All Grown Up(86)

I hadn’t noticed the other one. I quickly snatched it down.

Bend over naked in mirror and send Ford an ass selfie.

I chuckled but then glanced around the room and swiped three other sticky notes. I couldn’t have my future husband’s sister going blind on our wedding day. Which she might have, considering the other to-do tasks included Sneak next door and blow my boyfriend one last time, and Insert butt plug to prepare for wedding night festivities. Though, the last one confused me a little: Get licked by wedding gift.

Bella poured half and half into our coffees and lifted a mug to her lips. “You guys are really gross. You’re going to make me toss my cookies.”

“Did someone say cookies?” Eve wandered into the kitchen.

She had on a T-shirt that barely covered half her round belly and a pair of sweatpants rolled underneath it. She scratched her very pregnant tummy.

I walked over and dipped my head to talk to my future goddaughter. “Good morning, my little princess.”

“Or prince.”

“There’s no way my goddaughter is a boy.”

Eve and Tom had been pretty shocked to discover they were pregnant eight months ago. When they first got together, they’d decided to leave having children up to fate. With Eve almost forty and nothing having happened, she’d pretty much concluded they wouldn’t have a family. So it was a shocker when Eve’s stomach virus had turned out to be that she was two months pregnant.

I myself had thought I might be pregnant last week, but I’d taken a test, and it was negative. The stress of the wedding and moving into Ford’s place must’ve just thrown off my cycle. Like Eve and Tom, Ford and I had agreed to leave adding more members to the family up to fate. Though, I’ll admit, I was a little sad when a minus sign appeared on the stick last week.

“Oh shit. I almost forgot. My brother woke me up for a reason.”

“What?”

“He called and said to go to the front door. Apparently he left a wedding gift for you there, and I’m supposed to bring it to you.”

My brows furrowed, and Eve and I followed Bella to the door.

I shrieked, finding a cage. “Oh my God! A puppy!”

The adorable little pug started to bark and jump up and down. He was so excited, he kept banging his head on the top of the plastic carrier. “Bring him in. Bring him in.” I laughed. “He’s going to get hurt doing that.”

Bella carried the cage inside, and I sat on the living room floor and unlatched the metal door. The little guy sprinted out and right onto my lap. He actually knocked me over and started to lick my face.

“Well, look at that,” Eve said. “He reminds me of your fiancé when he first saw you.”

Ah. That last sticky note makes more sense now.

I’d been bugging Ford about getting a puppy for a few months now—one of the last few items left on my My Turn list. At first, we’d put it off because of the year I taught in Rome. Then I’d gotten a new tenure-track position at my school, and Ford was busy getting the new temp office space building ready for the grand opening. Life had just been busy the last two years. But this summer, our plan was to slow down, and the timing was perfect to train this little guy. Our Memorial Day weekend clambake wedding was only the start of a long and lazy summer back in Montauk.

“I cannot believe he did this. He’s so adorable.” I scratched behind his ears, and the puppy’s left hind leg started to spasm. “Bella, would you mind getting my cell so I can text Ford? I don’t want to let go of this little guy. It’s on the kitchen counter.”

Bella found my phone and snapped a picture of my new puppy licking my face while I smiled. She showed it to me, and I told her to send it to her brother.

A minute later, my phone buzzed with an incoming text.

Ford: I’m jealous of a dog. How do I get me some of that?

I smiled and texted back. My sweet little pup had knocked himself out in less than two minutes and was now snuggled in my lap.

Valentina: I’ll let you lick my face after you say I do.

Ford: It’s not your face I’ll be licking tonight, sweetheart.

Bella groaned. “You two should get a room. I can’t even look at you texting each other. You get that…” She waved her hand around in front of my face. “…that look that says you’re sexting with my brother. Gross.”

I laughed.

Valentina: BTW…your sister found one of your sticky notes this morning.

Ford: What the hell was she doing up before you?

Valentina: We were up late, and I slept in. The Montauk air must’ve wiped me out.

Ford: Well, you better relax and save all your energy for tonight.

Valentina: I will. And thank you for the puppy! He’s so adorable. Though now I have a child out of wedlock for the second time. You couldn’t have waited a few hours to give him to me? ;)

Ford: I can come take him back?

Valentina: Too late. I love him already. Does he have a name?

Ford: Nope. That’s all you. Pick something good.

Valentina: Are you nervous about today?

Ford: Not at all. You’re already my forever. This is just a formality.

***

Oh my God.

I covered my mouth and stared down at the stick. The plus sign was a deep, dark blue. I must’ve taken the first test too early. My hand shook, and I just kept whispering Oh my God, Oh my God over and over. I think I was in more shock than I’d been at seventeen the first time it happened.