I had to keep myself from barking as a joke.
So Bryce shut the door for her, and we stood in the parking lot together as Glamma’s car drove away. “You know, I think she was meant for this lifestyle,” I told him.
Bryce chuckled. “She sure was.” He kissed my temple. “What did you think about everything? Are you sure that’s what you wanted? I know she has strong opinions, but I wantyouto be happy on our day.”
There in the dimly lit parking lot, I looked up at him, wondering yet again how I got so lucky. “I’ve always thought the wedding was successful if you were married at the end.”
“Oh, my dad’s going to love you,” he said.
A flutter of hope sparked in my chest. One thing I hadn’t thought to be excited for was having a big family of my own. I hoped with all my heart that Bryce’s dad would welcome me with open arms.
But as we got into the car, a heavy weight settled in my stomach. Bryce handled the pregnancy news so well.
Would his family feel the same?
And they meant so much to him... Would he still want me if they weren’t supportive?
Suddenly, the weekend trip to see his family felt even more nerve-wracking than before.
47.Jada
At the endof the workday, Bryce met me outside of the daycare center. He’d changed out of his typical suit and wore a pair of jeans, a dark-green T-shirt, and cowboy boots. My eyes did a doubletake on the boots. They were even scuffed up.
“How much did you pay for them to be distressed like that, cowboy?” I asked him with a teasing smile.
His cheeks gained a pinch of color. “I didn’t pay for that. I told you, my family owns a ranch.”
“You’re a billionaire,” I said. “I can’t exactly picture you shoveling out the stalls.” That’s what cowboys on TV did, anyway. I had no idea what they did in real life.
“To you, I’m a billionaire. To my dad? I’m an extra set of hands.” There was a hint of sadness to his voice I couldn’t quite explain. But he extended a hand for me anyway. “Ready to go? Gen’s waiting out front.”
I slipped my hand into his, reveling in how good it felt. “Gen is driving?” I asked. “Isn’t Cottonwood Falls two hours away?”
He nodded as we made our way toward the massive glass doors at the front of the building. “Usually, I’d drive myself, butI thought we could use the time to prepare. I got Gen a hotel, so she’ll have the weekend to herself once we get there.”
“You bought her a hotel?” I asked, stunned.
Bryce chuckled, “No, I booked her a suite. I’m not always crazy...” He leaned in, kissing my cheek. Then whispered, “Only when it comes to you.”
A shiver went up my spine, and suddenly, I wished it was just the two of us so we could pull over somewhere. The combination of Bryce Madigan and these pregnancy hormones waswild.
The glass doors swung open, greeting us with a blast of cool fall air. I shivered a bit, and Bryce reached out, rubbing his hand over my arm. It was almost like an instinct for him, taking care of me.
His big white pickup was waiting out front in the loading zone, and Bryce strode to it, pulling the back door open for me.
“Cowboy boots and a pickup? Laying it on pretty thick, don’t you think?”
He rolled his eyes at me. “Get in the truck, Jada.”
Laughing, I did as he asked, using his offered hand as help to step in. Something about the gesture made me feel so dainty. A rarity as a tall, plus-size woman. Although I liked being strong and independent, feeling taken care of in this way was unexpectedly nice.
Bryce got in, closing the door behind him. Gen greeted us both with a smile and then passed him a manilla folder.
“What’s this?” I asked, giving it a pointed look.
Bryce opened it up. “We have a lot to go over before we arrive.”
If it weren’t for the thick folder, I might have thought Bryce was joking. But no. He held it open and said, “There is a lot two people getting married need to know about each other. And my family is nosy as hell. They’re going to ask. So I want us to be ready before they start giving you the fifth degree.”
