Forty-One
Sam didn’t care about the ring. Not in a technical sense. Carats, cut, clarity, retail value – none of that meant a thing to her. The ring on her left hand was the most precious and beautiful thing she’d seen because Aidan had given it to her, and with it, his promise of forever. And with that, the slippery thread she’d been grabbing for, not even sure what it was. The night he proposed, she curled up beside him and slept deeply, so deeply, filled to the tips of her fingers and toes with a peace she thought must radiate through her skin.
She had a feeling the women around her now didn’t care about the ring either, but they all asked to see it and oohed and ahhed appropriately.
“So when’s the big day?” Mina asked as she untangled knotted strings of Christmas lights.
The Lean Dogs women were gathered in the clubhouse common room, ranged around the massive tree Mercy had toted in from Home Depot a few hours ago. The men had wisely decided to leave them to the decorating and had been put in charge of watching the kids.
“Oh, um…” Sam plucked another ornament – a tear-drop-shaped crystal piece that glittered when she spun it on its hanger – and frowned. “We haven’t really talked about it much. We were thinking, once we get the license, of heading up to the–”
“Please don’t say courthouse,” Maggie interrupted. She stood by the tree, untangled lights in-hand, carefully stringing them onto the branches. “Has one woman in this room had a wedding that wasn’t at that damn courthouse?”
“No,” Mina said.
“That’s where we got hitched,” Nell said.
“And us,” Ava chimed in.
Emmie nodded. “Us too.”
“And me,” Maggie said, rolling her eyes. “Seventeen and pregnant.”
“We got married in a church,” Holly said, shyly.
“Oh, that’s right. I was a witness.” Ava raised her hand. “It was really pretty.”
Holly smiled, pleased, a little embarrassed. That was her way, Sam had learned. “It wasn’t much. But it was…it was sweet.”
Sam caught Maggie’s wry expression, an echo of what they were all thinking but would never say: Only Holly could think there was anything sweet about Michael McCall.
“Except for Holly,” Maggie said, “we all got married in that Knoxville courthouse. So.” Her eyes came to Sam, bright with something like mischief. “I say it’s time we had a real biker wedding. Really do it up right.”
“That’s not necessary,” Sam said, “I don’t want to make a fuss, or put anyone out.”
But every old lady in the room was now looking at her, alert with interest.
“What makes a wedding a ‘real biker wedding’?” Emmie asked.
“It’s a regular wedding,” Maggie said, “plus cuts and a whole lotta engine revving.”
“Do y’all remember Boone and Rita’s wedding in Little Rock?” Nell asked.
“I was, what, six?” Ava asked.
Maggie nodded. “Yep. God, that was a party. The next day, the prospects had to scrape half the New York chapter up off the pavement with shovels.”
Maggie and Nell shared a laugh, remembering.
Ava said, “Her dress was huge.” She mimed a veil and train. “I mean, I swear Hostess made it.”
“That was two chapters coming together,” Maggie explained, for those of them who hadn’t been there. “Rita’s old man used to be the Arkansas sergeant, and after he died, she got hooked up with Boone, who transferred down from New York. It was the biggest damn wedding I’ve ever seen.”
“Um,” Sam said, swallowing, “no offense, but I don’t like the sound of a ‘big damn wedding.’”
“It won’t be like that,” Maggie said, waving off her concern. “Just us local folks.”
Emmie jerked upright, eyes springing wide, unspooled ribbon in her hands. “We can have it at the farm. There’s plenty of room. No rental fee.” She grinned. “We’d waive it for you guys.”
“Gee, thanks.”
“You already have bridesmaids,” Mina said with a sweet smile and a game show arm flourish, indicating herself and the others.
Ava said, “I think it would be a good mood-boost for everybody. I’ll be the first one to dismiss weddings. But I got married in a hectic rush, as we were fleeing town.” She smiled. “It’d be kind of nice to take our time and celebrate you guys.”
“Say ‘yes,’” Maggie urged. “You know you want to.”
What else could she say? “Okay. Yes.”