Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 56651 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 283(@200wpm)___ 227(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56651 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 283(@200wpm)___ 227(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
“I’m not sure who is more nervous. Him or me,” I joked under my breath.
“I think I’m gonna pee my pants,” Suzannah said under her breath as Drake seemed to brace himself. A couple of the aunties, Mae, and Dana’s friend Paige were there, too, though I wasn’t sure they had any idea what was about to happen.
Suddenly Drake cleared his throat. Everyone got real quiet, even the guests who might not know what was about to go down. The only sound was the faint classical music playing over the sound system.
“Nice touch,” Janet nodded with approval as he slowly lowered himself to one knee, and pulled out a box. Dana reacted by nearly dropping her Champagne flute. Kaylie gracefully swooped in and grabbed the glass out of her hand before it could crash to the wood decking that covered the roof.
We all held our breath.
“Dana. I have loved you since the moment I saw you. That sounds made up. Like it’s something that only happens in fairy tales. But it’s true. And every day since has only served to make me love you more. I didn’t think it was possible, but it’s true. I know I am just a good ole boy, covered in tats and scars from shrapnel, but I want to be the best man I can be for you. I am hoping that despite all of this, you will agree to become my wife.”
Dana gasped, covering her mouth. Maybe we should have given her a litttte bit of a head’s up… I started to think to myself. My heart was pounding so loud I could almost hear it.
“Dana O’Mally, will you marry me?”
I almost shouted out ‘thank the good lord above’ when she answered right away. Instead I whispered it.
“Yes,” she breathed softly. Then she spoke louder. “Yes, Drake, I will marry you.”
I sat down abruptly. Molly and I exchanged glances. I felt like sagging in relief. I did sag in relief.
Everyone started talked and doling out champagne. People started drinking and toasting the happy couple. Especially us girls. Everyone who wasn’t pregnant or breast feeding took a sip. Heck, I took a big ole swig. Janet more or less glug glug glugged her drink all the way down.
She was the toughest of us, but she also felt things the deepest. You would never know it, but she worried and fussed the most out of all of us. Maybe even more than Kaylie.
The girls all surrounded Dana and hugged her, welcoming her officially to the family. The photographer we had hired was clicking away. The girls posed all together, after they got shots of the happy couple.
It was a good night.
It was one of the best nights.
I was tipsy when my husband put me to bed. Not too tipsy to celebrate the best way we knew how. After all that tension and, um, release, I slept like an actual baby.
When I woke up, I still had a smile on my face.
Drake and Dana were getting married.
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
Dana
“You look beautiful!”
“Perfection.”
“She needs a brooch.”
“Wear mine!”
“What about my gloves?”
I sat in front of a grand 1920s vanity with a round mirror as the aunts buzzed around me, bringing me their prized pieces of jewelry, perfumes, stockings, and all kinds of little treasures they wanted me to include in my wedding ensemble.
I might have too many aunts, I thought to myself with a smile. But I was happy. Happier than I could have ever imagined I could be.
I felt a warm hug of love around me. I wondered if it was my mother. I barely remembered her. But I remembered the feeling of safety. Or love.
This felt a lot like that.
Being surrounded by the aunties and the Devil’s Rider girls who had become like family felt a lot like that.
Drake felt a lot like that.
And today I was going to marry him.
The past few weeks had flown by with wedding prep. We’d decided that using the Auntie’s newly spruced up house would be the best and easiest place to do it. The front walkway had been repaved with a herringbone pattern in concrete, pretty but flat enough for the aunties who used walkers, but uneven enough not to catch ice on the rare chilly California morning.
The house looked perfect. Charming, homespun, and well loved.
Plus, it was symbolic. This was my home. Or it had been since Auntie moved out of the small apartment shed raised me in and in with the other aunties. And I was going to a new home. A home I had created with my soon-to-be husband.
A home we built together.
Well, he and the guys built it. But I had picked everything out. It was magical, knowing that he had built every inch to please me. It gave a whole new meaning to the word ‘home’.
I stared in the mirror, not watching myself, but instead watching all the activity buzzing around me. I felt like I was in slow motion, but everyone else was moving twice as fast as usual. Kaylie and Janet were by the window while Sally pinned flowers in their hair. She had done everyone’s hair, including the aunties, at least those who didn’t have their hair set once a week on Friday mornings. That was one of the rituals I had always loved growing up. Going to the salon and sitting in an empty chair while the warm flow of gossip and womanly talk washed over me.