Enraged (The Smoke #1)

Jolene

“Happy Wedding Day, Bitchhhh!”

Opening one eye, I confirmed what I already knew. The friendly, loud voice belonged to my childhood best friend Cassie.

“Good morning, Cass.” I rolled over to face her.

“Why, Miss Grace Felder, are you still in bed? You are getting married today!” Her eyes glittered with excitement.

“I know!” I sat up and stretched. “I had a hard time falling asleep last night.”

She frowned at me.

“It’s just those pesky, pre-wedding jitters, Lena. Just remember, the next time you wake up, you’ll be Mrs. Jace Reynolds!”

Realizing she was right, I grinned.

You’ve wanted to marry this man since sophomore year, Lena. Tell your anxiety to fuck off.

Before she could continue her Maid of Honor peptalk, her iPhone rang.

“Sorry, babe, it’s Dak,” she explained before leaving the room.

Climbing out of bed, I stretched and stumbled to the bathroom to wash my face. Even though I’ve lived here with Jace for over a year now, our master bathroom still smells like I don’t exist. Switching on the warm water, I inhaled, taking in every bit of the scent of leather, mouthwash, expensive cologne, and the faintest hint of smoke.

Even the Glade plug ins and my Scentsy warmers I added don’t hold a candle to all things Jace.

“Lena?”

“In here!” I called out.

Cassie appeared in the bathroom doorway.

“Dak said Jace is so nervous!” She giggled. “I reminded him he better be taking notes because he will be the groom in a few short months!”

They had the right idea planning a spring wedding. Why the hell did I decide to do this in December?

“I’m nervous, too,” I admitted. “Blaine will be here in an hour to do our hair. Mama, Bailey, and Bristol will be here anytime now.”

My best friend nodded.

You’re reminding her of shit she already knows, Lena.

Cassie walked over to Jace’s side of the vanity. Grabbing the Crest Brilliance, I started brushing my teeth. She watched me in the mirror, grabbing bottles of my fiancé’s cologne to smell while she waited for me to finish.

“You sure about this Lena?” She sat a bottle of Dior’s Sauvage back on the vanity.

Sure about what?

“About getting married?”

She nodded.

“Yes,” I assured her. “Why do you ask?”

Hopping on the counter, she stared at me.

“I’m just checking. I know it can be kinda scary, knowing you won’t ever be with anyone else.”

“I guess that’s another perk of all of us being high school sweethearts,” I joked. “Neither of us will ever experience those first-time jitters ever again.”

She gave me a small smile.

“Do you feel like you’ve missed out on anything these last fifteen years by only being with Jace?” She questioned.

Fifteen years makes it sound like it’s been forever.

“No,” I concluded. “You and Dakota got together a few weeks after Jace and I started dating. Do you ever regret being a one and done?”

“I’m satisfied completely. I wouldn’t change a thing.” She promised.

It has been a wonderful fifteen years.

Springing off the countertop, she wrapped me in a hug.

“Come on, Mrs. Reynolds, let’s get you some breakfast before we get you married.”

Twenty minutes later, I had forced myself to choke down a cinnamon raisin bagel and a cup of coffee. I silently willed nerves to settle so I could keep it down.

“Lee Leeeee!” My mama’s voice rang out. “It’s your wedding day!”

She walked in the front door without knocking, something she never does. She skipped into the kitchen, my sister-in-law Bailey and niece Bristol right behind her.

“Aunt Lee Lee, Mama said I get to wear my princess dress today!”

I grinned.

My sweet niece was my favorite person in the entire world.

My older brother, Cruise, had met Bailey when she first moved to Creek’s Edge. She was an Army widow, barely surviving her grief and her adaptation to a new town when she and Cruise stumbled across one another at Deja Brew, our local coffee shop. Three years later, they were married, and Bailey was pregnant with a little girl that would be named Bristol Felder. Bailey still struggled with the grief of losing her first husband, but my brother made sure to remind her often that his memory would never be forgotten. Bristol’s first name was chosen after the name of the racetrack, Bristol Motor Speedway, where Bailey met her fallen soldier all those years ago. Now, at four years old, our sweet little toddler tornado lived up to her name – always 90mph or nothing, loud and full of energy.

“Aunt Lee Lee gets to dress up like a princess today, Bristy Boo!” My sister-in-love reminded her.

On cue, my mama’s eyes filled with tears, but my Maid of Honor and my Matron of Honor were one step ahead of me with crying control.

“Alexa, play Y2K hits!” Cassie hollered at the smart device.

Always obedient, Alexa began blaring Usher.

My mama, always the emotional one, pulled me to the side.

“Did you eat?” She questioned.

“Yes, ma’am, I ate a little. I’m so nervous!”

“No need to be nervous, Sugar. This day has been a long time coming!” She pulled me into her embrace. “You haven’t seen Jace since the rehearsal, right? It’s bad luck!”

“No ma’am, I haven’t.” I promised, hoping she wouldn’t see right through my lying eyes.

Truth is, last night, Jace and I had met around midnight at our old secret hiding spot for one last quickie before we were legally bound.

That man and his hips will always be lethal on a tailgate in the back of a dark field.

The doorball rang.

“I’ll get it! Gotta be Blaine!” Cassie jumped up.

Rushing to my bedroom, I peeled off my ratty Creek’s Edge High School t-shirt and pajama shorts, replacing it with my monogrammed bridal robe. I tied it tightly around my waist before heading back into the den to join the others.

Fuck, I want to shower. I hate showering the night before an event.

“There is my gorgeous bride!” Blaine beamed at me. “How are we doing this morning, beautiful?”

“Like I wish I could have showered!” I half joked. “How are you?”

He gave me a confused look.

“Why can’t you shower?”

Ummm… because you told me not to.

“You said not to, right?” I reminded him. “I showered last night but I still just feel gross.”

He laughed a hearty laugh. “Sis, I told you not to shower and wash your hair because I need it a tad oily for your updo, but in no way was I telling you not to wash your ass.”

He covered his mouth as he remembered Bristol was in the room, but Bailey was laughing.

“Oh.” I felt silly.

“I’ll do Mama and the girls first. Go clean your clam, love bug!”

Nodding, I took off for my bathroom.

“No hair wetting!” He called after me.

“Got it!”

I turned the shower knob to the warmest setting and slipped out of my robe while I waited for it to heat up. Admiring my bronze skin, I mentally thanked the girl at our local spray tan boutique.

I look like I’ve been tanning in Maui instead of freezing half to death in Georgia.

As I stepped into the shower, I winced as the scalding water cascaded over my skin. As I lathered my body, my nervousness returned.

I’m so ready to get past the scary part and get to the cabin.

I don’t know how long I stood there scrubbing my thighs, but it was long enough for Blaine to tap on the glass shower door.

Startled, I shrieked.

“Relax, honey,” he quieted me. “You don’t have anything that I didn’t see and rule out in high school.”

I laughed.

Blaine was new to Creek’s Edge, having moved here less than a year ago after he lost his husband of five years. He came into the bank to speak with us about a home loan and I fell in love with him instantly. His energy and light, despite the loss he had endured, was such a privilege to be witness.

The idea of falling in love is scary as it is, but the idea that you may have to live without your person is fuckin’ terrifying.

I shuddered at the idea of losing Jace.

“Everyone is done but little miss princess. I couldn’t remember if you wanted her hair a certain way, if she or Bailey had certain ideas or if I have creative freedom,” he explained his interruption.

“Whatever they want is fine. If they don’t have any specific ideas, you have complete creative freedom.”

“Perfect!” He beamed. “Her curls are a dream to work with!”

“Her mama would probably disagree with you. She says she looks like Beetlejuice when she first wakes up.”

His laugh echoed off my bathroom tile as he pointed to the invisible watch on his wrist.

“Get out the damn shower. You’re getting married in two hours!” He faked exasperation, rolling his eyes.

“Be out in two minutes,” I promised.

Two minutes and forty-six steps later, I was sitting across from Bristol as he swept her beautiful curls into a less extravagant version of the hairdo that he and I had planned for myself. Bristol smiled at me; a sweet mischievous smile that made me wonder how the gears inside her little mind were turning. I thought back to the Flower Girl Discussion from eight months ago.

Of course, she can be your flower girl, but the problem is, she may not act right,” Cruise explained. “Sometimes, she just wakes up and decides to be a terrorist.”

“She will be the perfect flower girl because she is unapologetically herself,” I responded. “If she decides she wants to toss petals, she can, if she decides she wants to yeet the basket at the guests, that’s okay, too.”

“Dear Lord, let’s not encourage her madness,” Bailey insisted. “Let’s pray she will wake up and be the sweet little girl we are trying to raise her to be!”

Truth is, I was looking forward to watching her walk down the aisle because I was curious to see what she would do.

We all watched in companionable silence as he twisted and pinned Bristol’s curly hair. He finished in record time, sending my sweet niece to my bedroom to approve his work.

“Now the beautiful bride!” Blaine tapped the seat of my dining room chair. I sat down obediently, doing my best to stifle a moan as he combed my scalp with his fingers.

Head messages and hair tickles are second to none.

Alexa continued with her Y2K playlist. As Blaine twisted his expensive golden curling iron through my long blonde hair, Nelly serenaded us.

“The higher the hair, the closer to heaven!” He reminded me as he teased and pinned. From the corner of the chaise lounge, Bailey snorted, clearly amused by the fact that he had quoted Dolly Parton.

Being named , I had heard Dolly jokes all my life.

Thanks, Mama.

About a hundred and sixty bobby pins and half a can of hairspray later, my hair was swept into the curly, messy luxurious updo that I had picked out from Pinterest.

Blaine passed me a handheld mirror and I gasped. He had far exceeded my expectations, turning my long locks into something you’d see in a movie.

I have bridal hair.

From beside me, he beamed, obviously thrilled that I loved the way he had transformed a bank loan officer slash candle company owner into a bridal beauty.

“Now, we do makeup!” He clapped his hands.

“I think since you’re about to get makeup and then Mama will help you get dressed, I’m going to head on over to the church and make sure everything is perfect and ready to go,” Cassie spoke up.

“That would be awesome, honey. The wedding coordinator is there but we both know how subpar she has been, so I’d appreciate you making sure everything is the way that Lena and Jace want it!” My mama encouraged me.

Cassie sprang to her feet. “I’ll take my dress with me and throw it on after I’ve triple checked everything!” She promised.

She patted my shoulder as she made her way to the front door.

Hopefully, everything is as it should be and she’s able to just go chill in the bride’s room.

“Aunt Lee Lee, are you gonna wear lipstick?”

Bristol’s sweet voice brought me back to the present.

“Yes ma’am, I am!”

Kneeling in front of me, Blaine gave me a hundred-watt smile.

It was in that moment that I made the executive decision to tell my nerves to fuck off. I sat back and enjoyed getting to be the princess for the day.

A blink of an eye later, we pulled up to Creek’s Edge Baptist Church.

My mama, always the one to be counted on, was out of the driver’s side of her car and around to the back seat to help me and my gigantic dress out into the world.

“Lift it so it doesn’t drag!” She instructed. “We can’t have a bruised looking bustle!”

What the fuck is a bruised lookin’ bustle, Mama?

I lifted my dress the way she demanded, making damn sure not an inch of it touched the ground. My mama’s sister, Evelyn, stood at the side entrance to the church.

“Hurry up, sugar! The coast is clear, but we need to get you to the bride’s room!”

The coast will remain clear until the ceremony, Aunt Evie. Jace is probably doing Jack Daniels shots with all the guys from the department and talking about structure fires.

Nonetheless, I hustled my way into the back hallway of the fellowship hall, where three more aunts, a cousin, and my Mamaw waited for me.

After a round of oohs and ahhs, I excused myself to take a breather in the bathroom. Within thirty seconds, there was a knock at the door.

“Lena?”

Mama.

“Yes, ma’am, I’m coming. I just needed a second to breathe and steady my nerves.”

Opening the door, I swished and swayed to get myself and my gown through the doorway without injury to either of us.

“We are starting in twenty minutes and can’t seem to find Cassie, but I have to go find your daddy and make sure his bowtie is straight,” she complained.

I couldn’t help but smile, already knowing my daddy’s bowtie was, without a doubt, more crooked than a politician.

“I’ll find her. She’s probably in her mama’s office.”

Cassie’s mama had been the church secretary since we were little so if there was anywhere in the building she would be, it was probably her office.

“Ok, go find her, I’ll go check on Daddy, and we will be back. Wanna bet on how long it takes him once he sees you to start crying?” She joked.

“The second he lays eyes on me!”

It was no secret that I was a daddy’s girl.

I was the apple of his eye, and everyone knew it. From the time I could walk, I was outside with him, helping feed the animals and riding on the tractor.

Married or not, my ass is still gonna be a daddy’s girl.

I set off down the hallway to Mrs. Mellie’s office. As I rounded the last corner, I heard Cassie’s voice.

Told ya, Mama.

But her voice wasn’t the only voice I heard. There was a second voice; a man’s voice.

Jace?

Pushing open the office door, I felt my soul leave my body.

Standing before me with her satin, lavender gown hiked around her hips and her elbows braced on her mama’s desk, was my best friend since kindergarten. And behind her?

Behind her was the love of my life with his tuxedo pants around his ankles.

The world froze around me. Time stopped, as did the two people I loved most.

“Lena!” My best friend called out.

But I was beyond words.

“Lena, did you find –,” my mama’s voice stopped dead in its tracks. “Oh my God.”

I should have jumped across that desk and beat somebody’s ass.

I should have reminded my mama not to take the Lord’s name in vain, especially while in church.

I should have cussed both Cassie and Jace for all they were worth – which really wasn’t much at all.

I should have done…something.

Instead, I turned and ran, my four-foot dress train dragging behind me.

I ran and ran until I got to the parking lot. Glancing around, I mentally thanked my piece of shit fiancé for driving my car to the church… and for leaving the keys inside.

Wordlessly, I stuffed myself into the driver side of my SUV and pulled from the parking lot, leaving behind everything and everyone I knew and loved, including the person I was just five minutes before.

You said we couldn’t have a bruised bustle, Mama… what about a bruised Bride?