The Fae Book 3: Butcher and Raine

Epilogue (Raine): Only For You

"Married?" 

My question came out more like a croak, and I felt like I needed water to hydrate my suddenly parched throat. The urge to start laughing hysterically was also trying to overwhelm me, but I couldn't allow that to happen since I needed to get to the bottom of this and find out what was going on.

Married. Butcher had brought me to the courthouse to attend a wedding, my own wedding, without telling me. Really, really needed my brain to kick in, but fortunately, my mother, Daisy and Harmony surged forward.

Harmony looked over at the judge and  said, "Give us ten minutes."

They swept me out of the judge's chambers and whisked me into the nearest bathroom.

"OK, I thought Harmony and I pulled our weddings together fast," Daisy said, "But he called Burr and Hatch twenty minutes ago. Twenty minutes ago! And he said we had twenty minutes to get to the courthouse because you were getting married. He called your mom then, too, gave her the same spiel except he told her it was a surprise."

"No warning, Raine," Maman said, but there was a slight smile playing about her lips. I knew that over the last several months, Maman had come to understand and like Butcher. 

"We tried to call but you weren't answering."

I'd never heard my phone, so I suspected Butcher had made it not ring because he knew my friends.

"So, your mom, Daisy and I started a three-way call and we made plans as we were rushing to make it to the courthouse," Harmony said. "Your mom stopped to get flowers on the way here for you. I brought a couple of dresses, and Daisy handled the shoes." 

At that, they each pulled a dress from one of the bags.

"Choose your wedding dress," Harmony ordered as I looked at the three dresses in front of me. "Assuming you're going to marry him?"

I nodded, and selected a pale periwinkle dress, simple in its lines, flattering with its square neck.

"OK, that's your something new," Harmony said as she pulled the tag off of it.

"Here are the shoes, and I think this pair goes best," Daisy said and handed me a simple pair of nude heels with a tiny, sparkly bow above the heel of each.

"You can give those back to me, so there's your something borrowed," Daisy said.

I tore off my clothes, pulled the dress on and slipped into the heels.

"And I have the something old and something blue," Maman said, and she opened a long jewelry case she'd pulled from another bag. "Your father gave me this sapphire necklace the day after you were born, Raine. He said it reminded him of your eyes -- the color of rain. I always intended to give it to you on the day you got married, and here we are. And this lacy bit is the handkerchief my grandmother, my mother and I all carried on our wedding days."

Harmony fastened the necklace for me as Daisy and my mother looked on in approval. Then Harmony kissed my cheek, Daisy kissed my other cheek, and I drew them both in for a hug. We didn't need to say anything; words would have been superfluous at the moment.

"We'll go tell them you're ready," Daisy said softly, and she and Harmony walked out, leaving me with my mother.

From a simple, brown-handled bag, my mother pulled out a bouquet of red tulips tied with a white satin ribbon. "For eternal love," she said.

"Thank you, Maman. They're beautiful."

"You're a beautiful bride, Raine," Maman said with a slight catch in her voice. "I may be the one walking you to Macelliano, but I know that your father will be with us every step of the way."