Page 93 of Further To Fall

Carter

ONE YEAR LATER

Taylor adjusted the veil that sat atop my head and flowed over my shoulders as I grinned at my mom in the mirror. She darted a hand up to her face, wiping away a tear. “Mom, don’t start that, because if you cry, then I will. And then the makeup Taylor spent hours on will be ruined.”

Taylor squeezed my mom’s shoulder. “Don’t make Carter wreck my masterpiece, Mrs. M.”

My mom waved a hand in front of her eyes. “Okay, okay. You just look so beautiful. I’m so very happy for you, baby.”

I wrapped her in a hug. “Thank you, Mom, for everything. I love you.”

“More than words,” she echoed back.

“Gah! Now y’all are going to makemecry,” Taylor huffed.

I pulled back from my mom. “Sorry, sorry. No more sappy stuff. Promise.”

Taylor reached for a gift bag on the vanity. “You still planning on sneaking in to see the groom before the wedding?”

I hadn’t seen Austin since the rehearsal dinner the night before. Taylor and I had taken over one of the hotel’s suites for a slumber party, staying up way too late, laughing ourselves sick while looking through old pictures from our time together as roommates. Taylor had ended up deciding to stay in Texas to be closer to her mom, so neither of us had ever lived in the Los Feliz house after my attack. While I knew Taylor’s move was for the best, I missed her like crazy.

I extended a hand to Taylor, and she gave me the bag. My stomach flip-flopped as I pictured the contents. I hoped Austin liked it. “I’m heading over to his room right now.”

Taylor smiled huge. “I’ll text Liam and tell him to make an excuse for him and Ford to leave.”

“Perfect.” I paused. “I’m nervous,” I admitted.

She took my free hand in hers. “He’s going to love it.” Her eyes held mine, reassuring me further.

“Okay,” I breathed. “I’m off.”

Taylor held open the door for me. I hitched up my strapless lace and tulle gown with one hand and slipped past her, making my way down the hall to the elevator. I drummed my fingers against my collarbone as I waited for the elevator to take me the two floors down to Austin’s room. When the doors slid open, I let out a slow breath and moved forward.

I came to a stop outside Room 731. Slipping the bag behind my back, I reached my hand up to knock, pausing for just a second to soak in the magnitude of the moment. I rapped my knuckles on the wood.

Thirty seconds later, the door swung open, and there stood the most handsome man I had ever laid eyes on. He wore a navy blue suit, tailored to fit his muscular form perfectly. The top button of his shirt was undone, and he wore no tie. He looked fancy, but he still looked like my Austin.

While I was taking him in, Austin was doing the same to me. Our eyes locked, and we both grinned. He reached out and brushed a hand across my cheek. “Just when I think you can’t get prettier.” I felt that familiar color hit my cheeks. “I hope fifty years from now, I can still make you blush.”

“I’m sure you’ll have no trouble doing that.”

His grin turned devilish. “I’m certainly willing to work at it. Now, come in and tell me why you’re sneaking a peek at the groom before the ceremony.”

I shuffled forward and brought the bag out from behind my back. “I have something for you.” Austin cocked his head to the side, a puzzled look on his face. We’d already exchanged our official wedding gifts, so his confusion made sense. I smiled encouragingly, and he took the bag from my hand. Tissue paper rustled as his hand searched, and then he removed the small piece of cloth.

Austin unrolled the bundle, his confusion compounding until he read the words on the front of the white onesie.Daddy’s Little Fighterwith a pair of boxing gloves. His jaw dropped, and his eyes shot to mine. “Does this mean?” he started. “Are you?” His eyes flew from mine to my nonexistent belly.

“You’re gonna be a daddy.”

Austin dropped the bag and was suddenly moving. He threw his arms around me, burrowing his face in my neck. I felt dampness there and in my own eyes. “Just when I think I can’t get any happier. I love you, Carter.” His hand snuck between us, resting on my stomach. “And I love you, little guy.”

I drew my head back. “It could be a girl.”

Austin’s eyes sparkled with unshed tears and humor. “If there’s a God in Heaven, our first child will be a boy.”

My brows furrowed, “Why?”

“Your beauty? I’m gonna need all the help I can get looking after any girls you give me.”

---