8. PAIGE
8
PAIGE
When I see the price tag on the white slip dress, I cringe.
“Oh, I love that one,” Baylee’s mom Sylvia says. “Try it on.”
“Aunt Syl, it’s too expensive.” She’s not really my aunt, but I love her like she’s family. I’ve missed her so much. She would’ve come to my graduation, but she was sick.
“Nonsense.” She squeezes my hand. “It’s not every day that my best friend’s daughter gets married.” Sylvia and my mom were besties back in the day. “If it fits and you love it, I want you to get it. I have some emergency savings set aside, so I can cover it. Your mama can’t be here, and Lord knows Irma has done a shitty job of looking after you. Trust me, it would be my pleasure.”
Behind her, Baylee tuts. “Haven’t you learned you can’t argue with my mother?”
Syl smirks. “Besides, you’re marrying Rhett Walker, the biggest catch in town. I will not let you walk down that aisle in something you got secondhand. Mija , that white cotton dress you showed me is lovely, but you need something special. You’re only getting married once.”
Eesh. Guilt swirls in my stomach. “It’s just the courthouse.” We had to wait a few days so Rhett could make sure his brothers were here. Except for Isaiah because he never comes home. Plus, Texas has a seventy-two-hour waiting period after the marriage license is issued, which was fine because it gave me time to come to terms with this. Rhett also wanted to be sure Harlan could attend. At least now my limp isn’t so bad.
The scary thing is even though this started out as a small ceremony, we’ve now added a reception at the ranch. One we probably can’t afford, but Rhett told me not to worry about it.
“Try it on,” Syl says and pushes me toward the dressing room of Texas Rose Bridal, a small boutique in downtown Wild Heart. “Go with her, Baylee. Make her see some sense.”
As we head behind the curtain, my best friend is quiet.
The chill of the air conditioning pricks at my skin while I change. Baylee fusses with the hanger and wipes away imaginary creases in the beautiful silky dress. As I watch her, it hits me, how wrong this is.
We should be gushing with excitement that one of us is getting married. I should be thinking about how one of my brothers will proudly walk me down the aisle. I should be over the moon that I’m marrying the guy of my dreams.
Instead, I tug on the dress like I’m changing for a costume party. I’m not the blushing bride. I’m playing a role. By rote, I lift my arms, slide the gown over my head, and turn so she can zip me.
I’m getting married, but it’s not for love. This isn’t the fantasy I used to daydream about. This isn’t about vows and commitment and building a family.
Sighing, I try to suck up my disappointment and accept that this is my life. At least for the next six months.
“You think this is a bad idea.” It’s not a question. I can tell by her body language and how awkward this moment is for both of us.
She shakes her head. “No. Not exactly. I just… I have a feeling.”
“Oh, shit. Don’t tell me.” Baylee has a sixth sense. The women in the Reyes family all have it to some degree. I could list a dozen times Baylee’s done this since we were kids, but the one that always comes to mind is how she knew Danny was sick before he ever shared he wasn’t feeling well. She’s the one who told me I needed to stay with him at night in the hospital.
I’m so grateful she urged me to do that. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been there when he passed. At least I got to hold his hand at the end and let him know he wasn’t alone.
She fixes the strap on the dress and pushes my hair out of the way. Then her voice gets quiet. “I just don’t want you to get hurt, and there’s a lot of potential for things to go wrong.”
I look her in the eye. “Tell me this. Will we save the ranch?”
She closes her eyes. Tilts her head. Hums. “Possibly, but… it’s not a done deal. I see a lot of murkiness. Like, there could be danger.”
Chills erupt on my skin, and I rub my arms. “What kind of danger? Rogue bobcats roaming the countryside kind of danger, or violent intruders?”
She lets out a frustrated groan. “That’s just it. I can’t tell. And that worries me. Maybe it’s a metaphorical danger, like a danger to your heart.”
“If we have a shot to save the Walker Ranch, I’m doing this. That property has been in the family for generations, Bay. I can’t bail on them.” Because this will affect Beau, Jace, and Mav, not just Rhett and his kids.
“You already told me the story, but I still can’t wrap my head around how you went from not talking to Rhett for years to marrying him.”
I shrug. “I saw him with his boys, and it hurt to watch how Amber dragged them around. It hurt to see her aim so much animosity at Rhett when she’s the cheater.” I run my hand over the soft material of my dress. “Look, I have no viable plans for my future if I don’t get rehab. Can I eventually get a job with a gymnastics or cheer camp? Yes, but I’ll make peanuts. If I’m at a hundred percent physically, maybe I’ll get another shot at one of these elite training facilities and actually make a living. So even though I know this whole thing sounds wackadoodle, I’m willing to take the risk.”
She hugs me. “Just guard your heart, okay? Don’t give in to that Walker charm.”
“Rhett barely looks at me, so I guarantee I’ll be fine.”
“What does that mean?”
I turn to the mirror. “Beau’s at the firehouse this week, so I’m staying in his trailer. And whenever I see Rhett, he’s kinda distant, which is weird because he said we’d use this time to become friends again.”
“He probably has a lot on his mind. If you marry him, you’re going to need to trust him on some level. Just don’t fall in love with him again if you have sex.”
“I was never in love with him. That was just too many fairytales and teenage lust.”
She side-eyes me. “If you say so.”
“I feel bad about your mom, though. She’s really excited for me.”
“Let her be happy.” She looks me over. “And let her buy that dress for you. It looks incredible.”
There’s a funny little pucker of fabric at the waist, but nothing I couldn’t fix with a needle and some thread. “Not too much for a court wedding?”
“It’s your day. You deserve to look like a princess. You’re going to let me do your hair, right?”
“I’d be honored.”
She lifts it off my neck, and we stare at our reflection. “Girl, you might as well have fun doing this.”
I smile at her. “You’re right. Let’s get the dress.”
After Baylee’s mom pays for my outfit, she drives us to the Cactus Bloom Diner. We sit at a booth and order lunch.
“Aunt Syl, you’re going to need to let me reimburse you for everything when I have some cash.”
“Nonsense. I don’t want your money. I want grandbabies! You and Rhett are going to have gorgeous babies. I can’t wait!”
My eyes widen at her loud declaration, and I glance around. Shit. Georgia Hightower is right there.
“Bay,” I whisper. “Does Mrs. Hightower still publish the gossip column in the Gazette ?”
“Yup.”
I squint at my best friend. “Is she coming over here?”
She chuckles. “You know it.”
Damn. Mrs. Hightower does it under the guise of wanting to announce weddings and graduations and baby showers, but locals sometimes use it as a way to air each other’s dirty laundry.
Aunt Syl reaches over and squeezes my hand. “Honey, you are marrying the hottest man in town. He’s too young for me, of course, but I have eyeballs in my head. If I were your age and marrying him this week, I’d be shouting it from the rooftops. It’s okay to be proud.”
Rhett did say he wants me to sell this.
If this was a real marriage, I’d be proud as hell to be marrying him. He’s a great man. A hard worker and a good provider. Loyal as the day is long.
So when Georgia Hightower sashays over to say hi and asks what I’m doing in town, I tell her something close to the truth—I’m marrying my long-time crush and the man of my dreams.
And if a part of me enjoys playing pretend right now, well, that’ll just be my little secret.