Chapter 1 #2
My jaw drops, and I almost dump my coffee into my lap when I jump off the couch as her words sink in. “Whoa. It really is like my books? A Daddy?” It’s like my dream come true, although Andrew has been an asshole, thinking she’d ever do anything wrong.
Jaclyn picks up on my change in tone instantly. “Why do you sound happy?”
“Because this is so romantic. C’mon, you have to admit it. Your boss sees you and falls for you, wants to whisk you off into the sunset, or in his case, his mountain.”
“Yeah, okay, I get it. But you’re delusional. This isn’t one of your books. How the hell can I marry him? It hasn’t even been twenty-four hours. He’ll probably get tired of me after a few days and kick me to the curb. What will I do then with no job and homeless?”
“Merda! You’re overreacting. Do you really believe I’d ever let you be homeless if I’m still breathing? Stop, okay? Tell me what’s really bothering you. Because from here it seems like a plausible solution.” She’s quiet, too quiet. “Jac, did I lose you?”
“No, I’m here. Just thinking.”
“You mean overthinking…” It’s her default setting, and though it’s warranted this time, I can’t let her spiral when I’m not there.
“Shut up,” she huffs.
“C’mon, Jac. What’s really going on in that head of yours?” If she won’t open up to me, I can’t help her work through this. I’m too damn far away. With that thought, I head back to my room and drag my suitcase out of the closet.
“Honestly, I don’t know. I’m scared of losing everything I’ve worked so hard for.
I keep thinking there’s got to be another way.
On some level, what Andrew said makes sense, too—at least as far as work is concerned.
But the relationship part—the marriage? I’m fucking terrified.
He looks at me—really looks—and listens.
And when he touches me, I’m ready to spontaneously combust. How can this be real?
It’s got to be the air, or maybe a side effect of the Valium you gave me, right?
No one falls for someone in a day.” Her sniffle brings tears to my eyes.
“Oh, girl, I need to hug you so bad right now. It’s okay to be scared; this is an enormous change and has hit you out of nowhere, but it shouldn’t stop you from taking the chance.
You never back down from anything. What if you’re wrong, and he is the one for you?
This could be your chance at everything you’ve ever wanted.
Do you really want to run from it? Even if it seems a little crazy? ”
“It is definitely crazy, no doubt about it,” she murmurs.
“I vote for getting married. Give me till tomorrow to get there, and we’ll figure it all out. What do you think?” I’m already pulling clothes off hangers and folding them into my bag, but she doesn’t have to know it.
“Waiting would be good, but he’s not giving me a choice to do that. He’s already taken care of it. At 2 p.m. we’ll be getting married at the courthouse.”
“Cazzo! Seriously?” I’ll never get there in time. It’s already almost seven-thirty. I don’t have access to a private plane, either. Cavolo. I should have checked flights first.
“He said it needs to look like we’ve been dating and didn’t want to be apart anymore. If it doesn’t look like it’s real, it might not work.”
“Shit. It’s sort of like that Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds movie. But you can’t get married without me. We promised each other.”
Cheri, this isn’t about you, I remind myself.
“I’m sorry, Cheri, I don’t want to do it without you. Fuck. I don’t want to do it at all. But unless you’ve learned to teleport in the last few days, I don’t see how you can be here by two.” Thinking about her popping up in the garden next to me makes me giggle.
“Yeah, no, I didn’t suddenly develop that superpower. I don’t think you object to this wedding as much as you think, though. You’d be fighting it harder. Maybe that’s why you’re panicking.”
“Ugh. No. Maybe. I don’t know. It’s preposterous. No one gets married after not even knowing someone a day.”
“Someone does—you will be, apparently.”
“Fuck!” Her exclamation is half-giggle. At least my girl is calmer than she was. Still, there’s no saying she’ll stay that way.
“Maybe someone can hold a phone for the ceremony so I can sort of be there.”
“Are you serious? You want to watch me get married by a judge in some small town in wherever the fuck I am?”
“Of course I do. Too bad I didn’t pack your white dress. Good thing I slipped in the blue silk. You should wear that. You’ll be a beautiful bride—and something blue, right? The baby blue brings out your eyes.” Her sniffle tugs at my heartstrings.
“You are starting to believe your own books, girl.”
“Maybe a little, but I still think it’s romantic. How does he kiss?” I know nothing about this guy other than what she shared last night. How can my bestie be getting married without my approval? Tugging on my hair, I drop onto the bed, my eyes getting misty.
When she answers, the tension lifting my shoulders dissipates.
She might not realize it, but she sounds like a woman in love.
“Oh, God. It’s toe-curling. His kiss makes me forget everything else except him.
And it’s not just his kisses; he takes care of me, making sure I eat enough.
When I was scared last night, he stayed with me, and he never once asked for anything in return. ” Her happy sigh is loud in my ear.
Feeling better about this doesn’t stop my need to be there, but it doesn’t feel like life-and-death anymore.
“Want to know what I think? Go back inside and talk to him. Tell him what you’re worried about.
If what you’ve said is true, he cares about you, and he’ll do whatever you need to make sure you’re safe.
If you really feel you can’t marry him after that, call me back, and I’ll get my brothers to come rescue you. The Gallants won’t intimidate them.”
“You mean you’ll send the mafia to Gallant Mountain?” she asks with a chuckle.
“Mafia-adjacent! How many times do I have to tell you?” I answer.
“Fine, I’ll go talk to him.”
“Good. Call or text me so I know what’s going on. My pains-in-the-ass brothers are one call away if you need saving. They’ll get there faster than I can.”
“I love you. Thank you for talking me off the ledge for the millionth time. One of these days, I’ll be your rock.”
“Jac, seriously, you already are. You believed in my dream when no one else would. You’re my sister in every way that matters.” Tearing up again, I look around my room, making sure I didn’t forget to pack anything in the suitcase.
“Stop before I start crying and screw up my mascara. I would rather not look like a zombie or a rabid trash panda when I go talk to him.”
Now that sounds like my girl. Barely containing my snort, I say, “You’ve got this, Jac. Call if you need anything. Love you—always.”
“Love you too, Cheri.”
“Part of the ride-or-die service. Later.” Her laugh as she ends the call is so much better than how she sounded at the beginning.
After plugging the phone into the charger, I take a deep breath and glance around my room. Am I forgetting anything I need? It’s not like I’m going to Outer Mongolia, but who knows what’s available on that mountain. From the way Jac talked about it, it seems pretty remote.