Part of Me: Friendship, Texas #3 Read online

  Lake Ray Hubbard was a Corp of Engineers manmade lake just about as big as any lake I’d ever seen. It was right on the edge of Friendship and hit some other neighboring towns. It also had a ton of parks that were the perfect spots for a small, outdoor wedding.

  Mom and I had pulled into the parking lot with the only cars belonging to Lia’s family. I guess many people didn’t venture to a park at ten a.m. on Christmas Eve day, so it was perfect timing.

  Mom put her hand on mine on the console between us before I could get out to get Ellis and his car seat out of the back.

  I met her eyes as she wrung her hands. “You know, this is probably too late to say this, but you don’t have to marry Sofie just because you two have a child.”

  I smiled in spite of the statement. “I know, so it’s a good thing I love her more than life itself.”

  Mom squeezed my hand. “I want to make sure you’re happy, Johnny. I know I come off as cold and cruel, but after all these years...” Her voice broke before she took a deep breath then let it out slowly. “You’ve turned into more of a man than I could have ever dreamed possible. You’re a successful swimmer, a great father, and I know you’re going to be an amazing husband. Sofie is lucky to have you.”

  I leaned over and kissed Mom’s cheek. “And I’m lucky to have two strong women in my life.”

  Mom embraced me, and we sat there for a few moments before Ellis stirred then made gurgling noises, throwing his tiny fist in the air, holding his booties.

  I laughed, looking at the reflection of my little man in his onesie, suspenders, and little trousers but holding his socks and booties in both hands.

  “I think the native’s getting restless,” I said, hitching my thumb in Ellis’s direction.

  Mom smiled. “Then we’d better get his mommy and daddy married.”

  ***

  Only fifteen of us would attend the ceremony, but I would not let that stop us from having a real ceremony with ten wooden chairs on each side. In the center, a long, white runner led to a small archway covered in red and white flowers that also carried over in little bouquets on each chair.

  All of the chairs and archways faced the lake, framed by a canopy of willows and pine trees. We couldn’t have picked a better spot.

  As soon as we approached the little area, Sofie’s dad came up to us, dressed in a button-down and slacks with a small red boutonniere pinned above the pocket on his shirt.

  “Just because there’s a lake here doesn’t mean you can swim away, Johnny,” Sofie’s dad joked and then looked down at Ellis, tickling his booted feet. “You either, little man.”

  “Don’t worry, sir. I’m not going anywhere. Ever.”

  Sofie’s dad smiled and gave me a hug then turned and gave my mom a hug and kiss on the cheek before he looked at me and clasped my shoulder. “Ready to get married?”

  I grinned. “Been ready since the moment I met your daughter.”

  ***

  I stood at the archway with my back to the lake, the pastor on one side, and Jay on the other, holding Ellis, my best man.

  Jay’s black SUV circled the parking lot then parked right at the edge, closest to where we were set up.

  Sofie’s dad jumped up from his seat where he was sitting next to Stephanie, Abbey, and Abbey’s boyfriend, Jordan. I’d only met him briefly, but I’d heard enough about him; they could probably write their own book.

  I couldn’t see anything through the tinted windows of Jay’s SUV and only saw a flash of red as Lia got out of the driver’s seat, holding a bouquet of white roses.

  Then Noah, the deaf piano player in town everyone told us to use, started the keyboard that sat at the end of the aisle.

  Lia looked like a knockout as always in the red lace dress. I was sure Jay’s eyes bugged out of his head as he approached her once she got to the end of the aisle, and she looped her arm through his, making their way up to the archway and each taking a side.

  Then the back door to the SUV opened, and Sofie’s hand reached out with her dad taking it.

  My breath caught in my throat as “Canon in D” started, and Sofie’s dad helped her out of the backseat.

  Sofie was always beautiful, but knowing she’d finally be mine today—be Mrs. Laughlin—somehow made her even more breathtaking.

  We might have gone simple for everything else, but nothing was simple about the long, white strapless dress. Her dad held the train in one hand while his other arm wrapped around her tiny waist.

  Her short hair was down and wavy, pulled away from her smiling face with a small crystal hairpiece. She wasn’t wearing a ton of makeup, but she didn’t need to because her smile lit up her whole face, and it was all she needed.

  I watched with bated breath as she slowly made her way to me, holding her dad’s arm until they were right in front of us. Then he kissed her cheek, shook my hand, and took his seat.

  “You ready for this?” she whispered.

  “I’ve been ready for two years,” I whispered back.

  With the pastor’s words and our family watching, Sofie finally became my wife, and that night after lunch at Conti’s with cake, some homemade liquor, and a little dancing, we headed home before going to another party at Conti’s for Christmas Eve.

  Sofie held my hand as she put the sleeping Ellis in his crib.

  I looked down at the little boy who had changed our lives so much then looked at Sofie’s hand with her engagement ring and new wedding band sparkling in the dim light streaming from Ellis’s night light.

  “Think we’re going to have a repeat of last year with the goat pen for our wedding night?” I whispered, nudging her shoulder.

  “Pretty sure you can’t get me pregnant again,” she said with a small smile.

  “I wouldn’t test me on that one. Remember our Christmas last year?”

  She turned and took both my hands in hers. “You can’t do that again this year because I don’t think knocking over a goat pen would be good for our little swimmer.”

  “Our little swimmer? But Ellis is...sleeping...? He wouldn’t be outside with us....?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

  Sofie smiled then put both my hands on her stomach. “No, this one.”

  I widened my eyes. “You mean...you’re...?”

  She nodded, biting down on her bottom lip. “I know we wanted to wait until Ellis was a little bit older and didn’t plan for any of this, but you know that night a month ago when I was shaving your back then we went in the shower and...”

  I cut off Sofie’s words, pulling her and pressing my lips to hers repeatedly then pulled away slightly to meet her eyes.

  “Not everything can be planned out to a T. Nothing we’ve done so far has, and we’ve turned out all right I think.”

  Sofie smiled. “Yeah, we have, haven’t we? I still sorta, kinda like you, Johnny Laughlin.”

  I grinned and kissed her again. “Yeah, I love you too, Sofie Laughlin.”

  About The Author

  Magan Vernon has been living off of reader tears since she wrote her first short story in 2004. She now spends her time killing off fictional characters, pretending to plot while she really just watches Netflix, and she tries to do this all while her two young children run amuck around her Texas ranch.

  Find her online

  Website: www.maganvernon.com

  Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/maganvernon

  Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/authormaganvernon

  Twitter: www.twitter.com/maganvernon

  Newsletter: http://www.subscribepage.com/MaganVernon

  Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/authormagan/

  Magan’s Minions (Reader Group): http://on.fb.me/1lVsZEo

  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maganvee/

  Acknowledgements

  I knew that Sofie was going to get a book, I just didn’t know it was going to be with Johnny or that she was going to have sex against a goat pen and get pregnant. You can blame the ladies of the F*cking Awkward Holiday Anthology for
that one. This was one of the funner books to write. There wasn’t a ton of angst, but it had great meaning, and Johnny Laughlin is the ultimate goofball book boyfriend.

  Alexandria Bishop, Thank you for rooting for this series and Sofie and Johnny for forever. Your suggestions were immensely helpful in making this story more interesting and people may hate you for the Emily suggestions.

  Laura Ward, I’m so glad I got to know you and FTN! Reading eachother’s work was so much fun and the world is probably happy for all of your suggestions to make Part of Me awesome!

  Kelly Viel, I love how we’ve been friends forever and can always bond over my crazy story ideas. Thank you for softening up my Sofie!

  Jenny Sims, my editor. What would I do without you? I’d probably die. Death by grammar police. You know you can’t leave me, right? I’ll just get whiny and needy.

  Stephanie Phillips, my agent and friend. Without you I think I’d just keep treading water in this crazy author world. You’re the one who threw me a life preserver when I thought I was drowning. You’re the real MVP of this swim team.

  Kassi Snider, I think you hate me for all of my cover changes and saying “HEY MAKE ME AN ENTIRE SERIES IN A DAY AND DO THIS!” But you always come up with the best ideas that make me so giddy. You can’t leave me either.

  Annie and Matt Grevers, you don’t know this, but your cuteness totally inspired this book. Please don’t give me a restraining order.

  Snogs, how many times can I thank my beloved writing partner? Now I have Izzy, and she likes walking on my computer, but maybe someday she can live up to your standards.

  The Minions, Thank you for always loving what I’m putting out there and getting so excited for my books. I love having you around.

  And to YOU. The person who picked up this book and love bacon as much as I do. Thank you for reading my silly stories and making my dreams come true.

  Also by Magan Vernon

  Friendship Texas

  Part of Me

  My Paper Heart

  A Paper Trail

  These Paper Walls

  My Paper Heart: The Complete Series

  The Only Series

  The Only Exception

  The Only One

  The Only Answer

  The Only Way

  The Only Difference

  The Only Series

  Watch for more at Magan Vernon’s site.