Page 55 of Wedding Cake Carnage
His daughter? Could that be Hailey? It could have been Harlow for that matter. The article doesn’t reference any names. I’m shocked they were allowed to print such sensitive information at all.
Footsteps liven behind me, and I close my laptop with a snap as I jump in my seat.
It’s Everett. His hair is slightly mussed and he has that sexy glazed-over look in his eyes.
“I come in peace.” He offers me a groggy half-smile and a kiss to the cheek. His breath is minty and I can’t help but moan a little. “Are you ready for this day?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
Everett takes up my hand and rubs that enormous rock over my ring finger.
“One day it will be your wedding, Lemon. You’re going to make a beautiful bride.”
“And you will make a lethally handsome groom. You don’t suppose we’ll be making that trek together, do you?”
His lips curl with a dangerous appeal. “Stranger things have happened.” He takes me by the hand. Everett nods to the living room where Noah snores softly. “What’s-his-face is still sleeping. And I’m in the mood to start the day with nice, long, hot shower.”
“That sounds like heaven.”
“It will be. Why don’t we conserve a little water and hop in together?”
And we do.
* * *
When my sistersand I were little girls, we dressed up in my mother’s wedding dress—a sin of the highest order that she must never know about—and pretended we were brides, taking turns marrying one another over and over again.
As we grew older, we longed for our happily ever afters even while kissing our fair share of horny toads.
When Lainey brought home Forest, everyone knew he was the one for her. And when they hit that unimaginable rough patch last summer, it was heart-wrenching to see them drift apart so violently. But then as fate, and Tanner Redwood’s untimely death would have it, Forest and Lainey found their way back to one another. And here we are, all dressed and ready to go on the sprawling grounds of the Evergreen Manor.
Rows and rows of white ladder-back chairs have been set out, and a white aisle runner leads to the gazebo, which Felicity has turned into a magical lavender spectacle worthy of a million dollars—and that’s pretty much what I paid for it, too. I wouldn’t dare let Felicity give me that for free. She took it a step beyond the peonies and dusted it with baby’s breath and purple wisteria as well. It gives the grounds a dreamy appeal, and I do my best to memorize how perfect everything is today.
This morning, as I got dressed, Noah presented me with a strange gift, a gun holster that wraps around my waist like a belt, only to link up to a smaller belt that circles my thigh. And yes, my gun sits nestled on the outer thigh of my right leg as if it’s always belonged there. I suppose I could have protested the idea, but seeing that there will be a heck of a lot of people at this blessed event today, and that there is not one, buttwoderanged lunatics to keep an eye out for, I acquiesced without putting up a fight.
The sky is cobalt blue, the sun has yet to crest the woods, and the air holds the rich scent of heavenly flowers. The aisles, arches, and tabletops have all been ornately decorated with oodles and oodles of roses and peonies, lavender and pink just the way Lainey wanted.
The music starts up, and soon Meg and I are walked down the aisle with a couple of Forest’s brothers.
I can’t help but give a cheeky smile to both Noah and Everett as I pass them. They both look so painfully dapper in their dark inky suits. Noah’s tie is pale blue and Everett’s is black as night.
Meg and I take our place up at the gazebo adorned with a waterfall of wisteria and baby’s breath. It’s a wonderland effect that gives this day a fairy-tale appeal.
Forest nods over to us, looking handsome as only a groom can be. He’s wearing a gray suit, as are all of his groomsmen. One by one the rest of the wedding party makes its way over, and soon enough the tempo of the music changes and every last guest is on their feet facing the back. I even see Greer and Winslow and little Lea sitting on Beasty’s shoulders. All of Honey Hollow—and even some from the other side have come out to see this love story hit its crescendo. But there is one person who couldn’t be here today but very much should. And how I would move heaven and earth to make it so.
I close my eyes for a moment and envision my father, Joseph Lemon, in his prime. Tall, dark hair, eyes that sayI see youandyou are special, and an amazing smile to match. What a precious soul that man was. He only wanted to give the best to his girls, and my mother was always included in that equation. How I wish he could give us the best today—and that would be the honor of his presence.
The crowd gasps and I open my eyes to find my beautiful sister transformed into a glorious bride. Her hair is swept up, a simple strand of our grandmother’s pearls grace her neck, her gown is immaculate, her bouquet so elegant, and it’s even more special because it harbors that little piece of my father, the blue heart sewn together from his favorite dress shirt. My mother threads her arm through Lainey’s, and a strange figure appears at Lainey’s other side.
“What?” I whisper as I lean in and squint. “So help me if that’s Mayor Nash,” I mutter and Meg kicks me with her heel.
But it’s not Mayor Nash. Slowly the form of a man appears, dressed in a tuxedo, his chin tucked in the air with pride, and my heart bottoms out as they step in closer.
The man is tall. He is both devastatingly handsome and familiar. A painful croak emits from my throat.
“Daddy?” It escapes from me faintly as tears stream down my face. Here he is, not alive, and certainly not in the flesh, but nonetheless he made it.
Joseph Lemon walks Lainey down the aisle and dots a gentle kiss to her cheek once he deposits her at Forest’s feet. He steps over to my mother and pulls her in before landing a kiss to her lips, and, if I’m not mistaken, he’s whispering something to her as well. He turns and walks my way. My legs turn to rubber, and it’s all I can do to keep from leaping on him with a firm embrace.