Almost-Married Moni E-Book

Cheyenne Blue

• Herausgeber: Ylva Publishing
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Serie: Girl-Meets-Girl
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 109

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2017

Beschreibung

This fabulous sequel to small-town lesbian romance, Not-So-Straight Sue, sees Sue and Moni tie the knot in an outback wedding stuffed with crazy characters and chaos. Three years ago, Sue Brent proposed to Moni Kratzmann in the corridor of the Royal Flying Doctor Base. Now, with marriage equality finally the law in Australia, their wedding is on. As friends and family from near and far gather at Jayboro Outstation in outback Queensland, Moni and Sue strive to keep their wedding plans—and their lives—on track. Between well-meaning families, ex-girlfriends, and a community that wants to party, their wedding is set to be bigger than Moni's home state of Texas. But is that what they want? It's a simple outback wedding. What could possibly go wrong?

Leseprobe

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www.ylva-publishing.com

Other books by Cheyenne Blue

Party Wall

Girl Meets Girl Series

Never-Tied Nora

Not-So-Straight Sue

Fenced-In Felix

Table of Contents

Other books by Cheyenne Blue

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

About Cheyenne Blue

Other Books from Ylva Publishing

Never-Tied Nora

Not-So-Straight Sue

Fenced-In Felix

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

It seems Australia progressed towards marriage equality at a glacial pace. However, on November 15, 2017, the postal survey to determine voters’ preferences returned a resounding yes vote, forcing a free vote in parliament to determine the issue. Finally, on December 7, 2017, Australian marriage equality was a reality.

I proposed the idea of writing a story celebrating this event to Astrid Ohletz at Ylva Publishing only two weeks before the postal survey closed, a mere three weeks before the results were known. I suggested a crazy-fast timeframe so that we could make the story available when equality came into effect.

I thought Astrid would laugh me off the internet as my proposal meant that not only did I have to write the story quick-smart, but the Ylva team had to hustle along as well. I was asking my editor, cover designer, proof reader, and the myriad of other people involved to squeeze this book into an already full schedule. Publication schedules are set months or years in advance for a very good reason. However, Astrid was on board from the first. This is (just one reason) why I love my publisher.

The story was written from go to whoa in two weeks, and in that time grew from the original short story idea to the twenty thousand-odd words you hold in your hand. It was then content and copy-edited in under a week by the very wonderful Alissa McGowan, who did an amazing job in a tiny amount of time and was an absolute pleasure to work with.

My long-suffering fellow author and friend, Katharina Marcus, fact-checked the horse stuff for me in two days (and soundly told me off for a scene involving characters galloping across a landscape) and my dear friend, Marg, again hunted down those pesky typos. Lee Winter stepped in as proofreader at a moment’s notice.

Glendon of Streetlight Graphics again produced a glorious cover that marries perfectly with the rest of the series. And Astrid cracked the whip over all of us and kept the project moving along.

Of course, if the national postal survey on same-sex marriage had returned the wrong result, this story would have languished until the next general election and probably long after. Luckily, that wasn’t the case.

Almost-Married Moni is an unabashed happy, mushy romance about marriage. Moni and Sue first appeared in the second book of my Girl Meets Girl series, Not-So-Straight Sue. While you don’t need to have read the preceding books to enjoy this, if you have, I hope that you will enjoy revisiting some old friends, as I did.

Mainly though, Almost-Married Moni is a celebration of long overdue marriage equality in Australia.

I dedicate this book to every Australian, regardless of sexuality, who ticked the “yes” box on that infamous survey. To the parents, grandparents, siblings, friends, allies, and supporters who ticked “yes”. To the businesses, large and small, who came out in support of the yes vote. To people of religion who publicly said that love should win despite the teachings of their faith. To people who didn’t have a personal interest in the vote, but ticked “yes” anyway because it was the right thing to do. To those who ticked “yes”, despite opposition from others in their families or communities who told them to tick “no”.

Mainly though, I dedicate this book to every member of the LGBTQI+ community in Australia who now can marry their partner if they so choose. And to those in countries who already had this right, thank you for your part in leading the way to equality. To those in countries yet to embrace equality, I wish you the strength to keep on fighting.

Mainly, though, I dedicate this book to love.

Love is love.

Cheyenne Blue

Queensland, Australia

December 7, 2017

CHAPTER 1

Mrs T was singing in the kitchen. It wasn’t that she had a terrible voice—she was actually fairly good, especially when she was singing Amy Winehouse. But when she sang loudly, it meant she needed to talk to us but didn’t want to interrupt. Back to Black wafted through the thin walls of our old weatherboard Queenslander as clearly as if Mrs T was in the same room.

I rolled my eyes at Sue, who was sitting at her desk trying to draft a letter of advice. “Shall I see what she wants, or do you want to ask her?”

Sue removed her specs and laid them on the messy pile of papers on her desk. “If we haven’t heard the kettle whistle within five minutes, then you go.”

I put my book down and removed my feet from Sue’s desk. “I’m hungry. I’ll go now.”

Right on cue, the kettle’s whistle sounded, and Mrs T’s song stopped as if a switch had been thrown.

I grinned at Sue. “On second thought, I’ll wait. She’ll be in with a cuppa and some Tim Tams in under two minutes.”

“She will.” Sue abandoned her pretence of working and cleared a space on her desk. Mrs T hated setting mugs down on Sue’s legal papers and Sue hated the coffee rings that resulted. And we both wanted to keep our beloved housekeeper happy.

Sure enough, in less than two minutes, there was a cursory knock and Mrs T entered. She had a tray in her hands with thick sandwiches, three mugs of tea, and a plate of Tim Tams. I eyed her warily. Mrs T’s interruptions were generally good, but occasionally she needed to get something off her chest—like when Ripper had buried something very dead and rotting in her veggie garden. But this time her grin stretched across her brown face like the sunrise.

She set the tray on Sue’s desk and advanced upon my lover. “You darling, darling girl.” She kissed Sue on the cheek then came over to me. “And you lovely, lovely girl.” She hauled me into a hug.

When she released me, my gaze met Sue’s across the cluttered desk. A tiny wrinkle in her forehead showed she was as clueless as I was.

“What have we done to deserve this, Mrs T?” Sue asked. “It’s lovely, of course, but is there a particular reason?”

Mrs T shook her head. “You don’t know? You two modern professionals, with your smart phones and emails and digital radios?” She pulled her own mobile from her pocket and held it up. “You’re getting married!”

I exchanged a puzzled look with Sue. She had proposed to me, and I had accepted, nearly three years ago. I wouldn’t forget the proposal in a hurry, taking place as it had in a busy corridor of the Royal Flying Doctor Base in Mount Isa where I was working at the time. We’d exchanged rings, but that was as far as it had gone due to Australia’s lack of marriage equality.

“Oh!” I caught on in a rush. “The results of the marriage equality postal survey are out!”

“They are.” Mrs T thumped the desk in her enthusiasm and a file bounced off the top of the pile onto the floor. “I don’t need to tell you which way the vote went, do I?”

“We won!” Sue leapt from her chair. “Australians did the right thing!”

“Of course they did.” Mrs T sniffed. “Nearly sixty-two percent of them, anyway. Now that farce is out of the way, finally the government can allow the people what they want. You two better be ready; you’ve a wedding to plan!”

I looked over at Sue. My practical, straight-talking lawyer girlfriend was misty eyed, her face soft. “Moni,” she whispered. “Finally, we can get married.”

I moved around the desk and into her waiting arms. My heart jumped in my chest. It wasn’t a certainty yet, but it was one very large step closer. Sue’s arms closed around me, and her face rubbed in my hair. I closed my eyes and relaxed into her embrace, delighting in her closeness. “I love you,” she whispered, for my ears only.

“And I love you too.” I must have spoken louder than I realised, as Mrs T joined our embrace.

“And I love both of you,” she said in a gruff voice as emotion-filled as ours. “Now let’s plan your wedding.”

CHAPTER 2

When you live in a tiny town in outback Queensland, an even more sparsely populated area in the already sparsely populated country of Australia, “planning” takes on a new meaning. When I’d lived in Texas, I’d been to huge designer weddings that cost more than some people’s mortgages. Sue and I didn’t want a large wedding like that, which was lucky, as it wasn’t an option. Living as we did in Mungabilly Creek, with the nearest town three hours’ drive away, by necessity our wedding would be simple. It would be community organised, filled with our families, friends, and many people from Mungabilly and surrounding outback stations.

Over Mrs T’s doorstep sandwiches and strong black tea, it didn’t take us long to decide on the basics. The only gay-friendly celebrant from the Isa. A casual outdoor ceremony in the wide brown landscape that both of us loved so much. And a community potluck reception, to which everyone was invited.

The venue, too, was a no-brainer.

Sue and I locked glances. “Jayboro Outstation,” we said simultaneously.

Our friends Felix and Josie ran an outback camping and trail riding place three hours away. Jayboro was beautiful, with wide landscape views and a winding creek bed lined with drooping gum trees. Even better, Felix and Josie now had six cabins nestled in quiet corners of their campground, plus room for campers and motorhomes.

I took Sue’s hand where it lay on the desk, and her strong fingers closed over mine. “Let’s visit Jayboro on the weekend so we can tell Felix and Josie in person.”

Sue eyed her desk with its toppling mass of files. “I can get away. Can you?”

“Yup. Ellen will cover the clinic. She owes me some time. Let’s take the campervan and stop overnight on the way.”

The leap of heat in Sue’s gaze sent an answering twist of desire into my own belly. Nights in the campervan—alone in the outback, door open to the hot desert night—was our very favourite type of lovemaking.

“Why Miss Moni, you just want to have your wicked way with me.” Sue fluttered her eyelashes like a southern belle. “I do declare my heart is all aflutter!”

“Very wicked way.” I tightened my grip on Sue’s hand. “Involving these strong fingers and—”

Mrs T cleared her throat ostentatiously. “I know you haven’t forgotten I’m here. You two are terrible.”

I shot her a grin. “And you love it. Will we reserve one of the cabins for you and Rosalie?”

“Nah. Keep them for those who’ve come a long way. Rosalie’s got a tent. We’ll pitch it somewhere in the campground.” She stood, collecting the empty plates and sweeping the crumbs onto the tray. “Now, I’m in charge of organising the food. The Commercial in Worrindi will run a portable bar if you give them enough notice. Youse might want to do that.”

“Perfect,” Sue said. “The bar tab for all our friends and most of Mungabilly and Worrindi will take our profits for the year, but it’ll be worth it.”

“That it is.” Mrs T turned to the door. “You two are loved in this little town. I don’t know if you know how much.” She cleared her throat. “But don’t let it go to your heads. I know, and most of the Country Women’s Association knows, what bad housekeepers you are. I still haven’t forgotten the green frogs in the bathroom. They must have been there for days and you two didn’t even notice.”

“Thelma and Louise?” I gave Mrs T my most innocent look. “I was quite fond of them.”

“Not so fond of their little footprints all up the wall.”

We drove away from Mungabilly Creek in Sue’s elderly campervan on Thursday. Our little terrier, Ripper, perched in his usual spot between us, ears pricked for the adventure. Sue drove slowly, avoiding the main bitumen road to travel the small dirt station tracks. Occasionally we’d see a jackaroo in a ute, and Sue would return his laconic salute with a nod of her own, but mainly we saw no one.

Ripper climbed onto my knee so that he could stick his head out the window and feel the wind in his ears. I gazed out over dry land. It was still hot in the late afternoon, and even the mobs of kangaroos hung around under the sparse shade of the gum trees. An emu bounced along beside us, keeping pace with the camper for a couple hundred metres before veering away.