Faithful (36 page)

I asked the DJ to play a certain song, and he gave me a thumbs-up. When I went back to our table, I noticed Brad and Josh laughing at me.

Bastard friends.

Ari tilted her head at me and smiled. Gunner and Ellie were standing there, talking to Heather, when I sat down.

Leaning down, Gunner whispered in my ear, “Hope you picked a good song.”

I snapped my head around to him. He started laughing, and I was just about to curse his ass out when “Like Jesus Does” by Eric Church started.

I jumped up and pulled Ari to me. “I love you, Ari.” I kissed her with as much passion as I could. When I moved away, I picked her up and carried her out to the dance floor. After I slowly let her down, I kissed her again. “This song is for you, baby.”

I saw the tears building in her eyes. She grabbed the back of my neck and brought me in for another kiss. Her low moan moved through my body like water.

She pulled away from my lips and looked up at me. “I love you so much. You have no idea how much I love you.”

I smiled at the love of my life as I wiped away the tear rolling down her face. “I think I have a pretty good idea. I love you, too, baby…so damn much. You will never know how much I need you. My life would be nothing without you and Luke.” I placed my hand on her stomach as I looked into her beautiful green eyes. “And our baby girl.”

She buried her head in my chest as she started crying. Then, she began laughing as she looked up at me.

“What if it’s a boy?” she asked with a wink.

I shook my head. “Nope. I feel it in my soul. Our baby girl is sending us her sister.”

She looked into my eyes and smiled. “I feel it, too.”

We finished off the dance and then danced to the next song.

Afterward, we walked back toward everyone. Gunner was sitting there with that damn smile on his face. I smiled right back.
Take that for romance, you ass.

Brad started laughing.

“What? I totally had that,” I said as I gave Brad a dirty look.

Brad shook his head and whispered something into Amanda’s ear. Amanda got up and moved to another chair as Brad started walking up to the DJ.

I glanced over toward Gunner.

He started laughing. “Dude, what the fuck did you start?”

I grinned and shrugged my shoulders.

Brad turned and came back with a big-ass smile on his face. He walked up to Amanda and held out his hand. She looked up at him as she put her hand in his.

He pulled her closer to him. “Will you dance with me to the next song?”

Amanda smiled and reached up to kiss him. “Of course I will.”

Just then SafetySuit’s “Never Stop” started playing as Brad led Amanda to the dance floor.

I looked at Gunner.

He just started shaking his head. “Fucker…that’s a good song.”

Gunner looked at Josh, who was taking a drink of his beer as he shook his head.

Damn it.

“Look at those two cutting it up out there!” Ellie walked up and sat on Gunner’s lap.

Sitting down next to me, Ari watched Brad and Amanda dance. “I’m so glad they worked things out. I pray that Brad stays strong.”

I couldn’t pull my eyes away from Ari. She was so beautiful.

She looked back at me as she tilted her head. “They’re gonna be okay, right?”

“Yeah, baby. They’re gonna be okay.”

Scott walked up and reached out his hand toward me. I stood up and shook it. He reached for Gunner’s hand. “Hey, Gun.”

“What’s up Scott?” Gunner said with a wink.

“Hey, Scott. Listen, I’m really glad you’re gonna make it to the wedding,” Josh said, standing with a smile.

Scott grinned and looked at Heather and then back at Josh. “You know it, dude. Oh, I’ve been meaning to tell you that the office furniture you made me is great. I’ve gotten so many compliments on it. I also gave out your phone number to a few people.”

Josh nodded. “I really appreciate that.”

“You’re very talented, Josh. I see you going really far with this.” He looked at Heather and gave her a big smile. “Congratulations. I heard you’re having twins.”

Heather smiled and blushed.

“So, who all is heading to the beach for the wedding?” Scott asked.

“It’ll mostly be just family and friends along with a few business associates that I’ve known since my dad ran the business.”

“Is Jenny helping to plan it?” Scott asked.

When I looked over at Gunner, he smiled and winked at me. We both knew where this was going.

Heather smiled. “Yes! She’s amazing. I mean, only Jen could put together a wedding in just a few short weeks.”

“An out-of-town wedding to top it off!” Josh said with a laugh.

Scott smiled. “So…is Jessie going to be there?”

Heather perked up a bit as she snapped her head over toward Ellie.

“Yep, Dewey also,” Heather said.

Brad and Amanda came back to the table as I noticed Josh walking away.

“Hey, Scott. Damn, man, it’s been a long time.”

“Hey, Brad. Shit, it has been. How are you doing?”

Brad looked over at Amanda and put his hand on her stomach. “Pretty damn good!”

Scott glanced at Amanda’s pregnant belly and laughed. “I’d say so.”

Brad and Scott talked for a bit as I looked around for Josh. He was talking and laughing with the DJ.

Ah, so the little bastard is going to have his hand in the romance department this evening.

Gunner reached up and handed Scott a beer as Scott sat down.

Then, Gunner turned to me. He leaned in toward me, so only I could hear him. “Does he think he stands a chance?” Gunner looked out at Josh.

I laughed. “I guess he does. This should be interesting to watch.”

Gunner and I both sat back and started to drink our beers as we watched Josh talking to the DJ.

“He’s probably asking the DJ to recommend a good song,” Gunner said with a chuckle.

Brad sat down as he started laughing. “Think so? This is gonna be good. Gotta give him props for trying though. I think I have both of y’all beat with my song.”

Gunner and I both looked at Brad as he smiled and took a sip of his Coke.

“Ari cried,” I said.

“Oh, come on, dude,” Brad said.

Scott asked, “What in the hell are y’all talking about?”

Gunner looked over at the girls and saw they were deep in conversation. “We have a little romance contest going on. Trying to see which one of us can outromance the other with our song choices.”

Scott’s mouth dropped open. “That’s fucked up, y’all. Do the girls know what you’re doing?”

At the same time, Gunner, Brad, and I all said, “No.”

Josh shook the DJ’s hand, and as he started to walk back toward us, he had a cocky-ass smile plastered on his face.

Poor guy. He really doesn’t stand a chance.

He walked right past us and up to Heather. He took her hand and pulled her up to him. “I have something special just for you,” Josh said before he kissed the back of Heather’s hand.

Gunner muttered, “Pesh,” under his breath.

Ellie smacked Gunner on the back of his head. “Knock it off.”

Just then, the DJ asked for everyone’s attention. “Listen up, y’all. I’ve had a special request from one very lucky man in the house tonight. He’s getting married in a couple days.”

Everyone started to clap and whistle.

“Ah hell,” Gunner and I said at the same time.

Brad and Scott started laughing.

“Josh, bring your beautiful future bride out onto the dance floor,” the DJ said.

Josh started leading Heather out to the dance floor. As he passed us, he smiled and winked. “Watch how it’s done, gentlemen.”

“Little bastard!” Gunner called out, earning another slap on the head from Ellie.

We watched as Josh walked Heather out to the middle of the dance floor. Her face was bright red, and when he kissed her on the cheek, all I heard were
oohs
and
aahs
. Someone handed Josh a microphone, and then he got down on one knee.

Brad, Gunner, and I all leaned forward.

“What in the hell is he doing? He can’t ask her to marry him. He’s already done that!” I said.

Ari smacked me on the shoulder. “Be quiet for Christ’s sake!”

“Holy hell, she’s already crying, and he hasn’t even started talking yet,” Brad said.

“Heather, I never in my life thought I could be as happy as I am in this very moment. The idea of spending the rest of my life with you just about brings me down to both knees. I cannot wait to make you my wife. I want to make all your dreams come true. I want to be the best husband and father to our unborn babies as I possibly can.”

Josh put his hand on her stomach and then kissed her belly as Heather brought her hand up to her mouth. He looked up at her and smiled.

“Is he crying?” Scott asked.

“Bastard,” Gunner, Brad, and I said at the same time.

“Shh!” Ellie, Amanda, and Ari said at the same time.

“Princess, I want to be your everything.” He stood up and took Heather in his arms as Keith Urban’s “Your Everything” started to play.

“Oh. My. God. If that is not the most romantic thing ever!” Ellie said.

Gunner snapped his head around and looked at her.

I was still staring out at them. They were the only two dancing as everyone stood around and watched.

“Holy hell, that just swept me off my damn feet! Heather is so lucky!” Amanda said.

Brad choked on his drink.

Ari walked around and sat on my lap. Her eyes looked like they were filling with tears as she watched them dancing.

Jesus H. Christ. Is she about to cry?

“So incredibly romantic…wow. Heather really is lucky.” She turned to me and smiled. “I think Josh won by a landslide. Don’t you think, babe?”

Scott busted out laughing as I just looked at her.

All I could do was let out a small laugh before I grabbed her and brought her in for a kiss. I pulled slightly away from her lips. “He certainly did.”

When she gave me that drop-dead beautiful smile of hers, my heart started racing.

“I love you, babe.” She captured my lips with hers.

I kissed her and poured as much love into the kiss as I could. When she ran her hands through my hair, I wanted to just rip off her clothes and take her right here and now.

“Get a fucking room. This is a public place.”

My heart stopped the moment I recognized the voice.

Ari slowly pulled away and looked at me. “You might want to make sure I don’t lay eyes on that bitch, or I will kick the shit out of her. Pregnant or not.”

As I looked to my left, I saw Rebecca walking off in the other direction with—
oh fuck!
—Victoria.

How in the hell did those two hook up again? Have they even seen each other since college?

Victoria was watching Josh and Heather dance.

As the song ended, Josh dipped Heather and kissed her. The whole place went crazy, clapping and hollering out.

When I glanced back at Ari, she was staring at me, and then we turned and looked at Heather walking back with Josh. She looked so happy, and I knew exactly what Ari was thinking because I was thinking it, too.

“How did she find out we would be here, Jeff?” Ari said with anger in her eyes.

“I don’t know, baby, but we’re not going to let them ruin this night.”

Ari stood up as she glared at Victoria and Rebecca. “No. No, we’re not.”

When Heather walked up to us, I could tell she was flying high. I smiled as Ellie gave Heather a big hug, and the tears started to build up in Heather’s eyes again.

“I just can’t believe how perfect he is!” Heather said as she wiped away a tear.

“Who would have thunk it? My little manwhore, Josh,” I said with a wink.

When Jennifer Lopez’s “Dance Again” started, I looked out and saw Rebecca, Victoria, and some other bitch dancing.

I think I’m going to puke.

“What in the fuck are they doing here?” Amanda said.

Shit!
I was hoping my girls wouldn’t notice them, but considering the bitches were dancing like sluts right in front of us, it was hard to miss them.

I glanced over to the guys. I smiled because none of them were even looking out toward the dance floor. I also noticed when Jessie was walking up, Scott was following her every move.
Interesting.

“Do they think they are getting the guys’ attention?” Ellie asked.

“I might be six and a half months pregnant, but I can still kick some ass,” Amanda said, swinging her hands all around.

I peeked over at Heather.

She grinned as she looked back at me. “Lady Marmalade.”

I smiled at her and shook my head. I turned to Amanda and laughed as I glanced down at her stomach. “Can you Lady Marmalade…with that stomach of yours?”

“Fuck you, bitch. I can move better now than I ever have before. Bring it.”

Ellie started jumping up and down. “Yes! I love that song!”

Then, Heather did something I never thought I would see. She went out to the dance floor and walked right between Victoria and Rebecca as she made her way to the DJ. I glanced over toward Josh, who was watching her. As she came back, she purposely cut between the dancing slut group again. Victoria never took her eyes away from Heather as she made her way back to Josh with an evil grin on her face. He took her in his arms and kissed the living shit out of her. Victoria stopped dancing and walked off the dance floor.