Isolation , Jones, Nathan [top 20 books to read TXT] 📗

the chest area. It wouldn't be your first time, I'm guessing.”

Ellie felt her face flush, wondering what it would do to the celebratory mood of the wedding if she kicked her soon to be mother-in-law out of the tent. She knew the woman was just talking nonsense anyway since she hadn't ever done that, and even an overlarge dress wouldn't fool anyone into thinking she needed to.

So, as was often the case when dealing with Cara, she dismissed the needling comment, turning her focus back to trying to get her hair and makeup just right.

Although unfortunately not everyone ignored it. “What's stuffing your bra mean?” Linny asked, forehead wrinkling in confusion.

Surprisingly, her mom had the grace to look slightly embarrassed. “Nothing you'll have to worry about, honey,” she said airily. “The women in our family do just fine in that department.” She smirked over her daughter's head at Ellie. “Good thing for your brother's daughters, if he has any.”

Ellie again entertained a brief fantasy about kicking the woman out. By a firm boot to the seat of the pants.

Breathing through her nose, she clapped her hands briskly. “I think we're done here. Linny, do you want to go let Hal know we're ready to get started?”

“Yay!” the little girl shouted, bolting out of the tent.

Thankfully her mother was quick to follow. “Break a leg out there!” she called back cheerfully as she disappeared through the entry flaps.

Ellie grimaced. That parting wish for actors wasn't exactly a proper comment for a wedding, especially since the woman sounded like she might have meant it literally.

Well, at least she was finally gone, even if there were still a few finishing touches needed that would be tricky to do alone. Ellie would've preferred to have pretty much anyone else helping her prepare for her big day, but unfortunately there were exactly two other girls she could safely get within ten feet of. And one was seven.

Beggars couldn't be choosers.

“Break a leg,” she muttered. “Probably shouldn't say something that vague right after insulting the bride on her wedding day. You might be surprised which leg she decides to break.”

Those sorts of thoughts were beneath her, and anyway didn't do anything to help her actually be ready for when Linny passed along her message and the Wedding March started up, announcing it was time to make her way down the aisle.

Besides, she'd rather be thinking of other things besides Cara on her wedding day. Like the wonderful man waiting at the end of the very short aisle across their little camp to become her husband.

She was looking forward to seeing how he'd dressed himself up for the big event.

As she peered into the mirror again she noticed she was grinning like an idiot, stomach fluttering with excitement. Considering she was living in a glorified campsite without running water or electricity, in the middle of a crisis and suffering from lack of sleep and severe stress, she thought she looked pretty good.

Hopefully Hal felt the same way when he saw her; she'd done her best.

She jumped a bit as someone slapped the door of her tent. “Mom?” Ricky called. “Linny said you're done getting ready.”

“I am,” she called back. “Come in, honey.”

Her son ducked into the tent, then stopped and stared at her with wide eyes. Ellie supposed he wasn't used to seeing her in fancy dresses, let alone a wedding gown. She bit back a smile. “Well? How do I look?”

“You look beautiful, Mom,” he said, the words sincere, almost awed, rather than dutiful, “like you do in your old wedding pictures with Dad.”

Well, that was pretty high praise, considering all the professional help she'd had back then; at least one person thought she looked like a bride. Ellie grinned and pulled him into a hug, kissing the top of his head. “You look pretty handsome yourself, sweetie.”

Gen had found a suit that fit Ricky, and although he fidgeted uncomfortably in the unfamiliar formal wear, Ellie thought he looked absolutely adorable. She hoped Todd, who was on camera duty with a borrowed phone, would take lots of pictures of him.

She noticed him fidgeting again and smoothed a stray lock of his hair. “You ready?” She'd asked him to walk her down the aisle, and practiced with him a few times that morning. He'd taken the task very seriously, nervous and stiff even during rehearsal.

He nodded solemnly. “I think so.”

Outside, Ellie heard the wedding march start up on an electronic keyboard, one of the quarantine camp residents majestically and mostly accurately playing the notes. The distant murmur of the various groups of guests fell to expectant silence, and she felt her stomach fluttering again.

She took a deep breath and offered her son her elbow. “All right, let's go,” she whispered.

Ricky took it, looking awkward and nervous, his grip a bit tighter than was strictly necessary. Together they ducked out of the tent and started up the berm at the south end of their camp, Ellie keenly aware of dozens of eyes on them as they came into view.

Linny was waiting just atop the dirt hill holding a basket, expression solemn; the moment they arrived she began walking ahead of them down the aisle, tossing of handfuls of petals from flowers donated by friends in Stanberry.

The “aisle” was the narrow path atop the berm, chosen so everyone could see them. Cara and her two sons stood on the inner slope of the dirt pile, so they could see and be visible but wouldn't obstruct the view of Ellie from the direction of the main camp.

As for the groom, he stood on the makeshift podium they'd created on the western berm, where everyone would be able to see him and Elllie during the ceremony. Bruce had grabbed a tuxedo from his closet when they'd gone to retrieve the cache at the house, and while it was old-fashioned and not the best fit, Hal still looked incredible in it.

Judging by the almost stunned expression on his face as he watched