You have to know your family tree extensively before dating in a small town. Be sure to look out for second and third cousins. Another of the 4,724 reasons I want to escape Athens.
I knock loudly on the door to Latham’s barn. It seems silly to knock on a barn door, but I don’t want to see anything I shouldn’t. When they yell “come in,” I only stick my head in. “Everyone decent?” Of course, Latham claims he’s naked, Troy states he is never decent, and Winston laughs at their antics.
“I’m doing my maid-of-honor duties and ensuring we are all ready to begin in ten minutes.” I take in their appearance. They seem to be dressed and ready.
A stall door opens. “How do I look? I tried to match as best I could.”
I stand frozen. I cannot breathe. I cannot speak. It’s Hamilton. He’s here at the wedding. He told me he couldn’t make it. I didn’t prepare for seeing my friend, the father of my child. I’m just frozen numb, I squeeze my eyes closed tightly.
“Breathe.” Hamilton’s hot breath prickles my neck.
My eyes fly open as I jump back. Unable to stop myself, I continue taking steps back until I collide with the barn door. I’m trapped. I can’t leave. I can’t ruin Adrian’s wedding. I have a job to do. I’m the maid-of-honor. I have to be front and center. I can’t avoid him.
“Hey, I’m not going to hurt you.” Hamilton holds his hands palm-out in front of him. He doesn’t approach.
I see hurt in his eyes. My reaction to his surprise is unexpected, and I’ve hurt him. The last thing I want to do is hurt Hamilton. Drawing on an inner strength I didn’t know I had, I run to him.
Hamilton wraps me in his arms while whispering in my ear. “I missed you too much.”
His warm breath on my neck, sends a chill down my spine.
He chuckles at my shiver. “I’m sorry I didn’t visit you this winter.” He clasps his hands over jaws; eyes staring through mine into my soul. “I’m sorry for hurting you and for scaring you just now.” His lips place a soft kiss on the tip of my nose.
Wiping my tears, I pull back. I swat his chest several times. “You lied to me. You said you couldn’t make the wedding. Why?”
Hamilton grasps my wrists tightly. “My plans changed at the last minute. Coach made a change to our pitching rotation, so I asked if I might take one day to attend the wedding. I barely had time to arrange a flight to Kansas City and a rental car.” He releases my wrists, then wipes stray tears from my cheeks. “By the time I made it to I-35 you were already with Adrian; I thought it best to surprise everyone.” He looks to the guys. “At least, they were happy to see me.”
I scramble to gather myself. I need to be normal, or, at least, the Madison he remembers. “I’m happy to see you. I’ve dreamt of you visiting me so many times. I feared I was imagining you here. I thought I lost my mind, because you told me more than once you couldn’t come today.” It’s not a lie.
“Madison,” Latham calls for my attention. “Rumor has it five females were found skinny dipping at a lake in Livingston County after midnight a couple of weeks ago. You wouldn’t happen to know who they were, would you?” He folds his arms over his chest, tilts his head, and wears a knowing smile.
“I heard the Livingston County Sheriff’s Department received a call and forced the girls from the lake then transported them to the county jail.” Troy’s love for law enforcement ensures he knows everyone in the field in a five-county area. I don’t doubt he heard every little detail. “I can’t wait to go on calls like that.”
I stand stone-faced, letting nothing show. “Guys, I live in Columbia not Livingston County.” I walk confidently in a circle around them. “If Bethany and I were picked up and booked for skinny dipping, we would never be able to attain our teaching licenses. And, you know Adrian has a big mouth. There is no way she would be able to keep such a juicy secret.” I waggle my index finger at all of them. “What happens at the bachelorette party remains at the bachelorette party, and a public-nudity-with-trespassing arrest would not remain at the bachelorette party.” I shrug and smirk.
“A friend of mine told me that some women crashed a bachelor party the same night in Daviess County.” Troy claims. “They did a striptease and gave lap dances at a bar hosting a private party.” His eyes scrutinize my face for any sign of guilt. “The women wore Zorro-like masks. Apparently, they were very hot and put on quite a show.”
“C’mon! Sweet Salem crashing a party, stripping, and giving lap dances?” I scoff. “That I would pay good money to witness. As for the rest of us, those men only wish we would crash their party. There wouldn’t be a dry fly in the place when we left.” A maniacal laugh escapes me. “Are you really so desperate to know what we were up to that you would believe such wild stories?” I glance from man to man.
“Now, if you are done grasping at straws, we have a wedding to attend.” I use my teacher voice to inflict guilt upon them. When they nod, I continue. “I’ll let Adrian know you are ready and will meet us at the altar. Bye, gentlemen.”
I walk from the barn, a cocky smirk upon my face and confidence in my shoulders and steps. Rumors about our activities have spread far and wide. The guys only wish they knew how ornery we were for ten hours that Saturday night.
Fuck a duck! Adrian is going to freak if I don’t hurry back. I sprint back inside the house. I’ve been gone too long. I can’t take the time I need to cope with Hamilton’s arrival. I bury it deep for the moment. Hurrying inside the master bedroom, I lean against the door when I shut it.
“What’s wrong?” Adrian’s eyes bore into me.
I rescue my friend from her worst fears on her wedding day. “Nothing’s wrong. The guys are ready,” I proclaim. “Oh, and they have heard rumors of two of our activities from the bachelorette party. Wanna guess which two?”
Adrian, ever dominant, guesses first. “Soaping all the car windows at the dealership?”
I shake my head.
Savannah guesses next. “Placing the blow-up sex dolls in all the golf carts at the club?”
I chuckle.
“TP-ing the trees at the park?” Bethany asks, and I shake my head.
“Just tell us already,” Adrian demands. “We don’t have time to keep guessing. We have a wedding to attend.”
As I touch up my eye make-up, I share what the guys asked, how I acted, and how I answered. We enjoy a long laugh. I remind the girls that we agreed not to share our adventures until after the reception tonight. We plan to keep the guys wondering for a bit longer. At the end of the reception, when the slideshow is viewed, our mugshots, along with several selfies from the bachelorette party, will be shared. While the guys remained on Latham’s farm to play poker and party, we ventured to four counties, pulling many pranks and having loads of fun.
“Okay ladies,” Adrian says. “It’s time I get married so I can finally sleep with Winston tonight on our honeymoon.” We laugh so hard our sides ache. I actually have tears. I’ve missed these friends.