Feeling distinctly uncomfortable shopping this way, I decide not to argue—when it comes to Emily there would be no point. So I nod as I remind myself that I don’t have to buy anything today.
With a smile of triumph, Emily calls the saleslady over and hands her the dress, then finds several others, and before I know it, I’m in the dressing room trying on a wedding gown.
Moments later I stand in front of the three-way mirror and gaze at my reflection. I’m getting married! To Drake! The reality slams down on me and tears flood my eyes.
“You like that one?” Emily asks as she watches my face.
I do, but that’s not why I’m getting emotional. “Yes,” I manage to say. “But I want to try on the others too.”
She smiles.
“You look lovely,” the sales lady says as she comes over to check on me.
“Thank you,” I say. “How much is this one?”
“Ashley,” Emily warns, but I ignore her.
The saleslady looks at the tag, which is out of my view. “Nineteen ninety-nine.”
My eyes widen. Two thousand dollars! I step off the raised platform. “I’d like to try on the other dresses.” And I hope they’re a lot less than that one.
An hour later I’ve tried on several dresses, some more than once, and I know which one I like best. But it’s so expensive.
“Is that one your favorite?” Emily asks as I turn this way and that in front of the mirror.
“I think so.”
“You look beyond gorgeous, Ash. You should totally get it.”
I glance at the saleslady, who’s picking out veils for me to try on, then frown at Emily. “It’s way too expensive.”
Emily tilts her head. “Not for a wedding dress.” She places her hands on her hips. “How many times are you going to get married?”
I know where she’s going with this, but I still play along. “Once.”
“Right. So how many wedding dresses are you going to buy?”
“One. But how many times am I going to wear this one super expensive dress?”
She shakes her head, then says, “I have to use the bathroom.” Ten minutes later she’s back, and she holds out her phone to me. “Someone wants to talk to you.”
For half a second I wonder who it can be, but then I know. “You didn’t.”
Giving me a look that says Take the damn phone, she just stares.
I take the phone and press it to my ear. “Hello?”
“Buy the dress, Ashley,” a deep voice says. It’s a voice I usually love to hear, but right now I’m not happy with Emily for pulling my fiancé into this.
I glare at her. “Drake. Hi.”
“How’s the dress shopping going?”
“Pretty good.” I look at Emily and see a satisfied smile on her face.
“I understand you’ve found a dress you like.”
“I’m still trying to decide.” I stick my tongue out at Emily and she starts to laugh.
“You said you wanted me to set a budget for your wedding gown, right?”
Now he wants to set a budget? “Uh, yeah.”
“I understand that besides the dress, there will be several accessories you’ll need. Is that right?”
Not even trying to stop the smirk that forms on my mouth, I say, “What, have you been searching online to see what a girl needs for her wedding, or has a little Emily-bird been whispering in your ear?”
He laughs. “I think you know the answer to that.”
“Yes. I do.” My gaze is on Emily, but I have to smile. Leave it to her to take this particular bull by the horns.
“Okay, then. I was thinking about it and I think five thousand dollars should be enough to cover everything. Does that sound reasonable?”
I almost choke. Five thousand dollars? Just for the dress and accessories? “That seems kind of excessive to me.”
“Then make sure you don’t go over it.” His voice is mock-stern, and I know he’s doing this purely for my benefit, to stop me from feeling guilty. “I called the store and set up an account, so just tell them what you want and you should be all set.”
He’s being so generous that I don’t know what to say.
“Ashley,” he says when I don’t reply. “It’s important to me that you feel beautiful on our wedding day, so you need to get whatever makes you feel beautiful. Okay?”
Tears have filled my eyes, so I nod. “Yes,” I whisper.
“Good. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
“Give the phone back to Emily.”
I do as he asks and watch as Emily listens to something he’s saying. “Uh-huh,” she says. “Okay…Bye.”
“That was sneaky of you,” I say after she tucks her phone back in her pocket.
“I’m just trying to be a good bridesmaid.” She smiles in a self-satisfied way, and I can’t stay mad at her. When I don’t say anything, she points to the dress I’m wearing and says, “So, this one?”
I look at my reflection again, this time picturing the look on Drake’s face when he sees me in it. “Yes. This one.”
“Phew! I didn’t think you’d ever agree.”
Smiling, I say, “What else am I supposed to get?”
By the time we leave the store, I’ve got my dress purchased along with all the accessories. I leave the dress so the tailor can do alterations, and as we walk out of the store, my mind is on dinner that night.
Will Drake’s father like me? Or am I going to end up returning everything I just bought?
Thirteen
ASHLEY
Drake picks me up that evening right on time.
“My dad’s going to meet us at the restaurant,” he says as he helps me into his car.
I’ve spent the day thinking about tonight, and now my nerves are stretched tight. I don’t say anything as Drake pulls away from the curb and we head to the restaurant.
“My dad and I got together earlier today,” he says, then he turns to me with a smile. “I told him all about you. He’s anxious to meet the woman who finally got me to give up the dating life.”
Forcing a laugh, I say, “So he knows you were a player before?”
Drake frowns as if he doesn’t like that label. “I guess so.”
Wanting to change the mood that has suddenly filled the small interior of his car, I say, “Thank you for being so generous today. At the bridal store.”
He softly chuckles. “It’s not all for you.”
Surprised, I tilt my head. “What do you mean?”
“I want all of my friends to see what a gorgeous woman I’m marrying.” He glances at me again. “So it was purely for selfish reasons that I wanted you to get the dress you loved.”
This time when he glances at me I see the twinkle in his eyes, and I softly punch his arm.
“Generous,” I say, “and able to take away my guilt at spending your money. What other hidden talents do you have, Mr. Drake?”
His eyebrows go up. “I’ll demonstrate those to you later.”
Heat pulses through me at the implied meaning. “Hmm. But later you’ll be taking me to my home—not to yours.”
He reaches over and places his hand on mine. “Not for long.”
More eager than ever to move in with him, I give his hand a gentle squeeze. “I can hardly wait.”
When we walk into the restaurant a short time later, my heart starts to pound as Drake looks around for his father.
“There he is,” he says as he leads me towards a table where a distinguished looking gentleman is sitting.
When his father sees us coming, he stands and smiles broadly. I notice his eyes are on me, and I can’t help but wonder if he’s comparing me to Rachel.
“Hi, Dad,” Drake says. “This is Ashley Spencer.” Drake turns to me. “Ashley, this is my father, Scott Drake.”
It sounds strange to hear another man called Drake, but that’s his last name. I think about my Drake—Colton Drake. I can see the resemblance between father and so
n, and I think I’ll like the looks of Drake as he ages. The thought makes me smile—we’re going to grow old together.
“It’s so nice to meet you, Ashley,” Scott says.
“I’m happy to meet you too,” I say. Drake’s father doesn’t seem nearly as scary as I thought he would.
Scott gestures to the other side of the table. “Please sit down.”
Drake helps me into a chair and then sits beside me.
“I hear congratulations are in order,” Scott says.
I nod. “Yes.” I glance at Drake. “We’re getting married on Valentine’s Day.”
“I’m just impressed you got this man to settle down,” Scott says with a laugh. “I wasn’t sure I’d ever see the day.”
Next to me, Drake smiles. “No one is more surprised than I am.” He takes my hand under the table. “I’m just glad she agreed to marry me.”
Touched by the warmth I feel from these men, I feel like the luckiest girl in the world.
DRAKE
As I watch Ashley interact with my father, I can tell that he likes her just fine. When he and I got together earlier today, though he was happy I finally found a woman I want to settle down with, he had the same concern that Ashley’s parents had—Ashley and I haven’t known each other long enough to know that we want to spend the rest of our lives together. I assured him that we know what we’re doing, but I hope now that he’s met Ashley he’ll feel more confident about our decision to marry.
ASHLEY
When Drake drops me off at my apartment after dinner, I’m much more relaxed about everything. “That wasn’t so bad,” I say as we sit on the couch.
He laughs. “I told you he’d love you, didn’t I?”
“Yes, you did.”
He pulls me into his arms and I savor the feeling of security.
“Do you need any help packing your stuff?” he asks.
All I have to pack is my clothes—the same things I had with me when I moved to Reno. “Are you really so eager for me to move in?”
Nuzzling my ear, he murmurs, “Yes.”
Just as eager as he is, I whisper, “Maybe we shouldn’t wait.”
He pulls back and looks at me. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
I smile. “Sure. Why not? It won’t take me long to pack, I’ve already broken the news to Emily, and I’ve paid rent through the end of the month. Why wait any longer?” My smile grows. “As long as it’s okay with you.”
“You know it is.”
Thrilled that we’re moving forward with our plans, I plant a kiss on his lips before standing. “Okay then. Let’s get busy.”
He laughs. “Now? Like, right now?”
I arch an eyebrow. “Getting cold feet already?”
He stands beside me. “No.” Then he takes my hand and leads me to my room, where we place my suitcases on the bed and begin filling them with my things.
Forty-five minutes later, as I zip shut the last suitcase, a sense of disbelief settles over me. This is the last time I’ll live away from Drake. From now on we’ll be together. Immense joy sweeps over me and on impulse I throw my arms around his neck. “I love you so much.”
With a soft chuckle, he wraps his arms around my waist and holds me against him. “What brought that on?”
I pull back and smile at him. “I’m just so excited for our life together. I can hardly believe it’s starting.”
He gazes at me a moment, then his lips descend toward mine, and after a passionate kiss, he whispers, “Let’s go home. To our home.”
Fourteen
DRAKE
I watch as Ashley unpacks her things in my—our—room. Though happier than I’ve ever been, I’m still a bit in shock to see my new reality playing out in front of me.
“I need you to make a little more room in here,” Ashley says as she comes out of my walk-in closet.
We’ve done this so quickly that I haven’t had a chance to move my things to make sure there’s enough space for Ashley’s belongings.
At least she doesn’t have any furniture for me to squeeze in.
I walk into the closet and look at the section holding Ashley’s clothes. Seeing her blouses, dresses, and pants hanging in my closet sends a burst of unreality over me. Even with Rachel I never shared closet space. Then I look at Ashley, who’s holding a pair of shoes in her hands with a questioning look on her face.
“Uh, yeah,” I say, then I get to work moving my stuff around to make room for her things.
An hour later she’s unpacked, even taking over much of the bathroom. This is very different from the time we spent together at my cabin where at first she had nothing with her, but when she came back after the motel fiasco and had her luggage she set up in the guest room and guest bathroom.
“Are you okay, Drake?” she asks as we stand side by side in front of the bathroom mirror. Looking uncertain, she says, “I can, I don’t know, find somewhere else to put some of my stuff?”
Forcing a soft laugh, I tug her into my arms. “No, it’s fine. We’ll make it work.” But deep inside I know this new arrangement is going to take some getting used to.
ASHLEY
That night as I cuddle with Drake in his—our—bed, I wonder if he’s struggling a bit with having me there, with knowing this is permanent. This is my fairytale come true, but I worry that now that he’s about to get a taste of what our married life will be like, that he’ll have second thoughts about going through with the wedding, that he might even decide the whole moving in with him thing was a mistake. That he’ll want me to move out.
Deep anxiety cascades over me, but I try to force it out by telling myself that I’m worrying for nothing, that everything will work out, that Drake will get used to sharing his space and that we’ll grow closer because of it, and eventually I drift off to sleep.
When I wake the next morning Drake is still asleep, so I slip out of bed and go into his kitchen. Wanting to surprise him with breakfast in bed, I look through his cupboards until I find what I need to make pancakes, and twenty minutes later I carry a tray laden with fresh fruit, pancakes, and a hot mug of coffee into his room. I know it’s our room now, but it still doesn’t sound right to call it that.
“What’s this?” he asks with a smile as he pushes himself up against the pillows.
“Breakfast in bed for my handsome fiancé,” I say as I set the tray across his lap.
“Wow, I can get used to this.”
Glad he’s pleased, I laugh. “Don’t get too used to it.”
He smiles, then takes a sip of his coffee. “Where’s your breakfast?”
“It should be just about ready.” I dash to the kitchen, scoop the just-finished pancakes off of the griddle, then carry my tray into the bedroom and sit beside Drake. “What do you have planned for today?”
Grimacing slightly, he says, “I hate to leave you alone on your first day here, but my dad and I have a golf game planned, and then I have some work I need to do.”
Wanting him to know that he doesn’t have to plan his day around me—why give him a reason to resent having me here?—I say, “That’s okay. I have stuff I need to do.” That’s a complete falsehood, but I’m sure I can find something to do.
As soon as he’s done eating, Drake showers, then leaves to meet his dad for a round of golf. Though I miss him, I savor the feeling of being in my new home—Drake’s home, our home. I take my time getting ready for the day, enjoying the beautiful bathroom, and then I go into the kitchen to clean up. When I’m nearly done, a knock sounds at the front door.
Curious who it could be, I’m pleased to find Emily standing on the other side of the door.
“Nice digs,” she says after I invite her in.
The previous night I left a note for her, explaining what was going on, and giving her my new address.
“I can see why you wanted to move in here,” she says as she surveys the living room.
I laugh. “Yes, this is a nice place, but I only want to be here becaus
e Drake’s here.”
She glances towards the hallway. “Is he in the bedroom?”
“No, he’s golfing with his dad.”
She smiles brightly. “Great! Then give me the tour.”
More than happy to, I take her through all the rooms of the house, and when we’re done, we sit on the couch.
“I’m happy for you,” she begins, “but I’m really going to miss you.”
“I know. Me too.”
“How did dinner go last night?”
“It was good. I like his dad, and I think he likes me.”
“Of course he likes you, Ash. Why wouldn’t he?”
Mentally comparing myself with Rachel again, I shake my head and smile. “No reason.”
That night Drake and I enjoy a quiet evening together, and when it’s time to go to bed, rather than having to say good bye, we go to bed together, and I’m beyond blissful.
“I have to go out of town on Tuesday,” Drake tells me as we lay in bed. “But I’ll just be gone for one or two nights.”
I immediately wonder if Jasmine is going along, but resist the temptation to ask.
Obviously sensing my question, he says, “It’ll just be me.”
“Oh.” I try not to let the relief flood my voice, but I am so relieved that it’s hard to hide.
He pulls me against him. “Even if she came along, you wouldn’t have anything to worry about. I’m in love with you. I’m going to marry you.”
There’s no need to say who she is. We both know he means Jasmine. Nevertheless, his words reassure me, and I rest my head against his chest.
DRAKE
I’m slightly bugged that I have to reassure Ashley again that Jasmine is no threat to her, but I try to push aside those feelings and instead focus on having her warm body pressed against mine. It was nice coming home to her after a busy day, not to mention the surprise breakfast in bed, and I start to feel better about having her there. I know it will be challenging to get used to thinking about someone else all the time, but the trade-offs seem well worth it.
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