Page 97 of Gin and Bear It

I text her, trying to focus on this current moment. We won. The money is ours. I can celebrate that now and think about the future later.

THIRTY-ONE

JADA

I expect Ash to be light and carefree after we get back from Nashville. He got everything he wanted, and more. But he’s obviously wrestling with something and calmly claims he’s just thinking things through when I ask him about it. I don’t want to press him further. I have to trust that he’ll open up to me when he’s ready.

But I can be stressed about it. Because I can guess what he’s thinking about—us. And our one-year anniversary isn’t for another six months. We don’t have to talk about our relationship right now.

I throw myself into planning the opening of the bar instead because I have so much to do. It’s going to be bigger than anything we’ve ever planned before, and I have to get most of it done before we go to Bianca and Waylon’s wedding. I don’t want any tasks hanging over my head while we’re there.

I manage to get much of it done by the time we’re on our flight to the Bahamas. Bianca’s parents splurged and got all of the guests tickets so we could make it. Or I guess for them, it might not have been a big expense. The guest list is small, with just twenty-five of their closest friends and family. I wouldn’t expect anything different from them—it’s just right.

“You good?” Ash asks once I put my laptop away, just in time for landing.

“Yep, all done with the most important stuff.” I blow out a breath and stretch out my legs as much as I can. “Are you good?”

Ash raises an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

I glance across the aisle at Wes and Rose, who are watching a movie together. The ambient noise of the plane is loud, but I don’t want to get into anything right now. Everyone seems excited and any tension might kill the vibe.

“Just generally.” I press my leg against his to let him know I’m not upset. “A lot has been going on.”

“Yeah, I’m good.” He rests a hand on my knee.

His hand steadies me, even during the plane’s bouncy landing. Even though the air was rough coming down, it’s nothing but clear blue skies and palm trees now that we’ve landed. A small bus takes us directly from the tarmac to the secluded resort where we’ll be staying for the next few days.

Bianca’s parents reserved a few small villas for the guests, all situated around a huge courtyard with a pool. We relax around the pool for a few hours before we go to the rehearsal dinner. It’s set up on the beach under a tent, the gorgeous evening light making everything glow.

“You look so stunning!” I say to Bianca when I see her. She’s literally the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen in real life, but her happiness is making her almost angelic.

“Thank you.” She gives me a big hug. “I’m so glad you’re here. I can’t believe it’s happening tomorrow. I’m a little worried about how it’ll all go.”

“It’ll be perfect.” It better be, with how much all of this costs, but I hold my tongue.

“Were you nervous?” Bianca asks, lowering her voice. “I’m not sure what amount of nerves is normal.”

Our wedding feels like it was a hundred years ago, and I was a totally different person. When I thought about what life would be like six or seven months from then, I didn’t imagine this.

I glance over at Ash, who’s talking to an older white woman who I vaguely recognize from somewhere. He gives me a soft smile before turning back to the conversation.

“Ask Rose. Her advice is probably way better,” I say. “Our wedding was fast so I hardly had time to be nervous.”

“She says she was excited. And I’m so excited and I know we’re doing the right thing, but it’s so…” She gestures vaguely. One of the waiters floating around the crowd puts a glass of Prosecco in her hand, and she thanks him. “Big. Final.”

The waiter hands me Prosecco, also. “It is. But you and Waylon are perfect together. Marriage being final is a good thing.”

She sips her drink, nodding. “Yeah. It’s the start of a happy forever.”

I glance back at Ash, who’s still talking to that woman. “Who’s Ash talking to, by the way? She’s not a Stryker but I recognize her.”

“One of my parents’ close friends, Ruby. Remember that song Cheetah? She wrote it and performed it. She’s a big songwriter and producer these days,” Bianca says.

“Ah.” No wonder they’re speaking. Ash is nodding along with what she’s saying, a trace of excitement in his eyes. “Ash has gotten back into writing songs again.”

“That’s great,” Bianca says. “If he’s interested in getting into it professionally, she’s the best person to talk to.”

I take a long sip of my drink, and the slight burn fills the pit in my stomach.