The very familiar voice of Kayce Warren fills the cab. “Very funny. Yes, I know who that is.”
She snickers and turns it down a little.
Blake’s sister, Wrenley, is married to Kayce. He gave up his career soon after they got married though. Wrenley and Sierra are best friends, having grown up together in Georgia.
I got the entire love story, courtesy of Addison, one night while I was working late. She got the lowdown from Sierra and then talked my ear off about it. I’m not complaining—I enjoy her company—but it was definitely not something Iabsolutelyneeded to be educated on.
“Do you think he’d sing at my wedding if I asked?” she asked.
“Kayce?”
“Yeah.”
“I mean, he doesn’t know you?”
“Well, he will in February!” she reminds me.
Caden turns two in February and they’re having a little birthday weekend celebration. Blake and Sierra’s parents are coming to visit, along with Kayce and Wrenley. Addison’s excited. She hasn’t shut up about it since she got the invite a few days ago.
“What song would you want him to sing? He doesn’t have a ton of love songs, does he? Aren’t they mostly about breakups?” I say.
“Well, he could write one.” She shrugs.
I let out a laugh I can’t contain. “You think he’s gonna write and perform a song just foryourwedding?”
“No.” She snickers. “But I can dream, can’t I?”
“Yeah, but maybe just focus on the idea of even getting married first.” The words slip off my tongue before I can stop them. The shift in the cab makes me feel sick. My eyes flick to her. “I didnotmean that to sound how it did.”
“I know.” Her eyes dim. “But you’re not wrong.”
“I just meant, figure out those details later, you know?”
Addison has always been on edge at the thought of marriage. Shewantsto get married one day and have a bunch of kids, but with her anxiety, she has a hard time seeing it play out. If I’m being honest, I do too. But I’d never admit that to her. That’s the last thing she needs.
She looks down at her hands, and other than the radio playing, the cab falls quiet quickly. Imagining her and Brantley getting married might be the scariest thing that’s ever crossed my mind.
“I already know I want to dance to ‘Forever to Me’ by Cole Swindell. Not as the first dance, but at some point.”
“Yeah? That’s a good song,” I agree, as the words slowly surface in my mind.
She picks up my phone. “I’m gonna play it.”
She turns up the volume as the music starts to play.
And suddenly, it’s the longest song ever. I feel itchy, sweaty, the air feels thicker, my heart starts to race.
I clear my throat. I can’t listen to the rest with her. It’ll kill me.
I reach to turn the volume down. “How long until Jesse and Ella have the baby?”
“Less than a month. She’s due the twenty-third, I think.”
“It’ll be an eventful Christmas for you all then.”
“Yeah, Ella’s hoping the baby comes early so she isn’t in the hospital over Christmas,” she says, and continues to talk about Jesse and Ella’s and their baby. I’m listening, but I’m more focused on the relief I feel from getting out of listening to the rest of that song with her.
Chapter 17
