14. Addie
Chapter 14
Addie
W e decided to meet up with Nate in the downtown area of Fox Grove. There’s a lot of little shops and a nice park where the three of us have decided to have a picnic later. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a little awkward, but it’s at least not as bad as I had anticipated. We’re trying to get to know each other without forcing it. I still feel a little uneasy knowing my father has taken someone’s life, but then there’s a part of me that completely accepts it, too.
I just wish my mother was here with us.
I’m glad he agreed to come out with us for the day. It feels like this could be the start of something good. He’s a little quieter than I’d expected, but then the apple didn’t fall far from the tree there. Sure, I’ll say whatever is on my mind to the people I feel comfortable with, but when I don’t really know someone, the customer service voice switches on and I can’t seem to make conversation that isn’t mostly shallow.
So I guess I get it if he’s the same way.
As we walk down the sidewalk, looking in shop windows, something catches my eye. It’s a gorgeous wedding dress on a plus-size mannequin. It isn’t traditional though. It’s a black dress that screams out that it was made for me. It’s almost startling to see something so perfect, that I’m pretty sure will fit me, be on full display like that. Almost like it’s a sign.
I’m standing in front of the window, unable to move as I look up at the beautiful garment. I’ve never really tried to picture what my wedding day might be like. I didn’t have family to invite or anyone to give me away... Didn’t even know if I could ever truly give me heart to someone, so what would be the point of wasting my time dreaming about it? Yet, here I am now, looking at a dress that calls to me, wanting to try it on, to wear it, and to marry the man I love in it.
“Want to go in and try it on?” Noah asks, taking my hand in his.
“Really?” I ask, and he nods. “But...”
“But what?”
“I don’t know,” I admit. I have no excuses. None at all. The only thing I want is him and he’s telling me to try on the dress.
“Baby, you’re gonna marry me so get in there and try on the dress.”
“Oh, I am, am I?” I ask, smiling. “Is that an order?”
“Yep,” he says with a smirk as Nate subtly clears his throat, reminding us that we’re not alone.
“You’re engaged?” he asks.
“Well... No,” I say. “We haven’t even been together that long.”
“Really? I thought for sure you two had been together for years. The way you look at each other reminds me,” he stops and takes a deep breath. I can see the love he still has for my mom. It’s touching, but yet so sad at the same time. I’m sorry that he was robbed of the life he wanted with her, of the life we all could have had together. I hope that maybe someday, he’ll find someone special again. “It seems the two of you have found something worth holding onto.”
“We have,” I agree. “But we haven’t even talked about marriage.”
“Do we need to talk about marriage?” Noah asks.
“I mean, we probably should, shouldn’t we?”
“I’d say I made it abundantly clear what I want after that bet, don’t you? You’re mine... And I want you to be my wife... So marry me... There, we talked about it.”
“Is that your way of asking me to marry you?”
He looks me straight in the eyes and says, “It is, and I’ll do it again, just to be clear. Addison Winters, will you marry me?”
I don’t even have to think about it. I don’t care if it’s too soon. All I care about is the fact that I love him more than anything in the world, and I know he loves me just as much.
“I can’t wait for you to be my husband,” I say, leaping into his arms as he kisses me.
“Then let’s do it,” he says. “Before we leave Fox Grove. I saw a little wedding chapel down the way there. Let’s go check it out.”
My mouth falls open, but I can’t deny that the idea has me feeling like I’m on cloud nine. I’ve never wanted a wedding. Never thought I needed one to prove that I’m in love with someone or that they love me. But this? This I want. Not for show. Not for the photos. Not for anyone else. Just because I love Noah and I want to marry him.
“But first, you need to go in there and try on that dress,” Nate says. “And if you like it, I’d love to buy it for you.”
“You don’t have to do that,” I say, holding back a flood of emotion at his kind gesture. It’s just the sort of thing a real father would do.
“Please,” he says. “Let me do this for you.”
“Thank you, dad,” I say. The word feels weird as it slips past my lips, but not in a bad way. The corners of his eyes crinkle as the smile on his face grows. He really is a handsome man, and I’m stunned to see that there’s a little bit of me there in his face. It’s odd to never have experienced that but to see it on full display now. I just wish I knew what my mom looked like. “I’d really like that.”
We walk into the shop, and a saleswoman approaches. She’s got a bright smile, and kind eyes.
“Hello,” she says. “Is there something I can help you find today?”
“I’d like to try on the dress in the window,” I say. “I’m, um, getting married soon, and I think it’d be perfect.”
“Absolutely, let me just get it down for you,” she says and hurries off to get the dress.
“I think you should go outside,” I say to Noah. “Isn’t it bad luck for the groom to see the bride in her dress before the wedding? I don’t want to start out with a curse looming over us.”
“Tell you what, I’ll head down to that chapel and see what all we need to do to get hitched.”
“Okay, sounds good,” I say as he takes my hand and brings it to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss to the back of it. I’m swooning, but I manage to keep myself upright.
“I love you, baby,” he says.
“I love you, too. See you in a bit,” I say, and he heads out of the shop, leaving me alone with the saleswoman and Nate.
“Here you go,” she says, smiling warmly at me as she hands me the dress and guides me to the dressing room.
It doesn’t take me long to get it on, and when I turn to look at myself in the mirror, I feel like I’m in a dream. The bodice fits perfectly, and the skirt flows around my legs like a waterfall. It isn’t too long or too short, and it accentuates my curves. It’s just perfect.
Nate is waiting outside the dressing room and when I step out, his eyes widen and his mouth drops open slightly. “You are absolutely stunning,” he finally says.
“Thank you,” I say, feeling a little choked up myself. “I think this is the one.”
He steps forward and pulls me into his arms. I melt into him again, just like I did the first time he hugged me.
“I don’t know if this is the right time to ask, but do you have a picture of my mother? I don’t even know what she looks like.”
He pulls back, furrowing his brow. “No. I’m sorry, I don’t have one with me. I know I have a few back at my house in Florida. It was really hard having them out on display, so I tucked them away for safe keeping. I should’ve thought to bring them.”
“It’s okay... I guess I should get changed,” I say and head back into the dressing room. When I come out, I hand the sales lady the dress.
“I’ll get this into a garment bag for you.”
“I already paid for it, but if there’s something else you want, I’d be happy to get that, too. If you need shoes or anything.”
“I think I’m good but thank you.”
“Anything you need,” he says.
“There is one thing,” I say, the thought springing to my mind. Maybe it’s a weird thing to ask of someone I just met, but he is my father after all. “Would you walk me down the aisle?”
His mouth falls open, and he looks completely shocked for a moment. I’m worried I’ve overstepped, but he finally says, “I would be honored to do that for you, monster.”
“Monster?”
“It’s what I used to call you when you were a baby. My little monster.”
The sales lady comes back out with an opaque bag and hands it to me. “Here we are. Congratulations,” she says.
“Thank you.”
We head down the street toward the chapel, but I see Noah coming toward us before we get there.
“What’s up?” I ask.
“We can definitely get married there, but we have to wait 24 hours. I guess there’s a mandatory waiting period in South Carolina after we fill out the marriage license.”
“Okay. Second thoughts or are you still on board for doing this here?”
“Like you even have to ask,” he says, teasing me. “Maybe we should stay an extra few days and invite some people down.”
“Kind of short notice, and we’re eight hours away from everyone we know.”
“Yeah.”
“I’m still good with it just being us if you are. We can get married tomorrow and then head back home the day after like we planned.”
“My sister will be pissed, but oh well, she’ll get over it,” he says with a laugh. “All that matters is that tomorrow, you’ll be my wife.” He smiles and leans down to kiss me.
The three of us grab some food from a local deli and head to the park for a picnic. We sit on the grass, eating our sandwiches and drinking our sodas, talking about everything from music to movies to books.
“I have to ask. We can go no further in this father/daughter relationship without me knowing... Star Trek or Star Wars?”
Nate scratches his chin and thinks on it a second before declaring, “Star Wars, without a doubt.”
“Yep, you really are my dad,” I say and the three of us laugh.
I can’t believe that any of this is happening. If someone had told me a month ago that I’d be sitting here in a beautiful park in South Carolina having lunch with my dad and getting ready to marry Noah Thrasher the next day, I would’ve thought they were on drugs.
But it’s all happening.
It’s real.
It’s really fucking real.
And I’m so excited.