“Breathtaking? Dude...marriage has turned you into a pussy,” Josh said with a laugh.

“Fuck you, Josh.”

I glanced back out onto the dance floor and sat up a little. It looked like some asshole was trying to pull Ellie away from Ari and Heather. Ari looked over at me, and before I could even react, I heard Gunner.

“Motherfucker.”

Gunner jumped up and started to make his way out to the middle of the barn.

Jack must have noticed it, too, because he stepped in front of Gunner, giving me enough time to get around them to get to Ellie and the asshole.

“Dude, I suggest you take your hands off my sister now,” I said.

The drunk pecker-head let go of Ellie’s arm and looked me up and down.

“You about to do something about it?”

I let out a laugh. “I think you’d rather deal with me than her husband, asshole.”

“Yeah, well, I think I’ll take my chances.” He started to reach for Ellie again as she took a step back.

I saw Gunner coming up on my right side.

“Gunner, don’t do it.”

It was too late. Before I could even stop him, Gunner turned the guy around and punched him square in the face. The poor bastard took two steps back and fell on his ass.

Gunner walked up to him and bent down.

“If you ever so much as look at my wife again, I’ll make sure you hurt for months.”

Ellie walked over and grabbed Gunner by the arm, pulling him away. The douchebag looked up at me.

I just shrugged my shoulders.

“I told you, dude.”

CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

ARI

“What fun am I going to have, Ells? I can’t even drink. How fun is a bachelorette party when the damn bride can’t even drink?”

Ellie rolled her eyes and looked over at Heather. “Heather isn’t drinking either, and I already told you I won’t.”

“Amanda will. You know that red-headed bitch will drink enough for all four of us plus some.”

Heather laughed, and Ellie sat down on the sofa, letting out a long sigh.

We were staying at the cottage on my parents’ property and the guys were at my parents’ place on the lake. I was dying to know what they had in store for Jeff’s bachelor party.

I reached over and grabbed my cell phone only to have Ellie snag it out of my hand.

“No! You’re not calling him, Ari. You have called him three times in the last hour.”

“Don’t you want to know what they’re up to tonight? What if girls are there?”

Amanda piped in, “Oh, Jesus H. Christ, Ari, stop worrying so much. It’s like Ells’s bachelorette party all over again. Now, I haven’t been out in months, Brad’s mother is driving me fucking crazy, and all I want to do is drink myself under a table and dance with a good-looking guy, who I’m hoping will at least grab my ass once while we dance.”

I just sat there and stared at Amanda. I glanced over at Ellie and Heather, and they were pretty much looking at Amanda in the same way.

“Holy hell, Mandy, married life sure is treating you well,” Ellie said.

Heather let out a giggle.

Amanda sighed and sat down in the chair across from me.

“I think I got married too soon.”

“What?” Ellie, Heather, and I all said at the same time. “Amanda, are you and Brad having troubles?”

Amanda shook her head, fighting back tears. “No, Ari, we aren’t having any troubles. Things have never been better.”

“Then, why the hell would you say you got married too soon?”

“Because if I wasn’t married yet, Brad’s bitch of a douche-twat mother wouldn’t be bugging me to have a baby. She wouldn’t be taking me to lunch once a week and giving me advice on how to get pregnant. She acts like I don’t fucking know how to get pregnant.”

We all started laughing, and Amanda ended up joining in on the laughter.

“Come on, Ari, let’s go. I promise the evening is not going to be filled with naked men or anything that will make your pregnant ass, or Jeff’s ass for that matter, have to worry.”

“Fine, let’s go.” I said.

Amanda jumped up and started clapping. Heather rolled her eyes, and Ellie walked over and reached out her hand to help me up. As Amanda and Heather walked out the door first, Ellie held me back.

“Are you okay, Ari? You feeling okay, sweets?”

I let out a sigh and felt the tears building in my eyes.

“Were you scared, Ells?”

“To get married? Yeah, Ari, I was scared to death.”

“This is all I’ve ever wanted, Ellie. I’ve only ever wanted to be with him to wake up next to him every morning, and to go to sleep next to him every night. I want to have babies, have fights, make up, and kiss in the rain with him. He is the only one I want to do those things with. So why am I so damn scared? I mean, I’m having his baby in six months. This should be nothing!”

Ellie smiled that smile only she can give me, and I was calmed within seconds.

“Baby, you’re getting married in two days to the love of your life, and you’re carrying his baby. Smile, baby girl. You’re going to be the most beautiful bride ever. You won’t even need makeup because that pregnancy glow fits you perfectly.”

I slammed my body into Ellie and hugged the shit out of her. “I love you, Ellie Mathews. I love you so much.”

“I love you, too, Ari. Come on, let’s go have some fun. By the way, I sent Gunner a text a little bit ago. They’re staying at the lake house and playing poker. He promised that there will be no women, so don’t worry. They’ll probably behave better than us.”

***

We headed out to dinner first, and I never laughed so hard in my life. It was so nice to be with my three very best friends.

“Oh god, I love Maudie’s so damn much. I could eat here every day.” Amanda said as she leaned back and put her hands on her stomach.

I smiled at her because she truly looked happy. As much as she had bitched about her monster-in-law she was so incredibly happy with Brad.

I thought back to the night of her wedding. It was the first time Jeff and I had made love. The memories flooded my brain, causing me to drift away from everyone.

Setting my hands on my stomach, I closed my eyes. I was getting married in two days, and I was fifteen weeks pregnant. Although I was barely showing a bump, my wedding dress had to be altered just a little.

I looked up at Ellie, and she smiled at me. My heart was breaking for her because I knew how much she wanted to have a baby. She was such a damn good friend because she never showed how sad she was.

Just then, I felt a flutter in my stomach. Butterflies? There it went again. Could it be?

“Holy fuck!” I shouted out.

Ellie stood up quickly spilling her water all over Heather. Heather jumped and hit the table, her tea spilt everywhere. Amanda pushed back her chair, as she laughed her ass off, and I just sat there.

“Fuck a duck, Ari, what the hell is wrong with you?” Ellie said. She was trying to wipe water off of her while staying out of the way of the poor waitress cleaning up the rest of the spilled water and tea.

“I think I just felt the baby!” I said. I just sat there with my hands on my stomach.

“What?” All three of my friends, and our waitress shouted out at once.

“But you’re only fifteen weeks pregnant. I thought that didn’t happen until after sixteen weeks.” The ever-accurate Heather pointed out.

I just stared at her.

Ellie came running over and got down on her knees.

“Oh my god…oh my god…oh my god. Move your hand, I want to feel my niece…or nephew!”

Amanda started laughing. Brad’s mother was an OB, and Amanda had started working for her part time, helping out on days she didn’t have classes.

“Ells, I hate to tell you this, but you’re not going to be able to feel the baby yet. Only Ari can at this early stage.”

Ellie shot Amanda a look that should have brought Amanda to her knees. “Well, shit, I want to feel it. What does it feel like?”

“It felt like fluttering or bubbles in my stomach. You know like when you have gas moving through your stomach.”

“Oh Christ, how romantic, Ari,” Amanda said as she rolled her eyes.

“It’s the only way I know how to describe it.” I reached for my phone and hit Jeff’s number.

“I’ll be right back,” I said as I got up and headed outside.

“Hey, baby, you having fun?” Jeff asked.

“I miss you,” I said in as much of a seductive voice as I could.

“Hold on a second.”

I heard Jeff say he was going outside for a second, and I had to smile.

“Jesus, Ari, only you can make me go hard in an instant. Want to sneak away and meet somewhere?”

“Yes!”

“Where are you?”

“Maudie’s on Lake Austin Boulevard.”

“Give me fifteen minutes, baby, and I’ll be there.”

“Okay, hurry, but be careful driving.”

I walked back into the restaurant. The spilled drink mess had been cleaned up, and the girls were all eating from a giant piece of chocolate cake.

When I sat down, and all three of them looked at me.

“He’s coming to get you, isn’t he?” Heather said with a wink.

Damn, these girls know me too well. I just smiled and took a sip of my water.

“Ugh, you horny-ass bitch. If pregnancy does this to you, sign me the fuck up,” Amanda said as she smiled at me.

“Are y’all mad?” I asked.

Amanda let out a sigh and sat back. “I’m actually kind of relieved. I know I was all wanting a guy to grab my ass while I danced the night away. Honestly though, with Brad being at his parents’ lake house, there’s a really good book I want to read, and I would so love the peace and quiet in the house.”

“I really am so exhausted from finishing up this semester. All I really want to do is go home and soak in a hot bath,” Heather said as she winked at me.

Ellie was staring at her cell phone with a huge-ass grin on her face. When she looked up, we were all staring at her.

“What does that overly romantic-bastard husband of yours have planned?”

Ellie smiled. “He said he’s right behind Jeff, and he wants to take me on a carriage ride downtown.”

“Good god, where did this man come from? I mean really, he needs to teach a damn class on this shit,” Amanda said as she fanned herself.

Ellie and Amanda laughed.

Amanda looked down at her phone and grinned. Heather, you feel like dropping me off at the lake house? Looks like Brad’s feeling a little lonely.”

Heather giggled as she dug out her keys. “No problem.” Has everyone left him all alone?”

“I guess so. He said Gunner and Jeff just left, and Josh was outside on the deck, probably making plans to leave as well.”

Heather’s smile faded for one brief second before it she smiled again.

“Okay. Well then, let’s head out, and I’ll drop you off. Are you girls okay with us leaving you until your men get here?” Heather asked.