Page 57 of Cabin Mate

I have no doubt you’ll look absolutely perfect today. You always do … whether it’s a formal bridesmaid’s dress, or a potato sack. Doesn’t matter. You’ll look incredible.

-Your secret admirer

I withhold an eye roll. Todd should really consider sending notes like this to Trudy instead of me. She’s the one here with him. I have no interest in his attention any longer.

“Well?” my mother asks. “What does the note say? Who’s it from?” She shifts her weight from one stilettoed foot to the other.

Studying her face for a moment, I try to decipher if she’s playing dumb, or if she really doesn’t know. But her expression doesn’t give anything away.

I shrug and hand her the note. “My secret admirer.”

Her eyes flit around the note, reading it quickly. “How curious.”

“How romantic!” Mildred exclaims, grabbing the note from our mother and reading it for herself. The other two bridesmaids rush over and read it too. “You don’t think it’s from Brooks?” Mildred asks before handing the note back to me.

I shake my head. “I don’t think so. I’ve been receiving the spoons since before we started dating.”

“Maybe they’re from Todd?” my mother asks, her eyes twinkling like the idea delights her. As if a spoon and a simple note could erase how he’s treated me.

Shrugging, I place my hands on Mildred’s slim shoulders. “Enough about the dumb note. Let’s focus on the real romance happening today.”

Mildred looks up at me, beaming happily.

I walk down to the living room where the wedding party is taking photos. Mildred and Preston went down ahead of the bridesmaids and groomsmen to have their own special moment before the ceremony. Mildred didn’t care as much about the tradition of a groom not seeing his bride until she walks down the aisle as she did about having the best lighting for photos.

The multiple wedding planners have decorated the cabin so thoroughly, it barely resembles a cabin any longer. It looks more like the Palace of Versailles than a cabin. Gold sconces with LED candles are hung along the banisters, intertwined with fresh greenery and white roses. It’s gorgeous, just not as earthy and rustic as I pictured for a snowy cabin wedding.

There’s not a table or banister left undecorated. The rustic, albeit classy cabin has been transformed into a field of flowers. (With gold and diamonds sprinkled in.)

The fireplace is the centerpiece for the ceremony, and it’s been decked out with flowers and greenery as well as a hand painted sign hung above the mantle that says “Preston & Mildred Annelise'' in a scrolly calligraphy font.

My sister and her groom look picture-perfect standing in front of the fireplace, grinning at each other happily.

One of the other bridesmaids (McKenzeigh?) gasps. “Oh Mildred, it’s absolutely breathtaking!” The other blonde agrees with her.

“Thank you! I love it,” she responds, barely taking her eyes off of Preston.

Todd, Kenneth, and Preston’s friend from college enter the room from the opposite side of the house where they’ve been getting ready.

Todd’s eyes widen when he sees me, then they slowly move down the length of my body. The old Molly probably would’ve been flattered to get this attention from him, but now I just find it creepy.

I mean, he literally has a gorgeous date here with him. Someone who, just a few weeks ago, he thought was more fun to be with than me. I wonder once more where that mysterious note on Todd’s car came from. If Trudy didn’t write it, who did?

Shaking the thought, I decide to figure it out another day. I walk toward my sister, making sure to ignore Todd. Which is exactly what I plan to do all day.

Ignoring him up to this point really hasn’t been difficult since I have Brooks here with me: someone I genuinely enjoy being around. I’ve even been looking forward to going to bed each night. Not that I’d admit that to anyone. Ever.

Especially not Hope and Layla.

“You guys look amazing,” I tell Mildred and Preston, giving them each a big hug. “And the decorators did a great job.”

“Thank you, Molly.” Mildred looks at me with teary eyes, making me wonder if she’s still feeling bad about withholding the information about Todd’s trust fund. But it could also be because it’s her wedding day. Probably the latter.

Preston leans his head down. “How’s Brooks’s hand?” His voice is just low enough for me and Mildred to hear.

I decide to act like I know what happened, hoping he’ll give me more details.

I frown. “He’s okay. His hand is still in pain from the glass.”