the cheers. He walked toward her and met her halfway down the aisle.
Rico, in his gold suit, rushed up behind him. “I’m the maid of honor. I’ll help her.”
“I can’t walk,” she said. “I’m shaking so much my skivvies are liable to slide down my legs.”
Austin laughed and swept her up in his arms. “Can you save that trick for later? You’ve got to put a ring on me first.”
“Roger that,” she said, tugging down the hem of her dress while smiling up at Austin.
Evelyn swiped at a fast falling tear and caught Shane’s wide, shell-shocked baby blues.
Her heart dropped.
Did she see what she thought she saw?
***
He’d disappeared. Her escort had dumped her at her own brother’s wedding.
Evelyn sucked in a sharp, painful breath. “A first.”
She steeled herself as she put the finishing touches on the Hightower reception tables. That’s how she considered it. Candace whined and complained non-stop these last eight weeks. Nothing was good enough. Then everything was just too much.
The woman bounced from highs and lows like a rubber ball.
“I’ll take kids any day.” That cut her to the quick. Pulling out a chair, Evelyn sank down onto it. She waved off the four other King’s staff members. They got the hint and continued with the setup process.
Her chin wobbled and she fought a fresh wave of tears. Her many nights of crying rushed back to her. It had been a long and difficult few weeks.
How could she be surrounded by happiness every day and never feel completely happy herself?
She ached for a baby. But her body refused to cooperate.
Her options were limited. She could always go with Rico’s halfhearted offer of halfsies. She chuckled at the thought.
“No, he’d be over the excitement the moment the baby pooped on him.”
Grabbing a napkin, she dabbed at the corners of her eyes.
It wasn’t just that anymore. A baby, any baby, would complete Peg’s to-do list. But now, Evelyn saw it differently.
Watching her friends with their husbands and kids, she knew the missing piece. It was just so hard to accept the fact.
Evelyn wouldn’t settle for half a life. Compromise may work for some people. She realized that’s what her mother had done because she had to, or so she’d thought at the time. But it wouldn’t work for Evelyn.
She wanted it all. The relationship with a man, the ups and downs, the fights and make-ups, the hand to comfort her, a shoulder to lean on, a voice to guide her, a friend to share her life with, and a heart to be open and loving. She needed that special someone. Just like her friends had.
Her hypothetical baby needed a real dad, too. A dad who would be there for every little step, for every fall, every triumph and letdown, and, like the Professor, to walk his daughter down the aisle.
There was so much more to raising a baby than what she’d always thought.
Her mom had made her life easy, smoothing out the wrinkles and providing her with the necessities. The father she barely remembered had dropped off the face of the earth. He couldn’t handle a child—Austin or her. He wasn’t cut out for fatherhood, her mother had explained. It had nothing to do with them; it was his problem, not theirs. And so Evelyn had never missed a man who would have never been there anyway.
There was no hole, no void. It was the three of them. They couldn’t have imagined a better life.
And, when Evelyn received the news of a one-year deadline, she didn’t think twice about going it alone. Getting a man first or at all hadn’t factored into her choice.
Now, she knew and felt different; she was head over heels in love.
It was just too bad Shane Weston didn’t want her.
***
Shane tugged at the noose around his neck or so he thought of the bow tie. “Dex, hurry up, buddy.”
“Coming,” his voice squeaked. “Be right out.”
Leaving him in the men’s room, Shane welcomed the cool breeze in the lobby. He shoved his hands in his pockets and paced back
Rico, in his gold suit, rushed up behind him. “I’m the maid of honor. I’ll help her.”
“I can’t walk,” she said. “I’m shaking so much my skivvies are liable to slide down my legs.”
Austin laughed and swept her up in his arms. “Can you save that trick for later? You’ve got to put a ring on me first.”
“Roger that,” she said, tugging down the hem of her dress while smiling up at Austin.
Evelyn swiped at a fast falling tear and caught Shane’s wide, shell-shocked baby blues.
Her heart dropped.
Did she see what she thought she saw?
***
He’d disappeared. Her escort had dumped her at her own brother’s wedding.
Evelyn sucked in a sharp, painful breath. “A first.”
She steeled herself as she put the finishing touches on the Hightower reception tables. That’s how she considered it. Candace whined and complained non-stop these last eight weeks. Nothing was good enough. Then everything was just too much.
The woman bounced from highs and lows like a rubber ball.
“I’ll take kids any day.” That cut her to the quick. Pulling out a chair, Evelyn sank down onto it. She waved off the four other King’s staff members. They got the hint and continued with the setup process.
Her chin wobbled and she fought a fresh wave of tears. Her many nights of crying rushed back to her. It had been a long and difficult few weeks.
How could she be surrounded by happiness every day and never feel completely happy herself?
She ached for a baby. But her body refused to cooperate.
Her options were limited. She could always go with Rico’s halfhearted offer of halfsies. She chuckled at the thought.
“No, he’d be over the excitement the moment the baby pooped on him.”
Grabbing a napkin, she dabbed at the corners of her eyes.
It wasn’t just that anymore. A baby, any baby, would complete Peg’s to-do list. But now, Evelyn saw it differently.
Watching her friends with their husbands and kids, she knew the missing piece. It was just so hard to accept the fact.
Evelyn wouldn’t settle for half a life. Compromise may work for some people. She realized that’s what her mother had done because she had to, or so she’d thought at the time. But it wouldn’t work for Evelyn.
She wanted it all. The relationship with a man, the ups and downs, the fights and make-ups, the hand to comfort her, a shoulder to lean on, a voice to guide her, a friend to share her life with, and a heart to be open and loving. She needed that special someone. Just like her friends had.
Her hypothetical baby needed a real dad, too. A dad who would be there for every little step, for every fall, every triumph and letdown, and, like the Professor, to walk his daughter down the aisle.
There was so much more to raising a baby than what she’d always thought.
Her mom had made her life easy, smoothing out the wrinkles and providing her with the necessities. The father she barely remembered had dropped off the face of the earth. He couldn’t handle a child—Austin or her. He wasn’t cut out for fatherhood, her mother had explained. It had nothing to do with them; it was his problem, not theirs. And so Evelyn had never missed a man who would have never been there anyway.
There was no hole, no void. It was the three of them. They couldn’t have imagined a better life.
And, when Evelyn received the news of a one-year deadline, she didn’t think twice about going it alone. Getting a man first or at all hadn’t factored into her choice.
Now, she knew and felt different; she was head over heels in love.
It was just too bad Shane Weston didn’t want her.
***
Shane tugged at the noose around his neck or so he thought of the bow tie. “Dex, hurry up, buddy.”
“Coming,” his voice squeaked. “Be right out.”
Leaving him in the men’s room, Shane welcomed the cool breeze in the lobby. He shoved his hands in his pockets and paced back
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