Page 28 of Dare to Fall
“This,” she says, holding up a twig. “Want me to wedge it in all those curls?”
“Don’t you dare,” Erin warns before the group bursts out laughing. Devin loves to bring up the day she ran into me in the lodge with a ripped shirt and twig sticking out of my hair. Apparently, I made quite the impression.
“I swear, that fox is real,” I say, despite having not seen him—or my old phone—since last fall.
“We believe the fox is real,” Stormi says. “But the part about him stealing your phone still sounds farfetched.”
“Says the woman who claims a bear stepped onherphone,” I counter.
“Brutus—”
“They’re here!” Erin announces, clapping her hands once more. She looks at me. “It’s time! Are you ready?”
I’ve been ready to marry Tucker Black since the day I decided to stay in Cinnamon Creek, but we both thought it would be more meaningful if we waited to tie the knot on the property, when the cabin was finished, preferably with a beautiful autumn backdrop.
“Is Fred with them?” I ask.
“Fred and Winnie,” Stormi says.
“They showed up together. Imagine that,” I mumble in amusement. Those two haven’t made any official announcements, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they went away this winter to visit Winnie’s twin sister and came back married. They seem like the type to elope.
“I think it’s sweet that Fred’s walking you down the aisle,” Alanna says. “Or, I guess it’s more like down your wraparound deck.”
We planned a quick but intimate ceremony on the deck facing west. It has the best view, hands down. And by some miracle, we have a partly cloudy day without a hint of rain. The sun pops in and out of the cloud cover, illuminating the fall foliage covering the mountains. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day.
“And Winnie’s getting good use out of that wedding officiant certification,” Devin adds in a chuckle.
“You’re okay that your family’s not here?” Erin asks, dropping her voice lower. “Because if we need to postpone?—”
“My familyishere,” I insist.
I’ve cut ties with the family back in my hometown. The ones who couldn’t be bothered to remember my birthday or returnany of my phone calls this past year when I left voicemails about getting married. It hurt, sure. But it wasn’t entirely surprising. It was just another sign that I’m right where I’m meant to be.
“We’re in this together,” Alanna says.
“All of us,” Devin agrees.
“I’ve never been happier that we never made it to Cancun,” Erin says, squeezing my hands.
“You ready to get married?” Stormi asks.
“I’m ready.”
“Then let’s do this!” Devin announces, and the women pile out onto the deck ahead of me.
I hang back because I want that special moment with my future husband—the one where he sees me for the first time and I get to commit the expression on his face when he does to memory. But I can’t help but peek out the window hoping to steal a glimpse of him in a tux. I’ve waited well over a decade to take in the sight of Tucker Black in a formal tuxedo.
A flash of purple catches my eyes near the tree line, and my mouth drops open.
“No fucking way,” I mutter, staring at the legendary fox in disbelief. The fucker would wait untilafterall my witnesses have disappeared to show his face. To my utter amazement, the purple-cased phone of my past is still clenched in his greedy mouth.
“Is thatthefox?”
“Yeah. Guess he decided to crash our wedding—hey!What are you doing in here?”
“I wanted to see my bride-to-be,” Tucker nuzzles my neck with his soft beard.
“Close your eyes right now!” I order.
