Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 79912 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79912 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
By the time we lock the doors and get the kitchen and lobby not only cleaned but set up for tomorrow, I’m exhausted. Aurora leaves to go to Grant’s place. He’s not there, but I know they both want her there, and I’m happy for her. For both of them. However, as I lie here in my bed, trying to take a nap since I’ve been up since the butt crack of dawn, I can’t help but wonder if I’m just speaking gibberish.
Will I ever have my chance to meet a man who looks at me like Grant looks at my sister? Will I ever find my forever love? That’s my last thought before drifting off to sleep.
Chapter 1
Aspen
“I feel like I’m forgetting something,” Aurora says as she thumbs through her wedding binder. When she finally set an official wedding date, it didn’t take us long to fill that thing up. It’s a good thing my sister is very decisive on what she wants for her wedding. And Grant, he just wants Aurora to have the wedding of her dreams. Big or small, he doesn’t care, as long as at the end of the day she’s his wife. He’s a goner for my big sister.
“Sweetheart.” Mom places her hand over Aurora’s. “We’ve been through everything. It’s all been handled. Just take a breath,” she says, pulling in a deep breath and slowly exhaling as if my sister needs a visual to understand her request.
I think we’re all a little overstimulated with wedding planning. We managed to hire two new employees at Warm Delights to cover while we’re gone for the wedding. Aurora is stressing out about this. That’s not all we did. We planned a small intimate wedding at the Riggins’s family cabin in the Smoky Mountains, and every detail is perfect. All of this was done in a matter of a few months. To say we are exhausted is an understatement.
“Rory.” I wait for her to look at me. “We’ve got this. McKenzie and Gloria are both doing amazing at the bakery. They can handle it. And all this”—I point to the binder she’s clutching to her chest—“we’ve all got you covered. This wedding is going to go off without a hitch, and you and Grant are going to be in wedded bliss, working on a house full of little Riggins babies.” I immediately cover my mouth and glance over at Lena Riggins, Grant’s mom. “Sorry,” I say sheepishly.
She waves me off. “Please, I’m ready for the house full of little Riggins babies,” she assures me with a kind smile. She then turns her gaze to my sister. “It’s all going to be perfect. It’s going to be the day that you’ve imagined and planned it to be. We’ll make sure of it.” Something passes in her eyes. I’ve seen that same look in all five of her sons. Determination. Lena Riggins is going to make damn sure that my sister’s wedding to her middle son is executed with precision.
“It’s going to be a day to remember,” Mom says, wiping at her eyes.
“Mom,” Aurora whines, dragging out the word. “Please don’t do that. You’re going to make me cry.”
“And I have a rule, no one cries in front of me alone,” Lena says, dabbing at the corner of her eyes with a tissue.
“I love you, Rory. Take a deep breath. It’s all going to be fine. I’ll personally drive up early to make sure of it,” I offer.
“Really? You’d do that?”
“Hello, sister, best friend, and maid of honor, of course, I’ll do that. I’ll be there to coordinate deliveries and decorators, and it’s all going to be perfect.” I watch as her posture visibly relaxes, and the worry lines across her forehead diminish.
“Thank you, Aspen.”
I wave my hand in the air. “It’s nothing you wouldn’t do for me. I can take your dress with me too. This way, you can ride to the cabin with Grant with no worries of him seeing your dress.”
A smile breaks out across her face. “That’s a great idea.”
Just the idea that she gets to ride with him to the cabin has her smiling like a kid in a candy store. Grant Riggins has worked his Riggins voodoo magic on my sister, but if it keeps that smile on her face, I’m good with it. That doesn’t mean I believe in the “magic” hype that they all talk about. I’m skeptical, but Aurora, Sawyer, and Layla are all believers. I guess love does that to you. It makes you believe in things that aren’t real, like magic.
“Now,” Mom says, clapping her hands together, “all that’s left is the honeymoon cabin.” A slight blush coats her cheeks, which makes me grin.
“Wh-What about it?” Aurora stammers.
I chance a glance at Lena, and she’s smirking. After raising five boys, nothing fazes her. My smile grows as I prepare to embarrass both my mom and my sister. “I’ll take care of the condoms and lube,” I say, writing said items on my notebook, giving it all of my attention.