculous.”
“Maybe, but your beauty brought six grown men to tears tonight, including me. So forgive me if I have a primal need to claim my wife.” I kiss along her neckline.
“Today and tonight have been what dreams are made of. Thank you for this,” she says softly.
“You want to tell me what you and your dad were talking about?”
She bites her lip nervously. “He’s so proud of me, of us. Promised to kill you if you hurt me… stuff like that.”
“He has nothing to worry about.”
“I know.”
Two hundred guests mingle through my parents’ yard, but in this moment, it’s only Ember and me.
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