Mending (5 page)

She leaned her head on George's shoulder and closed her eyes, her hand resting on her emerging belly.

She opened her eyes when she felt George kissing her awake. "Love, we're here."

"Okay people, we need to get going. I have a ton to do before this perfect fucking wedding happens," Fred commanded.

Stella and Millie laughed, Fred had been trying to drop f-bombs around Stella because she'd asked him to. He rushed past them and grabbed her mammoth dress from where it was draped over the back two seats.

"I'm serious, people," Fred said when no one had moved from their seats. He clapped his hands together and narrowed his eyes at the lot of them. “Chop fucking chop.”

Millie and Billy exited first. Cooper was pacing the entire airplane looking at Stella and then George, trying to get them to get off the plane as quickly as possible. When they didn’t move quick enough, he walked back over to Stella and sat on her foot.

"You are the love I never knew I would deserve," Stella whispered to George as he gathered their bags.

He dropped everything and stalked over to her. He ran a thumb over her lower lip and kissed it gently, prodding her lips open with his tongue and devouring her mouth. "I want to show you that you deserve to be happy, Love." Cooper moved in between them, like he was part of their show of affection.

"It's hard to swallow," she admitted, while petting Cooper on the head. She couldn’t help enjoying that she still had butterflies in her stomach when he kissed her.

"Oh, you will swallow it," George warned and burst out laughing.

Stella laughed. "You're gross."

"That's why you love me."

"Not at all," she joked and they walked down the steps. She was trying to maneuver Cooper down the stairs holding the leash, but ended up just letting him go on his own.

"Come on, bitches, I'm supposed to be somewhere in an hour and I still need to check into the hotel and get everything ready for dinner tonight!" Fred called from the SUV waiting for them.

Stella held George's hand tighter. She couldn't believe how lucky she was, about to marry this perfect man.

Millie was staying with Stella and Cooper at the house that she and George would stay in during their honeymoon in Key West. It was a little one bedroom cottage right off Duval Street with its own pool. Last night after they arrived they had walked up and down Duval Street, taking in the music and eating the wonderful fresh seafood. Stella was exhausted so she’d called it a night pretty early, Millie didn’t get in until after 2:00 a.m.

Stella slipped on her form-fitting dress knowing it would be her last dress like this for a while; her belly was really starting to protrude. She’d have to release a statement about being pregnant soon…she hated she had to do shit like that.

She and Millie walked casually the few blocks to The Raw Bar, she showed Millie the tattoo parlor as they got closer to the restaurant.

“Maybe I’ll get my own tattoo while I’m here,” Millie commented, looking in the storefront.

“Right,” Stella challenged.

“You never know,” Millie retorted.

“Oh yes you do.” Stella laughed. “You’re not the tattoo type.”

“Whatever.”

They walked into the restaurant and Millie spotted Fred, who ushered them to the blocked off side of the dining room that he’d reserved for the dinner.

“This is the quaintest restaurant I’ve ever been too. Oh my God,” Fred gushed.

“This place is good, but casual; it’s just the right vibe for our dinner with family.” Stella smiled remembering her dinner there with George. “The last time I was here, George fed me oysters and beer and had his way with me.”

A blush spread across Fred’s cheeks. “You are too much,” he said, slapping her arm.

“Fred, you are my saving grace,” she said.

“Love of my life,” she heard from behind her.

A grin split her face immediately. Stella ran over and bear hugged Jesse. “You say that to all the girls.” She laughed.

Billy, her parents and George stood behind Jesse, taking in the exchange. Her parents greeted Billy and her father was chatting with George.

“Thank you so much for flying us down here and coming yourself.” She put her forehead on his chest. “Really, J. You’re the best.”

George walked up to them and slapped Jesse on the back. “If I didn’t know you better, I’d be jealous.”

“Maybe you think you know me too well,” Jesse joked.

Stella looked behind Jesse and saw a bunch of her family pouring in behind her parents. Her mother’s brother and his family were there and her father’s three sisters with their families were all chattering about Key West and trying to determine where they would sit. Then she saw George’s family, not all of them, hesitantly walking toward the roped off portion of the restaurant. The dark-haired Irish family stood over to the side and Stella went over to Finn and crouched down to be on her level.

“I’m so glad you’re here. Who would be my flower girl if you weren’t here? Cooper?”

“Ewwa, that’s silly! Dogs can’t be flower gurws.”

“I know! That’s why I’m so glad you’re here.” She looked up at Kara with gratitude in her eyes. “And your mom and dad too. I’m so happy y’all are here.”

“Well, why wouldn’t we be here? My Unca is getting married to his Ewwa.”

Stella stood up and nodded at Kara and John. “Thank you so much for coming. I know it means the world to George.”

“Well, Owen and Kate would’ve been here too, but Owen had to run the bar. My mom did come, did George tell you?”

Stella nodded. She was happy for George that his mother was there to support him, but she knew it was because she was pregnant. That was the only reason she’d ever be okay with Stella in George’s life.

Fred made everyone sit down and stood in the middle of the blocked off area. “I’m so glad everyone could make it down here to the quaintest, oddest place in America, which is fitting for Stella’s wedding.” Everyone chuckled. “I’m Fred and I put this entire shindig together. I hope you all have a wonderful time. Also, I know Stella and Willston have something to tell you all.”

Stella grabbed George’s hand and they stood in the middle of everyone they loved. “So, we have some news for everyone,” Stella started.

“I’m having a boy!” George yelled, ecstatic. Then he wrapped his arms around Stella in a bear hug and lifted her off the floor.

Everyone laughed and Stella slapped his arm at his enthusiasm. “Please enjoy the fabulous seafood and drinks on us. We really appreciate you guys taking time out of your lives to come support us. Thank so you much.”

George kissed her cheek and they sat down with Millie, Billy and Jesse and ate dinner. She was so glad everyone could be here, but her person was missing and she couldn’t help but wish Patrick was here.

Stella swallowed a lump in her throat, watching as Cooper paced around the house that George had rented for them for the week. He was staying with the rest of the wedding guests at Ocean Key Resort, the hotel where they'd stayed when she'd escaped from Jamie. Her emotions were all over the place and she was having a hard time accepting happiness. After everything they’d been through, was she really going to be able to marry George; the guy who had loved her through her darkest times. Was she really going to marry the man that would make her the happiest woman in the world? She couldn’t remember the last time she was happy.
Aspen.
When she examined the last couple of years, the only times she’d been truly happy had been with George, but her life didn’t turn out happy, did it?

Her mother walked out of the bathroom in a light blue halter dress and strappy sandals. She looked Stella up and down and let out a sob.

"You're so gorgeous," her mother said through her tears.

"Wow!" Millie called from the barstool where she was texting someone. "You look amazing."

She laughed at her mother's tears. "Well, that's not sad."

"I just…" her mother started.

"I know." Stella didn't want to ruin her day with George by thinking about the wedding that didn't happen and why she never thought she'd be in a wedding dress. None of that mattered anymore.

Her mother dug through her bag and pulled out a strand of pearls. "These will look perfect with your dress and will be your something borrowed and old."

"Perfect!” Stella chirped. “My dress is something new and something blue."

She stood in front of the floor-length mirror in the bedroom. Her dress was modern and sort of edgy. The top was strapless and the waist cinched with a cloth belt, the skirt a wide A-line, short in the front and long in the back. With the front hitting her knees, you could see the underside of the dress was full of embroidered blue flowers; there was no train. The dress hid her pregnant belly and still managed to make her feel beautiful. Her white tie-up sandals added another level of "Stella funk," as Millie called it. Her raven hair was long and in loose waves. Fred had arranged hair and makeup to come to the house and do her, Millie and her mother's hair and makeup. They’d had a fun time getting ready this morning with hair and makeup, but now were strangely quiet.

"Pearls!" Millie exclaimed. "Those are perfect."

"I agree," Stella looked at her reflection and willed her pregnant self not to cry. Her fucking emotions were all over the place with this little Fucker. She cried at everything from peanut butter to tampon commercials; it was embarrassing.

Cooper was restless and pacing the entire house, from the kitchen to the bedroom and through the den. In the den he would sit for a few minutes and then go back to pacing. His pacing was driving her insane. The next time he walked by her she put her hand gently on his back. He turned his big caramel color eyes to hers and she melted. “You’re fine, Coop.”

"Okay, ladies. Fred is sending the car for us," Millie said as she grabbed her bag and sunglasses, then picked up the leash and led Cooper out to the car.

Stella sighed, hoping that the house wouldn't blow up on the way out and the car wouldn’t be hijacked by pirates, because that was her life and it was moderately possible that something like that could derail this whole thing. All her mistakes had led her here, but if all her mistakes were ever uncovered she'd lose everything; George, her freedom, her job and her family. She couldn’t let that happen. Ever.

A limo was in front of the house. Her mother and Millie helped Stella into the back without getting her dress dirty. The five minute drive was quiet; Millie held her hand and her mother looked wistfully out the window. Cooper lay on the floor of the limo and looked back and forth between her and the window. Stella was counting as they passed through Duval Street and turned toward the beach. She honestly couldn't believe it when they stopped in front of the beach where Fred was waiting for them—she hadn't died on the way here. She may really be able to marry George.

Fred gasped when she got out of the limo. He grinned as she walked up to him and kissed her check. "I'm a fucking genius," he declared.

Stella let out an obnoxious laugh at his cussing. "Thank you so much, Fred, this has been a dream. I really need to pinch myself."

There wasn't a cloud in the sky and the temperature was a wonderful 79 degrees—it really was perfect. She couldn't believe there wasn't a fucking hurricane. It was
her
wedding day and (so far) everything was amazing.