Page 36 of Forever After All (Pine Harbour #2)
Alice
O ne week later, we pull up to Autumn and Sawyer's newly finished home. Keeping our engagement a secret has almost killed me. We promised not to tell anyone until everyone could be together, so for the best part of a week, I’ve avoided my best friend like the plague.
We plan to dial my parents in on a video call so they can be part of the announcement, so with every message and call we have made to each other, I've done my best not to blurt out our news.
I hop out of Carter's truck, feet crunching on the ground, and he walks by my side and gently taps my ass. I feel the satisfying bounce as he does. Apparently, he does too.
"Princess, did your butt get even better somehow?" Carter asks in a low whisper.
I giggle in return.
With a bottle of champagne in one hand, I ring the bell with my other, and Jed starts to bark.
The Green family are here for the housewarming.
Carter's parents, Claudia and Frank. His other brother Oliver, his wife, Lottie, and their daughter, Poppy.
Even Lainey, their sister, has made it home from working overseas.
"Coming!" I hear her shout from the far end of the house, and her distorted image comes into view through the frosted glass. The door swings open and my best friend pulls me into a hug.
"God, I missed you, Ali," she chimes in my ear. "Are you okay? Like, really okay?" she asks, and I nod against her.
"I missed you too," I answer, squeezing her harder. "I'm better than okay," I reply, and she pulls away from me to hold me by the shoulders, looking at be quizzically.
Jed comes running through the house, panting, and bashes into my legs, desperate for attention from his Auntie Alice. I break away from Autumn and crouch down to greet my furry best friend as he slobbers over me
"Missed you too, boy." I ruffle his ears, with the hand not holding the bottle and he playfully howls before getting the zoomies around the house.
His feet causing chaos against the wooden flooring.
Jed crashes into me and I drop the champagne.
It smashes to the floor, breaks and floods the brand-new hardwood.
"Jed!" Sawyer shouts from behind us and he moves faster than I know possible, scooping Jed up into his arms. A big, burly man carrying a lump of a dog will never not be cute to me. "You're a dumb dog, you know that?" He nestles into Jed's fur. "You could've hurt yourself," he grumbles.
Seeing my best friend's husband treating their dog like a baby is hilarious.
"I'm gonna take him outside," he says. "I don't want him to cut his paws." Then he walks to the back of the house, into the yard, pulling the back door shut behind him.
"Autumn, I'm so sorry." I panic a little, seeing the champagne spreading out slowly on the floor.
"Hey, don't worry," she says, frantically gathering towels and a dustpan and broom.
"Someone had to christen the floor, I'm just glad it wasn't me.
It wasn't your fault, it was Jed's." She beams at me before throwing a large towel down over the mess, then brushes her dark hair out of her face with the back of her hand.
"I'm sorry, I don't know where anything is," I chime in, standing there feeling useless. "Otherwise, I'd help."
"I think that's my cue to leave," Carter says from beside me. "I'm going to find my brother." He dodges broken glass and a puddle of champagne before leaving through the back of the house to join Sawyer and Jed outside.
"Thanks for the help, dumbass," Autumn calls after him as he goes .
I laugh, enjoying their banter-filled relationship. He really is the brother she never had.
"Sooo," I say as Autumn clears up the last of the carnage. Crouched down and balancing on the balls of her feet, she looks up at me.
"There’s actually a reason for the champagne—other than your housewarming, of course," I say as I bounce on the heels of my feet.
"Oh my fucking god." She pushes up to stand. "Are you getting married?" she squeals at the top of her voice.
"Shh." I press my finger to my mouth, urging her to dial it back a little. "Yes!" I beam. We’re going to tell everyone tonight, but I want you to be the first to know. I couldn’t keep it in any longer. I haven't even told my mum and dad yet; we're going to video call them at the same time."
Autumn jumps up and down then launches herself at me, and we both fall back, crashing into the floor. My ass slams into the hardwood and I groan as my head smacks into the floor.
"Jesus, woman." I laugh and sit up, rubbing the back of my head. "Please don't kill me before I have the chance to get married."
"Oh, Ali, I'm so happy for you." My best friend pulls me to standing before leading me out through the back of the house. "Come on, let’s go. "
Autumn opens the back door and steps through. I follow, shading the bright sunlight from my eyes and eruptions of voices all shout at the same time.
"Surprise!" my mum yells, and my dad does the same, both holding a banner that says congratulations on your engagement!
I stand in silence for a moment, totally dumbfounded, unable to process my parents standing in front of me. Carter moves to my side and kisses me on top of the head.
"I'm sorry, princess, but everyone knows," he starts.
"Yep, even me." Autumn jumps up and down on the grass.
"I couldn't tell my family without telling yours, so I flew them out two days ago and they've been staying here with Autumn and Sawyer." Carter gives me a look that warms me from the inside.
"Oh my god, why would you do this? Why wouldn't you tell me?" I ask with a little lump in my throat.
"Because I want to make you happy and I want to surprise you every day of your life," he finishes.
And that’s when I notice everyone else. Brenna, Anna, and some of Carter's friends too. Mac, Callen, and some other hockey friends all gather with the rest of our friends and family.
I immediately look for my dad again and seeing the twinkle in his eye sends me over the edge. I burst into tears and run to him as he wraps me in a hug that only a dad can give you.
"Hi, sweet pea." He hugs me tighter. "We missed you," he says, fighting his own emotion back down. "I'm so proud of you. What a fine choice of husband," he finishes.
"He is pretty great, I'll give you that," I say as I wipe away tears from my cheek with the back of my hand.
Autumn, Brenna, and my mum pull me through the doors of a bridal store. The walls are lined with dresses in varying shades of white, cream, and pink. I feel overwhelmed at the choices, not knowing at all what might suit me.
"Ali, this is meant to be fun, don't stress about it." Autumn squeezes my hand.
"Hi, honey," the bridal consultant says with a giant smile showing off her perfect, pearly white teeth. "Do you have any thoughts on what styles you like? Colours, length?"
I look at her a little blankly at first. "Honestly? I don't know at all." I shrug my shoulders a little, already feeling defeated.
"Well, it's good for you that it's what I'm here for." She smiles at me again. "Don't worry, we have the whole afternoon. Take your time, don't rush, I can pick out styles and shades that I think might look good on you. "
"Thank you." I nod at her and relax a little. She has an amazing calming quality about her, which is probably why she works with brides-to-be.
A couple of hours of trying of different styles of dresses don't fill me with confidence.
After showcasing them to the ladies, nobody is ever in agreement all together. We all like the neckline on one, the bodice on another, the sleeves on another and so on. I am sure I could have made my dream dress if I cut up ten different ones and sewed all the bits that I liked together.
"Can you come with me for a second?" the consultant asks and helps me down from the platform. "Okay, hear me out," she says, pulling me to the back of the store, "Have you ever considered black?"
"Black?" I ask, sounding incredibly sceptical.
"You don't seem happy in any of them, and that's totally okay, but I think it's time you try something different.
" She pulls a strapless dress off the rack that is black and beaded.
The bodice is a nude-coloured material, draped in black lace with heavy beading over it.
The skirt is floor length and plain black with some accent beads dotted over it.
My eyes almost pop out of my head at how beautiful it is.
"Well, fuck," I say a little too loudly and giggle. "Sorry, I just didn't expect…well, that." I gesture to the dress as the beads sh ine under the spotlight, and my mouth pops open as she pulls it further into view.
"Do you want to try it?"
"I really, really do." I beam at her, and she directs me to the changing room. Helping me into the dress, she fastens the corset back with clips. My long hair falls over my shoulders, partially covering the strings at the back.
"I'll be back in a minute, okay?" she says as she leaves me to admire myself in the mirror. I never in a million years saw myself wearing black to my own wedding, but this is something else.
"Okay, ladies," I hear the consultant say at the front of the store. "Please close your eyes and no peeking." Then she heads back to collect me from the changing room.
She stands me back on the platform and adjusts the full skirt of the dress, fluffing it out to exactly where it needs to be.
"Okay, you can open them now," she says, standing back as my mum, Autumn, and Brenna open their eyes at the same time.
Immediately, my mum cries, followed by Autumn.
Brenna looks between the two crying women, then back at me. "Honestly, Alice, I don't cry, but if I did, then I would be right now." She smiles at me. "I think you've found your dress."
"Oh my, Alice." My mum squeals out her words between sobbing. "This is the one. "
"I think it is too." I look at my best friend as she nods in agreement, her bottom lip trembling as she does.