“Okay chick pill your guts.”
“Okay but tell me where to start.”
“With all the damn security.”
I tell Laura about the threats and whathappened with Mr. Not Important, aka Melvin Martins. “Holy shit! But you’reokay? Nothing happened? He didn’t hurt you?”
“No. He wanted me to give Cole a message.I think he wanted to make a point that I’m an easy target and not to mess withthem.”
“So what was with all the to do lastnight?”
“What do you mean?”
“You know. How we all suddenly left.”
“Oh well, um — Melvin Martins was at theclub last night.” I smile reassuringly, trying not to freak Laura out too much.“Cole and I never really talked about it. Did my mom say anything last nightbefore I came up?”
Laura scoffs. “No. Your mom just glaredat me while she waited for you in the foyer. And Kathy, Jill and Annie were talkingall hush-hush when I came up, but stopped.”
“Laura, I don’t care what my familythinks anymore. I want to live my own life and I finally feel like I have thatchance with Cole.”
“Do you think she’ll mess up what you andCole have?”
I shake my head. “No. Cole and I alreadycrossed that path thanks to, Olivia. We’re committed to each other no matterwhat, even if my mother, or Olivia, or Mr. Not Important, or whoever, tries tostand in our way.”
“What did your mom say to you lastnight?”
“Nothing that you didn’t hear. Cole mademe wait in the car while he got out and talked to her. Whatever she said tohim, it wasn’t nice.”
“Cole didn’t tell you?” Laura gives me anervous look.
“Um—he just said she thinks Cole haschanged me.”
“He has, you know.”
I smile. “Yeah, I know. I like who I amwith him, Laura. I feel happy and loved like I never thought possible.”
“It shows. When you’re with him, you’realways smiling and happy. Unless Jill and your mom are around causingproblems.”
“Very true.” I roll my phone over in myhands and see it’s 10:45. “Oh crap, we better get moving if we’re going to beready by noon.”
At quarter to twelve, I emerge from thebedroom. I want my mother to know how upset I am with her, and the usual way Ido that is I avoid her. There’s still one place in my home that’s off limits toher and that’s the bedroom I share with Cole, and she knows it.
My grandma Alice is sitting in the chairreading a book. “Good morning, Gran.” I stoop down, kissing her forehead. Mygrandma makes me happy. Cole makes me happy. My life with him makes me happy.It’s these thoughts I hold on to, trying to keep my tone light and the smile onmy face. That and despite my mother’s rant last night, Cole didn’t stay away.
“Good morning, Katie girl.” She pats myhead.
“Are you ready to go?”
“Yes, lead the way.”
“Good morning,” I say to Jill and Kathy,who are sitting at the counter talking quietly. “Are you ready to help me pickout a wedding dress?”
They look at me in bewilderment. I justsmile bigger and they fuzz into the background as I think about the way Iwrithed helpless under Cole this morning while we made love. I hold mygrandma’s arm to steady her up the stairs. Keaton is standing guard thismorning. “Good morning Keaton.”
“Good morning, Mrs. Holt, good morning,Ma’am.” He nods to my grandma.
“Good morning, young man.”
