Chapter 15
Elizabeth
"Stop fussing with your hair," Darcy said, buttoning the pearls running down the back of my off-white dress.
When she finished, she stood back and eyed me critically. "I don't understand why you're getting married so fast. A few more weeks wouldn't have hurt. I would've had time to make you a beautiful dress if you'd waited."
I examined my reflection. The empire line cut showed off my curves perfectly and made me look like I belonged in Pride and Prejudice. I'd ditched my glasses in favor of my contacts, and I hoped when Caden saw my hair, he'd like it. I wasn't sure how I felt about being my natural color after so long, but it was time to stop being someone I wasn't.
"The dress you made is fantastic. It's me." My eyes glittered, but I wouldn't cry. Today wasn't a real wedding day. It was a way to save my family's heritage and future.
"It's not bad for a last-minute job, I suppose. Caden will want to rip it off the minute he sees you."
If only. Since the first night we slept together, he hadn't so much as kissed me. I guessed his itch was well and truly scratched.
I wasn't falling for him. I wouldn't allow that, but I had smiled more in the past week than I had all year. He made me laugh and made me feel beautiful. He listened to what I had to say and didn't dismiss any of my ideas.
Cliffside Cottage was ours, and we'd move some of our belongings in. There was now a bed in my room, furniture in the sitting room, and the floors were refinished yesterday. The rest would come in time. I had even set up a room as a factory of sorts for my products.
We'd also poured over plans for the club, and he'd agreed to my changes without too much of an argument. Not even my dad's foul moods got me down.
A starving bear with a sore head would be better behaved than him at the moment. He was pissed because he no longer had control of the club or access to the bank accounts. Too bad. He would get over it in time. I hoped.
I blew out a shaky breath. "I don't know why I'm so nervous," I said and picked up the small bouquet of red roses Darcy insisted I carry.
In fact, it was Darcy who insisted on the dress and insisted that she and Peter be witnesses. She'd made herself a silver ballerina length dress. Glitter infused the tulle skirt, and when the light caught the layers, she looked like a sparkling pixie.
Ever the romantic, she was disappointed there wasn't a bells and whistles church service followed by a bank-breaking reception somewhere fancy. But because of what had happened the last time, I knew Darcy understood my reasons why. Plus, there was nothing real about this marriage. Not that there was anything real about the last one either.
"Ready?" Darcy asked laying her chin on my shoulder.
I smiled and nodded. "As I'll ever be."
"I can't wait until he sees you. He's going to love your new look."
"I hope so."
The town hall was a short walk from Darcy's store, but she'd ordered a car. She didn't want the Badgley Mischka shoes I'd borrowed from her window display getting muddy.
Once outside her shop, I slid into the black car, complete with ribbons on the hood, and wondered how Caden was feeling. We hadn't seen each other all day yesterday because after spending hours at the hair salon having my hair fixed, my sisters wanted a spa night to commemorate my last night of freedom. I'd made face masks and perfumes, and we'd drank wine and laughed while painting each other's toenails.
Our eldest sister Keeva, who lived in the city didn't make it, but she said she would be there for the reception Sean insisted on throwing.
My dad was at home with a nurse to annoy. He was the reason the wedding was happening in the first place but had said he didn't want to be anywhere near it. The only thing he cared about was not losing the club, and he'd gotten that.
A short time later, the car stopped, and I got out. Sheriff Tom stood outside the town hall with a cup of coffee in his hand. When he saw me get out of the car, he came over. My heart thudded. Did he know I was about to marry someone for a green card? Was he here to cart me off to prison?
"You're a dark horse," he chided.
"W—what?"
He gestured his finger up and down. "I didn't know you were getting married again."
"Yes, I am," I squeaked. "We fell in love very fast. Why wait? True love. He's Irish."
"You sound nervous."
I laughed on the verge of hysteria. "Nervous, Yes." Terrified of being thrown in a prison cell more like. "Good seeing you, Tom. Stop by Sean's later for a drink. We're having a small party." Why had I said that? Why not invite the entire immigration office over too.
"Thanks for the invite," he said. "I might just do that. Will your dad be there? I'm hoping to talk to him about the accident."
"He's staying home. He's still not feeling great. I don't think he remembers anything yet."
"I'm hoping as the days pass, something'll come back to him."
"Me, too."
"Well," Tom said and tipped his hat, "Good luck. You deserve some happiness."
"Thanks, Sherriff."
Darcy hooked her arm around mine, and another fist of guilt punched my stomach. I was a rotten liar and would rot in hell for betraying my family. And my dad would be by my side for eternity telling me how useless I was because I'd messed things up again.
I held my wrist to my nose and inhaled deeply. Before I'd left the house this morning, I'd blended frankincense, blue tansy, and blue chamomile, but they weren't enough to quiet my racing mind or heart. I'd need a full bottle of Xanax to get me through this.
"Let's go get you married," Darcy said.
"Yes, let's."
Arm in arm, Darcy and I walked into the town hall and made our way to the judge's chambers, but there was no sign of Caden. Maybe he'd gotten cold feet and had decided this was a bad idea. Another thing to add to my dating résumé: One husband walked out. The other husband didn't even show up.
"Where's Caden?" I asked Darcy.
"He's already in there with Peter. Don't worry."
I inhaled deeply and rolled back my shoulders.
"This is it," Darcy said with a squeal in her voice. "'When you walk out of here, you'll be Mrs. Caden Gallagher. I'm so excited for you. I haven't seen you this happy ever."
"Thanks." The guilt in my stomach kept stacking up. Pretty soon I wouldn't be able to breathe.
Darcy opened the door to the judge's chambers, and the world around me swirled. I was getting married. The one thing I swore I would never do again. I was promising to love and cherish someone in sickness and in health.
Darcy thought it was unromantic that we hadn't written our own vows, but I explained it away by saying Caden was a traditionalist at heart.
I stepped over the threshold.
Caden turned to face me, and the rest of the world melted away. He wore a dark suit and matching tie. A lock of hair fell over his forehead, and his jaw was clean-shaven. Maybe by tonight some of the stubble would have grown back, I loved how the roughness felt on the sensitive skin between my thighs.
Not that I was sure we'd even consummate the marriage since we hadn't had sex since that night. Our night together was about getting it out of our systems more than anything. I didn't know about him, but it definitely wasn't out of mine.