“Whoa, whoa!” J.D. held up a hand. “Just because you got engaged doesn’t mean I’m next.”
“You better make an honest man outta him, McNamara,” Gabriel joked. “Don’t make me take out the shotgun.”
“But you know that’s the next step,” Anna Victoria stated. “You’re going to be presented as his mate. Why are you going to all this trouble if he’s not going to put a ring on it? Has the bond formed yet?”
J.D. bit her lip. There had been no talk about marriage. But he loves me. True, he hadn’t said it again but then she hadn’t said it back either.
It just didn’t feel right at the moment. She wanted to be with him, that’s why she was going to all this trouble—and to save his grandmother, of course—but the words just wouldn’t make it out of her mouth. Yet. She would find the perfect moment to say it. But when?
“Come on now, guys,” Darcey began. “We all know the mating bond is a personal matter.”
J.D. smiled at the swan shifter gratefully. “Thanks, Darce. Everything’s going so fast. One minute we were just taking things day by day and figuring out how we’re going to make the long-distance thing work, and then next, I’m supposed to learn how to address royalty and curtsey and which direction I’m supposed to stir my tea with.” With a loud groan, she sank deeper into couch. “God, what was I thinking? Cam is way out of my league. He plays three instruments, has two PhDs, speaks five languages—”
“So?” Sarah asked.
“I’ve been told I’m barely competent with this one.”
“Stop, J.D.,” Gabriel said. “You can’t think like that. If anything, Cam doesn’t deserve you.” He held up a hand when she tried to protest. “J.D., I’ve known you longer than anyone here. Hell, probably longer than anyone else in the world aside from Damon. You’ve never had to change yourself for a man. Why are you starting now? Why can’t you be good enough as you are?”
“I know that,” she sighed. “But it’s not just about me, remember? Am I supposed to just let his psycho family kill that sweet old lady?” Her heart clenched. She wasn’t going to let anyone hurt Natalia, not if she could help it. “Anyway, can we just get on with it?” She looked at Anna Victoria. “You’re still doing my makeup, right?”
“Of course,” she answered.
“I’ll help with the hair,” Darcey offered.
“And I’ll be here for moral support and pies,” Temperance added.
Dutchy came over and put an arm around her. “It’ll be fun. We’ll all come here and get dressed and made-up together.”
“It sounds like pure torture,” she groaned. “But I’m glad you’ll all be here with me. And that you’re all coming to the ball, too. Maybe you all can take turns guarding me and making sure I don’t make any more mistakes.”
“C’mon now, J.D.,” Dutchy said. “You know Sybil. She’s nothing like those mean girls you knew back in high school.”
“Yeah, it’s everyone else I’m worried about. I don’t wanna fall flat on my face and have everyone laugh at me.”
The pressure surrounding the whole thing made her stomach turn sour. But she meant every word she said to Cam. She would do everything in her power, short of murder, to make sure she didn’t embarrass him. God, she still cringed thinking about afternoon tea yesterday. She could feel his embarrassment, and she didn’t want that for him.
Her cat sniffed, lifting its head in distaste.
Oh, shut up. She mentally rolled her eyes at her animal, but knew what it meant. It had hurt, that he felt embarrassed of her. But, that’s why she had to turn herself into the perfect mate for him, so he never had to feel that way.
Besides, I’m a grown-ass woman. This was adulting, right? Not just paying her bills and shit. At some point, she would have to stop disgracing herself around other people. She was going to have to grow up and act like an adult.
The rest of the week passed by much quicker than J.D. anticipated. Work and getting ready for the ball took up most of her free time, but somehow, it all came together.
Dutchy pulled off a goddamn miracle and somehow found a dress J.D. actually liked. She hated everything else she had seen—they were all too girly, too itchy, too tight. It took her a few days of rooting around Dutchy’s storage unit, but eventually, they found one that suited her.