The WRONG Brother (Love You Forever #1) - Alexis Winter Page 0,81
world did you get this one to keep that big of a secret? How long have you known?” she asks, looking back at him.
“Since they got back from Hawaii.”
She turns and looks back up at me, then over to Piper. “You’re that far along?”
Piper smiles and nods.
“I can’t believe you two!”
Piper’s mom comes over to tell her about all the things she’s knitted, and her dad seems to finally relax.
“What’s wrong, Mr. M?” I ask around a smile.
He shakes his head and wipes the sweat off his brow. “I’m just glad that it’s you two having the baby and not us! She really had me worried,” he laughs out.
The party gets started and everyone is eating, drinking, dancing, and having a good time. I notice that Preston and Riley run off together, and it has me wondering if things are more serious with them than what they’ve been claiming. I don’t bring it up to Piper, though. I want her to remember tonight as the night we finally made it official—not the night my brother hooked up with her best female friend.
We laugh and dance and do all the normal wedding things. I throw her garter and Preston makes sure to catch it just because he wants to win everything. He doesn’t realize that if you catch the garter, it means you’re getting married next. He even pushed people out of the way to catch it. Poor Uncle Wilbur nearly broke a hip.
After Preston helps pick him up off the floor and Uncle Wilbur ambles off, Preston holds the blue garter in the air in his closed fist. I walk over with a laugh. “You realize that means you’re getting married next, right?”
His expression changes from happiness to worry in a split second. “What? No! No, it doesn’t mean that! Does it? Here, you take it!”
I hold up my hands. “Sorry, I’m already married. That’s all yours. And just think, that was probably Uncle Wilbur’s last chance too.”
“Uncle Wilbur!” he says, quickly looking around him in all directions. He finally finds him sitting at a table up front. Preston runs over, falls to his knees, and shoves the garter into his hand. Uncle Wilbur tries giving it back, but Preston is up and gone before that can happen.
Piper stands to throw the bouquet, and to everyone’s surprise, my mom catches it. She’s beyond happy, because she’s been trying to talk my dad into renewing their vows for years now.
“It’s perfect timing. Next year will be our 30th anniversary!”
Dad rubs his eyes and shakes his head.
I laugh as I walk away from them to find my bride. She’s back at our table, sitting all alone. I take my seat next to her. “Everything okay?”
She nods and offers up a smile. “I’m just tired and my back is starting to hurt from being on my feet all day.”
I take her hand in mine. “Well, let’s get out of here then. Our honeymoon awaits.”
“We can’t leave our own party early.”
“Who says we can’t?” I ask, pulling her up to her feet and sneaking out the side door, not stopping to say any goodbyes.
I call Preston and he comes outside with Riley. “Riley is riding with me to keep me company on the way home. You guys got everything?” he asks, walking to his car in the parking lot.
“Yep, we have everything. I just need to change out of my dress before the flight. I’ll do it in the back seat.” Piper digs her clothes out of the bag and brings them into the back seat with us. As Preston drives us toward the airport, Piper strips out of her dress and stuffs it into the front seat for Riley to deal with.
Once she’s fully changed, she leans in and presses a kiss to my lips. “I love you, Mr. Young.”
I smile. “I love you too, Mrs. Young.”
Epilogue
PIPER
“Careful, don’t shake him too much,” I say, watching Calvin as he carries Mason’s car seat.
“I know. He’s fine,” Calvin says, setting the seat down in front of me. He bends down, unfastens him, and hands him over to me to breastfeed. I hold my little boy in my arms and gaze down at his handsome little face. He’s the perfect mix of Calvin and me. He has Calvin’s icy blue eyes and angular face, but the rest of him is all me. His honey-blond hair is all over the place from wiggling his way out of his little hat.