Once Upon A Half-Time: A Sports Romance - Sosie Frost Page 0,186

Why couldn’t I get two seconds alone with the father of my unborn child?

Lindsey stuffed herself in the bathroom, walking sideways to fit her dress through the door. I held out the precut garbage bag, hoping the trick we found on Pinterest would work.

All she had to do was step inside and peel the garbage bag up to gather the layers of the dress. Then she could do her deed quickly and effectively.

The guests might not have had alcohol yet, but my sister sure had.

Lindsey stumbled and pierced the plastic with her heel. She ripped the bag over her waist. I groaned, but she shredded it above her head with a roar.

“Mandy! I gotta pee!”

Flashbacks of the bachelorette party blinked into my mind like images of ‘Nam. This was exactly what motherhood was going to be like…except I probably shouldn’t trap my kid inside a plastic bag.

“Hold on, I have to find another—”

“No! I have to go now!”

Oh lord. This was one of those moments that would redefine our relationship.

Lindsey didn’t have to beg. Hopefully she’d drink enough tonight that she wouldn’t remember it in the morning.

We both struggled into the stall, and Lindsey pranced while I gathered the folds of her dress. I looked away and let her grab a little too high on the back of my leg to steady herself. The door couldn’t close, and my sister’s giggling fit wouldn’t make this go any quicker or neater.

“We’re never talking about this again,” I said.

Lindsey patted my ass. “Deal. Did you find Nate yet?”

Oh lord, this so wasn’t the time.

“Why? You think he’d do a better job at helping you pee than I am?”

“Ha, ha, very funny.” Lindsey wobbled, but she hadn’t fallen yet. I gathered more of her dress to keep her steady. “You know what your problem is?”

“That I’m sharing a bathroom stall with you?”

“Well, that’s a big one.”

She finished and cleared her throat. Apparently her new wedding ring was too heavy to reach for the toilet paper herself. I grappled with the dispenser and imagined this would be good, billable time for the therapist who’d make a fortune off of my family.

I so didn’t sign up for a tinkle tantrum when I agreed to be her Maid of Honor.

Lindsey did her best. She looked at me for help.

“No way,” I said.

She grumbled. “Can’t count on you for anything.”

She eventually worked it out and flushed. We popped out of the stall, and I helped to rearrange her dress. She admired her ring while I ensured she was decent to return to the party.

“Mandy…” My sister washed her hands and watched me in the mirror. “I know you think that love is something mysterious and destined by fate. Well, it isn’t. You and Nate found each other. It’s as simple as that. Now you have the choice—take him or leave him. And I really hope you take him.”

Easy for her to say. She hooked her prince in high school.

“Is there ever a sign that you’re making the right decision?” I asked.

“You want a sign?” Lindsey grabbed her bouquet and tossed it at me. I caught it with a gasp. “There’s a pretty big one.”

“Ominous,” I said.

“Is it really?”

No.

It wasn’t.

Lindsey marched me out of the bathroom and pointed me toward Nate.

“I think it’s time you two talked…” She squeezed my shoulders. “And stop hiding behind the wedding and the family. You deserve to be happy too, rat face.”

“Thanks, bubble butt.”

The dinner had finished, and the DJ began his first set. The crowds moved from the taco bar and cookie table and danced in the grass.

I stared only at one man. He approached and took my hand.

“It’s time,” Nate said.

“I know.” I glanced over the party. “Where?”

“Follow me.”

The fellowship hall was jammed with people. The dancing area crowded with Mom, Dad, the Washingtons, and everyone else in their generation getting down to the best hits of the 1970s. Our table giggled as the first round of beer went down in a chugging contest. Rick served a second to the groomsmen.

Nate tugged my hand and led me to the corner of the yard. We’d rented a photo booth as something fun for the party. Luckily, no one was using it just yet. He pulled back the curtain, and we tucked inside.

The darkness swelled. A tiny black-and-white screen flickered before us, and I stared at Nate in the dim light.

My heart beat a little too fast. I wished I had been able to sip some champagne before tackling this. But I