Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 89978 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 450(@200wpm)___ 360(@250wpm)___ 300(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89978 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 450(@200wpm)___ 360(@250wpm)___ 300(@300wpm)
I smile at her and nod to my sister. “Take me to my prince.”
“Follow me, girls,” she says. “Do it just like we practiced yesterday. Avery, hold Winnie’s hand the whole time.”
“I will.”
Steph and the girls take a left to head to the backyard when we step out the front door.
My dad greets me with a smile and offers his arm in his black suit. “Cold feet?”
I walk several steps and turn the corner, immediately making eye contact with Koen, and the rest of the world fades away.
Those blue eyes alight just for me.
The black three-piece suit and gold tie.
Sexy, wavy hair.
And that smile …
“No cold feet,” I say, gently squeezing my dad’s arm as he walks me toward my groom while a friend of his mom’s plays Paul Hankinson’s wedding version of Taylor Swift’s “Lover” on a keyboard.
It’s just our family and a few close friends, but I don’t see anyone but Koen.
Six months ago, I didn’t know he existed. Now, I feel like we only exist for each other.
“Love you.” Dad kisses my cheek. Then he sets my hand in Koen’s and says, “Take care of my girl.”
Koen nods. “Always.”
Price is right over my shoulder, but I can’t spare a single glance. And that’s how I know there will be no island for us. My heart knows it.
Taking me and everyone by surprise, Koen leans forward and kisses me.
The minister clears his throat.
Koen returns to his space, rubbing the lip gloss from his mouth. “Sorry, I couldn’t wait.”
Our family laughs.
It’s a short and sweet ceremony. I remember my vows. And Price gets Scrot to bring us the rings on cue in a velvet box attached to his collar.
I fight the tears as Koen slides the ring onto my hand. And I lose the fight when I slide the ring onto his finger, and the minister pronounces us husband and wife.
“Now … you may kiss your bride.”
“Forever, I will kiss my bride,” Koen whispers before we kiss.
His hands gently cup my face, and mine grab his jacket, making a lifelong claim.
He’s mine.
There’s clapping. Kaleb whistles. Both moms wipe their tears. And Scrot barks.
It’s perfect.
Koen interlaces our fingers and walks me to the house and up the stairs to the bedroom.
“We have guests.” I giggle before he kisses me.
“I think there’s something,” he kisses his way down my neck, “in Texas law,” he kisses my shoulder, “that says for a marriage to be legal, it must be consummated within thirty minutes of vows being exchanged.” He drags his mouth back up my neck, grinning the whole way.
I laugh, fingers playing with his wavy hair. “My nieces will be looking for us in a matter of minutes because they know we have to cut the cake before they can have any.”
“Let’s wait several years before having kids.” He laughs. “I want you to myself for a while.”
I … well, I try to laugh, but I can’t.
“Why the look?” He narrows his eyes, fingers teasing the back of my neck.
Pressing my lips together, I shake my head.
His eyes narrow a little more. “Scottie Sikes.”
I fight my grin, loving the sound of my new name. My nose scrunches. “I stopped my birth control the day you proposed to me.”
Koen’s eyebrows climb up his forehead.
“And it’s been a while since I’ve had my period. So, I bought a test and planned on taking it tonight. But now you want to wait, and—”
“Where’s the test?”
“In the bathroom.”
He pulls me into the bathroom, opening drawers until he finds the box of pregnancy tests. Ripping open the package to one of the sticks, he hands it to me. “Pee.”
I laugh. “Later.”
“Now.” He lifts the toilet lid.
“My dress.”
“I’ll hold it up for you.”
Suddenly, after being excited about it all day, I’m scared to take the test. If it’s positive, will he be happy? Or did I make a flawed assumption and a terrible mistake?
“I have one ovary. I might not be able to get pregnant.”
“You only need one.”
I frown, taking the test from him and lifting my dress. He holds it while I pee on the stick. We have family and friends waiting for us. This isn’t how I imagined this happening.
He takes the stick from me while I wipe and flush the toilet. I can’t stop staring at it while I wash my hands.
“The best time to take the test is in the morning. I might have diluted hCG levels from—”
“Scottie, it’s positive.” He holds it up for me to see as I dry my hands.
The two lines stare at me. I know how I feel. And it’s killing me to hold back my excitement. I have another chance at this. “Are you … disappointed? I didn’t know you wanted to wait.”
“Scottie,” he runs his fingers through his hair. “We’re going to have a baby!” His grin reaches his ears before he kisses me.