Page 28 of Our Little Wedding

“Well, remember you asked me to drop the mail off that you had gotten. I took it and shoved it all in the mailbox, and then…wait a minute.” Carly got up and took off toward the front door. I heard it open, and after a few minutes she returned, her face as white as a ghost.

“What is it?”

“It was my fault. I took the mail over, and when I got back in my car, I just took the top envelope off the pile of invites and shoved it in my glove box. Which was where I’d put your father’s, so I didn’t mail it. I never even looked at the name. I just tookthe pile to the post office and mailed them. I just looked now, and it was Jenna’s invite in my glove box, not your dad’s. I bet I grabbed it when I put the mail in the mailbox,” Carly said, covering her mouth. “I’m so sorry, Ainsley. Please forgive me.”

Carly stood there in near tears, staring at me. I knew no matter how much she disapproved of our relationship, she would never do something like this on purpose. “I forgive you.”

She took a moment and wiped her eyes. “So, what happened?” Carly asked, sitting back down beside me.

“He came over here and got angry. Then he saw the banner that Spencer and Nikki had made for the night we got the house. He blew up. Demanded I come home.”

Carly looked at me, almost shocked that my father had found out about the baby and the house in such a short period. “You mean he found everything out that night?”

“Yep, in about ten minutes. Ten minutes, he learned we were having a baby and that we were moving. He demanded that I return home, which I didn’t, and now he won’t speak to me.”

“It’s your dad. I am sure he will come around.”

I shrugged. “I hope so. However, that isn’t all of it. Brittany hasn’t exactly been wonderful either. She was the server at the restaurant we had gone to the night you stayed and watched Nikki. She attacked me and Spencer and ended up losing her job. I ran into her yesterday at the coffee shop inside the bookstore, and she attacked me again there as well.”

“What the hell is with that woman?”

“I don’t know.”

“Do you think she wants him back?” Carly questioned.

“I don’t think so. I mean, she cheated on Spencer, so I am just thinking she either really hates the pair of us or she hates herself for what she let go.”

“Maybe, perhaps, she wants him back. You know, she realizes what it is she lost.”

I shrugged. “Perhaps.”

“The fact that she cheated on him doesn’t really mean anything. Perhaps they were going through a dry spell. I mean, he is old.”

“Ugh, please. Don’t start with the age thing again, please,”

“I’m only saying I read an article inCosmoabout men in their forties, and that sometimes they have a hard time, you know, getting it up,” Carly said.

I rolled my eyes. “Don’t worry, Carly, there isn’t any dry spell. He has no problems. In fact, he loves to—”

Carly held her hands over her ears and closed her eyes. “I don’t want to know. Now what else?”

“The venues still haven’t called us back. I spent all morning calling them and no one would take my calls. Plus, we close on the house in about three weeks. Possibly two now, and this place isn’t even on the market yet.”

“Whoa, relax. I’m sure Spencer has everything under control.”

“I know. I am trying to calm myself down. It’s just I look around and every which way I turn, it’s one disaster after another,” I said, a tear slipping down my cheek.

“Okay. We are coming up with a plan of attack. Tomorrow, after we take Nikki to school, you and I are going to go to the places you’ve called. We are going to find you a location for your wedding,” Carly said, taking hold of my hands in hers. “I want to see my best friend smile again.”

“Thank you.” I sniffled. “It means the world to me.”

“Of course. I’ll also lay off on the Spencer attacks. He really isn’t that bad of a guy. Now let’s relax and watch this movie.”

Spencer

The cab pulled into our driveway, and I paid the driver as he pulled my bags out of the trunk. I’d never been so happy to return home. The trip to Denver was great. Not only had it given me a chance to help Max with the Denver division, but it had given us the chance to spend some time together.

I waited for the cab to pull out of the driveway before turning and looking up at the house. Most lights were off, except for the ones in the front windows. I was excited to see Ainsley and had hoped she was still awake. I’d done the best I could to get home at a decent hour, but with the weather delay, that hadn’t been possible.

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