Page 73 of Waiting for Acceptance (Nashville Nights #5)

FITZ

THE PACKING PARTY

Lauren and I got all the boxes assembled last night so they would be ready for us to pack up and load onto the moving truck.

Then ran out and grabbed coffee and breakfast sandwiches for everyone this morning, giving Lauren the chance to cry over how much she’s going to miss her favorite coffee shop.

I know we’ll go through the grief of everything she’s leaving behind, but I’m fully prepared to listen and comfort her until she starts to love the places around our new home.

The door swings open and Taylor walks in with packing tape and bubble wrap in her arms.

“Packing party is here!” she yells. Lauren runs over and they wrap their arms around each other, and Tucker and I bump fists. Ginny jumps up onto the counter next to us and Tucker jumps.

“When the fuck did you get a cat?!” Lauren and Taylor burst out laughing. “Hey, kitty kitty,” Tucker coos, picking her up and petting under her chin, making her purr. They rub their heads together and the three of us just stand back watching them. “What’s her name?” He looks at Lauren.

“Ginny.”

“Let me keep her.” The girls fall over in laughter again and I shake my head, laughing with them.

“I told you!” Taylor yells.

“Told her what? Stop talking shit. She loves me. She doesn’t wanna move to New York. Do you Ginny?” Tucker lifts her up and she meows. “See.”

“Ginny loves New York, actually. You can’t have my cat, Tucker.” Lauren tries to take her from him but he turns in the other direction, blocking her from being able to.

“I just met her, let me hold her a little longer. Stingy ass.”

“You’re unbelievable.” Lauren rolls her eyes at Tucker, walking back over and stopping by Taylor. “Please take him to the animal shelter when you leave here.”

“Nah. I think I’ll keep him.” They laugh as the rest of the crew comes flooding through the door. Ten adults, three kids, and Ginny makes for a crowded ass house, but the laughter that fills every inch of this place is something I wouldn’t dream of taking away from my future wife.

“Did I ever tell you guys about the time that Tucker almost killed Zander in front of my house?” Taylor asks, taping up a box full of Lauren’s clothes.

“Really, Darlin’? That’s the topic of conversation you’re choosing during a lull?” Tucker sighs, and Taylor shushes him.

“That doesn’t surprise me, but details please.” Leah leans over the counter in the kitchen, where she’s boxing up kitchen supplies Lauren is donating to the thrift store.

“It was the night he finally took me on a proper date, and we ran into both of my exes. Michael was the waiter, but y’all knew that already.

Then when we got home, Zander’s drunk ass was on my porch talking shit, so Tucker choked him out and was going to leave him in the bushes while we ordered takeout.

We had to send him home in an Uber so the takeout guy wouldn’t think we murdered someone.

” The girls burst out laughing and the guys in the room all shrug in solidarity.

Meanwhile, I’m realizing just how crazy my new friends are.

“Y’all remember that time Max punched Pete when he showed up at Black Hearts? I think I fell in love with him that night.”

“I thought you were already in love with me. I didn’t know the violence is what did it for you.” He slaps Shane’s ass and she pretends to be mad, swatting his hand away with a grin on her face.

“Has anyone here not assaulted someone for their wife?” I ask and everyone laughs.

“Yeah, pretty much,” Sawyer says, making Leah roll her eyes at him as she wraps her arms around his waist.

Leah roll her eyes at him as she wraps her arms around his waist.

Ruby appears from the bathroom with a box in her hands. “Tank kind of takes the cake when it comes to wife-related violence?—”

“Please reword that.” Tank cuts her off, and she corrects herself.

“When it comes to violence on behalf of his wife.”

“Thank you.”

Ruby waves the Sharpie she’s been marking boxes with around and continues, “I thought for sure we were covering up a murder the night he hunted down my ex at the trashy motel one town over.” My eyebrows bounce to my hairline.

“He was an abusive piece of shit that was low-key stalking me for like a year. Then he showed up at work and put his hands on me.” How the fuck does she say that so casually?

“Jesus. I’d hate to be that guy,” I mumble, stacking a few more boxes by the door.

“But look at us now, all happily married, or engaged, to men who would quite literally burn down the world for us, with friends who are more like family, and an army of babies in the making.” Shane smiles and rubs her stomach at Leah’s words.

“Speaking of which…” Leah pulls a piece of paper from her back pocket and the whole room gasps.

“We’re adding another one to the baby gang. ”

“SHUT UP RIGHT NOW!”

“OH MY GOSH THAT’S AMAZING.”

“Thanks! We just found out for sure yesterday.” Sawyer kisses Leah’s forehead and she smiles up at him.

“Can we please get a dog? I feel left out, dammit.” Tucker’s response has the whole room laughing.

“Congratulations you guys!” Lauren runs over and hugs them both, and I follow to do the same.

“You better call me as soon as you feel the slightest contraction so I don’t miss this baby’s birth.

You know how I feel about birthdays.” Lauren holds Leah’s stomach, even though she isn’t showing yet.

It takes a while to get back to packing, but once Lauren turns the volume up on her music, the whole house gets moving, and within two hours, everything is ready to go to New York or the thrift store.

The girls all took turns taking things from the donation boxes, filling bags for themselves of Lauren’s stuff.

It’s literally like she has four sisters.

When the house is completely packed we all stand in the kitchen, looking at the empty space while the girls sniffle and fight back their tears.

“One last trip to Spur’s?” Lauren asks.

“Fuck, yes. I’m starving.” Max agrees, immediately. Grabbing Cece from where she’s playing with her blocks on the floor. “I’ll be in the car.” Shane shakes her head, laughing as she grabs the diaper bag from the counter.

“We’ll get a table, apparently. See you guys there.

” Everyone gathers their stuff, leaving Lauren and I standing alone in the quiet house.

Today was such a fun day, and I do hate that we won’t get to have days or nights like this regularly with them.

But I know as soon as we’re all together again, it’ll be like no time has passed.

These aren’t the kind of friends you lose that type of connection with.

“Still sure you want to do this?” I ask, praying she hasn’t changed her mind.

She rests her head on my shoulder. “I’ll always be sure about my life with you, Vince. I’ll miss my friends, but I’ll be fine as long as I have you.” She looks up at me and I take her face in my hands, kissing her softly.

“For as long as you’ll have me, I’m yours, Trouble.”