Chapter 33
Leah
“Where is she?” I heard my mother calling from all the way in my bedroom.
I walked into the living room, prepared to see my mother, somehow imaging she’d be alone, only to find Edwin as well, standing beside Kade.
“I hope you’re doing the right thing,” Edwin said.
“Don’t I always?” I replied, daring him to say differently. My mother didn’t chime in, as she took her lead from Edwin, always. If he didn’t make a thing of it, she didn’t. If he did, I’d hear about it for days. As much as I loved her, I never wanted to be like her.
Kade was watching Edwin like an eagle who’d spotted a rat in a field.
“Edwin, let’s give them time to go get ready. There’s lots to be done still. Where’s your dress before we leave? Where’s your room? Let me see it.”
She followed me out and into the bedroom that had become mine.
“This is quite cute,” she said, looking around.
Thankfully, she hadn’t come when I was still living the shed life. I might never have heard the end of it.
“Yes, it’s quite comfortable.”
“It’s probably a good thing Cassie didn’t have a rehearsal dinner. I’m not sure I could handle being back here for a minute longer—no offense to Kade, but Montana was never my thing.”
I pulled the garment bag out of my closet. “Well, I have to start getting ready. Cassie should be here soon too, and I want to be out of the shower before she comes.”
My goal of getting her moving backfired, as she took a seat on the bed.
“You still love Kade, don’t you?”
I was too busy making sure the door was all the way shut to bother responding.
“I don’t know why I thought that would go away,” she said. “You’re my daughter. I should’ve known that you’d fall for him again the second you saw him—if you ever really got over him, that is. Although I can’t really fault you for it. He’s still as hot as ever.” She nodded, waving her hand at her face.
“Mom, I don’t love him.” And I did not want to talk about this with her.
“You were a kid, though. I thought it was just a crush, but I should’ve known,” she continued, as if I hadn’t denied it.
“Mom. I’m not in love with him , and can you please keep your voice down?”
“Maybe you should try to make it work? Before, when he didn’t have two cents to rub together, it was much more concerning, but he looks like he’s doing well now.” She glanced around the room, as if tallying up price tags on all the furnishings.
“Are you not listening to me? I don’t love Kade.”
“Honey, when you love, you love with every single fiber in your body and soul. This is it. He’s it. You should try to make it work.”
Now that he had money, that was. I wasn’t going to bother hashing this out with her because it was not a discussion I was willing to encourage.
“I’m here on a work parole. There’s legal documents.” This at least might sink in and shut this down. “Now, I really need to get ready.”
She continued, completely ignoring the hint. “You sure don’t take after me. When you jump, it’s not just a few feet in. You launch yourself into the abyss. Your dad was that way too. He loved with everything he had, and unfortunately you got that rancid gene too. Kade’s it. He’s the one your heart wants, and so help him God, he better deserve the gift you’re giving him, because no one deserves that kind of love.”
“You’re saying you didn’t love Dad?”
“Oh, I did love him. But there’s different types of love. I love. You love .” She waved her hands around in an exaggerated motion, all emo-like.
“We need to stop talking about this. People are arriving.”
She leaned back on one arm. “He loves you too. I can see it in the way he looks at you.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I might not love the way you do, but I know love when I see it. He loves you.” She got up and kissed my cheek. “Okay, go take a shower. I’ll see you in a little bit.”
Just when she’d landed on a subject I wanted to hear about, she decided to leave. She had a knack for giving what I wasn’t looking for and too little of what I needed to hear. It was the story of our relationship.
I didn’t bother asking any more. She’d finished what she had to say and was done. I didn’t have time for this anyway.
I hopped in the shower and was barely out when Cassie and her “crew” arrived. She had hair, makeup, everything you could imagine.
“Leah,” she said, folding me into a hug. “You did not tell me how hot he was,” she whispered.
“I didn’t want to dwell on it,” I said.
“And I thought that dress was for Greg.” She smiled. “By the way, he left. He saw us heading in and gave up his bedroom suite. He said he’d get ready down the street at Chuck’s.”
“That sounds about right,” I said. He’d never wanted to deal with a lot of fuss.
“Hey, guys, you can go start setting up and I’ll be there in a few.”
They all smiled and filed out.
She pulled me over to the bed to sit with her. “Now how are you really doing? This is the first time I’ve gotten to really talk to you.”
I spilled all the details, feeling like I could unload for the first time in weeks.
“So do you want Kade or not? I’m confused.”
“Yeah, so am I. That’s the problem.”
There was a soft knock on the door. “Cassie, we need to get going if we’re going to make you both fabulous,” one of her people called.
“Both?” I asked.
“You don’t think I wouldn’t share, do you? Come now, we must be fabulous. There are men that need to be wowed into submission.”
She pulled me along with her before I could refuse.
“Hey, do you think there’s enough fabulousness to squeeze in one more?” I asked.
“Of course. You know I always come prepared.”
I tracked down Missy in the bunkhouse, drinking a beer on the old couch, never looking more down and out than she did right now. “What are you doing?”
“I was just thirsty and taking a break.”
“Come on. Cassie brought a glam squad with her, and we’re getting your hair and makeup done.”
“No, I don’t need all that fuss. I’ll catch up after you’re done.”
I planted myself on the couch next to her. “Then I’ll wait for you.”
“You’re really going to do this to me?”
“Yes.”
She eyed me over her bottle as she sipped. I could see the wheels turning, whether or not to try to hold out.
She finally let out a little huff.
“How’d you know I was going to try to bail?” she asked.
“Because if I wasn’t in the wedding, I’d have done the same.”
“So because you have to go, you’re dragging me down with you?”
“Misery does love company, and my current misery knows no ends.” I tilted my head down as my eyebrows rose. “At least you don’t have an ex visiting the place you are an indentured servant at.”
“You’re right. I don’t have a leg to stand on.”
She sucked in a breath through her teeth before she stood up, then held out her hand to help me up, and I let her.
“Good to know my shitty circumstances could help you out,” I said. “They should help someone, right?”