Reckless (Thoughtless, #3)

Kellan laughed, then put a hand on his stomach. He still looked a little pale, and his eyes were still a little sunken, but he was slowly getting better.

Clapping my hands that everything was falling into place, I indicated all of the girls in the room. “Anna and I picked up my dress yesterday, but we’ll need to get you all bridesmaid dresses.”

Abby blinked in surprise. “Even me?”

I peered around Denny to smile at her. “Definitely you.”

Abby flushed with color and seemed really touched that I would extend such a courtesy to her. She was a part of Denny though, and he was my best friend. They were as much of a unit as Kellan and I, so it was only right that they both be included. Glancing over all of Kellan’s groomsmen, I frowned.

“Hmmm, will you guys be able to get suits today?” They were all dressed in holey jeans and threadbare T-shirts. I wasn’t such a bridezilla that I needed them in tuxes, but a tiny step up from their typical wardrobe would be nice.

Grinning ear to ear, Griffin tucked his hair behind his ears. “Not to worry, I’ve got the suit I want all picked out.”

My frown even deeper, I pointed at Matt. “Do not let him leave the store if he’s wearing any sort of pastel color.” I paused, then added, “Or anything assless.”

After Matt wholeheartedly agreed, I shrugged. “That just leaves dinner.”

Gavin raised his hand. “Martin and I did a little reconnaissance yesterday, and we found the perfect place. They serve traditional Thanksgiving dinners and are open on the holiday.” A Kellan-esque grin spread across his lips. “They even agreed to deliver to the hospital for us.”

I beamed at the two fathers in my life working together. Smiling at everyone, I shook my head. “Let’s get to work, then.”

The girls and I took off to find dresses, while the boys left to find suits. I felt a little bad leaving Kellan alone, but Carly assured me that he would be well taken care of, and he needed the rest anyway. I made sure to kiss him at least a dozen times before I left, though.

Instead of finding matching dresses for everyone, I let them choose their own styles. I didn’t want anyone to be forced into something they found atrocious, like puffy sleeves. My only suggestion was that they all chose the same color—a rich deep red that reminded me of Christmas, and Kellan, and love.

Hailey chose something fun and flirty, Anna chose something so tight I doubt she could breathe. The rest of the girls’ styles matched their personalities, demure and exotic for Rachel, playful for Jenny, sophisticated for Abby, and romantic for Cheyenne and Kate. Anna picked out a stunning red frilly dress for Gibson; she was going to outshine us all. Even my mom went with the red theme and found a nice cocktail dress that I was sure she’d wear over and over during the holiday season.

After dress shopping, we all brainstormed ways to romanticize the hospital room. Abby and Jenny were particularly good at decorating and came up with a plan that I thought would turn out nice. It was also going to stretch the nurse’s patience, but hopefully they’d tolerate the slight disruption to their order. I mean, how often can you say a rock star got married at your workplace?

I was greeted with loud cheers from the ever-vigilant fans when we returned to the hospital. Their numbers weren’t dissipating any, not even with the upcoming holiday. If anything, now that news of my nuptials was out there, the number of people was growing. Even a few photographers were in the mix. I didn’t care, though. I held my head high as I waved to the group.

“We love you, Kiera!” was their response.

That still made me shake my head in disbelief. They loved me? Even if I disagreed with their statement—they didn’t really know me, so how could they love me?—I appreciated the sentiment. It filled my chest with hope, love, and a general feeling that all was right with the world. And I supposed that was exactly how a person should feel when they were about to get married.

The boys were already back from their shopping trip when we returned to the room. Abby and Jenny laid out their decorating plan. The D-Bags looked confused by the explanations, but Denny nodded and instantly started getting to work. He had an eye for design and a knack for aesthetics. It was one of the many things that made him so good at his job.

Denny and Abby worked together seamlessly as they rearranged the room. There was an unspoken communication between the two of them that was adorable to watch. Denny would merely look at something with an eyebrow raised, and Abby would nod and say, “Yeah, I think so too.” They really were a great match.

S. C. Stephens's books