Fall - A Rocky Lynch Story

Chapter 5

I had to admit that wedding venue shopping was a lot harder with a two-year-old. Ellie wanted down and all over the place at the venue we were visiting. Karlee and Ryland had taken the day off to come and take a look at a beautiful villa on the beach for the ceremony and reception.

"It's perfect," Karlee smiled and held her fiancee's hand. "I wanna get married right now." She turned to him and pressed her forehead to his.

"I do," he smirked at her.

"I definitely do," she winked at him and kissed him.

I sighed and struggled to keep Ellie in my line of sight. "So you guys think this is your place?"

"Absolutely," Ryland looked up from Karlee to me. "Let's get a price and we're gonna be golden."

I smiled and went to find the venue manager to tell her we were up for the place. Ellie ran to Karlee and stayed content while I walked down the hallway. I checked the time and saw that it was getting close to Ellie's nap. "Where can I sign the papers?" I happily told the manager.

"Oh wonderful!" The white haired old lady clapped her hands together. "Right in here!" she sat me down in her office.

After a few minutes of signing papers and writing checks with the couple, we all shook on it and celebrated the exquisite find on our way home. I brought Ryland and Karlee back to our house to look at wedding plans and I put Ellie down for her nap.

"So our colors are for sure plum, that muted turquoise you liked, and then cream?" I finalized.

"Yes," she nodded her head and continued her look through the bouquets that I had made. They sat on our dining room table arranged to perfection. I went over to the fabric swatches for the bridesmaids dresses and showed her the colors once more before we picked the style of dress.

The front door opened and the time only read '1:54', meaning the kids wouldn't be home yet. I looked around the corner and Rocky was walking inside and looking down at his phone. I smiled and put my hands up. "Well hey stranger," I winked at him and brought him into my arms.

He kissed me and smiled. "Hi baby... I thought I'd just come home early and..." He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the dining room. "Are we a showroom?" he laughed out loud and said hello to Ry and Karlee.

"I just... We wanted to be able to have everything at our fingertips," I smiled at him. "You remember how it was when we got married," I nudged him.

"Except that was about 13 -- almost 14 -- years ago and things are definitely different now." He put his arm around me. "It looks like a boutique threw up in our dining room," he laughed and shook his head.

"Do you want me to clean it up?" I looked up at his confused face.

"No." He shook his head again and rubbed the small of my back. "I'm just gonna go put on some normal clothes and I can go get the kids from school," he assured me. With a kiss of my cheek he disappeared up the stairs.

Rocky went to pick up all five kids from school and dropped Brooke and Alice back off at their house. I knew they were home the second they came in because I could hear the talking from outside the doorway. "But Rocky you don't understand," I could hear Avelyn saying.

"First of all, Avelyn, you're certainly not going to get anything you want if you're still calling me by my first name," Rocky told her.

I laughed to myself and looked at Ellie in her high chair. "They're a mess," I told her.

"A MESS!" she exclaimed and laughed to herself as she ate her blueberries.

"Hey mom," Carter said to me and hugged me hello.