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“Isn’t this your boss?” Dennis gestures to me.
Ashley laughs. “He is, but Mom will tell you about my work ethic. I learned from the best.”
“Ashley…” Willow begins.
I get it. Willow hasn’t told Dennis about their homeless past. I understand. There’s a hell of a lot I haven’t told Ashley about my own past, and still, I’m going to marry her.
What can it harm?
I can’t let myself think about the answer to that question.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Ashley
Mom and I leave Dale and Dennis at the hotel to go shopping.
I had no idea when I left Colorado that I’d be getting married. I brought along a nice dress to wear to Mom’s wedding, but now that it’s my wedding as well, I want something special.
“I had no idea the two of you were so serious,” Mom says as we peruse shops neither of us can afford.
“I’ve been serious since the first day I met him,” I tell her. “I just didn’t know he was.”
“Love at first sight, huh? Miss I-don’t-believe-in-love-at-first-sight? Miss I-love-sex-and-I-offer-no-excuses? Miss I-leave-condoms-on-the-floor-for-my-moth—”
“Okay, okay.” I interrupt her with a gesture of my hand. “That all changed when I met Dale. It was love at first sight for me. Honestly, the way I feel now, I can’t even remember a time in my life when I didn’t love him.”
“Ashley, of course you can.”
“You know what I mean. Everything about him fills me. It’s like I wasn’t even me before I met him. Isn’t that how you feel with Dennis?”
“I love Dennis very much,” she says. “But you and I are different people, Ash.”
“A woman in love is a woman in love.”
“In some ways, but you… You feel things differently. Maybe it’s because of your synesthesia.” She laughs. “I still remember that day you told me the sound of the gunshot we heard was yellow. I was scared out of my wits, but you were jubilant because you’d never heard a yellow sound before.”
I smile. I remember as well. It was the first time I told my mother I heard colors. I never felt the need to tell her before because I assumed she did too.
“I’m huddled with you in that damned tent, worried we won’t make it through the night because someone’s running through our area with a gun, and you’re happy as a clam. You wanted to hear it again.”
“The gun didn’t fire again.”
She shakes her head. “It didn’t, thank God. That one was way too close for comfort.”
“It was the first one that had a color. The others were always too faint.”
“The others came from the gang bangers in the streets at night. I found a place for us that was far away from their territory. Still, we were always in danger, baby. I’ll never forgive myself for putting you through that.”
“It wasn’t your fault.”
“No, but…” She shakes her head. “I was your mother. I should have done better.”
“You were only a kid yourself.”
“Which is why I should have…” She sighs. “Enough! This is a happy day for both of us.” She hands me a white satin dress. “For you. You should wear white.”
I can’t help a belt of laughter. “I’ve probably had more sex than you have.”
She nods. “You’re probably right. I was turned off it for a lot of years.”
“I know.”
She meets my gaze. “I hope it wasn’t a mistake to tell you who your father really was.”
I brush it off. “I try not to think about it. For the most part, I don’t.”
“Good.” She turns back to the rack. “If you don’t want white, how about this one?” She hands me a light-pink sundress.
I touch the silky fabric. “So soft.” Then I see the price tag. Five hundred dollars. “Uh…no.”
“You’re marrying a Steel.”
“And I’m not going to ask him to buy me a wedding dress.”
“Five hundred is nothing to him. He must have paid fifty grand for that rock on your hand.”
“Mom…”
“All right. You’re right. We’ll find something in your price range.”
“What are you wearing?” I ask.
“It’s an adorable ivory suit,” she says. “I found it on clearance at Nordstrom.”
“Sounds lovely.”
“It is. I couldn’t believe my luck.” She sighs. “Unfortunately, I don’t think we’ll find any bargain bins in Las Vegas, unless you want to take a cab outside city limits.”
I pull the pink dress off the rack once more. “I suppose I could at least try it on…”
A salesperson approaches us then. “Can I help you ladies?”
“Yes, thank you. I’d like to try this on, please.”
“Of course. Follow me.”
Once inside the dressing room, I undress and put on the dress.
“Damn,” I say out loud.
“Anything wrong?” the woman asks.
“No.” I scoff softly. “It’s perfect, actually.”
“Wonderful! I have a lovely pair of pumps that will match the color if you’re interested.”
I bite my lower lip. Shoes. Hadn’t thought of that. I brought black pumps to wear with the dress I brought for Mom’s wedding, but they won’t do.
