Our Favorite Days (My Favorite Mistake #3) (30 page)

I
didn’t know the difference between fake and real contractions and I knew that early labor was common with twins, so it was better to be safe than sorry.

Hunter got me a wheelchair and a nurse took us over to one of curtained rooms and checked my cervix. I wasn’t dilated, so she told me it was Braxton Hicks and to go home. She was actually almost nasty about it. As if we had wasted her time.

Hunter didn’t like that at all, so he found another, nicer, nurse who came and checked me again. If I’d ever been modest, that would have gone right out the window by now. There was no such thing when you had people inspecting your junk to make sure babies weren’t coming out of it before they were supposed to.

The pain finally subsided a little and the nurse explained, nicely even, that we only needed to come in if I started bleeding, if my water broke and/or if the pains were regular, five minutes apart or less. See? Would it have been so hard for the first nurse to explain all that to us? Now we wouldn’t have to come back and waste more of her precious time.

I committed everything to memory and then asked Hunter take me to the twenty-four hour fast food restaurant so I could get a shake and a giant container of fries.

“How are you feeling?” he asked as I dipped the fries in my shake. It was absolutely the most delicious thing I’d ever tasted. I wished I’d gotten another shake.

“I mean, it hurts, but it’s getting a little less. I feel like an idiot now.” Hunter growled.

“You’re not an idiot. That first nurse was. I thought I was going to scream at her. Seriously. Probably would have if the other nurse hadn’t been willing to help us out.” He was pissed, but he simmered down when we got back. After I told him once again that I was fine.

I
was stressed the fuck out not only because of the Braxton Hicks but because of the wedding. It was a week away and I had finally let Mase, Paul and Dusty in on the secret. They were all kinda mad that the girls knew way before they did, but then I just gave them a look and they shut their faces.

It was Mase’s job to make sure that Hunter’s tux was the right fit, without Hunter being the wiser. Not an easy task, but he somehow managed to get one that he hid in his closet, along with the rest of the suits for the other boys.

The centerpieces were done. The other decorations were ready to be put up. My dress still fit. The other dresses were set.

Now all we had to do was get Hunter there without him figuring everything out.

Oh, and hope Spawns stayed right where they were and didn’t make their appearance before they were supposed to.

Deep breath in. Deep breath out.

I was getting married.

“S
o, what are we doing?” I asked as Taylor started giving me directions to get on the highway, her eyes glued to her phone. She’d been ignoring me a lot today and I was trying not to be offended.

“We’re going to this baby store that I found online. They sell the cutest things and I want to check them out,” she said, but I just didn’t believe her. Something was up. There had been a lot of commotion this morning and everyone mysteriously had plans today. They were all terrible liars, but I couldn’t figure out what the hell they could be lying about.

“You know they have more than enough stuff already,” I said.

“Shut up and drive.”

I did, but I was really confused as to where the hell we were going. Taylor had me take the exit in Belfast to head down the coastal route. I was about to ask if she wanted to stop and get something to eat in Camden, when she grabbed my arm.

“Pull over. I want to stop here.”

It was the Norumbega Inn. The place held all sorts of memories for us, even though we’d only been here with her once.

“Looks like they have something going on,” I said. The usually empty parking lot was filled and there was a crew setting up a tent in the back.

“It’s okay, let’s just go in and look around.” I started to argue, but thought better of it. You didn’t argue with a woman pregnant with twins and come out alive.

So I got out of the car and took Taylor’s hand as we headed to the front door. A woman rushed past us, muttering something to herself.

“They really seem busy, Missy.” Taylor just rolled her eyes and pushed the door open.

“Surprise!”

“What the fuck?” I couldn’t figure out what was going on. Hope, John, Mase, Taylor’s mom and dad and all of our other friends were standing in the lobby.

I turned find Taylor grinning at me.

“Surprise,” she said, waving her hand around. “We’re getting married.”

I gaped at her.

“We’re, what?”

“Getting. Married. I mean, not legally. We can do that next week. But this will be the real thing. That will be just for the paperwork. So, get upstairs and put your tux on. I have to go get ready.” She smacked a kiss on my cheek and started to walk away, but I was still holding her hand.

“Are you serious?” I asked.

“One hundred percent. No cold feet this time.” It was such a contrast to Vegas when she’d been so unsure. Jittery. There was nothing of that in her face today. Just a brilliant smile that lit up the room.

“I’ll see you in two hours,” she said, taking Darah’s arm.

“We’re getting married in two hours.”

“Yup.”

M
ase dragged me off to one of the rooms to get ready. Apparently we had the entire place to ourselves.

“How the hell did she pull this off?” I asked as Mase shoved a garment bag in my hands and pointed toward the bathroom.

“She had help, but most of it was all her,” he said. I shut the door of the bathroom and had to sit on the edge of the bathtub for a second and take a breath. I pulled out my phone.

We’re seriously getting married?

The answer came a second later.

Yes. Now put your tux on.

I laughed because I could hear her voice saying it in my head. Oh, Taylor.

Shaking my head, I unzipped the garment bag. How they had gotten this, I had no idea, but I put it on and it was perfect. Right down to the black skinny tie.

I came out and found John, Joe, Mase, Dusty and Paul all waiting, dressed in black suits, with ties in varying shades of blue.

Peacock colors. Of course.

“Looking good, but let me fix that tie,” John said, stepping forward. It wasn’t until then that I noticed the photographer taking pictures. There had probably been one downstairs when we’d walked in, but I’d been too surprised to notice.

John fixed my tie and then pinned a white rose to my lapel and tucked a paisley handkerchief in my pocket. More peacock colors.

My feet were shoved into shoes and then Mase passed out shots to all of us.

“To Hunter and Taylor. Though this wedding is fake, your love is real. And I maybe should have let Darah write my Best Man speech for me. To Hunter and Taylor!” I laughed and threw back the shot, letting it burn down the back of my throat.

“I’ll do much better at your wedding, Mase.”

I
had been freaking out since the night before, making sure that everything was in place, everyone was where they needed to be, and that I wasn’t going to go into labor. Unlike with Vegas, at least this time I was freaking out for all the right reasons. By the time I was sitting in a chair and getting my hair and makeup done, I felt like things might be okay.

The weather was absolutely perfect. I’d been worried that it would be cold, since it was still early May, but it was seventy-five degrees with just a few puffy clouds in the sky.

My mom fussed around me, making sure I was eating and that I wasn’t stressing. Which was, ironically, making me stress.

“Mom, I’m going to need you to stop hovering and sit down so you can get your hair done.” She grumbled, but did what I said.

“If I could pass you a flask, I would,” Tawny said in a low voice.

“Thanks, that means a lot,” I said and she stuck her tongue out at me.

“So,” she said as I closed my eyes so the makeup artist could do my eyeliner, eyelashes and shadow.

“So…” I said, drawing the word out.

“I may or may not have met someone.” She didn’t specify gender.

“Someone? Or some girl?” She laughed.

“Some girl.”

“Yeah? Details.”

Her name was Magan and she worked for an IT company and had come to the law office to install a new system. She and Tawny had chatted and one thing led to another and they’d been out to have coffee once, with another date planned next week.

“Is she cute?” I asked.

“Um, yeah. Dark hair in a pixie cut, nerdy glasses. She’s a little shy, but super funny. I don’t know, I just really like her.” I could hear it in her voice. I’d never heard Tawny talk about a guy that way. Ever. She even laughed differently when she talked about Magan.

“Well, as long as she’s got a stable career, that’s all I care about,” Mom said, adding her two cents. “I don’t want you hitching your wagon to someone who wants to be a freelance glassblower or something.” That led to much debate about the value of glassblowing as a career choice and by the time I was putting my dress on, we were all laughing and I was ready to sprint down the aisle so we could get the party started.

“Oh, Taylor,” Mom said when I adjusted the dress, making sure the tulle flowed over my belly and the lace top was sitting perfectly on my shoulders.

“Good?” I asked.

“Yes,” she said, tears in her eyes as I crouched a little so she could pin the veil to my updo.

“Dammit,” Renee said, reaching for the tissues.

“No one ruin your eye makeup yet!” I said, because their getting so emotional was making me emotional. Plus the hormones. Spawns were dancing with joy, as if they knew there was excitement in the air.

“I’m marrying your daddy today,” I said, stroking my stomach.

“Oh, please stop. My emotions can’t take it,” Jos said. She looked stunning with her red hair and sky blue strapless dress. I looked around the room and tried to take it all in. It seemed like I had been planning this forever and now it was here. I didn’t want to blink because I was afraid I’d miss something.

“Are you ready?” Mom asked and I nodded.

My bridesmaids and maid of honor gave me hugs and air kisses before they left. Mom was last.

“I am so proud to call you my daughter. I’m so excited for this life you’re building for yourself. I love you, Kid.” I wiped my eyes and she gave me a huge hug before letting my dad in. I had hesitated for about five seconds when I thought about him walking me down the aisle, but I couldn’t imagine telling him that he couldn’t, or that I didn’t want him to. Sure, we were still working on fixing what was broken in the past, but we were getting there.

“You ready, Kid?” he said, after gushing about my dress.

“Ready as I’ll ever be.”

O
f course we were getting married in the gazebo. Susan was still working here and either she didn’t remember us, or Taylor had fed her a story about how we had postponed the wedding. Or maybe she’d just paid her. I almost didn’t want to know.