Rushing the Goal (Assassins #8)(34)

“Oh, my mom and I do the same. Thankfully, I only had kids with the second guy,” Shawna laughed, bringing them into another room.

“Lucky. She didn’t,” Autumn added and Lucy gave her a look.

“Really, Mom?”

“What?” she asked innocently as Shawna laughed.

“It’s fine. Okay, so what are we looking for?”

“I don’t know.” She eyed all the dress, and Lucy’s throat was thick with emotion at the look on her mother’s face. She was giddy, almost like this was her first marriage, her first love, and it was beautiful. “Baby, you think I can pull off a short dress?” she asked then, pointing to a gorgeous, tea length, off-white A-line dress that had a lace bodice and pearls all over it.

“I think you can,” she said simply. “It’s pretty.”

“But what about my legs?”

Lucy shrugged. “What? They’ll show?”

Autumn gave her a stern look. “No, I mean, do you think that’s okay? It’s a Christmas wedding,” she said to Shawna and she nodded.

“You might be chilly. Do you want a poofy dress?”

Autumn laughed. “Oh, Jesus, no. I’m fifty-four!”

“What! I wouldn’t think you were a day over thirty,” Shawna said with a wink, and Autumn’s laughter filled the shop. Lucy giggled as she leaned back against the puffy white couch, watching as Shawna went back and forth, showing them options, with Autumn having the final say. When they finally had four dresses picked out, Shawna took a very thrilled Autumn to the dressing room to start trying them on.

Letting out a long breath, Lucy picked up her phone and went into her group message with the boys.

Lucy: Mom is so happy.

Jace: You guys shopping? Avery said something about wedding dresses today.

Lucy: Yeah. It’s supersweet.

Jayden: Good, she needs to be happy.

Jude: Yeah, for sure. Send us pictures.

Lucy: I will. They set a date.

Jude: When?

Lucy: Christmas.

Jayden: Cool.

Jude: Awesome.

Jace: Good, all of us will be there.

Jude: But man, that means you only have a couple more months before your wife is your sister, Jay.

Jace: Yeah, that sucks. Can you guys even do it then?

Lucy: I think that’s incest.

Jayden: I hate you all. All of you.

Lucy laughed as she laid her phone down and watched as her mother came out in each dress. She didn’t like the first three and neither did her mom, but when she came out in an A-line, princess V-neck, floor-length chiffon dress with beading along the bodice and cascading ruffles on the skirt, Lucy sat up straight, holding back the tears. The dress fit her mother perfectly. It fell along her curves and gave her such a sexy shape.

“Oh, Mommy, that’s the one,” she gasped, covering her mouth. Shawna nodded as Autumn looked in the mirror, holding back her own tears. Getting a birdcage veil that was made of the same chiffon, Shawna pulled Autumn’s long, brown hair to the side and pinned it up, transforming Lucy’s mother into a bride. Turning, her mom looked back at her and grinned.

“I think it’s the one.”

“It is,” Lucy agreed, and then out of nowhere, Autumn squealed. Loudly. Making practically everyone in the shop jump, Lucy included. That had her laughing so hard, tears started to roll down her cheeks. Man, she was so happy for her mom. Getting up, she ran to her mother and held her tightly, the love for her and this moment overwhelming her.

She wanted this.

She wanted it so badly.

When Autumn pulled back, cupping Lucy’s face, she beamed at her as she wiped her tears away. “You’re next, my love.”

Lucy scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Gotta raise Angie first.”

But that made Autumn’s smile drop and her eyes narrow. “What?”

She was confused as she held her mother’s hazel gaze. “I need to raise Angie, and then I can worry about me.”

“What in the world makes you think that?”

“I don’t think it. I know it. I don’t have time for a relationship,” she said, but Autumn shook her head.

“The hell you don’t. You make time. You can’t just nurture that baby, Lucy Lane, you have to nurture you too.”

“No, Angie is all that matters, Mom. One day, I’ll worry about my needs.”

But again, her mother was shaking her head. “Lucy Lane, no. I know you worry about that baby, I know you want to do right by her, but how can you when you aren’t satisfied with where you are in life?”

Lucy’s face scrunched up. Why did everyone think she was unhappy? “Mom, I’m good.”

“Don’t lie to me, girl,” her mother snapped and Lucy’s eyes widened.

“I’m not.”

“You are so. You’re moving through life, only worrying about Angie and her wishes, and forgetting all about you,” she said. Her words had truth to them, but Lucy was fine. She really was. “When was the last time you went on a date?”

Lucy thought for a moment. She didn’t remember. Fuck, she really didn’t remember. Clearing her throat, she looked away and shrugged. “I don’t know, a couple months ago.”

“Liar.”

“Okay, Mom, what’s your point?” she asked, frustrated.