Page 55 of Father of the Bride
The casita door whispered shut behind Sunny as she slipped out into the night.
She couldn’t stop smiling.
The world seemed different somehow. Sharper. Clearer. Sweeter. The stars above seemed impossibly bright. Even the air tasted richer, like it had been spun with sugar.
Every part of her hummed with the remnants of the pleasure Mark had given her.
She hadn’t felt like this in years.
Sex with Orion always felt good enough, but the edges were tinged with pain and regret. With Mark, it felt like everything was right side up again. She could breathe. She wasalive.
Sunny glanced back once, feeling warmth bloom in her chest at the sight of the casita. Her first love was in there. She hated that she couldn’t spend the rest of the night with him.
But it was too risky.
The thought of consequences should have sobered her, but it didn’t. It just made the night feel even more delicious, like she was walking through a dream she didn’t want to end.
But then—
A shiver raced up her spine.
She slowed her pace, the hem of her coverup fluttering around her calves.
The air around her shifted as if to accommodate the presence of something else. Something…human. She turned her head, eyes sweeping the lawn.
Nothing but shadows. Swaying palms.
Still, the sensation prickled along her skin, the distinctive feeling of being seen.
Her heart sped up. She walked faster, but with deliberate even-keeled energy. Just a brisk late night walk. Nothing to see here.
She reached the house just a few moments later, slipping inside the door, closing it carefully. She leaned against it for a moment, chest rising and falling, her mind racing.
Someone had seen her.
She didn’t know who, and she didn’t know what they made of her being out so late, but something told her the night’s secrets wouldn’t stay hidden for long.
Chapter 18
Friday-Onedayuntil the wedding
Sunny smoothed down her black sundress as she approached the sun-drenched veranda, feeling like a scarlet letter had been stitched onto the front of it overnight. She was practically oozing with the guilt of what she and Kez had done just a few short hours before, her skin still tingling in places she shouldn’t be thinking about while walking into aprayerbreakfast, of all things.
She inhaled deeply, relishing the scent of bacon, pastries, and coffee that filled the air. The delicious aroma made her reconsider her guilt. After all, she figured, heathens have to eat, too.
She cast a subtle glance around the long table where the family and bridal party were gathering. No Mark, yet, but lots of new faces and a few that were very familiar.
They smiled when they saw her. Two knucklehead little boys that had grown into nice young men.
“Ms. Dixon!” was Judah’s greeting. He was an aerospace engineer Davion had met in undergrad. Tall and lanky with shoulder-length locs, and just as handsome as he could be. She embraced him warmly, happy he was here.
Edric…well, she wasn’t as happy to see him. He was Dav’s friend from back in middle school, a fireman now, but a bit of a womanizer. He reminded Sunny of Orion, so he only got a polite side hug.
Chanel number five beat Brooklyn by just a couple of seconds as she rushed over to hug Sunny, looking radiant in a bright orange wrap dress.
“Did you sleep well?” was her greeting.
Sunny studied the girl, deciding immediately that she wasn’t the one who had seen her leaving the casita last night. She wouldn’t be this happy to see her.
