I Plan on Forever (I Never 2.50)

“Why do you always insist on ordering different things if you are just going to pick off my plate?” I swat my fiancé’s hand for what seems to be the millionth time as he brings the fork full of penne pasta to his mouth. Fiancé. I never get tired of calling Kyler that. It still feels a little surreal that our wedding day is tomorrow. I used to worry that I would wake up and it would all be a dream. Kyler is the sweetest, sexiest, funniest man, and out of all the women in the world, he picked me. It didn’t bother him that I was broken when we met. He made me, and still makes me, a better person. I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with this man.

“What’s the point in doing that when I can just steal some of yours? Remember, babe, what’s mine is yours.”

“Oh, is that right?” I quirk an eyebrow at him. “Well, then you won’t mind if I take a bite of yours.”

I reach for a piece of his cut filet mignon and slowly bring the fork to my lips. I expect him to stop me—this man takes his steak very seriously—but he doesn’t. Whenever I tried in the past to take something off his plate, he claimed he was a growing boy.

“Mmm, this is so good.” Why on earth would Ky want some of this pasta when he has that?

Kyler leans over and brushes his lips against my ears. “Baby, I’m going to need you to not make noises like that in public. Otherwise, I might need to take you somewhere a little private.”

I smile and reach in front of him, stealing another piece of steak from his plate. Just to mess with him, although I can’t really say I’m faking it, I moan again. This time though, I look right at him as I do it.

His jaw tightens, and his eyes darken.

Before he can respond, the sound of a chair scraping the floor directs our attention to the front of the table. Lauren and Kate are standing there.

“So, I know it’s not customary for the bridesmaids to give a speech at the rehearsal dinner, but…” Lauren begins to say.

“But when have we, I mean I, ever been known to follow the rules?” Kate interrupts with a shrug and smug look on her face.

I chuckle, because if there is one thing that defines Kate Lawson, it’s breaking the rules. When Ky had described his sisters to me before we met, he said that Kate danced to the beat of her own drum, and that is one hundred percent true.

“Now, I know what you’re all thinking, and no, we aren’t about to sing a ten-minute Disney song–inspired speech, no we aren’t going to break out into a flash mob, and no we aren’t going to remake the lyrics to ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ in speech form.”

Kate leans over, holding her hand up and interrupting her sister. “Which, for the record, was my idea but got vetoed with a game of rock, paper, scissors.”

Wow, at this rate, it will be time for the ceremony tomorrow before they get to their point.

“No, we are going to tell you a story about a boy who fell in love.”

“And not only are we going to tell it, but you can follow along.” Lauren dips into her bag and pulls out bundles of paper.

Kyler and I both share a look of confusion as to what is going on.

“Take one and pass it down.” Lauren and I both look at each other, me with raised eyebrows, and she laughs. “Sorry, habit.”

Always the teacher. She’s terrific with kids though. You can tell she really cares and wants to give them a bright future.

When the bundle of papers is finally set in front of Kyler and me, I choke out a laugh. The cover is a drawing of Kyler and me in purple ink, with the title of I Never Planned on You.

“Umm, question,” Ky speaks up. “Why am I shirtless in this picture?”

Zach laughs loudly at his question. “Damn, man, you’d think they would’ve made you bigger.”

Ky flips him off.

My mom and my future mother-in-law, Liz, both yell across the table in unison. “Boys! Behave!”

Haylee and I both snicker.

“Busted,” Hails mutters under her breath.

Lauren clears her throat, simmering down the noise. “Anyway, like we were saying. We thought it was only appropriate to share this love story with you all. Me being the avid romance reader wrote most of it, while the creative one over here…” She waves her thumb in the direction of her twin. “…illustrated it.”

I flip through the book, and wow, I knew my future sister-in-law was good, but I didn’t know she was this good. There are drawings throughout the book of Kyler and me or of various moments of our relationship. This must have taken her forever to do. My eyes begin to fill with unshed tears at the sincerity of this gift.

“Well, we only had so much time to write it, so it’s also kind of written like a children’s book.” Lauren chuckles. “Sorry again—out of habit. I also worked on this a lot on my lunch break, so blame my work environment.”