Serendipity (28 page)

We’re lying on the couch watching ‘Dirty Dancing’ when an idea comes to mind, but I decide to keep it to myself until the time is right. It’s been a hellish week and I can’t wait to go fishing and relax tomorrow.

I have last minute baby shower things to get and then it’s just me and Dean Time. After the wedding, Addison announced her pregnancy, she’s about to burst at any second with my first niece, Ava.

I must say, I never thought being an aunt would be so fun, Addison and Hadley are the closest I’ll get to having sisters, but Hadley better not have kids anytime soon.

The last time she was over, Dean and I caught her and Josh making out in my spare room. She didn’t seem apologetic, but Josh looked so scared. Now when Hadley visits, she’s going to stay with Emily and Keith.

My mom and Ben got married two months ago in a civil ceremony with the Justice of the Peace in Chicago. I’m truly happy for them, and my mom is happier than I’ve ever seen her.

Once the movie ends, Dean and I head to bed for the night. We make love while the rain pelts down on the roof. Making love to him will never get old for me. It’s like the first time, every time and he’s such a considerate lover. There are no babies in our immediate plans so we’ve doubled up with condoms and birth control pills. There is no way we’re letting an intruder in when we barely have our own lives working in sequence.

The next morning, I meet Bree and Addison to grab some things from the local party supply store. Emily offered to host the baby shower on the farm. There is so much open land that with tents and nice linens, people won’t even realize they’re on a farm.

Once everything is set up, I say goodbye to the girls, and head down to
our
lake. A lot of things have changed since moving here almost a year ago. I still have my pristine work clothes and my abundance of shoes but when I’m not at work, I couldn’t care less about what I have on.

Dean is sitting on the dock with two fishing poles in his hands and a tub of worms. I sit down next to him and let my bare feet hang off the edge. “Hi, handsome.”

He turns and a smile brightens his face. “Hi, gorgeous,” he gives me a peck on the lips and hands me a pole.

I glance at the empty hook and the plastic container of worms crawling through the dirt. “Hell no, Dean, I’m not putting a worm on my hook.” I say as I pass the pole back to him.

He throws his head back and laughs. One thing that hasn’t changed is that I’m not an outdoorsy kind of girl, but Dean still tries to push the envelope. He takes the pole from my hands and a worm out of the container. I cringe when the sharp hook pierces the worm. I turn away as he threads the rest of its squirming body back and forth over the hook.

“All done, Angel.” I turn when he passes me back the pole.

Sitting behind me, he lets his legs outline mine. He places his hand over mine and helps me cast the line into the water.

Hours go by and I haven’t gotten a bite, though some little buggers have nipped the worm off my hook. Getting frustrated I set the pole down next to me.

“Here, try my pole,” he says as the baits the line. I furrow my brow. Does he have a special line or something? Maybe a supernatural worm that calls out to the fish.

“Just take it,” he says when he sees my confusion.

I sigh and roll my eyes, taking the pole from his hands. I’m blinded with the bait reflecting off the sun. As I get the hook closer I notice that it’s not a worm—it’s a fucking ring!

Dean reaches for the pole when he sees my state of shock. My hands fly up and I drop the pole to cover my mouth with my hands. Just like when he gave me my promise ring six months ago, I’m finding it hard to breathe. The simple process of inhaling and exhaling seems too hard for me to grasp when it comes to Dean and his surprises.

“Phoebe, promises don’t mean anything unless they are backed up with actions. Six months ago with I gave you that promise ring, I meant everything I said and now I want the opportunity to prove it all to you,” he gently wipes my tears away with the pads of his thumbs. “I will tell you I love you every day. I promise we will never go to bed angry. I promise to make you smile even when I’m an ass, and I promise to be the best husband and father I can be. Will you marry me and let me show you that I can promise you the world?”

He takes the ring off the hook and I can see his mouth moving but I can’t hear any words. I don’t wait for him to finish before jumping in his lap and wrapping my arms around his neck screaming “Yes!”

I my first real glimpse of the ring when he slides it on my finger. It’s a platinum band to match my promise ring, with a round diamond in the center and diamonds along each side. The tears fall as I stare at the beautiful ring on my finger that symbolizes everything I didn’t know I wanted, and everything I needed.

As I stand in front of the full length mirror at the Montgomery’s home. The home I came to after the accident, the home where I fell in love with the people that I will soon call mom and dad, and the home where I fell in love with my soon-to-be husband.

I feel like a princess in my Vera Wang, mermaid style, strapless wedding dress. It’s very simple and very me. I brush my hands over the front as I look at the woman I’ve become staring back at me. My hair is done in a fancy twist—with what must be a million bobby pins keeping it in place—and a few loose curls frame my face.

“Phoebe, you look beautiful,” I glance over my shoulder as my mom looks at me in awe. Her blue strapless gown looks equally amazing.

“So do you Mom,” I say as I pull her into a hug.

Emily joins us as we embrace. My two Moms’, the two most important women in my life, surround me with their love and calm my nerves.

I’m much less nervous than I thought I would be. This day is a long time in the making. Emily wanted us to get married right away but I needed time to sort things out.

After Dean proposed on
our
dock, he handed me a thick envelope. I pulled the papers out and looked at him puzzled, he then told me that they were plans for our house. A house he designed to overlook the lake.

We got building right away, and though it was a long and tedious process, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I’ve come a long way at Keiser International. I’m now the number one representative in the company. I’m referred to by name by many celebrities, and I regularly travel all over the world. I love my job and wouldn’t trade it for anything. It’s a longer commute to the office now that we live on the Montgomery grounds, but it’s worth it to have a house that I love and a man that I love even more by my side.

“I love you too,” I say as I pull back and fan my face with my hands, trying not to cry. Addison spent a long time getting my makeup just right and I’d hate to ruin it with tears.

It’s amazing when I look back and reflect over the last three years. I went from having nobody aside from my mom, to having a huge family with a step-brother and sister—and it keeps on growing.

Emily blinks back tears and it makes me want to cry seeing her so happy. “Ready to get married?” she asks, dabbing her eyes with tissue.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I say as I inhale deeply and let it out.

When we reach the kitchen, my wedding party is lined up and waiting for me. We have a little walk but this was the best possible solution we could come up with to ensure that Dean wouldn’t see me.

I slip into my white cowgirl boots and stand behind the procession. Little Ava is in the front with her little white basket full of yellow rose pedals. My bridesmaids, Hadley, Addison, and Khloe, a girl I work with, are dressed in strapless yellow gowns that come down to their knees. The outfits are completed by a pair of brown boots, similar to mine.

Addison turns towards me, her small, round belly sticking out from under the dress. I place my hands on the belly and feel my nephew, Michael, kick my hand.

I bend down and talk to him. “Are you ready for this, little man? Oh yes you are, let’s get Auntie Phoebe married, huh?” I say and coo to her stomach.

Addison swats my hand away and giggles her ridiculous giggle. “You are a loon, Phoebe,” she says in her southern drawl.

It’s funny how things happen. My mom tells me that I’m starting to talk with an accent—that same accent I hated when I first arrived.

Josh walks with Ava first, helping her down the rolled out white runner that leads to the man I love more than life itself.

Addison makes her way down the aisle and once she reaches the steps of the gazebo, I round the corner, holding onto the crook of Keith’s elbow. I make my way down their aisle, focusing on Dean. We lock eyes and in this moment, we are the only two people that exist. His eyes glaze over when he sees me and his smile widens. I’ve always loved that smile and I’ll never forget the first day I saw it.

When I finally reach him he leans in and whispers in my ear, “You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on.” He pulls away to give his dad a hug and thank him.

When asked ‘who gives this bride away’, Emily, Keith, my mom and Ben all shout, “We do!” and everyone laughs.

Once we’ve recited our vows, Dean cups my cheeks and ever so slowly brings his lips to mine. When our lips lock, a shiver runs down my spine. Even after all this time, his touch still affects me in ways I can’t explain.

Finally we are announced as Mr. and Mrs. Dean Montgomery. Dean scoops me up and carries me down the aisle.

We pose for what feels like hundreds of pictures and then we’re ready for the reception. I quickly head up to Hadley’s room and change into my other dress. Dean and I have something special planned for tonight and trying to do it in my wedding dress, just won’t cut it.

I purchased the same dress as the bridesmaids for the reception, only in white. My nerves start to get the better of me as I head downstairs. Dean and I have practiced over and over and every time we nail it. I just hope that when the spotlight is on us, we can still manage to perform.

It’s been two years since I proposed to Phoebe. It was difficult but I finally managed to convince her to move into the house I built over by the lake. The spot is so special to us—we’ve shared so many intimate moments since our first one just days after meeting her, and it was also where I fell in love with her.

My parent’s insisted we have our wedding at their house. I was against it but Phoebe felt there wasn’t any place more perfect than where it all started. We opted for a fall wedding so that it wouldn’t be too hot and it turned out perfect.

If my parent’s had things their way, we would have gotten married right after I proposed, and started having kids right away. They have been fussing over Ava and they watch her whenever possible. I’m not going to lie, I think kids are great but it’s easier when you can just hand them back to their parent’s. Jake is an awesome dad but I’d rather live vicariously through him for the time being. Addison is pregnant with their second child, a boy they are naming Michael after me.