once we’re wrapped in the quilt, we face each other and remove each other’s robes.”
“They aren’t expecting us to strip bare in front of a bunch of people we don’t know, are they?”
“No one will see us. The robe removal is done underneath the quilt and beneath the cover of darkness.”
“But...Why do we have to be naked?”
“Being naked symbolizes entering into the marriage bond without anything to hide.”
“Oh. I guess that makes sense. No false advertising.”
A deep frown squished his eyebrows together. “Meaning what?”
He looked so cute she had to reach up and smooth his furrowed brow. “Meaning no spandex shape wear to suck in a woman’s hips, butt, tummy or thighs. No pushup bras to create cleavage from nothing, no rolled socks shoved in a man’s boxers to give the illusion of a big package.”
Sam rolled his eyes. “Moving on. After the tipi has been blessed, no one is allowed to enter and break the sacred seal except us.”
“Please tell me we won’t be revisiting the no food portion of our hiking excursion from last summer? Because that was my least favorite part.”
“Mine too. Everything else...” He paused and stared at her meaningfully. “Seemed fated.”
It still shocked her to hear her just-the-facts money man admit there were elemental forces outside their control working to bring them together. But getting to know each other and falling in love in the last year—that was all them. And it’d been the best year of her life. “So by having this ceremony, we’ll be giving the fates their due?”
“Something like that.” Sam tenderly brushed her hair out of her eyes. “I’ll have Dave put a cooler with drinks and snacks on the back side of the tipi after everyone leaves, so we don’t starve. Okay?”
“Okay. But no snake.”
He laughed. “Or protein bars.”
“Deal.”
“Thank you for doing this. My mom is waiting up at the lodge to help you to prep for the ceremony.”
Don’t ask. Just go with it.
At the lodge, Sam’s mother Evangeline led Lacy to a private suite. She handed her a bar of sage and honey soap. After showering Lacy was to slip on the robe and wear nothing beneath it—which might be problematic since the garment appeared to be see-thru since it’d been crafted from old flour sacks.
But the robe looked surprisingly modest on her. So when Evangeline combed out Lacy’s wet hair and braided it into one long plait, a sense of calm settled over her.
At twilight, an elder escorted Lacy to the ceremony site. Her heart leapt when she saw Sam standing next to the fire, clad in the same type of robe. His face brightened. He smiled when he caught sight of her and offered his hand.
That’s when she knew this ceremony was necessary because it brought them full circle—literally—they stood in the center of a small circle of rocks. The Lakota elder spoke words to the sky, flames crackled as sage smoke eddied around them.
After they were wrapped facing each other in the star quilt, they shed their robes and listened to the chorus of voices asking for blessings on the union.
The dancers led them to the tipi and opened the flap. Another chorus of tremolos—sounding much like war cries—rose and fell.
Inside it was black as pitch.
Sam’s breath teased her lips. They were close enough to breathe the same air. He brushed his mouth across hers one time. “You okay?”
“Yeah. I worried I’d feel...stupid because the ritual is unfamiliar. But I feel connected to you and to this place that brought us together.”
“Me too, cupcake.” He tugged and the star quilt hit the ground. “Now let’s connect in my favorite way.”
And as always, no matter where they were, they lost themselves in each other.
Thanks for reading my fun contemporary novella! If you’re so inclined to spread the word about Lorelei James books, there are a couple of ways to share the love and to keep track of what’s coming up:
Leave a review at your
“They aren’t expecting us to strip bare in front of a bunch of people we don’t know, are they?”
“No one will see us. The robe removal is done underneath the quilt and beneath the cover of darkness.”
“But...Why do we have to be naked?”
“Being naked symbolizes entering into the marriage bond without anything to hide.”
“Oh. I guess that makes sense. No false advertising.”
A deep frown squished his eyebrows together. “Meaning what?”
He looked so cute she had to reach up and smooth his furrowed brow. “Meaning no spandex shape wear to suck in a woman’s hips, butt, tummy or thighs. No pushup bras to create cleavage from nothing, no rolled socks shoved in a man’s boxers to give the illusion of a big package.”
Sam rolled his eyes. “Moving on. After the tipi has been blessed, no one is allowed to enter and break the sacred seal except us.”
“Please tell me we won’t be revisiting the no food portion of our hiking excursion from last summer? Because that was my least favorite part.”
“Mine too. Everything else...” He paused and stared at her meaningfully. “Seemed fated.”
It still shocked her to hear her just-the-facts money man admit there were elemental forces outside their control working to bring them together. But getting to know each other and falling in love in the last year—that was all them. And it’d been the best year of her life. “So by having this ceremony, we’ll be giving the fates their due?”
“Something like that.” Sam tenderly brushed her hair out of her eyes. “I’ll have Dave put a cooler with drinks and snacks on the back side of the tipi after everyone leaves, so we don’t starve. Okay?”
“Okay. But no snake.”
He laughed. “Or protein bars.”
“Deal.”
“Thank you for doing this. My mom is waiting up at the lodge to help you to prep for the ceremony.”
Don’t ask. Just go with it.
At the lodge, Sam’s mother Evangeline led Lacy to a private suite. She handed her a bar of sage and honey soap. After showering Lacy was to slip on the robe and wear nothing beneath it—which might be problematic since the garment appeared to be see-thru since it’d been crafted from old flour sacks.
But the robe looked surprisingly modest on her. So when Evangeline combed out Lacy’s wet hair and braided it into one long plait, a sense of calm settled over her.
At twilight, an elder escorted Lacy to the ceremony site. Her heart leapt when she saw Sam standing next to the fire, clad in the same type of robe. His face brightened. He smiled when he caught sight of her and offered his hand.
That’s when she knew this ceremony was necessary because it brought them full circle—literally—they stood in the center of a small circle of rocks. The Lakota elder spoke words to the sky, flames crackled as sage smoke eddied around them.
After they were wrapped facing each other in the star quilt, they shed their robes and listened to the chorus of voices asking for blessings on the union.
The dancers led them to the tipi and opened the flap. Another chorus of tremolos—sounding much like war cries—rose and fell.
Inside it was black as pitch.
Sam’s breath teased her lips. They were close enough to breathe the same air. He brushed his mouth across hers one time. “You okay?”
“Yeah. I worried I’d feel...stupid because the ritual is unfamiliar. But I feel connected to you and to this place that brought us together.”
“Me too, cupcake.” He tugged and the star quilt hit the ground. “Now let’s connect in my favorite way.”
And as always, no matter where they were, they lost themselves in each other.
Thanks for reading my fun contemporary novella! If you’re so inclined to spread the word about Lorelei James books, there are a couple of ways to share the love and to keep track of what’s coming up:
Leave a review at your
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