by Jillian Dodd
“Yes. It’s like you’ve been saving all these pictures just for me,” she says. She stops and looks at me. “Maybe you have been. It’s weird, isn’t it? It’s been so long but, in some ways, it’s like nothing has changed. I don’t know what will happen with you and Riley, but don’t disappear from my life again, okay?”
Tears prickle my eyes. “I won’t,” I say as she keeps going.
“We’d also like twinkle lights, pretty much everywhere. And ribbons hanging from all the trees. So, I guess cocktail hour would be up next. I was thinking maybe around the pool and in the attached courtyard. Do you think that would work?”
“When you built all this, were you planning to hold your wedding here?” I laugh, taking it all in. “This brick courtyard is an amazing space.”
“The thought may have crossed my mind,” she giggles. “But we also wanted to have big parties and fundraisers here. Since the vineyard’s grounds are booked for so many events, we wanted a place to have our own. And, we keep adding on. It’s sort of our own private oasis.”
“I want to see what’s in here,” I say, going over to a pavilion. “Oh, this is cool.”
“We sit out here a lot. With the fireplace, we can use it pretty much year round.”
“This looks like it would be a great place to raise a family.”
“We think so too.”
“Would you be opposed to moving the furniture out of the pavilion and setting up some of the cocktail tables in here? We could run the silk fabric from the ceiling similar to the altar. And it’s on the way to the barn, so it makes sense for the flow of traffic.”
“I love that idea.”
“Me too,” Aiden says, coming up from behind Keatyn and wrapping his arms around her waist. “How’s the planning going?”
“Good,” she says, giving him a sweet kiss.
“So, I have some special requests,” Aiden says.
“You do?” Keatyn and I ask in unison. “A lot of men prefer to just show up.”
“That wouldn’t be my style,” he says. “But I’d like to speak to you in private when you’re finished, Ariela. I may have a surprise or two for my bride.”
Keatyn looks at him and practically swoons.
And, so do I.
“So, I’ll let you two keep going. If you need me, I’ll be down in the barn,” he says.
“Ariela,” Keatyn says, “let’s run in the house quick, grab a snack and something to drink, and I need to pee.”
“Okay,” I say, following her into their massive kitchen. “This kitchen is great. Can the caterers use it?”
“They could if they needed to, but we have a full catering kitchen in the barn. Pour yourself a glass of wine. I’ll be right back.”
I pour myself a glass of wine. When in Sonoma . . . drink wine, right?”
Keatyn comes out of the bathroom and grabs a bottle of water.
“You’re not having wine?”
“I think I’ll stick with this,” she says. “Let’s head to the barn. I thought the dinner could be inside. And I suppose if it were to rain, we’d have to do everything inside, right?”
“We’ll definitely have a rain plan. Let me worry about that though.”
“Okay,” she says, leading me down a brick path to a massive redwood barn. She stops and points out an old tree with their initials carved in the center. “Aiden carved our initials in this tree when I showed him the land. That was something we didn’t put in the movie. We planned the house and everything around the tree. I don’t know how old it is, but we couldn’t tear it down.”
“That’s a gorgeous barn. Your house hides it though. I didn’t even see it when I pulled up.”
“It’s sits a little lower than the house, so it’s kind of hidden. I like that it’s sort of a surprise.”
She throws open the doors.
“This is spectacular. Vaulted ceiling, exposed beams, old brick on the pillars.”
“Aiden, will you close the door and show Ariela your latest project?” Keatyn says to the empty space.
I hear Aiden’s voice reply from somewhere to my right. “Sure.”
The doors shut, darkening the space. Then, with a flick of a switch, hundreds of bulbs attached to the beams light up the ceiling.
“Isn’t it pretty?” Keatyn swoons. “Could we use the silk fabric and chandeliers to dress this up a little too? And lots of flowers. And I’d like those really long tables and the food to be served family style. Then we can dance in the middle.”
“And wine,” Aiden says. “There will be lots and lots of wine.”
Keatyn shows me the catering kitchen, the ample amount of restrooms, and built in bars and buffets.
“Aiden,” I say, “if you have a minute, let’s talk food. Do you have a caterer in mind? Style of food?”
“Our personal chef, Marvel, designed the catering kitchen, trained in France, and worked at many acclaimed restaurants before we hired him. He’s been planning our menu since we got engaged. You can talk to him this afternoon if you’d like.”
“That sounds perfect. What about a cake?”
“I’d like something tall, lots of layers, pastels, starting with white then ending up in pink, kind of an ombre effect,” Keatyn says. “Maggie already called our local cake designer and she said she’d do it for us. You’ll just need to get with her on the design, size, delivery.”
“Sounds easy enough. How about cocktails? Or do you just want wine?”
“A full bar,” Aiden says. “Good scotch. Top shelf liquor. Champagne. An assortment of cigars. I’ll supply all the wine. I have a special vintage I’ve been saving for this event.”
“I think that covers most of the basics. Aiden, did you want to talk to me now?”
Keatyn whispers something in Aiden’s ear that makes him smile.
“I told you it would be okay,” he whispers, giving her a kiss.
“Alright, you two have fun. I’m going down to see what the kids are up to,” she says.
“They’re at the ball field,” Aiden tells her.
“You have a ball field too?” I ask.
“Soccer pitch, really, but it works for other sports too. Logan and I like to relive our glory days and keep in shape.” He tosses Keatyn some keys. “Take the Gator.”
As soon as she leaves, Aiden leads me out of the barn and onto a flat grassy area.
“Our first kiss was on a Ferris wheel at Eastbrooke’s Back-To-School Carnival, so I want to have a Ferris wheel at the wedding. Right here.”
“A Ferris wheel?” I say, a little shocked. “Um, that’s a request I’ve never had before. I’m not sure if I can find one in a couple weeks, but I’ll see what I can do.”
“Oh, you don’t have to find it,” he says. “I bought a vintage one and had it restored back to its original pale pastel colors. I just need you to help me decide where to put it. I was thinking here next to the barn. It will be all lit up and the guests can ride it. I thought it would be a fun surprise for her.”
“It’s an amazing surprise, Aiden. And I think here would be perfect. We can make a pathway and string lights on poles above it to light the way.”
“That works for me.”
“Do you have any other requests?”
“Yes. Pink cotton candy and feathers incorporated somehow. I’m going to have the crew light up the rows of grapes on both sides of the drive up here. If we do the wedding at sunset, guests won’t see it when they arrive, but it will pretty when they leave.” He pulls a phone out of his pocket and shows me a photo of a cute sign. “I was thinking of changing it to read, Once in a while, in the middle of a chaotic life, love gives us a fairytale. And we have to have four-leaf clovers incorporated somewhere.”
“I saw that your vineyard’s label has a clover design in the background. What if we incorporated something like that into the invitations?”
“Could we send an actual four-leaf clover in every invitation?”
“Sure,” I say, adding it to my list. “What
about invitations? Keatyn said something about wanting to keep it quiet.”
“We’d like invitations hand delivered the first of the week for a fundraiser here. When the guests arrive, we’ll hand out the wedding programs.”
“That sounds like a plan,” I say, wondering how I’m going to have invitations for six hundred people designed, printed, addressed, and hand delivered in a few days.
“You look a little freaked out,” Aiden tells me. “Maggie will help you with all the vendor connections. We do a lot of events here. They will squeeze us in.”
“Okay, and I’m glad I have Maggie to lean on. I have a vision of what she wants, but I’ll need help executing it.”
Keatyn & Aiden’s home - Asher Vineyards
DAWSON
“Run, Harlow!” I yell, cheering her on as she dribbles the soccer ball down the field and scores. She comes running up to me and leaps into my arms.
“I scored, Daddy! I scored!”
“You did so good, sweetie,” I say, giving her a kiss on the cheek.
“Against boys, too,” she whispers. “Carder is almost my age, but I’m taller than him. He told me that it didn’t matter because boys are tougher.”
“Do you think that’s true?”
She shakes her head. “I think boys are dumb.” Then she looks at me. “Well, not boy daddies. Daddies are smart.”
“Thank you,” I say with a laugh. “Are you having fun here?”
“I’m having the best time ever. Did you see me feed that pony? He loves apples.”
“He did. And you did a good job riding the pony.”
“I especially liked our picnic by the pond. Will we get to come back here?”
“If we all move to California, we could come back whenever you want.”
“I like California. It’s sunny and warm on my face.”
“Next time you come, you can see the house. It’s right on the ocean.”
“Like Grandma’s?”
“Kinda like that, but a different ocean.”
“The Pacific Ocean,” Ava says, chiming in. “It’s on the West coast. Grandma’s is on the East coast.”
“Very good, Ava. Your sister seems to like it here, what do you think?” Harlow wriggles out of my arms and takes off running. Ava plops down on the bleachers next to me.
“I think Knox is funny. He makes us all laugh. And so does Fallon’s daddy. He talks funny.”
“He’s originally from the South, so he has an accent.”
“Fallon is nice,” she says about Dallas’ oldest. “She said if we moved to California that we could go to school together.”
“What would you think of that?”
“I think I’d miss my friends and Grandma and Grandpa and Uncle Cam and Aunt Annie and Uncle Brax and my cousins.”
“We’d still visit them a lot. I would let you fly back whenever you wanted.”
“That’s what Grandma told me. I told her that I missed you the most though.”
I get choked up. “I missed you, too, Ava.”
“I know it was only for a few days but Grandma doesn’t put smiley faces on our pancakes. Do you like your new job?”
“I do. But the three of us have to decide together if it’s right for us to move. We all need to be happy.”
“I heard Grandma tell Uncle Cam that you need to be happy. Have you not been happy?”
“Of course, I have been. I’ve been with you and Harlow.”
“Grandma said you haven’t been the same since Mommy died. And Uncle Cam said you needed to get back in the saddle again. Is that why we came here? So you could ride horses?”
“Ava, you need to stop eavesdropping. It’s not polite. What Uncle Cam meant is that I needed to get back to work.” I lie. “Next weekend, you can see our house. See if you like it.”
“I loved the pictures, Daddy. Hey, who is that? She’s pretty.”
I look up and see Vanessa.
And she looks pissed. Hand on her hip. Lips pursed. And even though she has sunglasses on, I can feel the daggers coming from her eyes.
“Why don’t you go play some more. I need to go talk to her.”
“Okay, Daddy!” she yells, running off.
Keatyn & Aiden’s home - Asher Vineyards
VANESSA
I watch Dawson cheer on an adorable little dark-haired girl, who kicks a soccer ball into a goal. She runs straight to him and leaps into his arms. He gives her a kiss on the cheek and they have an animated conversation.
Soon, another beautiful girl, taller and older, sits down next to him. They seem to be having a more serious conversation, and I’m mesmerized by the way he looks.
You can feel his love for his daughters all the way across the soccer field.
I’ve been pissed the entire trip here, but seeing him with the girls—who look just like him—softens me. I can tell he’s a good father.
He gets up and walks toward me.
“Can we go somewhere and talk?” he asks. “Please.”
“I suppose,” I say, irritated that he wants me away from his kids.
He takes my hand and leads me to a Gator. I sit down and he drives us up the hill. If I weren’t so pissed, I’d be enjoying the scenery.
As soon as he stops, I tear into him.
“Why didn’t you tell me you have children? After all that we’ve shared these past few days. I opened up and told you things I haven’t told anyone else! Is that why you didn’t invite me to come with you?”
“Vanessa, calm down,” he says.
Which I hate.
I don’t fucking want to be calm right now. I can’t be calm right now.
“I was going to tell you the other night,” he says, softly. “But then you told me about your miscarriage and how you can’t have children. I could tell how devastating that was for you. It just seemed like a really bad time to tell you about my girls. Like I was throwing it in your face.”
“You had plenty of other chances.”
“I wasn’t keeping it from you. It’s just . . .”
“It’s just what?!”
“Well, first of all, you told me you had plans with your dad all weekend.”
“And what else?”
He runs his hand through his hair and sighs. “I’ve been nothing but a dad for the last two years. The last few days, you’ve made me feel like a man. And, honestly, I was afraid to tell you.”
“Why?”
“I overheard my aunt telling my mom that I’d probably never find someone because of my—and I quote—baggage. I know you want children. We haven’t been together long enough to talk about if you only wanted yours, or if you could open up your heart to someone else’s. I’m a package deal, Vanessa. And I don’t even know if you are interested in me long-term, let alone the rest of the package.”
“Why wouldn’t I be interested in you?”
“Riley told me that since Bam, you haven’t wanted a relationship. I don’t know if I’m just a notch in your belt or if there could be more, and I’ve been in California for all of five days.”
My heart sinks.
And I hate the feeling.
I feel desperate. I know it’s only been a few days, but I want more. I want everything with him. My heart wants it all, but my head thinks I must be crazy.
“Do you want more?” I say quietly, half hoping he won’t hear me.
“I want to get to know you better. It’s important I do. I need to be careful about who I bring into my children’s lives.” He stops and looks into my eyes. “And I know it sounds crazy because, on one hand, it feels so fast, but the answer is yes, because, on the other hand, it feels like it’s been a long time coming.”
Tears flood my eyes.
I don’t want to cry, but I do.
“Why are you crying?”
“Because it feels like it’s been a long time coming for me too.”
He wraps an arm around my waist, pulls me close, and gives me an epic kiss. A kiss so full of emotion, it sends the tears
streaming down my face.
He looks at me and chuckles. “That kiss was way too good for you to be crying.”
“I’m just happy,” I say, turning into a pile of mush around him.
“I have to admit, the other night when I wished that you would find big love, happiness, and children, I was hoping you’d find those things with me. Because if you got all your wishes, I’d get mine too.”
His admission takes my breath away.
And I can’t stop crying.
What is with all the crying?
“Would you like to meet my girls? Can you stay for dinner? Stay the night?” he asks.
Stay for the rest of my life is what I wish he’d say.
I give him another kiss because he’s so damn sweet.
“I’d love to meet them. And I most definitely can stay.”
Driving to Sonoma
RILEY
I apologized to Jennifer for being an ass in Vegas.
I try not to be a jerk, but on the rare occasion I am, I usually make it up to the girl with sex. But since I’m stranded on second base with Jennifer, that wasn’t really an option.
I try not to think about the last time I felt stranded on second base, way back in high school when I was dating Ariela.
Jennifer makes me feel like I’m an awkward teen, who isn’t completely sure what to do. But she makes me feel alive in ways I haven’t felt in a long time.
And that makes it worth it.
I’ve fucked a lot of women, but none of them made me feel anything in my heart.
When Jennifer cried in Vegas, I felt it in my heart.
I hurt her.
And it didn’t feel good.
I knew how I could make it up to her. Instead of flowers and an apology, I showed up at her house unannounced, handed her my keys, and told her she could drive my car. I said the Hamptons were a little far, but we could go up to Keatyn and Aiden’s house in Sonoma County. Dallas had mentioned that I should join them earlier this week. And if we timed it right, we’d be there for one of Marvel’s wonderful dinners.