by Cee Bowerman
I glanced at the rearview mirror and watched the girls talk, marveling at how they really did look alike. They could pass for sisters easily - even twins if you considered how close they were in age. Both girls had hair down to their waists and Rowdy had styled it alike this morning before he went to work, giving both girls a loose french braid along their forehead so that the tail of the braid fell down over their shoulder.
I had laughed when he jokingly told them that he was going to put a pink flower in Leia’s hair and a purple one in Lexi’s so he could tell them apart easier. That must have been where they got the idea that they were twins.
“So, you’re wearing your new boots with your dresses tomorrow?” I asked the girls.
“Can we?” Leia asked.
“I don’t see a problem with it,” I shrugged. “Works for me.”
Both girls squealed and bounced in their seats and I just shook my head and got out of the big truck. I waited at the hood for them to join me and then walked between them up to the front doors of the store.
We had picked them up from Grunt’s house last night soon after Marcus left. Rowdy and I had s’mores with Grunt’s family and then the four of us walked together back across the field to his house. Our house.
We sat the girls down and told them what was going on. I saw the relief in Lexi’s face when I told her Jackson was dead and could never hurt us again. And then I saw the worry on Leia’s face when we told her that her mother was out of prison.
“Sometime later, can I call you ‘Mom’?” Leia asked me out of the blue.
“Honey, you can call me whatever you want.”
“I want to call you Mom so that everyone will quit calling that woman my mother.”
“It’s just what she’s called because she’s the one that gave birth to you, baby,” I said as I stopped and turned to look at Leia. “It’s just a title, like sir or ma’am. If it makes you feel better, we can just start calling her by name.”
“Voldemort.” Lexi said as she came to stand beside Leia. “She’s your Voldemort.”
Leia laughed at Lexi and I was glad to see her mood lighten.
“She who shall not be named,” I told them. “We’ll just talk about her in Harry Potter references from now on.”
“So, she’s from Slytherin,” Lexi decided. “I think I’m a Hufflepuff.”
“I’m definitely Ravenclaw,” Leia declared. “I think our parents are both Gryffindor.”
I held the door open for the girls and waited on them to go through as I listened to them talk about their friends and what ‘house’ they would be in if they were characters in the series. I glanced up and saw that Kari, Carlie, and Lisa were all here and they had a rack of dresses waiting for me.
“Did you get my message?” Kari asked, sounding worried. “I am so sorry, Sierra, but I needed that apartment for the new girl; she’s in a really bad way. I knew you’d be moving out, I just had to hurry you along.”
“You packed up all my shit and knowing you, it’s all wrapped and folded perfectly,” I laughed. “I don’t have to pack anything at all now and you think I’d be upset about that? I don't think so.”
“I’m so glad you understand,” Kari told me with relief. “I just didn’t want to have to send her away. She’ll be here tomorrow evening, so I’ll get your furniture and dishes out tonight and then we’ll bring them all out to your new house next week.”
“Leave the dishes and the furniture,” I told her. “I got all of it second hand and I don’t have any sentimental attachment to any of it. Let her start with it or add it to your stash of stuff you keep for those who don’t have anything.”
“You’re sure?”
“Positive,” I smiled and hugged my friend. “Rowdy’s house is full and I’ll find things I love to add to it over time. I don't need any of that furniture, even Lexi’s stuff can stay. As a matter of fact, we’re meeting Rowdy at the furniture store when we leave here so we can get new stuff for both girls rooms and a new mattress for us.”
“Thank you, Sierra,” Kari told me. “That’s very generous of you. Are you ready to see your dresses?”
“I am,” I admitted. “I’m excited. It’s finally getting real, you know?”
“Rowdy is a good man and you know I don’t say that lightly coming from the situations we do. He’s one of the good ones.”
Carlie, Sarah, and Lisa walked up, all three of them with champagne glasses in their hands.
“Did you know that they give you complimentary champagne while you shop for a wedding dress?” Carlie asked Kari and I. When Kari nodded, Carlie continued, “Why is this the first time we’ve heard about this?”
“We eloped, you igmo,” Lisa giggled.
“Igmo?” Sarah raised a brow. “Is that a word?”
“I wanted to say dumbass, but Brighten is picking up everything we say. If I quit cussing, I can blame every swear word she says on either Zeke or Kale, so I’m inventing new ones.”
“That sounds like an ingenious plan,” Carlie looked like she was considering it. “I’m going to have to work on that.”
“I’m secretly the genius of our bunch, but you’d have realized that sooner or later,” Lisa assured me. “Now, on to dresses!”
“Apparently, Champagne Lisa pops up quicker than Wine Lisa does. I’ll have to remember that, too,” Carlie laughed and then followed her friend over to one of the couches that was placed strategically around the showroom near the dressing area.
“You haven’t been around them much, have you?” Sarah asked me.
“This is the second time, but they’re part of Rowdy’s club so we’ll be seeing much more of each other now.”
“Lisa is one of us,” Sarah nodded toward Kari and me. “She’s normally very soft spoken and meek. She’s been so much better since she met Zeke, but even still, you give her a drink or two and ‘Wine Lisa’ makes an appearance. She lets out her inner smart ass and says what she’s really thinking. It’s fucking awesome.”
I had known Sarah since the first day that Lexi and I arrived at the apartments and she had become one of my closest friends. In that time, I’d never seen her without flawless makeup and a beautiful wig. Sometimes the hair she wore was a classic style, occasionally it was a daring cut, but most of her wigs were brightly colored. Today her hair was black with purple on the ends and she had bangs that fell into her perfectly lined eyes and caught on her dramatic fake lashes.
Kari was an understated beauty who wore little makeup, usually just some mascara and lip gloss. Her shiny brown hair was thick and beautiful and when she was in public or a crowd of people she didn’t know well, her hair fell over one side of her face to hide the scar that went from the hairline beside her eye and followed her cheekbone almost all the way to her mouth.
I knew that the two women had a history of violence or abuse in their past, but had never heard their stories. One of the things that I liked most about the apartments that Kari ran as a shelter for abused women and families was that they required you to talk to a therapist and even encouraged you to talk to the other residents. But Kari and Sarah didn’t pry into what had happened to you before. They focused on encouraging each woman to move forward.
Like I was moving forward with Rowdy. Which would be even easier now that Jackson was dead.
“I’m free now, you know?” I said softly to Sarah and Kari.
“I know,” Kari smiled. “It’s a beautiful feeling, isn’t it?”
“That it is,” I smiled back. “Now, let’s get me suited up and ready for a wedding!”
◆◆◆
ROWDY
“I thought I might find you here,” I told Jace when I walked up beside him. “You just never quit working, do you?”
“This isn’t work,” Jace told me as he flipped his welder mask down over his face. “Back up and let me get this one spot before I stop for the day.”
I stepped over and grabbed another mask from the shelf and put it on my head so I could watch Jace work
without burning my eyes. He was creating a large sculpture this time and I gauged it to be over 12 feet tall. It was at least that wide, if not wider. I realized it was a squared archway and when I looked closer, I could see the initials of a nearby ranch over the middle.
After just a few more minutes, Jace was finished. He flipped open his mask and reached for a big mug he had sitting nearby. I watched him drink it down before he let out a big belch and finally turned my way.
“What’s up?” Jace asked as he walked toward the small refrigerator over in his makeshift office area here in the shop. “Want a beer?”
“Still on shift, asshole,” I laughed. He knew I was working, he was my boss after all. “Need to ask you a favor.”
“I already gave you this week off and as a wedding gift, I’m going to give you the next week off, too. So, yeah, you can be off tomorrow for your wedding.” Jace laughed.
“Well, no shit,” I told him and caught the water bottle he threw my way. “I kind of figured you’d know already without me having to get all sappy and shit, but will you stand up with me at my wedding.”
“Me?” Jace asked dramatically. “You want me?”
He pretended to wipe a tear from his eye with one hand as he fanned himself furiously with the other.
“First off, I’d like to thank the academy and my family and friends, because without their support I wouldn’t be the man I am today,” Jace kept fanning his face and with his free hand he picked up a beer bottle to talk into as if it was a microphone. “We’ve come so far.”
I threw the bottle of water at him and he ducked, laughing.
“Of course I’m going to be in your wedding, asshole. I’m your only fucking friend.”
“Fuck you. I rescind the offer. I’ll let Sam and Zeke fight it out. Winner gets to hold the rings.”
“Any of the three of us would be honored, brother,” Jace said seriously as he pulled a stool over and sat down by the chair I was in. “Most definitely honored.”
“Thanks,” I told him as I nodded. “It’s fucking crazy that I’m getting married tomorrow.”
“Yeah,” Jace tilted his head. “It’s awfully sudden. You sure this is what you want to do?”
“I’m sure,” I nodded. “At first it was to help us both out - for her so she could hide the lottery money from her ex and stay safe, for me so I could have an airtight case against any judge trying to give Beverly a chance to get time with my daughter. Now, Sierra’s ex is dead and Beverly is the only worry.”
“She fucks with your kid, man... that would be crossing a line we couldn’t accept.”
“No doubt.”
“Marcus talked to Sam and Zeke about it and I know he also brought it up to Lout and Kale. Clem knows about Beverly, too. He said something about keeping an eye out for her around town and that he’d talked to some friends in Lubbock that could make their presence known as a favor to him.”
“Really?”
“You and Leia grew up with us, man. Seriously. We were just kids and Leia was always there. She grew up right beside us. We watched her learn to walk, taught her words she should’ve never heard, used her to pick up chicks - she’s our little sidekick. Anyone upsets her, they upset a whole lot of people.”
“I’m going to have another girl running around too, you know.”
“Sassy little Lexi. That one is a pistol,” Jace laughed. “I’ve been around her a few times when I’ve gone in to do some work for Kari. Love that kid.”
“She’ll be mine, too. Marcus has the stuff ready for me to adopt Lexi and for Sierra to adopt Leia. We’re covering our bases just in case something happens to one of us. We’re lucky that the girls are such good friends, I just hope that moving them in together strengthens that rather than breaks it.”
“Oh, they’ll fight,” Jace laughed. “But if you fuck with one you’ll get the wrath of both. That’s what having siblings is like. You might want to kill them half the time, but if they need you, there’s no hesitation.”
“I didn’t have that until I met you guys. Best thing I did, other than raise an awesome fucking kid, was to join the club. Now I’ve got family and brothers busting out the seams.”
“That you do,” Jace agreed. “Is it just me up there beside you?”
“No, Fain is coming in tonight. He’ll head back up to Colorado to be with Jenna tomorrow after the wedding. I told him I’d understand if he didn’t want to leave her, but he said Martha is up there right now so she won’t be alone.”
“That’s good. I haven’t seen nearly enough of him since her accident. It will be nice to catch up. So, tell me what to wear, where to go, what to do, the works.”
“Sarah is going to bring you a shirt to wear under your cut - just find some jeans without too many holes. Other than that, show up before it starts and stay until it ends.”
“Simple enough, even for a man like me.”
“I had to drop it down a peg or two so you wouldn’t get confused.”
◆◆◆
SIERRA
“It’s perfect!”
I spun around and looked at every angle in the mirror. Sarah had picked out a dress that was simple and elegant and would work perfectly for the outdoor wedding she and the girls had planned.
The low-cut, sleeveless bodice and skirt were nude satin and fit perfectly against my body. It flared out at mid-thigh and hung to my toes. The white lace overlay covered me from neck to wrists and flowed down to the edge of the hem in the front but stretched out behind me in a short train that would drag behind me as I walked up the makeshift aisle.
“I knew as soon as I saw it that it was perfectly you,” Sarah smiled. “I’ll do your hair up and you can wear whatever shoes you want because you can’t see them anyway.”
“Mom, you’re so beautiful,” Lexi whispered.
“It gets even better, girls,” Kari whispered. She walked to the rack and flipped through the dresses until she found what she was looking for. She pulled two hangers off the rod and held them in front of her.
Both girls gasped when they saw the dresses. They were the same satin with lace overlay, just in a younger style for the girls. The satin underneath was a pale purple and had the same lace as my dress covering it.
“I’ll help you two try them on, but I’m sure they’ll fit.” Kari told the girls and they jumped up and followed her to the dressing rooms, Carlie and Lisa close behind them.
“Did you find something for the two of you to wear?” I asked Sarah as I stared at my dress in the mirror, turning this way and that to see all angles.
“We did,” Sarah told me. “We had some backups picked to go with whichever dress you chose. To match this one, there are some simple, sheath dresses that are dark purple satin. Really elegant and they have our sizes. They have men’s dress shirts here, too, in every color you can imagine. I was thinking maybe champagne for the men. Who will be standing up with him? I’ll call them for their sizes.”
“He’s asking Jace to be his best man,” I told Sarah with a wince. “Fain will be his groomsman.”
“They’ll both look great in whatever color you choose, but I suggest that Rowdy match the girls.”
“That sounds perfect,” I agreed. “You’ll be okay with Jace around?”
“We’re friends,” Sarah smiled, but I could see that it was forced. “It’s fine.”
“You’re really a shit liar, Sarah,” I shook my head. “But it will only be for a few hours and you said there would be alcohol, didn’t you?”
“Oh, yes,” Sarah laughed. “There will definitely be alcohol. Even if we hadn’t planned for it before, it’ll be there now.”
◆◆◆
ROWDY
“So, the three of you found what you wanted for the wedding?” Rowdy asked as he lazily ran his hand up and down over my hip and ribs as we laid facing each other in our new bed.
“Yes,” Sierra nodded. “Sarah and Kari found the perfect dresses for us and shirts for you guys. Did you tell Jace that Sarah w
ould be on my side?”
“I did.”
“I’ve never heard the whole story. What happened between the two of them?”
“No one knows, but for the longest time Jace was head over heels for her. Then a while back, they started avoiding each other like the plague. He doesn’t talk about it.”
“She doesn’t either. As long as I’ve known her, he’s been a sore subject. When he comes to the apartments, she finds somewhere else to be.”
“Kids these days, I swear,” I said dramatically. “Speaking of, I’m glad ours get along so well. At least we have that going for us.”
Sierra started laughing and after a minute or two, I reached around and pinched her ass with a growl.
“What the hell’s so funny?”
“They’re in a honeymoon period just like we are, babe,” Sierra explained. “It’s all nice and calm. We’re getting to know each other and everything the other person does is kind of cute. But in a bit - could be tomorrow, could be in two years - they’re gonna fight and hate each other, at least for a little while. Probably on and off again for the rest of their lives.”
“Really?”
“Oh, yeah,” Sierra shrugged. “We’ll do the same. It’s natural.”
“I could never hate you,” I told her.
“I saw that look you gave me when I loaded the dishwasher. I call bullshit, mister.”
“Whatever,” I rolled my eyes like I had seen my daughter do a million times. “I did a lot of thinking today and I picked out the song I want for our first dance. Sonny agreed to play guitar. I hope you like it.”
“I’m sure I will,” Sierra told me as she scooted closer and kissed me softly on the lips. “I like pretty much everything you do so far.”
“Everything?”
“So far,” she murmured. “Maybe we should keep trying new things so I’ll have a comparison. Make a top ten list or something.”
“In that case,” I pulled her on top of me easily and ran my hands down her sides. “We better get to work.”