Brie’s City of Angels (Submissive in Love, #6) (11 page)

Brie could not hide her disappointment at being left behind. “I wanted to be there when you saw your mother again.”

“I wish that were possible, babygirl. Sometimes life pulls us in different directions and we have to do what’s best for all concerned.”

“Will you two be deciding whether to let her die?”

“I hope to convince Lilly that it’s time. However, she refuses to even discuss it until she sees our mother in person. I can’t blame her; it’s not easy to end a life.”

“But if you decide to pull the plug, you
will
send for me.”

“Brie, you are a part of me. I will need you there when the time comes.”

She laid her head against his shoulder and sighed. “I hate that there is so much going on at once, and none of this is easy.”

“Life isn’t easy, babygirl. I learned that a long time ago. We must each find our happiness during the hardship if we are to survive.” Sir took her hand and kissed it. “
You
are my happiness.”

“And you are mine, Sir.”

“Before we start this unwanted separation, I have a pleasant task for you to complete. I’ve arranged for your mother to come this weekend. Do you think you can find a wedding dress in two days, my dear?”

Brie squealed, overjoyed at the prospect of visiting with her mother and finding
the
dress. “I will leave no stone unturned.”

“I have only two requirements for the gown.”

She raised an eyebrow, curious what they would be. “Please share.”

“I want it to be pearl-white and have a low, swooping back.” He rubbed the small of her back sensually with his fingertips. “I hope to see a hint of your brand.”

She blushed, pleased by the requests.

“Money is no object. However, I do have an added challenge for you and your mother, to add to the thrill of the hunt. I’m giving you ten thousand.”

Brie’s jaw dropped. “Ten thousand dollars!”

“Yes, but what you don’t spend can go to the charity of your mother’s choice.”

“Oh, I love the nature of this challenge, Sir!”

“Good, but don’t feel any shame if you end up giving five dollars to your mother’s charity. I want you to purchase the dress of your dreams. One that makes you feel elegant inside and out.”

Brie threw herself at Sir. “Man, I can’t wait to marry you!”

He chuckled. “On a more serious note, have you given any more thought to having children?”

“I have.” Brie marched into the bathroom and brought back her two packets of pills. She knelt at his feet and held them up. “I stopped taking them last night, Sir.”

He took the two cases from her and deftly tossed them. They made a satisfying clunk when they landed in the wastepaper basket. Sir took her hands and kissed each upturned palm. “You and I are officially starting a family, babygirl.”

Brie’s mother came late that Friday night and the two began mapping out the dress shops they wanted to visit. “Let’s go for the big wedding shops in outlying cities first—they should have the best selection of discount racks—and then we can concentrate on the smaller boutiques if we need to.”

Sir interjected, “I don’t want you to find a bargain deal, Brie. Your dress should be as exquisite as you are.”

Her mother cooed. “Oh, I love that you talk to my daughter that way.” She placed her hand on his. “But you must trust that I will not fail in this duty I’ve been given.”

Brie grinned at him. “Getting my mom on the case was a wise decision. She has a nose for quality bargains.”

“As long as you’re happy, babygirl,” Sir replied.

“Don’t worry, she will be, but you shouldn’t expect to see us until late tonight. There’s no rest for the wicked.”

He smiled at her mother. “I hardly consider a mother/daughter team shopping for wedding dresses wicked.”

“Oh, you don’t know me at all, son,” her mother quipped. “This woman is going
whole
milk in her latte today.”

Sir laughed. “I’ll be sure to warn the cops.”

As they were leaving, her mom confided, “I like your man, sweetie. A sense of humor goes a long way in a marriage.”

“He and his friends are all kinds of funny, Mom.”

She shook her head. “I can only imagine. Actually…” She giggled. “I’m afraid to.”

They spent the day running from shop to shop, trying on many beautiful gowns, but not one stirred Brie’s imagination. She came back that night feeling defeated, until she smelled the enticing aroma of Sir’s
ribollita
floating from their apartment.

“What?! He cooks too?” her mother asked in astonishment as they walked through the door.

“Thane’s a true Renaissance man, Mom. Maybe now you can understand why I love him so much.”

Sir had set the table simply and let them dish up their own bowls, but he insisted on finishing their dishes. Brie’s mom was taken by surprise when he sprinkled her bowl with aged parmesan and a swirl of olive oil.

“Oh! I’ve never had anyone put oil on my stew before,” she said, giggling.

“Trust me, it makes the dish,” Brie assured her. The dinner was accented with many sounds of pleasure as her mother enjoyed the fruits of Sir’s labor.

He wore a pleased smile as he watched the two women consume the meal he’d made. “So no dress today, Brie?” he asked when he finished.

She put down her spoon and shrugged. “I’m sorry.”

“Do I need to repeat that I don’t need you to hunt for bargains? I don’t want my challenge to stop you from getting the dress you want.”

“It wasn’t that. It’s just…I never found one that felt right. There was one this afternoon that was close, but something was missing. I didn’t love it.”

Brie’s mother patted her hand. “Don’t worry about it, Brianna. Tomorrow we’ll try the smaller shops. I’m positive the dress you’re looking for is out there. We will find it,
and
at a price that will make you sing.”

Brie smiled, accepting her mother’s promise. In typical ‘mom’ fashion, she insisted on doing the dishes when Brie stood up and started to clean off the table.

Sir protested and tried to stop her. “You’re a guest in our home.”

“Nonsense. We’re practically family, and family helps out. Besides, you cooked the meal. It’s the least I can do.”

He nodded graciously, consenting to her offer and retiring to the adjoining room. Brie smiled every time she glanced at Sir while hand-drying his cooking tools.

“I wish your father could see this,” her mother stated wistfully.

“He will someday, at a holiday gathering, when he’s bouncing his grandson on his knee.”

Her mother stopped scrubbing the pot to look at Brie. “Are you planning on having children?” she asked in a hushed whisper.

Brie smiled shyly and nodded.

Her mother’s eyes suddenly filled with tears. “I never dared hope…”

Brie wrapped her arms around her mom and they both started crying. It wasn’t until then that she fully understood how much her parents had given up in their desire to be supportive of her marriage.

“Is everything okay in there?” Sir asked from the couch.

They smiled as they wiped away each other’s tears. “Everything is perfect, Thane,” Brie answered. She looked at her mother and they started laughing.

“Good. I prefer laughter to tears.”

Her mother elbowed Brie. “A keeper for sure.”

The next morning, the two women started out early, driving over an hour and a half to get to a little shop south of LA. It was in an older area, and the shop was so tiny that Brie wasn’t sure she even wanted to stop, but her mother insisted.

When they entered the establishment they were greeted by an elderly couple. “Welcome, ladies! Which one of you is getting married?” the old gentleman asked.

Brie’s mother giggled. “Aren’t you so cute?” She pushed Brie forward. “My daughter is looking for a dress, but she has specific requirements, so why don’t we cut to the chase and not waste any time?”

The grandmotherly woman took both of Brie’s hands. “What are you looking for, dearheart?”

Brie blushed, moved by the woman’s gentle eyes. “My future husband requested a pearl-white dress with an exposed back.”

The woman’s eyes lit up. “Do you like lace?”

“I do,” Brie answered enthusiastically.

She turned to her husband. “It finally happened.”

“What?” Brie’s mother asked, laughing nervously at their odd behavior.

“Go get the gown,” she said reverently.

The old man smiled and disappeared into the back of the shop. While he was retrieving the dress, the shop keeper explained, “Years ago a young women ordered a beautiful wedding gown but she never returned to claim it.”

He came back out with the dress and smiled as he lifted it for Brie to see. The woman told her, “The front is covered in Italian lace, but the silk sheath underneath will flatter your figure because of its princess neckline. So modest and elegant.”

She led Brie into the changing room to help her into the gown.

“Momma,” Brie called once it was on, grazing the delicate lace with her fingertips.

Italian lace…

When her mother entered the fitting room, she stopped short and put her hand to her lips, tears welling up in her eyes.

Brie slowly turned to behold the splendor of the back as the shopkeeper continued, “The back has a simple but beautiful scoop line and just look at that train… We took a hard hit when the young woman never showed up, but I always trusted the right bride would come along.”

Brie smiled at she looked at the dress in the mirror. It accentuated her back, still in keeping with the elegance of the front, and the gown showed off her curves with tasteful sensuality. The best part—the one she knew Sir would appreciate most—was that it showed the slightest hint of her brand.

“Of course, it will need to be fitted, but oh…” the old woman sighed, holding her hands over her heart, “this dress was made for you.”

The woman called out to her husband, “Honey, you
have
to see this!” She hit his arm excitedly when he pushed back the curtain. “Didn’t I tell you it would find a home?”

He smiled at the dress and then at Brie before turning to his wife. “Yes, you did, dear. I should never have doubted you.”

Brie played with the pearl buttons that ran up the length of her arm, loving that little touch. “So now I must ask the dreaded question. How much?”

The woman smiled hesitantly, clasping her hands together nervously. “Twenty-five hundred.”

Brie looked at her mother and smiled, an inspiration coming to her. She asked the shopkeeper. “Do you have a veil to go with this?”

“Oh, I have the perfect one. It will complement the dress but won’t detract.”

While the couple hunted for the veil, Brie whispered in her mother’s ear. To her delight, her mom nodded vigorously.

The couple returned a short time later with a simple handmade veil. The woman placed it on Brie’s head with a loving touch, covering her face with the fine lace. “There!”

Brie turned and looked at the mirror through the delicate lace pattern. She was overcome with a prickling sensation she knew well. It suddenly felt real, all of it—the wedding, a life with Thane, growing old together.

Without any hesitation, Brie told the shopkeepers, “I would like to pay twenty-five hundred for the veil.”

“No!” the old man scoffed.

“Consider it a finder’s fee. You’ve had this dress waiting for me for years. I won’t take no for an answer. You’ve made me unbelievably happy today,” Brie gushed.

Her mother chimed in, “That’s true for both of us, and I’m sure a certain groom will be thanking you later.”

The old woman blushed, waving away the praise, but then she asked timidly, “Would you mind sending us a picture of the wedding? It would mean so much to us.”

Brie’s mother grabbed a business card from the counter. “Consider it done.”

On the drive home, Brie took a detour to the area above the city where Sir had taken her on several occasions. Even though it held difficult memories, it was a stunning view of the city she’d grown to love, and she wanted to share it with her mother.

Brie pulled to the side of the road and they got out to take in the expansive city below.

“So you really like it here?” her mother asked.

“I love it, Mom. I couldn’t be happier.”

“I can appreciate that better now. For us, everything was overshadowed by our own shock. But now…now I’ve seen you two together in your own home, with no strained conversations, no guards up, I can see how truly happy you are.”

“It’s kind of hard to do that around Dad.”

“You know he means well, and it’ll make him happy to know how well this trip went. Brianna, he only wants what’s best, and you can’t blame us for being uncomfortable with this whole…BDSM thing. I mean, who wants to know what their children do in the bedroom?”

Brie blushed. “Although I can appreciate that, our lifestyle choice is so much more, Mom. There’s a community of people we can count on, and lifelong friendships that have changed me for the better. Most people my age walk around in a daze, coming home from work to waste time on their phones, watching TV or playing on their computers.” She stated proudly, “But I don’t waste my time, Mom. I’m constantly challenging myself to grow as a person with Sir’s—I mean Thane’s—help.”