“Hope he knows where my dress is at, because I can’t seem to find it,” Mari said.
“Dad said no divas,” Adam reminded her.
“He was talking to Vic, not me.” Her face dropped a little.
“I know. I only wanted to see if you’d get mad. You get really cute and make me sore when you try to defend someone.”
She scrunched her face up and made that expression that told him he was so cute she wanted to bite him.
Instead of teeth, she used her claws. He was used to that with Choppy.
Well, sort of. Choppy didn’t pinch, but she sure as hell did.
* * *
Mari fiddled with her butt-ugly purple robe. It was like a dyed garbage sack.
There was no shape to it.
She sat with her ankles crossed and sighed. At least she was breaking in her wedding shoes for tomorrow. Heels were a joke. No woman enjoyed wearing them.
She felt foolish hobbling around in them, leaving divots in the grass as she roamed out onto the football field.
Watching her feet seemed awkward, until she tripped from an uneven spot.
A strong hand caught her behind the elbow and helped her back up to standing.
“You okay?” Daniel asked.
She immediately was uncomfortable and created some space between the two of them.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” Her eyes flew to the ground.
“I was just chatting with your mom,” he said.
Oh nooooo . . . That meant . . . Uuungh! Her mom was giving out Mari’s extra wedding invitations tonight to anybody she thought was her daughter’s friend.
Fabulous! Daniel was now most likely going to be at the wedding, and that was going to be unnerving. She still didn’t trust him.
There was a nagging feeling inside, telling her he was hiding something.
“Ladies and gentlemen, please find your seat . . .” the moderator announced.
Daniel gave her a little wave and took his seat several rows back from her.
The seats were mostly very warm from the sun, so this was going to be unpleasant. Not to mention, Kendra ignored her when Mari passed by to get to her spot.
Mari took a deep breath and said, “Hey, Kendra, I wanted to say thank you for apologizing and giving us the money back. I’m using it for the wedding. And you have no idea how much I needed those funds.”
Kendra turned around, looking a little alarmed with her eyes wide. She took a step back. “You’re welcome. Is Adam okay? Does he hate me?”
“He’s fine. He doesn’t hate anybody . . .” Except Samara.
A look of relief passed over Kendra’s face. “Oh good. He’s so nice . . .” She glanced around. “Well, I better . . .” She pointed at her spot down the row.
“Yeah, I gotta take my seat, too. Bye.” Mari tucked her hair behind her ears and left Kendra behind.
She released a tight breath and felt so much better. It was odd to consider Kendra somebody who wasn’t necessarily a good friend, but no longer an enemy or someone to be on her guard around. At this point, she was an acquaintance that Mari would be more than happy to clap for today as Kendra took her diploma. She wished her well.
The ceremony started, and the speaker at the podium droned on and on.
Before long, sweat was in every crack and crevice of Mari’s body. The heat was obnoxious tonight.
But the longer she sat there, the more she was overheated because her thoughts were revolving on tomorrow.
It was the day she’d cease to be a Cole. She’d officially be a Latham and finally make love with Adam. All those grueling months of resisting were at an end. Thank God, too. She could not go another day without having that gorgeous man between her thighs.
Oh, the things she was gonna do to him.
She grinned, then looked over her shoulder at him. He was especially tasty today, his hair all spiky and him in a nice button-up shirt, tie and dress slacks. Goddamn—he sure cleaned up nice. Looked like he could be a model.
Zach looked great, too.
She was beyond thrilled she’d be in their company after this graduation exercise was over. If the damn thing ever ended . . .
After the final long-winded speech, they were called up to the stage, going row by row. Mari walked steadily up onto the stage.
She waved to Dustin, her mom and Vic in the audience, went through the motions and took her seat. It was always difficult for her to be in the spotlight, even when it was only for a few brief moments.
She much preferred to be cheering others on. And that was exactly what she did as she watched various friends cross the stage.
She smiled and watched with tear-filled eyes as Adam and Zach ascended the stairs to where the podium was. Hand-in-hand, the brothers accepted the little leather folder their diplomas would go in once they arrived in the mail.
At the end of the ceremony, her mind replayed the look of triumph on Adam’s face as he took what they offered.
He did it! Adam Latham had finally graduated!
A warm, floaty feeling hovered in her chest and caused her to take great big extended breaths.
The Latham brothers had both shined and were confident on that stage. She was so honored to know them, and loved how Zach took care of Adam, making sure he’d get through it with ease and that this would be a memorable occasion for him.
She couldn’t be prouder of either of them—especially Adam who’d tried so many times to get to this point. This time, he succeeded and nothing got in his way, no matter how difficult it got for him at times.
Three times was the charm for her Adam. She knew what this would mean to him. It was his proof he could be like everyone else. And he didn’t need Samara to get through it. In fact, he did better after she was gone and no one meddled with him.
Now it was time to move on. Her chest expanded with a great gush of air once more.
They announced the graduation ceremony was complete. Caps flew in the air, and she left hers behind on the field as she wandered away and toward her hero—Adam, the man who didn’t quit.
Before she could reach him, her mom and Vic found her. They threw her into hugs and told her she was the prettiest one on the stage.
She smiled, and her cheeks heated. Pretty? Not her.
Maybe tomorrow in her wedding dress she might look halfway beautiful, but tonight she looked like the purple Teletubby in this baggy graduation robe.
“Mari!” Adam called and ran up to her.
She was jerked into an embrace, and he cried with relief, “I did it! I can’t believe I finally got through. It’s all because of,” he cleared his throat and yelled really loud, “Mari Cole, the woman I love! The woman I’m marrying!”
She shushed him and tucked her face into his chest as he hugged her once more.
He pressed his lips repeatedly into her head.
“Mari Cole?” a familiar voice asked. “Is it really you?”
Mari froze.
Couldn’t be! God, she hadn’t heard that voice in years.
Mari swallowed what felt like cotton, and it had somehow lodged itself inside her throat. How had her mouth gone so bone-dry?
“London?” Mari strangled on the words as she pivoted around to face this striking green-eyed redhead with a nice lean figure.
“Mari Cole! I can’t believe it’s you!” London stared at her like she was starstruck.
“What are you doing here?” Mari swore she was looking at somebody else. This woman was clean and presentable in a skirt and dark blouse. She was really pretty. Her teeth were still a little marred, but she was more than skin and bones. And her pregnant belly?
Mari gasped when she saw the shy little guy tucked back behind her legs.
“Is this your child?” Mari asked, bending over to wave at him.
“Yeah, this is my little Justin. He goes by J. J.” London beamed and fluffed her hair a little. Her red hair looked glorious in the low lighting—almost like a smoldering flame drifting down her back.
; Her son’s hair was more a strawberry blond, but it was stunning, too. He had the same striking emerald eyes as his mother.
“Hi, J. J. Your mom here is the one that introduced me to rock music. Do you know what her favorite band is?” Mari asked him.
“Pearl Jam,” he replied, then cowered even more.
London swung behind herself and swooped him up. She held him tight to her chest.
“How old are you?” Mari motioned to London for permission to touch him.
London nodded her consent.
Mari scratched his back a little.
He held up three fingers without looking back at her.
“Wow,” Mari mouthed. “You’re such a big boy—so mature.”
“Is this your family?” London asked, looking around at the small gathering around her friend from another lifetime.
“Oh—yeah. Jesus, I’m sorry. Manners and all that.” Mari introduced everybody and when she finished, her mom stood still and gaped.
“Is this the girl you were in rehab with? The meth-head that got you to run away?” Her mom’s fists were at her sides with her arms rigid.
“That was three years ago, and I . . . Well, things are different now.” London dropped her chin onto her son’s head, and she cupped the back of his neck with one hand protectively.
“You said her name was Donni,” Mom said.
“Yeah, she went by Donni then.” Mari gave London apologetic eyes.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to barge in and mess things up, but Dr. Harkham told me about—” London started.
“Dr. Harkham? You know her?” Adam asked, stepping forward.
“Yeah. Are you Adam?” London asked.
His eyes widened. “Yes, and I’m uncomfortable with you knowing who I am when I barely met you. Seems very unbalanced and unfair.”
“Oh, yeah . . .” London palmed her forehead like she was stupid, forgetting basic common sense. Mari smiled. London used to head-bop herself all the time. “Man, I’m so scattered. You’re case number one for her, right?”
He gave a slight head tilt, his whole body unbending.
“Meet number five. He’s her newest case. I asked her about the first four, and she told me you were about to marry a woman named Mari Cole. I about fell out of my chair!” London stared at him. “It couldn’t be. Mari disappeared off the streets, and I looked everywhere for her. Nobody knew where she went, so I thought she was killed. I learned later she went back to be with her dad for the rest of the summer. But during that time, I was so scared I was going to die, too, if I kept going the direction I was headed.” London shifted her weight into her right hip, making J. J. jut toward them all a little bit. “Plus, I was going to have a baby soon. I got help. A battered woman’s shelter took me in. I went through rehab again, this time sticking it out until the end. I had a pretty good delivery and birth. But by the time J. J. was a year and a half, I could see there were some differences from other kids his age.” Her eyes teared up. “A case worker I was frequently in contact with told me about Dr. Harkham. We just love her.”
“Well, you look . . . amazing,” Mari said, looking her up and down. “I’m so proud of you that you got your life back in order.”
“It was hard, after being abused for years by my dad and a string of worthless boyfriends,” London said. She rocked her son back and forth who was humming with a loud buzzing noise that was bordering on shrill. “Shhh . . . Baby, we’re almost through. I just want to thank the lady that saved us both.”
“Saved you? I didn’t do anything,” Mari said, her brow a deep V. “You’re the one that got off the streets.”
“No, Mari, it was you. I thought about what you would’ve done. I thought back on how horrified you looked when you saw me on the street with my bulging belly. After you left, I was almost crippled by that memory. I remember you said the music I introduced you to helped you. You helped me, too.” London shook her hand, but Mari tugged her arm and turned it into a hug that was loose enough it would hopefully be fine with J. J.
“This means we’ll be seeing you around. We see Dr. Harkham once a month, so I’m sure our paths will cross.” Mari was hit with sadness at the thought of maybe not ever seeing her again. She jumped. “Mom! You have the extra wedding invitations in your purse, right?” She gave her mom the evil eye. Her mom had been giving out invites to random people at work and wanted to do it tonight, too. Mari told her she’d use a pickax on her mom’s kneecaps if she asked any other strangers to come.
“You said to keep them in my purse, so I did,” her mom huffed.
“Give me one, you old bag,” Mari joked, shouldering her mom.
Her mother was slow about digging one out. Mari handed it to London right away.
“I know it’s last minute, but I’d love to have you come to our wedding tomorrow,” Mari said.
“Two o’clock? I have somewhere to be then, but maybe I can make it for the reception after.” London smiled, and her eyes were hesitant but hopeful.
“You’ll be there,” Adam said. “I can tell you need a good friend, and Mari’s the best friend ever.”
“I know. She’s the only good friend I ever had. That’s why I look up to her so much.” London said her quick goodbye because J. J. was covering his ears and the buzzing sound was louder now.
Mari leaned into Adam’s side for support.
“That was really unexpected. I can’t believe she found me,” Mari said. “I never thought I’d see her again. She was so important to me. It was the music she gave me an appreciation for that made me feel less lonely. It made me feel like I could overcome my addictions.”
“She’s lonely now too, I can see it in her eyes, but she has a precious little boy to help her out,” Adam observed.
Mari kissed his cheek and told the group she really wanted to leave because her heels were about to turn her into a very grumpy lady.
On the way out to the car, she took them off and carried them in her hand.
“Do you think Sam was here tonight?” Adam whispered in her ear.
“If she was, she knew better than to try anything with all those people around,” she answered.
He nodded, but she could tell he was unconvinced.
Samara was smarter than that.
Mari hoped she was intelligent enough to stay away so nobody would get hurt.
* * *
Adam and Mari skipped the graduation after-parties. Neither of them wanted to take the small chance of a repeat of what had happened at Katie’s Halloween party, and they needed things as calm as possible before their even more important day tomorrow—their wedding day.
Oddly, Adam was calmer than ever. He’d never been so happy and so comfortable with himself and his life.
Adam and Mari had decided they’d sleep in separate rooms the night before they married.
Even though he wished now they hadn’t made this plan, he did have some things to do for tomorrow. Money was tight, and the decorations were going to be minimal for this event.
He pulled out the bag he’d been hiding in the closet with the two dozen black Chinese paper lanterns, toothpicks, an icepick, and his template for the designs he wanted to make.
It would hopefully make her smile when he’d explain to her why he’d done this.
His tongue poked out right away as he sat cross-legged on his bed and assembled the lanterns, then began poking the holes through the template. It took him two hours. His eyes were sore and they were having a hard time staying opened, but he would finish. It would be one of his few contributions, other than his moving tables and chairs earlier this morning.
He did of course have a say on everything, like the colors and who was invited.
As soon as he was done, he snuck out back with the paper lanterns and an icepick in case he missed any spots on the lanterns. His hands were steady as he strung them up along the crisscrossing twinkle lights Zach had put up for them. He made corrections to the designs here and there until he got it exactly right.
Choppy whimpered inside her dog house. Poor girl had been chained up the whole day.
Adam set down his tools on the nearest chair, then crept over, freed her and cooed at her to keep her quiet as he brought her up to his room. There was no way he could sleep without Mari unless he had Choppy to keep him company.
He smiled, and his whole chest warmed. After tonight, he’d never sleep alone again.
“I love you, Mari,” he said into the night air.
He drifted off with warmth curled around his legs.
His dreams were of stars hidden behind Mari’s hair as she floated and hovered above him, blocking out anything else he might’ve seen. It made him smile, because he didn’t want to see anything else.
She apologized over and over, and the only way he could make her stop was to smile, then kiss her.
“Off!” he heard, stirring him awake.
A soft, warm body snuggled up to him in his bed.
“Sorry, sweetie. Go back to sleep,” she said in his ear.
His hands instinctually grabbed at her, and he draped his body over her.
“You were in my dream,” he said, his voice thick with sleep.
“Naked, I hope,” she teased.
“No. But you were with the stars, where you belong.” He yawned long and hard. The bed moved with it a little.
“Now I really know you’re tired. You definitely need to go back to sleep.” One of her hands found his and her fingers fanned out at the center of his palm, then drifted along the length of each finger. Chills raced up his wrist.
Her fingers coiled back to the center and did it again.
“I love these hands,” she said.
“Why do you?” He turned his head toward her even though it was hard to make out any definition in her face. A smile was there and he could tell her eyes were heavy, but not with sleep.
“When they touch me—I swear, the earth could be falling away under me, and I wouldn’t know it.”
“What else?” he asked, breathless, captivated.
“I love these arms, too,” she said, her fingertips now ghosting up his forearm and heading to his bicep.
Harkham's Choice (Harkham's Series Book 2) Page 21