Page 20 of Uncovering Love: The Wedding

“HERE. YOU NEED ANOTHER.” TATE’Ssister Carly hands me another glass of champagne while the girl at my feet props them up to paint each nail. I sigh and lean into the chair with a smile.

With both my best friend and sister almost nine months preggo, finding bachelorette party activities that suited everyone was a challenge. We ended up with plans for lunch and an epic spa afternoon, followed by a trip to the movie theater for a chick flick and even more food. All of this is perfectly fine with me, but by the look on Carly’s face, maybe she doesn’t agree.

“Everything all right?” I take a sip of the bubbly and it goes down all too smoothly.

She tips her glass until it’s gone and slides into the empty seat beside me. “Fine.” When she doesn’t smile I raise my brow. She shakes her head. “Okay, not fine. It’s stupid, but I still get stressed when the boys go out to the desert with guns.”

Jon and Tate have been taking her sons out shooting for months now, and I thought Carly was on board.

“Jon’s the best. He’ll keep them safe.”

“Oh, I know that ... rationally. But I can’t relax. Not after everything ...”

I reach out and grip her hand in mine. “Hey, I get it. I do. Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Drink with me?” She giggles and shakes her head.

“Carly! I never knew you to be the party girl!”

“With Kate temporarily out of commission, I feel inclined to step up. Another?” She nods at my glass so I finish the rest in one big gulp and hand it back.

“Thank you. And thank you for accepting me, for always treating me like family.”

She holds the glasses in one hand and squeezes my arm with the other. “And now you will be. I always wanted a sister. Shh… don’t tell Tate.” She winks and walks back to where a table is set up with champagne, sparkling cider, and chocolate covered fruit.

“There. You sure you don’t want a design?” The technician assesses my toes with one last look and I shake my head.

“No, thank you. They look perfect.” My something blue for next week.

She helps me into my flip flops and I shuffle over to where my sister sits for her manicure. Both she and Kate finished their pedicures first and are almost done with nails. One of Kate’s endless contacts found us this locally owned spa usually closed on Sundays and called in a favor so we could enjoy the day in private. Manis, pedis, and massages with catered food and beverages—we may never leave.

“And another ...” Carly sets a full glass of champagne on the table in front of me and joins Kate one row over.

Melissa’s eyes dart to my glass and she lets loose a deep sigh.

“I’m sorry. It’s mean drinking this in front of you.”

“No, go ahead. I’m big as a whale, and whales don’t hate dolphins for having more fun.” She pouts.

“Sea analogies. That’s new.” I tip my glass.

“Oh, God.” She leans back and groans.

I set my drink down and scoot closer. “Is everything okay? Is it the baby?”

“She’s kicking. Yeah.” Her hands run smooth strokes over her belly.

“Can I?”

“By all means. Tell her to be nice to her mama and stop thrashing around during spa day.”

I place my hand over the cotton fabric of her top and grin when I feel a body part press against me. “She probably can’t wait to get in on the fun.”

“Or it’s a sign she’s going to be a handful. What am I gonna do with two of them, Evie?” We’ve joked about this before, but this time when Melissa meets my gaze her chin quivers.

“You’re the best mom to Claire, Mel. You’ve got this.”

“But I can’t do it alone.” Tears leak from the corners of her eyes and she sniffles, giving her head a shake while her hands are still held hostage.

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