Starfire (Erotic Romance) (Peaches Monroe) (37 page)

“Hmm.”

I wanted to ask what Vern meant by that non-verbal response, but he said goodbye, excusing himself to drive back to the set in case Dalton needed anything.

I tucked the phone away with a pitiful sigh.

The three of us had been hanging out in the living room of the house, resting up for the big day and eating cut vegetables with dip in a last-minute attempt to be healthy before the big day and all the photos.

Shayla was comforting Mitchell, assuring him Dalton would be coming, and wouldn’t let us down.

Us
.

Hah!

I shook my head at how crazy my life had become.

And then the front door of the house opened without warning, and Jake “Big Dick” Blake walked in, his cowboy boots thunking loudly on the floor.

“There’s my girl,” he said.

I jumped to my feet and introduced Dalton’s father to my friends, who invited him to join us.

Jake sunk into the sofa, cozily nestled between Shayla and Mitchell. I took a seat on the chair across from them and braced myself for extreme inappropriateness.

Mr. Blake smelled of booze and cologne, but he looked sober enough, and downright presentable, with most of his shirt buttons fastened.

He withdrew a small box from his pocket and held it out to me. “Sorry to crash your party, but I had to bring you something.”

Speechless, I took the simple brown gift box and lifted off the lid. Inside was a flower made of blue and gold sparkling cabochons.

“It’s just costume jewelry,” he said.

I took the broach out gently. “This belonged to Dalton’s mother?”

“Yes. From his great-grandmother. I don’t know if he’ll recognize the piece, but his mother and grandmother wore it on their wedding days.” He cleared his throat and stuffed his hands in his pockets. “If it doesn’t go with your dress, I understand.”

I blinked back my tears and assured him that of course the beautiful blue and gold flower would go with my dress.

The four of us looked back and forth at each other, savoring this special moment.

Then Jake turned to Shayla and said, “So, what’s your deal, pretty lady?”

~

I left the three of them to entertain each other and excused myself up to my room.

There was another piece of jewelry I hadn’t dealt with yet.

Still in its box, in the pocket of the rolled-up red and black flannel jacket Dalton had loaned me, was the ring he used for his proposal.

I hadn’t dared open the box, and every day I waited, the psychological barrier became greater. Everyone had been pestering me to see the ring, especially Kyle, since he was going to be the ring bearer, after all.

Loud laughter floated up from downstairs. This wedding was such a joyous occasion for everyone else, and I guess that’s why the ring scared me. What if, when I slipped it on my finger, I felt nothing? What if that moment gave me absolute clarity? What if it didn’t?

With shaking hands, I unrolled the jacket that had traveled with me to San Francisco and the winery resort. I pulled the square box from the pocket, and, bracing myself for the worst, opened the lid.

I yanked open the box for my engagement ring from Dalton.

Inside, nestled in navy-blue velvet, was a bright green ring. Made of plastic.

“Fuck me with a box of fucks.”

I yanked the ring from the indentation.

My eyes weren’t playing tricks on me. It really was made of green plastic.

Attached to the back by a cheap-looking string was a note the size of a fortune from a fortune cookie.

The note read:
IOU one gold ring with a BFD.

I stared at the green, plastic ring and tried to figure out who knew about the box I’d kept hidden in the jacket. Had Shayla organized a pre-wedding prank to pay me back for all those times I put the milk carton back in the fridge empty?

No, this was too strange, even for her.

This was all Dalton. He’d been so sure that I hadn’t opened the box, and this was why.

I pulled out my phone and called his number, ready to leave him the Voicemail of Doom.

“Peaches?” he answered.

“Dalton? I thought you didn’t have phone reception.”

“I don’t. My phone just suddenly rang. I guess it’s the height. I’m up on the crane for a special shot we’re doing. I’m falling through the sky, into the forest.”

“But it’s daytime.”

“Connor gave me a potion.”

“Oh. Of course.” As I imagined him strapped into a harness, filming, I felt silly about ripping into him over a joke ring.

He said, “Are you still there? The reception’s not very good. I’m gonna lose you.” He laughed. “Peaches, hang in there! I’m not gonna lose you!”

“Stop joking around. This is serious. Why did you give me a plastic ring and what the hell does BFD mean?”

“BFD? Big Fucking Diamond.”

“Oh.”

“I’m so disappointed,” he said, sounding down. “I thought you’d understand everything as soon as you saw the ring.”

I pulled out the ring and slipped it on my finger. In a flash, the memory came back to me.

Dalton had just rescued me and Mitchell, while we were running from a crazy security guard. Dalton drove us to a park, where we stopped the car for Mitchell to be sick.

Mitchell got out of the car and barfed up booze and pool water, plus the green plastic ring, which had come from the vending machine, the night before. Mitchell had used the ring to propose to me, before swallowing it.

I stared at the ring on my finger.

“This ring was in Mitchell’s stomach,” I said.

Dalton laughed. “I gave it a good cleaning.”

“You are SO weird! Why? Why would you propose to me with this ring?”

“Because you’d already said yes once. I thought it was good luck. Mitchell thought it was a great idea. If you’re not happy, take it up with him.”

Dalton said something else I couldn’t make out, probably to someone there with him on the crane.

Damn it! Why couldn’t he have just finished work on time and been where he was supposed to be?

“Dalton, I need to tell you some things.” I held the phone to my ear with my shoulder as I fidgeted with the green ring on my finger. It actually did fit perfectly.

He said, “Hurry up, because we’ve got to take this shot soon. Everyone’s waiting.”

“Dalton, let them wait. I need to tell you that I love you.”

He didn’t say anything.

“Are you still there? Don’t fucking tell me I lost reception.”

“I’m here,” he said.

My heart crushed with each second he wasn’t saying it back to me, but I wasn’t giving up yet.

“Dalton, I felt bad leaving you at the resort last weekend, but there’s something you don’t know about me. That cute little boy you met, Kyle, he’s not my brother. He’s my son, and you don’t have to be his dad or anything, because he has the world’s greatest dad already. But you need to know that if he’s ever sick or needs me, I have to run to his side. I want to love you as much as I love him, but I can’t guarantee that you’ll ever take the number one spot. I do love you, though.”

“Peaches…”

“So this is me, running into your arms. You’ve caught me. I’m wearing your green, plastic ring on my finger, and I know you can’t see me, but I really am. I’m crying and smiling at the same time, because my heart is breaking, but I think it’s breaking right open to let you in.”

He didn’t answer.

I pulled the phone away from my ear slowly.

The icon was red, showing the call had ended. He was gone.

“And there we have it,” I said to my empty room, like a crazy person.

CHAPTER 40

Nobody answered. My phone remained silent, the screen turned black.

“Peaches has laid her heart out,” I said in my announcer voice. “Will Dalton return her love? Or will he continue to play mind games with her until the end of time? Does Peaches regret not going to Italy to be with Keith Raven? Yes, she kinda does.”

Someone knocked on my bedroom door. “Are you on the phone?” Shayla asked.

“Nope. Just talking to myself. Come on in.”

Shayla came in, an exaggerated smile on her face. “Peaches,” she breathed. “What do you think about me being in… movies? Jake says he wants to make me a star.”

I shrugged. “Whatever you want to do, I’ll support you completely.”

She frowned. “Fuck. I was hoping to get a rise out of you. Are you okay? Feeling nervous about the big day?”

I looked at the watch on my wrist—the beautiful watch Dalton bought me in San Francisco. Had it only been two weeks ago? I was so mixed up, I couldn’t even figure out the time from the watch face. I had to look over at my digital alarm clock to figure out it was half past two.

“It’s two-thirty,” I said. “I’m planning to hold off a few hours before I start freaking out.”

“This time tomorrow you will be drinking mimosas with me. And then, another six hours later, you’ll be married,” Shayla said.

“We’ll see about that.”

She grabbed my hand. “What happened to your ring? It’s all green.”

I’d been sitting on my bed, and now I let myself fall back onto it. “Long story,” I said.

She climbed onto the bed next to me. “Mitchell already told me about the ring. Wow, it doesn’t look like it was in someone’s stomach. Are you sure it’s the exact same one?”

“Does it matter?” I groaned.

My phone began to ring, but it wasn’t the ringtone I’d programmed in for Dalton, so I didn’t move to answer it.

“Do you want me to answer that?” Shayla asked.

“Tell them I died.”

She answered the phone, then handed it to me. “It’s your uncle, the mayor,” she said.

I sat up and begrudgingly took the phone.

“Don’t hide up here all day,” she said.

“I’ll be down in ten minutes,” I said to Shayla.

“I kinda like Dalton’s father. You’d better not leave me alone with him,” she joked.

I waved her out of the room so I could talk to the mayor.

“Uncle Steve,” I said brightly.

“Excited about the big day?”

“Of course I am,” I said cheerily.

“Everything’s falling into place,” he said.

I told him I was glad.

He gave me an update on some of the arrangements he’d been making—super secret, hilarious arrangements.

Talking to him about our evil, nefarious plans made me smile, and lightened the weight on my shoulders.

Maybe, if I just hung in there, everything was going to work out just fine.

If not, at least that Saturday would be a memorable one, for the entire town.

CHAPTER 41

Saturday.

Wedding day.

Everyone around me was moving fast, talking fast, thinking fast. I looked at the face of the watch on my wrist. The hands seemed to be swirling around.

Suddenly it was three o’clock, and I had a mimosa in my hand.

We were still at the house. Shayla and Mitchell practiced a choreographed dance they were putting together for later that night. I watched from the couch in my pajamas, my wedding gown hanging up in my bedroom like the ghost of my future.

Suddenly it was four o’clock.

Nobody had heard from Dalton, or Vern. If they were going to arrive on time for the wedding, they would have to be in the air by now.

My mother arrived and forcibly dragged me off the couch. I insisted I had plenty of time, and that if I didn’t, I’d just wear my flannel pajamas and everyone could kiss my ass. I was the damn bride. It was my special fucking day.

“She’s been like this all day,” Shayla said, then they demonstrated their dance for my mother.

Everyone was moving so fast. I twirled the green ring on my finger, then pulled it off to give to my mother. “Here’s the ring for Kyle,” I said.

She demanded to know where the real ring was.

I blinked up at her.

My attendants flew into action, explaining the whole thing to her, including a dramatic re-enactment, with Mitchell pretending to throw up the ring.

My mother didn’t seem impressed. She turned to me. “You got a tattoo? Peaches, those are permanent.” She shook her head. “Now go get yourself into the shower this minute. You smell like a thrift store sofa.”

Head nodded down, I obediently plodded upstairs and climbed into the tub.

~

We drove up to the site of the wedding in my new car, with Mitchell driving, and Shayla holding my hand in the back seat.

The photographer who was covering the wedding for the exclusive magazine photos sat in the front seat, taking photos.

She’d arrived in town with little fanfare, by helicopter, but without her entourage of assistants. She insisted we all call her by her first name, Ruby, and treat her exactly the way we would a regular wedding photographer.

“This is how I got my start,” she’d said. “Taking photos of beautiful brides like you, on their special day. Of course that was fifteen years ago, and all the technology has only made it easier.”

Ruby kept clicking photos, swapping out digital memory cards as needed. Eventually, I did get used to her being there, but not so comfortable that I let down my guard and showed my true emotions. There’s nothing sadder than a sad bride, and sad brides don’t sell magazines.

We arrived at the cabin, and my mouth opened in shock.

The wedding would be here, after all.

There were still a few signs of construction in progress, but the location had been transformed by the tents and decorations. The trees surrounding the area were strung with so many lanterns, streamers, and bundles of flowers, it looked like something from a fantasy movie about elves.

My wedding helpers had hired a local florist, Gabriella’s, to do the flowers. Looking at their arrangements, I finally understood why that florist has such an amazing reputation in town.

The ceremony itself would happen down at the edge of the water, where guest chairs decorated with pale pink flowers sat waiting for the arrival of the guests in their buses.

My parents pulled in behind us and parked at the edge of the property, next to my car. Kyle came flying out of the back seat and raced straight for the biggest tent and the ice sculpture.

Shayla and Mitchell worked in tandem like a team, and got me into the cabin, where I would be hidden away until the band played my marching music—assuming the groom showed up.