Page 52 of Mine To Break
Chapter Twenty
Who was the idiot who thought that getting married the day of another important formal event was a good idea?
Disgusted with her own nerves, Mal tried not to explode as Vicki and her assistant fluffed and prodded her into her new gown. It felt like she’d been standing here in Vicki’s workshop for hours.
“Usually this would be a quick fitting,” Vicki said around a mouthful of sharp pins. “But we’re identifying issues and fixing them in one fell swoop. I’m sorry, I know it must be frustrating to stand here, unable to move without getting poked. Luckily I got pretty close since I’ve sewn for you before.”
“It’ll be worth it,” Mal grumbled. “My frustration is with myself not you.”
“I can sympathize.” Vicki stood and stepped back, tilting her head as she walked around Mal, examining the dress from all angles. “I’ve got some news to break and I’m so nervous about it that I’m nauseated.”
“Oh?” Interested piqued, Mal lasered in on her. Vicki had been back together with Elias for a couple of months now. Not to mention her young man. The ring on her finger promised commitment for all to see. Other news that might be difficult to break… “Could it be the news itself that has you nauseated?”
Pale, Vicki looked away, avoiding her gaze. “How do you tell someone life altering news that they may not welcome?”
Mal reached out and pulled the other woman into a hug. “You ask for help. You trust that love is enough.”
“And if it isn’t?”
Mal blew out a long breath, answering the question for herself too. “Then it wasn’t the kind of love you need.”
Vicki hugged her, finally meeting her gaze. “Do you have the kind of love you need with Colby?”
Mal nodded, her eyes filling with tears at the thought. But it was happy tears. “Baby Jesus in a manger. I hate to cry. So sappy.”
“You’re a beautiful sap.”
“Thanks, but it’s your magic. All I’m doing is standing here. So…?” She didn’t ask outright, in case she didn’t want her assistant to know. The woman had stepped over to the machine to sew a finishing hem on the veil.
Vicki nodded. “I screwed up my pills. It wasn’t planned. At all.”
Mal hugged her again. “Congrats, honey. I’m sorry for throwing this huge dress project at you with so little notice. I’m sure it’s been overwhelming.”
“Honestly, it was exactly the distraction I needed. It got me out of my head worrying and kept me busy. I haven’t felt too badly yet, just a little tired. Elias hasn’t even noticed, though Jesse keeps looking at me worriedly and asking if everything’s okay.”
“I know they’ve been working hard on the cartel thing, and now Colby’s leaving him holding the bag.”
“Even if he wasn’t working eighty hours a week, I still don’t think he’d notice,” Vicki said, her mouth turning down in a brittle frown. “And don’t you dare worry one second about Colby leaving. Be glad. We are, really. Even Elias. He’s been worried about the kid, as he calls him, a long time.”
“Then Elias needs to get his head out of his ass and pay attention to what’s going on in his household.”
Vicki snorted. “I’m tempted not to say anything at all and see how long it takes him to notice. My luck, though, I’d be at the hospital calling him to come get us and bring us home.”
She laughed, but it quickly turned to tears. Mal drew her back into a hug again, rubbing her back, as she’d done for her that night in the hospital.
“It’s stupid, but I’m so worried that he’ll hate me and the baby because he won’t be sure it’s his. And we can’t be sure, honestly, not without a DNA test, and then what does that say to Jesse? That his baby might not mean as much to me as Elias’s? Oh, God, Mal, what am I going to do?”
Mal squeezed her tighter, rocking her gently with her body. “The first thing you need to do is to take care of yourself right now. Stress and worry aren’t good for you. And second, I suspect that Elias may not be as opposed to Jesse as you might think he is.”
Vicki looked up at her through her tears. “It was really hard for him to accept Jesse from the beginning. We broke up over it for a bit. Hours, maybe, but that’s when we heard the cop was killed and I literally thought he was dead. I thought I’d lost him forever, and he’d left hating my guts.”
“His pride might have been speaking louder than his heart then. But I saw his heart talking at the hospital. Give him a chance, hon. I think his heart will speak louder than his pride this time around.”
“And if not?”
“Then kick his ass out and marry Jesse. He’s fully devoted to you, of that I have no doubt. But honestly, give Elias a chance. I think he’s going to surprise you this time.”
Sniffing, Vicki wiped her cheeks. “I hope so. Look at me, sobbing all over your lace on your special day.”
