luck with it, she opted to consign it. Six months later, the shop returned the dress to her when it hadn’t sold. It had been sitting in a storage unit with some of her grandmother’s belongings ever since. After Trudy had drilled her over its whereabouts first thing this morning, she’d spent an hour climbing around the storage unit until she found the blasted thing. She had hoped it wouldn’t still fit. Unlucky for her, it did.
“I can’t believe you wanted to wear a sundress today.”
“Grammy, it’s hot out. It was only a suggestion.” Belle flashed back to the morning of her first wedding. She’d been so happy and thrilled to begin a new life with Harlan.
Today brought a fresh start in a different way—a sense of closure. And she needed that to rid herself finally of the man she loved. Well, once loved. Her heart had slammed the door on that emotion long ago.
“You’re putting your hair up, right?” her grandmother asked.
“Yes.” Belle stared at her reflection in the mirror. She had to pull herself together and tamp down the desire to run for the nearest exit. If only she could draw the curtain on the disastrous movie of her first wedding that kept replaying in her head. Thankfully they weren’t doing this in the church again. Belle had her limits and that would have pushed them to the max. She inhaled deep, summoning the strength and courage to get through the day and make her grandmother happy. Grabbing a brush and bobby pins from her bag, she gathered her hair into a low ponytail. “I’m wearing it in a French twist.”
“I loved that style the best out of all the ones Matilda showed us. Too bad she came down with a cold this morning.”
Matilda had been her grandmother’s hairdresser since the beginning of time. She’d been the master of the updo, but had died three years earlier.
“That’s all right, I can manage.” Despite her nerves about facing Harlan again wearing the same dress, with the same hairstyle, holding the same rings and set to recite the same vows, she enjoyed these quiet moments with her grandmother. She didn’t know how many more they had left. As painful as reliving the past was, she wouldn’t trade it in for anything in the world. She’d always thought it was impossible to turn back the hands of time, but that wasn’t entirely true. Now if she could only figure out how to stop time, she’d be set.
Samantha had become an impromptu wedding planner, buzzing around the nursing home and getting all the ambulatory residents ready to attend the ceremony. She even found time to put together a lovely bridal bouquet of fresh cut flowers from the garden. A few times, Belle had to remind herself that none of it was real.
Samantha popped her head in the door. “Are you ready? Your groom is waiting.”
This was the day she wished Harlan hadn’t shown up.
“I’m ready,” she lied. No amount of primping would make her ready either. At least she looked the part. A nurse’s aide came in and helped Trudy into a wheelchair. The walk down the corridor to the garden seemed a mile long. Her stomach twisted as Myra opened the door. And that’s when she saw them.
“Who invited all those people?” She glared at Myra.
“We thought you did,” Myra whispered as the aide and Trudy passed them. “We’ll be right there,” she said to Trudy.
“I did no such thing.” Belle’s pulse quickened. “We wanted to keep this quiet.” But they knew. They all knew. Probably thanks to the county clerk, Harlan’s boss, most of the nurses and the residents at the facility. When you get married in a small town, everybody knows. “Close the door.” Belle collapsed against the corridor wall, gasping for air. “I can’t do this.”
“Yes, you can.” Myra removed a handkerchief from her pocket and dabbed Belle’s forehead. “Far be it from me to pry, but I think I’ve known you long enough to understand why you’re marrying the man you should have castrated years ago. You and Harlan both got caught up in the charade for Trudy’s sake. Despite the insanity of it, I admire the sacrifice you’re making for her.”
“Now we’re deceiving everyone.” Belle paced the small area. “This should have been a personal moment meant for my grandmother. One we’d quietly undo later. Do you realize how many people will be furious with us when we have this annulled? There better not be presents out there.”
Myra pocketed her handkerchief. “You can return them.” She opened the door again and smiled. “Now hide your crazy and get out there before Trudy wonders where you are.”
Belle blew out a breath along with a handful of expletives before squaring her shoulders. “Fine.”
The second her foot touched the garden’s stone pathway, a lone violin played Mendelssohn’s “Wedding March.” “What the—” Everyone turned to face her. There weren’t any chairs, so she had to walk through a throng of people before she reached Harlan, who appeared more dashing in a tuxedo this time around. Thank God she’d worn her gown. She would have looked out of place standing before him in her discount sundress.
She stood under the rose-covered arbor in front of many of their friends and neighbors. The same ones she stood in front of once before. Harlan reached for both of her hands and squeezed them tight. Fear reflected in his eyes. She’d seen that same fear eight years ago to the day. And this time she had it, too. She couldn’t tell if she was close to passing out or throwing up. Either way, she wasn’t sure she’d remain on her feet much longer.
“Are you okay?” Harlan asked.
“No, but let’s get this over with,” she whispered. Reverend Grady frowned at her comment, but she felt too ill to concern herself with his feelings.
“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony.”
Holy matrimony. Holy. Matrimony. The words sounded foreign and terrifying at the same time. She braved a glance at the crowd and immediately wished she hadn’t. Her grandmother looked beautiful in her purple dress. It was the same dress she’d worn to her wedding the first time. One of the nurses had taken great care in altering it to accommodate Trudy’s dramatic weight loss.
“I do,” Harlan said.
What?
“And do you, Belle Elizabeth Barnes, take this man to be your lawful husband...” Anything the reverend said after that sounded like the teacher’s voice on the Peanuts cartoon. Harlan gave her hand a gentle squeeze at her cue.
“I do.”
“May I please have the rings?” Reverend Grady asked.
Harlan’s eyes widened as he mouthed I forgot rings. Belle shook her head subtly to reassure him she hadn’t. Only because her grandmother wouldn’t let her forget.
Trudy handed the rings to the reverend and he blessed them.
“Harlan, please slide this ring on Belle’s finger and repeat after me. With this ring, I pledge my commitment.”
Harlan’s intense gaze met hers as the cold, hard band slid onto her finger. “With this ring, I pledge my commitment.” And she knew deep in her heart he meant those words. Eight years after the fact, but she truly believed he would commit to this marriage as long as her grandmother recognized it.
“Belle, please place this
