Page 98 of All Autumn
“Then I’m telling you now that you are, and I’ll remind you again every single day.” I wondered if we had a little more time to play around some more.
“Y’all decent down there?”
Guess not. At hearing Adam’s voice, I cradled Autumn’s face and kissed her. “I love you, beautiful girl. You ready to go up?”
“They’re going to know what we were doing down here.”
“Yeah, they are. And I’m right proud of the fact that they’ll know you’re mine.”
“That’s a very chauvinist thing to say, but I’m good with it as long as I can say you’re mine.”
“I will die belonging to you, Autumn.” At that smile on her face for my words, I vowed to make this woman happy for the rest of our lives.
“Yo, Connor, put your clothes on. I’m coming down.”
Red spread across Autumn’s cheeks. “Is there a secret tunnel we can sneak out of?”
Delighted with her, I laughed. “Not that I know of.” It wasn’t easy to embarrass Autumn, and it was totally adorable when it happened.
Adam came around the corner, his gaze alighting on the cake. “Uh-oh,” he said, then looked straight at Autumn, whose cheeks went beyond red to flaming.
“Connor ate it,” she yelled.
Adam and I both snorted. My brother met my eyes, and I could see that he was happy for me. There weren’t any candles to blow out on Mary’s cake and make a wish over, but I still made a wish that he would one day find an amazing woman to love him. That he’d end up as happy as me.
“Sure, I’ll take the blame, but Mary’s not stupid,” I said, then grabbed Autumn’s hand. “Let’s go face your firing squad.”
“Mary really is going to kill her,” Adam said a bit too cheerfully as he lifted the cake.
I had to drag Autumn up the stairs, but I didn’t blame her for doing her best to go in the opposite direction. I’d be deathly afraid of Mary’s revenge at seeing her cake defiled, too.
“You both are asses,” Autumn said right before we walked into the City Hall main room where every single person here tonight had divided themselves like the parting of the Red Sea, making a path for us to walk through. Mary stood at the end, hands on hips, looking like an avenging angel. Still wearing his cape, Beauregard sat obediently beside her.
“They do the hootchy-kootchy down there?” Granny hollered.
I turned my face to Granny and winked.
“They did!” she shouted, then cackled.
Beside me, Autumn pressed her face against my arm and groaned.
Hamburger Harry stuck a mason jar of moonshine into my hand. “Fer tha honeymoon.”
I grabbed it. No way was I turning down a jar of his ’shine, honeymoon or not. Adam stepped around us and carried the cake to Mary, holding it out to her like an offering.
“I’m a dead woman,” Autumn muttered.
I couldn’t stop my laughter. There was probably no better place to fall in love than this crazy town. I tucked her under my arm and led her to her fate.
Mary’s flavor of the month stood beside her, clicking pictures on his phone. Before morning they’d be splashed all over the valley’s Facebook page.
We stopped in front of Ms. Marvel, and I said, “I ate that missing corner of your cake.” Yes, I’d sacrifice myself for my girl.
Mary let out a deep laugh. “Nice try, but we know better. Never put a cake near Autumn when she’s sad.” Mary glanced at Autumn. “You good now?”
Autumn blushed again. “Very.”
“Great. And just so you know, that was a red herring cake. I woulda never locked you in a room with the one meant for our heroes and guests here tonight. Now go dance with your honey.” She raised her hand, waving it in the air, and the band began to play.
