Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 73842 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 369(@200wpm)___ 295(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73842 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 369(@200wpm)___ 295(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
“I brought your dress,” Mom adds.
“And I have Cooper covered,” Ann tells me.
“You’ve all thought of everything.”
“We have,” Mom, Tessa, and Ann say in unison.
“So, when is this going down?” I ask, unable to hide my grin of excitement.
“Tomorrow,” Cooper says, kissing my temple. “You and the ladies will stay here, while the guys and I have the suite next door.”
“Don’t worry,” Tessa assures me. “You’ll have a suite of your own after tonight.” She wags her eyebrows, and my face flushes with heat.
“There are four suites on this floor, and we have them all. But our mothers and Tessa thought that a girls’ night and a guys’ night, kind of like bachelor and bachelorette parties, would be fun.”
I take a minute to let all this soak in. Everyone I love is here to make this happen for us. “I can’t believe we’re getting married,” I squeal.
“Believe it, baby,” Cooper whispers.
“All right. Everyone, go get rested up. I’m sure the two of you want to shower and take a nap after that long flight,” Mom says.
“When did you all get here?”
“Yesterday,” Dad replies. “We’ve had a day to get rested. Now you two do the same, and we’re going to make sure everything is good to go for tomorrow.”
“Meet back here at five,” Tessa announces.
After another round of hugs and handshakes, they filter from our room to theirs. “Coop.” I breathe his name.
“Yeah, baby?”
“I can’t believe you did this.”
“I would do anything for you, Reese.”
I slide my hands under his shirt and reach for the button on his shorts. “Oh,
no you don’t,” he says, removing my hands and taking a step back.
“What?” I ask coyly.
“The next time I’m inside you, it will be when you’re my wife.”
“Are you serious?”
“As a heart attack. Just think about the tension that will build and the release of knowing that we’re making love as husband and wife.”
“Who knew you had all this sweetness in you, Reeves?”
“Only for you, my future wife. Only for you.”
Girl time consisted of facials, manicures, and pedicures at the resort spa. Cooper managed to recreate the wedding I had planned. Sure, the resort helped them, but the fact that they did this, all of this, brings tears to my eyes.
“I can’t believe you’re getting married,” my mom says a few hours later back in my suite. The four of us are sitting around, relaxed, and drinking a glass of wine.
“We’ve talked about this for years,” Ann agrees.
“So have I. I could tell within a minute of being around the two of them I knew we’d end up here someday,” Tessa says proudly.
“You did not.” I point at her.
“Okay, maybe not for certain, but I knew you loved each other and were afraid to admit it.”
“But look at you now.” Ann holds her glass of wine in the air. “To love. To the little girl, who stole not only my son’s heart but his father’s and mine as well. Reese, you have always been a part of our family, and I couldn’t be happier that I finally get to call you my daughter for real.”
“Damn you,” Tessa says, wiping tears from her eyes, making us all laugh.
“How’s married life?” I ask, trying to lighten the heavy.
“Not much different than life before. Although, I will admit that changing my name has taken some getting used to.”
“Reese Reeves,” Mom says, trying it out. “It has a ring to it.”
“Right?” Ann agrees.
“I feel like I’m living in a fairy tale. Who gets whisked away to Fiji to find their best friend and their family there for a surprise wedding?”
“You do,” the three of them echo.
“I knew that when he finally realized what was in front of him all along, he was going to be all in. That’s how Cooper is. Look at what it’s done for him and football,” Ann tells us. “He loves the game and gave it his all, getting him where he is today. I knew he would be the same with you, Reese. I’ve never seen him this happy.”
“Or sappy,” Tessa rhymes. “That man has given you his balls.” She snickers.
“Tess!” I scold, laughing.
“Oh, we know,” Ann assures us.
“Eep! I’m getting married!”
We dissolve in a fit of laughter that carries us through the rest of the night. We finally decide we should get some sleep around midnight. I just snuggled under the covers when my phone rings. I rush to answer it, knowing it’s Cooper.
“Hey,” I whisper.
“I miss you.”
“This was your idea,” I remind him.
“I know. What the fuck was I thinking?”
“You were being romantic.”
“Yeah?”
“Definitely.”
“Tomorrow, Reese’s Pieces. Tomorrow you’ll be my wife.”
“I can’t wait.”
“You have no idea.”
“We should get some sleep,” I tell him. “We have a big day tomorrow.”
“I don’t think I’m going to be able to sleep,” he admits.
“We should try,” I say, aware it will be hard for me as well.