Epilogue #2
Jelly studied my face. “You are happy. And that makes me happy. That man is so far gone over you, Nadine. He’s practically obsessed, and I love everything about that. You deserve someone to treat you like he does.”
“Thanks, Jelly. You deserve someone like that, too, you know.”
“I’m thinking of doing the auction,” she blurted.
I blinked. “Really?”
“You know I want to go back to school. I’m not getting any younger, and I don’t want to work at Sugar forever.
I sure as hell don’t want to pay for college myself, though, and I’d like to kind of have a clean slate.
The thought of a degree, money in the bank, and maybe a condo and a car?
That all seems worth giving up my independence for a few months.
Plus, it would mean never having to go back to my grandparents. ”
I was quiet for a minute trying to think of how to talk to her about this. “It’s harder than it seems,” I warned. “Or it can be. Everyone told me not to catch feelings, but I think we both know I did. And waaaay too quickly.”
Jelly snorted. “We’re very different people, Nadine. I think I’m safe from developing feelings for whoever I end up with.”
I wasn’t sure I agreed with her. Even though Jelly had a tough exterior, I had always felt like there was a softer, more sensitive soul underneath. I thought she’d pushed it way down deep, but it was there. I was sure of it.
“Have you talked to Carmen about entering the auction?”
She nodded. “Yes. She wants me to be the featured girl of the auction. You know, the one who is bid on last.”
I wasn’t surprised. Carmen hadn’t been wrong all those months ago when Jelly had started at Sugar. Several of the regulars had loved her snarky attitude… and her looks.
“She already has at least two featured girls lined up before me. But she thinks I’ll be going up for auction before the end of the year for sure. Then I can register for classes in January.”
“That’s great.” I smiled and covered her hand with mine. “Who would’ve thought all those years ago that you and I would be auctioned off as Cinnamon Girls?”
She laughed. “I don’t think Mrs. Hufstedder would be very proud. Although,” she amended, “you are marrying the mayor of a major Southern city.”
“And you’re going to be a nurse practitioner someday.”
“We’ve done alright considering where we started.”
“Definitely.”
We smiled at each other, and I watched a pretty yellow butterfly make its way to the top of one of the evergreen hedges in the garden.
And then a screech startled Jelly, me, and the catering crew still setting up for the reception.
“Oh my God, Nadine, what the hell are you doing out here?” Madeline’s voice cut through the breezy late summer day.
Jelly and I both turned to stare at her.
She was wearing a robe, heeled slippers, and had her hair in old-school rollers.
“You should be using the spa gift certificate Reynolds got you! You need to relax and get all beautified.” Her hands went to her hips, causing the robe she was wearing to gape open.
She was wearing a revealing negligee underneath, and I heard silverware crash behind us.
I turned to see three male employees of the catering crew staring openly at her.
“Oh, good lord,” she hollered at them as she jerked her robe closed. “Y’all act like you’ve never seen a pair of tits before.”
Their eyes got big, and they turned several shades of pink before hurrying to go back to work and escape her attention. Her blue eyes turned back on me. “Go start getting ready, Nadine.”
“Isn’t it around one?”
“Try three.”
I gasped. “Oh, jeez. I didn’t realize.”
“Obviously,” Madeline said. Her hands were on her hips as she surveyed the crew’s progress. “Wait,” she hollered and stalked across the lawn. “That’s not where the bar is supposed to be.”
“Come on, Jelly. Let’s escape while we can.” I grabbed her hand and the two of us ran barefoot across the cushiony lawn and hurried up the back stairs.
***
I held my bouquet and stood hidden behind my bridesmaids.
We were almost ready to start walking down the aisle.
I knew Reynolds awaited me at the gazebo, where he stood in front of the preacher.
I’d caught a tiny glimpse of him and was thrilled at how incredibly handsome my future husband looked.
The groomsmen were standing to one side, and Madeline had pulled Nico aside.
“Where is this mysterious missing groomsman?” she hissed.
I think she was trying to make sure I didn’t hear, thinking it would spoil my wedding day or something.
Please. A little tea spilled on a wedding day just made it that much better.
Plus, I wanted to know all the details about this missing friend of Reynolds’.
I hadn’t met him yet, but Reynolds said he was a very important assistant district attorney in Savannah.
Nico looked around a little desperately, as if hoping the missing man would suddenly appear.
Even Nico didn’t want to deal with a pissed off Madeline.
“I don’t know. We knew he was going to be late.
He had to drive in from Savannah where he was working on a big case. But no one thought he’d be this late.”
Savannah was only an hour away. He should have been here before now.
Madeline had a strange look on her face. “Big case? Savannah? What did you say his name was?”
“William Adams. But you can call me Will.” A tall, lean, and very handsome man walked up, hazel eyes glued to Madeline. “Hello, Madeline.” He grinned at her.
I had never seen Madeline speechless before. But now? She stood, her lips parted slightly, obviously taken aback. “Um…hey,” she said, and her face turned bright pink.
I caught Carmen’s eye, and we stared at each other. Neither of us had ever seen Madeline embarrassed.
Nico looked back and forth between the two of them. “Y’all know each other?”
“Very well,” Will Adams said, a sly look on his face. He grabbed her to him for a hug and gave her a big kiss on her cheek. “Madeline and I go way back, don’t we darlin’?”
Madeline was stiff in his arms. “He’s my boyfriend’s older brother.”
Will tucked her up against him. “Boyfriend,” he snorted. “Is that what you call that jackass?”
Any chatter amongst the wedding party had stopped.
“You have a boyfriend?” I blurted out.
Will Adams laughed. “Nah. My little brother, Justice, is nowhere near good enough to be Maddie’s boyfriend.”
I mouthed the word “Maddie?” at Carmen, and she widened her eyes. We’d never once heard her called that.
Will looked around, his eyes landing on Nico. “Were you paired with her? To walk down the aisle?”
Nico just nodded. He, too, seemed speechless by the interaction between Will and Madeline.
“I’ll be taking your place, man.” Will hooked his arm through Madeline’s and walked her back to their place in line.
They made a beautiful couple, I couldn’t help thinking.
His dark hair, tanned skin, and hazel eyes paired well with her blonde hair, blue-eyed good looks.
Madeline was the tallest of all of us. She had to be at least five-ten, but Will Adams towered over her.
He must be at least six-five or six-six.
Men that tall sometimes looked skinny, but he didn’t.
He was lean, but still filled out enough that I knew he had to have some nice muscles hidden under that tux.
He whispered several things in her ear, but she didn’t seem to be responding. She just had a shocked look frozen on her beautiful face.
Nico, a little taken aback, quickly returned to his smooth self. He offered an arm to Bethany, the beautiful red-headed Cinnamon Girl I’d been roommates with. She’d been left without a groomsman, and the two of them lined up where Madeline had directed them to stand.
The music changed for the bridal party to start moving down the aisle. They looked so elegant and handsome as they made their way towards the gazebo where they split off and went to their respective places.
When the music started for me to walk down the aisle, I was still trying to process one, that Madeline had a boyfriend, two, that she seemed to have a complicated relationship with his older brother, and three, that Will Adams was also one of Reynolds’ good friends.
I was thinking so hard about it that Mama turned around and hissed, “Nadine! Get a move on, peaches!”
I glanced around and realized everyone was staring at me. The music had started, and I’d been lost in thought. My eyes moved to Reynolds. He was watching me, an amused expression on his face. He knew me well.
I lurched into motion as several people chuckled.
I had to work to slow down and walk as Madeline had instructed me to do, in slow, deliberate steps.
I looked from side to side at the people in the seats.
There were very few familiar faces. Most people were there because they knew Reynolds.
My family was just Mama and all the bridesmaids.
And I had become quite close with most of the Salazar family, too, even though they’d known Reynolds long before me.
I looked up and met Reynolds’ eyes. He was staring at me with so much love that it almost took my breath away. After that, I had eyes only for him. I mouthed, “I love you,” to him, and he smiled big enough that his dimples showed as he mouthed it back to me.
I finally made it to him, and the ceremony passed in a blur.
Reynolds held my hands in his as we stood facing each other.
We had just finished saying our vows. Reynolds had wanted us to write our own, but I’d balked at that.
I knew I’d be nervous enough without having to come up with something poetic and wonderful.
Reynolds wrote his own campaign speeches.
He was great at that sort of thing. So, I was glad he’d agreed to just do normal vows.
“You may now kiss your bride,” the preacher said.