Free Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Jess Bryant Page B

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the God awful dress, grab the Audi keys and get out of town.
    Which she couldn’t do, she reminded herself
for the thousandth time. Even if she didn’t have to play the doting
bridesmaid for another hour or so at the reception she wasn’t
leaving Fate until she cornered her father and made him talk to
her. Lord knew how long that’d take.
    By the time she got back to the ranch house
the night before he’d been in bed. When she woke up he was already
out in the barn working with Lucy and the stud from Fort Worth.
She’d demanded answers, had stood her ground, even yelled a little
but he’d given her that disapproving scowl, told her they’d talk on
Sunday and that he was busy. Damn the man.
    “Honey, you did so good!” Woody’s wife
appeared, taking his arm and pulling him away from Blue.
    She tried not to roll her eyes. It wasn’t
like she was trying to steal the man. She didn’t want him but
apparently being single meant she might pilfer husbands. She’d
noticed more than one of the groomsmen’s wives clutching their men
a little tighter when she was around. Like she was that desperate?
Hardly!
    Her chest squeezed again, reminding her that
she had a full night of loneliness to look forward to. All around
her the couples were pairing off again. Even the crazy cat lady
Anna Louise Sanchez seemed to have a date for the big event. She
was one of the only women in attendance flying solo which was just
peachy since they’d started taking pictures and she was standing on
the outskirts all alone.
    After the pictures, as they made their way
over to the reception hall Molly grabbed her in a tight hug, “Oh
you just look so pretty Bluebell.”
    “Thanks.” She flashed her real smile, “You
look beautiful Molly. Truly. Congratulations.”
    She meant every word. Molly was practically
glowing. It would have been obvious to a blind man that she was
happy and in love. Blue wished her all the best in the world.
Everyone deserved that kind of happiness.
    “I just know we’ll be hosting your wedding
next.”
    She barely managed to keep her smile in
place, “Uh huh.”
    Molly wasn’t trying to be mean but it still
felt a little like a knife in her back. Her wedding next? Yeah and
Mr. Right was just going to magically appear and sweep her off her
feet. She’d have to look out for the flying pigs and magic pumpkins
too.
    “I’m so happy you’re here.”
    “Me too.” She nodded, “You better get back to
your new husband. I’m going to go find my seat.”
    “Oh! Husband!” Molly squealed and engulfed
her in another hug before skipping away.
    Blue watched her go and prayed for strength.
She headed to where the bar was set up and ordered a glass of wine.
It came in a clear Dixie cup and she wasn’t altogether sure it
hadn’t come from a box originally but she tipped it to her lips and
savored it like it was Bordeaux.
    “Good lord you look just like your mama.”
    She turned and came face to face with an
older woman with white bouffant hair and bright blue eye shadow.
Mrs. Roberta Higgins had been her high school English teacher and
she’d always looked like a poster child for bad makeup and
seventies garb. Today she was dressed in a multi-colored ball-gown
with enough bracelets on her arm that the jingle sounded like a
herd of buffalo.
    “It’s the hair.” She kept her smile up and
returned the hug the woman insisted on giving her, “It’s nice to
see you Mrs. Higgins.”
    “The whole weddin’ I couldn’t stop staring. I
would’ve sworn Liza Beth had come back to grace us with her
presence.”
    Well at least the woman hadn’t been staring
because she was falling out of her top. Still, the constant
reminders that she looked like her mother made her chest clench for
a whole other reason. She barely remembered the woman but
everywhere she turned in this town somebody had a story to tell or
a comment to make. She wasn’t Liza Beth Montgomery Carter and she
never would be. She didn’t need any more