Heavy Secrets - Elle Aycart Page 0,4

didn’t think it’d be wise in your position to waste precious time.”

“What position?”

“You are not a spring chicken, dear. You aren’t getting any younger. Or any skinnier.”

She hugged herself tighter, protecting herself from the onslaught, hating how inadequate her mom made her feel. “Get rid of the dress. I will not marry Cole in it.”

“He doesn’t need to know we’re…recycling it. We lost the deposit with the event coordinator, but I’m sure you can get a discount if you go back to her. Everyone pities an abandoned bride.”

For the love of Christ.

“I was not abandoned.”

Martha lifted her hands, exasperated. “What do you want me to tell people? That you walked out on a perfectly good man two weeks before the wedding? Who in her right mind does that?”

“He was cheating on me with my neighbor.”

“A trifle. All couples have their little ups and downs.”

“Finding your fiancé getting his cock sucked by someone else is not a little down. It’s a free fall over a ninety-degree slope.” It was a miracle Christy got any words out, the way she was clenching her jaw.

“You made too much of it. Especially after he apologized. You need to learn from that. Todd was somewhat malleable. Cole, on the other hand…”

“Cole what?”

Martha stared at her as if Christy were dumb. “I’ve seen the way women ogle him. Gorgeous women. Not that you are ugly.” She hurried to pat her daughter’s shoulder. “You’re… cute in your own particular way, but let’s be honest: he’s totally out of your league. He’ll stray.”

She knew what Cole looked like, and she knew the knockout beauties he used to date. But she’d learned to ignore the women salivating after him. Even learned to disregard the disbelieving glares they got when they went somewhere out together. That didn’t mean she enjoyed her mother reminding her of it. “He won’t. I trust Cole.”

Yes, he looked like a frigging gladiator and was rugged and sexy and absolutely heart-stoppingly handsome, but no, he wouldn’t cheat.

“You need to prepare for it and not make a mess of things this time around. Which brings me back to my initial point: pick a wedding date and seal the deal, as soon as possible. In fact, I think we should resort to the old unbeatable method—get knocked up. As in right away.”

Christy choked on the breath she was taking. “You are kidding me.”

If her gaze was anything to go by, then no, Martha was not kidding. “Pills are easy to forget, you know, for someone so scattered as you. And condoms have a nasty tendency to break, especially if you pierce them beforehand.”

No shit. “That’s what you did to my father?”

Martha waved her off, a snort escaping her. “Of course not, dear. You were an accident.” She must have realized how that sounded, because, surprisingly enough, she corrected herself. “A wonderful accident, mind you, but your father was in no way worth the bother or drawbacks of getting pregnant to catch him.”

Oh. God.

Please someone shoot Christy. Now. Before she lost it.

Martha just continued with her ramblings. “An early spring wedding at a five-star resort would be fantastic.”

“And you’ll foot the bill? Traditionally it’s the father of the bride who’s responsible for that. He’s been a no-show for almost thirty-five years. So I guess it’s up to you.”

Her mom faltered. “Oh. I was assuming Cole would take care of that. You’re paying for your own wedding, then?”

She heard his voice a second before he placed his warm, strong hand on the small of her back. “She’s not paying for a damn thing, Martha.”

Martha smiled shakily. “Cole, we didn’t hear you.”

“I bet you didn’t. I came to see what was taking so long,” he said, kissing Christy.

Liar. He’d come because he’d guessed she was about to murder someone. And he’d been right.

“Oh yes, how inconsiderate of us. We were having fun chatting and lost track of time,” Martha apologized and, after pinching her daughter’s cheek, headed back.

Christy didn’t move.

Cole enveloped her in his arms and kissed her again, this time harder. “Come on, baby. You’re freezing.”

“I better stay here. Far away from the knives. How much did you hear?”

“Her asking if you were paying for the wedding.”

Thank God.

“Why? Did I miss something?” he continued.

Not much, really. Just her mother implicitly calling her fat, ugly, and childish. Nothing new. Business as usual.

“LET’S GO IN,” Christy said, the forced smile on her face pissing Cole off.

Stifling a growl, he followed her, watching as she reached in the pocket of her long skirt