Page 116 of Axton

Why should I have cared that I was in a bridal shop looking at dresses while it looked like we had sixteen stalkers surrounding the place? Why should I have felt guilty that I was going to have to use a credit card with the name Bellamy Axton printed on it and I’d never see the bill? But I did feel guilty since I completed my life skills courses and had a better understanding of money. So, what my mother and Merriam were getting weird looks because they refused to stop wearing the dresses papa approvedof for them? So, what that one of my bridesmaids was a famous actress which made even more people stare at us?

“Mama please, just try it on.” I held up the gorgeous mother of the bride dress.

“Absolutely not.”

“Ugh fine.” I guessed I should have just counted my blessings she was going to walk into a Catholic Church. Also, she didn’t totally freak out when Felicity accidently scheduled her to clean the bliss rooms at Club X. I mean, at least people got a kick out of watching a little pudgy Amish looking woman try to climb the fence of Creed’s Lake to escape. My stress level was high because there wasn’t enough time for alterations, so the dress would either have to fit just right, or Jenny volunteered to help me alter it. I was relieved when I finally found a dress I loved that was available off the rack.

I let Morgan and the girls loose with planning the wedding. I had never even been to one, so I handed over the reins.

Then we had to choose bridesmaids dresses and finally Addie’s little flower girl dress. Morgan and her mother were baking a cake, and she said something about Indiana fried chicken dinners, so the catering was settled. I dove into wedding themed movies and decided the planning wasn’t for me, no thank you. I showed up where I was told to show up and went with it.

There was a bridal shower two days later and I was overwhelmed by the amount of gifts we were given. We received everything from a new toaster to home décor. Then we played some very strange games, but there was cake so that was a highlight as well. I never felt as accepted or at home as I did in the days leading up to our wedding.

When I came home from the bridal shower, my husband was waiting for me with a warm dinner, music, and soft burningcandles. The best part of being married to Michael, was how much he loved dating me. We laughed through dinner, he pulled me into him for a slow dance in his arms, then we curled up together to watch television.

Michael dated me morning, noon, and night. He always woke me with soft kisses, helped me make breakfast, and always had a goal of getting at least one laugh out of me before work. Then at lunch he would always make a quick stop in at my classroom to give me a kiss and tell me how much I was on his mind. He usually left Creed’s Lake for lunch at a small general store, but dinner was always set aside for me.

“Gentle.” He reminded me. “Now very slowly, press your foot down and you’ll feel the side by side inch forward.” He was teaching me how to drive the side by side. He already made me take a written test. I had to know what the signs around Creed’s Lake meant, and memorize the rules about driving before he would show me how to drive. I loved the feeling of freedom it was giving me the further I drove.

Between dates and work, Michael was enjoying the skating rink, and he even suggested putting in an indoor rink since the sport was going over so well with everyone. The guys loved hockey, and it showed. Creed said something about his family owning a team many years ago. Once March rolled around, we were enjoying better weather with highs in the upper fifties. I loved my life with Michael. Some things became easier, like learning the best ways to communicate and other things were harder like avoiding sex. That didn’t mean we didn’t have some fun fooling around in bed.

My brother also made some decisions after doing some job shadowing. He was always kind of a science geek, and after working in the lab, he submitted several college applications. In an agreement with Creed’s Lake, he would continue helping outin the lab while on school breaks and they would help him pay for college.

Michael had a total meltdown when the guys tried to throw him a bachelor party at Club X. Instead, they threw a bachelor/bachelorette party at Morgan’s house, and we had a lot of fun. The gag gifts were hilarious, but the gift Scott and Melissa brought were very inappropriate, even for adults. I thought he was going to punch Scott when we opened the two foot long thick black dildo. Then Scott tried to hug him, but Michael put a stop to that right away. Oddly enough, that thing disappeared from the gift table and suddenly Creed’s Lake had a new mystery to solve. Who stole the cock of doom and what were they planning to do with it? Melissa was on it like a bloodhound, she wanted to find that damn thing. She then came up with an idea to write an erotic mystery book. God help anyone that ever bought that book.

I couldn’t help but listen in on Michael’s phone call. “Now they’re threatening my dad’s family, and they think I give a damn?” He chuckled.

It was quiet for a moment.

“Oh, so now we have two mountain families at odds.” He chuckled again. “And why would I care? Let the problem fix itself. The only innocent bystanders to be hurt is the old man’s one eyed goat he named Sally, and Uncle Roy. From what I hear, he has been sitting in that damn recliner on the front porch for like a week and someone I know hasn’t gotten around to do a well check.”

Pause…

He laughed. “I thought you were the sheriff now, Broughton. Isn’t that your job?”

Pause…

“No, the turkey buzzards aren’t going to do the job for you. I know you don’t like that mountainside, but…well I would say they pay your salary, but they’d have to have jobs to pay taxes, wouldn’t they?”

Pause…

Michael laughed. “Exactly, they probably walk right by him but will only care once the coroner shows up. They love the empathy, and the part of an obituary where it says donations may be made to the family.”

Pause…

“No, nobody is going to think they’re just too lazy to take down their Halloween decorations.”

Pause…

“Yeah, just send in CPS to remove the kids and let them shoot it out. Problem solved. God knows they have money for plenty of ammo and beer, but not a damn dime when they try calling me.”

Pause…

Michael sighed. “I’m fine with providing a DNA sample, but don’t send anyone up here. I’ll be down in a few weeks. They’re scheduled to demolish mom’s old place, and I’d like to see it. I need those notice of evictions served sooner than later, Broughton, and you need to do that wellness check before I arrive. I don’t want to see that shit.”

Pause…

“She’s what?” He was laughing really hard. “How the hell did you write that in the arrest report?” He was wheezing from laughing so hard. “A blow job for twenty but for a hot fifty she’d take out her teeth?”

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