Room for Just a Little Bit More(10)

“Not until we got on here.”

She lifted her head a little and looked up at me, crinkling her brow and blinking in confusion. “Huh?”

“Your hair. It smells delicious—like coconuts—and makes me want to kidnap you to an island for a couple weeks.”

Sitting up, she looked at me with wide eyes. “A couple weeks? Brody, the longest I’ve been away from the girls was two nights when we went for that quick weekend in Chicago. I don’t know if I can do a couple weeks.”

“That was a great weekend, wasn’t it?” I growled softly as I stuck my nose in her hair again, taking a deep breath. “I think we set a new record for number of times people can have sex in a two-day time span.”

She giggled and leaned back into me. “That was fun. I think it took a week before I could walk right.”

“Then let’s do that again, but on some wonderful island with fruity drinks and white sand beaches,” I suggested.

The ride jolted to a start again, and Kacie nearly jumped out of her skin, squeezing my hand so hard I thought she might break it. Once we stopped, she relaxed a bit. “Okay, let’s do it. But… I can’t do two weeks, Brody. It would be too much. I think a week is perfect.”

“Deal.”

“Are you mad?” I couldn’t see her face, but her voice sounded concerned.

“No way.” I shook my head. “As much as I want you all to myself, I get it. I’m gonna miss them too.”

She squeezed me tight and leaned up, planting a kiss on my neck. “Thank you.”



5 - Kacie

Wedding planning was in full swing and I was on a roll.



- Invitations picked out? Check.

- Flowers picked out? Absolutely, mostly by Alexa, but she had fantastic taste.

- Band picked out? Done.



The day I’d been most excited about was finally upon me. Wedding dress shopping! We had an afternoon appointment in the city at one of the most sought after shops in all of the Midwest, but first my mom, Alexa, Lauren, and I were having lunch at the cutest little tea shop right down the street. Tea, scones, and chicken salad sandwiches were just what I needed to calm my nerves about finding a dress.

“I’m sorry again, guys,” Lauren apologized for the twentieth time that morning as Max’s hand barely missed the water glass he’d swung for.

“Lauren, stop it.” I laughed. “It’s really fine.”

“I just had no idea that Tommy had agreed to work. I thought he’d be able to keep Max.” She wiped the drool from his chin.

Reaching across the table, I scooped Max out of her arms and set him in my lap. “Are you kidding? I’m glad my godson gets to be here on wedding dress day. Let’s just hope I can make a decision before he’s walking, huh?”

“You’ll be fine,” Alexa said confidently. “Trust me, when you put it on, you’ll just know.”

“That’s good, because right now I truly have no idea what I’m looking for.” I sighed.

“And that’s okay,” my mom reassured me. “Like Alexa said, when you see it or try it on, you’ll just know.”

Alexa huffed and raised her water glass at me. “See? Alexa’s always right.”

“So, wait. Who’s with the girls today?” Lauren reached over and handed Max his favorite plastic key ring.

Mom and I looked at each other and laughed, most likely thinking the same thing.

“Brody and Viper are babysitting,” I answered nonchalantly, planting a bunch of kisses on Max’s chubby cheek.

I looked up and Alexa’s and Lauren’s mouths both hung open as they stared at me blankly.

“What? Stop looking at me like that.”

Alexa started to giggle while Lauren shook her head quickly. “Sorry, I’m just trying to picture Viper watching the girls, and the things that are popping into my head are scaring me.”

That only made Alexa laugh harder. “Yeah.” She took a deep breath, trying to compose herself. “They’ll probably know how to spell the F-word by the time you get home.” She whooped louder than she had before.

I rolled my eyes. “Brody’s there too. They’ll be fine.”

Was I trying to convince them, or myself?





We walked into Belle’s Bridal, and it was like walking into a fairy tale. What the off-white walls lacked in color, the chandeliers, fancy chairs, and ambiance made up for ten times over.

A woman in her mid-thirties, who clearly had it all together, met us at the door. “Hello. Welcome to Belle’s Bridal. How can we help you?” Her pale pink suit jacket and matching pencil skirt were completely wrinkle free, and not one hair in her perfectly executed bun was out of place.

“Hi, we’re a little early.” My heart thumped nervously in my chest. The place was intimidating. “We have an appointment at two. My name is Kacie Jensen.”

“Oh!” Her eyebrows shot up and her smile got a little wider. “You’re Kacie Jensen.” She said it like she knew who I was. “Come in, come in. It’s so great to meet you. I’m Kate Porter, the store manager.”

She extended her hand and I shook it happily.

I introduced her to my mom and the girls before she led us down a long hallway. The smell of roses filled the air, though I wasn’t sure where it was coming from, and huge pictures of the most elegant brides I’d ever seen hung on the walls. She opened a big white door and stepped back, waving us in. “Come on in. This will be your private bridal suite for today.”