“He’ll be even luckier later,” she joked.
Those were details that I didn’t need to know.
“You ready to get this show on the road. Thirty minutes until show time,” Madeline announced as she grabbed her lip gloss to reapply.
“Let’s go get me hitched,” Lizzie shouted as she threw her hands up in the air.
Pictures were taken of Lizzie then the three of us and in no time, Lizzie’s father came into the room to let her know it was time.
Madeline and I let them have their moment as we walked over to our place.
The ceremony was beautiful. The most beautiful part was when Lizzie came to the end of the aisle. I looked over to see Grant’s reaction, and he cried as she walked closer and closer to him. I knew before now, but this reaction solidified how much he loved her. She deserved a man like Grant in her life. Those two loved each other without question.
I looked out into the crowd and noticed that Gage was staring at me from three tables back. He wore a charcoal gray suit with a tie that matched the blue of my dress perfectly. My friends had some explaining to do on that part. I hadn’t told him the color of my dress. He smiled over at me, and I kindly returned the gesture. Standing here in front of everyone with the way Gage looked up at me made me feel sexy and wanted and turned on. I shook my head and looked away. I had to bury those feelings because they weren’t appropriate while in front of all these people.
Lizzie and Grant both said ‘I do” with smiles on their faces. When the pastor announced that Grant could kiss his bride, he kissed Lizzie so passionately that the crowd cheered and told them to get a room, causing me to let out a laugh at their antics.
I looped my arm through Grant’s younger brother’s and walked down the makeshift aisle and off to the garden out back for pictures. An hour later we were all finally done and ready to hit the buffet for a meal.
Gage met me at the door and pulled me in for a kiss that made me weak in the knees.
“I didn’t like seeing his hands on you. Or the smile on his face when he realized he had the most beautiful woman on his arm,” Gage said before kissing me again.
“You’re being silly. Grant’s brother is only eighteen and doesn’t have eyes for me at all. Slow your roll there,” I said as I patted my hand on his chest.
“Is there something wrong with me wanting to let everyone here know that you’re mine?”
Not in the slightest.
I shook my head and linked my fingers within his to pull him into the dining hall.
Grant and Lizzie shared their first dance as I leaned into Gage for the support. Being around all this romance was causing me to see him in a totally different light. My heart felt lighter as I watched my best friend smile up at her husband and rub his cheek with her hand.
“You look happy,” Gage whispered into my ear, causing chills to run through my body.
“That’s because I am happy. Seeing her happy makes me happy.”
“Any other reason you’re happy?” he asked as he rubbed the side of my neck with the tip of his nose.
Should I fuck with him? Or give him the honest answer?
“Not that I can think of?” I replied, going with the former.
“You sure about that?”
He played dirty as he kissed the side of my neck, causing me to moan.
“Positive,” I replied.
“I think you’re full of it, Mrs. Rivers,” he replied as he nipped at my ear lobe.
Mrs. Rivers.
Holy shit. I felt that down to my core. Hearing that did things to my body that I didn’t want to admit.
“What’s the matter, Avery? Cat got your tongue?”
“Mrs. Rivers, huh?”
“That’s who you are.”
“Technically, I haven’t changed my name.”
“I don’t care about the technicality of the situation. You’re my wife, so you’re Mrs. Rivers to me.” Gage turned me to face him.
“How do you feel about that, Avery?”
I couldn’t reply. This was too much too soon.
“Tell me, sweetheart,” Gage insisted as he ran his knuckle across my cheekbone.
“Happy. It makes me feel happy,” I honestly confessed.
“Good. Me too,” he said as he pulled me in for a hug. His scent invaded my senses as I hugged him in return.
“Avery, who’s this young man you’ve brought with you tonight?” Lizzie’s mother asked as she came up beside me and tapped me on the shoulder.
The cat would be out of the bag once I responded. My parents would surely find out now.
I turned to face her. Gage kept his hand on the small of my back as I pulled Lizzie’s mother in for a hug.
“This is my husband, Gage,” I said to her, getting a gasp in return.
Thankfully after they exchanged pleasantries she didn’t question me further. I think she was too shocked to question me.
After we ate, Gage pulled me out on the dancefloor when Ed Sheeran’s song, Perfect started to play. He wrapped his arms around me after he placed my arms around my neck. He led me around the dancefloor in perfect sync to the music. No words were spoken. They weren’t needed. I felt his feelings for me as he whispered the lyrics into my ear. I swore he couldn’t get any more perfect, but in this moment, he was singing to me and I felt his feelings behind every word. When he spoke of looking perfect, the way he looked at me at the wedding came to mind. When he whispered about sharing a home, the way he spoke of sharing his little girl and making us a family came next. When he spoke of not deserving me, I knew he was dead wrong. He deserved someone like me in his life, and I deserved the happiness I knew he could provide.
I should confess my feelings for this man. But I wanted it to be at the perfect time. In the perfect place. Not at my best friend’s wedding.
The song ended, and he placed a kiss on top of my head as he pulled away.
He pulled his phone out of his pocket and told me he was sorry but he had to take the call. He stepped away so he could hear the call, and I took that time to go get a much-needed glass of wine. I needed to cool off after that dance.
“You two looked cozy out there,” Madeline stated as she took the glass of wine from the bartender.
“It was nice,” I told her, leaning against the bar to take some pressure off my feet. These heels were perfect for this dress. My feet, not so much.
“Nice is the wrong word for what I just witnessed. It was hot. What was he saying out there to you? You couldn’t stop smiling if you tried.”
She was right. I still had a smile on my face.
“He was singing the song to me,” I told her as my cheeks flushed.
“Damn. That’s fucking hot as hell. You’re right. He’s perfect.”
Yes, he was.
“He’s something alright,” I laughed as I took a sip from the glass of wine the bartender handed me.
Gage walked up behind me and gently grabbed my arm to pull me away from Madeline.
“I’m so sorry, but I’ve got to leave. Cheyanne has a high fever, and I need to get home to her.”
“It’s fine. Go home to her. She needs her daddy right now. I’ll be here for a little while longer,” I replied as I rubbed his arm.
“I wanted to be the one to take you home tonight.”
“We’ll have other nights out. Don’t worry. Go be with Cheyanne, and I’ll call you later to check on her,” I told him.
“You look stunning tonight. I’ll have this image of you in my mind for many years to come,” he replied, giving me a quick kiss on the lips.
I watched him walk off looking worried sick for his baby girl.
“What was that about?” Madeline asked as she walked up beside me.
“Cheyanne’s sick. He had to go home.”
“And you’re here why?”
“It’s Lizzie’s night. Where else would I go?”
“Come with me,” she insisted, grabbing my hand and practically pulling me behind her.
We walked over to where Lizzie and Grant stood talking to guests, still looking blissfully in love.
“Tell her,” Madeline demanded after the guests left.
“Tell me what? Where’s Gage? Don’t think we didn’t see you two on the dancefloor. We could feel the chemistry coming off you two in waves,” Lizzie joked.
“He had to leave.”
“Tell her why he had to leave.”
Damn Madeline and her big mouth. It wasn’t a big deal.
“His daughter is sick.”
“Why are you still here then?”
“Because you’re one of my best friends. I’m here to celebrate the two of you getting married.”
“You’re here. You celebrated. Because I love you, I’m going to tell you something straight. You care for them. You love the two of them. Even if you haven’t admitted it to yourself, I can see that you do when you talk about them. You look just as worried about her as I’m sure he did when he left. Now, if you don’t leave and go to them, I’m going to be super pissed at you.”
“But,” I tried to speak, but she cut me off.
“No buts. Answer me this. How do you feel about that little girl? How do you feel about the fact that she’s sick and you’re not there?”
“Horrible for not being there.”
I kept seeing the happiness on her face as she found her fish.
I was happy I could put it there.
“Then you have your answer. Now go.”
“I’m so happy for you two. I can’t wait to hear all about the honeymoon. Congratulations.”
I hugged them and then Madeline before I ran out of the ballroom to go to the family that needed me.
Chapter 13
I broke several speeding laws on the way to Gage’s penthouse. I didn’t care about getting a ticket. I only cared about getting to him and Cheyanne.
Frantic, I parked the car and took off my heels so I could get to them faster. In a full sprint, I took off into the building.
Once at the elevators, I pounded on the button several times, willing it to hurry up and open.
“Come on,” I shouted as I pushed the button several times more.
It finally opened and several people had to walk out before I could enter.
I tapped my foot and squeezed the straps of my heels tightly as I waited in the elevator cart for it to stop on Gage’s floor.
With a final ping, I raced out the doorway to the elevator and up to Gage’s door. I tested the knob to find it opened and walked inside.
No one was in the living room as I dropped my heels by the door and went in search of Gage and Cheyanne.
I heard Cheyanne vomiting as I neared the bathroom. I waited outside the shut door for them to emerge.
“I don’t feel good, Daddy,” I heard Cheyanne mumble from the other side of the door just before the toilet flushed.
The door opened and out walked Gage, still in is suit sans the jacket, with Cheyanne in his arms.
“Avery,” he whispered as he took in the sight of me right outside the door.
“Hi,” I whispered back, too afraid of what he’d say and even if Cheyanne would want me here.
She lifted her little head from his shoulder when she heard me speak and reached out for me.
“I told you her come, Daddy,” she whispered as she laid her head on my shoulder.
“Yes, you did, kiddo,” he replied as he patted her on the back. She was burning up.
“You might want to change out of that dress. She could get sick again at any moment. That was the third time in twenty minutes.”
“Hey there, beautiful. Can you go back to Daddy and let me go change really quick, and I’ll be right back.”
“No,” she grumbled as she held onto my neck tighter.
“I’ll just take her with me and we can change together. How about that?” I suggested to Gage.
We walked the short distance to his room. After some persuading, I sat Cheyanne down on Gage’s bed and walked into the closet to change into a pair of Gage’s sweats and a t-shirt that he’d handed me.
After getting dressed, I walked out of the closet and started to pull the bobby pins out of my hair.
“Pretty,” Cheyanne said as she looked up at me from where she laid on Gage’s pillow.
“Thank you,” I told her after I finished getting the last one out. A hair tie that I’d left here laid on the nightstand of my side of the bed. Quickly, I gathered up all my hair and pulled my it into a top knot.
“How are you feeling, sweet girl?” I asked as I climbed into bed beside her.
“Yucky,” she said as she curled into my side.
Gage grabbed the trash can from the bathroom and sat it down on his side of the bed. He placed a wet, cool washcloth on her forehead and got into bed on the other side of Cheyanne.
“Let’s try to get some sleep, kiddo,” Gage said as he kissed the top of her head and cut off the light.
Cheyanne lay in between us, my hand rested on top of her stomach. Gage linked our fingers together and whispered, “Thank you for coming tonight,” before we set off to get some sleep.
Only I couldn’t rest. Too afraid that Cheyanne would get sick in the middle of the night and choke. I laid there on my side, listening to the two of them snoring. This was the way I’d always pictured my life would end up. Having an amazing husband. Enjoying watching our children grow. Taking care of them when they were sick. I had everything I’d ever wanted, but for the life of me I was still hesitant to accept this. It wasn’t about the fact that Cheyanne wasn’t my own. In just two short weeks, she’d taken my heart and wrapped it around her little finger. It was more about the fact that if Gage wanted more children, I might not be able to give him that. And then he’d leave me to get them from someone else. And the fact that my parents were going to give me hell for my choices. They were good Christians as my mother called them. My mother shared firm beliefs in how relationships and marriages should go, and she tried her damnedest to instill them in me and my two siblings. They listened to her every word. Me not so much. While I believed in God, I believed in love and fate more.
Glancing over at the clock, I noticed it was a little after six in the morning. I’d pay hell tomorrow for the lack of sleep, but it would be worth it if Cheyanne felt better.
I heard her groan in her sleep and turn toward me, seeking me out. When her little hand landed on my stomach, she settled back to sleep. I decided right then that I’d fight for the two of them. Tooth and nail if I had to so they stayed in my life. If anything, we’d have a great story to tell years down the road.
A little while later, Cheyanne stirred again and sat up in the bed.
“Good morning,” I whispered.
“You here,” she said with a yawn.
“I’m here, sweetie. Why don’t we let Daddy sleep and go into the living room for a bit,” I suggested, and she agreed by nodding.
I picked her up from the bed and quietly left the bedroom, shutting the door behind me.
We brushed our teeth and afterwards, I changed Cheyanne from her nightgown to a pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt that read ‘Daddy’s Girl’ on the front.
“Are you still feeling yucky?”
“No. I better now,” she said as she bounced over to the nightstand to feed Nemo.
Gage and I showed her how much to feed the fish, and she pinched the perfect amount out of the canister of food and with my help she opened the lid and sprinkled it inside.
She stood there in awe as she watched Nemo swim around and eat his food.
“You want to help me make Daddy breakfast in bed?”
I knew she loved helping Gage cook and figured maybe we could bond over making some eggs.
My hair flopped around on top of my head, so I took the time to take it down as we walked from her room into the kitchen and brush it with my fingers. Very quickly, I French braided my hair and tied it at the bottom with my hair tie.
“I want,” she said as she pointed her litt
le finger at my hair.
“You want me to braid your hair?” I asked for clarification.
Her head nodded up and down in pure excitement at the thought of me doing her hair.
Who knew a child would be so happy to have her hair fixed?
“Do you want one or two?” I asked after we’d walked down to the bathroom to find her a brush and some bows to go at the bottom of her hair.
“Two.”
“Alright, but you’ve got to sit still, okay?” I sat her on the toilet backward so I could do her hair.
She sat there, perfectly still as I parted then braided her hair. Once the bows were clipped in place, she stood and turned around, jumping into my arms.
“Thank you,” she said as she pointed to the mirror so she could see.
“Now I pretty too,” she said as she hugged my neck.
“You’re very pretty. Let’s go make some eggs. Can your tummy handle that this morning?”
“Yummy. I love eggs,” she babbled.
She helped me whisk the eggs, listening so intently at my instructions and smiling a huge smile when she succeeded.
After they were done, I popped some bread in the toaster and waited for it to finish. Cheyanne helped me spoon the eggs onto plates and place them on the tray I’d found in the cabinet. The toast popped up, and she shouted ‘all done’ with a clap of her hands. We spread strawberry jam onto the toast and then made Gage and myself coffee and Cheyanne a cup of apple juice before I helped her carry the tray into the room to surprise Gage.
I held the tray and she jumped into the bed, bouncing on top of her daddy to rouse him.
“Good morning, kiddo,” he said with a sleepy tone in his voice.
“Look, Daddy,” she said as she bounced again, and Gage opened his eyes.
She held her braids in her tiny hands as she waited for Gage to respond.
“Her did my hair.”
“I see that. Beautiful,” he replied, causing Cheyanne to clap her hands.
“Something smells good.”
“We made you breakfast,” I finally spoke as I continued to take in the two of them together.
“You did. Did you help?” he asked as he tickled Cheyanne.
“Yep. I hungry, Daddy,” she said as she rubbed her tummy.
The Right Mistake Page 9