Page 26 of The Marriage Auction 2: Part 4

“I know you said you wanted to do your own thing for your wedding with Jack, but I was your size exactly when I married your father and…” She ran her hand down the front of the champagne-colored beaded wedding gown. It was magnificent. As little girls, my sister and I used to fight over who would get to wear Mom’s wedding dress first. Then, we got older and formed our own personalities, and that concept went right out the window.

Staring at the gown now, I wondered why I’d ever thought something else would be better.

“Mom,” I gulped, “I can’t believe you brought it.”

She shrugged. “Honestly, right before the flight, I prayed to the ancestors that all would happen as it should for you and your new family. Then I felt a pull toward my closet and this dress. You know how it is, you never question—”

“You never question the ancestors,” Autumn and I said at the same time.

“Exactly. And lookie here. You need a wedding dress you connect to. Something that feels genuine and was made and embroidered with love. Your own grandmother hand stitched and beaded this entire dress. I can’t think of anything more fitting than marrying Jack wearing this gown.”

I stood up and let the other dress fall into a heap at my feet. Wearing nothing but my undergarments, I grabbed Autumn’s hand as Mom bent low so I could step inside the gown. She pulled the heavier fabric up and my bust fit perfectly. The shoulders were capped, and the front opened to a deep V that made my cleavage look incredible. Beading flowed in a chevron design across my breasts, pointing like arrows at the waist. The beads continued on a sheer overlay of lace and tulle from the waist, all the way to the floor, flaring out a couple feet. My golden blonde hair was curled and cascaded down my back and over my shoulders, catching the light and making me feel like a goddess.

I’d never looked more beautiful in my entire life.

Mom gasped, tears in her eyes as she fiddled with my hair. “Baby, you are so gorgeous, you steal my breath away.”

The dress fit perfectly. No alternation needed. Per usual, my mother was right all along. She’d suggested her gown when I told her we were getting married, but I’d pushed back, thinking I wanted something that was only mine. I was so wrong. Nothing else could have made me feel this good.

“She is not lying, sis. Look at yourself in the mirror. That is what a bride looks like on her wedding day.”

“Maybe wedding day,” I whispered, taking my image in while praying Jack would appreciate the wild idea I had.

“How are you going to drop getting married today on him?” Mom asked as she approached with the velvet cloaks we’d purchased yesterday on our girls shopping day. Mine was white,for obvious reasons. My mother’s cloak was a dark navy that made her blonde hair look like she was bathed in a golden halo of light. A deep rich emerald green set off Autumn’s hair making it look as though it had caught fire and complimented her mossy eye color perfectly.

“I hadn’t thought that far in advance. I figured the timing would present itself,” I answered. “If the universe and our goddesses want us to get married today, it will happen. If they don’t, well, that settles it don’t you think?”

Mom nodded. “Makes perfect sense to me.”

I lifted the hood of the cloak and set it on my head, then closed the ties to prevent anyone from seeing the dress underneath until just the right time.

“All right, let’s go lay Jack’s friends to rest and maybe get married!” I chuckled, disbelieving I was actually going to attempt to marry Jack on the mountains underneath the Northern Lights.

“Sunny, aren’t you forgetting something?” Mom asked as I made it to the door to leave the room.

I looked down at myself. “Not that I can think of…”

“Honey, you’re not wearing any shoes. How are you going to hike through the woods in the snow without shoes?”

I lifted the dress and the cloak and wiggled my pink-painted toes on my bare feet. “Okay, so maybe I forgot one thing.”

* * * *

My nerves were at a thousand as I held Jack’s hand and we tromped through the snow. It was technically nighttime but the moon was so bright, it lit up the snow well enough to see our little group make our way to what the guide claimed was the perfect spot for seeing the lights and setting our friends’ souls free.

“You sure you’re warm enough in that cloak?” he asked.

“It’s lined with faux fur and satin. I’m good. Besides, it’s not the cloak that matters, it’s what’s underneath that is important.”

Jack’s eyebrows rose toward his hairline. “Oh? Can I expect to find you bare under there?”

I burst into laughter. It felt good to laugh since my anxiety and stress were at an all-time high.

“That is a stellar idea, and I promise to surprise you with such a thing in our near future,” I chuckled.

“You’ve been acting a little strange the last couple days. Is it the funeral?” Jack asked. “Or…” He swallowed as though he was worried about something important.

“Or what?”

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