CHAPTER EIGHT #2
The only people I knew growing up who wore wedding dresses were actual princesses, like Princess Diana.
Mama always told me stories that had princesses in fancy ball gowns and wedding dresses.
Mary always liked Cinderella, but I was partial to Belle from Beauty and the Beast, I mean, she had her own library!
I know she wasn’t actually a princess till she married the beast, but she was still my favorite.
I’ve spent hours going through magazines and watching a show that Nicky insisted would help me understand the different kinds of dresses.
Honestly, I think it was just a good excuse for him to rewatch one of his favorite shows without having to explain to Ry that he was watching it for the umpteenth time.
It did help me eliminate things I don’t want.
I don’t want a princess ball gown. Can you imagine how many times I would trip and fall in it? Plus, that’s just too fancy for me. I can’t imagine Max in a tuxedo, and I can’t imagine myself in a super fancy dress.
Ma is driving with Kierstie, Mary, and me riding along. Anna and Nicky are meeting us at the bridal store. I may not have my mama here for this, but Ma and Anna are pretty great stand-ins. Both of them are amazing, and I’m thankful they are part of my life now.
We make a quick stop at Sooner or Later because Kierstie insists she needs caffeine. Apparently, her kids have opposite sleep schedules, which leaves her and Shane with minimal sleep.
We arrive, and all pile out of the car as two trucks pull into the parking lot.
Ry and Nicky get out of one, and Anna and Asher out of the other.
Nicky claps his hands and comes over to me.
“Today’s the day! We are going to find you the perfect dress to walk down that aisle to Max.
I feel it in the air. You are going to find the one that makes you look perfect. ”
I can’t help but smile because his enthusiasm is contagious.
Ry smiles but rolls his eyes at his man.
“I’m just glad he’ll be able to cross something off in that binder, which means there’s one less thing for him to go on and on about.
” Nicky glares at him for just a second before he loops his arm through mine.
Without another word, we start to walk toward the entrance to the store when a voice I had hoped to never hear again comes from behind me.
“Christy.” I turn around, losing Nicky’s arm in the process.
I see my father standing in the middle of the parking lot with his arms crossed.
It’s only been a little over a year and a half, but somehow he looks almost ten years older.
I don’t go any closer to him because I don’t trust that he wouldn’t try to force me to go back with him.
He looks angry and equally annoyed. My mouth, as usual, can’t keep closed. “What do you want?”
He takes a couple of steps toward me but stops as Ma and Anna come in close. He glares at me. “You need to come back. Your obligation is to me and what I deem for you.” I know it’s more than just that.
“I know it’s more than that. If it were just you wanting me back up there, you would’ve found me a long time ago. Try telling me the whole story this time.” I watch him huff, and I know he’s getting more upset, but this time it doesn’t scare me like before.
“The land is going up for sale. Apparently, it was not in Joseph’s name, and we need you working so we can pay for it.
” I can’t stop the guffaw that comes out.
I shake my head. “So he lied to you about the land being paid for and it being in his name. It would seem that your dear prophet Joseph told many untruths. Sounds like a sticky situation you’re in.
Seems like you and whoever’s still up there should be working to try and keep it.
I don’t frankly care if the land sells or not, and I won’t be setting foot up that mountain as long as there is breath in my lungs. ”
I watch the expression change on Father’s face from annoyed and upset to furious and reckless.
That look used to immediately put fear in me, knowing that his belt was usually quick to follow.
He glares daggers at me. “You need to obey your father, or you might end up like your mother. Do these people you’re with know how worthless you are?
You—” I feel hands at my back, giving me strength but letting me speak, to face my father once and for all.
“I’m only worthless to you. You saw me as worthless because I wouldn’t keep quiet. I used my voice, and you hated that. There were dozens of women over the years, some kept quiet, and some used their voice. You know what? All of them ended up either running away or magically disappearing somehow.”
Ma, who knew Joseph and some of the people up there, speaks up. “You know, I wonder if the sheriff was given an anonymous tip, just how many bodies would they find buried up there?”
Father starts to reach for my hand, but I smack it away. “I told you I’m not going now or ever with you. I’m an adult, and I’m living my life here, not up there with lies and abuse. In case you’re still not getting it…” I look around and see a cruiser just parking across the street.
I look right at Father and for the first time in my life, I see how little he really is—not physically, but as a person.
His personality is almost non-existent, and he doesn’t exist without the group.
I take one step closer to his face, and I yell out, “NNNNNNOOOOOO!” He physically jumps back from me, and that puts a smile on my face.
“I figured even you would understand a two-letter word. You might want to scurry along because it looks like Sheriff Stone is headed this way, and he might have questions for you. Questions about missing women and underage brides.”
Father looked over my shoulder, and his eyes got big. He looked back at me. “I hope when these people find out how useless and worthless you are, that you have nowhere to go but the streets. You are not my daughter!”
I don’t think that before this moment, I could’ve ever described my father as someone who scurried, but that’s just what he did. All the way to the back of the parking lot and to who knows where.
I’m pulled into Ma’s arms in a big hug. “Don’t let any of what he said take hold.
You are most certainly not worthless. The men up there…
they’re all delusional. They’d have believed it if Joseph had told them that the sky is purple and that their shit don’t stink.
” I can’t help but laugh, and I move and wipe at the tears I didn’t realize had fallen.
Anna gives me a quick hug. “Those fuckers never got to know you. We do, and we love you for you.” Nope. Not gonna cry more. An arm loops with mine on either side of me, and Mary looks at me from in front of me.
“I’ve never seen him look small, but he did today. You did that, Christy. You slayed your demon today. Welcome to the club. Now let’s go find some fru-fru dresses to wear!” She turns around and heads into the store, with Ma and Anna leading the way.
Kierstie is on one side of me, and Nicky is on the other.
My future sister-in-law gives me a grin.
“I knew you’d fit into this family just fine.
Let’s go get you a dress.” We take a few steps toward the store, and I hear Ry yelling out his goodbyes.
I stop and turn toward Asher, the man who’s become a good friend. “You aren’t leaving, are you?”
I watch his head fall forward, and I know he lets out a sigh, but he can’t tell me no, so he looks up and shakes his head. “Nope, let’s go find the dress you’re gonna marry the youngest Weston in.” Time to get this day back on track.
Max
I managed to stay at work till almost four. I’m almost to my truck when my phone rings. Taking it out to see who it is, I answer it. “Shane, what’s goin’ on, brother?” I swear I can tell he’s shaking his head while he fills me in.
“Man, they’re day drinking. Ma, Anna, Romona… just all of them. They got Zane making margaritas already.” I mean, I knew they were gonna end up there after Christy’s fucker of a father showed up earlier.
“Ma told me they would be going there after dress shopping, I figured some drinking might happen, what’s the big deal?
” Shane audibly sighs and clues me in. “Brother, this is the first time in years that no one is pregnant, and I know Kierstie and Jane are gonna pump and dump, so there’s gonna be some drinking.
Kierstie said that her new, almost sister stood up to her father like nobody’s business.
Between that and the text that Zane just sent out saying that we need more tequila and margarita mix, we gotta prepare for some drunk women.
And before you ask, there were three bottles of tequila and mix each as of yesterday. ”
“I mean, there are worse things that can be happening.” Shane laughs in a way that tells me he knows something I don’t.