Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 122074 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 122074 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
Her smile was a little tight. “I know. You’ve put them there seven times in the last hour. You need to calm down. You’re not the one getting married.”
My hands were tingling, so I began wringing them, shaking them out. What were the tingles from? Why was I all tingly? The fuzzies had begun to invade the rest of my body. The fuzzies usually only came out to play when Ashton was around, or in a mood, or in bed, or in a mood in bed.
“Mi querida, sit. Por favor.”
I blinked a few times but sat where Sophie was guiding me to sit.
She was shaking her head as she went and grabbed a drink that Pialto had brought in earlier at her request. “Here. Drink this.”
“What is it?”
“It’s lemonade.”
I sniffed it. “It doesn’t smell like lemonade.” But I raised it to my mouth and began to sip it.
Sophie tipped the whole glass up, and I sputtered but had to open my mouth or risk spilling and ruining everything. The dress. The makeup. Could not risk anything. Choking on a large amount of bourbon in there, I glared at her. “Not cool.”
She patted my head, taking the glass away. “You’ll feel so much cooler in a few minutes. You’re welcome.”
Jess was standing in front of the mirror, smoothing her hands down over her dress, watching us. “She’s got the nerves I should have.”
She looked like a fairy princess, a calm one too.
Her hair was pulled up and woven around a sprig of baby’s breath tucked into a back roll. She wasn’t wearing any jewelry except her engagement ring. The dress was a mermaid-style, spaghetti-strap silk gown that molded to her body. She looked elegant and stunning. Her bouquet was a handful of white and pastel-pink roses, wrapped together with a greenery ribbon. I was her bridesmaid, her one and only, and she hadn’t cared about colors. I’d plucked out a dress that Sophie nabbed from her sister, who was a dress designer. She’d brought both dresses, for me and Jess. I had a similar style of dress, but mine didn’t fall all the way down. It ended just above the knees, and it was a dark matte pink color to match the flowers.
At Jess’s words, I had a job to do. I stood and walked over to her. “You are stunning, and you are marrying the love of your life, and you are surrounded by people who love you.” She started to tear up, but she swallowed, blinking a few times.
I wasn’t done, saying softer, “Kelly is here. I am holding her place for her so when I hug you, Kelly is also hugging you. You know how she’d be on your wedding day. That’s how she is today, just on the other side. She is happy and shining so much love over you.”
The tears fell, but she was holding it together.
“Oooh.” Sophie jumped over, fanning her hands over Jess’s face, trying to dry the tears. “It’s okay. It’s okay. Kelly would be crying too.”
“You’re not helping.” But Jess was smiling as more tears came to her eyes.
I grabbed her hand, holding it in both of mine, and squeezed lightly. A sudden new calm came over me, and I let it go through me into her. It worked. The tears started to slow. She squeezed my hands back. “Thank you.” She looked at Sophie. “Thank you both. I know Val can’t be here for obvious reasons, but I also know you’re right. Kelly is here. I swear I can smell that lotion she loved so much.”
I laughed, my chest growing lighter.
She held her arms up. “Thank you, Molly. For everything.”
I moved in, hugging her, and I didn’t think it was a coincidence when I felt another pressure added around us.
There was a soft knock at the door, and Pialto stuck his head in, his eyes covered. “Are you decent?”
We were all sniffling.
Sophie said, “We’re decent. Is it time?”
He dropped his hand from his eyes, and his eyes got big. “You—you all look amazing. Holy—”
“Pialto.”
“—just beautiful,” he finished, a serene smile beaming at us. “The local priest arrived.”
CHAPTER FIFTY
ASHTON
The night was about Trace and Jess, but the second Molly showed up, my eyes never left her.
We had dinner, speeches, and I was doing my thing. Toasting Trace, telling him how much I loved that we’d grown together over the years to where we both were now through loss, grief, but blessings. Trace was looking Jess’s way for the blessing part. I was looking Molly’s way, and now someone pulled out a playlist, and people were dancing.
Jess’s mom was dancing with Avery.
Sloane was dancing with Demetri.
Me, I was heading right for Molly, who was standing with Pialto and Sophie.
Their heads folded together, the freaking three musketeers, until I got to them. They went silent. I waited until Pialto’s head popped up, and he blinked, pretending to see me for the first time. “Oh, hi, Ashton.” He nudged Molly with his shoulder, who looked up, looking all shy.