Page 74 of Waiting for Acceptance (Nashville Nights #5)
LAUREN
ONE YEAR LATER
I’ve been awake, running my fingers through Fitz’s dark hair, for almost an hour.
Staring at my engagement ring as I take in the fact that we’re getting married tomorrow.
I know everyone is going to be getting here soon to get ready for bachelorette night, but I’m trying to savor this quiet moment with my future husband while I can.
We’ve spent the last year adjusting to our new life in New York, and while I spent the first two months being emotionally unstable at times over being so far away from my friends, Fitz never stopped being the supportive man I fell in love with.
I’ve absolutely loved seeing him run the ranch and learning my new role at The Fitzgerald Firm has been just the career change I needed.
I quickly noticed that Frank is more like a dad to Fitz than his real father ever has been, and it’s been an honor to work so closely with him this past year.
I’ll miss him when he leaves, but luckily he’s assured us he’ll never be too far.
“Please don’t ever stop. This feels so good.” I smile as Fitz wraps his arms tighter around my waist.
“Well, you’ve always spoiled me with foot rubs and played with my hair to put me to sleep, I thought you should know how good it feels.” I kiss the top of his head and he finally sits up, cupping my face and taking my lips in his.
“When is everyone supposed to be here?” he growls against my lips.
“Umm…” I hear a knock on the door and he groans.
“No! I need more time.” I laugh, pulling him out of bed with me.
“And the rest of our lives isn’t enough?” I tease, stopping right in front of the door. “No amount of time with you will ever be enough, Trouble.”
“We can hear you! Open the door!” Taylor yells and I laugh, kissing Fitz once more before swinging the door open.
“AHHHHHHH!” All four girls and Luther pile into the house screaming, wrapping me in a hug that pushes Fitz off to the side.
“No no, I’m fine over here, thanks.” Luther pulls away from the group and hums.
“Oh, please get your fine ass in on this hug.” His eyes take in Fitz in his sweatpants and shirtless body, and I suddenly regret letting him come to the door looking like that.
“ Actually –” I stand in front of Fitz, covering his chest and blocking Luther’s view. “He has to go grab his stuff and head out.”
“Party pooper.” I turn around and kiss Fitz, sending him off to our room, biting my lip as I watch him go.
God that man is sexy.
“That jet was insane. I am ruined for commercial flights now,” Ruby says, bringing my attention back to them.
“Oh, one hundred percent. I’ll never be the same,” Taylor agrees, putting a brown paper bag down on the counter.
“Did Loretta make it too?” I ask, looking in the hall before shutting the door that was left open.
“You know she wouldn’t miss it for the world.
We dropped her and the babies off with Marilyn and Tony at the ranch before we came here.
” Fitz and I have been building our own house on the ranch, wanting Gran and Pops to keep their place there.
It didn’t feel right to take the place they’ve always called home, so we’ve been staying at our place in the city while it’s being built.
The contractor said it should be done by the time we make it back from our honeymoon, but Gran and Pops had a couple of empty rooms and offered them to Leah and Taylor’s parents for this weekend.
“I’m so glad they all made it and I’m extremely grateful they were willing to watch the babies tonight so we could do this.” I pull out my phone to text them both as much, just as I hear something rattling across the kitchen.
“It’s the last bachelorette party so you know what that means,” Taylor sings as she shakes a box.
“PEEN PASTA!” they all yell together. I bury my face in my hands, before walking over and taking it from her.
“I cannot believe you remembered.”
“Um, duh. It’s a tradition at this point.
” She snatches it back and starts directing us all, in true Taylor fashion.
“Okay, Shane has our matching pj’s. Ruby has the drink mix.
I’ll get started on the pasta, and Leah, you get the music going.
Luther, grab the skin-care items. This might be our last girls’ night for a while, let’s make it count.
” She winks at me and I pull her in for a hug, the rest of them quickly run over to join us.
“Oh my gosh! I forgot to show you.” Taylor gasps, pulling her phone from her pocket.
“We have puppies!” She turns her phone around to show me a photo of the cutest bunch of puppies I’ve ever seen.
Tucker and Taylor ended up getting a dog the same week I moved to New York, and then got another one a week later. Now they have puppies, apparently.
“Your husband’s wedding gift will be ready in six to eight weeks.” I smile at her gratefully.
“Ginny is going to hate this.” I laugh, pulling the phone closer to look at the little fur balls.
“Ok. Enough staring at puppies. We have shit to do. Our girl is getting married! ” Shane squeals.
This is it. I’m really getting married.
FITZ
I never had a lot of friends growing up.
I spent most of my time on the ranch, and when I went to school I was a little anti-social, if you will, and didn’t really care to make connections with anyone.
As I made my way into adulthood, nothing really changed.
I was fine not having anyone to grab a beer with, and I spent every waking hour at work anyway, so I never realized what I was missing.
Until this bunch of lunatics came around as a packaged deal to the woman I’m marrying, and now I can’t imagine not having them around.
“What did you guys do for your bachelor parties?” I ask from my end of the pool table. It’s not exactly Chattahoochies, but the pool hall we ended up at is proving to be a good time so far.
“We did a cigar lounge and night vision paintball for Max’s.
Tank didn’t have one because he got married so damn quick, and I’m pretty sure we did exactly what we’re doing now for mine only we were at Chattahoochies,” Tucker concludes, pointing a finger at Sawyer.
“Then this bastard surprised us all with his fucking wedding ceremony the night of. We thought it was a celebratory dinner for winning the Stanley Cup, but nooo , so we didn’t do shit for him either. ”
“Sounds like you’ve really been robbed, man,” I tease, slapping him on the shoulder, causing the other guys to snicker.
“Whatever. Not like I wanted to do anything super cool for you assholes anyway. I’m getting too old for this shit.”
“Well, I don’t like extravagant shit, and I’m definitely not one of those guys trying to go to a strip club for my bachelor party. I don’t believe in that last night as a free man bullshit.”
“My man. Me either.” Max holds his fist up and I bump it.
“Yeah, whoever came up with that idea probably shouldn’t have gotten married in the first place,” Sawyer adds, setting his beer down to take his shot.
“Hell yeah. Welcome to the whipped men’s club.” I almost choke on my drink as Tucker grins, pumping his fist in the air.
I tilt my head, laughing. “Happy to be here.”
“How’s everything going at the house?” Tank asks.
“Finished, actually. Lauren still thinks it won’t be done until we get back from our honeymoon, but I’m surprising her tomorrow after the ceremony.”
Max asks, leaning against the pool table, leveling me with a stare. “You ready?”
“I’ve never looked forward to anything the way I’m looking forward to this day.”
“Let’s get this man home. Don’t want him too tired to remember his vows tomorrow.” We rack our pool cues and I laugh.
“That’s why I wrote them down.”
Even though there’s no way I would forget everything I want to vow to her tomorrow.
Max
Dude, where are you?
Tucker
I know rain is good luck on your wedding day, seeing the bride is bad luck, but I’m not exactly sure what to qualify not being able to find the groom??
Sawyer
If Lauren finds out? A category five disaster.
Tank
We’ll be there soon, shit. Calm down.
Tucker
You’re WITH him? I thought you were taking the world’s longest shit.
Tank
Why? Why would you think that?
Tucker
shrug emoji
Sawyer
He better not be delivering or butchering an animal.
Tank
His phone is literally off, you’re all just talking to yourselves.
Max
Technically, we could be talking to him if you’d just relay the fucking message.
Tank
I’m the best man, not the mailman. middle finger emoji
Tucker
I’m still not sure how that happened. Didn’t you used to hate him?
Tank
Dude, you realize he WILL see these messages eventually right?
Tucker
zipped lip emoji
Watching Lauren adjust to our new normal over the last twelve months has been nothing short of astounding.
Her first day as COO I had people calling and texting me non-stop that I better not do anything to lose her because I couldn’t possibly do better—all things I already knew.
She took on her new position, has been involved in every step of the building process of our house at the ranch, and planning our wedding without so much as batting an eye.
Today, I get to make this amazing woman my wife.
Tank and I rushed to make it to the hill after I put her wedding gift in our honeymoon bag.
It’s the desk plaque with her name and Chief Executive Officer on it and a new pair of red-bottomed shoes for her first day in her new position as owner.