A March Bride (6 page)

“
Miss you back, Suzy-Q. Big time. It
’
s not the same around here without you. My baby girl needs to know her Auntie Suz!
”

“
It
’
s a girl?
”

“
Naw, we couldn
’
t tell on the first ultrasound. I
’
m just speaking it out loud in case God hasn
’
t made up His mind yet. We
’
ll know on the second ultrasound. Hopefully.
”

Suddenly, Susanna wanted to go home. Now.

She needed the sunshine soaking through her skin and warming her cold bones. To walk on the beach. Bury her toes in the wet sand. To get lost in the hubbub of the Rib Shack on a Friday night. To curl up with baby sister Avery on a Sunday afternoon for a classic movie marathon.

“
Listen, here
’
s your mama. I
’
ll e-mail you soon, okay? But I know you
’
re going to be so busy, Susanna. My girl, a real-life queen.
”

“
No, just a princess. We decided to let Nathaniel
’
s mom be the only queen.
”

“
Then a real-life princess. Frankly, I like princess better, don
’
t you? Feels more Disney.
”

“
Yeah. Disney.
”
This wedding felt nothing like a fairy tale.

“
I
’
m really, really sorry about this, Susanna.
”

“
It
’
s not like you did it on purpose. I understand.
”
She did, but it hurt.

“
You
’
re going to be a beautiful bride. We
’
ll all be praying for you and cheering you on. Go get
’
em. Show the world how a good ole Georgia redneck does it.
”

In one sentence, Gracie summed up everything twisting and turning in Susanna
’
s heart.

The life she knew was over. Once she said
“
I will
”
to Nathaniel, Susanna Jean Truitt from St. Simons Island, Georgia, USA, would be
“
dead.
”

She
’
d be a totally new person. Princess Susanna of Brighton Kingdom. Wife of a king. From private citizen to public.

A Brightonian. A European. She was even changing continents.

Susanna turned to Nathaniel, who
’
d perched on the edge of the wing chair, waiting. She loved him. She did, and her heart beat with that truth.

But was it enough?

“
Shug.
”
Mama was back on the line.
“
Don
’
t worry, we
’
ll have things buttoned down by the time of your wedding so Daddy and I can be there with—
”

“
What? What do you mean so you and Daddy
‘
can be here
’
? You have two brothers and four sisters who can look in on Granny.
”

“
Simmer down, Suz. I
’
m just saying you don
’
t have
to worry about us not making it because Granny
’
s sick. Grandpa can take care of the little things, and I
’
ll draw up a schedule so everyone knows when it
’
s their turn to take care of them.
”

No one in the family dared buck a Glo Truitt schedule.

“
Mama, g-give Granny my love. Tell her I
’
m praying for her.
”
Susanna sank down to the couch cushion, trembling, drained, exhausted.

“
Will do, Suzy-Q. She
’
s devastated to miss this, but we want her well enough to see your children. Now don
’
t you worry about a thing. Focus on Nate and your wedding. We
’
ll see you in a few weeks. I hope Gracie
’
s not being able to come doesn
’
t dampen things too much.
”

“
Even so, it can
’
t be helped, Mama.
”

The conversation moved to small talk. The Rib Shack business was picking up nicely as word got out that the owners
’
daughter was marrying a king.

Avery was focused on the last months of her senior year and final volleyball season. Another athletic scholarship arrived for her. Ohio State. Which she was seriously considering.

Daddy
’
s heart checkup went smooth as a whistle, but Mama fought him on his diet.
“
Can
’
t be eating no fried catfish and hush puppies for dinner every week.
”

But Susanna struggled to listen, to engage. She was busy looking at the signs. Was this marriage really going to work?

By the time the call ended, Susanna was confused, tired, and suffering from a full-blown bout of homesickness.

“
What
’
s going on at home, Suz?
”
Nathaniel asked.
“
Is Granny all right? Grace?
”

“
No, I mean, yes, technically they are all right. But everything is going wrong.
”
Susanna recapped the call, working to sound rational and reasonable when she felt like weeping.

“
Love, I
’
m sorry.
”

“
It is what it is.
”
The mantel clock chimed midnight. Susanna fixed her gaze on Nathaniel.
“
I want to go home.
”

“
Agreed.
”
He moved to sit next to her.
“
How about I adjust our honeymoon plans? We
’
ll travel to St. Simons Island first thing after our wedding. Stay at my, our, cottage. Then we can go to our secret destination.
”
He gave her a wicked smile, sweeping her close to him, kissing her cheek.

The honeymoon plans were his alone, and Susanna made a game of trying to lure the information out of him. Nathaniel played along, pretending she
’
d guessed correctly, or worse, that he
’
d let their destination slip from his lips.

Yes, we
’
re going to Dollywood! How did you guess?

In truth, he was a man of steel when it came to keeping secrets.

“
I want to go home now, Nathaniel.
”

“
Now? The wedding is three weeks away. We have engagements on our diaries. The last time we coordinated our schedules, yours was fairly booked. I think you have a final fitting and wedding arrangements to approve.
”

“
I don
’
t care.
”
She stood, trembling, shaking from a cold she couldn
’
t define.
“
I know it makes me sound loony, but I need to go home.
”
Unchecked tears now spilled down her cheeks.
“
I miss everyone. I miss Granny. She
’
s eighty-five years old. Complications from pneumonia could be devastating. And . . .
”
She gave him a long, steady glance.
“
I need to think.
”

“
Think? About what?
”

“
What you
’
re asking me to do. Give up my citizenship. I never really thought about it before, but, Nathaniel, I
’
m literally giving up
everything
. By the time we
’
re married, I won
’
t recognize myself.
”

“
I realize that, but there
’
s no need to run off.
”
He stared away from her, his jaw tensing.

“
I need some time. Some space.
”

“
Have your space. Take some time. But flying to America is rather drastic, don
’
t you think?
”

“
I
’
m not flying to America, Nathaniel. I
’
m going home.
”

He sighed, long and heavy.
“
Will you come back?
”

She pressed her hands beside her temples, her head starting to throb with emotional pressure.
“
I don
’
t know.
”

“
Susanna, we
’
ve been on this course for nearly ten months. And now you
‘
don
’
t know
’
?
”
She could see the passion in his voice reflected on his face and in his eyes.
“
What is it you don
’
t know?
”

“
I don
’
t know what I don
’
t know.
”
Her thoughts and reason deflated like a carnival balloon.
“
It
’
s all coming down to the wire. This is it. Forever. No one from my side of the family is coming except Daddy, Mama, Avery, and Daddy
’
s sister and her husband.
”
Susanna eyed the tea cart, which also contained an ice bucket of water bottles. She reached for one, twisting off the cap.
“
Now my granny can
’
t come, nor my best friend. It makes me wonder.
”
The heat of panic crawled across the base of her neck.
“
Then you bring up my citizenship and I just wonder if all of this isn
’
t some sort of sign. Like I
’
ve ignored all the others and God is throwing me one last clue.
”

“
You can
’
t be serious. The citizenship writ is a sign
not
to marry me? Gracie and your granny
’
s health issue are signs for us not to wed?
”

“
Well, what would you think if you were me?
”
She knew in her head that she was not making one bit of sense. But her heart said,
“
Soldier on, sister.
”

She took a long sip of water, trying to quench the parched place deep in her soul.

“
This is ludicrous. Look at everything that
’
s gone well, Susanna. Our wedding plans have fallen into place. The people of Brighton are embracing you. I daresay the citizens of the
world
are embracing you.
”

“
People hate me too. A friend from home sent me a link to the latest Susanna hate blog.
”

“
Blimey, why do they send you those blasted things? Do they think you want to see them?
”
He paced around the chairs.
“
I can
’
t believe you
’
re drawing our whole relationship into question. Teach me to fall in love! This is Adel all over again.
”

“
Excuse me, but this is
not
Adel all over again.
”
Susanna intercepted his path to confront him.
“
Adel never had the challenges I
’
ve had. She was only concerned about her privacy, and frankly, she
’
s not done a good job of keeping her life out of the papers anyway. I resent the comparison.
”

“
What would you have me believe? I
’
ve no choice here, Susanna. If you marry me, you must be a Brighton citizen and a Brighton citizen alone. The only other option is for me to abdicate—
”

“
Never.
”
Susanna flashed him her palm.
“
You abdicate and this wedding is off for sure. I won
’
t be responsible for the crumbling of the House of Stratton.
”

“
Then what are we arguing about?
”
He pressed his hands on the back of a wing chair.
“
And by the way, I
’
m not Adam Peters toying with your heart until something better comes along.
”

“
I know, I know.
”
Susanna downed the last of her water.

“
Do you? Because sometimes I believe you
’
re still that girl on the beach waiting for him to propose.
”

“
Yeah, and sometimes I believe you
’
re the terrified lad who proposed publicly and got humiliated. And who started to think that no woman would want you because her life will never be her own.
”

“
And? Am I wrong? That
’
s precisely what you
’
re saying to me now. That nothing of yourself will remain once you become a Brighton citizen and marry me.
”

Susanna conceded with an exhale. He was right. So what was bothering her? Really? She
’
d weighed the cost when she said yes to Nathaniel. She
’
d understood it meant leaving her life behind and beginning a new one in a new kingdom, with a new name and a new destiny.

But then the
“
Not Attending
”
RSVPs started rolling in and there was one thing after another. Pile on after pile on.

And something dark hovered over her heart.

“
I don
’
t even know what I
’
m doing here,
”
she said barely above a whisper as she picked at the water bottle
’
s paper label.
“
Nathaniel, what do you want with me? A plain ole common Georgia girl with red clay on her feet and sea salt in her blood.
”