Leave a Trail (Signal Bend #7)(112)

“Darlene? Are you okay?”

She tittered nervously. “Oh, yes. I wanted to talk to you about somethin’, but I’m not sure how to start.”

Now Adrienne felt a little worry. “Is there a problem?” She turned in her seat at the vanity and gestured toward a nearby armchair. Darlene sat.

“No. It’s just…okay.” She sighed. “I want to talk to you about who Justin is. What it means that he’s not really Justin anymore. He’s Badger. Horde.”

Now Adrienne felt more worry. Was this going to be some kind of ill-timed warning? “Darlene, you don’t have to—”

Darlene held up her hand, and Adrienne didn’t finish her sentence. “I know. I just want to say that maybe it seems strange that a mom would see her boy hurt like Jus—Badger’s been hurt and still be at peace with the life he chose. I know for a while some people in town didn’t understand it. I let him think that he’s keepin’ stuff from me, but he’s not. Hank, too. He knows. We talk about it. We worry. I just want to let you know that just because we don’t meddle in his choices, it don’t mean we don’t care.”

“I don’t think that. I’d never think that. Badger doesn’t think that. He loves you guys.”

She smiled and reached out to pat Adrienne’s hand. The pads of her fingers were rough and grooved with work. “You really are a sweet girl. The Horde does a lot of good. I know you know it, but I just want to say that we know it, too. Hank and me, we owe them a lot, more than we could ever repay. When Justin was hurt so bad, laid up in the clubhouse, and he didn’t want us around, that was hard. It’s hard to see your own child sufferin’ like he was—and not bein’ able to do anything was worse. But we knew he was in good hands. We trusted the club. We knew they’d take care. Maybe I had a different life in mind for my baby, but I know he’s in the life that’s right for him. I just…I just felt like I wanted you to know that.”

Darlene had let her hand lie on Adrienne’s through that whole speech. Now she seemed to realize it, and she twitched and began to pull away. Adrienne caught her and held that work-aged hand in both of hers. “I do know it. Badger is so lucky. You love him without judgment. You understand him. That makes you special to me.” She lifted Badger’s mom’s hand and kissed it.

“Oh, honey. You are a treasure.”

There was a quick knock at the door, and Shannon opened it and leaned in. “I’m sorry, but it’s getting to be about time, I think.”

With a quick squeeze of Adrienne’s hand, Darlene stood and smoothed out the skirt of her dress. “Okay.

I’m gonna take Jason’s arm and have him walk me down the aisle. I’ll see you in a few minutes.” At the door, she turned back. “You are just beautiful, Adrienne. Inside and out. An angel sent from heaven just for us.” She blew a little kiss and left.

Alone with Shannon, Adrienne looked up into the mirror to see her mother, this mother, smiling at her, almost glowing with love. Adrienne felt the warmth of it in her heart.

“You really do look perfect, Ade. Like something out of old Hollywood. You just need one more touch.

Something borrowed.” She reached into her handbag and handed Adrienne a black velvet box.

“What’s this?”

Shannon made a diffident shrug. “Just something I bought in my old life, before Signal Bend.”

Adrienne opened the box and found a magnificent pair of art deco, diamond and pearl drop earrings set in platinum. “Oh. Oh, Shannon. Oh, my God. These are…oh, my God. Are you sure you trust me with these?”

“I trust you with anything, Ade.” She took the box back and lifted an earring out. “They’re antique, with a screw back. Not for pierced ears. Do you need help?”

“Please.” Adrienne tipped her head, presenting her ear to Shannon.

When she had her earrings, and her tiara, and her perfect hair, she stood, a white silk dressing gown loose over her ivory corset and gartered stockings—something that was aggressively not her style, but she didn’t wander around her life wearing a tiara and diamond earrings, either. She let the robe drop away, and Shannon helped her ease into her dress. Finally, she slipped into a pair of vivid blue peau de soie kitten heels—her ‘something blue’—and she was…ready? Yes, she was ready to get married.

As Shannon and she held hands and said nothing, there was a knock at the door. Shannon went to the door and peeked out, making sure it wasn’t Badger. “Hey, you.”

From the other side of the door, Adrienne heard Show’s voice. “Hey, hon. She ready? They’re good to go out here.”

Shannon turned back, her eyes wide and loving. “You ready?” At Adrienne’s nod, she lifted up her own small bouquet and handed Adrienne her larger. “Okay. I’ll meet you out front. I’ll check to make sure Lilli has Gia and Bo ready, but you know she does.”

Show came in as Shannon went out. He stopped near the door and stared. “Christ, little one. Look at you.”

She blushed and looked down at her dress. “It’s good?”

“It’s perfect. You’re perfect.”

She cast a surreptitious glance at the mirror. She did look pretty great. In the reflection, she saw Show come up to her and take her hand. “You know, if another man took my place when Rose or Iris or Millie get married, I don’t know how I’d deal with that.”