The Resurrection of Wildflowers (Wildflower #2)(80)

She lets me go, and turns back to Salem, launching back into wedding talk like she didn’t just threaten to kill me.

Women are hostile—at least Lauren is. I wouldn’t want to cross her. I have a feeling she knows how to hide a body and get away with it.

She leads us out to the parking lot and to a waiting SUV. We all climb in the back since there’s a driver.

“Anthony insisted,” Lauren explains of the driver. “He was worried about my road rage if I drove.”

Salem laughs, her eyes shining in amusement. “The man just knows you suck at driving.”

“Do not.” She sticks her tongue out. “I’m an excellent driver.”

“Tell that to your twenty plus speeding tickets.”

“It’s not that many. You’re exaggerating.”

The girls talk the entire way from the train station to her fiancé’s parent’s place. That’s where we’ll be staying since supposedly the place is huge.

We pull up to a gate that slowly opens to reveal…

Fuck, she wasn’t lying. This place isn’t just huge, it’s a whole fucking compound.

We’re let out at the front of the house, with the driver grabbing our bags.

“The guest house is this way,” Lauren says, motioning with her hand for us to follow.

Salem shoots me a look, thinking the same thing I am, that there’s a whole separate house for guests?

“This is where you all will be staying.” Lauren lets us into a cottage-like building on the property. “Rehearsal dinner is at six o’ clock out back. Don’t be late. I’ll leave you two to it for now.” She waves over her shoulder, taking a pathway toward the main house.

“This place is insane.” Salem spins around in a circle, taking it all in. “I can’t believe people live like this. This isn’t even their house. It’s for guests,” she hisses the last part under her breath like she’s afraid someone is going to pop out from behind the potted plant in the corner.

I take our bags into the bedroom, Salem trailing behind me.

We get ready for the dinner, and I dress up in a pair of gray slacks and a white button down. I’m rolling up my sleeves when Salem steps out of the bathroom. She takes my breath away in a blue dress, her hair curled and cascading down her back. Her eyes rake over me, and I look down at myself.

“This is all right, isn’t it? I know Lauren is particular. I have another shirt—”

“My husband is hot.”

I grin. “You think so?”

“Oh, yeah.”

“Stop looking at me like that or we’ll never make it to the dinner.”

“I wouldn’t mind … but Lauren would.”

She straightens my collar, smoothing her hand down my chest to rub out any wrinkles—at least I think that’s what she’s doing.

She takes a step back, her eyes zeroing in on the simple black band around my finger. “I wish my mom was still here. I think she’d be happy for us.”

“She would be.” I cup Salem’s cheek in one hand. She leans into my touch with a sigh. “She knew how much you meant to me.”

“She wanted this, didn’t she? Us together?”

“I think she wanted whatever would make you happy.”

Salem steps back, fanning her face. “I can’t cry. I don’t want to ruin my makeup.”

“By the way,” I say, leaning against the wall, “I was thinking my parents could come up to our place for Thanksgiving.”

She smiles, swiping a tissue to dab at the remaining moisture in her eyes. “I think that’s a great idea. I’d love to finally be able to meet them in person.”

Salem and Seda have been getting to know my parents through FaceTime calls for the past few months. It works fine, but it’s not the same as getting to know someone in person.

“They can be a bit much,” I warn, resting my hands on her hips. “I know they’re going to want to spoil Seda silly and probably tell you way too many embarrassing stories about me.”

“Family is important,” she reminds me. “Not everyone has a great one. My father was trash. They’re good people, I want them to come. Stop worrying over nothing.” She smooths out my brow with her thumb.

I smile. “I’ll try.”

“Good.” She takes a step back. “Let’s go to dinner. I’m starving.”





I haven’t seen Salem in hours. She left early in the morning to get ready with Lauren and the other bridesmaids. I take my seat, waiting for the ceremony to get underway and more than eager to see my wife.

While I’ve been waiting, I called my parents this morning and cemented the plans for them to come for Thanksgiving. I could tell they weren’t happy about the wait but understood where I was coming from when I laid it all out. We can’t take Seda out of school right now for a long trip, and besides I think it would be a bit much for her since she doesn’t really know them yet.

I also texted Laith to let him know everything was a go and all he did was reply with a one-word text of: Good.

Little dipshit. We’re adults and he’s still driving me crazy.

The wedding planner points me in the direction of my seat, and I head over there, giving a head nod to the group of people I’m seated with but don’t know. Most of these people seem familiar with one another, while I’m the odd man out. But that doesn’t bother me.