Page 27 of Marrying My Moth Lady

Rash’s baritone laughter precedes his giant frame. He’s weighed down with shopping bags and wearing a flower crown. After hanging the garment bag, Amber points for him to place the bags on my guest chair.

“I had my doubts about the conservation center as the wedding venue, but the butterfly garden with the lightning bug enclosures hanging from the arch is quite beautiful,” she says.

“Easier for security if y’all know the place,” Rash says, stroking his chin. “If things go pear-shaped, everyone knows places to hide and the way out. I like that the ceremony is outside with lots of reporters, too. That should keep Amber’s dad from erupting if he catches wind of our plot. It’s none of my business, but what’s the plan after the wedding?”

“Millie’s twin brother, Matthew, poses as a photographer. We’ve hidden my truck at the edge of the property. He will take us to the tree line, supposedly for private photographs, and we will disappear while the guests make their way to the reception,” I whisper.

“Do your parents know of your plan?” Rash asks.

“I couldn’t risk it,” I reply. I omit the part where it’s Millie’s safety I can’t risk. “I’ll text my dad from the getaway truck. He’ll quietly slip away with Mom and wait for me to call them. Their supportive—”

“Lucky,” Amber grumbles.

“Sounds tight,” Rash says, nodding his approval.

“Are you sure she wouldn’t want white tennis shoes? Most brides want to change into comfy shoes before the ceremony and after. It’s cruel to make her walk through thefield and then escape through the forest in these. I can’t imagine a woman who could stand in stilettos all day,” Amber says, holding up a white high heel, covered in silver glitter butterflies.

You can’t imagine Millie for more reasons than her shoe preferences.

“She wears them all day—no matter the occasion. Millie’s a classy lady,” I reply, snapping a picture of the shoe and texting it to her. I show Amber the string of heart emojis she sends back.

“I’ll be damned,” Ambers says, plopping into the second chair. Rash massages her shoulders from behind as if she carried Millie’s loot. “Everything’s in the bags. Dress, shoes, veil, corset, dress tape, two packages of hose, body glitter—”

“Body glitter?” I ask with an eyebrow raised. I fire off a text to Millie about body glitter with a gif of a teddy bear pole dancing. She replies with a kissy-face emoji that hardens me from head to toe. Oh, my heavens, I don’t need to envision Millie dancing on a stripper pole in her hooker heels…but the image won’t leave my head.

“I can tell by that smile Millie likes the idea of body glitter,” Amber says with a smirk.

“She’s gonna need this too,” Rash says, transferring the floral crown from his bald head to mine.

“I hope you didn’t stretch it out,” I grouse.

“Stretching out ladies’ floral hoops is my specialty,” he replies, earning an elbow in the ribs from Amber.

“Not anymore!” Amber scowls upward until he kisses the anger from her face.Gag.

“I have this for you,” I say, leaning over to dig through my desk drawer, so I don’t have to watch them suck face. “I emptied my 401K to give you a down payment on our agreement.According to Eli’s contracts, his money transfer takes three to five days. My bank will take just as long to transfer it to Amber’s account, and I know you want to get on the road before the ceremony’s over.”

“You gave us a head start? That’s amazing,” Amber says, accepting the check. She leans over the desk to hug me while Rash shakes my hand. “You’re not a heartless bastard after all.”

“And you’re not a spoiled brat,” I say with awkward pats on her back.

“Thanks, man. This is more than enough to put a down payment on our cabin behind the clubhouse. We want to be on the grounds, so Amber will have the help and support of the other ol’ladies. You know—it takes a village,” Rash says. Tough thug has tears in his eyes. He wraps Amber and me in a bone-crushing hug.

Note, call my chiropractor to check his availability for my injuries after my brief acquaintance with Rash.

Knock, knock.“Dr. Mills, can I come in?”

“Come on in, Rebecca,” I say with a smirk at Amber. Payback for her comment about my not knowing my employees. “You know Eli’s daughter, Amber, and this is her bodyguard, Rash. He looks fierce but spread the word he’s on our side. How’s herding the paparazzi?”

“So far they camped out front to get a glimpse of—well—Amber,” she says with a puzzle pulling her blond eyebrows into a V-shape. Her eyes bounce around like ping-pong balls as she takes in the scene. The bride and groom sit together in casual clothes while a scary guy with vulgar face tattoos rubs the bride’s shoulders. “Amber, how did you get past them?”

Rash puts a finger to his lips with a wiggle of his eyebrows. Her eyes widen to saucers as she gulps her millions of questions down.

“Do me a favor when my dad arrives. Send him to the reporter camp. He may gravitate to them, but if not, we want them to occupy one another,” Amber says sweetly.

“Do you want me to help with anything else? I can show you the conference room we’ve set up for you to get ready. The makeup artist and hairstylist aren’t expected for a few hours, but I papered over the windows yesterday to give you a private place,” Rebecca says, as if asking Amber if she wants a rescue from a couple of madmen. I bet if Rash and I were farther away she’d ask Amber to blink twice if she were under duress.

Amber freezes. I doubt she expected to be here when Eli arrived. Sensing her distress, Rash rubs the back of her neck.

---