Every Yesterday (Boot Creek) (19 page)

“Where are you going?”

“The cover for the top should be in the trunk.”

She sat back looking relieved. Oh, he had no intention of leaving her and not driving this car. Short of a heart attack . . . that was not going to happen. The cover was in the trunk just as he’d expected. He quickly snapped it over the top and jumped back into the car. “Let’s go.”

“You know the way?”

“I think so. I mean, there aren’t but like seven streets in this town.”

“Give or take a few.”

“And we were just there last night for the rehearsal.” He tapped the side of his head. “Car guys have excellent internal navigation systems.”

She rolled her eyes, but that was a huge improvement over the look on her face a few moments before.

He slowly backed out of the wide bay, exhilaration flowing through him. “I’ll get the garage door,” he said.

“No, you can leave it up. No one will mess with anything back here.”

He cruised around the building and then gave the accelerator a little punch to get out to the street. He slowed at the stop sign, and then came to a complete stop. “You sure you don’t want to drive?”

She shook her head.

“Okay. To the church.” Turning left onto Crump Farm Road, he went the posted speed limit. Dying to open it up and really let this car run, how he wished the church wasn’t just a few blocks away.

It was only walking distance from the inn where he and the guys were staying, in fact. After driving this he’d feel like running, not walking.

Man, it felt good to be driving this car.
He rested his arm on Megan’s leg, and smiled.
This. Right here. This was living.

She smiled back, her gaze lingering as he turned to watch the road.

He flipped the blinker to turn down the street where the church rose on a slight incline.

Megan reached over and placed her hand on Noah’s chest. “Don’t.”

“Don’t what?”

“Let’s not stop. Let’s go for a ride—open her up on the interstate.” Her eyes danced, and her smile was playful. Mischievous.

“Really?”

She nodded. A fast and definite yes.

“Hell yeah.” He did a U-turn and headed down Main Street. Straight for the interstate.

She struck a confident pose in the seat next to him with that bright pink bandana all tied up in her hair.

Nothing had ever looked sexier.

The heavy car took the tight turn onto the ramp with grace, handling the curves and straightaway like a race car, even though this car was built way before race-car features were part of everyday driving automobiles.

He punched the accelerator, taking the gimme-five-over-the-posted-seventy-mph speed limit, and then pushing right on past it. He let out a wild whoop. “Yeah!”

Megan tossed her head back laughing. “It’s heaven.”

“Yeah, it is!”

“Faster,” she screamed, throwing a fist in the air.

Who gave a rat’s ass about a ticket now? It’d be worth whatever penalty they could throw at him. He had the car of his dreams, and a woman that tossed him like a tornado sitting next to him.

He opened it up, letting her roll. Sleek and throaty, the car roared down the highway.

Megan had her head back, grinning ear to ear.

He’d love to be in her thoughts right now.

At the next exit, he slowed the car to the speed limit and then exited, circling back on the interstate to head back to Boot Creek.

“What a way to start the day,” he said.

“You saved my morning. Thank you, Noah.”

“I’ll be your hero any day.” And he couldn’t wait to get this car to California into his own garage. There wasn’t a thing he’d need to do to it. This DeSoto would go straight into his collection.

He pulled into the back lot of the church. “Where do they want the car parked?”

“If you could drop me here, and then park it at the end of the walkway where Jackson and Angie will be coming out after the wedding, I think that will be perfect.”

“What do you want me to do with the keys?”

“Leave them in it.”

His jaw dropped. He knew it did. He felt like one of those exaggerated cartoon characters with the bug-out eyes.
Leave the keys in it? She had to be kidding.

“It’ll be fine. Trust me. This is Boot Creek. And it’s in front of the church. No one is going to mess with it.”

“Okay, if you say so. I know you wouldn’t take any chances with it.”

“Not in a million years.” She opened the door and grabbed her tote bag. “Thanks again for helping me. I don’t know what I’d have done if you hadn’t showed up, but I’m pretty sure I’d have been a mess by the time I got here.”

“Glad I showed up when I did.”

She waved and then turned and headed into the church.

He moved the car to the front and got out. A light coat of dust had already settled on the paint. He was tempted to take off his T-shirt and wipe her down to a shine, not that anyone else would notice.

Noah walked down the sidewalk, turning back to glance at the sweet ride one last time before he crossed the street.

Chapter Fourteen

Angie was sitting in a straight-back chair while Flynn twisted, wrapped, braided, and tucked Angie’s hair into a beautiful updo.

“Flynn, you missed your calling. I swear, girls with years of practice don’t do hair as well as you do.”

“Are you trying to build up my confidence before I do yours?” Flynn said through the bobby pins in her teeth.

“No. If mine looks like that, I’m going to be tempted to sleep sitting up in a chair for a week just so I won’t mess it up.”

“Well, she is the bride. Hers has to be extra super-duper special.” Flynn swirled another section of Angie’s hair and pinned and sprayed it.

Megan flounced into the chair in front of the big-mirrored vanity across the room. “Man. You get the prettiest dress
and
best hair. No fair.”

“No upstaging the bride,” Angie said. “That’s part of the bridesmaid code.”

“Not likely to happen, my friend. Jackson is going to die when he sees you all made up. You look Hollywood beautiful. Flawless.” Megan unzipped her tote and started spreading her makeup out on the counter in front of the mirror alongside the other girl’s things. Her pile looked meager compared to the others. She could work a paintbrush like nobody’s business, but she’d never gotten into the art of makeup.

Katy walked into the room already made up. “I’m the last one here? I thought I was going to be first. I guess y’all couldn’t sleep last night either.”

“You know I wasn’t sleeping. Jackson and I were texting at three,” Angie said.

“Me either,” Megan admitted, although it hadn’t just been the wedding that had kept her awake.

“Guilty,” Flynn raised her hand. “We all ought to be a fun crew come reception time.”

Megan leaned closer to the mirror and started applying her makeup. “We’ll have our second wind by then.”

“We’d better,” Angie said. “Else Jackson is going to be one bummed-out groom.”

“Somehow I think you’ll muster the energy for that,” Megan teased.

“It’s been so weird to not be staying together this last week before the wedding. He usually stays over at my place or Billy and I at his at least a couple times a week. I miss him.”

“Y’all are so cute,” Katy said.

“Precious. That’s what they are.” Megan leaned back and checked her eye makeup. “Is this too much?”

Katy turned her by the shoulders and looked. “No. It’s not enough. Come here.” She reached for an eye-shadow compact on the counter and started dabbing and sweeping. “Close your eyes.”

“You’re going to do mine, right?” Angie stood and walked over to watch what Katy was doing.

“Yep.” Katy took an eyeliner pen and swept soft lines, smudging them as she went. “Look up.”

“I better not look like a clown. That feels like a lot of stuff you’re putting on me,” Megan said.

“Ease up,” Angie said. “Katy is so good at this. We practiced mine last week. Jackson went gaga that night. It stays in place and everything. You know I’m like you, not usually much for makeup. It does feel like a lot, but it looks so natural.”

“If it’s going to look natural, can’t I just go
au naturel
?
” Megan scrunched her lips.

“No,” they all said.

“Got it. Fine.”

“Quit making faces,” Katy chided.

“Sorry.”

“Okay, look at me.”

Megan lifted her chin and looked at Katy, then batted her eyelashes. “Beautiful?”

“Very,” Flynn said. “Well, you will be when I fix that mop. What’d you do? Dry your hair with the mixer by mistake?”

“Long story,” Megan said.

“Get over here.”

Megan followed Flynn and sat down in the chair where Angie had been, while Katy and Angie started working through the order of how to get Angie in her getup for the day.

Flynn pulled a comb through Megan’s waves.

“Oh, wait, before you get started, let’s do the old-new-borrowed-blues with Angie.” Megan bounced out of her seat and took a small box out of her tote bag.

Flynn and Katy dispersed and came back with boxes—all of them wrapped in Tiffany blue wrapping paper with white ribbons.

“You didn’t have to do this. I think I have it covered.”

“Oh no, we’re not taking any chances,” Megan grinned.

“It was Megan’s plan. She rocks the maid-of-honor spot,” Flynn said. “We were excited to do this.”

Angie dropped into the Queen Anne chair next to a coffee table. “Y’all are going to make me cry before I even get dressed. This isn’t fair.”

“All’s fair in love,” Megan reminded her.

“Open this one first.” Flynn stepped forward and placed her box on the table. In the top right corner in black script, it read “Something Old.”

Katy put one of hers on the table. “Something new,” she said, and then laid down the other one. “This one is from Naomi. It’s the something borrowed . . .” Katy practically bounced with excitement. “You’re going to die. I can’t wait to see your face.”

Angie laughed. “And I can’t open that one first? Really? That’s torture.”

“Oh, stop complaining.” Megan set the last box on the table. “Something blue, and a lucky sixpence in your shoe,” Megan said, stepping back to stand with the other girls; they held hands. “Open them.”

“I couldn’t have better friends. I love y’
all.
” Angie started with “Something Old.”
Placing the box in her lap, she pinched the end of the white, satiny ribbon and tugged. She laid the ribbon aside, too pretty to waste, then slipped her manicured fingernail under the edge of the paper to unwrap it.

“We couldn’t let you go through this life-changing event without all the tokens of good luck for a bride.”

“I’d never heard the sixpence part. What the heck is a sixpence?” Flynn shrugged. “Glad I didn’t get that one to do.”

“It’s the wish for good fortune and prosperity, but I had to look it up. I found one on online.” Megan shrugged.

“Guess I know what’s in that box then,” Angie said with a nervous giggle.

Her laughter coming to a halt, as she opened the “Something Old” box, “It’s beautiful. It has to be vintage.”

Megan watched as Angie carefully slipped her nail into space between the two wings of the tiny gold locket until it opened. Inside there were pictures of Billy and Jackson. “This is perfect. Thank you, Flynn. So thoughtful.”

Flynn beamed. “I had the little loop changed so you can use it as a charm instead of a necklace. It’s so pretty. So you. And the something old is for continuity.” Flynn stepped over and hugged Angie.

Angie shook her head as she focused on Katy. “I’m glad we didn’t do my makeup yet.” She picked up the “Something New” box.

Katy said, “That one is from Derek
and
me. He picked it out. The something new offers optimism for the future. Derek is always saying that you are the most optimistic person in the world, so you probably don’t need it, but you deserve it anyway.”

“A gold bracelet? This is gorgeous. Oh, my gosh. I love it. For the charm, right?” She looked to Flynn and back to Katy.

“Yes,” Katy quickly added, “But we don’t expect you to wear it today. You’ll see. There’s a theme here.”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Angie held the gifts in her hand, treasuring them.

Megan interjected, “Because we all know you’re wearing your mother’s pearl necklace and matching bracelet. Those are special and you should wear them. This is for the happily-ever-after. Keep going.”

“Fine. Something borrowed then. You said this is from Naomi?” Angie asked as she pulled the ribbon from that box.

The girls nodded.

“Diamonds and pearls? Oh my gosh, this ring has to be every bit of what? Like, four carats?”

“Only three according to Naomi, but I’m with you—that’s one big diamond,” Katy said. “It was just sitting in her jewelry box.”

“And the pearls have the most beautiful bluish tint.” She pressed her lips together, and tried the ring on different fingers of her right hand, settling on her middle finger. “Holy smokes.”

The girls were giddy.

Angie held her hand out, wiggling her finger so that the light cast a prism on the wall across the room. “She’s letting me wear this for the wedding?”

“It was her idea,” Katy said. “I swear, it’s like an Elizabeth Taylor ring or something.”

She lifted her hand to show them. “It fits perfectly on my middle finger. Amazing. Look how it shimmers.”

“Something borrowed symbolizes borrowed happiness, and Naomi said that no one on this earth could have had a more blessed and happy life than her. She wants you to walk in her shoes.”

“That is so sweet.” Angie fanned her eyes. “This is too much. My eyes are going to be puff bags.”

“No worries. The maid of honor has witch hazel. It fixes everything.” Megan walked over and got the bottle and some pads from her bag. “Weep on, wedding girl. I’ve got you covered.”

“Thank goodness.” Angie picked up the “Something Blue” box.

“Something blue is for love,” Megan said. “And fidelity.”

“So that’s what I did wrong the first time,” Angie teased. “Didn’t have the right shade of blue.”

“No. You didn’t listen to me the first time,” Megan said. “This time you have my complete blessing.”

“He is great.” Angie opened the box that held a blue pearl charm by the engraved gold clasp. In perfect tiny letters, her wedding date and new monogram were engraved. She picked up the sixpence. “Am I supposed to put this in my shoe? I’m wearing sandals. That is not going to work.”

Megan pointed to the box. “I put a glue dot in the bottom of the box. You can glue it in the arch of your sandal or under your shoe on the inside of the heel or something.

“Good idea. This is perfect. Y’all put so much thought into all of this.” She pulled the tissue paper aside. “There’s more in this box.”

“And the rest of the story,” Flynn added in her best Andy Rooney impression.

Two soft blue garters. A slim one and a wide one.

“Two,” Megan said. “The slim one is for Jackson to slingshot to the single guys. It has extra bouncy stretchy elastic. The other one is for you. All of your good luck treasures fit into the little pocket sewn into it.”

“How clever.” Angie stood and hugged each of them one by one. Tears streaming down her face. “I am the luckiest woman in the world.”

“Okay, get it out. Because there will be no more crying today.” Megan dampened two of the cotton pads with witch hazel. “Hold your breath. This stuff stinks, but it is a freaking wonder drug. Lay back in that chair and let me put these on you while we get everything laid out for you.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Angie said. “It does stink. I better not smell like this.”

“It dissipates. Trust me.” Megan and the girls started slipping out of their casuals and into their gowns. Then laid everything out for Angie.

“Okay, let’s look at your eyes,” Megan said. “Katy, what do you think?”

Katy put her fingers under Angie’s chin. “A masterpiece. Let’s get this going. I’ll do makeup first. We’ll all do lipstick last so we don’t get it on our dresses. Come over here in front of the mirror, Angie. The light’s better.”

Angie got settled and Katy got herself ready and then went to work like an expert.

Megan sat in the straight-back chair and let Flynn work her magic on her hair. Less than twenty minutes later, her hair looked like it could be on the cover of a bride’s magazine. “Flynn, this is magical. Thank you.”

All of them were made up and the girls were in their gowns, except for Angie. “I’m starting to get nervous.” Angie balled her hands in her lap.

“You’re going to be fine. You’re a beautiful bride getting ready to marry the man of your dreams,” Katy said.

“What if he changes his mind and doesn’t show up?”

“Why would he do that,” Megan asked. “That doesn’t even make sense.”

“It happens. I’ve seen it. Heard stories.”

“I’ll go make sure he’s here,” Flynn said. “I’ll be right back.”

Flynn breezed out of the door in her soft blue gown and strappy sandals. The old heavy oak door clicked loudly behind her.

“I wonder if Billy is nervous?”

“Don’t you melt down on me,” Megan said. “I’ll lose my maid-of-honor card. I worked hard for this.” Megan tried to get Angie to laugh, or at least breathe. She winked at Katy. “There was tough competition.”

“Yeah, Flynn and I were just waiting for her to screw up,” Katy added.

“See. Don’t ruin all my hard work.”

Angie reached up and grabbed Megan’s hand. “Thanks.”

Flynn walked back into the room and closed the door behind her. “This is so exciting. People are starting to arrive. The church looks beautiful. Angie, Billy looks so stinking cute. I wanted to gobble him up in that little suit. And Jackson is so excited I swear he looks like he won the big lottery. Not a worry that I could see.”

Angie let out a breath. “Billy was okay?”

“High-fiving and fist-bumping with the guys. He even showed me how he’s going to carry the pillow with the rings. He’s very proud to be in the wedding.”

“My little man.”

“Let’s get you in your dress, Angie.” Megan helped Angie into her gown, and then Katy took over with the last details on makeup. Nothing left to do now but wait for someone to tell them to start walking.

Jackson reached down, picked up Billy, and placed him up in the windowsill. “Now, you’re on our level, sport.”

“Thanks, Daddy Jax.”

Noah loved the nickname Billy had made up for Jackson. He hoped Angie wasn’t going to kill them for that, but it had happened in the middle of things this morning after Billy picked up that Noah called Jackson “Jax.”

Billy had just stood there letting Jackson put a flower on his suit lapel for an incredibly long time, even for an adult, but the kid had been a trooper. Then he’d looked up and said, “Thanks, Jax.” Ford had laughed and said, “you can’t call your daddy by his first name,” and Billy said. “I can call you Daddy Jax. Okay?”

And Noah wouldn’t soon forget the kindness that seemed to fill Jackson’s face at that moment. Hell, all of them had traded a look. It was pretty touching.

Jackson had bent down on his knee, eye-to-eye with Billy. “I’d be honored,” he’d said.

The waiting around was making Noah stir-crazy. To go from the adrenaline rush with Megan this morning to the dead stop of waiting around in this musty dungeon before the wedding was hell.