Page 73 of Stowaway Whirlwind
Chapter 26
Goldie
Davis has complained every single day for the past two months about having to delay our wedding. I simply refused to walk down the aisle in my gorgeous wedding dress, bruised black and blue with stitches all over our bodies, both of us wearing casts on our broken hands. Lily was miraculously unharmed, thank all that is holy, though she understandably does not tolerate being put down much.
Our friends have needed time to recover as well. Apparently, it was Russell I’d kicked square in the nuts when I thought he was a stranger trying to steal Lily when really he was trying to help me up and get us to an ambulance. Oops.
I’d never seen Wyatt so mad as when I apologized the first time I saw him after everything went down. I hated that he ended up with a broken left leg after he was T-boned by Matt and Mrs. Fitzroy, pinned in his driver’s seat until firefighters used the jaws of life to get him out of his fancy, lifted, no doubt expensive truck, which was totaled.
The look on his face was even scarier than when he was staring down Mrs. Fitzroy on that crazy day in Dallas. He’d pointed at me and said fiercely, “I’d sacrifice anything and everything for my family. Don’t you dare apologize for that.” Andthen his expression had cleared, and he swept Davis and me into a hug that made my cracked ribs scream, even as I was filled with the warm and fuzzies at being considered hisfamily.
The other thing that had given me the warm and fuzzies? Ms. Judy scolded me for reverting to calling herMs. Judyafter the pain medications cleared my system and I stopped confusing her for my non-existent mother. So now, I’m not only an honoraryGranny’s Girlbut an honorarydaughter. I hadn’t bawled like that over being so intensely loved like a child since the day I moved in with Aunt Lydia, and I’ve called Ms. JudyMomand Dollysisterever since.
And Dolly’s not my only sister. Amanda is, too. I have a new brother, as well, after Roman forced her to marry him at the courthouse when we were discharged from the hospital and able to attend. The uppity ice queen had melted as soon as the judge announced them officially husband and wife.
Roman’s mom and dad put on a massive party at their house, music and food flowing well into the early morning, though the newlyweds didn’t show up until hours later with Amanda’s hair tangled in serious knots on the back of her head, her face blanching as soon as they walked in. I ended up falling asleep with Lily in one of the spare bedrooms with the rest of the little kids, who tuckered out before the party was over. The neighbors’ noise complaints were brushed off with half of the officers in attendance.
Davis was grumpy that they got married before us, and Roman was grumpy when Amanda said she wasn’t going to change her last name. She graduated medical school asDr. Freemanand was going to stay that way, really firing up Roman’s caveman tendencies…so the man went and changed his last name to hers so that they’d have the same one as soon as they flew back to Michigan, where they’ve been settling in together until coming back for our wedding.
And now, here we are. Today’s the day. The only downer, so far, is the cold, hard look Amanda keeps giving me every time we make eye contact in the lighted mirror as I’m getting dolled up for my wedding with Mom’s help while Layla keeps Lily entertained. The bridal suite at the venue Violet was able to book, thanks to the delay, is gorgeous with its bright white interior, pink and gold accents, and large windows letting in the early spring sunshine, warming the room. But it’s hard to appreciate with Amanda’s attitude souring the atmosphere.
I throw my hands up and spin in my padded vanity chair to stare Amanda down, where she’s holding herself stiffly on the velvety pink chaise lounge. “Ok, what gives?”
She tips her chin up in the air and crosses her arms over her asymmetrical, cocktail-length dress the color of summer wine. All the women in attendance have been asked to wear shades of purple and pink—just none that are close to the blush color of my dress.
“You,” she says in an accusatory manner. “I’ll never forgive you for this.”
Dolly bursts out with a giggle, startling us and her newborn, Weston, in her arms.
I snap, “Forgive me for what?”
Amanda deflates against the arm of the chaise, holding her stomach while she breathes deeply through her nose. “If I hadn’t gone on that car chase with you, Roman never would have gotten the chance to…” She clams up.
“Bend you over the back seat of the Ford and fuck a baby into you?” Dolly asks, laughing louder as she unclips the top right of her pink orchid maternity dress and puts Weston to her breast. Mom rolls her eyes up to the ceiling and shakes her head at Dolly’s choice of words.
Amanda straightens her spine again. “Jesus, Dolly, do you have to be so crass?”
So Dolly straightens as well and lifts her chin, adopting a terrible and inaccurate British accent. “My apologies, Queen Amanda. I should have said, ‘Coupled with you in the back of the royal carriage and produced an heir’.”
My mouth falls open as my eyes dip to Amanda’s stomach. “You’re pregnant?”
“Yes,” she whines miserably.
Dolly snaps her fingers. “Ha! I knew it.”
Amanda turns wide eyes on her. “How?”
“Roman is as bad as the rest of the men.” Dolly waves her hand toward Amanda’s form. “Plus, you’ve got that ghostly pale look.”
Offended, Amanda asks harshly, “What pale look?”
“Like you’re trying not to puke your guts up, same as Goldie.” Dolly looks my way. “Well, more pale than usual.”
Amanda scowls and clutches her stomach.
It’s my turn to be offended after spending a not-so-small sum on a professional makeup artist. “I do not.”
Dolly cocks her head. “Yes, you do.” She settles on the chaise and waggles her brows as she bumps shoulders with Amanda. “But, hey! At least this way, your kid will have cousins close in age, and they’ll all get to grow up together, even if you’re way up in Michigan. Bet they’ll grow up to be best friends if you plan on visiting more often.”
