Broken Dreams

Whit and Layton both started laughing as I began talking to the rental car agent.

All it took was one flash of my smile and a little bit of innocent flirting, and I had upgraded our car rental at no extra charge.

As the agent handed me the keys to our BMW X5, she asked, “What brings you to Reno? Maybe we could meet for a drink later, and I can…show you around.”

I smiled. “I’m sorry, but can’t. I’m actually here with my fiancée. We’re getting married.”

It wasn’t lost on me how her smile faded, and she looked like she was about to take back the car keys.

I quickly flashed her a smile and said, “Thank you so much for the warm welcome. Have a wonderful day.”

I turned to see Layton shaking his head with a smile on his face before he looked away.

As I walked by him, he said in a low voice, “At least you know you still have a way with the girls.”

I quickly looked at him and winked before I walked up to Courtney. She was finally off the phone and talking to Whitley. Courtney smiled at me as I made my way to her. The look on her face caused me to smile. She looked so happy and beautiful.

When she began walking up to me, I mouthed, I love you.

She picked up the pace and slammed into my body. I dropped our suitcases and held her as she began crying.

“What? What’s wrong, baby?” I pulled back and saw her smiling as tears were streaming down her face. “Court? Baby, talk to me. I’m slightly confused by the tears and the smile.”

She wiped away her tears and shook her head. “Everything is perfect. Well, besides the fact that my mother is pretty pissed off at me right now, but she’ll get over it. My father’s best friend is someone big at The Ritz-Carlton hotel, and he owed my dad a favor, so my dad called him on it. We are all set for a sunset wedding on the beach tomorrow. I called a local bridal shop, and they have the dress I want. Whit can pick out a bridesmaid dress when we get there. The florist at the hotel is taking care of the flowers, and I told her to keep them simple. The only thing left to do is get our wedding bands.”

I was pretty sure my jaw was on the floor. She scrunched up her nose in that cute way she does, and my dick instantly jumped.

“You did all that…since we got off the plane?”

She threw her head back and laughed. “No. I called my father before we left, and I asked him to find out about The Ritz-Carlton to see if they could make it work. After we landed, I was on the phone with the bridal store, the florist…and my mother.” Her smile faded.

“So, should I be afraid when you bring me home to meet the parents?” I said with a chuckle.

She took a deep breath. “Probably. My parents both think I’m pregnant, and that’s why we’re rushing the wedding. I told them I wasn’t, but my mother is being crazy. She demanded I take a pregnancy test and show her the results.”

“What?” I said.

Courtney shrugged her shoulders and smirked. “I almost want Whit to take one, so I can freak my mom the hell out.”

“Wait, is your mom serious? She wants you to send her a picture of a pregnancy test?” I asked.

Courtney nodded her head and simply said, “Yep.”

I didn’t know whether I should be really worried or really scared for my life. “What about your dad? How does he feel about this?” I asked, silently saying a prayer that her dad had been cool with it. Then, I thought about how I hadn’t even told my own mother yet.

“Let’s get to the car, so we can check in at the hotel and then go to the bridal store. I’ll fill you in on what my parents said, I promise.”

By the time we got all the luggage into the car and entered the hotel address into the GPS, I was sweating bullets. Whisking Court off to Lake Tahoe and marrying her was not a good way to make an impression on her parents.

Driving to the hotel, I was the only one not talking. All I kept thinking of was how we had disappointed her parents. What is my own mother going to think? Shit! I need to call her.

When Courtney placed her hand on my leg, I instantly felt a warmth there before it spread throughout my whole body. I looked over into her sparkling eyes, and I immediately felt better. I didn’t care what her parents thought. I wanted to marry her, and she wanted to marry me, and this was how we were going to do it.

I’ll deal with the parents later. Right now, it is all about my beautiful bride-to-be and our wedding.

She moved her hand up to the side of my face and began brushing the back of her hand on my cheek. “So, what do you want to hear first—my father’s threat to you or my mother’s?”

I tried so desperately to hold in my laughter when Reed’s head snapped over and looked at me. His mouth had dropped open, and he couldn’t even talk. Layton and Whitley were laughing in the backseat, and I wanted to just hug myself for freaking Reed out.

I might love him more than life itself…but I love fucking with him, too!

“I think I should go with my mother’s first¸” I said in a nonchalant manner.

Reed slowly looked back to the road, and the light turned green. We were not very far from the hotel, and my nerves had been getting the better of me.

I can’t believe I’m getting married tomorrow.

To calm myself down, I’d thought I would jack around with Reed’s nerves.

Reed cleared his throat and said, “Wait, your parents threatened me? How? Why?”

I took in a deep breath and quickly let it out. “It’s pretty simple. They feel like you’re depriving them of seeing their daughter get married. So, they’re flying out tonight, and they will be here for the wedding tomorrow.”

Reed pulled into a parking lot and slammed on the brakes. “What?” he yelled out as he looked at me with nothing but panic in his eyes. “Your parents are coming here? For the wedding?”

I slowly nodded, and the next thing I knew, Reed sprang out of the car and began pacing. Layton jumped out, and Whitley hit me on the back of the head.

“Stop it, Courtney. He is a bundle of nerves as it is. Why are you doing this to him?”

I let out a laugh. “’Cause it calms my nerves!” I looked out the car window and saw Reed leaning over with his hands on his knees.

“Is he…” I started to ask as Whitley said, “Oh my God, you made him sick.”

Oh shit. I got out of the car and ran over to Reed. “Are you okay?”

He looked up at me. “No. I’m not okay. Maybe we shouldn’t be doing this.”