Page 86 of Unexpecting

I dipped into a brief curtsy, which at the last minute, I realized gave him an amazing look down my cleavage. “Maid of honour, at your service.”

″Are you feeling better then?” he asked. “With the whole pregnancy thing?”

″Not really, actually. It hasn’t gone away. The throwing up, that is. The pregnancy hasn’t gone away either. Other than that, I feel great. Other than the fact I found out I’m having triplets.”

″Wow! Triplets? That’s—”

″Very scary.”

″I was going to say amazing. And you look—great. I mean, I don’t know you very well, but I’d say pregnancy agrees with you.” I noticed his eyes dip down to my chest.

″It agrees with my breasts anyway. Since you’re a doctor, I can say that, right?”

He gave a little cough. “Sure. I’m Adam, by the way.” He held out a hand.

″It’s nice to put a name to the stranger who keeps popping up,” I laughed. “I’m Casey.”

″I know. I read the program at the church. Eve, my girlfriend, thinks—”

″Your girlfriend’s name is Eve?” I asked skeptically.

″I know. I call her Evie, makes it a bit better. Look, I better get back to her. She only knows Tom and a couple of people from work. They put us at a table with—over there.” He pointed to the table I was just at with Cooper and Emma.

″This is way too weird. They’re my roommates.”

Adam gave a nervous laugh. “Okay, this is getting a little too strange, so I’ll be going now. But I bet we’ll bump into each other sometime again.”

″Probably,” I agreed. “See you.”

Strange, I thought as I left the dance floor. And nothing against Adam, but after talking to him, I really felt the need to throw up, so I headed directly to the bridal suite, ignoring all eye contact with people who might want to stop and talk to me.

I finally made it to the bridal suite on the second floor above the ballroom, and I rested a minute after I did the vomiting thing. It was cool and quiet in there, but I could still here the thump of the sound system below as it headed into some retro eighties’ song. I saw Brit’s going-away outfit hanging in the closet, and her makeup had already been strewn across the vanity.

I couldn’t believe Brit was married. I was there, I watched it happen, but it was only hitting me now. My oldest friend was no longer Brit Spears, but now Mrs. Tom Smith.

Brit was married. Because it had been an emotional day—an emotional month—I started to cry a little. I wondered if I’d ever get married. I know I always say I’m not into it, but hey, every girl really wants a fairy tale, doesn’t she? For the first time, I began to wonder if I did the right thing refusing J.B.

I think this must be why men assume single women at weddings are so easy to pick up. They’re desperate for some reassurance they won’t be alone forever.

But I won’t be alone for long. I’ve got three babies that will occupy my every moment, and if I have any left over, there’s always J.B. He proposed to me. The enormity of that was finally reaching my baby-addled brain. It had taken almost a month and for me to actually take part in someone else’s wedding, but it finally hit me. J.B. Bergen, whose conquests are numerous and legendary, asked me to marry him.

And I said no.

I said no because, honestly, I don’t want J.B. to be stuck with me just because I happen to be having his babies. It’s like being the last one picked for a team—you know they don’t really want you, but they had to take you. I don’t want to feel like that. And I definitely don’t want J.B. to start resenting me, thinking it’s my fault that I’ve clipped his wings. This way is better, I keep telling myself. We’re having the babies together, but both of us are free to live the lives we want. That’s the way it should be.

But then when I’m repeating this over and over and over again, there’s a little voice that keeps interrupting—what if his proposal wasn’t just about the babies?

But why would it be about anything else? I’m attracted to J.B. more than any other man I know, plus I like J.B. more than any other man, save Cooper. I’m not sure what goes on inside J.B.’s head concerning me, but my self-esteem isn’t damaged enough for me to believe that it’s only convenient sex that draws him to me. There’s something between us that I can’t explain, but I think it’s more than sex. Is that a good enough reason to marry him?

I wiped away the traces of my tears and checked my makeup, borrowing Brit’s lipstick since mine was long gone. I would have liked to fix my hair, since it felt like it could collapse down my neck at any moment, but there was so much hairspray I couldn’t really move it. Good to go. I smiled inthe mirror at myself, hoping I didn’t look as forlorn and melancholy as I felt. I could just chalk it up to hormones if anyone asked. Not that I really thought they would. This was Brit’s day and I was just standing in the shadows, but there’s no sense crying in the shadows.

I got up and, after a final glance at myself in the mirror, decided I’d better get back out there. I was sure Brit had something for me to do. But when I pulled open the door of the bride’s room, I saw J.B. on the other side, his hand raised as if to knock.

″Hey,” he said.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

“During the pregnancy, the expectant mother should make a conscious effort to remain calm and relaxed in order to ensure the health of the baby and herself.”

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