I Plan on Forever (Never #3) Read online

  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.”

  What? She worked on this at lunch? How did I not notice it?

  “I feel like we are in storytime at the library like what I take Emme to,” Haylee whispers when Lauren holds the book up to face us.

  “Once upon a time…”

  The crowd laughs. Okay, it’s a little funny.

  “A handsome guy named Kyler happened to answer the front door to his castle to find a beautiful woman standing on the other side. She was lost, looking for her home, and happened to stumble upon this stranger.”

  I press my lips together to keep from laughing. I mean, that’s not exactly how it happened, but sure, for this.

  Lauren turns the page. “He was so taken by the woman that he didn’t know what to do. That night, he met with his gorgeous, smart, and funny sisters.”

  Kate winks dramatically. That line has her written all over it.

  “They could tell something was different about him from the moment they saw him. He tried to deny it, but their magical big-sister powers saw right through that façade.”

  “Wow, that’s a big word for a kids’ book,” Zach shouts, followed by a loud grunt where his wife kicked him under the table.

  Haylee gives him a stern look and points her finger toward his face and whispers something. She then leans back into him, and he smiles.

  Lord knows what she said. Actually, come to think of it, I don’t want to know.

  “As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted.” Lauren narrows her eyes at my brother.

  She might look like she’s ready to smack him, but I know her. Both of Kyler’s sisters love Zach as if he were their brother. They joke and tease each other as if they’ve known each other their whole lives.

  I scoot my chair even closer to Kyler’s as he places his arm around my shoulder, pulling me to his chest. I lean into him, resting my hand on his knee, and listen for the rest of the story, even though I have some sort of idea as to how it ends.

  “The sisters couldn’t help but tease their poor brother. He had this goofy smile that they had never seen before. It was as if Cupid’s arrow struck him.”

  Kate pretends to shoot a bow and arrow. I laugh, wishing Aria were here to see this. I’m sure she would cringe and correct Kate’s form right now.

  “Dani had Kyler hooked…” And now Kate miraculously has a pretend fishing pole in her hand. “…since the moment they met. He just had to convince her that he was worth it.”

  I glance up at Kyler, who tilts his head down to me. He smiles wildly, and I know that he was worth it.

  “So, let’s now fast-forward to Kyler and Dani spending time to get to know each other. Enter the older, yet wiser, sisters. They played a little Jiminy Cricket in his ear, convincing him to ask her to dinner. What was the worst that could happen? Plus, they just had to meet this girl who had turned their brother’s world upside down.”

  Kate began. “None of them thought she was going to show, but then a miracle happened—you know, like Jesus turning water into wine.”

  “Did your sister just reference me showing up to Momento that night as a miracle from God?”

  His laugh vibrates through my body and he places a brief kiss to the top of my head. “Shh. Let’s just go with it, baby.”

  I think back to that night and how I almost didn’t show up, but there was something about Kyler. No matter how much I tried to deny it to myself, there was something that drew me to him.

  “Kyler’s sisters watched their interaction throughout the night—the little glances, the little touches—and they knew they were watching a love blossom like no other. The two finally gave in to their feelings over a large order of curly cheese fries, fried mac and cheese, and a chicken quesadilla when he pulled out all the stops for a romantic first date. It was not long after that when he realized she was his forever.”

  “And then a meteor hit, and they all died. The end.”

  Whoa, what? What the fuck kind of ending is that? Lauren must see the shock on our faces while Kate is bent over in laughter.

  “I’m sorry,” she says, trying to hide her laughter, but failing. “I’m just kidding. I read that once in a C. Lymari novel, and I just really have been dying to use that line.”

  “I hope everyone enjoyed our little storytime. Now, you may have wondered where we came up with the title, but it was simple. We believe that while neither of them planned to fall in love with each other, it just happened, and now here they are planning on forever.”

  Kate grabs their glasses from the table and hands one off to Lauren. “So, let’s raise a glass to Dani and Ky, and may they live happily ever after.”

  Everyone raises their glasses. “To Dani and Ky.”

  The sound of clinking fills the room. Just before Kyler and I clink our glasses together, he leans in and pre
sses his lips to mine. I will never get enough of feeling this man’s lips on mine.

  Kyler is first to stand after setting his glass back down. He pulls out my chair for me so that I can join him. We walk over to where Kate and Lauren are moving back to their seats. Lauren begins to put the papers she had in her bag when we approach.

  “I have no words for how much this means to me. You guys really outdid yourself.” I wrap them both in a hug.

  When I pull back, Kyler leans in and kisses both his sisters on the cheek. “So not that I’m not thankful for it all, but I thought this story was about Dani and me, but that seemed to focus on more of the two of you or moments in our lives when it involved you.”

  “Well, sweet brother,” Kate addresses him as we all take our seats again, “that’s because we are the best parts of your love story.”

  Kate is grinning ear to ear, while Kyler throws his head back in laughter.

  Dani and I slowly make our way out of the restaurant, falling behind the crowd a bit. I want to savor my last few moments before we have to go our separate ways. I look to my right and see the hallway that leads to the restrooms. I tug on Dani’s arm and pull her into the dark hallway.

  When I press her up against the wall, she gasps. “What are you doing?”

  Instead of answering right away, I settle between her legs and tug her hips closer to my body. I choose now to answer with action by capturing her lips with mine. Her hands quickly find the back of my neck, holding me to her. I bite her bottom lip gently and take advantage of her moaning in my mouth by slipping my tongue into hers.

  I don’t pull back till we’re both breathlessly panting.

  “Tomorrow you become my wife. You okay with that?” I push the hair out of her face.

  “I can’t think of anything else I’d rather do more.” Her smile widens and travels up to her eyes.

  I lean in and trail kisses from her ear down her neck. I can feel her pulse increase under my mouth, and that makes my pants that much tighter.

  “Well, that’s a shame, because I can think of a few things I’d rather do…with you…right now.” I want nothing more than to pull her into the bathroom and take her right there on the counter.

  “Kyler.”

  I know Dani might mean for it to make more of an impact to stop me, but when I begin sucking on that special spot on her neck, my name comes out more like a moan.

  There is a familiar throat-clearing, causing both of us to jump. Dani’s face turns redder than before as I watch her father walk past us with his hand over his eyes.

  “Don’t mind me. Carry on with your business.”

  Dani buries her head into my chest in embarrassment. When her father enters the restroom just a few feet away from us, I tilt her chin up.

  “Busted. Guess this isn’t that romantic, huh?” I laugh with my forehead against hers.

  “I mean, I think we’ve made out in worse places, but nothing like getting caught by my parents…again. Good thing we have forever to do this, then, huh?” She rises on her toes and presses one last chaste kiss on my lips. She steps to the side and extends her hand. “But you might want to adjust that, before my dad comes out and you give him a heart attack.”

  She blushes as she points down to my very obvious erection. I quickly adjust myself and then take her hand. I hold the main entrance door open to her, and once we are both outside, we see everyone from our group staring at us.

  “Well, it’s about time you kids joined us,” my best friend jokes with his wife leaning up against him on one side and his daughter asleep with her head on his shoulder.

  I smirk and shrug as I pull Dani into my arms. I have no shame and nothing to hide. When her father joins us, he is shaking his head, laughing.

  “Kyler, if you could not deflower my little girl the night before her wedding, that would be great.”

  “Daddy!” Dani shouts.

  “What? I would have expected this behavior from your brother but not from my baby girl.” He slings his arm over his wife’s shoulder, matching his son’s stance.

  “We were just kissing.” I can see the blush creeping up her cheeks in embarrassment.

  “I’m pretty sure you don’t need to worry about Dani being deflowered, dear,” Kelly snickers, placing her hand on her husband’s chest, and he hangs his head down with the awkward turn this conversation has taken.

  Haylee snorts at her mother-in-law’s comment before falling into a fit of drunk giggling. She clearly had a little too much wine tonight at dinner.

  “And that’s enough out of you, babe,” Zach says before pressing a kiss to the top of his wife’s head.

  “Oh my God,” Dani mutters.

  I pull her tighter to me and turn back to Adam. “You got it, sir. No babies until tomorrow.”

  I salute him, and he nods.

  Dani claps her hands together. “Well, as exciting as it is to be discussing my sex life in front of my parents and family, what do you say we all say good night? You know, big day tomorrow and all.”

  “I second this. I don’t need or want to hear all about this. Plus, this little princess is ready for bed.” Zach hands his daughter off to his dad gently.

  Emme doesn’t even stir. That little girl is out cold. Zach and Dani’s parents are taking Emme to the hotel tonight, where they are staying with Haylee’s parents.

  We make our way to where we have parked after saying farewell to my mom, the Jacobses, and the Hankses. Standing by my truck, I reach in and grab the envelope that I had gotten for Dani.

  “What’s this?” she asks, rubbing her delicate fingers over the front of the envelope where her name is written in my terrible handwriting.

  “It’s for you. Just promise me you’ll open it when you get to Haylee’s.”

  She reaches into her overnight bag that she had already gotten out of the passenger side of the truck and pulls out an envelope as well.

  “You wrote me one too?” I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.

  I take the envelope from her and pull her into my arms. I place my hands on the nape of her neck and pull her mouth to mine. With my hands now buried in her hair and my tongue buried in her mouth, she is quickly yanked away.

  “Okay, okay, you two. Time to break it up and go your separate ways. Ladies, this way. We’re heading back to my house. And Ky, you go home with my husband.” Haylee pauses. “Well, that’s an interesting image in my head.” She laughs and waves her hand in the air.

  Haylee loops her arm in Dani’s and begins to pull away. I never take my eyes off of Dani as she walks away. I wait for it. I know it’s coming.

  There it is.

  Dani glances over her left shoulder for one last look. It’s something she does every time she walks away, even though she will deny it.

  “Stop staring at my sister’s ass. That’s just weird,” Zach says, now beside me.

  I punch his arm. “Fuck off, asshole. Don’t act like you weren’t staring at your own wife’s ass.” I walk around to the driver’s side.

  “Oh, you know I will never deny that, but it’s just weird knowing you were looking at my sister’s,” he laughs, settling into his seat.

  Well, he’d better get used to it, because I never plan to stop.

  I shake my head at him while I turn the key in the ignition. “You know, before you and Haylee got together, I caught you staring at both of my sisters’ asses at one point.”

  He shrugs and waves his hand in the air. “That was the old me—you know, back when I was young and stupid.”

  I pull out of the parking space and head toward our house. “And now you’re wiser. Is that what you’re saying?”

  “Damn straight. Love changes a man.”

  I can’t disagree with him there. That may just be one of the smartest things to ever come out of my best friend’s mouth because the guy I met that first day of class is definitely not the same man sitting next to me. Hell, I’m not even the same man. Love has changed us both for the better.

 
Once back at Haylee and Zach’s, we all change into our pajamas. Tonight is going to be a true slumber party style—junk food, movies, and just us girls. Haylee set me up in my old room for the night—or, well, my original room from when I moved in. My old room, as in Kyler’s and my old room, is now Emme’s room. Tonight, she is staying in the hotel with our parents, and she will be coming back in the morning with the moms to get ready.

  When I open my bag, I notice the pajama top I packed earlier has been replaced. I pull out a white jersey-style shirt with “Bride” written in the front, and on the back it says “Lawson 20” in honor of the year I become Danielle Lawson. When the hell did he have time to switch this?

  I reach for my purse to grab my phone and see the letter that Kyler had just given me. I leave that out so I can read it. Once changed into my new pajamas, I walk into the bathroom and snap a quick selfie in the mirror showing off the name on my back as well as a selfie of the front with me blowing Kyler a kiss and send them off to him.

  I don’t wait for a response before I walk back into the room, put my phone on the bed, and grab the letter. Tonight, I want to be present with the girls and not be tempted to call or text Ky again.

  I walk back into the living room and hear Haylee, Lauren, and Kate giggling in the kitchen. Instead of joining them, I curl up in the comfy chair in the corner, pulling my feet under me, and open the envelope. I pull out a handwritten letter, just like the one I had given him, and read his words.

  I am currently wiping away the fallen tears when the girls walk in carrying a bowl of popcorn, two bottles of wine, and four glasses.

  “Ooh, whatcha got there?” Kate snatches the letter of my lap as Lauren hands me a glass of red wine. “Oh my God, did my brother write you a love letter?”

  I can’t hold back my smile; there is no denying it, so I just smile.

  “Holy shit? Seriously?” Lauren settles next to her sister leaning over.

  When I see them like this, so close, there is no denying they are identical twins no matter how hard they try to differentiate from each other with their styles.