Courted: Hyacinth Brides Box Set

by Bree Cariad

  When she got out of the car, Stephanie did too. When the trunk popped up and her friend walked over to it and pulled out a large white dress bag, Dora stared at her. “What’s that?”

  “Your wedding dress, silly. I can do the few alterations needed, but otherwise it fit you to a ‘T’.”

  “I can’t afford that dress,” Dora said, trying to make sense of how her friends had brought the dress with them. “And neither can you.”

  “No,” Cami said, stepping out of the car. “But Gaelic can.”

  “Pardon me?” she asked in confusion, looking at the beaming faces in front of her.

  “He told me that if you found the perfect dress to call him and he would pay for it.”

  “But it was $5700,” Dora gasped.

  “He can afford it,” Cami said gently. “Look at your engagement ring. The thing’s a rock.”

  “Yes, it is,” Stephanie giggled. “Marjorie’s so jealous she’s practically spitting.”

  “But he shouldn’t waste that money on a dress.”

  “Oh, honey,” Cami said, shaking her head. “That dress is not a waste of money. The look on your face when you saw yourself in it? That was the perfect dress for you.”

  “But…” Dora fidgeted. Did she want the dress? Oh, yes, she did. But to get in debt over a dress seemed unnecessary to her and Dora did not like to be excessive. She had no idea how much the ring cost but was sure it had gone on credit. Starting their lives together owing money did not seem smart.

  “Call him. He’ll explain,” Cami assured her.

  Stephanie carried the dress into the house and up to her room while Cami hustled her over to the phone, dialing Gaelic’s number as Dora was a bit too bewildered to do anything.

  “Hi, Gale,” Cami said brightly into the phone. “Yes, we did. Dora needs a little convincing, though…Sure…Bye!” She handed the receiver over, hugged Dora and turned, her and Stephanie leaving the house.

  “Hello?” Dora said a little haltingly.

  “Darling, Cami says you found the perfect dress.”

  “Well…um…” She had no idea how to talk about money. It wasn’t something she’d ever heard her parents talk about except to mention they were strapped.

  “You’re worried about the money?” he asked gently.

  “I don’t want us to start our married life in debt,” she whispered, feeling a couple tears prick her eyes.

  “I wasn’t sure how to have this conversation with you. I hoped the ring would say it for me. Dora, we don’t have to worry about money.”

  “I’ve heard being in debt is bad, though.” She had never been in debt but had heard the horror stories of couples torn apart because of it.

  “It isn’t the preferable way to live,” he agreed, “and except for a home and a car, I don’t believe in debt either.”

  “But the ring and my dress…”

  “I paid for. Not on credit, darling. Out of my bank account.”

  “You paid…Gaelic, that’s a lot of money.”

  His soft chuckle made her smile and turn a little pink as she realized the horror in her voice had been very apparent.

  “If it makes you happy? It’s nothing. Dora, I’ve been working for eight years and I make a lot of money. I’m talking a lot of money. As I have never really been a possession kind of guy, I’ve used most of my money to invest and have done pretty well on the stock market. So buying you a beautiful engagement ring and paying for a dress that Stephanie said made you look radiantly happy? Money-wise, that was a drop in the bucket.

  “Darling, when you live a life where companies pay to send you around the world, put you in posh hotels and give you benefits that would make the average employee drool, it’s a different way of thinking. One you will learn to grow accustomed to, though you will probably always retain that simple small town girl aura you radiate.”

  “So…” Dora was reeling and sat down in the nearest chair. “I don’t know what to say.”

  “I know it’s a switch from what you are used to, Dora. But I promise. We’re not starting off in debt. For the first time in my life, I have someone to spoil and I enjoy it. Is it okay if I spoil you a little?” he asked in a little boy voice.

  Warmth spread through her and she couldn’t stop the smile that broke out. “I’ve never been spoiled before.”

  “Well, you get ready, Dora, because the world awaits. Once the vows have been said, you and I are off for a three-week honeymoon and I’m going to treat you exactly how I think you should be treated.”

  “A three-week honeymoon?” Her mind reeled at the idea.

  “Yep. A week near Provence and two weeks in Australia.”

  “Australia? Really?” she said in excitement.

  “Yep. I wanted Provence just because it’s a beautiful area. But Australia in the spring is gorgeous and there are so many things we can do. Speaking of which, have you ordered your passport?”

  “Yes, I have.” It had been one of his first requests when they got engaged and she had been excited to do it. Her, Dora Lexington, getting a passport. It was like a dream.

  “Wonderful. It should be here far in advance of our wedding. Even though it will have your maiden name, it’ll still work. We can get that changed after the honeymoon.”

  They talked for another hour before she realized it was early morning where he was at. “Why didn’t you tell me,” she said as she prepared to let him go. As much as she hated putting the phone down, she didn’t want him to be exhausted the next day.

  “Because I hate saying goodbye. I look forward to when the phrase goodnight is said with you in my arms.”

  With the dress chosen and purchased, the rest of the wedding plans went easily and before she knew it, fall was here.

  Work at the inn exploded September first. Not only did they have an influx of people for Labor Day weekend, but Stephanie went into labor which took Chris out of the workforce. Dora didn’t mind in the least. In fact, she was glad of the extra hours and time she was able to put in to help as Gaelic was overseas again and she missed him terribly. Plus, with working so hard, she didn’t have to think about all the stuff she needed to do before her wedding.

  Like sell the house.

  When her mother first suggested it at their engagement, she had been floored. Sell the house. The house she grew up in. It felt like letting go of a family member and so far she had managed to pay attention to everything but that one thing. Unfortunately time was zooming on and she no longer had time to quibble about it.

  Gaelic travelled constantly and had managed his contracts for the year after they were married to include only places he considered safe for her to travel in. Which meant the house would be completely empty for at least a year. And there was every possibility that they would only return to Hyacinth for the occasional visit. Holding on to the home was silly.

  And yet letting it go felt like she was abandoning a family member.

  She convinced herself that baby steps were the way to do it and so when Gaelic would call her nightly on the new cell phone he had purchased for her, she attached it to a mike and earphones and began to go through things and pack up while they talked. It was a good thing because when she would find something important and start to cry, he was there to help her through it. A couple times he even suggested buying the home from her mother so that Dora would always have it to come home to, but she refused. It was a strange thing, really, but each time he suggested it, she fell even more in love with the man. In time she came to realize that everything she truly loved about the house had nothing to do with the house itself, but the people who had lived there. And she could love them from anywhere.

  Her bedroom was easy to pack up. She really didn’t have a lot of stuff, never having been a stuff kind of person. The spare bedroom upstairs only had a bed and a dresser that would have been used for guests if they ever had them. Her mother had cleaned out her own room over the summer. Since Stephanie and Chris had taken all of their stuff when they left, that le
ft three rooms to get ready: the kitchen, living room, and her father’s study.

  With the kitchen, she left out the few things she used daily, a pot, a pan, and a few dishes, glassware, and silverware, while packing everything else. The Covingtons had offered her a place in their shed to store anything she wanted to keep, so most of her kitchen items would go there. Thankfully, in getting the house ready for sale, there wasn’t a lot of updating to be done. While Dora and Stephanie had painted every room during their first year as roommates, Chris had taken things a step further when he moved in and updated the bathrooms and the kitchen. It still looked a bit cookie-cutterish from the outside, but inside, Dora thought her home was still adorable. If a bit empty.

  The hardest part was going through and packing up her father’s study. It felt like a final goodbye to the man who loved and raised her. As she boxed up all of his files and put the implements away, she found herself talking to him, as if he was in the room, and imagining the kind of things he would say back. It wasn’t difficult to do. The two of them had spent a lot of time talking in this room while he was alive.

  “I’ve met a wonderful man, Daddy,” she said as she packed the last box. “He loves me and has vowed to take good care of me.”

  “It’s about time, daughter of mine.”

  Grinning, she nodded. “I know. I always do things late, don’t I?”

  “No,” he disagreed. “Never late. Just on time for you. Plus, you and he both needed to be ready. So tell me about this man who makes my little girl so happy.”

  She lost herself for hours describing her and Gaelic’s relationship, what she loved about him, and about the changes her life was about to take.

  “I’m leaving Hyacinth, Daddy,” she said after taping up the box. “Not for good. We’ll be back. But Gaelic travels for work and he wants me with him.” There wasn’t a response and Dora figured she had probably exhausted her imagination for one day. After tossing out the cigar butt that had sat on his desk since the day he died, she dusted off the top of the desk and lugged the last box out of the room.

  As she closed the door, she heard his voice one final time. “Be happy, Dora. As happy as I was with your mother.”

  “I will, Daddy.”

  Kathy’s daughter, Khianna, was born the third week of September, which gave her a few days to get some gifts ready and made her take time to go over and see both of her friends and their newborn babies. Kathy was on the sofa when she went to the Brethertons.

  “Dora,” she said, pleased when her mother let Dora in. “I’m so glad you came.”

  “Had to see your newest addition,” Dora said, holding out a new teddy bear she’d purchased. “Ah, she’s a cutie.” The two-day old baby was asleep in a little bassinet in the corner while Brandon crawled across the floor.

  “Yes, she is. But Xan’s getting stressed, even though he tries to hide it from me.”

  “Why?”

  “He hates putting my parents out like this,” she said in a whisper. “He fully expected us to have found the perfect house and so far? We haven’t been lucky. The house in Nashville finally sold which was a blessing, but the houses for sale in town just don’t have the room we need.”

  “How much room do you need?”

  “Xan wants at least three bedrooms if not four for our growing family. Plus, he would like a space for a study, though right now that isn’t even at the top of the list. The main thing is to have a protected back yard for the kids to play in.”

  A strange idea hit Dora and as Kathy spoke, she rolled it around her mind, wondering if she dared bring it up. After all, could it be considered emotional blackmail? She didn’t want her friend to think they had to take the house.

  “Dora?”

  Blinking, Dora turned to Kathy who was waving her hand around. “Sorry. I was thinking of something.”

  “Something or someone?” Kathy teased. “How many days till the wedding?”

  “Forty-six,” Dora said automatically, blushing when her friend giggled. “But that wasn’t what I was thinking about. Kathy, have you ever actually seen my home?”

  “Uh, I’ve been there.”

  “I know, but have you ever been beyond the living room or kitchen?”

  “Um…” Kathy cocked her head slightly. “Actually, I don’t think I have now that you mention it. How strange.”

  “Well, and feel free to say ‘no’, ‘you’re crazy’, or ‘thanks, but no thanks.’” Kathy didn’t speak; just waited for her to continue. “I’m selling the house. It has four bedrooms plus a study. A huge, fenced backyard. The weeds kind of took over, but it’s still huge. It was built in several phases so it looks strange from the outside, but it’s comfortable and warm. Completely repainted, new fixtures in the bathrooms and the kitchen. It’s practically a new house.” Dora realized her voice was raising and she took a breath to calm herself. “Like I said. You don’t have to consider it, but if you’re interested…”

  “Are you kidding?” Kathy asked, her eyes wide. “How much are you asking?”

  “One-fifty.” It was lower than the one real estate agent had suggested she list it for. So far she hadn’t had the nerve to actually sign with an agent. “Though I’d be willing to accept less.”

  “Oh!” Kathy said, clasping her hands up to her mouth. “When can we see it?”

  Epilogue

  Wringing her hands together, Dora looked at herself in the three-way mirror of the bride’s room. She almost couldn’t believe it was her. In the last year she had gone from old-maid-in-training to the woman in front of her, a woman who was about to walk down the aisle and marry the man of her dreams. The dress hadn’t needed a lot of alteration when she bought it, but after the birth of her daughter, Stephanie had shortened the waist a little and designed a small veil to go in her hair.

  Turning from side to side, Dora smiled at the swish of the fabric. The last forty days had been incredible. Kathy and Xan had come over to the house the night she had told Kathy about it. Two days later they made an offer and in a strange way, it made it so much easier to say goodbye to the house she grew up in knowing it was going to such a wonderful young family. Even though they had been willing to wait to take possession until after the wedding, she knew they wanted to move in and she had already packed up the entire house, anyway. They did a little switch. She moved into the small cabin Stephanie had lived in for a year when she was getting her life together and they moved into Dora’s old house.

  Dora could still remember Kathy’s words as they moved in their first boxes. “Finally, I’m moving into a place where I don’t have to peel wallpaper or kill mice. It’s a dream come true.” She still smiled thinking about it.

  The cabin had been perfect for her last month in Hyacinth. Chris picked her up for work each morning, which she thought was silly as it meant he had to drive all the way out to Hins Creek and then all the way back to the inn, until she realized he rather relished the time together since soon she would be gone. Her last day at work a week ago had been filled with joy and sorrow. It was hard to say goodbye to people she considered family, but they were all so happy for her, shoving their addresses in to her hands and begging her to send them post cards from everywhere. Stephanie and Chris had bought her monogrammed stationary so she could send them letters from wherever she was and the whole feel had been one of finality…but a good kind of finality. Like the day of high school graduation. It feels strange to know you will never be back but you know what’s in front of you is so much better than what lay behind.

  The door opened and she turned her head, smiling at her mother. “Hi, Mom.”

  “Dora, you’re beautiful.” She sniffled, holding handkerchief up to her face. “My baby girl.”

  Beaming, Dora turned back to the mirror. It was hard for her to take her eyes off the person in front of her. It was like truly seeing herself for the first time. Her mother and future husband were right. She was beautiful. And that felt wonderful.

  “Have you seen Gaelic?”
she asked, once again turning so she could hear the swishing of her skirt.

  “Yes, poor man was getting fawned over by his mother. He was being awfully good about it.”

  Snickering, Dora nodded. Gaelic was very good about letting his mother do anything. Deidre Covington was a sweet woman, if a bit of a worrywart. She still saw the son she raised, the boy with a speech impediment that she needed to protect, rather than the man he had become.

  “I wish Daddy was here today,” she said quietly.

  “He’s here,” her mother assured her. “He would raise hell if heaven didn’t allow him to come to his baby’s wedding.” Grinning at her mother’s words, Dora nodded. “Now, are you ready?”

  “Definitely. Mrs. Dora Covington, here I come.” As she spoke the words, the door opened and Gaelic’s cousin stuck his head in.

  “Everyone’s ready. Mrs. Leighton, Mr. Leighton is waiting to take you to your seat.” He looked over and winked. “Looking good, Dora.”

  “Thanks, Drake.” With a grin, he turned and left. She couldn’t believe how much he was growing up. In another couple years he would be off to college.

  Her mother helped her move the veil so it hung just over her face and then with a smile, she turned and left. The door opened again and Dora didn’t need to look to see who entered. It was the only man she had wanted to walk her down the aisle, the man she loved only second to Gaelic.

  “You look beautiful, Dora.”

  Turning she beamed at him. “Thanks, Chris. I can’t believe it’s finally here.”

  Smiling, he stepped forward and took her hands in his own. “I’m gonna miss you, little sister.”

  “I’ll miss you, too,” she said in a husky voice, gulping back tears.

  “Shh, don’t cry. Today is a good thing. A very good thing. Soon you’ll be Mrs. Gaelic Covington and world traveler. You’ll forget all about the little people,” he teased.

  But she wasn’t in the mood for teasing. Stepping forward, she pulled her hands from his and hugged him, wrapping her arms around him tightly and holding on. “Thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you, Chris. You’ve been there for me so many times, I’ve lost count. Thank you for being so amazing with Stephanie, as well. Does it sound crazy to say it’s easier for me to leave knowing she’s taken care of?”