Of course, Mr. Snuggles has his own room.
The clock on the wall loudly ticks, reminding me of the time I’m wasting away from my woman. “Mrs. Jones, I’m fine. I’m going to head out.” I yell down the hallway that she retreated with her cock blocking cat almost fifteen minutes ago.
“I’ll be right there. Mr. Snuggles just needed me to read him a bedtime story," she yells back, and like the polite man my mama raised, I sit back down and wait.
After another ten minutes, she shows up with a first aid kit and takes her time bandaging my arm. “All done.” She pats my arm, smiling at her handiwork. “Now, how about some cookies and milk?”
“Sorry, Mrs. Jones, I have to go.” I stand and head toward the door, not giving her a chance to reply, as I open the front door and rush back to the community center garden, sixty minutes past when I told my Cinderella I would be back, only to find her gone without a trace.
three
Bale
Present Day
“Uncle Bale, you haven’tvoted on Aunt Jessa’s dress yet.” My six-year-old niece Molly jerks her head toward my sister-in-law Jessa, who’s standing on a small platform in the middle of the room wearing a white wedding gown.
Molly waves her voting paddle in the air like she’s at an auction, placing her bid—just like she did with the last seven dresses. Molly’s paddle is facing the side with the words, ‘Heck yes, say yes to the dress.’
My brother, Bay, is marrying Jessa, the mail-order bride that our sister-in-law, Junie, arranged for him without his knowledge. It’s clear it worked out, given the fact that this will be their second wedding in just a month.
Jessa and Bay were married four weeks ago by a justice of the peace. Now, they want to host a big wedding for family and friends at their mountain cabin.
“Didn’t they already get married last month?” I hold up my boutique-supplied paddle with the words ‘Oooh La La’ written on it with my vote.
“Yes, but it wasn’t a fancy one like this one is going to be. Isn’t that right, Uncle Bay?”
“Sure is, Molly.”
I shift my gaze to my brother. “Are you even supposed to be here anyway? I thought it was bad luck for the groom to see the bride’s wedding gown before the wedding.”
“Not for us, it isn’t.” Bay looks at Jessa as if she’s the only one in the room—I nearly choke on the love filling the air as she meets his gaze.
I’m surrounded by it with those two—my brother Brooks and his wife Junie, and my oldest brother Bran and his wife Millie.
It was bad enough when Brooks and Bran found Junie and Millie—even if they aren’t as much of a recluse as Bay. But the fact that my brother, who never leaves his house and lives deep in the mountains, finally found love really irritates me.
Here I am, the brother who has spent years searching for the love of his life, only to find her four weeks ago and then lose her.
“Don’t worry about him, Molly. Your Uncle Bale is a grumpy son of a gun because he hasn’t found himself a woman yet.” Brooks says, causing everyone but Junie and Molly to laugh at my lack of a love life.
“What about Clover?” Molly’s childlike innocence breaks through the laughter. “She’s really pretty and makes the best dresses, almost like she’s a fairy Godmother.” Molly spins around in her flower girl dress, which she put on as soon as we arrived, and refuses to take it off.
Junie already tried to set me up with Clover, the seamstress and designer at Curves by Design. At first, I was tempted to see if Clover was my mystery woman from the masked ball, but once Junie said Clover wasn’t at the masked ball, I realized she wasn’t my woman, so there was no point in meeting her. However, I didmeet Clover’s sisters since Junie said they were at the ball, but none of them was my Cinderella.
“Did someone say my name?” A voice I have only heard in my dreams for the last four weeks fills the air, announcing her arrival.
Spinning around at the sound of her voice, I realize I’ve finally found the woman I’ve been searching for over the past four weeks—only to see she’s been right here all along, at the town bridal shop.
“Cinderella.” I take a step toward her, not believing my eyes.
“I’m sorry, sir, you must have me confused with someone else.” She might deny knowing me, but I see the recognition in her eyes as she frantically scans the room looking for the best escape route.
Coming to her rescue, Junie steps between us before I can throw her over my shoulder and carry her back to my lair. “Clover, this is my brother-in-law, the single one I was telling you about. I don’t think I ever told you his name—it’s Bale.” Junie looks between the two of us. “But something tells me the two of you have already met.”
“Yes,” I say at the same time Clover says, “No.”
“Hmm, interesting.” Junie taps her index finger to her chin. “Everyone, why don’t we take a break and head to the bakery for a snack? I’m sure Autum and Iclyn will have saved us something good.”
