Chapter Sixteen Stealing Thunder
Belle
Scarlet grabbed me up from the chair into a huge hug. “I am so happy for you!”
I hugged her back but then pulled away. “Scar, I don’t want you to make a big deal out of this.”
“The hell with that!” Scarlet exclaimed as she pulled back to look at my face. “I want to make a deal out of it. Because it IS a big deal, Sis. I never thought you would fall for any guy. I mean the way you treated men up until now was terrible.”
This statement seemed to fall into the room a bit too loudly. I froze and looked over at Liberty.
He cocked his head at me and asked, “What does she mean by that?”
Scarlet let go of me and bit at her lip. “Sorry Belle. It just slipped out.”
I shook my head then sat back down, motioning for Scarlet to do the same. To buy some time, I took a slow sip of my coffee. This wasn’t something I wanted him to know about really. Setting the cup down, I looked up at Liberty who had been patiently waiting for my response. Shrugging, I tried to explain something I wasn’t really proud of, “I would go out with them for a few dates then find a reason to dump them.”
“Yeah, a girl Casanova,” Scarlet said as she nodded her head. “Poor guys. They never understood why. Lots of them were like great guys, ya know? But she never really gave them a chance.”
Liberty stared at me. “So, you might try to do that to me.”
At this, Scarlet gasped and swung her gaze over to him. “Um, did she spend the night with you?”
“Scar!” I exclaimed. “That is personal.”
“Maybe, but it might help clear this up. Damn, I made a real mess of this.” She stared at him. “So, she spent all night with you, correct?”
He nodded.
“Then you’re safe, cause that is a first.”
He still looked upset as his eyes were blazing at me and his voice went low as he said, “I won’t be easy to get rid of.”
His steely gaze made me feel hot all over as I slowly shook my head. “I’m not going to do that, Liberty.”
“And why not?” he asked as he crossed his arms over his chest.
I bit at my lip and gazed around the table at all the eyes staring at us. I wanted to say it was because no man had ever made me shiver, laugh or feel like he did just now. Hot flashes and all. “Well, for one thing, you aren’t a nice guy, per say,” I tried to joke my way around it.
“Yep, she’s right about that,” Fate agreed as he chuckled.
Liberty glared at him. Then he again looked over at me.
“Can we talk about this when we are alone, please?” I asked him as I gazed around at the people sitting at the kitchen table. “We sort of have an audience right now.”
He seemed to get what I was saying as he glanced around too. “Yeah,” he stated softly as if he just realized this was too public a place to have this kind of discussion.
“See?” I tossed my hands up as I glared at Scarlet. “This is now about us, our relationship just stole the thunder from yours. And I didn’t want that. Right now is about you and Justice and this wedding. So no more talk about Liberty and I.”
“You and Liberty?”
We all looked up to see Justice and Redemption standing in the kitchen. They both looked shocked.
Justice laughed. “Well damn, I was right! They did have the hots for each other!”
“You mean I was right,” Fate said. “I nailed this first and you know it. Like as soon as she came here.”
“Man, you weren’t even there when they first met out by that quarry,” Justice argued. “I was and I saw it then.”
“Damnit!” I said in disgust as I shook my head. “Now look at what”s happening!”
Fate laughed. “It’s a runaway secret, now catching fire.”
“Can you just shut up, Fate?” Liberty griped.
Justice looked over at Liberty as he grinned. “So, you and her?”
“Nooo…” I said as I didn’t want Liberty and I to be the main subject here.
Everyone now looked over at me.
“Uh-oh, she’s gonna dump him already!” Fate joked.
With a gasp, I looked over at Fate. “I am not!”
“Are you two together or not?” Redemption asked.
Liberty let out a low growl as he looked like he might just lose it. “We are,” he said. “Or so I thought.”
“Yeah, because that might be in question now,” Fate stated in a troubled voice.
“She wouldn”t do that to you, Liberty,” Scarlet claimed.
“You mean she is gonna dump him already?” Redemption asked while looking confused.
“Well damn, that didn’t last long,” Justice stated.
Now, everyone was talking at once.
This whole thing had just gotten completely out of hand.
With a sigh, I covered my face with my hands and lamented, “Oh, my God.” The thunder happened but it was worse than I even thought it could be.
A loud whistle cut through the raised voices and they all went silent. Everyone looked over at Ma… who had performed said whistle.
“They are together and everything is just fine,” she announced. “But we are planning a wedding for Justice and Scarlet, remember?”
Everyone in the kitchen nodded.
“Good, I”m glad you all know what is more important here than gossip,” Ma went on. “So as far as getting ready for the reception, we need to collect some things that will also need to be taken to the ballroom. There are three large punch bowls in the dish pantry off to the left of the mega kitchen.” She nodded at Fate and Redemption. “You two go and get them out. Wash em up and leave them in the dish rack. Then you will need to get out at least thirty cups for that. Maybe 40, they match the bowls so they are also in the dish pantry. Wash them up too.”
The two men stared at her.
“Did I stutter?” she asked. “Get going!”
Fate nodded then drank his coffee down quickly and left along with Redemption.
“You and Justice go and find a best man outfit,” Ma said to Liberty.
He stared at me.
“Did ya hear me, Mr. Liberty?” Ma asked. “She will not be running away, so stop your frettin.”
Not looking at Ma, the stubborn man simply narrowed his eyes at me.
“We will talk later,” I told him. “I will be in the ballroom, ok?”
Justice grabbed his arm. “Come on, Lib.”
When all the men had left the kitchen, Scarlet looked over at Ma and said, “I wanna be you when I grow up.”
I laughed. “Me too!” I shook my head and looked over at the Walker patriarch. “How did you do that, Ma?”
“I’ve been around Walker-men all my life. I know what makes ‘em tick and I know what makes them listen. Doesn’t matter that this set aren”t my boys, they are Walker born and bred just the same.” She braced her hands onto her hips. “Now you two, go find Cinnamon and talk dresses, will ya?”
Scarlet and I gave her our best salutes as we laughed and left the kitchen.
We headed down the Rose Hall as they called it, where Cinnamon”s little craft room was.
“I knew that would happen, the news stirred everyone up,” I told Scarlet.
“Yeah, it did.” She nodded. “But you have to admit…you and Liberty? Wow.”
“Her and Liberty?”
We paused to look over at Cinnamon as she stood in the doorway of the room she used as a sewing area.
I was disgusted by this happening all over again. “No more of this. I mean it. We are here to talk about dresses.”
Scarlet chuckled and ignored my reluctance on this particular subject as she gushed to Cinnamon with excitement, “Yes! Liberty and Belle.”
Cinnamon grinned at us. “I knew it!”
“Well, not exactly that part…no what the big deal was…” Scarlett shook her head at me and admitted it, “I let it slip about the fact that Belle had this habit of dating guys then dumping them.”
I bit at my lip as I wondered how I was going to explain this ‘date and dump ”em’ habit I had…with Liberty.
“Dumping a Walker?” Cinnamon paused as she pretended to think about it. “Nah, not really possible.” She laughed. “So, I figure that it won’t be long until you sisters will be married to brothers.”
“Married?” I exclaimed with a little panic.
“Well, eventually, right?” Cinnamon said then she giggled. “Oops.” She motioned for us to come in.
We went in and looked around. The room was eye-catching with funny vintage posters on the wall. Shelves full of colorful yarn, material and other items. Baskets, canvases, paint supplies and the like. “This is adorable,” I said as I kept looking around.
“It is, right?” Cinnamon replied. “But I didn’t decorate it. I found it this way. I think it”s a craft room left over from when the bed and breakfast was running?” She waved a hand to an actual sewing mannequin. The kind they used in professional wedding salons. “Here’s what I have so far. It”s almost done.”
Scarlet and I rushed over to see the star. The main heroine. The queen of it all…The wedding dress. With the layers of tulle and the lace cameo front, all lined in a tiny pearls border, this dress was phenomenal.
“Oh wow, it is beautiful!” Scarlet gushed.
I nodded in agreement. “So pretty.”
Scarlet hugged Cinnamon. “Thank you so much for doing this!”
Cinnamon got tears in her eyes and hugged Scarlet back. “I never knew I would be designing your wedding dress, Scarlet. It is such an honor.”
Scarlet embraced her friend as tears seeped from her eyes too. “To think a pair of strippers ended up with happy ever afters, right?”
“Why ya gotta say it like that?” I admonished them. “You both were not at all like regular strippers. You did it to save up for college.”
They laughed.
“We weren’t like most of them, no,” Scarlet said. “Us and Jewel. The others were pretty racy and they lived in the fast lane.”
“And now you are gonna be a missus!” Cinnamon exclaimed then she turned to look at me. “And there”s your dress.” She pointed to a rose colored satin dress on a hanger. “Once you gave me your size, it didn’t take any time at all.”
“This is pretty too,” Scarlet said as she stepped over to it and passed her hand over the material.
“It really is.” I smiled. “So, we are almost ready.”
“Just two days,” Scarlet said nervously as she wrung her hands together.
“Don’t get nervous, Scar,” I told her. “This is going to be epic!”
“Here’s the veil,” Cinnamon announced happily as she brought the gossamer item over to Scarlet. “I admit I had to have Redemption sneak into town to get the material.”
“Wow, Talon must have pitched a fit about that,” I commented as I myself knew about his stand on anyone leaving the Connor House.
Cinnamon handed the tulle-like veil over to Scarlet. “Yeah, he didn”t like the idea much, but this was a must. There”s only like two materials you can make a veil out of… Tulle and lace.”
Scarlet paused to stare at it as she handled the veil reverently, almost religiously. “I can’t believe I am getting married,” she whispered as she stared down at it.
I admit I was finally feeling excited about this too. “I know. My big sis is gonna be Mrs. Scarlet Walker!”
“Woot, woot!” Cinnamon cheered as all three of us jumped up and down like silly kids.
When we finally stopped with the silliness, I smiled at them. “Ok, I’m gonna head to the ballroom.”
Scarlet nodded at me. “Yes, I bet he’s waiting. He looked really upset.”
I scoffed. “Gee, thanks for that, Scar.”
She shrugged. “You really aren’t gonna dump him, are you?”
I shook my head. “No, I don’t think I will be able to.”
“Be able to?” Scarlet asked as she gave me a sly smile. “Oh…”
I laughed. “Liberty is a force all on his own.”
“Yes, we know,” Cinnamon said.
“We do,” Scarlet said.
“These Walker men are fierce, irresistible and magnetic,” Cinnamon said. “I doubt any of us had a chance to get away even if we wanted to, which I cannot say I ever wanted to.”
“Amen to that!”
We all looked over to see Jewel as she came strolling in.
Laughing, she nodded her head. “Technically, Prophet isn’t a Walker but he might as well be.” Turning, she grinned at Scarlet and grabbed her up into a hug. “I can’t wait to see you married!”
“We have the dress!” Cinnamon told her.
Jewel scurried over to see the dress as all three of them were talking excitedly.
I decided to sneak out while I could. When I stepped out into the hall, there he stood.
Liberty looked deadly serious as he extended his hand out to me.
I stared at him then looked down at his hand. Taking it, I felt that now familiar spark from simply touching him.
He took my hand and tugged me down the hallway. We then went across the main room and into the hall to his room.
Liberty said nothing the entire way.
Boy, was I in trouble.