Page 38 of This Memory (Moose Village #3)

Brystol

The light knock on my door had me calling out, “Come in!”

Gavin poked his head in. “Hey, you wanted to see me?”

I turned on the stool and smiled. “Did you bring Pastor Mike?”

With a confused expression, he said, “I asked James to find him and bring him here. What’s going on? Please tell me you’re not worrying about your appearance because you look breathtaking in that gown. My mother, by the way, said it was bad luck to see each other before the ceremony.”

“I’ve got him! He was over near the bar,” James said, as he walked in with Pastor Mike.

He was only about five years older than us and new in town.

He came from Atlanta, Georgia, looking for a change of scenery and that small-town feel.

He quickly learned that small towns are beautiful, but they also come with at least one hardcore gossip.

So far, Betty Lou had him dating at least five different women in the six months he’d been here.

He and Nathan Banks had become close friends.

Pastor Mike smiled, his warm brown eyes landing on me as his cheeks colored. “I was simply seeing if they had any sweet tea. ”

James let out a bark of laughter. “You were avoiding Betty Lou.”

The pastor sighed. “She’s trying to fix me up with Tina Browning.”

“Harper’s youngest sister?” I asked. “But you’re older than her.”

Pastor Mike frowned. “You make me sound like I’m an old man. I’m not that much older!”

“I’m here! What’s wrong?” Harper asked as she burst into the room and came to a full stop. “Why is Gavin in here? And Pastor Mike?”

I stood. “We need to get married right now —and the fast version, please, Pastor.”

Confused, everyone looked around at each other.

“You mean, you’re ready to go to the ceremony?” Gavin asked.

“No, I mean, we need to do this right now . Right here.”

Harper walked over and placed a hand on my forehead. “Are you feeling okay?”

“Yep,” I replied, gently pushing her hand away.

The sound of someone running down the hall in heels had us all looking toward the door. Aurora came skidding into the room and smacked right into Pastor Mike.

“Oh my gosh, forgive me, Father!”

The corners of his mouth twitched, and he cleared his throat. “It’s just pastor.”

Aurora made the sign of the cross. “Oh right, I’m so sorry, forgive me again. I haven’t been to church in a long time. I still remember the Act of Contrition, though! I thought you were all fathers. ”

Pastor Mike blinked a few times and looked at James, who simply shrugged. When he looked back at Aurora, he said, “I’m not a Catholic priest.”

Her face turned bright red, and she looked away. Then she said, “I thought we lost our priest, Father. No—I mean, the pastor , but I see you’re just here.” She glanced around the room. “Wait, why is everyone in here?”

“We need to get married now and we can’t wait any longer. Someone go get our parents, Cadie, and whoever else is missing.”

Gavin walked over to me. “Brystol, why do we have to get married in the dressing room?”

I drew in a calming breath as another contraction started. I grabbed Gavin’s hand and squeezed—hard.

“Um…Bry…my hand. Baby, you’re going to break my hand!”

Remembering my Lamaze, I started to do my breathing exercises.

“Holy shit!” Harper cried out. “Sorry, Father! I mean, Pastor! She’s in labor.”

I tapped my nose and pointed to Harper. “Water. Broke.”

Suddenly, the room turned chaotic. James ran out, saying something about our parents. Aurora kicked off her heels and ran, Harper hot on her tail, both of them screaming Cadie’s name.

Gavin helped me to sit back down.

“That’s it, baby! Just breathe through it.”

“Should I leave?” Pastor Mike asked.

“No!” I cried out. “Just start with the vows. The condensed version, please. ”

He looked at me like I’d lost my mind. “How far apart are the contractions…?”

“Fifteen minutes. Go!” I shouted.

He jumped slightly then hurried over to us. “Okay, condensed version. Shit!”

Gavin and I both snapped our heads up to gape at him.

“Sorry. I’m nervous. Okay, um…so repeat after me. I, Gavin, take you, Brystol, to be my wife.”

Gavin repeated the vows.

“To have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until death do us part.”

Gavin looked at Pastor Mike. “I can’t remember a damn thing you just said.”

“Just say I do!” I cried out.

“That’s not what he’s supposed to say next.”

“I do! I do!” Gavin quickly stated.

I shot Pastor Mike a warning. “I take him for all the good and the bad, rich and poor, sick and healthy. Yes, I do.”

His eyes bounced between me and Gavin. “Um, right. Okay. Then I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss your bride.”

Gavin quickly kissed me on the lips before I pushed him back. “Get me out of this dress and back into my sweats and T-shirt.”

“I’m going to go sign the marriage certificate.”

“Thank you so much, Pastor Mike! You’re the best.”

He shook his head with a smile and said, “Good luck, and may you have a safe delivery. Blessings!”

“Thanks,” Gavin said, gently pushing him out the door then locking it. He turned to me. “You realize we’re going to have to do that again the right way.”

I nodded and quickly got undressed.

When I pulled the T-shirt I’d worn to the church over my head, Gavin stared at it. “You’re going to wear that to the hospital to give birth to our daughter?”

I glanced down. “What’s wrong with this shirt?”

“It’s a picture of a moose singing into a microphone and saying, It’s Perry, bitch .”

Looking at my shirt again, I smiled. I had been a huge Britney Spears fan back in the day, and when I saw this shirt I knew I had to have it.

“I’ll have you know, I get asked about this T-shirt all the time. It’s my good luck shirt.”

“ That’s your good luck shirt?”

I nodded—then clutched my stomach. “Another one’s coming.”

“Shit!” He quickly dropped to the floor and helped me get my sweats and shoes on. Someone started knocking on the door just as Gavin helped me stand up.

“My bag!” I said, pointing.

“I don’t suppose this is your hospital bag?”

Laughing, I opened the door to see my mother and Rachel. Behind them were our fathers.

“Mom, can you swing by our place and get my hospital bag?”

“Drake, can you get the car seat?” Gavin added.

A couple of feminine gasps broke out as we walked down the hall.

“You haven’t put the car seat in yet?” Rachel chastised. “Gavin Quinn, I told you to do that!”

“I thought I had time!”

“She’s thirty-eight weeks! What were you waiting for?” she said.

“Mom, now is not the time for a lecture.”

Aurora ran up next to me. “Pastor Mike signed the marriage certificate, and I have it.”

“You got married without us!” my mother cried.

“Not now, Mom. I’m kind of in the middle of having a baby!”

We finally made it to Gavin’s car. I groaned when I saw it was decked out for the wedding.

“You can’t drive to the hospital in that,” my father said. “Here, take my SUV.”

Gavin took the keys and wrapped his arm around my waist. “Almost there, baby.”

“I’m okay. I’m okay.”

He let out a nervous laugh. “Glad one of us is.”

“Can you drive?”

He reached out to open the car door and his hands were shaking. I glanced back. “I need someone to drive, Gavin’s freaking out.”

“Hey! I am not freaking out!”

James walked over and took the keys. “I’m a professional. I’ve got this.”

“No, I don’t think so,” Declan argued as he swiped the keys from James. “ I’ll drive.”

“He’s my brother. I’ll drive.” When he tried to grab the keys, Declan held them over his head.

“I’m driving.”

“No, I’m driving!”

“For the love of all the fucks and hells and sons-of-bitches, would the two of you stop fucking arguing before I bitch-slap the shit out of both of you! ”

“So much for not swearing in front of the baby,” Aurora said dryly, causing me to spin around and point at her.

“You. Y ou drive.”

She swallowed hard. “Me? Um, I don’t have my license. James should drive.”

“Fine,” I said, opening the car door and climbing in. “Everyone get in the car now!”

Gavin jumped into the back seat with Harper and Declan, while James slid into the driver’s seat.

“Don’t worry, Bry, I’ll get you there in a jiffy.”

I closed my eyes and started to breathe deeply. “I think the baby is coming.”

James started the car and pulled out.

“Don’t speed!” Gavin and Declan both cried out. Harper started rubbing my arm. “That’s it, deep breath in, exhale. You’ve got this, Bry.”

When we got to the hospital, my contractions were closer together. By the time I was in a room and changed, I was begging for drugs. Dr. Lark had just finished examining me.

“It’s too late for an epidural,” Dr. Lark said.

For a brief moment, I wondered who’d called her.

“What do you mean, it’s too late?” I cried out. “Gavin?”

“I’m right here, Bry. I’m right here.” He took my hand in his.

“It hurts!”

Leaning down, he kissed me. “I’m with you, baby. I’m not going anywhere.”

Dr. Lark said something to the nurse, who quickly rushed out of the room. Turning back to me, I could tell by the look on her face something was wrong.

“Oh, God, what’s wrong?” I asked.

“Your contractions are very close, but your cervix hasn’t opened enough for the baby to pass through the birth canal. We’re going to have to do a C-section.”

“What?” Gavin and I both said at the same time.

“I’m sorry. I know this isn’t what we’d planned, but if we wait, it will stress the baby, and we don’t want that. The easiest and safest thing to do is operate.”

I swallowed the sudden lump in my throat. “Can Gavin come?”

“As long as you don’t want a general anesthetic, yes.”

“No, I want to be awake.”

A nurse gently tapped Gavin’s arms. “Come on, let’s get you changed and scrubbed in.”

He turned back and quickly kissed me. “I love you. It’s going to be okay.”

I nodded. “I’ll see you soon.”

“See you in a bit.”

Before I knew what was happening, they took me out of the room and down a hall.

“My family,” I whispered.