Page 26 of A Happy Endings Wedding
Claire
Hailey’s throat tightened. Claire had been at the peak of her movie star popularity when they’d first met her. They’d all been a little starstruck, actually, but she’d turned out to be so down-to-earth and fun. “Claire, thank you. I’m not sure how much credit I can take for the twin switcheroo. I had no idea they were going to do that.”
Claire smiled, her hazel eyes twinkling with good humor. “The only reason they pulled a twin switch was because Josh wanted to go on the date with you. So it all comes back to you.” She gave Hailey a hug. “I love you, lady. Now keep reading.”
Hailey wiped at the wetness in her eyes. “You ladies are going to make me cry.”
Mad gestured to a mini-fridge. “We got you covered with cold compresses and sliced cucumbers. You cry as much as you want as long as they’re happy tears.”
Hailey laughed. “Thanks, Mad. You’re a great matron of honor.”
Mad smoothed her hair self-consciously, blushing. “Thanks,” she mumbled.
Hailey turned the page to Mad’s scrawl of a note.
Hailey,
You’re my first close woman friend and I know all the credit goes to you. You pushed to get to know me and welcomed me with open arms into the Happy Endings Book Club when others might have found me surly. Shocker, right? You made me feel comfortable for the first time with a group of women and that is a miracle all by itself, but then you also helped and encouraged me every step of the way to open Parker’s eyes and show him I was a full-grown woman who could handle him, and not the fifteen-year-old mouthy twerp he remembered. Now we’re married and I’ve never been happier.
You taught me to believe in myself and to believe in love. I can’t imagine my life without you in it, and now I don’t have to since you’re marrying my brother. You’re stuck with me for life! Welcome to the family.
Love,
Mad
The tears fell in earnest now. “Oh, Mad, you’ve done so much for me too. Get over here.” Mad was the first friend who saw the person Hailey was on the inside. Never catty or judgmental, Mad had helped Hailey claim her own strength as a woman. She’d also taught her self-defense and had treated Hailey like part of her close-knit family from the beginning. Hailey sniffled and opened her arms to Mad, who gave her a fierce hug.
Mad pulled away, tears in her eyes too. “I’ll get the tissues.” She rushed over to the vanity table in the corner of the room, pulled out a tissue and wiped her eyes.
“Hello?” Hailey called. “Pregnant bride tears over here!”
Mad grabbed the box and offered it to Hailey, looking at the ceiling to hold back her tears. They fell anyway. Hailey snagged a tissue and delicately wiped under her eyes.
She turned the page for the next message. This one was from Charlotte, a personal trainer who had once been terribly jaded about men. She was married to Josh’s younger brother Ty.
Hailey,
I may have been the worst candidate for matchmaking, but once you put the idea of Ty in my head, he barreled right into my heart. Your unwavering faith in love and constant support gave me the strength to open up to Ty, you, and our friends.
I will always be grateful for your part in getting me through the harrowing time when I was on bed rest with T.J. Your daily texts and phone calls reminded me I was not alone in this. I had you and my sisters to back me up. Moving the Happy Endings Book Club meetings to my bedroom kept me part of the group I needed more than ever. I’m thrilled to call you sister. I love you with all my heart. No, you’re crying. God, I’m already bawling just writing this. I wish you the happiest of happy endings with Josh. You deserve it.
Love,
Charlotte
Hailey looked up. “Char—” Her voice choked. It had been a difficult time for all of them when Charlotte was on bed rest. Both Charlotte and the baby had been in a high-risk situation. Luckily, they’d both pulled through. T.J. was a healthy toddler now.
Charlotte kissed her cheek and then hugged her. “Love you, girl.”
“Love you too,” she managed.
Charlotte pulled away with a smile. “I’m so happy for you and Josh, both for the wedding and the baby.”
The women chorused their agreement, swooping in to hug her. She stood, surrounded by her sisterhood. “Thank you,” Hailey choked out. She looked around at her friends, every one of them looking at her with love in their eyes. To think she’d tried to keep her pregnancy from them. She was so glad they were a part of it now. She smiled through her tears. “Look what you did, turning me into a blubbering mess! At least I won’t be a blubbering bride. I think I’ll be out of tears by then.”
“Yeah, right!” Claire exclaimed.
“I will, I swear,” Hailey said. She sat down and blew her nose. Claire ran to get a small wastebasket, offering it to her. She tossed her tissue in. “Going back in for the next beautiful note.”
