Page 46 of Toxic Apple Turnovers
Nell offers a heartfelt smile. “Congratulations, Lottie. I love you so.”
And just like that, they’re gone. It’s just Pastor Gaines and that smile that never ceases.
We thank him and show ourselves out.
“Oh, I forgot to give back the flowers.” I make a face as the door clicks shut.
“I’ll take them,” a small female voice calls out from the desk, and it looks as if the secretary is back. A woman in a red cardigan and yellow scarf waves us over. She has a heart-shaped face and short curly hair that clings to her scalp.
There’s no sign of Hazel around.
Noah warms my back with his hand. “We were just visiting. It’s a shame what happened to Amanda. I hear she was a staple around here.”
She averts her eyes. “That she was.” She takes the flowers from me and plops them on her desk as if they weren’t just a part of one of the most special days of my life. “She would come in, and they’d lock themselves in there for hours on end doing God knows what.” She shudders before her eyes spring wide as she looks to us. “Counseling, of course. Pastor Gaines is a great counselor.” Her lips harden. “Especially with the women,” she says that last bit under her breath.
My mouth falls open at the implication. “My mother is seeing him,” I utter without meaning to, and Noah mercifully navigates us out. We make our way into the chilled air, the sun quickly setting. “Noah, she implied—”
Noah touches my lips softly with his finger. “I know what she implied.” There’s a pained look in his eyes as he presses his gaze to mine. “I just want to take a moment to enjoy looking at my beautiful wife.”
Every last part of me melts. “That was kind of fun, wasn’t it?”
“It was the best.” Noah swallows hard. “How about a kiss for the road?”
I bite down hard over my lower lip and nod.
Noah blesses me with a kiss that saysI love you today, tomorrow, and forever. Noah kisses me in the exact way that I’ve always dreamed my husband would.
That little wedding of ours might not have been real, but it sure felt official right down to my bones.
Maybe Noah and I aren’t destined to have closure. Maybe we’re destined to have a future?
Chapter 15
Thursday shows up like an eager groom at the altar—okay, so an eager bride as well.
I still can’t believe Noah and I exchanged I dos. Of course, it was all in fun—even though I meant every last word—but I didn’t dare mention it to Everett last night at dinner. And I’ve been artfully avoiding Noah—lest he lay another one of those red-hot kisses on me and it leads to an all-out wedding night.
I’m supposed to be exploring my heart, not his body. Although, in all fairness, I explored Everett in a moment of weakness a few weeks back. But who in their right mind could blame me? Technically, we’re still together, I think. Oh, never mind. I have no clue where I stand with anyone but my cats these days.
The Ashford County Courthouse stands proud, wrapped in creamy glory with its stately stone exterior and stunningly tall columns. Inside, its polished floors and dark paneled halls lead us straight to the proper courtroom we’re due to arrive in. My mother is here with me, as well as Carlotta, Lainey, Meg, Becca, Keelie, and Naomi.
Everett strides up, looking dangerous in his sharp navy suit, and stops my heart cold with those stormy blue eyes.
“Hello, beautiful.” He lands a soft kiss to my lips, and it feels completely easy and natural, and yet a twinge horrific because I happened to have kissed Noah with these same lips and I feel terrible about it. “You ready to do this?”
“Yes. Are you coming in?”
“I cleared my schedule. I wouldn’t miss it.”
Everett escorts us inside where we find Will and his attorney already whispering amongst themselves and stealing a moment to glower at us.
Will looks just like Becca, same reddish-blonde hair, same seemingly serene disposition. His three daughters are seated behind him, looking weirdly identical with their strawberry-blonde hair, their noncommittal smiles. They’re all a touch younger than me. They seem sweet, but you never know. My family has surprised me before.
Becca urges me to take a seat beside our attorney, and it feels terrifying. The last time I was in front of a judge it was Everett who was taking the stand, and it was a menacing sight. Wait, that’s not right. The very last time I was in a courtroom Everett was presiding over someone else’s case, and I dropped a box of cookies as if it were a piñata. Which led Everett to bring me right back to his chambers and teach me one delicious lesson. A spiral of warmth rides through me just thinking about it.
The judge finally takes the stand, a woman who happens to look at Everett with a genuine surprise. She wears her hair in a medium-length bob, each strand a stunning silver streak. Her eyes are bright and light, and there’s a general radiance about her.
She quickly goes over the facts and sighs heavily, taking a moment to contemplate them.