All I Ever Wanted (Available On Amazon snd KU!)

Chapter Twenty-Four (Edited)

                                                         "True love is rare,

and it's the only thing that

gives life real meaning."

-Nicholas Sparks                            

ABBIE  

     Chatter and laughter filled the small covered patio Liv and Josie decorated with streams of ambient Edison light bulbs and sheer off white drapes. My girls went above and beyond, beautiful thick linen tablecloths line the row of foldout tables against the siding with shades of cream and soft blush. Peony scented candles flicker between the bottles of wine, finger sandwiches, and bowls of chips and dips. On another table, Thick oak curcutachure boards and elegant trays plated with cheese and wine pairings, gourmet cupcakes and macaroons, nearly overflow the edges.

    Pass the patio the streams of light continue, as cream and blush pillows decorate the cozy seating around the firepit. Alivia talked Sean into not only grooming the lawn but buying a seven-blade push reel lawn mower to do so. She claimed it was the only way the grass could be trimmed to the perfect length, the only way to get it to resemble a golf course. Just like an uppity Country Club's Wedding Shower but for an eighth of the price. After all that, somehow, she even persuaded him to vacuum all the grass cut offs away!

In the manicured grass, Daddy and Wonda played a game of cornhole against one another. The boards gifted to Wyatt and I as a congratulations present. It brought a refreshing tug to my chest seeing him smile, seeing him happy. He deserved this. Come to think of it, he and Wonda had become inseparable lately. They were the ones that gifted us the homemade handcrafted boards.

Lifting two flutes of champagne for Josie and Liv, I join them at the fire pit, standing between their chairs. "Here you are ladies, much deserved! My backyard is completely transformed, it's gorgeous!"

"Not as gorgeous as you! look at you in that dress!", Josie quickly interjects, swatting away my compliment. I knew she secretly loved the praise of anything she organized, but the award to her was never the applause of her work, but watching the guest's admiration of the finished product, the satisfaction of appreciation without direct words.

Wyatt's hand finds my revealing skin as it follows the fabric that dips to the waistline.

"Can I borrow my Bride to be for a moment, please?" his voice raspy and stern yet smooth, a formal tone of Wyatt rare to hear.

"Well, I never thought I'd witness the day Wyatt Pectin told me please!" Liv jokes, tossing back the rest of her drink as she stands to get refills for her and Josie. Leaning in with a whisper before she walks toward the patio. "Sure, but it better be a quickie." Another giggle spills from her tipsy lips as she throws an over-the-top wink to the both of us.

His hand still lingers at my waist as he guides me to the kitchen. Tugging at the collar of his magnolia white dress shirt, Wyatt smiles at the guest that stood near the outer windows, the curtains still drawn open from the morning sun. Whose eyes flickered up at our movements from the kitchen while grabbing a slice of cheese or pastry from the table. He shifts to use my body as coverage. Dipping his head to block his mouth from view, his voice a low grizzly rumble.

"Do you have any idea how badly I want to rip that dress off you and let your hair down from those pins?" His eye lids are heavy as they trail down appreciating each visible curve of my body. Not heavy from the effects of alcohol but from lust and desire. Something about his words speak differently to me, begging to hear more.