Page 49 of The Fence Between Us

With their hopping and shouting, the children were especially excited to be in the parade. They would sit on sturdy woodenboxes draped in gauzy fabric, and when the float stopped, the children would throw candy and beads to the waiting crowds.

Behind them, two couples and a lone woman, the crowning jewel of the entire float, dressed in wedding finery would wave to the crowd as if they’d just won a beauty pageant. Elyza had asked Rabble to participate, to stand in as the groom for the third bride, but he’d begged off. Skye knew what being on display in front of the town meant for him, the vulnerability and excruciating parts of his past it would bring up. She didn’t blame him for finding a way out of the role, but that didn’t mean she didn’t miss him.

At the very back of the trailer, Elyza draped different gowns on three mannequins to showcase a dress for mothers, bridesmaids, and even prom. She would ride in the bed of the truck hauling the trailer, waving and smiling as they passed by.

Skye found Bekah and Kellyn behind the float, standing under a canopy modified with four linen walls for privacy. The cloth walls allowed a small cross-breeze to enter the space, just enough to cool the sweat that quickly beaded on her skin. Both women were in the process of slipping into the dresses they’d chosen.

Bekah’s corset-backed gown fell off her shoulders, and the princess neckline accentuated her breasts and collarbone. The fabric draped around her body and Skye wondered how she wasn’t melting into a puddle with all the layers on the dress. Despite the heat, Bekah looked every bit a princess, and Skye couldn’t help but grin at the picture her friend presented.

Where Bekah looked like a princess, Kellyn had gone for classic with a sexy twist that made Skye’s jaw drop. The silk dress flowed to the floor like liquid silver. The strapless neckline formed a heart across her chest, and a daring slit ran up one leg to her mid-thigh. A garter tattoo played peek-a-boo with the folds of the skirt. Combined with her pinned-up vibrant red curlsand smokey makeup, Kellyn channeled a timeless seduction that spoke of long nights wrapped in moon-kissed sheets.

Both women were utterly breathtaking, and Skye’s throat tightened with her love and appreciation for these ladies.

Elyza walked in behind her. The classy black jumpsuit she wore would keep her comfortable while also establishing her as a serious professional. Paired with glossy black heels, Elyza’s ensemble screamed business chic. Skye couldn’t resist the tight hug she bestowed on her best friend.

“Hey lady,” Elyza hugged her back. “I’m so, so glad to see you.”

Kellyn and Bekah joined in for a group hug that went on for long seconds until Skye pulled back; they’d all been waiting for her to let go first, to be the first one to break that contact, and that meant more to her than she could ever express.

“We’ll let you get dressed,” Kellyn said, ushering the other women out of the tent to give Skye privacy while she changed.

Gratitude sat heavy in Skye’s chest, like a brick as she turned to locate her dress.

The satiny white garment bag hung from a rolling rack in the corner of the tent. She stood across from it, as far as the tent would allow, and stared at it for a few moments. The bag itself, though different from the one that had played a role in her recent nightmare, made Skye’s heart pound.

Gradually, she traversed the space and unzipped the bag, one interlocked section at a time. Her fingers trembled a little more with each inch. When the zipper reached the bottom, the bag sagged open, revealing the dress she’d chosen for herself. Skye froze; eyes wide.

Yards of cream fabric stared back at her, innocent and yet—no. No way.

Absolutely no way could she put that dress on. And no one could make her.

Her breath came in shallow gasps, the air sawing out of her in short bursts as her body shook. The idea of putting on a wedding dress, of feeling that cream fabric brushing against her skin made her stomach lurch. The room spun, dizziness creeping over her as the lack of good, deep breaths, kept her from thinking clearly. All of her coping mechanisms abandoned her at once, leaving her a on the edge of becoming a hyperventilating mess.

I can’t do this.

Chapter 29

Rabble

Rabble glanced at his watch and frowned. He needed to get changed. He was supposed to be at the parade to watch Elyza’s float make its grand debut. She’d convinced Declan and Dash into dressing up and riding on the float. Though it made him a bit uncomfortable that she’d read him so easily that day in the bridal shop when she’d asked him to help, he thanked his lucky stars Elyza backed off of him without asking the types of questions that made Rabble’s skin itch.

Though he didn’t feel exactly jovial, Rabble made sure to throw the twins some good-natured Ken-doll jokes, which they returned with anticipated hand gestures. They were both polite enough not to point out that Rabble’s attempts at joking were half-assed at best.

Despite the fact that he was running out of time and he had places to be, he didn’t want to move from the spot where he stood. He couldn’t seem to make his feet move in the direction of his truck, parked just yards away.

The crude cross he’d constructed still held together, just barely. He’d whittled the sticks until they were smooth and straight and tied them together with twine that now frayed and hung loosely, allowing the horizontal stick to slant downward. Maybe he should just be happy it lasted all these years. Sitting stoically at the base of the wooden cross, the rock Skye painted with his mother’s name and date of death seemed untouched by the years and weather. Rabble was thankful for that. He made a mental note to commission a true headstone, now that he owned the property.

On the way to the cabin, Rabble gathered a bouquet of wildflowers that were probably flowering weeds, he could never tell the difference. He’d grabbed whatever he thought looked nice, though he had no idea what any of them were called. Skye would know; he was certain of that.

Rabble had been up before the sun, driving around town and down the backroads on the outskirts; the sky had not even turned gray with early morning light. He doubted the chickens had been crowing when he’d hopped in his truck and decided to go for a drive. With no destination in mind, Rabble just drove, letting his mind wander along the yellow lines painted on the asphalt. He’d ended up at the property, at his mother’s grave, before he realized what he was doing.

“Hey, Mama.” Rabble’s voice cracked. He felt like the sixteen-year-old boy he sounded like, the one who just needed his mother and hadn’t been ready to be without her.

“I know it’s been—a second—since I’ve been by. Sorry about that. I’ve been running from my roots for a while now. Not that it’s done me any good.”

He laid the bouquet on the ground at the base of the cross, next to the light-purple rock, purple because Skye knew his mother’s favorite color. Of course, she did.

“I’ve been keeping busy.” Rabble prayed his mother could hear him because it sure felt nice to talk to her again. He told her everything, from his days in the service to meeting and bonding with Dash and Declan. Finally, he told her all about Skye.

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