Page 84 of Single Mom's Christmas Wish

Chelsea follows my gaze and lets out a sharp breath. “Yeah, well, the man is obviously old school. Katherine Monroe would’ve loved him.”

“I’m serious. What if he doesn’t agree to do this?”

“We’ll figure something out,” she says, squeezing my shoulder in a bid to reassure me. “No matter what Callie tried to do here today, she’s not going to win, okay? You deserve every good thing that’s coming your way, including your inheritance. We’re going to make sure you get it.”

If I don’t get it, I am screwed six ways from Sunday.

I know deep down that Maddox, Archer, and Reed won’t let me go down like that. I know they’ll whip out their checkbooks and resolve it with the stroke of a pen. But it will reflect poorly on how I see myself. In time, it will eat away at me. Not because I am stubbornly proud or hyper-independent, though I can’t deny either as a trait, but because I will feel like the ultimate failure.

“What the hell is she so smug about?” Chelsea keeps eyeing Callie.

“If I were her, I’d be smirking, too. She’s not the type to concede anything, not even her own defeat. Why sulk when she can keep her chin up?” I reply. “The Monroe ego, I guess. Don’t let anyone see that you’re suffering.”

“Right, because we’d feed on her misery like leeches. Callie has us confused with somebody else, obviously.”

“Here he comes,” I gasp as Archer finally walks over to us. “So? What did he say?” I ask, then hold my breath and pray to all the gods that it’s good news.

Archer gives me a confident smile, followed by a boyish wink. “We’re on, babe.”

“Thank the stars,” Chelsea exclaims.

Another twenty minutes later, we’re ready to move forward with the ceremony.

The look on Archer’s face as I approach him makes me feel like it was all worth it. Through the fire, through the rain, through the ups and downs that we’ve faced since the night we met, he and his brothers have been there for me. Supporting me. Adoring me. Helping me become the best version of myself while also letting me fight my own battles. It all hits differently when you’re about to say “I do” to these men.

“I’m so sorry Reed isn’t able to do this,” Archer whispers as I join him in front of the preacher. “He’s going to be so bummed.”

“I’ll make him feel better once he comes to,” I mutter, then give the preacher a warm and thankful smile. “I’m so grateful for this.”

“It’s not my place to question the decisions of man, only to heed the word of God,” he calmly replies. I do feel the underlying sting, but we’re so close to success that I just let the words slide right off my back.

Glancing over my shoulder, I see Maisie settling next to Donna on the front bench. Callie is still quietly seething beside Maddox,the smug smile no longer on her face. Maddox, however, is wearing his heart on his sleeve, and I can feel all of his love and devotion pouring into me, filling me to the brim, reassuring me of his and his brothers’ commitment, regardless of the dreadful hiccups we’ve had along the way.

Archer looks so dashing in his grey tuxedo, his hair pulled into a tight man bun and slicked back with a finely fragranced oil. His lips stretch into a warm smile as he looks at me, and I look lovingly back at him.

“You look amazing, Dakota. You look like a dream come true,” he says, and I feel the emotion in his voice as it echoes my own.

“Thank you so much, Archer. You look amazing, too.”

Chelsea takes a deep breath. “All right, let’s get this show on the road.”

And so it begins, I silently tell myself as the preacher opens the Good Book to recite the relevant passages.

BANG!

The doors burst wide open.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake—” Chelsea groans but then gasps and instantly stops herself, covering her mouth in horror as she remembers she’s in a church.

But it doesn’t matter as we watch Keith saunter down the aisle. It quickly becomes evident that things are not done getting worse. Not even close. I reckon we’ve yet to reach the edge of the cliff here, and I’m too numbed out by everything that’s happened up to this point to even be surprised.

“I can’t let this wedding happen, not in good conscience,” Keith declares.

“You need to turn around and go before I rip your head off,” Archer harshly replies.

The pastor is downright irritated. “What is going on here?”

“I’m so exhausted from all of this,” I sigh heavily.

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