A March Bride (A Year of Weddings 1 #4)(10)

“I always wanted to get married under the oaks on Christ Church grounds.”

“And you’ll be there, Suz, kinda. On a movie screen via a projection TV. Your mama assured me she’ll get one of your aunts or uncles to get your granny there. I even invited your college friends. We’ll be with you, Suz, I promise. If not in body, then in spirit.”

Homesickness hooked her heart and furrowed deep. “I miss you, Grace.”

“Miss you back, Suzy-Q. Big time. It’s not the same around here without you. My baby girl needs to know her Auntie Suz!”

“It’s a girl?”

“Naw, we couldn’t tell on the first ultrasound. I’m just speaking it out loud in case God hasn’t made up His mind yet. We’ll know on the second ultrasound. Hopefully.”

Suddenly, Susanna wanted to go home. Now.

She needed the sunshine soaking through her skin and warming her cold bones. To walk on the beach. Bury her toes in the wet sand. To get lost in the hubbub of the Rib Shack on a Friday night. To curl up with baby sister Avery on a Sunday afternoon for a classic movie marathon.

“Listen, here’s your mama. I’ll e-mail you soon, okay? But I know you’re going to be so busy, Susanna. My girl, a real-life queen.”

“No, just a princess. We decided to let Nathaniel’s mom be the only queen.”

“Then a real-life princess. Frankly, I like princess better, don’t you? Feels more Disney.”

“Yeah. Disney.” This wedding felt nothing like a fairy tale.

“I’m really, really sorry about this, Susanna.”

“It’s not like you did it on purpose. I understand.” She did, but it hurt.

“You’re going to be a beautiful bride. We’ll all be praying for you and cheering you on. Go get ’em. Show the world how a good ole Georgia redneck does it.”

In one sentence, Gracie summed up everything twisting and turning in Susanna’s heart.

The life she knew was over. Once she said “I will” to Nathaniel, Susanna Jean Truitt from St. Simons Island, Georgia, USA, would be “dead.”

She’d be a totally new person. Princess Susanna of Brighton Kingdom. Wife of a king. From private citizen to public.

A Brightonian. A European. She was even changing continents.

Susanna turned to Nathaniel, who’d perched on the edge of the wing chair, waiting. She loved him. She did, and her heart beat with that truth.

But was it enough?

“Shug.” Mama was back on the line. “Don’t worry, we’ll have things buttoned down by the time of your wedding so Daddy and I can be there with—”

“What? What do you mean so you and Daddy ‘can be here’? You have two brothers and four sisters who can look in on Granny.”

“Simmer down, Suz. I’m just saying you don’t have to worry about us not making it because Granny’s sick. Grandpa can take care of the little things, and I’ll draw up a schedule so everyone knows when it’s their turn to take care of them.”

No one in the family dared buck a Glo Truitt schedule.

“Mama, g-give Granny my love. Tell her I’m praying for her.” Susanna sank down to the couch cushion, trembling, drained, exhausted.

“Will do, Suzy-Q. She’s devastated to miss this, but we want her well enough to see your children. Now don’t you worry about a thing. Focus on Nate and your wedding. We’ll see you in a few weeks. I hope Gracie’s not being able to come doesn’t dampen things too much.”

“Even so, it can’t be helped, Mama.”

The conversation moved to small talk. The Rib Shack business was picking up nicely as word got out that the owners’ daughter was marrying a king.

Avery was focused on the last months of her senior year and final volleyball season. Another athletic scholarship arrived for her. Ohio State. Which she was seriously considering.

Daddy’s heart checkup went smooth as a whistle, but Mama fought him on his diet. “Can’t be eating no fried catfish and hush puppies for dinner every week.”

But Susanna struggled to listen, to engage. She was busy looking at the signs. Was this marriage really going to work?

By the time the call ended, Susanna was confused, tired, and suffering from a full-blown bout of homesickness.

“What’s going on at home, Suz?” Nathaniel asked. “Is Granny all right? Grace?”

“No, I mean, yes, technically they are all right. But everything is going wrong.” Susanna recapped the call, working to sound rational and reasonable when she felt like weeping.

“Love, I’m sorry.”

“It is what it is.” The mantel clock chimed midnight. Susanna fixed her gaze on Nathaniel. “I want to go home.”

“Agreed.” He moved to sit next to her. “How about I adjust our honeymoon plans? We’ll travel to St. Simons Island first thing after our wedding. Stay at my, our, cottage. Then we can go to our secret destination.” He gave her a wicked smile, sweeping her close to him, kissing her cheek.

The honeymoon plans were his alone, and Susanna made a game of trying to lure the information out of him. Nathaniel played along, pretending she’d guessed correctly, or worse, that he’d let their destination slip from his lips.

Yes, we’re going to Dollywood! How did you guess?