“Navy blue and hot pink,” my motherchimes happily.
“I wanted a brighter blue, but wecompromised with navy,” Annie pouts.
I shake my head. “So why not pinkdresses? And how about chiffon instead of the tulle?”
“Yeah, your grandma is right. This dressis very itchy.” Laura adjusts the dress, itching her leg.
“Why didn’t you come shopping with usthen? Instead of staying here and having sex with Cole?” Annie yells, crossingher arms, officially mad.
“You didn’t want me too, Annie, or I wouldhave.”
“Why do I even have to be a bridesmaid?”Jill scrunches her nose up at me, crossing her arms.
“Then don’t. I don’t care.” The lastthing I want Jill to do is something she doesn’t want, if only to spare myself.Both my mom and aunt suck in a breath. Dammit. That was the wrong thing to say,but the feelings between Jill not wanting to be a bridesmaid and me not wantingher to be one are mutual. However, if I want to keep the peace, I’m going toneed to retract the statement. “I only meant if she doesn’t want to do it, shedoesn’t have to. She has a choice.”
“You haven’t officially asked her, nowhave you?” Kathy criticizes me.
“Well, officially, I haven’t even beenasked my opinion on anything, and this is my wedding.”
“We thought you needed some rest since…”My mother trails off.
“Since what? Since I had a long daysigning papers?” There’s no way my mother knows about the jail thing or she’dbe freaking out about it.
“Whatever, Katie, we know. You and Coledo it like rabbits.”
“Annie!” both my mother and I scream atthe same time.
“We’re saying, Katie girl, that we allknow you’re knocked up.” Grandma Alice sits there calmly, looking through hermobster book.
I stand up. “I am not pregnant! Wherewould you get that idea? We used protection, and I’m on the pill.”
“I have proof.” Jill pulls the pregnancytest out of her purse, waving it around.
“Admitting to your blackmail, Jill? I’mnot pregnant!” The room erupts into a bunch of yelling women. I try to screamthat the test was a hoax because it was expired, but no one hears me. Mymother’s shouting at me about how I went on birth control and how she doesn’teven know me anymore. Kathy’s yelling at Jill. Annie’s yelling at me abouthaving some dignity when it comes to my love life and Laura’s yelling at Jill,trying to take the test from her.
A loud whistle sounds through the room,silencing everyone. Our heads all turn to the top of the stairs, where Luke andCole are standing. Shoot, no, no, no, this is so bad. With everyone momentarilystunned, I wrench the pregnancy test out of Jill’s hand. Without looking atanyone, I run into the bedroom, slamming the door. And I keep going, slammingthe bathroom door. Cole must have been fast on my heels because I jump when hebangs on the door.
“Kate, baby, open the door.”
The test. What to do with the test? Iturn circles in the bathroom. I’m so flustered, I don’t know what to do.
“Kate. Now. I won’t ask again.”
“Dammit,” I mutter, shoving the testunder a pile of towels by the bathtub. I can’t talk to Cole about this—he won’tunderstand. I promised Laura it would stay between us. The door rattles. Dangit, Cole has a key. I glance at the bathtub and without really knowing what I’mdoing, I turn it on. The door rattles again and Cole walks in. He doesn’t lookmad, just concerned.
“Hi,” I say sheepishly, backing furtherinto the bathroom. he comes in, shutting the door and relocking it.
“Hi back.” He moves forward, taking offhis tie and suit coat. The bathroom fills with steam from the bathtub. “Did youwant to take a bath?” I nod a cautious yes. “You first, Cookie.” I turn around,pulling my yoga pants and panties down, and then discard my top and bra. Cole’seyes are dark, fixed solely on me. I walk around the other side of the bathtub,sliding in.
“Are you going to get in?” I whisper,moving to the far end of the tub. I turn my back on him, hoping and prayinglike hell this distraction works. I’ve never had to seduce Cole. It’s alwaysthe other way around. I just know I don’t want to talk about what happened inthe living room.
The water laps around me and then turnsoff. I turn slightly, watching Cole come up behind me. He trails kisses acrossmy shoulders, and I sigh with pleasure. His hands come up, cupping my breastsbetween his hands. He pulls me back into his arms, his hands move from mybreasts to my stomach, scratching lightly. I curve my body into Cole’s side,resting my head on his shoulder. I wouldn’t mind going further, but I’m notfeeling up to it. With everything that’s happening around me, I feel so wornout. Both emotionally and physically. After a few minutes of peaceful quiet,Cole picks up a washcloth and the body wash, washing me. “Do you want to talkabout what that was out there?”
“Not really.”
“Kate.” Cole chides. “I will not let thisgo. You were all at each other’s throats.”
“I know.”
