Page 54 of Choosing My Happiness
“The divorce.” He frowned.
“Oh, I’m still divorcing you,” I told him.
“But you were hugging Dylan!”
“Exactly. Dylan is adorable. Doesn’t mean you are.”
Mom hissed at me, “Daisy, not here!” Her face and voice changed as she looked at my soon-to-be ex. “Hello Blaze. Thank you for coming, and for doing the eulogy, and everything else.” She grabbed Blaze’s hands and looked adoringly at him. I felt sick. I had been negotiating with Morris this whole time because Mom couldn’t face making a decision, except that she insisted that Blaze was giving the eulogy, and if I wasn’t going to stand up there with him, I wasn’t going to be involved. Manipulation at its finest.
“Hey Daisy!” Four big arms wrapped around me. “Did you like the ride in?”
I laughed. “Yes! Thank you Bear. Thank you Horse. It was an amazing experience.”
“Hey, why do you say thank you to him first?” Horse complained, stepping away and pushing Blaze away from me with his body.
“Because he’s wearing the sergeant at arms patch,” I said, pointing at it.
“Aw, no fair…I get it next week,” Horse whined.
Bear shook his head, dropping his hands to his sides. “Let’s just do it, Horse,” he said, shifting to stand just behind me. Horse stood up behind me as well, making me look like I had bodyguards, which by how Blaze was reacting, I did. He glared at the two men standing beside me, and gently untangled himself from Mom. Then, without looking at me again, he walked into the funeral parlor.
Mom glared at the two boys. “She’s not divorcing him!” she hissed, sparks flying from her eyes at the audacity of these men keeping Blaze away from me.
Bear leaned close to me. “That true?” he rumbled in my ear.
I shook my head. “I’m divorcing him. I’m done,” I replied. “I deserve better.”
“Good choice,” was the answer over my left shoulder.
“Definitely,” was the response over my right.
My eyes caught a pair of grey ones as they passed me. Jim gave a small smile as he took on the scene with my bodyguards and mother. I swallowed. He gave a small nod in our general direction, which was replied to with nods from Horse and Bear. Between the three men, I felt better…supported. I breathed in a deep breath of fresh air.I’ll get through this.
People slowly trickled in. Mom eventually walked in too, leaving just me and my bodyguards. I took a breath and waited for the last few people to drift in. A woman with hot pink hair left a young woman standing alone awkwardly near the curb and walked purposefully up to me. She held out her hand.
“Hi, I’m Shaquilla. I run the flower shop. My condolences on your father’s death.”
I accepted it as Bear started growling. She looked at him angrily through her lashes.
“Oh shut it, you! He’s an asshole, and everyone knows she deserves better. I’m not here for him,” she snapped.
I looked between the two of them, wondering what was going on.
Bear shook his head and slapped Horse on the chest. He nodded towards the room, and they walked inside.
I looked at Shaquilla carefully. There was something going on that I didn’t know about. She took no more notice, and launched into speech.
“I have two things I want to discuss quickly. First, rumor is that you’re divorcing Blaze. True?” She seemed nervous.
“I am, yes.”
“Good, I’ll help. I’ll do my best to talk him into signing the papers.”
“Thanks.” I was suspicious.
“Second—” She drew a shaky breath. “Do you recognize that girl over there?” She pointed at the blond girl who she’d been talking to earlier.
The young girl shifted her feet and looked down. She looked vaguely familiar.
