by K. C. Crowne
Ultimately, she was right. This wasn’t my dress. Panic set in. I didn’t want a dress that would be merely okay. But we only had so many options.
Claudia looked through the dresses she’d pulled with a frown. There was a knock on the dressing room door, and Elle’s voice called out, “Can I come in?” Elle slipped into the dressing room with a dress in hand. She handed it to Claudia. “This is her size, and I think she’s going to love it.”
Claudia looked over the dress. “It’s a ballgown, and she said she didn’t want a fluffy dress.”
“Trust me, I think she’ll change her mind once she puts it on.”
Elle winked at me and slipped out of the dressing room. I had my doubts. I didn’t want to look like a fluffy, fairytale princess. That just wasn’t me. I was a rather simple girl with simple tastes. But what did I have to lose by trying it on?
Claudia helped me into the gown, which had a corset-style top. She laced me up as I looked at myself in the mirror. The dress wasn’t as fluffy as some of the ballgowns I’d seen, but there was some puffiness to it. The bottom was fairly simple, no dramatic designs that drew the eye there. The designs were all on top. It was strapless and had delicate crystals around the top of the dress, outlining my neckline. It showed just a hint of cleavage, but not too much. The corset top also made it easy to adjust the fit, so there was no gaping and I could still breathe. Better yet, it highlighted my curves perfectly.
“What do you think?”
“I—I think I love it,” I said softly.
Claudia beamed and said, “Let’s go out there and see what they think.”
Claudia opened the dressing room door, and as soon as I stepped out, I knew it was the one. Elle jumped to her feet and ran over to me. Felicity covered her face like she might cry. Piper and Leah both squealed in delight.
“Oh. My. God,” Elle screeched, fanning her face.
“That’s it. That’s the dress,” Piper announced gleefully.
Tears filled my eyes, but they were happy tears. Claudia came up behind me with a veil and placed it on my head before I turned to look in the mirror. With the veil falling around my shoulders, and in that dress, I truly felt like a bride. While it might not have been the dress I’d have picked out under different circumstances, I was very happy with it.
It was my dress.
My friends crowded around me, oohing and ahhing and crying. I couldn’t believe that a week before, I wasn’t sure if I’d ever get married. I watched all those bridal shows like “Say Yes to the Dress”, jealous of women who’d had a moment like this, and there I was - having my moment.
My phone rang, and my first thought was Milo and Cyrus. I went for my purse, but Leah stopped me.
“What?” I asked. “It could be Cyrus.”
“It’s not,” she said softly. The girls looked at each other.
“What do you mean?”
None of them had wanted to tell me, but finally, Elle said, “Wade has been calling every few minutes for the last hour. I answered the first time, not realizing it was him, but now that I recognize the number, I refuse to answer.”
“Can they even do that in prison?” Piper asked.
Elle shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess when you’re as rich as Wade, you can do whatever the hell you want.”
My heart dropped into my stomach. My moment was over. Damn him. For at least a bit, I managed to forget about the reasons behind my wedding. But reality kicked in fairly fast.
“Alright, I need to change,” I muttered.
Claudia asked, “Is this the dress you want?”
I chuckled. “Oh, yeah, I thought it was obvious, sorry.”
“Just wanted to be sure,” she said with a smile. “And the veil?”
“Yes, that too,” I said. “Oh, and I need shoes. I only own sneakers.” My eyes darted across the little boutique until I saw a cute pair of white sandals. “Do you have those in a seven?”
“We should.”
“I’ll take those too.”
Cyrus has given me enough money to get whatever I needed. I felt bad for spending his money, but he’d made a point of telling me that knowing that it came from his dad, he’d never spend it on himself. Either way, I planned to pay him back one day. It only seemed right after all he was willing to do for Milo and me.
I hurried and changed out of my dress, and my phone continued ringing nonstop. I just wanted to get it over with now. While Claudia checked me out, I watched out the front window. I saw Cyrus with Milo, playing in the grass with some of his toys. Milo was laughing, and so was Cyrus. They seemed happy, and it made my heart swell watching them play. Cyrus was a natural when it came to babies. For a man that had absolutely no experience with kids, he just connected with Milo from the start.
“Is that your fiancé’?” Claudia asked as she handed me the bag with the shoes as well as a large garment bag with my dress.
“It is.”
“He’s handsome,” she complimented. “And your little boy is adorable too.”
“Thank you.”
“You have a beautiful family.”
If only it were real…
Ooo000ooo
Leah, Piper, and Felicity had already taken off, and Elle was preparing to head out too. But when setting everything up, I’d asked her to pick something up for me. She discreetly handed me a plastic bag and I tucked it away in my purse.
“Can you tell me what that’s about?” she whispered.
I glanced at Milo and Cyrus still playing in the grass to make sure they weren’t nearby. “It’s probably nothing. My period is late sometimes and with all the stress, you know.”
She nodded but studied me closely. “You know, it’s probably too early to tell anyway. So I bought you a pack of three tests. Just to be sure.”
“Thanks, Elle. I’m sure I won’t need any of them. It’ll probably start on my wedding day with my luck.”
“Here’s hoping, right?” That was more of a question than a statement.
“Oh yeah. I don’t think now is the best time to bring another baby into our lives. Cyrus is just getting used to being a stepdad to Milo. I can’t imagine he’s ready to have one of his own.”
My heart raced just thinking about it. But like I said, my period had been late before. It wouldn’t be the first time, and I doubted it would be the last. The only difference was now I was having sex. I was on the pill, but I knew accidents could still happen. After all, Milo had happened while on the pill. I’d always wondered if Wade might have sabotaged my birth control, but I never had any proof. But it still left me a bit paranoid.
I should have made Cyrus wear condoms, but we were so caught up in the moment and technically, I was on birth control. So I told myself I was fine.
“How late are you?”
“Only a couple days.”
“Oh, good,” Elle said. “So not too long.”
“Oh no, like you said, it’s probably too early.”
“Well, let me know if you need anything, sweetie. Anything at all.”
“You know I will,” I said.
We hugged and parted ways. I waved at Cyrus as I opened his truck doors and put my items in the back. I closed it and headed over to him and Milo. I couldn’t take my eyes off the two of them - it was such a beautiful sight. A massive man like Cyrus playing with a little baby like Milo. My heart melted every time I saw them together. Cyrus’ll make a hell of a dad, I thought. Well, technically, he was a dad already to Milo, and he had already impressed me.
He was everything I could have ever wanted in a husband.
I joined them on the grass, plopping down on the blanket beside Milo. He reached for me, and I picked up in my arms.
“Did you find your dress?”
“I did. And a veil and shoes too. We’re good to go.”
“Good,” he said. He waited a second longer before asking. “And are you happy with all of it?”
“I am,” I said, thinking about how that dress had made me tear up.
“You don’t seem all that happy for a woman who’s just bought her wedding dress.”
I sighed. “Wade kept calling the entire time. It kinda ruined the mood a bit, but I love the dress and everything, I promise.”
Cyrus sat up straight, and his smile turned to a frown. “He’s still bothering you, huh?”
“Yep. He’s not going to give up that easily.”
“Yeah he will. Once he sees that I’m not going to let him get to you.”
Cyrus rubbed his beard and stared off into the distance. I turned around to see what he was looking at.
“What is it?”
“Oh, nothing. Probably nothing.” He shook his head and pushed himself up to standing. “We should probably get going anyway. Almost time for this guy’s dinner.” He pointed to Milo and tapped him on the nose playfully, and my son giggled profusely. It was such a joyous sound.
Still, I kept staring off into the distance where Cyrus had been looking, trying to see what he might have been staring at. My nerves were on edge as it was, and I had to know.
“Cyrus, please tell me. Was someone watching us?”
I stood up and he folded the blanket and gathered the toys.
“Cyrus, please. Tell me. I’m freaking out here.”
“I don’t know. I might just be paranoid. Either way, I’d rather get home.”
Cyrus took my arm in his, keeping me close as we crossed the street to his truck. The entire time I was trying to figure out if there was someone at the park or on the street that I should be concerned about. Everyone looked so normal, and most of them were people I knew.
Dammit, Wade. This is my home. You have no right to make me feel unsafe being at the park with my son.
For all I knew, Cyrus had meant it. He was just being paranoid. But just the fact that we had to be paranoid pissed me off.
Cyrus loosened his grip on my arm and chuckled sheepishly.
“Sorry, I realize now that the person I thought was watching us was using the binoculars to look in the trees for birds.”
I saw the man with the binoculars, and he was right. I also knew the man, who was a local. He went to church with my mom. Sure, Wade could have hired almost anyone, but most of the people who worked with him weren’t locals. They were professionals.
“Yeah, Gilbert has always been a bird watcher,” I said softly. “He’s autistic; it’s sort of his area of expertise.”
Cyrus nodded as he opened the back door. I hooked Milo into his seat while Cyrus waited behind me, always keeping an eye out.
Cyrus made me feel safe. He was a big guy, one of the biggest men I’d ever known, and he was strong, with the specialized training of an Army Ranger. If anyone could protect us, it was him.
I finished with Milo and relaxed as I climbed into the front seat of the truck. Everything will be okay, I told myself. I had Cyrus now.
He reached across and took my hand in his, and we shared a smile between us.
Earlier, I had wished for all of it to be real, but as I sat in the truck with him and we drove home together, I started to believe maybe it was.
Chapter 18
Cyrus
“You’re what?”
“I’m getting married, Mom. Tomorrow actually.”
There was silence on the other end of the line.
“Mom?”
“I’m here, I’m just not sure what to say. I didn’t even know you were seeing anyone.”
“Yeah, it’s happened really fast, but I think you’re going to love her. She’s got a son who’s less than a year, and I know how much you like babies.”
“I do, but… Cyrus, what’s really going on here?”
My mom was one of the few people who could see right through me, and I couldn’t bring myself to lie to her. I didn’t want to disappoint her either, which if I admitted it was all a ruse, was exactly what would happen. But that wasn’t true, was it? It wasn’t all a ruse. I cared about Josie. A lot. Ideally, we would have waited a bit longer to get serious, much less married, but it wasn’t like I didn’t have feelings for her. We had a relationship, and I didn’t want to downplay that too much.
So I told my mother the best truth best I could. “I care about her, a lot, Mom.”
“But this is mostly to protect her and her son?”
“The quick marriage, yes. And me claiming to be his dad, yes. Everything else is real.”
“Cyrus, I’m worried about you. I’d rather you not get caught up in other people’s drama.”
“Mom, I care about Josie and Milo and I want to make sure they’re taken care of.”
“But do you love them?”
I thought about that question for a second. Did I love them? I couldn’t recall ever being in love, but what I felt for them was intense. I’d never felt that protective over anyone, ever.
“I think so.”
Mom scoffed on the other end of the phone. “You really shouldn’t go into a marriage if you’re not sure you love the person.”
“Well, there’s no other choice, and I care about her enough to make this commitment,” I argued. “Isn’t that something?”
She sighed. “I suppose so. I just worry about you so much. I want you to be happy.”
“I am happy, Mom. As happy as I’ve ever been. And a large part of that is Josie. Prior to her coming into my life, all I had was work. Now I have someone who needs me, someone to spend my time with. And Milo is really something else. He’s a special little boy.”
“Well, I look forward to meeting them.” She still sounded apprehensive. “You said the wedding will be tomorrow?”
“Yes, at the courthouse. Followed by a small reception at the auditorium. Nothing fancy, wear whatever you like. Your church clothes should be fine.”
“It’s my son’s wedding. I’m going to make sure I look nice.”
“Whatever you want to do, Mama,” I said softly.
I know she’d waited for this day my entire life. She wanted me to get married, to have a family. This meant a lot to her. I’d been afraid to tell her sooner, knowing she wouldn’t be happy with the rushed ceremony, but at the very least, I hoped she’d be happy for us once she met Josie. After all, Josie was a good girl; my mom would love her.
Who wouldn’t?
Josie knocked on the bedroom door and poked her head into the room. I’d asked for some privacy, but it was getting late and Milo was probably ready for bed. Eventually we’d get him set up in his own room, but for now, we both felt safer with him in the room with us at night. I motioned for her to come in.
“Alright, Mom. See you tomorrow. Love you.”
“I love you too, Cyrus. Don’t forget that. I just want you to be happy.”
“I am, Mom. I am.”
I hung up as Josie put a sleeping Milo into the crib. She smiled at me. “Did it go as badly as you feared?”
“Actually, no. She took it well, all things considered. I should have told her sooner.”
“We’ve had a lot going on,” she said softly. “It’s been one heck of a week.”
“Tell me about.” I leaned back in the bed and took off my shoes. It was still a bit early for the two of us to go to bed, but the next day would be hectic as hell.
Josie bit her lip and stared down at the floor.
“What is it?” I asked.
“I just… Well, tomorrow, we’re getting married and it just feels a bit weird, you know?”
“It does. Are you having second thoughts?”
“No. Are you?”
“Not in the slightest.”
“Good.” She sat down on the bed, sounding relieved. “I guess I just always thought my groom wouldn’t see me on the wedding day and all that. To make it more special.”
“I’m sure we can arrange something. I can be on the other side of the house when your friends arrive to get ready or something.”
“Thank you. I know it sounds silly since this isn’t a real marriage and all but…”
“Nonsense,” I told
her. “I’m happy to do it.”
She slid into the bed, slipping her shoes off. We mirrored each other on the bed, with some distance between us that felt off. There was a lot on her mind, I could tell. Hell, there was a lot on mine too.
“Think we should get to bed kinda early tonight?” I asked.
“We do have a big day tomorrow.”
I leaned over and kissed her, and she kissed me back. Our lips brushed gently against each other’s, and she seemed to relax into me. I wrapped my arms around her and held her close for a second.
“I just never pictured it being like this, you know?” She buried her face in my neck as she spoke.
“Tell me about it, but that’s the thing with life. You never know what to expect.”
She lifted her chin to meet my gaze. “Did you ever think you’d get married to a woman with a child?”
“I never thought I’d get married, period.”
“I’m sorry…”
I silenced her with a fingertip to her lips. “Don’t apologize for anything, Josie. I didn’t expect it, but I’m not saying it’s a bad thing. It’s just different than what I’d expected.”
“So you’re really not having second thoughts?”
I thought about her question, and the truth came out. “No, not at all. Should I be? Probably. But it just feels right.”
She nestled into me then, relaxing even more.
“Good, because it feels right to me too.”
Ooo000ooo
“You ready for this?” Grant patted me on the back as we walked into the room where Josie and I were to be married.
The room was small with just a few seats for the guests. It wasn’t the nicest of venues, but it would have to do. Grant’s sister, Leah, who owned the hotel in town, had tried to work something out so we could get married there, but the hotel was booked and she couldn’t move anyone around.
