Starfire (Peaches Monroe #3)(81)
Author: Mimi Strong

He didn’t answer.

I pulled the phone away from my ear slowly.

The icon was red, showing the call had ended. He was gone.

“And there we have it,” I said to my empty room, like a crazy person.

CHAPTER 40

Nobody answered. My phone remained silent, the screen turned black.

“Peaches has laid her heart out,” I said in my announcer voice. “Will Dalton return her love? Or will he continue to play mind games with her until the end of time? Does Peaches regret not going to Italy to be with Keith Raven? Yes, she kinda does.”

Someone knocked on my bedroom door. “Are you on the phone?” Shayla asked.

“Nope. Just talking to myself. Come on in.”

Shayla came in, an exaggerated smile on her face. “Peaches,” she breathed. “What do you think about me being in… movies? Jake says he wants to make me a star.”

I shrugged. “Whatever you want to do, I’ll support you completely.”

She frowned. “Fuck. I was hoping to get a rise out of you. Are you okay? Feeling nervous about the big day?”

I looked at the watch on my wrist—the beautiful watch Dalton bought me in San Francisco. Had it only been two weeks ago? I was so mixed up, I couldn’t even figure out the time from the watch face. I had to look over at my digital alarm clock to figure out it was half past two.

“It’s two-thirty,” I said. “I’m planning to hold off a few hours before I start freaking out.”

“This time tomorrow you will be drinking mimosas with me. And then, another six hours later, you’ll be married,” Shayla said.

“We’ll see about that.”

She grabbed my hand. “What happened to your ring? It’s all green.”

I’d been sitting on my bed, and now I let myself fall back onto it. “Long story,” I said.

She climbed onto the bed next to me. “Mitchell already told me about the ring. Wow, it doesn’t look like it was in someone’s stomach. Are you sure it’s the exact same one?”

“Does it matter?” I groaned.

My phone began to ring, but it wasn’t the ringtone I’d programmed in for Dalton, so I didn’t move to answer it.

“Do you want me to answer that?” Shayla asked.

“Tell them I died.”

She answered the phone, then handed it to me. “It’s your uncle, the mayor,” she said.

I sat up and begrudgingly took the phone.

“Don’t hide up here all day,” she said.

“I’ll be down in ten minutes,” I said to Shayla.

“I kinda like Dalton’s father. You’d better not leave me alone with him,” she joked.

I waved her out of the room so I could talk to the mayor.

“Uncle Steve,” I said brightly.

“Excited about the big day?”

“Of course I am,” I said cheerily.

“Everything’s falling into place,” he said.

I told him I was glad.

He gave me an update on some of the arrangements he’d been making—super secret, hilarious arrangements.

Talking to him about our evil, nefarious plans made me smile, and lightened the weight on my shoulders.

Maybe, if I just hung in there, everything was going to work out just fine.

If not, at least that Saturday would be a memorable one, for the entire town.

CHAPTER 41

Saturday.

Wedding day.

Everyone around me was moving fast, talking fast, thinking fast. I looked at the face of the watch on my wrist. The hands seemed to be swirling around.

Suddenly it was three o’clock, and I had a mimosa in my hand.

We were still at the house. Shayla and Mitchell practiced a choreographed dance they were putting together for later that night. I watched from the couch in my pajamas, my wedding gown hanging up in my bedroom like the ghost of my future.

Suddenly it was four o’clock.

Nobody had heard from Dalton, or Vern. If they were going to arrive on time for the wedding, they would have to be in the air by now.

My mother arrived and forcibly dragged me off the couch. I insisted I had plenty of time, and that if I didn’t, I’d just wear my flannel pajamas and everyone could kiss my ass. I was the damn bride. It was my special f**king day.

“She’s been like this all day,” Shayla said, then they demonstrated their dance for my mother.

Everyone was moving so fast. I twirled the green ring on my finger, then pulled it off to give to my mother. “Here’s the ring for Kyle,” I said.

She demanded to know where the real ring was.

I blinked up at her.

My attendants flew into action, explaining the whole thing to her, including a dramatic re-enactment, with Mitchell pretending to throw up the ring.

My mother didn’t seem impressed. She turned to me. “You got a tattoo? Peaches, those are permanent.” She shook her head. “Now go get yourself into the shower this minute. You smell like a thrift store sofa.”

Head nodded down, I obediently plodded upstairs and climbed into the tub.

~

We drove up to the site of the wedding in my new car, with Mitchell driving, and Shayla holding my hand in the back seat.

The photographer who was covering the wedding for the exclusive magazine photos sat in the front seat, taking photos.

She’d arrived in town with little fanfare, by helicopter, but without her entourage of assistants. She insisted we all call her by her first name, Ruby, and treat her exactly the way we would a regular wedding photographer.

“This is how I got my start,” she’d said. “Taking photos of beautiful brides like you, on their special day. Of course that was fifteen years ago, and all the technology has only made it easier.”

Ruby kept clicking photos, swapping out digital memory cards as needed. Eventually, I did get used to her being there, but not so comfortable that I let down my guard and showed my true emotions. There’s nothing sadder than a sad bride, and sad brides don’t sell magazines.

We arrived at the cabin, and my mouth opened in shock.

The wedding would be here, after all.

There were still a few signs of construction in progress, but the location had been transformed by the tents and decorations. The trees surrounding the area were strung with so many lanterns, streamers, and bundles of flowers, it looked like something from a fantasy movie about elves.

My wedding helpers had hired a local florist, Gabriella’s, to do the flowers. Looking at their arrangements, I finally understood why that florist has such an amazing reputation in town.