Mine to Take (Southern Weddings #5)
Natasha Madison
prologue
Dearest Love,
It’s that time again…
Wedding season.
The best season of the year.
Sofia has taken over.
The stars have aligned, and it looks like not only is her first love back in her life, but she has to plan his wedding.
Will he walk down the aisle?
Who will be the bride?
You know what they say.
Only time will tell
XOXO NM
sofia
I jump when the alarm starts blaring from the island behind me. The milk I was pouring into my coffee cup is spilled on the side. I put the frother down at the same time the blaring of the alarm gets louder and louder as the seconds tick by. “I’m coming, I’m coming!” I shout to the alarm, which at this point is so loud I’m about to cover my ears like my baby cousins do when I squeal out that I love them so much.
I press snooze by mistake. “Dammit,” I say, grabbing my phone and walking back to the sink. Turning on the warm water, I wet a cloth before cleaning up the spilled milk. “I think this is good luck,” I mumble to myself before rinsing the cloth off and returning back to the coffee. I grab the cup and bring it to my lips, smelling the aroma of coffee fill my nose makes me smile right before I take a sip. “That’s like little pieces of heaven,” I whisper before walking back up the stairs toward my bedroom.
When I get to the landing, I look over the railing that lets you see down into the great room. This house is massive, way too big for me, but try telling my grandfather that. The house was bought, and security was installed before I saw it. “Don’t argue with me,” he said softly, “I’m old.” Which made me snort-laugh. My grandfather is a lot of things, but old and delicate aren’t any of them. If you looked up Southern gentleman in the dictionary, there would be a picture of him.
I shake my head thinking of the last time we had the conversation, missing him just a touch more today. As I make my way toward my bedroom, I walk down the hallway. I look at all the pictures I lined up on the wall of my family. The middle picture on the wall is the whole family. It took some hours to rein everyone in, then about a hundred pictures to get the picture. My great-grandparents stand in the middle while everyone is around them. Around that picture is a picture of me with my parents taken at graduation day. My father with his arm around me, pulling me closer to him as he looks at my mother with all the love I’ve always seen in his eyes. It’s right next to the first picture we ever took together. I’m sitting on the horse with him behind me, his shirt is off, and he’s got his arms wrapped around me. From the story they told me, my parents shared one night together before my father joined the military. Wires got crossed, and he found out about me the first time we met. Even in the picture, we have the same smirk. From that day on, he made sure I knew how much he would have changed the past. I smile when I think about him, sending him a text.
Just sending you a message to say I love you, Dad.
I walk into the two open French doors and go straight to the bed. Turning on the television that faces the bed, the soft light fills the darkened room as I watch the news before turning on the Investigative Discovery Channel. I’m in love with my bed, something my grandmother, Olivia, set up for me. The whole house actually has her stamp of approval. I want to say I helped pick the things in my house, but I didn’t, she did it all. It’s not because I didn’t want to, it’s more that I know how much she loves this stuff. Literally, the whole family just lets her do things because it makes her happy. My grandfather let her style one of their homes in all white. They even call it the White House, and no one wants to stay in it.
The phone rings, and I pick it up, smiling again when I see it’s my dad. “Hello.”
“Hello, Sunshine.” He calls me by my nickname like he always does. “Why are you up so early?”
“It’s not early.” I look down and see that it’s six ten. “Okay, fine, maybe it’s a bit early.” I bring the cup of coffee to my lips. “But the first day on the job is a big deal.”
“It is,” he agrees, and I hear the truck door close on his side of the phone. “You’ve been dreaming about this since you were seven, and Grandma Olivia bought you a mini wedding dress.”
“It was the best gift I ever got.” I sigh, remembering all the time I spent in that dress. If I wasn’t in school, I was in that dress. I prepared so many weddings with so many of my stuffed animals, it was crazy.
“I bought you a horse and Pops bought you a pink tractor,” he points out the other two gifts that are also on the best gift I ever got list. To say I was spoiled was an understatement.
“Okay, fine,” I huff, “you got me good gifts also.”
“Good,” he says, chuckling. “Okay, I’m heading into the gym.”
“Have a great day, Dad. I love you.”
“Love you more.” He hangs up the phone, and I place mine beside me.
I take another sip of my coffee and press the button to open the shades, the sunshine coming straight in. Slipping off my bed, I walk over to the window, looking out at the trees that are all around me. This is definitely not where I thought I would end up. When I was in high school, I dreamed of going to Chicago, LA, or New York and planning events. I wanted to be in the glitz and glamor. To set up the best events I could, with a whole team under me. But instead, I came to visit my aunt, Harlow, and fell in love with this town. One weekend here and all my plans went out the window. Plus, Harlow’s sisters-in-law owned their own event company. It’s as if it was fate. I finish my coffee. “Time to meet my first ever client.”
Three hours later, I’m walking up the steps of the little bungalow they built with five offices where the bedrooms would be. The living room and dining room are where the waiting area is, it’s filled with pictures of past events they have done. I take a second to look at the side of the barn. Or at least what looks like a barn. Once you get inside, you’ll find rustic wooden floors and exposed wooden beams that can be dressed up. It can fit up to five hundred and fifty people. Right behind the barn is a kitchen where the caterers can set up.
Taking a deep breath, I turn the handle on the door to start my very first day as part of the team. “Surprise!” is screamed by Clarabella, Shelby, and Presley.
I put a hand to my chest in shock. “What is this?” I ask them as I step into the cool room.
“Why did we think a surprise was a good thing?” Clarabella looks over at her sisters.
“I specially said that it was stupid, but no one listened to me,” Shelby states, folding her arms over her head.
“I don’t even think I was part of the conversation,” Presley complains to them, and they glare at her. The three sisters have become my closest friends. I would do anything for them, and I know they have my back.
“Well, whatever it was,” I say, smiling at them, “it’s wonderful.”
Shelby steps forward. “Are you ready?” she asks, and I just look at her confused.
“For today?” I say, putting my hand to my stomach. The nerves have been going since I opened my eyes at 5:00 a.m. “Not even a bit.”
“What time is the appointment?” Clarabella asks.
“Ten,” I reply, my fingers shaking a bit. “So I have an hour to get all my ducks in a row.” Even though I went over the file three times already.