Friday, I wake up to the room spinning and my stomach rolling. I barely make it to the bathroom before I’m barfing my guts up. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Dane approaching. He drops to his knees behind me and gently rubs my back until the sickness passes. “I’m so sorry, Love.” He hands me a damp washcloth to wipe my face before carrying me to the sink to brush my teeth and rinse my mouth. It takes me two hours to shower and dress after the fiasco.
Once I’m ready, Dane carries me downstairs and sets me on the sofa. “You sit here and relax.” He leans over and kisses me. “I’ll go get you some toast and juice.” After nibbling on the dry toast, I lay back on the sofa to watch television and end up falling asleep. Dane wakes me up several hours later to go on a walk around my parents’ property. Years ago, my dad installed a five-mile-long walking trail to give my busy brothers a place to exercise.
“Are you doing okay?” Dane glances over at me, and I see the worry shining from his green eyes.
“I’m fine,” I reassure him. “The sickness passed while I was napping.”
The next day, I experience the same thing. Waking up ill then feeling better after a light meal and rest. I’m slightly concerned about how I’ll feel for our wedding tomorrow, but we scheduled everything for three o’clock. Hopefully, I’ll be ready by then. I forget my morning sickness when Dane’s parents arrive. His brother’s wife is too far along in her pregnancy to travel, and he didn’t want to leave her. I haven’t met Tony McKinney in person, but I like him already.
Both sets of parents hit it off. I laugh to myself as I watch my dad bragging to Tony, Sr. about his recent golf score. Jacob arrived a little while ago and has joined my brothers and Dane. “While they’re occupied,” my mother sits next to me and sighs, “we can discuss last-minute plans for tomorrow.”
Forcing a neutral expression to replace my bored look, I turn to my mother. “Sure.” After a while, I feel myself nodding off. Dane takes pity on me and steps over to us. “Mom, Mrs. Stokes, I think my fiancé is falling asleep on you two ladies. I’m going to take her up to bed.”
The two women continue their conversation as he lifts me into his arms and carries me from the room. Chris meets us in the hall and makes his usual gagging sound when we walk by. “You’re just jealous,” I call over Dane’s shoulder and watch my brother roll his eyes.
The next morning, I peek my eyes open, waiting for the sickness to hit me. When nothing happens, I breathe a sigh of relief. I guess our little one decided to take it easy on me for our wedding day. Rolling over, I find the bed empty with a note and rose on Dane’s pillow. After smelling the beautiful pink rose, I pick up the note and read it.
My Love,
Your dad threatened to cut off a very important piece of my anatomy if I spent the night before our wedding in your bed. I figured you would rather marry me with it intact, so I crashed in the guest room. I can’t wait to see you walk down the aisle. I’m the luckiest man alive.
Love,
Dane
I laugh a little and climb out of bed. During my shower, I expect the morning sickness to attack, but still, nothing happens. After throwing on a t-shirt and shorts, I head down to find some breakfast. Mrs. McKinney glances at me when I walk into the kitchen. “Good morning, my dear.” She steps over to kiss my cheek, and her floral perfume wraps around me.
My stomach turns a little from the smell, but I manage to breathe through the sensation. “Good morning.”
“Would you like breakfast?” my mother calls over her shoulder as she stands stirring a dish at the stove.
“I’ll make myself some toast.” I grab the bread out of the cabinet and drop a slice in the toaster. For the first time, I notice the dead quiet in the rest of the house. “Where is everyone?” I ask and spread a little strawberry jelly on my toast.
“The men are getting ready at the garage.” My mother smiles. “I told your dad the full bedroom and bathroom addition would be worth the money one day.”
After my older brother started having children, he persuaded my parents to add on to the garage. My dad fought it tooth and nail, but my mother runs the show. Since Jon’s wife, Nessa, works nights at the hospital, they needed to find childcare. My brother had the bright idea of taking his children to the shop and letting them stay there while he works. My parents went overboard and had a full bedroom, bathroom, and living room added to the back of the shop for their grandchildren to use. Too bad the kids are never there. My mother couldn’t stand the idea of her grandchildren staying in the back room and offered to watch them.
11
Dane
After spending a sleepless night tossing and turning, I finally give up and watch television until my dad knocks on the guest room door at six am. “Come on, Jeremy is taking us out to breakfast, then we’re getting ready at his shop.” Many questions run through my head, but I ignore them.
My dad is dressed in plaid shorts and a light yellow polo shirt. Hopefully, that isn’t his outfit for my wedding. Switching off the television, I crawl out of bed and stretch. “Give me fifteen minutes.” I grab sweats and a t-shirt and rush through a shower.
After eating breakfast at the local diner, we head to the garage. Mr. Stokes had an entire apartment added to the back of the garage, so all the men are getting ready here today. I hang my suit in the closet before heading out to the main shop to look around.
“Five years ago, I started closing on Saturday and Sunday,” Mr. Stokes is telling my dad as I walk into the lobby. “Best thing I ever did.”
Ignoring the rest of their conversation, I continue my exploration. I find Jon sitting on the back patio drinking a beer. “Hey, dickhead.” He smirks. “Want a beer?” I roll my eyes and sit across from him.
“How long do you plan on calling me dickhead?” I ask after opening my bottle.
“Oh, you know, years.” He winks and I laugh at him.
Chris comes stumbling into the lobby a couple of hours later looking like death warmed over. His short brown hair is matted down on one side of his head, and he has dark sunglasses covering his eyes. “Long night?” his dad asks.
Chris grumbles something unintelligible under his breath before walking straight to the bedroom in the back of the garage. He stops at the door and growls, “Wake me up an hour before the wedding.” A few minutes later, I peek around the corner and find him lying face down on the bed, snoring.
“I’m not sure your brother is going to make it to the ceremony,” I tell Jon a while later as we watch a football game on television.
“He broke up with his girlfriend a few weeks ago,” Jon explains. “I think he’s been going out to prove to her he isn’t affected.” My soon-to-be brother-in-law rolls his eyes. “Dumbass.”
I glance down at my watch and realize I don’t have time to worry about Chris’ love life right this minute. I have to shower and get ready for my wedding.
Two hours later, I stand under the awning in the backyard and look around. My mother and Mrs. Stokes pulled off a miracle. There are two rows of chairs set up with ornate pink bouquets attached to the back of each chair. Their patio is decorated in the same pale pink, and caterers are waiting in the kitchen to set up the lunch as soon as the ceremony ends.