LJ Maas - Rebecca’s Cove

“So all you want us to do is to have, like, a wedding ceremony on one particular night?” Baylor asked.

“Correct. Well, um...” Evelyn looked uncomfortable.

“What Evie is trying to say is that the ceremony goes hand in hand with the physical expression of your love.”

“Oh,” Baylor and Hobie said in unison, both blushing.

“I don’t know. Hobie? I mean, we did already agree to...” “Yeah, I know. I guess. I mean, it’s not like we have to drink

blood or bite the heads off of chickens or anything. Right?” Hobie asked Rebecca.

“We tend to prefer champagne and pâté at these functions, but I suppose allowances could be made if you have a preference.”

Baylor laughed aloud. “I believe she has a sense of humor,” she told Hobie.

Hobie couldn’t think of a witty enough response, so she settled for sticking her tongue out.

“Oh, that’s attractive.”

“You are such a comedian all of a sudden,” Hobie said, but she couldn’t help smiling. “Just one more question. What if we don’t believe it, not completely, anyway? Will that affect this power?”

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LJ

Maas

“Not at all, my dear,” Rebecca said. “You don’t necessarily have to believe in the magic. All you have to do to make it work is to believe in each other.”

Hobie smiled. “That I can do. I guess the next logical question is, when does all this have to happen?”

“In three days,” Rebecca and Evelyn said.

“Three days!” It was Baylor and Hobie’s turn to respond as one.

The room was silent for a few moments. Finally, Hobie looked up at Baylor. “Were we really going to do it anyway?”

Baylor smiled gently, then lifted Hobie’s hand to her lips. After placing a light kiss on Hobie’s fingers, she responded. “Absolutely,” she said. “Absolutely.” There was conviction in the repeated word.

“Then I guess we’re to be married,” Hobie said at last. Rebecca and Evelyn began discussing plans for the ceremony.

The other women didn’t mind. Actually, it was probably a good thing because Baylor and Hobie were in the middle of a kiss that looked as though it was going to last awhile.

Hobie put the cast saw on the sturdy metal tray and pried the rest of the plaster off Baylor’s leg. “Voilà,” she said with a flourish.

“Oh, my god!” Baylor cried out. “What? What is it?” Hobie asked.

“I have a toothpick for a leg. What happened to it?”

“Baylor, you’ve had a cast on it for over ten weeks. It’s just a little muscle atrophy. It’ll come back as soon as you start using it again.”

“I kinda liked the way it looked before,” Baylor said with a pout.

“And you’ll grow just as attached to this new and improved version. Now, remember, I want you to take it easy today and continue to use your cane. Come on, let’s take a few practice walks.”

“I think I know how to walk.” Baylor swung her legs over the side of the examination table. “I’ve been doing it quite successfully for a number of years, and I find it surprisingly easy.”

“What a comedian you are today.”

“Thanks. Whoa!” Baylor’s leg gave out on the second step. “I thought you said it wasn’t broken anymore.”

“It’s not, but you also haven’t used it in a couple of months, not without support anyway, Miss I’ve Been Walking All My Life.”

Baylor looked up at Hobie with what she hoped was an intimidating expression.

Hobie continued to gloat.

“You know, a smirk that big is not very becoming on a lady of your position.”

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LJ

Maas

“I don’t get to do it too much anymore. Humor me.” Hobie went to the door. “Hey, Lor, give me a hand, will you?”

Once Laura arrived, Hobie told her what she wanted her to do. “Okay,” she explained to Baylor. “Put one arm around my shoulder and the other over Lor’s.”

“This position has possibilities.” “Don’t you wish,” Hobie said.

Baylor winked. At first, she winced with every step, but after she had worked some of the stiffness out, she found that she could walk well using her cane.

“You’re a new woman,” Hobie declared. “Okay, get dressed and out of my exam room. I have a pregnant Saint Bernard who needs the bed.”

“Oh, I see where your priorities are.” Baylor got dressed as Hobie put away some of the instruments. “Man, I’ve got to get to the drugstore.”

“What’s wrong?”

“My leg looks like it belongs to a gorilla. I need to get some razors.” It felt good to finally wear her favorite old jeans. “Okay, I’m outta here. Thanks, hon.”

“Wait just a minute,” Hobie called out. “Forget something?” She waggled Baylor’s cane.

“Oh.” Baylor chuckled nervously. “Yeah, how could I forget?”

“Baylor, remember what I said about taking it easy at first?” “Sure, sure,” Baylor said distractedly. “You said not to walk

too much today.”

“No, what I said was to go home and put your foot up for a couple hours, then take a short walk, maybe five minutes. After that, put your foot up again, and repeat the walk every three or four hours.”

“Sure, sure. I will,” Baylor added defensively at Hobie’s exasperated look.

“Sweetheart, I don’t mean to be a nag. Please remember that pain is your body’s way of telling you something.”

“I know, I won’t forget.” Baylor kissed Hobie’s forehead and turned to leave once more.

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Rebecca’s

Cove

“Baylor.” Hobie still held the cane.

“Aw, shit, I forgot! It’s because you’re confusing me.”

Hobie closed her eyes and shook her head. “Tell me again, what is your leg saying to you when it hurts?”

Baylor stood at attention as she repeated the instructions in a steady monotone. “If my leg starts to hurt, it’s saying to me, ‘For God’s sake, Baylor, sit down, put some ice on me, and have another margarita.’”

Hobie’s brows scrunched together and she pushed her glasses up. “I don’t remember saying anything about margaritas.”

“No, I added that,” Baylor said with a quick grin. “It sounded very medicinal.”

“God, I worry about you.”

“Who, me?” Baylor put a hand on her chest. “Just think, hon. You get to do this for the rest of your life.”

“To some people, that would be a threat. Go on. Out.” Hobie pointed. She couldn’t stop her laughter. Baylor might have been a giant pain in the ass at one time, but nowadays she was downright lovable. Her charm and sense of humor reeled Hobie in, just as they had done on that first night in Chicago. “I love you, go home.”

“Love you, too. Don’t forget the barbecue tonight. Tell Noah to bring his trunks and he can swim before dinner.”

“Deal. He’ll love playing in the pool with you.” “Don’t get his hopes up on that count.” “What’s that mean?”

“We’ll, um, talk about that later. Jules is going to go pick up Tanti and bring her home. I find it extremely odd that she recovered so quickly after hearing we were together. It’s probably my paranoia showing again, but I wonder if there was any hocus-pocus involved in Tanti’s illness. Aside from her broken hip, that is.”

“Nope, it’s not just you. I have a sneaky feeling that we don’t even want to think about what the Ladies Guild might have done to pull that one off.”

Baylor rubbed her hands together once more. The evening

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Maas

had finally arrived, and her palms got clammier as the moment of their ceremony grew closer.

“You look a little wobbly, mate.” Juliana affectionately slapped Baylor on the back.