This waking up in the morning and drinking coffee and living a life together. Today it was going to a wedding, but tomorrow it could have just been us. Taking our coffee to the porch, watching Theo chase falling leaves. Iggy’s head resting against my shoulder.
Iggy’s hand tucked safely into mine.
Ahome.
It’d been a long time since any place had felt like that, if any place ever had.
Was I really thinking this? I couldn’t remember ever thinking anything like this before.
It was probably just the incredibly satisfying sex talking.
Yeah. That had to be it. I didn’t seriously want…
A tiny high-pitched bark startled me out of my thoughts, Theo looking up at me with those devastating puppy eyes I just couldn’t say no to.
“Hey buddy,” I said, crouching down to pet his head. “I’d love to cuddle you, but it’s gotta wait until after the wedding, or Seth will skin me and use me as a rug,” I cooed, beaming at him the whole time.
The dog probably also had something to do with the unexpected, inconvenient home-thoughts. I couldn’t have a dog—I’d never been able to have a dog—but I’d always wanted one.
“You look good with a dog, you know,” Iggy said, as though he’d been reading my mind.
… not that my mind would have been all that hard to read while I was letting Theo lick my face.
“I always look good,” I teased, just as my phone vibrated in my pocket.
Seth:we have an emergency at the wedding venue
Shit. That was the last thing Seth needed.
Harvey:on my way
“I gotta go,” I said, standing and pouring my coffee down my throat—which felt like a waste of the incredible coffee Iggy made. “Seth’s got an emergency.”
“What kind of emergency?” Iggy frowned.
“Dunno, didn’t ask.” I slipped past him to set my coffee cup in the sink, stealing a kiss as I headed out of the kitchen to grab my coat. “But I’m his cousin and his best man, I gotta help him out.”
* * *
In hindsight,I might’ve been better off asking what the emergency was.
If nothing else, it would’ve helped me mentally prepare for what I found.
The skies were grey with patches of blue filtering through in places. The grass was lush and green and just the perfect height to look unmanicured without looking untidy. The barn was charmingly rustic, the mulled cider stand stood proudly next to the hot chocolate one, an open invitation for guests to help themselves and mingle.
By the entrance to the barn—where the ceremony was being held, and where there’d be indoor seating for the wedding guests later—was a stack of plaid blankets with a cute sign written in chalk that readto have and to hold, in case you get cold.
It was exactly the dream fall wedding Seth had described to me when he’d first asked me to be his best man.
“No, stop that,” Seth said, tugging one of the orange and red plaid blankets away from a goat, who looked at him like it was wondering what human flesh tasted like.
There were goats everywhere. Goats in the barn, goats by the cider stand, goats running around our feet. I’d never seen this many goats in my entire life.
I’d neverwantedto see this many goats in my entire life.
Honestly, I’d never wanted to see even one goat.
“Bad goat,” Seth said once the blanket came free, folding it up again and holding it close to his chest.
