Page 30 of Marrying My Moth Lady

“It’s okay—” I pause to blow my nose “—love just hit me like a ton of bricks. I’m in love with Dr. Mills. I want to be Mrs. Mills…” I leave off the ‘in every way’. That’s none of her business.

“Ain’t that convenient—you being in a white dress and all,” Amber says, pulling me into a loose hug. “I’m sorry you must hide under that veil and couldn’t get gussied up. This can’t be the wedding you imagined as a little girl.”

I’m speechless because I let go of those dreams in my teens.

“What started as sneaking around to ride a motorcycle grew into a monster I couldn’t handle. I didn’t intend to fall in love with Rash. I was never a club bunny or anything like that. I wanted to ride. The freedom of the wind whistling past my shoulders as I roared down the open road was too intoxicating to resist. With the rumble of my bike, I feel heard…does that sound stupid? All my life, I’ve been a pretty thing to be seen and not heard…I wanted to bust out of the mold and make noise.”

“Not stupid in the slightest,” I say with a new understanding of Amber. We’re more alike than I care to admit. “My brother’s paranoia has caged me in the same way. He’s so protective. It’s a miracle I met Horus. I want to be seen.”

“Do you feel seen with Horus? Rash listens as if everything I say is important. That’s what first attracted me to him,” Amber says, signing the tablet on the witness line and adding her thumbprint.

“Yeah, Horus doesn’t miss a beat—”

“Sorry to break up the bonding session, but there’s trouble brewing. Your Dad is on his way,” Rash says through the half-open door.

“Stall him, so I can get her dressed again,” Amber says, yanking on the awful corset strings.

I’m half as pinched as when Matthew laced me up. Thank heavens I have air. Taking the tablet from Amber, I sign my maiden name for the last time and add my thumbprint. Rash grabs it from my hands as someone knocks on the door. My heart jumps to my throat. I wasn’t built for the rollercoaster of double-crossing. That’s why I like plain-speaking folk like Horus. There are no games with him. If he wants to help you, he will. If he doesn’t like you or what you’re planning, he’ll tell you to your face.

“Where’s my sweetie pie? All ready for your big day?”

“Just a sec, Daddy,” Amber yells in a sing-song voice. She turns to me with a fierce scowl and whispers, “Don’t move or make a sound.”

I nod, but I doubt Amber sees more than a ruffling of tulle. With one last yank, she ties the double knot to hold my dress up. My jaw drops to the floor when she climbs under my skirts. Sure, there’s lots of room in the ballroom skirt, but there’s a lot of me too. I wore a baby blue thong and garter set for my something blue, so my butt cheeks are on full display down there. My thighs drip with sweat because I’m more nervous than a sinner in church.

I may die of embarrassment before I reach the altar.

“Come in,” Amber yells from under my dress. Rash’s eyes are saucers as he opens the door for Mr. Carter. While the patriarch struts into the room like a peacock, Rash gestures andmouths questions at me…as if Amber clued me into her plan.Yeah right!

“There’s my sweet pea,” Mr. Carter says, pulling me into a hug. My skin prickles with revulsion. Thank goodness for the layers of tulle separating us or I wouldn’t have the gumption to play along. I’d slap his hands off my person! Amber wraps her arms around my knees in a death grip, so I’m caught in their tug-of-war.

“I’m almost ready, Daddy,” Amber says from under my dress.

Great, I wanted to be seen…but not as someone’s puppet. I should be more careful when I wish.

“I can tell,” he says with a question in his voice. With my huge gown and tent-like veil, what he sees doesn’t amount to a hill of beans. “I’m sorry your mama couldn’t be here to—”

I can’t help it, but a sob escapes my lips. Oh, how I wish my mama was here! What would she think of all this? I know she’d like Horus with his love of all forest creatures. I miss the advice she would espouse. She’d tell Amber where to stick her baby-daddy plan. She’d sue as the rightful owner of the forest. My mama didn’t blow over for some boisterous windbag, like Mr. Carter.

“Don’t cry, sweet pea, she’s looking down on us from heaven,” he says, petting my veil.

“It’s hard when I miss her so much. It’s been just us for years,” Amber says, while I break character and reach for Mr. Carter’s hand. He squeezes my fingers through the veil and oddly, I’m calmed by the human contact…even if it’s him.

It couldn’t have been easy for him to raise Amber alone. With no female influence, and a father working all the time tobuy the world—no wonder she ran wild. Amber drifted alone like dandelion fluff to grow and blossom between concrete slabs.

“Please know I tried my best,” he whispers. He coughs to clear the tears from his throat. “All I ever wanted is for you and your mama to be happy. I’ve made money hand over fist to buy you everything a little girl could want. We’re high in cotton now but started with nothing. Your mama and I lived on love for many years.”

“Thank you for building a business to feed us, but I wish we had more time together.” Amber’s words are laced with venom, so I squeeze his arm with my free hand in a loving gesture to soften the blow.

“There’s never enough time when kids grow up too fast. Today, I give you to Horus—not as my little girl, but as a woman. If Horus is who makes you happy, then I’ll learn to live with him. He’s keen to join the family business and—”

“Learn to live with him?” Amber asks with less melancholia and more annoyance in her voice than appropriate. If I could reach her, I’d bean her upside the head. We signed the papers and rounded third—about to slide into home plate. She can’t ruin this now!

“He’s not who I would have picked for you. He’s sick all the time and loves his bugs… I didn’t take you for the outdoorsy type in all the years I raised you. Most of the time, I don’t know what to say to the guy, but if he makes you happy, then that’s enough. I’ll befriend a skunk for my little girl if she says he’s her chosen beau. Do you love him?”

I kick Amber, trying to step on her with my heel. She could end this charade now. I’m sure Rash hears every word through the paper-thin door. If she loves him half as much as she professes, she should put on her big girl panties and introducehim to her dad. Why saddle Mr. Carter with a son-in-law he doesn’t like while you run off with the real one? Much simpler to cut Horus loose…

The deal is done. Horus and I could walk away without the pageantry of the wedding. Mr. Carter could sue, but Amber made sure her name wasn’t in the wording of the contracts. Horus must be legally married today, and according to the certificate we sent, he is. Mr. Carter would lose his case. Horus earned the forest deeds for bringing their family back together. Nobody else wants the conservation center. It’s not a moneymaker…but everything to Horus. If only these two turkeys were full of more than hot air!

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