Page 9 of The Yes at Yuletide

Aurora reached up and adjusted the wide straps that went across her shoulders, wishing they weren’t quite so bony. She’d hand-stitched lace across the bodice of the dress to fancy it up, and she’d cut out the shoulders and sleeves and sewn in the wide straps she’d made from some leftover white fabric. She loved the dress, and she loved that she’d made it from her own creativity, with her own skills. She loved that no one would ever have a dress like this at their wedding.

She turned toward Sammy, who reached up and put a pearl comb in Aurora’s hair, her smile wobbling. “The day your mother showed up on the front porch of the homestead changed my life for the better. I’ve loved having you on the ranch.” She embraced Aurora and moved out of the way too.

Whitney Walker moved around the women, taking pictures with aclick, click, clickthat sounded deafening in the silence. Aurora did her best not to look at the camera, as Whitney had told her not to.

Dot smiled at her and reached for her hand. “When I married Ward, I put this blue band on my pinky finger to help me stay grounded in the moment. I was so nervous, and it helped so much.” She slid the small rubber band over Aurora’s pinky finger. “I think it’ll help you.”

“Thank you, Dot,” Aurora whispered, hugging her too.

Ida and Etta simply took her into a hug. Etta whispered, “I’m going to miss running into you and Ollie in the barn.”

A hint of embarrassment ran through Aurora, but Etta had always been so kind to her when she’d found them. She’d re-braided her hair and talked to her like a real adult, not a stupid kid too involved with their boyfriend.

“I’ve loved getting to know you,” Ida said, and the twins backed away.

Holly Ann opened her arms wide, and Aurora stepped into her, her emotion choking in the back of her throat. “You let me know if you need me to send you some food,” Holly Ann said. “I can send almost anything through the mail, and I’d love to know you and Ollie are taken care of in Savannah.”

“I will,” Aurora said. When she’d needed somewhere quiet to think and reflect the past few months, she’d wandered onto Holly Ann’s deck. It overlooked the land below the hills where Shiloh Ridge sat, and she’d found the answers she needed there.

Holly Ann had never given her a hard time for trespassing, and she’d started leaving little snacks for Aurora. Nothing else. No note. Nothing was ever said between them. They simply took care of each other at Shiloh Ridge.

When Holly Ann stepped back, Oakley took her place. After hugging her quickly, she said, “Here’s that extra piece of lace you had from the altar.” She tucked it under the wide straps that ran over Aurora’s shoulders. “It’s that something old you need to remind you that you come from some of the best stock in the state of Texas.” She grinned at Aurora, who shook her head, her grin as wide as the whole state she loved so much.

“How am I going to survive in Georgia?” she asked, genuine fear running through her. She slipped her finger along the rubber band on her pinky, and she did calm down.

“Somehow, that handsome cowboy out there will help,” Willa said, taking her turn to hug Aurora. She pulled back, full of smiles and joy. “You deserve every happiness, my dear. Both Cactus and I love you so much.”

Aurora loved the power with which Willa lived her life, and she repeated the sentiment back to her.

Charlie stepped forward and held up a hundred-dollar bill that looked like it had come straight from the bank. “When Preacher and I met for the first time, he hurriedly scrawled hisname and number on a hundred-dollar bill and dropped it in my tip jar. This is your something new, Aurora.”

She tucked it under the strap on the opposite of the lace. “When you get to Savannah, Preacher and I want you to remember that the greatest relationships can start with something really simple. I thought he was arrogant and assuming, and I wouldn’t go out with him.”

“Look at you now,” Aurora said, grinning through her tears at Charlie.

“Remember to look at how you and Ollie are every day,” Charlie said quietly. “And go to dinner on us.” She grinned and kissed both of Aurora’s cheeks before joining the other women who’d already spoken to her.

June stood there, and Aurora’s smile faltered a little. “You don’t need to be afraid of me, baby.” June’s smile grew with friendliness and fondness. “I don’t know you well, but you know what I do know? I know what a woman in love looks like and sounds like, and you, Aurora Martin, are a woman in love.”

She hugged June, this woman who’d stood in front of her not long ago and lectured her not to do anything she’d regret later with Oliver in a hay loft. “Do you think he loves me too?”

“That boy is one-hundred percent in love with you,” June whispered, her grip tight on Aurora’s shoulders. “Thank you for sharing your love with all of us.”

As she stepped out of the way, the two older women came into view. Grandma Lois and Aunt Dawna looked like queens. They were the matriarchs of the Glover family, and Aurora loved them with her whole heart. She hugged them at the same time and said, “Thank you for accepting me. Thank you for loving me and my mom.”

“I want weekly texts,” Grandma Lois said, her voice shaky.

“You’re a doll, dear,” Aunt Dawna said. They stepped back, and her mother reached for her.

Ivory Walker stood before her, the last woman to address her. She wore a warm smile, but Aurora still didn’t quite know how to act around her. “You have something borrowed,” she said quietly, nodding to the comb. “Something blue. Something old, and something new.”

Aurora smiled, her lips trembling slightly. She had no idea how her legs were holding her up, and she couldn’t wait to grasp Bishop’s arm so she didn’t have to rely on her own strength.

Ivory tucked her into her arms and held her tight, saying, “You are a gorgeous woman, and I’m thrilled my son found you.” She stepped back quickly, wiping her eyes.

Aurora took a deep breath and faced her mom again. “I think I’m ready.”

“Let me go check on the boys,” Ivory said, and she stepped out into the hall. She didn’t leave the room completely and turned back to the crowd. “They’re lining up.”

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