Room for Just a Little Bit More

Room for Just a Little Bit More by Beth Ehemann




To my husband, Chris, who taught me what unconditional love is. You often say that you’re lucky to be with me, but I’m really the lucky one. Thank you for all the swoony inspiration you’ve provided over the last 17 years. You’ll always be my Brody.



1 - Kacie

“Hello? Earth to Kacie! Are you gonna stare at that thing all day or what?”

My eyes shifted from my engagement ring to Alexa, who was sitting across the island from me. “You’ve had one of these for a million years now. I’ve had mine less than a day. Cut me some slack.”

She rolled her eyes and leaned back, stretching her lower back. “Yeah, yeah. In a week, it’ll be old news. Trust me.”

“What’s your problem, Negative Nancy?”

“This kid is the problem. It’s what, the size of an apple right now? How can it be causing me pain already?” She grimaced.

“Everything is stretching and moving. It’s probably gonna hurt for a while, unfortunately.”

“Yeah, well, remind me to ground him when he comes out.”

I laughed. “Today it’s a he? Yesterday it was she.”

“Who the hell knows what it is?” She threw her arms up in frustration. “Derek wants it to be a surprise and it’s driving me crazy. He wants that delivery room moment to be magical, and all I’m worried about is my vagina stretching out and all of my organs sliding across the floor.”

I chuckled. “That’s slightly dramatic, don’t you think?”

“Hell no!” Her eyebrows pulled together as she glared at me. “I’ve watched Grey’s Anatomy. I’ve watched those women scream and beat the crap out of their husbands.”

“It’s fake, Lex. All for TV, I promise. If you ever change your mind about finding out, I just might know someone with access to an ultrasound machine.” I winked.

“I’ll have to remember that the next time he refuses to go get me cream cheese wontons at one o’clock in the morning. Ruining the sex of his child would be the perfect payback.”

“If you say so.” I turned to the fridge and grabbed a bowl of grapes, setting them between us.

“So, enough about the devil child. Let’s plan this wedding.” She wiggled her eyebrows.

“I just got engaged last night!”

“Yeah, and if you want to have your reception at Graybil Gardens or Beelow Hall, you better book today. Those are the best places to get married within a fifty-mile radius, Kacie.” She reached over and grabbed a few grapes, popping them into her mouth. “I had a woman come in last year to finalize her flower order who told me that she’d booked Graybil Gardens three years earlier and didn’t even meet her fiancé until a year later.”

My mouth fell open. “Seriously?”

“Yep.” She nodded slowly. “Talk about being optimistic, huh?”

“Or desperate,” I joked.

“Obviously,” she agreed, “but my point is all those places book up fast. You might even have to ask Brody to use his star power to get you in.”

Brody and I had been engaged roughly fifteen hours. I was on such a euphoric high from him asking me to marry him, I hadn’t even thought about the actual wedding itself, nor was I in any hurry to, but Alexa was stressing me out.

“Lex, we haven’t discussed any of that. We haven’t picked a date, talked about a location. We haven’t even told Lucy and Piper yet.”

“What the hell are you guys waiting for?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. We wanted to tell them together, and Brody told Fred he’d help him organize a bunch of stuff in the garage today.”

“You two are the weirdest people I know,” she accused playfully.

“Why?”

“Maybe not both of you, but you for sure.”

“Me?”

“Yes, you.”

“Why?” I shrieked.

“Most women have been planning their weddings since they were five. You’re the exception. I doubt you’ve ever really thought about your dream wedding.” She stared right at me, waiting for an answer.

I looked down at the island and tried hard to remember a time I’d given serious thought to my wedding, but I couldn’t find one. “You’re right.” My glance lifted back to hers. “At one point in time, years ago, I had hoped to marry Zach, but I always figured with our money situation it would be a courthouse thing. Once we split, I never really thought about it again.”

“Well, I definitely don’t think the money thing is going to be an issue now.” She chuckled.

“No, but some big, fancy wedding isn’t really my thing either.” I cringed at the thought of anything too stuffy. “You know that.”

“Better than anyone.” She grinned, shaking her head. “What time is it?”

I looked down at my phone. “Ten fifteen.”

Her eyes bulged. “Crap! Gotta go. I have a doctor’s appointment.”

We slid off our stools and I followed her to the front door.

“Good news, though.” She turned to me once she got to the foyer. “You won’t have to worry about the flowers.”

A sigh of relief left my mouth in a hurry. “Thank God. I was worried about that.”