Irreplaceable
Epilogue

Since the entire book club had been sworn to secrecy since June, nobody else in town was aware that the wedding taking place today was a sham. Especially not Mia's mom. Nobody dared tell the woman that her first born had been married in Vegas a year before without her present.

Mia was sitting on the same table she always sat on waiting for a wedding to start. Well, actually, she was waiting for her friends to show up and drink to her upcoming marriage. But she didn't know who would show up today. Book club had officially ended that day in June after Mandy got married. Though they still got together every two weeks, there was no reading involved, and no recordings were done. They just talked.

Those who could come, did. Mandy was on bed rest, so she hadn't recently been there, and Ruth had her baby soon after Mandy's wedding but had only come sporadically since then. Tess, Hazel, and Natalie were busy with their families and work and sometimes had to miss for those reasons. Mia was usually a constant since it was more often than not at her house due to the space and location, but the wedding planning sometimes got in the way of that.

After talking to Ruth and Anderson, Rafferty had decided to give it a few more months in Landstad, and it had worked out. Ruth was more accepting of him as a person. Maybe not there with the brother thing completely, but as a close friend. They had all become better friends since that day.

In the end, they had chosen Mia and Rafferty to be godparents to Mary Elizabeth Miles because they were family. Eliza ended up with the white hair of her mother, but her dad's dark eyes. She was healthy and adorable but way more work than her mother had ever expected her to be. Mia knew Ruth's writing had been suffering.

By the time July had rolled around, Mia was living with Rafferty full-time. No more apartment uptown. She had let that go. Nobody had anything bad to say about them. Not even her mother had mentioned that they were living in sin. Some asked how it was going and if she liked not living downtown, but no one said anything mean about it. Since his house had been so big, all her stuff had fit in without any problems. There was even a built-in book shelf that held all her movies cases, old and new-no more boxes taking up space in her closet. True to his word, Rafferty had helped move it all without complaining, though she had heard some grumbling because she wouldn't allow anyone else to help.

Just to upset her mother, Dottie thought Mia would not have any bridesmaids and Rafferty no groomsmen. Mia did it because she didn't want her sisters, and her friends were all busy with their families. And it was a fake wedding, all for Mia. Or so she said, but in reality it was for her mom, because she wasn't just a little afraid of the woman still.

For a personal attendant,she had chosen Ruth, but Ruth was busy getting the baby settled, so Mia was alone. And she was lonely. Maybe it was her who had kept the group together through all the big events over the past almost two years. Wedding, baptisms, even keeping the group going in the early days.

She had been there for all of their weddings, right here in this room for most of them, but they weren't here for her. She should have told them that they were all her personal attendants, then maybe someone would've shown up. Flattening out the creases in her cream dress, she wondered if she should have just said they were married and been done with it. This day wasn't turning out how she had thought it would at all.

It had started to snow and had yet to stop, though it wasn't going to stay. It was supposed to be around just long enough to make Mia's wedding a wet, sloppy mess. They had the bachelorette party at her house since Ruth had the baby, and everyone bailed on her because they had families they wanted to stay with. The only positive was that she got to sleep with her husband on the night of their wedding, but very little sleep was actually had. Her sisters had shown up at nine for hair and makeup and got to see more of the groom than they ever should have. Mia was convinced all four of her married sisters were now very envious of their big sister. Kipling now had some lofty ideas about her future spouse.

While getting to the church, she had realized getting her dress fitted a month ago was a mistake. It was tight. Remembering Hazel nearly passing out, she vowed she would take shallow breaths all day. She loved the dress. Her body apparently hated it.

At the fifteen minute mark, the door finally flung open, and Rafferty Brooks walked in, looking as s*xy as always, just this time in a tux. She had insisted since he wore a suit all the time she wanted better for her wedding. This time, no jeans at all, though he looked great in those as well.

"What are you doing here? This is bad luck," she said, not moving from the table.

He shut the door behind him. "I'm going to dance with Mia Lawson one more time."

"I'm not Mia Lawson," she reminded him, and today it became legal.

"You are to me." He pulled out his phone. Tapping a few buttons, she heard Taylor Swift start singing one of her favorites-the same song they had danced to after Natalie's first failed wedding. Right here in this room.

Sliding off the table, she let him pull her into his arms. "Do you even remember dancing with me after Natalie's first wedding?"

"Yes. Some of it." It was fuzzy in some places.

"I love dancing with you, Mia Autumn Lawson Brooks." He kissed the top of her head.

"I love dancing with you to, Raff." She pulled him closer, and their steps grew smaller.

"I do wish you would've worn that purple number from the actual wedding." He kissed her temple as the moved.

"Lavender? It wasn't right for my church wedding." She wasn't going to tell him that she had almost worn it anyway. But instead had bought a s*xy lingerie in the same color for tonight.

"But I want to remember getting married to you in it," he complained. The video hadn't been enough for him. Though it did show exactly how drunk they were. She couldn't believe they were even allowed to get married. There should be rules.

"Just remember this one, and remember last year's date." Resting her head against his shoulder, she smiled, she liked that they had that secret, even if others knew.

"This one is quite amazing, too. I'll spend the entire wedding planning how I'm going to tear it off you later."

"You won't; there's a zipper." She pointed to the back of the dress.

"With my teeth." He showed them. Then he kissed her, and she didn't care about her makeup or anything else when he kissed her.

"Stop it right now," Tess said from the door.

Both looked over at her and didn't even bother to look embarrassed.

"What?" Natalie asked from behind Tess.

"They were making out right before the wedding!" Tess explained as the two separated.

"As long as they're not related, to each there own, right?" Natalie asked Mia with a smile and a reference to her first wedding, where Mia was still convinced the groom made out with a bridesmaid who might or might not have been his sister after the bride left him.

"Rafferty, out. Now we have to fix her." Tess turned to Mia.

Rafferty grabbed his phone and, on the way out the door, said, "I see nothing that needs fixing.

She's perfect."

Ruth passed him on his way and out and said, "She is, isn't she."

Closing the door behind Rafferty, Ruth looked around. "Where's Hazel?"

"Maybe making out with the pastor. I wouldn't put it past her." Natalie checked to make sure nothing was amiss with Mia's dress.

"Really, Natalie. I have to face the man in a few minutes," Mia argued in half outrage.

"Remember, it was you who said what you said, and I had to leave my wedding. I couldn't face the man." Natalie laughed and arranged a lock of Mia's hair. It was still brown, and she had no plans on coloring it. That is until the gray showed up, then she'd be back to coloring it every

month.

"You didn't want to marry the other man. Don't put that on me," Mia said as Tess put more l!pstick on her.

Hazel rushed in and asked, "Who's getting Mandy on the phone?"

"Nobody, she's here," Mandy said from the doorway. "No way would I miss my own cousin's wedding. She's my favorite."

Mia hugged her. She was supposed to be on bedrest with her second pregnancy, and had been for over a month now. This time, she hadn't hidden her pregnancy for long; she was telling everyone. And so far, the baby was staying put. The doctor wasn't even worried she would miscarry this time, but they put her on bedrest as a precaution.

"Okay, we don't have a lot of time." Hazel grabbed the tray from the shelf. "Everyone knows the rule: drink what you want, and no comments from others. Until later, then comment away."

There were twelve paper cups on the tray. Half were whiskey, Mia's favorite, and half were another beverage that was nonalcoholic for those who were abstaining from alcohol for one reason or another. Well, actually, the only reason was being pregnant.

Mandy, of course, grabbed a non-alcoholic choice. Mia watched the others grab, and of course

so did everyone else. Mandy was the only one everyone knew was pregnant. Mia wanted to know who else. Ruth grabbed a whiskey, but her kid was a few months old now. Updated by Ebookex.com; visit us for more free novels.

The other four eyed each other and all reached for a glass at the same time. All grabbed from the same side of the tray, and they all laughed at themselves and at each other. It seems there was going to be a baby boom in the group. A big one.

"So next time, no alcohol?" Hazel asked. She usually was in charge of the beverages. Mostly because she was married, the preacher and the old biddies in church wouldn't dare comment

if she was caught.

"Looks that way, Haze." Natalie couldn't stop smiling as she hugged her friend.

"Okay, to Mia replaceing happiness in Rafferty 's*xy smile' Brooks, and to her staying here in

Landstad forever," Ruth said.

"You mean Rafferty 'pain in the butt in a good way' Brooks," Mandy said with a wink.

"No, Rafferty 'knows better than to argue with me' Brooks," Hazel added.

"Rafferty 'looks good in jeans, but better without' Brooks." Natalie giggled.

"You mean, Rafferty 'sweetest guy ever' Brooks," Tess insisted.

"No, Rafferty 'owns my heart and soul' Brooks, ladies," Mia corrected and clinked Mandy's glass,

causing everyone else to do the same.

They all drank down their drink of choice. Mia looked at all her friends who she loved and

wondered what it was going to be like when all their kids were in Landstad High School. Would

any of them fall in love on prom night like she did? Hopefully, if they do, they don't wait fourteen years to actually marry that person.

The group disassembled, and all but Ruth went and sat with their spouses. Ruth walked with Mia up the steps of the basement. How many times had she walked up these steps doing just this as everything but the bride?

Ruth leaned toward her and whispered, "So, pregnant on your wedding day? It happens."

"We weren't planning it but weren't really preventing it, either. We just felt ready. So much time had already been wasted in our relationship to put off starting a family."

It had only been a week that she had known, and Rafferty was having a hard time not telling everyone. It was like he had achieved something nobody else had by getting a woman pregnant. But she was happy he was so excited.

This morning, she had even told her mom. Not that she was already married, never that, but

that she was pregnant. Because she needed the pressure to stop that her mom had started to

apply the moment Mia and Rafferty had told her they were getting married. All the woman thought about was grandkids.

Mia saw her dad, Roger, waiting for her, and he smiled at her. She smiled back at him. Taking his arm, she stopped, and Ruth straightened her dress for her. Then the doors swung open to show all of Landstad had shown up for her big day, but all she could see was Rafferty in his tux, waiting for her at the end of the aisle.

As her dad walked her to him, she knew this was what she had wanted for years. Rafferty Brooks at her wedding. She still couldn't believe that Rafferty Brooks was marrying her, or was already married to her. Her. Mia Lawson from the diner with the plain brown hair and mom

hips.

The End