Irreplaceable
Chapter 10

Well,that didn't go as expected. As the personal attendant to the bride, Mia had been in charge of getting the bride to the altar. But instead, she had shoved the woman out of the church window in the pouring rain to avoid the altar. And she would do it again if asked, or if the bride was as jittery as this one had been. Cold feet didn't even begin to explain what had happened.

It had been close to three hours since Natalie, the bride, had left, and most of the church was empty. A bridesmaid was still lingering, and the groom was talking to her. Maybe a little too close. Not that it mattered anyway-the wedding was off, and so was the relationship. The groom could do anything he wanted.

Upstairs, she knew her friend Hazel was talking to the pastor somewhere, so Mia was glad something good might have come from the failed wedding. Hazel had been avoiding the man for weeks, but Mia knew there was something there. This was maybe just the kick in the pants they needed.

Which was why she was avoiding leaving the basement, staying in the little room in the back of the basement where the bride had gotten ready and escaped from.

Pouring herself another paper glass of whiskey she had brought with her, in case the bride needed encouragement, she wondered how she was getting home since the bride took her Jeep. Well, maybe that wasn't really an issue. She lived four blocks away, but it was still raining out. Once the smiling bridesmaid and groom left, she could clean the rest of the basement and be on her way, but the two were in no hurry to leave. But then again, neither was Mia. All she was going to do was go home-she wasn't up for the reception that was still taking place.

At least her dad could celebrate his daughter not getting married. Based on his reaction when she had told him Natalie had left, she knew he would be celebrating today. It seemed not many people were upset the wedding was off, not even the groom. The door opened, and Rafferty stuck his head in the room. Seeing her, he smiled. Then he slipped into the room and shut the door behind him. Today he was wearing gray slacks and a light blue dress shirt, and he looked far too good, as usual. Since the trail ride, she hadn't seen much of him. Well, she saw him in all the usual places, but nothing more. Not that she was going out as much as before. She was beginning to think she was turning into the town's new hermit since Ruth was going out far more than she was these days.

Every time she saw Rafferty, she knew she had to forgive him. He had a good reason for ghosting her so many years ago: his sister needed him. But as much as she wanted to believe he had planned to call her, to see her, all it would've taken was a single phone call. Such a simple thing for him to do, and yet it never happened.

"I was beginning to wonder if you went out the window as well," he said in reference to the bride's departure.

"Nope, just waiting for the groom to finally make his move on his sister and leave." She lifted her glass to toast the people still in the basement.

"She's probably not his sister. I think the other two are," Rafferty said.

Natalie's bridesmaids were the groom's two sisters and a friend.

"You believe what you want, Rafferty Brooks. I'll believe what I want." She stayed on the table.

He easily walked over and jumped on the table beside her, picked up the bottle of whiskey, looked at it, and set it down again. "Can anyone join this party?"

"As long as you're not in the wedding party, except Natalie." She flattened her pink dress against her legs as she spoke.

"How did you get her out that window?" He pointed to the small window behind them.

"Everybody fits out that window. I have been in and out of it more than the regular door." Mia laughed at herself. This had been the church she had attended her entire life. And since her mother was a devout woman, her six girls spent most Sunday mornings here. So, this was like a second home to her. There was no place in the church she hadn't been.

"I bet you have. Are you going to get married here one day?" Taking the glass from her, he took a drink, then handed it back to her.

"Of course. And I won't go out the window, either. I won't say yes unless I'm truly in love. And the guy has to look at me like Anderson looks at Angel," she said wistfully.

"I haven't noticed. How does Anderson look at Angel?" He bumped her shoulder with his.

"Like he would die if she left him again. Like she's the reason he's alive." She took a sip of the whiskey.

"Oh, that look. He pulls it off."

"That's what I want," she whispered, more to herself than to him.

"I hope you get it one day." Rafferty took her glass and finished the last bit of alcohol left.

Grabbing it back, she filled it with more from the bottle beside her. "Do you think Anderson will marry her?"

"Oh yeah, I can't believe he hasn't yet. I think it's her mom. She wants big and catholic, and that's not Angel. I see them having a small, private ceremony." Rafferty tried to take the glass again, but Mia held it up far enough away from him that he couldn't reach it. "Me too." Grinning, she continued to hold up the glass.

"I like them." He pulled her arm until she let him take the glass from her.

"Do you think the groom is going to have s*x with his sister today?" She looked at the door beyond them.

"Probably. I would if my bride left me." Rafferty bumped her shoulder.

"I know your sister," she whispered in surprise at his answer.

"It was a joke. Nice hair." This week she had chosen a subtle auburn, more like a natural color than a flamboyant one, but she was in a wedding this week.

"Thanks. Natalie didn't want crazy today. And she gets her way for one day. Tomorrow will be a different story." She giggled and covered her mouth-she might be getting drunk.

"Maybe you should just keep it like this for a while. It's gorgeous." He reached out and touched the shoulder-length, slightly curly bob.

Trying not to react to him touching her hair, she took another drink. It had taken her two months to get over him kissing her after the trail ride, and it had only been a month and a half since it happened. But she didn't need Rafferty Brooks in her life now; she was almost over the last time.

"We'll see." Half of her was planning her next color change for later today and the other half suddenly wanted to stay this color forever. Rafferty liked it.

They sat in silence, watching the door in front of them, and silently drank. Every once in a while, he would bump her shoulder with his. Or bump her knee with his.

Jumping from the table, Rafferty pulled out his phone and looked through it for a minute. Then to her surprise, he started to play a slow Taylor Swift song. Gently, he took her hand, helping her off the table. "Dance with me, Mia."

Going willingly into his arms, she rested her head on his shoulder. "Dancing is for the reception."

Wanting to stay away from Rafferty and doing it were two completely different things. Tonight, she was going to give in to him. Tonight, she wanted to be in his arms.

"Let's call this the reception then," he whispered into her hair.

"Reception then," she repeated.

As the song ended, she tried to pull out of his comfortable warm arms, but he held fast, and the same song came back on again. So she stayed. The song played on repeat for so long, she was caught up in the fuzzy haze of alcohol, the tingly lightheadedness of being in Rafferty's arms, and the imagery of the song that when he kissed her, she kissed him back. It was love, Taylor said so, and Taylor knows about these things.