33. ‘Raven’

THIRTY-THREE

I can’t believe it’s been almost two months since Ash asked me to marry him. Of course, I said yes. Why wouldn’t I? Though I told him we should just elope and go to Las Vegas. Both of our moms’ mouths dropped open and by the looks on their faces, I couldn’t go through with that idea. Now I wish I would have.

My God, it’s turning into a frigging circus. Finally, I had to put my foot down—no, I stomped my foot down—in my parents’ house with both my mom and Ash’s mom there, as well as my two sisters and some of my club sisters, and Momma Diane.

“Just a friendly reminder, Mom, and, Mom, this is Ash’s and my wedding and this time it’s going to be what we want, got it? I love you both with all of my heart, but no, we are not doing homemade soaps—sorry, Gertie—or little bottles of Jack Daniels, Mom, that Dad suggested. I’ve been trying to decide what to do and have come up with a couple of ideas I’ll share with everyone in a bit. First, I want to go over where we are going to get married. No, zip it, both of you, and I mean that with the utmost respect. Ash and I talked and we’d like to have the wedding in the meadow on your property, Gertie. You know, my favorite spot. That way everyone we love is there, including the little one we lost. Please don’t cry because I’ll start and won’t be able to stop.”

“Next, the reception. I’m sorry, Mom, I can’t have it in your and Dad’s pole barn. Too many bad memories. We could have at the Sterling ranch but again we talked, and I want to have it at Tink’s ranch. The Devil’s Handmaidens club and sisters are a very huge part of my life. I know what you’re going to say, nothing at my parents’ house. Well, maybe the bridal shower if you want, Mom. The rehearsal dinner will be at the Wooden Spirit Bar and Grill. If you both want to meet me there next week, we can go over the menu with the cook. Okay, fire away?”

Mom looks at both Bray and Onyx before she asks quietly and hesitantly.

“Brenna, have you decided on the wedding party or are you not having one? Also is your dad going to walk you down the aisle?”

I get it now, Mom thinks I’m pushing them out. Silly me, sometimes I forget how she gets insecure.

“Yeah, Mom, we have our wedding party kind of picked out. It’s so hard because we want everyone who means something to us to be involved, but if we do that most of our guests will be part of the wedding party. Once Ash and I finalize everyone, you and Gertie will be the first to know, okay? Oh, of course, Dad is walking me down the aisle. Who else would I have do it?”

She just smiles and shakes her head. Now I look over to the women I’ve come to know and love. Tink, Shadow, Glory, Taz, Vixen, Wildcat, Rebel, Peanut, Heartbreaker, Kiwi, Duchess, and the kids: Dani, Dottie, Kitty, Squirt and our newest prospect, Addie. Not sure she’ll work out, she’s one of our survivors who has no one and didn’t want to leave the ranch or the club sisters. For the entire club to be here is just short of a miracle. We have our part-timers working our businesses, which doesn’t happen very often. There’s always at least one sister helping at each business.

“I need your help with a bunch of things I want to do at the wedding. First, it has to be outside so we have to have a contingency plan in case the weather doesn’t comply. Also being outside, I was thinking maybe something to cover just the area where we are and also where everyone will sit. You know, to keep the sun from beating down on us. Third, and most important, I want to get married either in the spring or fall. To me those are the best times in Timber-Ghost. Maybe we can all get together and try and figure out what will work.”

I see Heartbreaker fall forward like someone pushed her. Looking behind her I see Wildcat with a shit-eating grin. Okay, what’s this about? Then Heartbreaker explains it to everyone.

“Um, Raven, in my prior life before I screwed up with the drugs and shit, I was sort of a party planner. So, if you need any help, I’d be honored to assist if you want me to. If not, no hard feelings.”

She steps back kind of embarrassed, which shows she still is feeling out of sorts from her falling back into her drug habit during all of Tink’s shit. It’s time to let it go.

“Well, hot damn, Heartbreaker, that’s a serious ‘hell yeah’ from me. I’m thinking I can use all the help I can get. With you, both moms, and my sisters, maybe this shindig will turn out halfway decent if I’m lucky.”

Taz pushes her way through and hands me a book filled with all kinds of stuff. When I open it, I’m shocked to see some of the same things I’ve already picked as my favorites. With stunned eyes, I look at her and she grins.

“How did you know, Taz? These are the ones I’ve bent the pages down in the bridal magazines.”

“Yeah, I know, because I asked Ash to take pictures of all of those and send them to me. Once I had them, we all worked on it and managed to get it together. Raven, it’s a starting spot, lots of decisions. Oh, we did include both Onyx and Bray in the putting of it together as they seem to know some of what you like. It was a joint effort, sister, by your sisters.”

I feel them but try to hold them back, until I see my mom hugging both Onyx and Bray before she grabs Gertie and they stand together, tears running down their faces. Been a long time coming. Then I hear that voice.

“Oh, come on already, shit, thought this was going to be a fun time filled with laughs not a sappy bunch of women crying, for fuck’s sake.”

When Momma Diane, Gertie, and my mom glare at Shadow, she drops her head.

“Um, sorry, moms, didn’t mean to use that kind of language in front of all of you. Just that this ain’t fun and I got shit, I mean stuff, to do. Are we done?”

I shake my head at her but walk her way. Her eyes start to get bigger the closer I get to her. Then I lay it on her.

“Shadow, I have a huge favor to ask of you. Now listen to the whole question before you go off. Okay, I want everyone involved but for you, not sure you’ll want to because if you do then there is one item you can’t argue about. That item is that the day of the wedding I’ll need you to wear a formal dress.”

I hear everyone gasp as the room moves farther away from our enforcer. I’m pulling her leg, but I owe her for all the bullshit she’s put me through. I watch her face and can see the wheels turning. She wants to be a part of it but doesn’t want to wear a dress. So, I push it a bit farther.

“You do have a choice of colors though, Shadow. The main colors are teal, pink, purple, or green for spring; or orange, yellow, gray, or brown for fall. Which one do you think you’d like?”

I can feel it coming but try to keep a straight face. Well, until she literally turns around to see everyone is waiting for her answer. Thought she would have blown by now but she shocks the shit out of me. So much I actually snort after her answer.

“Well, Raven, I’m guessin’ probably the yellow or orange. They’d be the best with my dark hair, don’t you think?”

My mouth is hanging open and that’s when she raises her hand and gives me the bird. Everyone starts laughing and chuckling while I realize she turned the table on me. How did she know?

“Girl, you don’t have a poker face. And if you did want me to wear a dress those wouldn’t be your fuckin’ colors, that’s for goddamn sure. I think you’re losing your ability to be funny. I wonder if falling back in love with your cowboy and getting it reg—umps…

I literally walk-run to her to cover her big-ass mouth. Mom and Gertie are both busting a gut while Momma Diane is watching them with a huge grin on her face. Looking around, I see everyone is enjoying the Shadow/Raven show. That is until I see Onyx and Bray watching us both with tears in their eyes. I let my club sister go and walk over to my given sisters. I reach and pull them close, hanging on tightly. I whisper so only they can hear me, “I love you both so very much.” They in turn tell me the same.

After much discussion and deliberation, everyone starts to leave to go about their afternoon business. I see Tink sitting at the end of the table so I make my way to her. I need to thank her for the spread she had waiting when everyone arrived. She looks up at me, smiling.

“I’m so very happy for you, Raven. If anyone deserves a happily ever after, it’s you. The ranch is yours to do with what you want. Just let me know and we will get it done. How are you doing otherwise?”

We sit and catch up for at least an hour or longer. She seems to be doing okay, getting most of her strength back, though at times she still seems to struggle a bit. Ash’s asshole father put her through so much. I hope he’s rotting in hell.

“Tink, not sure I ever told you, but one, I’m so sorry for what Cliff did, and two, thank you for all everyone in the club did for both Ash and me. It means the world and I’ll owe you until the day I no longer breathe.”

She grabs my hands before she replies.

“Raven, that is what we do for each other. Good and bad times when we are healthy or sick. Our club is almost like a marriage in a way. We always have each other’s backs and never let a sister down. You’ve been there for me so many times, I can’t count anymore. And thanks for getting back to work sooner than I thought you would. These trafficking circuits are getting out of hand, even though we took down a large majority of the Thunder Cloud Knuckle Brotherhood. Especially from Timber-Ghost, thank God. From what you’ve researched there are still some around this area, though in a much smaller population. Now I need to get back to the main house before Noodles sends out a search party. He’s beyond a mother hen, though don’t tell him I said that.”

“She don’t have to, Sweet Pea, I heard it with my own ears.”

We both turn around, shocked to see Noodles and Ash standing in the doorway, both grinning. Damn, did we both get super lucky.

After Tink and Noodles leave, Ash takes the seat next to me.

“How’d it go? I was waiting in case you needed backup, but just like I thought, you got through it. Who was a bigger pain in the ass, your mom or mine?”

As we talk about what’s coming our way, it hits me at that moment, our lives are ever evolving. I had no idea when Ash walked out of our engagement party, thinking that was it for us, then jump forward a few years that we’d be back together planning our wedding yet again. Though this time there’s nothing or no one to come between us. Then after that day we will have the rest of our lives to, well yeah, just live our lives. Something I can’t wait to start.