Up in flames As her hair was getting done, and her face touched up with makeup, Peach kept telling herself to breathe, and knowing that Elijah was waiting on her at the altar made her less afraid.

“Mama, what time is it?’” Peach asked, her eyes closed as the lady brushed a soft peachy color eyeshadow on her eyelids.

“Two o’clock,” Miss Grace said with a smile, and yet, tears stained her face, feeling, overwhelmed by her daughter becoming a bride before her eyes, and every stage of Peach growing up from an infant to a woman kept playing in her head. 1 “The wedding starts at three… do you think we will be late?”

“No, honey. The drive to the ceremony is not that long.”

Pulling her hand away from Peach’s face, the makeup artist smiled and said, “Well, the bride is ready to get dressed.”

Slowly, Peach opened her eyes to see her reflection staring back, and her lips pulled upward into a soft smile.

“You look beautiful, honey.” Miss Grace whispered as Peach stood from the chair. “Thanks… can you please help me put on my gown, mama?” Peach uttered, looking at the garment bag on her bed.

Nodding, Miss Grace smiled and then walked over to the bed, unzipping the bag, pulling out this full-length gown with a sultry, unlined illusion lace bodice with beaded lace and a deep sweetheart neckline with delicately beaded spaghetti straps.

After helping Peach get into the dress, she stood behind her daughter, rested her chin on her shoulder, and whispered, consumed with emotions, “You are now a bride… God, I want Albert here with us so bad… to see what we made from love finally find love.”

“I miss him too, mama. But this is papa… this entire motel… Every inch of it has a memory of him, even the zinc and the ceilings…” Peach said with a chuckle.

“I know… he used to make me worry so much about him when he turned into a carpenter.”

“Yeah? Back then, I thought he was a superman whenever he was up there with his tools… But I understand… After Elijah got beat up in front of me, I think I know what your worry was.”

A knock on the door made Miss Grace and Peach turn around simultaneously, listening to Matt and Ryan say almost in unison, “Twvery handsome bridesmaids are reporting for duty.”

“Your bridesmen are here,” Miss Grace chuckled, feeling relieved that Elijah had a group of supportive friends that adored her daughter.

moment of hesitation, and then Peach’s heart filled with warmth as she asked, “Where

on his way to the ceremony,” Ryan said, eyeing his

at the beach,” Matt uttered, not wanting her to be more startled seeing them there when she

silence before Peach woke from her trance

“Yeah,” Ryan said calmly.

to her,” Don’t

both know that’s not inue” Peach

looked simple but gave off a soft, sweet, and romantic vibe with blush pink and white decorations, lighting,

trying to take in the scene, expecting something less breathtaking than this setup,

man who doesn’t have a job afford such a decent

are nothing but a bunch of thieves and hoodlums…. They are into shady shit, so who knows what he did to fund it.” Josh mumbled, clutching his fist as

them, Cora sighed softly before looking at

that they are a part of the gang he’s in… “Eli

of these men looks familiar from the business circle or high-class people, so they must all be lowlife thugs, playing dress-up in fancy suits.” Scoffing,

shitty things and people that idler is involved

disbelief and said, “This guy is

two empty rolls between her family and those in the back, and then she looked at her son, letting out, “We are not here to celebrate or care about those

clap and excitement drew the Hayes’s attention towards the back, and their gaze rested on Elijah, walking down

Jewel, Elijah’s eyes darkened, and she frowned slightly, looking

Elijah arrived at the arch, a group of men led by Dice suddenly walked over to where Madam Jewel was sitting with the rest of the Hayes, at the front roll, and took

idiot threatening us?!’ Tommy thought, growing, a bit still in the shoulder at the overwhelming

anger flooding her system as she thought, ‘You were not supposed to get the better end of this divorce, Elijah. I will not be a laughingstock… Someone who was replaced within a short time by

family had left Elijah in such a tense mood and it lasted for a great length of time until he heard the bridal chorus, and then everyone suddenly stood up, leaving the Hayes as the

tension in Elijah suddenly softened when he saw Miss

The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

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