I’m a bride.
I’m actually getting married.
Chapter 4
Tanner
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” Frustration and panic settle in my veins as the voice on the other line crushes any goals I had for this job. My free hand slides down my face, my fingers settling at the bridge of my nose and squeezing.
Everything about this damn job has gone off without a hitch. That is, until now.
“So, you’re telling me that everything is delayed? Nothing is coming for another month?” Barely contained anger seeps through my voice. Delays in construction are typical. A month delay on a project that my future wife’s happiness is riding on? Catastrophic.
What the hell am I going to do if I don’t get this job done on schedule? I can kiss that sweet promotion goodbye.
Kate deserves so much more than I’m giving her.
Muttering a quick goodbye, the newfound stress of this situation settles on me. The whole job will be at a standstill without that order.
I’m well and truly fucked.
By the time I reach home, there’s no pulling me back from the crushing weight of this setback. Maybe beer is in order. Or ten.
The apartment is still and quiet when the door closes behind me. Kate has an open house on a large property tonight with some upscale clientele. So, I’m all alone for the evening, which is just fine with me.
We’ve been wedding planning nonstop for the past month and finally nailed down a date in September, a solid five months away. Kate always wanted an autumn wedding and the venue that she fell in love with had an opening. According to her, it was kismet.
All of this is for her. We could get married in a dump wearing garbage bags surrounded by a family of raccoons, and the only thing I would be thinking about is how much I love her.
After a quick shower, I plop down on the couch in sweatpants with a sandwich and an ice-cold beer in hand. Quickly flipping through channels, I settle on reruns of Friends. This show is a comfort watch for my girl, and I have to admit, they’re quickly becoming mine as well—I could use some levity right about now.
Immediately I recognize this episode as one of Kate’s favorites. The one where she laughs so hard, she snorts. I smile just thinking about it. God, she’s perfect.
Ross is all dressed up in a tuxedo, Phoebe has a god-awful bow pinned to her chest, Rachel is in her pajamas, and Joey comes into the apartment wearing all of Chandler’s clothes. This shit is hysterical.
My body relaxes further into the couch the longer I watch and the worry of the job site and delays fade into the background.
Several hours—and beers—later, Kate walks through the door looking pretty damn similar to how I felt earlier. Her oversized bag hits the floor with a thud. She kicks off her shoes, and crawls into my lap, her legs straddling my hips with her head buried in my shoulder. Instinctively my arms wrap around her, pulling her closer to me and breathing a sigh of relief.
Having her in my arms makes me whole.
We sit for who knows how long breathing each other in while reruns play in the background. I can tell she’s had a rough day and sitting with her until she’s ready is what I’m going to do. My hands glide up and down her back occasionally stopping to massage her shoulders until she starts to relax.
I can always tell when my girl is having a rough time. Something must’ve happened at the open house, or the events of the day have finally gotten to her. She’s so strong, my girl, but she lowers her guard for me.
Kate hums into the crook of my neck and snuggles closer to me. “I’m just so tired.” Her voice is muffled with her face pressed against my skin. Still, I say nothing, happy to run my hands up and down her back. I have a feeling she needs a listening ear, so I’ll wait until she’s ready.
She sits up slowly until we’re face to face. Now I can see the dark circles under her eyes, the exhaustion clear on her face. Kate sucks in a ragged breath and slowly lets it out before unloading. “Why do I try so damn hard when no one appreciates it? Chelsea can’t seem to say one nice word to me. I do everything for her, I mean, yes, she’s the senior associate and she calls all the shots, but that doesn’t mean that she can be a massive bitch to me.” Tears well up in those blue eyes and my hand moves to cradle her face. “I did everything tonight. Everything. I got to the house early to do the walkthrough and let the caterers in. And when the guests got there, she basically treated me like her personal assistant instead of her co-worker.”
Stands of her auburn hair fall on her forehead and I brush them back. “Do you want me to listen or offer advice?”
“Advice, I guess,” she sniffles loudly and starts fiddling with her nails.
“Sweetheart, you're doing everything right. You have an amazing work ethic and are an asset to any team. My guess is that you are going to be the reason that the house sells. All of your hard work will pay off whether Chelsea acknowledges it or not. And trust me, your bosses will notice all of the things you’re doing.” Thankfully her tears start to dry and I wipe away what remains with a brush of my thumb.
“You’re right. I would have done everything no matter if she expected me to or not. It just sucks that I’m doing everything on my own.” She swipes a stand of hair off her face and huffs a sigh.
“I know,” I say, voice gentle with understanding. “But I promise that someone will see how hard you’re working, and it’ll all pay off.”
