Hornet's Nest (21 page)

“ELLIE! IT’S BEAUTIFUL!” I gasped as she unzipped a white garment bag. I couldn’t believe I was staring at my wedding dress. I was getting married. Everything happened so fast that this was the first time it actually sank in. I covered my mouth as my quivering lip gave me away, and I glanced over at Jordan. She and Ellie hung it back on the rack with their dresses and walked over to me. Jordan put her hands on my shoulders, and I stared into the eyes of my best friend. Her dark hair hung over her shoulder with soft curls at the end, just like mine and Ellie’s did.

“Are you scared or nervous?”

I shook my head as tears pooled in my eyes. “I’m a little nervous, but I’m ready. It just hadn’t had a chance to hit me, and now it did. I’m going to marry Lance.”

She pulled me into a hug and my eyes landed on Ellie. We never really discussed Lance and me dating. Now, I was marrying her ex-boyfriend. I knew she was happy and married. I knew that she wasn’t harboring feelings for Lance or anything, but I didn’t know if any of this was awkward for her. I looked back at Jordan and asked, “Could you go get my mother? I’d like to show her the dress.”

She glanced back at Ellie and then at me. She nodded and smiled, knowing me so well. I watched her leave the suite as Ellie and I stood in silence. I could feel something swirling between us. It was time that we had a conversation. Everything happened so fast between Lance and me that Ellie and I never got a chance to really sit down and make sure our minds were clear.

I crossed the room and sat on the sofa that overlooked the brilliant fountains of the Bellagio. The water danced from side to side and I became mesmerized by their movement. I wanted us all to be happy. I knew that Lance had a time getting over Ellie, but I also knew that he had let her go even if she still owned a part of his past he would always hold close to his heart. I never addressed it or needed to discuss it with him. It was between Lance and Ellie, and the past was where it stayed. I turned my head back to her as she stared out of the window as well.

“Are you okay with all of this, Ellie?”

She glanced down at me and exhaled. A few seconds passed in silence before she joined me on the sofa, crossing her legs in front of her and facing me.

“I am. It is awkward, though. I’m not going to lie, but I assume it was just as awkward for Lance. I did love him. I still
do
love him, but our story ended. We both know that. I’m
in
love with Paul, like crazy love that man.” She exhaled and grabbed my hands. “I love you, too. You’re as much of my best friend as Jordan is. I want you happy. I want Lance happy. I watched both of you on the plane, and I saw how he looked at you. Katherine, I don’t think he ever looked at me like that. Any normal ex would have felt a pang of jealousy, but I didn’t. It only made my heart happy. I love you both and I’m so glad that y’all have found each other. And for all that’s holy, that better be a boy in there because Teague is starting to like the color pink.”

We both laughed through our sniffles, wiping the tears from our cheeks. Thank God for waterproof mascara. I reached out to her and pulled her into a tight hug and said, “I’m sorry we never talked about this until now. It all just happened so fast.”

She pulled away and shook her head. “There was nothing that really had to be talked about. I approved of y’all together before you even gave him the time of day. Right after Jordan’s wedding, I had never seen Lance like the way he was, but I didn’t know why he had changed. I had asked, Paul had asked, but Lance never elaborated. He stopped partying. He was rarely, if ever, at Dixie’s. He didn’t give any woman a second glance. I never knew anything had happened between y’all. He was always studying. I knew he wanted to do something more than just be a farmer, but he never focused on school so much before. It was like he had something to prove.” She shrugged her shoulders and said, “He was trying to prove it to you the whole time. It kills me that I didn’t know. Y’all wouldn’t have had to go through all that you had.”

It broke my heart, yet oddly made me happy to know that I truly was the only person he wanted. I leaned in close to Ellie and whispered, “He didn’t sleep with anyone since me at Jordan’s wedding.”

She pulled away and gasped. “Lance didn’t get laid for over a year?”

The door to the suite slammed shut, and Jordan’s face was priceless. “Do what!”

My mother glanced between the three of us and she said, “I don’t need to hear this.”

I laughed as I stood up, running over to my mother and grabbing her arm. “Oh, no you don’t. It’s dress time.”

My mother assisted my best friends in getting their dresses on. Of course, they wore emerald green. It was my favorite color. Unlike both of their weddings, where the dresses were short, these were long, hanging almost to the floor. Straps held the top with a slight cowl neck. It was more of the city side of Ellie’s designs, and she knew exactly what I would want them to wear.

My dress almost matched theirs, except it was white with a short train. They skimmed it over my head, and it slid down my body. Placing a hand on my stomach, I felt thankful that I was getting married now. If we had waited, the most perfect dress in the world wouldn’t have fit from my soon to be growing belly. My mother stood back and held her hands together, taking it all in. She placed her hands on her hips and said, “Now, we need something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue.”

I nodded because she was the mother of the bride after all. I would let her proceed with tradition. She turned around and grabbed her purse. Upon opening it, she pulled out an antique hair comb. She walked over to me and pulled my hair back away from the side of my face. “This was your great-grandmother’s, given to her by her aunt. Your grandmother wore it at her wedding. I wore it at mine, and now, you’ll wear it.” She stood back and held her hands in front of her and smiled big. “You have no choice.”

Ellie walked away and came back holding a pair of heels. “These are mine. You can
borrow
them. That means I want them back.”

I laughed and nodded. A knock rapped on the door. She went to answer it as I sat down to put on my
borrowed
shoes. I looked up at the sound of the closing door to see Lance’s mother holding with two small gift bags in her hands. I stood and walked over to her. I had never met her before today, and it was a slightly tense meeting. I was sure, though, that I was welcomed into her family. At least, I had hoped.

“Hi, Mrs. Walton,” I said as I stood.

She took in my dress and smiled. She crossed the distance and pulled me into a hug and said, “I know we don’t know each other very well, but I trust my boy. I already love you and can’t wait to start feeding that baby.”

I laughed as she turned away and handed me one of the bags. I opened it and pulled out a white lace handkerchief with blue trim as she explained, “This has been in my family for quite a while. I would be honored if it would be a part of your day.”

I nodded and hugged her again. I was becoming too emotional and my voice was no longer working properly. She handed me the other bag and said, “This is from Lance. He actually requested you to be alone when you opened it. I don’t know when he became such a softy. I guess you changed a lot in him.”

Jordan brushed my arm and said, “We’ll go check on the guys and see if they’re ready.”

I nodded again as they left. I knew the tears were about to fall before I even opened his gift. I sat back on the sofa as the fountains danced behind me. I opened the bag and pulled out a box and an envelope. A note on top of the box read,
Open first
. I placed the envelope on my lap and slowly opened the box. Tears blurred my eyes. A pair of emerald green earrings gleamed back at me. I carefully took them out and put them in my ears. I exhaled a shaky breath and carefully opened the envelope.

Beautiful,

I never claimed to be a smart man, but I think I know why you love the color green so much. I’ve known since the first day I met you when you tried with all your might to not look at me. I hate to tell you, but you failed miserably.

I am in total disbelief right now. I’m a few rooms away from you, staring at these fountains, and writing a letter to my fiancée. I can’t believe you said yes. I can’t believe I can call you mine. I can’t believe we are going to have a family. A few months ago, I had nothing. How did I get so lucky to now have everything I have ever wanted?

You.

All I have ever wanted was you.

I will spend the rest of my life proving to you how beautiful you are. I will spend the rest of my life proving my worth to you. Thank you for allowing me to be the happiest man ever in existence. I never knew life until you came into mine. I know what life was like without you. I never want to be parted from you again.

I will love you until…

SIX HOURS…IT had been six hours since I last kissed those lips. Tradition would have had me not seeing her for twenty-four hours. Thank God we didn’t follow tradition. I hadn’t even been her fiancé for twenty-four hours, and I needed her. I knew once I placed that ring on her finger I had to put the wedding band on as soon as possible. I needed her to be my wife. I needed to ensure that nothing would ever stand in the way again. Giving her my last name would prove to me that she would never leave. She would never pull away. I couldn’t believe this was happening. I was never this lucky. I couldn’t wait to start loving her forever.

Tom patted me on my shoulder as we stood in a room that overlooked the fountains. A photographer took pictures of the set up around us. It was obviously a small gathering, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I wished that Caleb could have been here. We were just as good of friends, but it was too last minute for him to step away from being a cop. I would have to see him soon.

“You ready, man?”

I turned to Tom as Paul stood next to him. I looked into the faces of my best friends and nodded. “I understand now. I never understood before how y’all felt, but I get it now. One girl just changes your life.” I shook my head and added, “I never want to be that other guy again. This is the best feeling in the world.” I shoved my hands in my pockets. “I’m going to be a dad. This is crazy. I became a father and a husband within a day.”

“Well, you never were one to take your time,” Paul joked.

“When you know, you know.”

“Yep. That’s the damn truth,” Tom said right as the music began to play.

Paul patted my shoulder and said, “It’s time to get your girl.”

My girl. My chest warmed in a swell of relief. All of those months of self-doubt and all the time trying to win her back were all worth it in this moment. Ellie walked down the aisle followed by Jordan.

The breath caught in my throat and I blinked away any tears that wanted to fall. I wanted nothing to obstruct my vision. My whole body sighed in relief. My eyes locked in with Katherine. She was beautiful. And she was mine.

• • •

“You ready, little pumpkin?”

I gazed up at my father and nodded. He squeezed my hand and wrapped it around his arm. I closed my eyes as we approached the open doorway. We stopped. I exhaled. I opened them. The room glowed around me, but all I saw were those green eyes. He smiled as he rested his hand on his chest and tapped it.

Tap, tap.

Tap, tap.

His heart beat for me. His heart told me it loved me. The most amazing man wanted to be my husband. Everything wrong in life tried to keep us apart, but we were stronger than that. We were stronger than anything.

I met him at the altar, and my father kissed my cheek, giving me away. I eased my hand into Lance’s. Every moment we touched flashed through my mind. His lips parted slightly and I could tell he felt it too. Lance raised my hand to his chest and rested it over his heart. The minister started to speak, but I didn’t hear a word of it. I was lost in his eyes. He was right; I had failed miserably.

“I do.”

I blinked, and he smiled with a sense of laugher. He caught me not paying attention.

“Do you, Katherine, take Lance to be your husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to never be parted again.”

Lance squeezed my hand against his chest.

“I do.”

The minister continued to speak, but I only heard Lance.

“I love you, Katherine.”

I did the only thing that felt natural in that moment…

I grabbed his face and kissed him with everything that I had.