Wedding Date (Dating #6) - Monica Murphy Page 0,78

be disappointed? Or grateful I’m staying with him after all?

What I really need to do is buy a pregnancy test, but I can’t do that alone. I need the support of a good friend with me before I go down that road. I’m not about to take the test with Theo either. Talk about making me nervous. And what if I am pregnant? What will Theo say? Will he be upset? Will he want to keep it, or will he suggest I have an abortion?

If this had happened with any other man I’ve had sex with—and thank God it hasn’t—I would’ve gone the abortion route, no question. I probably would’ve never told the guy either. I can’t imagine bringing a baby into this world on my own, or with any of those previous men I’ve been with.

But Theo…I can imagine us talking about it. And him being excited. I think his entire family would be excited. It would be the first grandchild for Jim and Patti, and they’d probably spoil that baby rotten. So would Theo. He’d offer to marry me too, I just know it. Not that I need marriage. It’s just he’s old fashioned in that way, and I kind of like that about him…

“Kelsey! Oh my goodness, you’re absolutely stunning in that dress.” Patti makes her way to me as I approach the rows of seats set out for the ceremony and wraps me up in a warm hug. “Look at you, trying to upstage the bride,” she murmurs close to my ear before she releases me.

I blush, only because that was never my intent. “Ah, thank you. And I’m sure Jessica will look gorgeous.”

“Jessica is a troll.” Ali appears by her mother’s side and Patti gasps, shaking her head at her youngest. “What? It’s true! Look what she did to my brother.”

I appreciate this girl’s loyalty, I really do. “It worked out in my favor,” I tell her. “Because now he’s mine.”

“And you two are so adorable together,” Patti gushes. “Jim’s mother was saying last night when we drove her home what a lovely couple you two make.”

It’s important to me, to have his family’s approval. I like them a lot. I want them to like me too, and I think it’s working.

“I love your dress,” Ali tells me, and I glance down at myself, pleased with my choice. I picked it up at the same place I got the dress I wore last night. The fabric is thin and gauzy, and the palest blue, with little yellow flowers scattered all over. The skirt is long and constructed of layers of lace and cotton, and it clings to my waist and hips in a way that accentuates my butt before it flares down to my ankles. The sleeves are frilly but not too fussy, and the neckline again dips into a deep V like my other dress, revealing just a hint of cleavage.

It’s deceptively innocent. I’m hoping Theo likes it as much as I do.

“Thank you,” I say to Ali, who smiles at me. She’s adorable in a sweet pink dress that shows off her slender waist and legs. She’s a beautiful woman. All of the Crawford children are attractive.

Especially my Theo.

We engage in small talk before we make our way to our seats. Theo’s brothers soon join us, all three of them handsome in their suits. The sun shines down upon us and there’s a gentle, cool breeze coming from the nearby ocean. It’s a beautiful day to get married, and while I was feeling resentful about having to celebrate these two’s wedding last night, now I’m experiencing a pleasurable hum of joy buzzing through my body.

I’m truly happy, I realize. I’m in love with a man who loves me back. I’m sitting with his family, who have all readily accepted me as one of their own. And—I might be pregnant with his baby, which doesn’t scare me at all.

The thought of having Theo’s baby actually excites me.

Eventually the music starts, cueing that the ceremony is about to start. After the groom walks to the altar accompanied by his parents, Theo is the next to appear, escorting his grandmother down the aisle. He guides her to his seat, which isn’t too far from mine, but he doesn’t even glance in my direction.

Odd.

Once his grandmother is seated, he heads for the altar and assumes his position, clutching his hands behind his back as the next groomsman heads toward the aisle with a bridesmaid on his arm.