Page 210 of A Merry Mountain Christmas

“So?”

“We both know how that turned out. So obviously, the site of the ceremony doesn’t make a difference,” I say softly. “It’s about picking the person you want to commit your life to, not how much it cost or where it was held. It’s about pledging to love and honor someone until death do you part, and taking those vows seriously. Except Glenn tricked you into believing he meant his vows.”

Her eyes well with tears.

“Don’t cry, Mary. And don’t blame yourself. You’ll just choose a better man next time.”

She lifts a hand to dab her eyes. “So you don’t think Nicole is making a mistake?”

“She sounds loonier than a unicyclist on a pit of flaming coals, so there’s every chance she’s not making this decision with a sound mind, but it’s her life. Her mistakes.” I grin. “She just wants you to be here to witness them.”

She laughs, but it’s tight and guarded. “True.”

“So let’s go in there and enjoy every crazy minute of this disaster. I’ve got five bucks on the vampire theme.”

She laughs again, more herself. “I’ll take that bet.”

“Wait here.” After turning off the engine, I get out and come around to help her out. I wrap an arm around her as we walk up to Haywood, cross the bridge, and pass the red vintage car parked in front of the venue. It looks like a hearse, which isencouraging for my bet, but I decide not to mention it for fear it would send Mary into a spiral.

A couple is waiting by the door, an irritated-looking woman in a blond wig, wearing a prim cheerleading outfit with a red collar, and a tall and dark-haired man dressed all in black, with a black leather jacket topping off the look. It’s not exactly wedding attire, and if they’re the happy couple, we’re profoundly overdressed.

“Is that Nicole?” I ask in an undertone. “She looks pissed. Or constipated. Maybe both.”

“She always looks like that,” Mary says dismissively. “But what’s she wearing?”

Nicole gives us a once over and makes a gagging noise. “You’re twenty seconds late.” She turns to me. “You must be the hot guy who finally got her to come.”

“Nicole!” Mary chastises.

“Stop making a big deal of it,” Nicole retorts. “You should be making a bigger deal about the fact that Pencil Dick couldn’t get the job done.” She sneers as she takes in Mary’s dress. “I knew you’d overthink what to wear. Good thing this place has a shop.”

“What?” Mary chokes out.

“There’s no way I’m letting either of you wearthatto my wedding. You look like you’re going to a royal wedding, for fuck’s sake. Good thing I’ve already picked something out for you.” She promptly grabs Mary’s arm and drags her through the door.

Her groom starts to follow, then turns to me and offers a hand. “I’m Damien.”

“Jace,” I reply, shaking his hand.

“The magic orgasm man,” he says with a smirk. “Or so I’ve heard.”

I shrug. I’ve been called worse.

No, my biggest worries are what Nicole is going to make us change into and that I won’t be the one helping Mary undress. Itwould be a crime to strip that dress off Mary for any reason other than to let me earn my new title.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

MARY

“You should have worn some pearls you could clutch,” Nicole says with a feral smile. “It would really complete the look I have in mind.”

“Why are you dressed like that, anyway?” I ask. Suspicion sets in. “Are you making fun of me because I told you that I was a cheerleader for two weeks my junior year?”

I’d quit because the uniforms were only dry-cleaned once a month, and the coach refused to let me take mine off school property so I could wash it myself. I’m not even sure why I told her that, but my relationship with Nicole has been like that from the very beginning. Something about her opens the floodgates.

She lifts her brows and pauses in sifting through a rack of clothes. “You honestly think I’d dress like a prudish cheerleader because you were one for two weeks in high school?”

“I mean…” There’s a twitch of amusement to her mouth, so I add in a stronger voice, “Did you?”

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