“I’m pretty sure you don’t need to worry about Dani being deflowered, dear,” Kelly snickers, placing her hand on her husband’s chest, and he hangs his head down with the awkward turn this conversation has taken.
Haylee snorts at her mother-in-law’s comment before falling into a fit of drunk giggling. She clearly had a little too much wine tonight at dinner.
“And that’s enough out of you, babe,” Zach says before pressing a kiss to the top of his wife’s head.
“Oh my God,” Dani mutters.
I pull her tighter to me and turn back to Adam. “You got it, sir. No babies until tomorrow.”
I salute him, and he nods.
Dani claps her hands together. “Well, as exciting as it is to be discussing my sex life in front of my parents and family, what do you say we all say good night? You know, big day tomorrow and all.”
“I second this. I don’t need or want to hear all about this. Plus, this little princess is ready for bed.” Zach hands his daughter off to his dad gently.
Emme doesn’t even stir. That little girl is out cold. Zach and Dani’s parents are taking Emme to the hotel tonight, where they are staying with Haylee’s parents.
We make our way to where we have parked after saying farewell to my mom, the Jacobses, and the Hankses. Standing by my truck, I reach in and grab the envelope that I had gotten for Dani.
“What’s this?” she asks, rubbing her delicate fingers over the front of the envelope where her name is written in my terrible handwriting.
“It’s for you. Just promise me you’ll open it when you get to Haylee’s.”
She reaches into her overnight bag that she had already gotten out of the passenger side of the truck and pulls out an envelope as well.
“You wrote me one too?” I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.
I take the envelope from her and pull her into my arms. I place my hands on the nape of her neck and pull her mouth to mine. With my hands now buried in her hair and my tongue buried in her mouth, she is quickly yanked away.
“Okay, okay, you two. Time to break it up and go your separate ways. Ladies, this way. We’re heading back to my house. And Ky, you go home with my husband.” Haylee pauses. “Well, that’s an interesting image in my head.” She laughs and waves her hand in the air.
Haylee loops her arm in Dani’s and begins to pull away. I never take my eyes off of Dani as she walks away. I wait for it. I know it’s coming.
There it is.
Dani glances over her left shoulder for one last look. It’s something she does every time she walks away, even though she will deny it.
“Stop staring at my sister’s ass. That’s just weird,” Zach says, now beside me.
I punch his arm. “Fuck off, asshole. Don’t act like you weren’t staring at your own wife’s ass.” I walk around to the driver’s side.
“Oh, you know I will never deny that, but it’s just weird knowing you were looking at my sister’s,” he laughs, settling into his seat.
Well, he’d better get used to it, because I never plan to stop.
I shake my head at him while I turn the key in the ignition. “You know, before you and Haylee got together, I caught you staring at both of my sisters’ asses at one point.”
He shrugs and waves his hand in the air. “That was the old me—you know, back when I was young and stupid.”
I pull out of the parking space and head toward our house. “And now you’re wiser. Is that what you’re saying?”
“Damn straight. Love changes a man.”
I can’t disagree with him there. That may just be one of the smartest things to ever come out of my best friend’s mouth because the guy I met that first day of class is definitely not the same man sitting next to me. Hell, I’m not even the same man. Love has changed us both for the better.
Once back at Haylee and Zach’s, we all change into our pajamas. Tonight is going to be a true slumber party style—junk food, movies, and just us girls. Haylee set me up in my old room for the night—or, well, my original room from when I moved in. My old room, as in Kyler’s and my old room, is now Emme’s room. Tonight, she is staying in the hotel with our parents, and she will be coming back in the morning with the moms to get ready.
When I open my bag, I notice the pajama top I packed earlier has been replaced. I pull out a white jersey-style shirt with “Bride” written in the front, and on the back it says “Lawson 20” in honor of the year I become Danielle Lawson. When the hell did he have time to switch this?