Page 40 of Perfect Bragg

“I—”

“Nope. I don’t want to hear it. We’re doing this.”

I zip my lips and allow them to do their thing. By the time the hour is over, I don’t recognize myself in the mirror.

“Holy crap. I’m pretty.”

“Duh. You’re gorgeous. You always are. It’s rather annoying,” Eden says.

“I put up with your gorgeous-ness because you usually smell like dog shit,” Moon adds.

“I do not smell like dog shit all the time.”

Soleil giggles. “And I don’t smell of clay all the time.”

“Whatever,” I mumble. I inhale a deep breath. “I’m doing this. I’m really doing this. I’m marrying a man I don’t love.”

Ashlyn rolls her eyes. “Sure, you don’t love him.”

“I don’t,” I insist.

“But you want to bump uglies with him.” She juts her hips out. “Yes, Elder. You hit the spot, Elder.”

There’s a knock on the door before Damon Bragg peeks inside. “Are you ready?”

“What are you doing here?” Damon doesn’t live in town. He’s the sole Bragg brother who didn’t move to Winter Falls when the brothers discovered Peace is their half-brother.

He offers me his elbow. “Escorting you down the aisle.”

I close my eyes before the tears can escape. Before life went to hell in a handbasket, when I was a little girl, I had the best daddy in the world. A daddy who would be proud to walk me down the aisle to the man I love. But he’s gone and there’s no way I can love a man. I’m not worthy of love.

“Please, don’t cry,” Damon murmurs as he sweeps me into his arms. “Elder will kill me if his bride arrives at the ceremony with puffy, swollen eyes and smudged mascara.”

I allow myself to enjoy the comfort of his arms for a few moments before I step away. I open my eyes to discover my friends have deserted me.

“We wouldn’t want Elder to kill you.” I indicate my dress with a wave of my hand. “Bloodstains are hell to get out of white.”

“I think I’m going to enjoy this, Harmony soon-to-be Bragg.”

“This is fake. I’m not changing my name for a fake marriage.”

He doesn’t respond and escorts me out of the room through the police station to the foyer of the courthouse which has been transformed into a wedding chapel in the past hour. There are rows of chairs with an aisle down the middle. At the end of the aisle stands Elder who is now wearing a dark suit.

Damn. He can wear a suit. Everyone stands as Damon and I enter the area and Elder turns around. When he sees me, his jaw drops open.

Damon leans close to whisper to me. “I think your groom approves of your outfit.”

I elbow him. “Stop making it sound as if this wedding is real.”

“Darling.” He shakes his head.

“Shall we get this over with?”

“Wait a sec.”

“What…” I trail off when the first strains ofPerfectfrom Ed Sheeran begin.

Damon’s grasp on my hand tightens. “Don’t run. He’ll just chase you.”

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