Page 116 of Ridin' True

Iwasstartingtopanic.

I’d been nauseous all week—but this was bad.

No, it was worse than bad.

It was my wedding day, and I couldn’t keep anything down.

I brushed my teeth for the third time, rinsed out my mouth, and then stared at myself in the mirror. My hair was still in huge curlers, and we were holding off on my makeup, but if we didn’t start soon, we’d be cutting it close.

Jed and I weren’t having a huge wedding, like Jenna and Kade. Their January ceremony had been like a winter fairytale—only with a bunch of men in leather kuttes. It was beautiful and romantic at a venue in Jackson, Wyoming with the most stunning views. Ours would be great, just on a smaller scale. Rather than a weekend getaway event, our venue was only an hour from Gillette in Spearfish, South Dakota. We were getting married outside, and the weather that afternoon was going to be perfect.

While I looked a little pale, other than an upset stomach, I was fine. I had to be. There was no way I could reschedule my day. I took a deep breath, and I thought maybe—just maybe—I was feeling better.

“Okay, I’m back,” called Bella from the bridal suite. “Got you some Gatorade.”

Hopeful some electrolytes would do me good, I exited the bathroom and returned to my crew.

“Do you want me to go get dad?” asked Marlowe, concern tugging at her brow.

I looked to my junior bridesmaid where she sat for Tess, who was curling her hair.

“No. No Jed,” declared Bella, my dutiful maid-of-honor, before I could reply. “It’s bad luck. Here.”

She handed me a plastic sack, and I took it as Jenna weighed in, “You don’t really believe that, do you? Kade and I woke up together on our wedding day, and we’re doing just fine.”

“Better than fine, I’d say,” said Winnie with a knowing grin.

I smiled at Jenna. She was already dolled up for the day and sitting on a nearby couch, holding Tess and Mustang’s six-month-old baby girl atop her own protruding belly. She was just shy of nine months pregnant, their baby boy expected any day now.

“I’m sure it’s just nerves,” commented mami, who was finishing her own makeup.

“But I’m not nervous,” I insisted. “He’s the love of my life. This day couldn’t have come soon enough.”

“Mommy, when can I put on my dress?” asked Ellie, who was to be my flower girl.

“Soon. Abuela’s got to do your hair.” She paused and then eyed me carefully before she stated, “AndIhave to doyourmakeup. Has your morning sickness passed yet?”

I flinched at the term.

“Morning sickness? Bella, I’m notpregnant.”

“Yeah? You sure about that? Only one way to find out,” she said with a shrug.

Suddenly suspicious, I opened the sack in my hand and gasped at what I found.

“Bella!”

Laughing, she said, “Drink up. You’ve got a stick to pee on.”

Two seconds ago, I wasn’t nervous.

Now, I couldn’t say the same.

“Lexi—do you think you are? Have you guys been trying?” asked Tess.

“No, we haven’t.”

I stared down at the pregnancy test next to my Gatorade and tried to think if I’d forgotten to take my birth control at any time in the last several weeks. Things had been crazy busy between work and the wedding, but every day before the one in which I stood was like a blur. My period was late, but I assumed that was on account of stress, and I already accepted the likelihood of it arriving on our honeymoon.