Chapter Thirty-Two
Skylar and Beckett kiss after their vows and the entire church claps. I smile at my cousin for getting her happily ever after. Beckett and I may bicker like step-siblings, but there’s no doubt that he’s the one for her.
They walk down the stairs, Beckett unable to stop staring at her. As practiced we all follow as the guests smile on at us.
Once we’re through the doors, everyone takes turns hugging Skylar and Beckett.
“We have the receiving line now,” Skylar reminds Beckett and we all take our places.
All of my relatives walk through the line, kissing both my cheeks and telling me how beautiful I am. How I’ve grown. No one says congratulations which means my close family has been able to keep the news to themselves. Just like my first marriage, the perceived bad news has a way of staying on the DL.
Once it’s over, we take pictures. I smile on as best I can. I’m happy for my cousin, but my head still turns with every person who enters through the doors and I wonder if Dean’s called.
Finally, with sore cheeks, I make it back to the bride’s room and I pull out my phone.
No text messages.
No phone calls.
I climb into the limo, my smile fading steadily the more time that goes by.
We get to Buckingham Fountain and the bridal party takes more pictures. The night that Dean took me here after the game comes to mind. My heart tugs because that was the first night I thought maybe there’s more to him than the Dean of five years ago. Maybe Dean had changed. Hope bloomed inside me that night, but right now I feel as if my hope is fading.
I smile some more, growing irritated that I can’t drink out of the flasks Mikey and the groomsmen have tucked in their tuxes. No champagne or wine with the girls. Zoe thought she was funny when she handed me one of her kid’s apple juice boxes in the limo.
Throughout the day, I smile and make small talk with the other bridesmaids. Not that I have much in common with two women who ski professionally, but they seem like fun girls. Demi and Dax practically have sex on a park bench. No fear of PDA there. Mia and Grady don’t stop kissing and going off on their own. Sky and Beck are lost in themselves as they should be on their big day. And Zoe and Vin are constantly wrangling their kids. Caiden almost fell into the fountain head first and it caused a small tiff over who was supposed to be watching him. Vin lost that one.
Mikey’s been on his phone practically the entire time, texting numerous women no doubt.
Me, I get to sit and reflect in between shots. It’s as though karma is shining down on me once again and saying I told you not to fuck with me.
“Party time!” Dax wiggles his ass like he’s a Chippendale dancer on his way back to the limo.
I try not to roll my eyes. Polite and nice is always the best.
I really hope Dean is just holding out on me to make sure I realize he’s the catch he is.
I climb into the limo unladylike and plop down next to a window. The sun is shining down on the lake and families are enjoying the early summer day.
“Whatcha thinking about?” Mikey knocks his shoulder with mine, staring out the window with me.
“How much I love Chicago.”
“Bullshit. Don’t doubt him, Chels. I see you checking your phone. Have some faith.”
I face him, my eyebrows furrowed. “Where the hell did Mike Walsh disappear to? Has someone taken over his body?”
He pulls out the flask, unscrews it and downs a hefty-sized gulp. “I’m a closet romantic you know.”
His whiskey breath hits me. “What are you drinking?” I can’t keep the envy from my voice.
“Rock Hard Whiskey. My friend said it’s the best. I picked up a few bottles at Miska’s. Wish you could try some but since you’re knocked up.” He smiles to say he’s joking.
“Haha.” My face contorts into a disgusted expression.
“You probably would’ve had half the bottle already if you weren’t.” He glances over in my mother’s direction.
“Whatever.” I cross my hands over my chest.
Mikey’s perma-smile dips and he leans in, his alcohol breath making me nauseous. “You know she’ll come around. Especially after the baby is born. Babies bring families together, not tear them apart.”
“That’s it.” I push him with my hand and he falls into Vin’s shoulder. “A romantic life coach has taken over Mikey’s body.”
Zoe laughs, staring at her little brother as she tries to open a string cheese for Caiden. Is that what my life will become? I can only hope.
“Get the f…get off me,” Vin catches himself.
“Close Daddy,” Molly says.
I laugh at the girl who knows way too much for her age. I’d be lucky to have a kid like either of them. I can only hope I make it that far.
For the zillionth time, my hand touches my stomach as though the small bean can sense me thinking about him or her.
“No dollar for you.” Vin points to his daughter. She smiles like he’s her hero. I love that look.
We arrive at the reception venue twenty minutes later and I have to pee so bad I thought I was going to have to go in a champagne glass when we got stuck in traffic.
“I’ll see you guys in there.” I open the door, head in, weaving through the drones of extra guests Aunt Liz invited.
Lucky for me, all wedding receptions are held at the same place in our family, so I make it to the bathroom in record time, knowing the lay of the land.
I close my eyes as I pull my dress up and my underwear down. Narrowly peeking out of one eye, I check my panties to see if there’s any blood. Once I see it’s clear my shoulders relax and I exhale in relief.
I do my business, thankful for another moment. Although if it’s like last time, the cramping will be what brings me to the hospital.
After I wash my hands and reapply some lipstick, I check my phone.
Still nothing.
It’s not like Dean not to get back to me.
Well, it’s not like the new and improved Dean.
How badly did I piss him off?
I open the bathroom door and step out to see most people are still enjoying cocktail hour and the doors to the actual dining hall haven’t opened yet.
Sliding by a bunch of mingling groups, I say brief hellos and let a few older relatives hug me, pinch me and tell me how old they feel seeing me grown up.
Caiden and Molly are scanning the place cards on the table.
“Aunt Chelsea, do you see us?”
I help them, finding each of them their placecards. “You’re table nine.”
“Nine?” Caiden asks.
“Yep.”
Molly looks over the cards again. “All the kids are at table nine. I don’t want to be at a kid’s table.”
“Sweetie you are a kid.”
“Hey!” she exclaims picking up a card. “What’s Dean’s last name?” Molly asks, staring at a card.
“Bennett.”
Molly’s eyes widen and she shows the card to Caiden whose eyes bulge out. “What did he do to be put at the kid’s table?”
Molly shrugs.
I grab the card, clearly seeing that a seven has been made into a nine. I’m pretty sure Zoe or Sky had something to do with this.
“Do you think he’ll dance with me?” Molly asks.