It’s only an added bonus that my family is set to arrive just before the shower and will be staying with us until after the wedding, another thing Aubrey doesn’t know about. She thinks they are only coming down the day before the wedding.
I’ve been on my phone all morning, making sure everyone is ready and set to arrive only once Aubrey has left the house. Convincing her to get out was hard enough as it is, since she’s practically become a hermit ever since her blood pressure dropped again.
But thanks to Ronnie’s help, she was convinced to get a manicure and pedicure done for the wedding. Adler will also be accompanying them just in case something goes wrong. While the rest of us will be here, decorating and preparing everything for when she gets back.
I quickly lock my phone and shove it into my pocket when the sound of Aubrey’s footsteps get closer. I turn right on time as she enters the kitchen and pretend to busy myself with making another coffee.
“What are you hiding?” she says with a smirk on her lips as she comes up beside me.
“Hiding? Nothing. Just making a coffee.” I fake innocence.
“That’s your second one, and it’s barely noon. You’ve also been distracted with your phone all morning. What’s going on?” She raises a brow, waiting for an answer as her hand rubs over her belly.
“Nothing’s going on. It’s just some stuff with my family and their travel plans. Nothing you need to worry about.” I smile through my lie.
“Is it about the wedding? Did someone cancel on us? Did something happen to our venue?” Her eyes fill with concern.
“No, sweetheart. Everything is fine with the wedding. I promise. Are you ready to head out? Ronnie should be arriving soon, right?”
I check the time in the kitchen, telling me that Aubrey is due to leave in exactly three minutes, and everyone else is set to arrive ten minutes later. My family actually just texted me saying they were fifteen minutes out and would wait not too far down the street if I hadn’t given them the signal yet.
“Yes, she told me she should be here any minute. I brought extra snacks and water with me, just in case. Don’t forget to walk the dogs after lunch. Annabeth did it this morning so it’s your turn,” she says, picking up her purse and phone.
I bring her in by cradling the back of her head and kissing her. “I won’t. You have a little fun with Veronica,” I tell her just as my phone alerts me that Ronnie has arrived at the gate.
I let her in and walk Aubrey to the door. Once there, she lowers herself with difficulty to pick up Cupcake who is getting heavier by the day. All our pups have almost doubled in size, and they aren’t done growing. Like my girl likes to remind me, I really didn’t think this through.
I quickly take Cupcake in my arms, not wanting my thirty-eight-week pregnant fiancée to carry an eighteen-pound pup. Cupcake is actually our smallest golden retriever, while her brothers and sister all weigh closer to thirty pounds now. Sprinkles being the heaviest at thirty pounds exactly.
Aubrey snuggles Cupcake’s face from my hands, giving her plenty of kisses and promising to be back soon. She really is her dog, just like Sprinkles has pretty much adopted me. I look over my shoulder, spotting him sitting down a few feet away, looking at us. He’s started following me everywhere and is the one that listens to me the most.
Muffin, Brownie, and Cookie are a different story and don’t really seem to have a preference between me and Aubrey. Although Muffin does have a soft spot for Marianne and moves from room to room with her when she’s cleaning.
Cookie, on the other hand, is obsessed with Antoine because he always lets her sample whatever he’s making, showing that her only interest in life is food. Then there’s Brownie, who’s pretty much the independent pup out of the gang, always off doing his own thing or playing on his own.
Once Aubrey has successfully smothered Cupcake with love, she moves on to me, kissing me only once. And I’ll admit that I’m a little jealous. “I love you. I’ll be back soon,” she says, then turns and opens the door.
I’m about to walk out and help her down the steps when I see Noah sprinting up them. “I’ve got her,” he simply says with a wink and takes her arm.
“Thank you.” I wait until they get into Ellis’s Porsche, since Adler only has a two-seater, and drive off before closing the door.
Not even five minutes later, my phone goes off again and when I check the camera, I notice at least five cars waiting to enter the premises. I quickly step into my shoes, knowing they’ll need a hand to get everything in, and make my way down the steps as they all arrive in the circular driveway.
Gabriel is the first to step out of Noah’s car with a wide grin on his face. He throws his arms up in the air and exclaims, “Let’s get this party started!”
AUBREY
Shane’s up to something. I can feel it.
He’s been strange all morning, checking his phone every two seconds, hiding it from me and making secret phone calls. I’ve been trying to rack my brain about what it could be, but I’m coming up blank. And the fact that he kept asking when Ronnie was coming to get me and practically pushing me out of the door was further proof that something’s going on.
Ronnie, Noah, and I have just finished having lunch together at a cute little restaurant in the city, only five doors down from the place we’re supposed to get our nails done. We walk from the restaurant to the nail salon, passing the few stores when Ronnie stops us.
“Ooh! This place looks cute!” she says, looking through the window while holding Noah’s hand.
“Those dresses do look nice,” I agree, looking them over in the window display, although I don’t really have the figure for them right now.
“Come on, let’s go inside and check it out.” She then turns to Noah. “We have time, right?”
