Page 12 of Property of Baffle
“Never.I don’t see her that way.Never have, never will.”
“Okay,” I said.
“Okay?”He repeated as a question.I could hear the disbelief in his tone.
“Yeah.If you’re being honest, then I’ll take a leap and we’ll figure this out together.The last time I shook up my life was when I burned my family’s old life to the ground with the weight of their sins.This adventure seems like it will be more fun.Besides, my living situation needs to change anyway.”We were both quietly processing for a minute before I spoke again.“Just so you know, I do have money and can pay for my own place somewhere.I’m not doing this because I’m destitute or desperate.I like you, you make me feel safe and cared for.That’s something I haven’t felt in a long time - since my aunt save me and her friend, who took me in, gave me a fresh start.I’m willing to give this a try because of that.”
“You won’t regret it.And Nell?”
“Yeah?”I asked as a giant yawn overtook me.
“I will keep you safe, I promise.”
6I Do
Nell
Early the next morning,we were off on our adventure.I bought a dress.It was a simple, sky-blue dress with tiny white daisies on it.I could have picked out a white dress but that was never what I wanted.Maybe, it was another way to buck back against my stringent upbringing.Traditions, especially those tied to church, were not my thing.It brought back too many memories of my parents and the wedding they had planned for me before I was even an adult.
I also bought some tan cowboy boots with sky-blue embellishments on them.I loved the way they matched my dress perfectly.I looked like I was headed out on the town to go line dancing rather than to tie the knot with a man I’d met only a couple days ago.The thought made me smile.
My groom wore dark blue jeans, a white button-up shirt, and his Kings of Anarchy MC leather cut with black motorcycle boots.The bright smile he shot my way, as we filled out the paperwork for a marriage license with a woman named Janet, made my knees weak.I had to glance away before I melted into a puddle of goo at his feet.The only thing to keep my attention off the man at my side was the paperwork in front of us and that was the moment when I realized how old my husband-to-be was.“You’re already in your thirties?”I asked with a good deal of faux scandalized gasping.“I’m marrying an old man!”
Rick laughed as he snatched my driver’s license from me.“Shit!”His surprise wasn’t faked.“You’re a baby.”
The look on my face called him an idiot and a few other things to boot.“I’m twenty-four.That’s hardly a baby or even toddler stage.I’ve been able to vote for six whole years and drink legally for the last three.”
“That didn’t make me feel better.”
“Well, a nine-year age gap with someone I like is far better than a twenty-two-year gap and marrying a strange man my parents sold me to.Plus you’re hot.I pretty much won the surprise Vegas wedding lottery over here.”
“You can say that again, sweetie,” Janet proclaimed as she finished up our marriage license.It was weird because you always see people on TV go straight to a chapel and get married in Vegas, but they skip the part where you need to get a license from the county courthouse first.Janet looked up at me as she finished.“Don’t forget, you’ll need two witnesses to sign once the ceremony is over.Most places here have extra bodies on hand in case you don’t have anyone with you.”
“Thank you.”My smile was genuine as Rick and I got up and took the license we would need to make everything official.I turned to him.“Are you sure about this?”
“Never been more sure of anything in my life,” he said without an ounce of hesitation.
When we got to the chapel, a woman named Carly helped us get everything situated for our impending nuptials.Rick ducked out to use the restroom and Carly leaned in close to whisper, “Honey, if you need help getting out, just give me a wink.”
My brows furrowed up and I had no clue why she would think I didn’t want to marry Rick, until she motioned to her lips with her pen.I heaved out an amused sigh.“He didn’t do this.In fact, the man I’m marrying is the white knight who saved me from the evil asshole who did.”
“Oh, well then, I’d be happy to stand in as one of your witnesses if you don’t have any.”
“I would appreciate that.”
“Looks like you’re all set then.Are you sure you don’t want us to set up some flowers or anything else?”
I shook my head but turned to hand her my phone.“If you could take a few pictures for us, that would be great.I’ll pay for them, but I want them on my phone.”
“Sure thing, and don’t worry about the charge.That’s only for when we shoot and edit them with our equipment.Besides, your man is a hero, and I’m a sucker for the ones who protect women.”
When Rick came back, we met up just outside the doors to the main chapel area where we would make our way to the altar.Thankfully, when the doors opened, it looked nothing like the pulpit my father used to rant and rave at on Sundays.The whole chapel area was white on white.White walls, white chairs, white altar.The only color, beyond the bit of green, leafy vines spilling over out of vases here and there was the worn-red carpet.The center aisle looked a little more brown than red thanks to all the traffic it saw.I wasn’t about to judge, though.I hadn’t even opted for a bridal bouquet or the floral embellishments that were normally used.We needed someone to officiate our wedding vows and nothing more.
Once we made our way to the altar, the officiant asked if we were ready to proceed or waiting on guests.“We don’t have anyone here,” Rick admitted.For the first time, I think I saw a tinge of regret in those words.Not that he was marrying me, but maybe that he was doing it without his best friend or club brothers at his back.
“Carly said she would be a witness,” I piped up to take the heat off my soon-to-be husband.
“I do,” Carly shouted.
