Treading Water: Coming Home Part 47

"I want you and no one else." Kate knew she sounded like a petulant child and didn't care. She hated the idea of even one night without him.

"You have me, and this is the last night you'll spend alone. I promise."

A short time later, the driver pulled up to the house, which was dark except for a single light still s.h.i.+ning in the living room. Reid walked her inside and waited until she was ready for bed.

True to his word, he tucked her in and then sat on the edge of the bed to look down at her.

"I don't want you to go," Kate said.

"I'm not going far."

"Where will you be?"

"In town at the Hermitage. That's where we're going tomorrow night, too."

"We're not staying here?"

"No, we're not spending our wedding night with your entire family."

Kate smiled at the forceful way he said that.

"Your mom wants to come back in the summer after the baby is born, and I told her we'd love that," Reid said.

"I would love that. I'll need her here to tell me what to do."

He leaned over to kiss her. "Close your eyes and go to sleep. Dream about tomorrow and all the other tomorrows we'll have together. When you wake up, it'll be our big day."

"I love you," she said.

"I love you, too. Now close those magnificent blue eyes."

Kate kept her eyes closed when he kissed her once more and got up to go. She opened them to watch him leave the room. Staring into the darkness, she heard his car start and the crunch of snow under his tires.

He was only gone a minute when she reached for her phone.

"You're supposed to be sleeping, darlin'," he said with a chuckle.

"I can't sleep without you."

"Yes, you can."

How fitting, she thought, to spend the last night before their wedding the way they'd spent so many nights in the past. "Can I keep you company while you drive into town?"

"Only if you promise to sleep the minute I'm there."

"I promise. Do you want me to sing for you?"

"I'd love that."

So she did.

Jill and Maggie woke Kate at ten the next morning, thirty minutes before the hair-and-makeup people she used on tour were due to arrive. For this special occasion, she'd agreed to let the professionals have their way with her.

"I can't believe I slept so late!"

"You needed it," Maggie said as she handed her sister a mug of coffee. "Here is your one serving of caffeine for the day."

As much as she wanted and needed the coffee, Kate's stomach turned at the smell. "Can't do it, Mags." She handed the mug back to her sister. "Sorry."

"That's okay. How about some tea and toast?"

"That'd be great, thanks."

"Coming right up."

"Are you okay?" Jill asked when she and Kate were alone.

"I'm fine, just the usual nausea. How about you? Any news to report?"

Jill blushed and smiled as she held out her left hand to show Kate the ring.

"It's gorgeous. Congratulations!" She hugged Jill. "Do you love it?"

"I do. He did great."

"How was the proposal?"

"Lovely and perfect. Thank you for what you said about sharing the stage. I would've turned him down if he hadn't told me that."

"You would've broken his heart if you turned him down."

"I'm glad I didn't have to."

"When's the wedding?"

Jill rolled her eyes. "Can we please get through yours before we talk about mine?"

"I suppose so."

"Reid gave me this yesterday and asked me to give it to you this morning." Jill handed her a small box, wrapped in silver paper with a card attached.

"This isn't fair! We agreed to skip Christmas presents for each other with everything else going on."

"I don't think it's a Christmas present."

"Oh." Kate opened the envelope first. On an embossed cream-colored card bearing his initials, he'd written, "Something new for the big day. I can't wait for today, tomorrow, the next day and all the days after. With all my love, Reid." She tore the paper to find a black velvet box. Inside were teardrop diamond earrings.

"They're gorgeous," Jill said.

"I can't believe he did this," Kate said, reading the note again and wiping away tears. "We said no gifts."

"A man can buy his new wife a wedding gift if he wants to. It's in the rule book."

"But I didn't get him anything."

"You're giving him everything, Kate, and he knows that. That's all he wants."

"Have I thanked you for supporting us even when it wasn't cool to support us?"

Jill smiled. "I support you. That's what we do for each other-what we've always done for each other."

"And what we'll always do."

"Right. All this wedding stuff will never change that."

"Did Maggie tell you her news?"

"It's all she's talked about this morning. I'm so excited that she'll be coming to Nashville and for such a good cause."

"Are you guys talking about me?" Maggie asked when she returned with the tea and toast.

"We sure are," Kate said. "We're so excited that you'll be living close by. The Harrington girls, back together again."

"I'm not sure which part is more exciting-the job or being with you guys."

Jill checked her watch. "You'd better eat up and get in the shower, Kate. You don't want to be late for your own wedding."

Kate managed half the toast and a bit of the tea. It came rus.h.i.+ng back up while she was in the shower, the first time she'd actually vomited since she'd been pregnant. She turned off the water, wrapped her wet hair in a towel, pulled on a robe and sat on the closed toilet for a long time, taking deep breaths to get the nausea under control. Figures it would be worse today than any day so far.

"Kate?" Jill asked through the closed door. "Are you okay?"

"Come in."

"What's wrong?"

"Sick."

"Oh no."

"It's better now."

"Do you want to lie down for a bit?"

"Do we have time?"

"No, but we can make time."

"Maybe for a few minutes."

Kate stood, and the whole world tilted, her brain spinning with the most intense dizzy spell yet.

Only Jill's arms around her kept her from falling. "Let's get you back into bed."

"Why does this have to happen today of all days?"

"Because that's the way it goes."

Jill guided her back to bed and pulled the covers up and over her. "Rest for a while. I'll take care of everything. Don't worry."

The nausea was so severe that Kate didn't dare speak. Over the next hour, she was aware of her sisters, mother and stepmother coming in to check on her as she floated between sleep and wakefulness. And then she was fully awake, staring at the ceiling and waiting for the nausea to attack again. When it didn't, she sat up slowly and sat perfectly still at the edge of the bed. So far, so good.

Jill came in and was surprised to see her sitting up. "How're you doing?" Her hair had been corralled into an elegant French twist, and her makeup was done.

"Better, I think. You look great."

"Thanks. Perfect timing. Everyone else is ready. It's your turn, if you're feeling up to it."

A burst of excitement and adrenaline propelled her off the bed and into the bathroom, where she brushed her teeth and hair and pinched some color into her pallid cheeks.

She joined the others in the great room, which had been transformed for a wedding with fifty chairs arranged in a half circle in front of the fireplace. "Sorry I slept through all the work, guys."

"Are you feeling better, honey?" her mom asked, concern etched into her face.

"Much better and ready to get married. Where do they want me?"

"Upstairs," Jill said, leading the way. "Let's go make you into a bride."

Two hours later, Kate stood before a full-length mirror in one of the upstairs bedrooms, a.s.sessing her appearance from all angles. Not bad to say she'd been crippled with nausea only a short time ago. Before she donned her dress, she'd eaten a plain turkey sandwich that had gone down well. She prayed it stayed down.

The dress was made of cream-colored silk that pooled at her feet. She hadn't wanted a train or veil, settling instead for the Harrington family's diamond tiara that her grandmother, mother and aunt had worn at their weddings.

Taking a gander at her elaborately braided and arranged hair, she wondered how she'd ever find all the strategically hidden bobby pins that had been used to hold it together. She'd probably still be finding them in a year-a thought that made her giggle with excitement and nerves. How much longer?

Jill and Maggie came in a few minutes later, wearing matching red silk dresses that they had chosen for themselves and carrying bouquets made of red roses and white lilies for all of them.

"That color reminds me of Frannie and Jamie's wedding," Kate said of their dresses. "You guys look amazing."

"So do you," Maggie said. "Gorgeous."

"Thank you. I don't look too pale, do I?"

Maggie took a close look at Kate's face. "Nope. Just right."

"Good. Reid will zero right in if I'm too pale. Is he here yet?"

"For a while now. He and Buddy are using your room to get dressed."

"Is Ashton with them?"