Between The Vows

Chapter Sixteen

I spent the next morning decorating my house for the bachelorette party. I hung streamers and banners and blew up balloons with the helium machine. I set up my dining table with centerpieces and place settings. Savannah brought over all the necessities for a bachelorette party; cakes and candy that were shaped as a certain male body part. I rolled my eyes at her and she waved me off, telling me that they were a necessity. We stocked the bar with all of Anna's favorites; tequila for margaritas and coconut rum for daiquiris.

I changed the sheets in every guest bedroom and scrubbed all the bathrooms clean. Having guests in my home always made me nervous, not because of the messes they make, but I never think my house is clean enough, even though it was barely ever used. I was never home, and when I was, the only rooms I went in were the ones on the main floor except for my master bedroom. Savannah claims my house was a museum; you can go in, but you can't touch anything.

I met Anna, Ellie, and my Mom at the Bridgeport Hotel spa. We were treating Anna to a spay day and the four of us needed the relaxation; this wedding had taken a toll on all of us. Anna and my mom went into one room while Ellie and I were in another. I tried to make conversation, but Ellie barely responded.

After our massages, we got lunch at the boat club. Before joining them at the table, I peeked into the ballroom. They had already begun to set up, Isa was pointing everyone in different directions and assigning them different tasks. She spotted me from across the room and raised a hand for me to come over.

"We were able to fit five extra tables." She smiled at me. "Is Mr. Eastwood here?" She peeked over my shoulder, hoping that he was in tow.

"No, sorry." I pouted my lip, mimicking her. I don't know what it was about Isa that bothered me so much, other than her fawning over my boyfriend. She didn't seem to like me, even though I never gave her a reason not to.

"Oh, that's too bad. He is so sweet to deal with." She went back to organizing the tables with the rest of the workers.

"Bitch," I muttered under my breath. I joined them back at the table and grabbed a menu, not interested in making conversation.

Anna and my mom blabbed about the day of the wedding. Ellie sat on her phone the entire time and I was researching new venues that I could go look at for future clients. If I was going to expand my business, I needed to have more options for clients when it came to venues. I had become so familiar with Bridgeport and the people that I have worked with that it was time I got out of my comfort zone. Never in a million years would I want to do anything that was uncomfortable to me, but somehow Liam changed that.

Liam's parents were going to be at the rehearsal dinner tonight and I couldn't shake the nerves. I wanted them to like me and I spent a little over an hour deciding my outfit for tonight. I went with a soft, powdery steel-blue jumpsuit with a halter top and a palazzo-style leg. I paired it with a bunch of silver bangle bracelets and big silver hoops with a pair of nude heels. Liam told me that it was perfect, and it held calm my nerves a bit.

The rehearsal dinner was on the roof of the Bridgeport Hotel. We stepped onto the cement roof and everyone gasped. There were white lights strung above and two long tables beneath that had silk red roses and baby's breath cut short into a tea cup, with pearls that were wrapped around the teacup and saucer. My mind flashed back to the night Liam and I made them. We had come so far from that night and I couldn't believe how nervous I had been. Liam made me more comfortable than anyone had in my entire life.

Liam ushered me over to his parents. He was a spitting image of his father; they had the same dark hair but his had streaks of gray. He had the same strong jaw line as Liam. His mother was short and petite and had such a resemblance to Stella that I almost had to do a double take.

"It is so nice to meet you, Nora." Mrs. Eastwood grabbed me into a hug. "We've been hounding Liam to bring you up to Holly Springs for a visit."

"Oh, that would be lovely. It's so nice to finally meet you guys." I shook his father's hand. He had the same warm smile that Liam did.

"We will all have to plan something soon." His mother said to me, with a sincere, kind expression in her eye. I don't know what I was so worried about, they were both warm and inviting like Liam was. Stella came over and we caught up and told jokes about Liam. He pretended to be bothered by it, but I knew it meant a lot to him that we were getting along.

It was almost dinner and we parted ways. Everyone found their place cards and took a seat. I grabbed the microphone from the stand and welcomed everyone and thanked them for coming. Liam wanted to say a few words, so I handed him the microphone and went down to the kitchen to make sure dinner was on schedule.

The kitchen staff was running around, and the manager told me it should be out in a matter of minutes. She shooed me out of the kitchen and I went back up to the party, making it just in time for the toasts. Liam raised his glass and toasted the happy couple and for a long-lasting marriage. We all lifted our glasses and cheered for Anna and Andrew.

I kept noticing Mrs. Eastwood watching Liam and I from across the room. It wasn't that she was gawking or anything, she had a small smile on her face, as if she approved of us and I swear I saw her wink at me.

After dinner, the groom's cake was served. Everyone who knew Andrew, knew that he loves golfing. It was fashioned with a golf motif. We went over the events of tomorrow, letting everyone know the times and where to be. After we finished, we headed over to the church for a walk through of the ceremony.

The girls came back to my house for the bachelorette party. We made drinks and got the games setup. We started off by pairing up into teams and making a wedding dress out of toilet paper. Ellie and I paired up against Savannah and Taylor and Anna was to pick the winner. When the timer went off, Anna carefully considered both options but ended up picking Savannah and Taylor's strapless floor-length gown.

Instead of playing another game, we cuddled up on my sectional and shared stories about Anna. As the girls spoke, I looked over at Anna and couldn't help but feel a bit emotional. My baby sister was getting married tomorrow. She had grown so much over these past few years and I am in awe of the person she is today. She has her moments, as we all do, but I wouldn't trade her for the world, and same goes for Ellie. I loved my sister's more than anything and only wanted the best for them. I knew Ellie would come around, though I wished it was sooner rather than later. We were sitting next to each other on the couch and I leaned my head on her shoulder, letting her know that I was still there for her. We decided to put our differences aside for the weekend and celebrate Anna, who gladly accepted all the attention.

When it was around eleven, we headed down the beach to Andrew's house for a bonfire with the boys. As much as I enjoyed girl time, I was eager to see Liam again. I spotted him on a camping chair at the fire, so I cuddled up on his lap and planted a kiss on his lips. When we parted, he reached to the side of him and grabbed the blanket, wrapping it around me. It felt so good to be in his arms again. Saying goodbye on Monday was going to be hard but I pushed those thoughts to the back of my mind and snuggled closer to him. He told me about their bachelor party; the boys played a few rounds of cornhole and drank beers. For the next hour or so, we all sat around the fire and talked. It was nearing one and the girls wanted to head back to my house.

I wasn't ready to part for Liam just yet, so before I left I whispered in his ear, "Meet me at my back door in twenty minutes, I'll sneak you in." He raised his brows and smiled, curious as to what my plan was, even though he already knew. I gave him one more kiss before joining the girls on the walk back.

We each went into separate bedrooms and I lay in my bed, hoping the girls would fall fast asleep. I watched from my window for Liam and when I saw him approaching the house, I tiptoed down the stairs to let him in. I pulled the door open quietly and grabbed his hand, pulling him inside. He picked me up and I wrapped my legs around his waist. I put a hand behind his neck and gently pulled his head down and planted my lips on his. We tried our best to keep quiet as Liam guided us up the stairs, but we couldn't help but giggle at the thought of being caught. He set me down when we reached my bedroom and he quietly shut the door. I turned around and wrapped my arms around his neck and stood on my tip toes, in desperate need for his lips to be back on mine. He guided me onto the bed and I deepened the kiss, giving him the clue that I wanted more. It was slow and tender, as it always was, and I wanted nothing more than to do it over and over again.