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I glanced at Tallulah and saw it there again. A fear or sadness. I wanted to talk to her about it, but I didn’t know where or how to even begin. There were moments when I wondered if Ryker was going to ask me to marry him but we had time. I knew he loved me and that or future was together. I wasn’t hurting by watching this all take place. I was happy for them. All of them.
The congratulations continued, and tears were shed. I drank another mimosa and tried to follow all the chatter, but it could be difficult. Seeing Maggie so happy was what mattered. When the brides all went back to try on more dresses, Tallulah let out a sigh and a small laugh, then stood up. “I need a refill.”
“Me too,” Ezmita said, standing up to follow Tallulah.
“Life is happening fast. We all got together, and it went on hyperspeed,” I said.
Tallulah handed Ezmita a glass, then took hers to sit back down. “No kidding,” she said, then leaned back on the white leather sofa. “I didn’t expect so much change whenwe got here. I had hoped I could make it through seeing Nash. I never expected all the engagements, moves, and now a baby.”
“I’m going to miss this,” I said. “When we left, I forgot how great this was to be with all of you. To have my friends.”
Tallulah’s smile held no sadness this time as she reached over and squeezed my hand. “We have three weddings and a baby coming up. We will be getting together several times in the next year.”
She was right. There would be many reasons for us to all be in the same place very soon. “I hadn’t thought of that.”
“Tomorrow is the dedication. When is everyone leaving?” Ezmita asked.
“We have to leave Sunday morning early,” I told her.
“I have to go back to Chicago and pack up, close out the lease on my apartment, but then I’ll be back,” Tallulah told her.
“I think Maggie and West are leaving Sunday too. Willa and Gunner are here to stay,” I said.
“What about this one?” Maggie asked, and we all turned to look at her. It dawned on me then that her wedding would either have to be soon or more than nine months from now.
“It’s stunning,” I said. “But have y’all set a date for the wedding? That may impact the dress choice.”
“True, you have a growing stomach to think about,” Tallulah added.
Maggie grinned. “Next month.”
“What?!” Willa asked, turning to her. “How are you going to do that?”
Maggie placed a hand on her stomach. “I want to before the baby comes and before I have a big round stomach, making it hard to find a dress. So we are doing simple. Right here in Lawton. I just don’t know where yet.”
This was all happening. It was real. Our lives were moving on to the next step. The days of our youth were behind us. It was such an odd yet exciting feeling. I assumed Brady and Riley would be next. They had been engaged almost a year. Riley had said that so much had been happening this past year they had wanted to wait until things settled down.
My thoughts went to my future with Ryker. Where would we be in a year, two years? Would we be married? Would we all be able to get together so I could try on dresses? Or would that take place in Texas? I glanced over at Tallulah again to see her smiling happily and realized what she must have been thinking about. Because I was wondering the same things now. When would our lives begin this next journey?
CHAPTER FIVE
RYKER
The firepit that we had brought over from Nash’s house was safely roaring with a fire in the middle of the back field, which sat directly where the field parties were once held. Tomorrow the dedication would happen on the front field, but tonight our own sort of dedication would take place.
The last field party.
Damn, that felt weird to say. We hadn’t partied out here in five years, but knowing this was the last one was hard to accept. Even though our lives were so different now. I wasn’t that cocky asshole standing in the bed of his truck like he owned the world. I wasn’t full of foolish pride.
“Should I get chairs?” Nash called out from the field house.
“Fuck no! We aren’t that damn old yet,” I told him.
“We need some old tires and stumps,” West said as he tapped the keg that we’d brought out here.
“I have blankets in the car. I forgot to get them,” Riley added.
“Be right back,” Brady replied, understanding that was his cue to go get them.
