PROLOGUE
FOUR YEARS AFTER THOSE WHO WAIT
Sutton paced back and forth,pressing her hands to her stomach, where the butterflies were absolutely goingcrazy.
This was normal, right? To feel this way the morning of your wedding?
Sutton had to believe that was the case because she’d felt this crazy twisting and turning in her stomach since she’d woken up this morning.
“Oh, good, you’re awake!”
Regan’s voice snapped Sutton out of her thoughts, and she turned to look at her best friend as she let herself into Sutton’s hotel room.
“How did you get in here?” Sutton asked, staring incredulously at Regan, who grinned, totally unashamedly, as she held up a key card.
“I grabbed your spare last night from your dresser. Myplanas your maid of honor was to surprise you with breakfast and tea in bed before your mom comes in and then the hair and makeup people and all that jazz.”
True to her word, she held a tray with Sutton’s favorite breakfast foods and a tea kettle in her hands.
Sutton couldn’t hold that bit of key-card pickpocketing against Regan. Her best friend had been a very involved, supportive maid of honor throughout the last year, and Sutton had appreciated every second. She’d planned excursions with Sutton’s bridal party—consisting of Regan as well as Emma, Alex, Jane, and Isla, Sutton’s sisters-in-law—all suiting Sutton’s exact interests. On top of that, she’d come to every cake tasting and meeting with the wedding planner that Layla hadn’t been able to attend at the last-minute thanks to her work schedule.
So Sutton wasn’t all that shocked when Regan was showing up bright and early to continue her support on her big day.
“I expected to find you sleeping in bed, a smile on your face as the visions of white gowns danced in your head,” Regan commented, her mouth pulling into a slow frown. “Ididn’texpect to find you holding your hands against your stomach like you’re going to be sick. Are you going to puke?”
Sutton shook her head before pausing to wonder—was she?
She forced the ill feeling back down. “No. I’m not going to be sick.”
Skepticism slid over Regan’s face. “Uh,okay.” She took a few steps into the room, put the tray down, and marched over to Sutton, landing her hands on her hips. “Tell me what’s going on in that magnificent brain of yours.”
Sutton closed her eyes, as if Regan could read through them into her soul or something. “Nothing. Really. I’m—I’m excited.”
“Oh, no.” Regan gasped. “Are you going to be a runaway bride?”
“No!” Sutton yelped, affronted by the very idea. “I’d never do that to Layla. Are you kidding me?”
Regan shrugged. “Well, I’m mostly upset because I don’t have a go bag to whisk you away to a tropical island for a week while you heal your wounds. But we can buy stuff on the journey; it’s fine.”
Sutton huffed out a breath, rolling her eyes as she turned away from Regan. “We aren’t running off.”
“Okay. I mean, there’s still time, so…” Regan trailed off. “I’ll handle everything if you?—”
“Oh my god, I’m not leaving Layla at the altar,” Sutton cut her insane best friend off, scoffing out a laugh. “Why do you sound so gung ho about it?”
“I’m… not,” Regan spoke carefully. “I’m just, you know, in support of your happiness.”
Sutton turned back to her best friend, studying her through narrowed eyes. “And you don’t think Layla is going to make me happy?”
“Uh, no. I do. I mean, you feel happy, right?” Regan’s voice was soft and probing.
“Yes,” Sutton answered immediately.
And shedid. Her life was in a good place—a really good place.
She was in her final year of getting her Ph.D., she was surrounded by supportive friends and family, and she loved a beautiful, brilliant woman. A beautiful, brilliant woman who loved her back. Who wanted to marry her. Today.
They’d planned their wedding day around Layla’s crazy residency schedule as best as possible, and so far, everything was going off without a hitch.
