Loving You (Love Wanted in Texas) (34 page)

Grace ran her hand over Hope’s back. “I know. Makes me so sad she is growing up so fast.”

Jase and Noah shook hands and started talking about baseball. Rolling my eyes, I turned back to Grace.

“How are you feeling?”

With a wink, she let out a short chuckle. “I’m okay. Just uncomfortable and I still have a month and a half to go. Wait until you see Alex!”

Alex was due with her second child the beginning of July.

“My gosh, why is it so hot?” Grace remarked while trying to fan herself.

With a shrug, I replied, “Cause it’s Texas in June.”

“And you had to plan a wedding outside. Did you not take into account your three best friends were knocked up?”

Attempting to keep my smile hidden, I spun Hope around while she laughed. “How terribly inconsiderate of me.”

“I know, right?” Grace bit back.

“Do you want to go outside and talk about the landscaping?”

Her eyes lit up. If there was one thing Grace loved more than her husband and daughter, it was plants and trees and dirt.

“Yes!”

By the time we walked outside, Alex and Will pulled up.

I watched as Will ran around the front of his truck to the passenger side. “She is in a mood . . . fair warning!”

With a soft moan, I leaned closer to Hope’s ear and said, “Great, we have to deal with two of them.”

“What did you say?” Grace asked with a scowl.

“Nothing. Nothing at all.”

Alex came waddling over. Not walking. She was actually waddling. I tried . . . I really did. But when Jase walked up next to me and asked, “Why in the hell is she walking like a duck?” I lost it.

Grace turned and hit Jase across the head. “Asshole. She’s a few weeks away from pushing out a kid. How would you walk?”

“Um . . . probably not like—”

Noah stood in front of Jase. “Dude! Don’t do it. Trust me on this one. Just close your mouth and don’t utter another word unless asked.”

“But . . .”

Holding up his hand, Noah exclaimed. “Do you value your life? Do you want to walk down the aisle with two good legs?”

Jase snapped his eyes over to Grace who was glowering at him. “Two good legs would be nice.”

“Good answer, dickhead,” Grace said as she made her way over to Alex. I couldn’t help but giggle when Noah smiled.

“Dude, if she calls you names it means she likes you.”

Jase’s eyebrows furrowed. “She called me dickhead.”

“It’s okay. She’s called me that at least six times today.”

I handed Hope back to Noah and kissed Jase. “Pregnancy hormones, baby. She didn’t mean it.”

Noah cleared his throat and made a face.

Turning, I made my way over to Alex and hugged her. “How are you feeling?”

“Like a beached whale. But let’s get this landscaping planned.”

I dropped down and pulled Bayli in for a hug.

“Auntie Tay Tay!” she called out. Kissing her on the cheek I picked her up and held her.

Peeking at Alex I couldn’t help but notice how miserable she looked. “Alex, sweetie, we can do this after we move in.”

“Nope. I don’t want to wait because what if Grace and I both go into labor at once? Then it will be even longer. I’d rather get it figured out now.”

“Early labor? I’m all for it. If this baby kicks me one more time in the bladder, I’m pretty sure I’m going to just start peeing.”

I scrunched up my nose and looked down at her before lifting my eyes to her as I let Bayli back down.

“Let’s do this!” Alex called out as she waddled toward the house while holding Bayli’s hand.

As I watched two of my best friends walking away from me I couldn’t get the feeling of envy out of my system. I knew I wanted to wait for a baby but something had just washed over me and I found myself longing for one. I glanced back over to Jase. He was watching me intently. With a smile, I quickly caught up to Alex and Grace.

I could feel Jase’s stare and I prayed like hell he hadn’t seen my moment of weakness.

Jase

I couldn’t pull my eyes off of Taylor. I saw it in her eyes as she watched Alex and Grace walking off.

She wanted a baby.

“Jase, are you even listening to me?”

Turning back to Will, I laughed. “Yeah. Um . . . you said your dad would have the wedding present for Taylor ready in time. She’s going to love the desk for her office.”

Will glanced over to Noah and then back to me. “It’s gotten to you, hasn’t it?”

With a confused expression, I asked, “What’s gotten to me?”

“The pregnancy bug.”

I pulled my head back and laughed. “What in the fuck? No. Shit, y’all let me get through building a house and getting married before you have me with a kid.”

Noah threw his head back and laughed. “Oh man. Jase, do you really think you can fool us? We’ve stood right where you’re standing now. I’d know that look anywhere. You’re thinking baby.”

“Am not,” I shot back.

Noah turned to Will and raised his eyebrow as if exchanging some kind of secret. Will looked me over carefully. “Oh, yeah. I’m telling you . . . it’s in the water in Mason.”

My head snapped over as I looked at Taylor. She had her hand on Alex’s stomach. It felt like someone hit me in the chest with a post when I saw the tear roll down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away, but I saw it in her eyes. In that moment I knew what I wanted.

“Oh fuck,” I whispered. “I’ve got the baby bug.”

Will and Noah both chuckled as Noah put his hand on my shoulder. Turning to look at them both, I couldn’t help but mirror their smiles.

Noah squeezed and shook his head as he said, “It’s a helluva good life.”

Will turned and looked at Alex. “It sure the hell is. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

Peeking back over to the girls, all three of them were laughing. I nodded. “And it only gets better.”

I paced back and forth, wringing my hands together.

“You’re going to wear yourself out before the honeymoon night.”

My stomach was a mess. My nerves shot.

Turning to Walker, I flashed him a dirty look. “I’m nervous, asshole.”

He chuckled and punched me lightly on the arm. “I’ve been there, Jase. I know how you’re feeling. But think about your life before Taylor.”

I shook my head. “I can’t. I wasn’t alive before her.”

He lifted his brow and grinned wider. “And it only gets better from this point on.”

I blew out a quick breath. After all the years of staring at Taylor from afar and dreaming of being with her, pulling her in and pushing her away, we finally found ourselves where we were meant to be.
I’m the luckiest son-of-a-bitch in the world. I’m marrying the love of my life. My best friend.
“I can’t believe the day is finally here. That’s what has me so freaked out. Like if I dare to dream this is really happening, I’ll wake up.”

“Trust me . . . it’s happening.”

“Do you think Taylor’s nervous?”

He laughed and nodded his head. “Yes.”

I started pacing again. “I need to see her.”

“You will soon,” he said as he adjusted his tie.

I shook my head. “No. I need to see her now.”

Spinning around to face me, Walker’s mouth dropped. “Now? Jase you can’t see her before the wedding.”

The knock at the door had us both looking over at it. Luke, Grayson, and Noah walked in. I’d asked Rick to be in the wedding, but he had taken a new job that relocated him to Oregon and he couldn’t get the time off. It seemed strange at first that we were both moving on with our lives. I was happy for him though. Even happier he found someone he was serious about.

“I need backup.” Walker said.

Noah chuckled. “Why?”

Jerking his thumb toward me, Walker said, “He wants to go see Taylor. Now.”

Noah’s smile faded.

“Oh, hell no. Do you know how mad the girls would be if they knew we helped you sneak in a quickie!” Luke said.

Shaking my head, I replied. “I don’t want sex! I mean . . . that might help.” Holding up my hands, I motioned for myself to stop thinking like that. “No. No, that’s not what I want right now. I just need to talk to Taylor. It will be five minutes, no more.”

I glanced around the room at all four of them. We had all become really close in the last few months. It almost was like we had known each other our whole lives.

“Hell, I’m down for sneaking you in to a secret pre marriage meeting,” Grayson said standing tall and proud. “We’re going to be brother in-laws. We need to stick together.”

I pointed to Grayson. “See! Gray gets me!”

Walker moaned. “Shit. I guess that means I’m in.”

Fist pumping, I turned to Noah. “Hey, my wife is already pissed at me because she’s nine months pregnant. I have nothing to lose.”

Luke sighed and dropped his head. “Libby is going to kill me if she finds out . . . but I’m in. Brotherhood all the way.”

Will and Colt walked in and I couldn’t help but smile and say, “The gangs all here. Let’s plan this shit out!”

“Oh hell. We just walked in on something,” Colt mumbled.

Walker and I waited in the barn for Taylor.

“What if she doesn’t come?” I asked.

Walker looked at his watch. “Considering she’ll be right in the middle of getting ready, I’d be surprised if she comes.”

“Do Colt and Will have everything under control?”

Walker looked at his phone. “Yep. Amanda and your mom are currently heading over to see the made up mistake with the tents. They told them they were placed in the wrong location. Once they get there they’ll see they are in the right spot.”

Smiling, I replied, “Perfect.”

“Don’t get your hopes up. We still have to get her away from the other girls and the makeup and hair lady.”

“I have faith, Walker. I have a faith.”

“Glad you do,” he mumbled.

Luke came walking in with Taylor and my heart dropped. “Look who I found all alone in the house.”

Taylor smiled a brilliant smile as she walked up to me. “What in the world are you boys up to? There is so much chaos going on right now, I thought for sure Grace was about to go into labor.”

Luke laughed. “I told her Alex was having contractions. That cleared out Taylor’s room quick.”

Taylor focused on Luke. “Yes. Everyone started heading out of the room and Luke held me back. Once everyone was out of the room, we went down the back stairs where Noah and Gray were distracting everyone.”

I had to know. “How were they distracting them?”

Rolling her eyes, Taylor said, “Gray said something about you knowing some football player who was currently pulling up out front to surprise you.”

I nodded my head. “Nice.”

Walker slapped my back and said, “You have five minutes tops before we have to get you both back to the house.”

“Thanks. That’s all I need.”

Luke laughed. “Poor, Tay. Look what you have to look forward to.”

Taylor smacked him on the chest and told him to leave.

Making her way over to me, she pressed her lips together and gazed up at me through her lashes. “Everything okay?”

“Everything is more than okay, but I had to talk to you about something.”

“It couldn’t wait until after the wedding?”

I shook my head. “Nope. Last night when we walked through the finished house and I saw how happy you were, I wanted to make you even happier.”