Page 30 of After the Vows

Istare at myself in the mirror. I can’t believe I’m wearing a wedding dress. Not one of those lavish gowns with a long train – I would never wear one of those – but a wedding gown nonetheless. Me in a wedding gown?

I wasn’t one of those girls who dreamed of having a fairytale wedding. You have to get married to have a wedding, and I never thought I’d get married. After all, what man will accept a woman who doesn’t want to have children?

“I can understand why you’re marrying Lucas, but I don’t understand why you’re having a big wedding,” Paisley says and brings me out of my reverie.

Sophia scowls. “I don’t understand why she’s marrying Lucas.”

Maya sighs. “I think it’s romantic.”

Sophia rolls her eyes. “Of course, you do.”

Nova crosses her arms over her chest. “What I don’t understand is why this wedding is happening atHideaway Haven Resort.You couldn’t have this sham marriage somewhere else?”

And miss watching Nova, my sunshiny friend who doesn’t let anything get her down, be grumpy? Not on your life. It’s my wedding. I deserve a little entertainment. And being a front row witness to Nova losing her mind over the owner of the resort is the best entertainment there is.

“You probably won’t even see Hudson.” Except I invited him to the wedding. It’s my day. I can be devious if I want to.

Nova flips her hair over her shoulder. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Hudson has nothing to do with me.”

“Can we stop discussing how much you long for Hudson to notice you and get back to the matter at hand?” Sophia motions to me. “She’s marrying a man she doesn’t love.”

It’s true. I don’t love Lucas. Do I want to strip off all of his clothes and lick every inch of his body? Totally. But love? Nope. I know better than to hop on the love train. It’s rickety and the end destination is at the bottom of a cliff. I vote no.

“She can learn to love him.”

I wag my finger at Maya. “Don’t go thinking I’m the heroine in one of your romance novels. This isn’t the first chapter of a great love affair. This is a means to an end. With the end being Lucas’s ex-wife, Holly, not getting her dirty paws on Natalia.”

“But you’ll be living in his house. He won’t be able to resist you.”

I snort. “Don’t worry. Lucas hasn’t had any trouble resisting me thus far.”

Which hurts. But I get it. His number one priority is his daughter. Natalia’s the luckiest girl in the world to have a dad who will do anything to keep her safe and happy. Sure, she doesn’t have a mom who loves her but she’s better off without her mom. Toxic moms are no fun.

“I understand why you’re marrying him,” Paisley says. “But why the big wedding?”

Because this is my one chance to have a wedding?

“Lucas suggested we have a wedding. He’s worried his ex won’t believe we’re actually married if we get hitched at the courthouse.”

“What does it matter what his ex thinks?” Paisley asks.

“Apparently, Holly is quite the story maker. Lucas thinks she’ll tell the judge we only got married so he can keep custody of Natalia.”

“Spoiler alert. You are.”

I glare at Sophia. “What’s with you? I thought since you and Flynn are now in love – gag – you’d be all for me getting married.”

She clasps my hands. “Getting married to the man you love? Hell yeah. I’d walk over broken glass to be there.”

Paisley clears her throat. “No more walking over broken glass.”

Sophia sticks her tongue out at her. “I didn’t walk on the glass on purpose.”

“You wore flip-flops to shop class. What did you think was going to happen?”

“You remind me of Flynn. He’s obsessed with my footwear.”

“Oh. Does he have a foot fetish? I’ve never been into foot fetishes before but I imagine everything with Flynn is sexy. The man is sex on two legs.” Maya fans her face.

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