Page 252 of A Lick and A Promise

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Alexis’s face fell.

Shit!

At this juncture, the door flew open and Martha stomped in.

Fantastic.

“I’m not giving up my job,” she announced.

“What’s going on?” another bridesmaid (their dresses were yellow and very feminine).

“The parents are here,” Grace whispered.

“Yuck,” the first one said (I hadn’t been introduced to her yet).

“They’re here?” Alexis asked Raye.

I pushed closer. “Your dad handed Jacob a check for fifty K, apologized and asked to come in.”

Alexis’s lips parted in shock.

“Like I said, I’m not giving up my job,” Martha repeated.

“You’ll do what Alexis wants,” Jessie told her.

Martha blustered.

We let her do that and turned back to Alexis.

“The guys have it covered, if you want to say no,” Raye told her. “Your choice. It’s done. However you want it.”

“Jacob sent us in to ask,” I added. “And he doesn’t want to buck tradition and see you. So we can act as go-betweens if you have something to say.”

Surprisingly, Alexis looked to Martha.

“What should I do?” she asked.

“Plant your ass twenty years from now and think about how you’d feel if you turned them away,” Martha answered instantly. Then, before Alexis could speak, she chuffed out a breath and muttered, “I’ll go let the horse’s ass in.”

“Martha?” Alexis called.

Martha turned back.

“He gets to walk me halfway. Then you, Bill and Zach take over. Can you make that happen?”

Whoa.

Were those tears in Martha’s eyes?

She nodded and ducked out before I could be sure.

“I think that’s a good decision, honey,” Harlow said.

Alexis bit her lip.

“No! Don’t! The makeup lady is gone and your lipstick is perfect!” one of the bridesmaids cried.

Two minutes later, the door opened again and Alexis’s parents came through.

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