Page 26 of June Bride
This only exposed a truth about herself that Brandelyn never wanted to address. It didn’t matter if her prowess in bed was something anyone considered a problem. All that mattered was that her personality was so reprehensible that nobody paused to think about the veracity of certain rumors.
They simply expected it. Because they wanted to.
“Of course I want to marry you.” Sunny stepped forward and took her fiancée’s hands. “All I’ve been able to think about ever since you proposed is how much I love you! Sure, this whole wedding thing has us jacked up, but it’s gonna be over soon! I’ll wear whatever you want me to wear, Bran. I’ll haul my ass into the cutest church in town if it means you’ll have the wedding of your dreams. Iwantyour dreams to come true! That’s what I signed up for when I said I loved you!”
Brandelyn was soon swept into an embrace that knocked a single sob out of her. After only a moment’s hesitation, she wrapped her arms around Sunny and reveled in the familiar feeling of the woman who was meant to be her night and day.She’s my sunshine after the sun goes down. That’s what makes her so Sunny.
“I love you,” Sunny repeated, voice cracking. “I only want to be married already. Let’s put all of this behind us and move forward with our lives. Together.”
Brandelyn hugged her tighter. Pressing her body against Sunny’s had never felt so good.
Or relieving, for that matter. Almost as if everything she needed and wanted was right here, ready to be hers, forever.
Chapter 16
SUNNY
The day of her wedding arrived, yet Sunny still wasn’t convinced she was getting married.
She sat in her underwear – the department store lingerie she purchased for this occasion, no less – at the foot of her bed, gazing into the nothingness that was her bedroom.I wish I could say that it’s cold feet preventing me from getting dressed.If anything, her feet were sweaty. The carpet held in the heat of the warm summer morning. A gentle breeze occasionally blew by, and the birds in the trees outside her cottage window chirped as if they had a great conference to conduct. The shouts and responses of Debbie the wedding planner and a few of her hired hands put the finishing touches on everything outside. In two hours, Sunny would be getting married.
Brandelyn had been awaiting her at rehearsal the evening before, and the smiles they gave one another reassured everyone in their party that they had peacefully made up and intended to go through with the event. Yet their practice kiss had been hollow. Nerves bubbled up Sunny’s throat as if she were ready to throw up at any moment. The knot in her stomach had her pressing her hand against it every three seconds, wondering if her period would make an obnoxious appearance a few days early. Brandelyn may have planned their big day down to the perfect moment of her cycle, but Sunny would be lucky to make it through most of the honeymoon without Aunt Flo deciding to tag along.
It’s the perfect day for getting married.The sun was bright and warm. The air was full of the scents of freshly cut grass and flowers. Laughter carried on the wind, for even Debbie and her crew were nothing but happy smiles as they prepared for the biggest lesbian wedding of their summer. Sunny’s family were still cleaning up the big breakfast they cooked in Waterlily House, not that the bride had any appetite. Her mother and Aunt Jill joked that she was nervous about saying the vows and having her first dance as a married woman. Sunny was more concerned that she was making a big,hugemistake.
So… cold feet.
She couldn’t pinpoint where this came from or how normal it was. Regardless of the fights she and Brandelyn had recently, would she have felt the same way? Was Sunny Croker destined to hyperventilate a little on the morning of her wedding? Wearing nothing but her underwear, no less?
Her hands disappeared between her thighs. As her knees closed in on her forearms, Sunny hunched over and let out a big, exasperated breath.
It did not help her feel better.
“So, what’s it gonna be?” Dressed in nothing but a white slip that showed off more than what was publicly kosher, Anita entered the bedroom with her bridesmaid’s dress slung over her shoulder. The bright pink fabric poked out of the bottom.She’s gonna look so good today.After receiving theexactshade of pink Brandelyn demanded, Anita went out and bought a white cocktail dress that flattered her figure and showed off her long, modelesque legs.“I don’t get to wear something like this to work!”she had said when she first showed it off to Sunny. When it came back from its dye-job, the rosy pink only brought out more of Anita’s color and flirtatious personality as she pranced about Sunny’s cottage.I’m cool with that.Sunny wouldn’t mind her bridesmaid deflecting the attention off the bride. Well,thatbride, anyway.
“Huh?” Sunny asked, morose.
“Will you be the dashing groom in a suit?” Anita pulled open the closet doors to reveal the finely pressed suit Sunny had brought back from the city a few days ago. “Or will you be the beautiful, blushing bride in her humble dress?” Fingers flitted over the dress, still put away in its bag. “Hurry, now, the bonus round is about to end!”
“Don’t do that.” Sunny slumped onto her side. “No matter which I choose, I feel like I picked the wrong one. Oh, and I’ve wasted money either way.”
“Come on. You can wear this fancy tux to other functions in the future. Can’t exactly wear a dress to…”
“The tux is a rental,” Sunny reminded her friend. “I won’t be wearing it anywhere else.” She had plenty of nice dress clothes for formal events, anyway.
“So…” Anita closed the door on the tux. “You know the answer, then.”
Sunny curled up into a helpless ball. “Am I doing the right thing by marrying Brandelyn?”
While Anita did her best to hide the massive eyeroll gaining traction in the center of her face, Sunny still saw it. Coming for her, no less. “Don’t do this to me, Sun. I’m your friend, not your fall girl for when you jump into your car and drive all the way to Ashland to start your new life in a lesbian commune. Also, I’m not following you if you become a runaway bride. Although Brandy might. I bet she’ll drag her big dress into the nearest truck and run you down somewhere on I5.”
Sunny snorted in mild amusement. The image of Brandy in a giant bridal gown – the kind to swallow her whole, of course – brought with it the few moments of mirth Sunny had been missing on her wedding day. “You know what I mean.”
“Do I?” Anita asked. “Because nobody was more excited than you when Brandelyn asked you to marry her. Remember? You drove to my house and got out of your car screaming so loudly that I thought you had lost one of your limbs. Bonnie still has night terrors from it.” She sat on the edge of Sunny’s bed, but didn’t try to touch her. “I thought you two made up after last weekend?”
“We did, but…”
“Don’t tell me this isgeneralcold feet. I can’t do jack about that.”
