Текст книги "Saved"
Автор книги: Kelly Elliott
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“I gotta agree with Josh. I’d be the same damn way if it came to my girl,” Gunner said.
I shrugged my shoulders. “I guess. Anyway, the plans are going good. I think they’re pretty much done with it all. Jenny is amazing, and she’s really done another fabulous job with everything.”
Gunner said, “I tell ya what. Ari couldn’t have picked a better place. When I took Ells to the Mansion at Judges’ Hill for her birthday last year, it was breathtaking.”
“Breathtaking? Dude...marriage has turned you into a pussy,” Josh said with a laugh.
“Fuck you, Josh.”
I glanced back out onto the dance floor and sat up a little. It looked like some asshole was trying to pull Ellie away from Ari and Heather. Ari looked over at me, and before I could even react, I heard Gunner.
“Motherfucker.”
Gunner jumped up and started to make his way out to the middle of the barn.
Jack must have noticed it, too, because he stepped in front of Gunner, giving me enough time to get around them to get to Ellie and the asshole.
“Dude, I suggest you take your hands off my sister now,” I said.
The drunk pecker-head let go of Ellie’s arm and looked me up and down.
“You about to do something about it?”
I let out a laugh. “I think you’d rather deal with me than her husband, asshole.”
“Yeah, well, I think I’ll take my chances.” He started to reach for Ellie again as she took a step back.
I saw Gunner coming up on my right side.
“Gunner, don’t do it.”
It was too late. Before I could even stop him, Gunner turned the guy around and punched him square in the face. The poor bastard took two steps back and fell on his ass.
Gunner walked up to him and bent down.
“If you ever so much as look at my wife again, I’ll make sure you hurt for months.”
Ellie walked over and grabbed Gunner by the arm, pulling him away. The douchebag looked up at me.
I just shrugged my shoulders.
“I told you, dude.”
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
ARI
“What fun am I going to have, Ells? I can’t even drink. How fun is a bachelorette party when the damn bride can’t even drink?”
Ellie rolled her eyes and looked over at Heather. “Heather isn’t drinking either, and I already told you I won’t.”
“Amanda will. You know that red-headed bitch will drink enough for all four of us plus some.”
Heather laughed, and Ellie sat down on the sofa, letting out a long sigh.
We were staying at the cottage on my parents’ property and the guys were at my parents’ place on the lake. I was dying to know what they had in store for Jeff’s bachelor party.
I reached over and grabbed my cell phone only to have Ellie snag it out of my hand.
“No! You’re not calling him, Ari. You have called him three times in the last hour.”
“Don’t you want to know what they’re up to tonight? What if girls are there?”
Amanda piped in, “Oh, Jesus H. Christ, Ari, stop worrying so much. It’s like Ells’s bachelorette party all over again. Now, I haven’t been out in months, Brad’s mother is driving me fucking crazy, and all I want to do is drink myself under a table and dance with a good-looking guy, who I’m hoping will at least grab my ass once while we dance.”
I just sat there and stared at Amanda. I glanced over at Ellie and Heather, and they were pretty much looking at Amanda in the same way.
“Holy hell, Mandy, married life sure is treating you well,” Ellie said.
Heather let out a giggle.
Amanda sighed and sat down in the chair across from me.
“I think I got married too soon.”
“What?” Ellie, Heather, and I all said at the same time. “Amanda, are you and Brad having troubles?”
Amanda shook her head, fighting back tears. “No, Ari, we aren’t having any troubles. Things have never been better.”
“Then, why the hell would you say you got married too soon?”
“Because if I wasn’t married yet, Brad’s bitch of a douche-twat mother wouldn’t be bugging me to have a baby. She wouldn’t be taking me to lunch once a week and giving me advice on how to get pregnant. She acts like I don’t fucking know how to get pregnant.”
We all started laughing, and Amanda ended up joining in on the laughter.
“Come on, Ari, let’s go. I promise the evening is not going to be filled with naked men or anything that will make your pregnant ass, or Jeff’s ass for that matter, have to worry.”
“Fine, let’s go.” I said.
Amanda jumped up and started clapping. Heather rolled her eyes, and Ellie walked over and reached out her hand to help me up. As Amanda and Heather walked out the door first, Ellie held me back.
“Are you okay, Ari? You feeling okay, sweets?”
I let out a sigh and felt the tears building in my eyes.
“Were you scared, Ells?”
“To get married? Yeah, Ari, I was scared to death.”
“This is all I’ve ever wanted, Ellie. I’ve only ever wanted to be with him to wake up next to him every morning, and to go to sleep next to him every night. I want to have babies, have fights, make up, and kiss in the rain with him. He is the only one I want to do those things with. So why am I so damn scared? I mean, I’m having his baby in six months. This should be nothing!”
Ellie smiled that smile only she can give me, and I was calmed within seconds.
“Baby, you’re getting married in two days to the love of your life, and you’re carrying his baby. Smile, baby girl. You’re going to be the most beautiful bride ever. You won’t even need makeup because that pregnancy glow fits you perfectly.”
I slammed my body into Ellie and hugged the shit out of her. “I love you, Ellie Mathews. I love you so much.”
“I love you, too, Ari. Come on, let’s go have some fun. By the way, I sent Gunner a text a little bit ago. They’re staying at the lake house and playing poker. He promised that there will be no women, so don’t worry. They’ll probably behave better than us.”
***
We headed out to dinner first, and I never laughed so hard in my life. It was so nice to be with my three very best friends.
“Oh god, I love Maudie’s so damn much. I could eat here every day.” Amanda said as she leaned back and put her hands on her stomach.
I smiled at her because she truly looked happy. As much as she had bitched about her monster-in-law she was so incredibly happy with Brad.
I thought back to the night of her wedding. It was the first time Jeff and I had made love. The memories flooded my brain, causing me to drift away from everyone.
Setting my hands on my stomach, I closed my eyes. I was getting married in two days, and I was fifteen weeks pregnant. Although I was barely showing a bump, my wedding dress had to be altered just a little.
I looked up at Ellie, and she smiled at me. My heart was breaking for her because I knew how much she wanted to have a baby. She was such a damn good friend because she never showed how sad she was.
Just then, I felt a flutter in my stomach. Butterflies? There it went again. Could it be?
“Holy fuck!” I shouted out.
Ellie stood up quickly spilling her water all over Heather. Heather jumped and hit the table, her tea spilt everywhere. Amanda pushed back her chair, as she laughed her ass off, and I just sat there.
“Fuck a duck, Ari, what the hell is wrong with you?” Ellie said. She was trying to wipe water off of her while staying out of the way of the poor waitress cleaning up the rest of the spilled water and tea.
“I think I just felt the baby!” I said. I just sat there with my hands on my stomach.
“What?” All three of my friends, and our waitress shouted out at once.
“But you’re only fifteen weeks pregnant. I thought that didn’t happen until after sixteen weeks.” The ever-accurate Heather pointed out.
I just stared at her.
Ellie came running over and got down on her knees.
“Oh my god…oh my god…oh my god. Move your hand, I want to feel my niece…or nephew!”
Amanda started laughing. Brad’s mother was an OB, and Amanda had started working for her part time, helping out on days she didn’t have classes.
“Ells, I hate to tell you this, but you’re not going to be able to feel the baby yet. Only Ari can at this early stage.”
Ellie shot Amanda a look that should have brought Amanda to her knees. “Well, shit, I want to feel it. What does it feel like?”
“It felt like fluttering or bubbles in my stomach. You know like when you have gas moving through your stomach.”
“Oh Christ, how romantic, Ari,” Amanda said as she rolled her eyes.
“It’s the only way I know how to describe it.” I reached for my phone and hit Jeff’s number.
“I’ll be right back,” I said as I got up and headed outside.
“Hey, baby, you having fun?” Jeff asked.
“I miss you,” I said in as much of a seductive voice as I could.
“Hold on a second.”
I heard Jeff say he was going outside for a second, and I had to smile.
“Jesus, Ari, only you can make me go hard in an instant. Want to sneak away and meet somewhere?”
“Yes!”
“Where are you?”
“Maudie’s on Lake Austin Boulevard.”
“Give me fifteen minutes, baby, and I’ll be there.”
“Okay, hurry, but be careful driving.”
I walked back into the restaurant. The spilled drink mess had been cleaned up, and the girls were all eating from a giant piece of chocolate cake.
When I sat down, and all three of them looked at me.
“He’s coming to get you, isn’t he?” Heather said with a wink.
Damn, these girls know me too well. I just smiled and took a sip of my water.
“Ugh, you horny-ass bitch. If pregnancy does this to you, sign me the fuck up,” Amanda said as she smiled at me.
“Are y’all mad?” I asked.
Amanda let out a sigh and sat back. “I’m actually kind of relieved. I know I was all wanting a guy to grab my ass while I danced the night away. Honestly though, with Brad being at his parents’ lake house, there’s a really good book I want to read, and I would so love the peace and quiet in the house.”
“I really am so exhausted from finishing up this semester. All I really want to do is go home and soak in a hot bath,” Heather said as she winked at me.
Ellie was staring at her cell phone with a huge-ass grin on her face. When she looked up, we were all staring at her.
“What does that overly romantic-bastard husband of yours have planned?”
Ellie smiled. “He said he’s right behind Jeff, and he wants to take me on a carriage ride downtown.”
“Good god, where did this man come from? I mean really, he needs to teach a damn class on this shit,” Amanda said as she fanned herself.
Ellie and Amanda laughed.
Amanda looked down at her phone and grinned. Heather, you feel like dropping me off at the lake house? Looks like Brad’s feeling a little lonely.”
Heather giggled as she dug out her keys. “No problem.” Has everyone left him all alone?”
“I guess so. He said Gunner and Jeff just left, and Josh was outside on the deck, probably making plans to leave as well.”
Heather’s smile faded for one brief second before it she smiled again.
“Okay. Well then, let’s head out, and I’ll drop you off. Are you girls okay with us leaving you until your men get here?” Heather asked.
She and Amanda both stood up and started to hug and kiss Ellie and me.
“We’ll be fine. They’re only a few minutes away, and we can talk wedding stuff,” Ellie said as she looked over at me and winked.
***
After Heather and Amanda left, I looked over at Ellie, who was smiling at me like a damn fool.
“What has you so full of glee, except for the fact that your hubby is taking you on a carriage ride?”
“You. I’m so glad to see you and Jeff finally happy.”
I let out a small laugh. “It sure has been a long bumpy-ass road.”
“Yep.”
I sighed as a wedding detail crossed my mind.
“Oh shit! I forgot to call Jenny about the bouquets.” Panicking, I reached for my cell phone.
Ellie reached over and grabbed my hand.
“She called me earlier. I took care of it. That’s what the maid of honor does, you know. Don’t worry. It’s all taken care of, and they’re going to look beautiful.”
“You know I would be lost without you, don’t you?”
Ellie smiled at me and squeezed my hand. “I would be lost without you, too. I love you, baby.”
“I love you, too. In case I haven’t told you in a while, that nose piercing is really adorable on you!”
Ellie threw her head back and laughed. Then, she stopped laughing and looked at me.
“Oh my god, you’re piercing!”
“Yeah, I know. Dr. Wyatt said I need to have it out no later than twenty weeks, but I already took it out. I actually thought Jeff was going to cry when I told him I was taking it out.”
Ellie let out a giggle and rolled her eyes. “He really liked it, huh?”
“Oh yeah, he loved it.” I said, moving my eyebrows up and down.
“Eww. Okay, I don’t need the visual in my head, thank you very much.”
I looked up and saw Jeff and Gunner walking toward us. I smiled, and Ellie turned around.
Jeff came up to me, leaned down, and kissed me. Then took my hand, pulled me up and just turned, leading me out.
He turned back around and looked at Gunner.
“You got the bill, right, bro?”
Gunner just laughed. “Y’all have fun!”
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
JEFF
The Wedding Day……
Gunner and I walked around, following Jenny. Everything was set up and ready to go and I was in awe at how beautiful everything was. The Mansion at Judges’ Hill really was the perfect choice for the wedding.
We had the rehearsal dinner here last night, and Ari had never stopped smiling. Her dad had even pulled me to the side and finally told me how happy he was we were getting married. Of course, he had to end it with a threat, saying that not only did I have to make Ari the happiest woman on earth, but I also better be the best damn father to his grandchild.
No pressure.
The reception room looked amazing. Ari and Jenny did an amazing job. I looked around and almost felt like I couldn’t breathe. In two hours, I was going to marry the girl of my dreams.
Gunner slapped me on the back, bringing me out of my thoughts. “Dude, I’m gonna assume by the smile on your face you’re thinking about your future bride.”
My smile grew as I looked at Gunner and Jenny. Jenny smiled back and then looked at her watch.
Immediately, she picked up her cell phone and made a call. “Those flowers were supposed to be here by 9 a.m. Yeah, you better be on your way.” She hit end and then looked back up at me.
“No worries. It’s for the reception. Susan wanted fresh, as in same day fresh, flowers for the tables.”
I rolled my eyes and shook my head. We walked out to the courtyard. It looked perfect.
“Okay, so if everything looks good to you, Jeff, I need to go and check on the bride. I actually just saw her peeking out the window up-stairs.”
I hadn’t seen her since yesterday morning when Ellie and Heather got to the cottage and practically dragged Ari away, kicking and screaming. They stayed here last night because Sue was worried that Ari wouldn’t be here on time.
I scanned the windows until my eyes captured hers. She smiled and waved at me, and I waved back. Her hair was pulled up, but I couldn’t really see how it was styled. No matter what, she looked beautiful. Then, I saw Ellie as she shot me a dirty look and pulled Ari away from the window.
Gunner laughed as he slapped me yet again on the back.
“Damn, dude, you’re one lucky son of a bitch. She looks beautiful.”
I turned and looked at Gunner as we started to walk back inside. Josh and Brad were talking to Sue and Mark while Matt was climbing all over Josh. I smiled, knowing my little buddy was so happy today.
We had told him last night that Ari had a baby growing in her stomach, and he was full of questions. I love that kid so damn much. As soon as Matt saw me, he came running up to me. So I bent down so he could run into my arms.
“Jeff! Are you going to marry Ari today?” Matt asked with a huge smile on his face.
Gunner reached over and rubbed his hand on top of Matt’s head. Matt looked up at Gunner and smiled the biggest smile ever.
“I’m gonna stand next to you, Gunner, and help you be the bestest man!” Matt said as he jumped up and down in my arms.
“I know you are, buddy. I couldn’t do it without you, you know that, right?”
“Yeah, I know. That’s what Ari said, too. She said you would mess it up alone. Gunner, I’ll help you to not mess it up, so you’re not an assmole like Jeff.”
I had to give Gunner credit for not laughing. Matt had quickly learned that we all laughed when he said assmole, so he said it all the time now. Unfortunately, when he said it, he was usually saying I was the assmole. That seemed to please Mark…a lot.
“Ari said that huh?” Gunner asked.
Matt nodded with a huge smile on his face.
Sue walked up to us, reaching out of Matt. “Matt, come on babe, we need to let the boys finish getting dressed and ready, and you need to get into your new clothes that we bought just for today.”
Matt turned back at me, smiling as he hugged me. “I’m so glad you’re going to be my brother. I love you, Jeff.”
With that, he ran over to Josh and hugged his leg. Josh leaned down and returned the hug as he glanced at me. Josh had really taken to Matt. Ari had told me that Josh had even started stopping by the house, so he could play video games with Matt because I had not been able to since we moved.
Gunner let out a sigh and looked at me. I took one last look around the giant ballroom that had been turned into a winter wonderland. I sucked in a deep breath.
Holy fuck, I’m getting married.
“Gun, were you scared?”
Gunner smiled at me.
“Let’s go for a walk outside.”
Once we got outside, I felt like I could breathe again. The day was beautiful, and I was so thankful. With an outdoor wedding, we had all feared having bad weather. Ya never know what the weather in Austin is going to be like in December.
Gunner and I sat down on two chairs and didn’t talk for about five minutes.
“How much do you love Ari, Jeff?”
I snapped my head over at him and just stared at him. What the fuck kind of question is that?
“I love her more than life itself. I wouldn’t be able to breathe without her. I wouldn’t want to breathe without her. It amazes me that she can just look at me from across a room, and I have to catch my breath. The sound of her voice just about brings me to my knees. Her smile… damn, her smile….makes me want to keep her happy every second of the day just so I can see that smile.”
Gunner let out a gruff laugh. “That pretty much sums up how I feel about your sister.”
Then, he slapped me on the back again and stood up. “You ready to marry the love of your life?”
I looked up at him and smiled. The sense of calm that swept over my body was unreal. I loved Gunner like a brother. The fact that he just eased my panic without even saying a damn word just showed me how lucky I was to have him in my life… and in my sister’s life.
I stood up and slapped the living shit out of his back. “Let’s do this thing!”
“Fuck! Why the hell did you hit me so hard, you bastard?”
“Because you’ve been doing it to me for days now. Payback, bro.”
Jenny came walking up to us. I could tell by the look on her face that we were about to be told to go get ready.
“Alright, guys, show-time in less than two hours. Let’s go. Ari wants to take a walk around before she gets dressed. So help me, Jeff, if you look out a window and see her, I’ll break both your legs.”
“Wow, does Aaron know you have this side to you, Jen?” I asked.
“Yes, yes, he does. Now, let’s go.”
I looked up one more time before I walked in, and there Ari was, smiling down at me. I waved to her, and she waved back.
In less than two hours, she would be forever mine.
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
ARI
I had walked up to the window to see Jeff and Gunner sitting down in the court yard. For a few minutes, it’d looked like they weren’t talking. Is Jeff nervous? Maybe he was having second thoughts. Oh shit.
Just then, I felt that fluttery feeling again. I put my hand to my stomach and smiled. It was the three of us now. For some reason, thoughts of Rebecca popped into my head. Things could have turned out so differently if that baby had been Jeff’s.
“He loves you so much. You know that, right?” Ellie said from behind me.
I smiled as I watched Jeff and Gunner together. They both loved each other just like Ellie and I loved each other. I turned to look at my best friend. She was also smiling while she looked down at Gunner and Jeff.
“Thank you, Ellie.”
Ellie glanced over at me, still smiling. “For what?”
“Just being you.”
Ellie turned and brought me in for a hug. “It’s about fucking time this is happening. Now, we just need to work on dysfunctional couple number three.”
We both laughed as I hugged her tighter. She pulled away and gave me a smile that melted my heart.
I turned back to the window and saw Jenny talking to Jeff. He looked up at me. We both waved at each other, and my heart started pounding. I put my hands to my stomach and closed my eyes.
I wasn’t sure how long I had been standing at the window. When I felt a hand on my shoulder, I turned around only to have my mother take me into her arms as she hugged the living shit out of me.
“Oh my goodness, my baby girl is getting married. I just can’t believe it, Arianna. It seems like it was just yesterday when you were ten years old, and you came back from your first bike ride in the new neighborhood. You walked into the kitchen, and your father and I were unpacking dishes, so we could make dinner. You hopped up on the kitchen counter and made an announcement that almost had your father heading to the hospital.”
“I don’t remember this. What did I say?”
“You looked at us both, and as serious as all get out, you said, ‘I found the boy I’m gonna marry someday. So Daddy, you better start saving ‘cause I want a big wedding when I marry Ellie’s brother.’”
Oh my god, I totally forgotten all about that. I let out a laugh. “Mom, I so remember that now! Daddy told me to dream on, and then he asked what Ellie’s brother’s name was because he was going to start having him watched.” We both busted out laughing.
“Mom, Jeff swears that Daddy has someone following him.”
My mother winked at me, and for one brief second, I thought it might actually be true.
“Alright, since you wouldn’t put any quotes from the great Katharine Hepburn in your wedding vows, I’m going to give you before we go and take a look at everything.”
“Mom, really, you’ve been told this obsession with KH is not healthy right? I mean, I’ve told you, and I know Daddy has. And our marathon Katharine Hepburn movie night last night…was that really necessary? I’ve never seen Heather fall asleep so fast in my life.”
“Psssh, that girl is exhausted from too much school. At any rate, do you want to hear the quote or not?”
“Fine, I’m sure I’ve heard it before though.”
“Maybe, but you’re going to hear it again. ‘Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get only with what you are expecting to give which is everything.’ Always love each other with everything you’ve got, Arianna. And never, ever, go to bed mad because I swear you wake up even more pissed off than you were when you went to sleep.”
“Mom, that is beautiful…the quote, I mean. I already know about the whole going-to-bed mad and don’t worry. Jeff and I have great make-up se...”
“Oh, for the love of all things good in this world, child, stop your mouth right there!”
***
I was in total awe as Ells, Heather, Amanda and I walked around the courtyard. The decorations were kept very simple out here. White chairs were all I wanted. Each row had a simple silver bow tied onto the end chair. Beautiful branch trees that Jeff, Josh, Brad, and Gunner spray-painted with white glitter paint were placed in buckets and covered up with decorative snow. Somehow, Jenny had placed lights at the base of the trees, and the way the lights shined through the trees were breath-taking. The arbor was simply covered in white lights, and it looked amazing. I smiled, thinking about how I would be under that thing in just a few hours.
“What time is it?” I asked.
“We have an hour and a half. Let’s keep moving,” Jenny said.
When we made our way into the ballroom, I let out a gasp.
“Holy hell Jen. It’s…it’s...”
“Magical!” Heather, Amanda, and Ellie all said at once.
I turned, looking at them all, and smiled.
“Oh. My. God. That’s what I was going to say!” I said as I jumped up and down.
Ellie gave me a wink as she walked farther in. I saw the center piece decorations and smiled. The square glass candle holders were perfect. We had filled them up with fake snow and placed small branches in them. Cotton branches with the cotton still on the branch surrounded each center piece, and I absolutely loved that Josh had come up with the idea to place them on the tables. His uncle had a cotton farm, and he’d sent us a ton of them to use. The glowing votive candles that were lit added just the right touch. It was perfect.
My mother had insisted we use glass china. The white plates with the sliver-edged lining looked stunning on the table. I was so glad that I let her win that battle. The silver napkins even looked amazing.
The tables had white linen on them, but a beautiful silver lace fabric that Ellie had picked out was laid over it. The chairs were all covered in white fabric with silver sashes tied on them, and all I could think about was how long it would take before some drunken idiot spilled something on them.
The wedding party table was unreal. They had placed bigger birch trees in the middle and surrounded the base with white roses and stargazers. I could smell the flowers. I looked up and saw clear ornaments hanging from the trees. They were catching all the light from the candles and chandeliers.
“I can’t believe how incredibly beautiful this all looks, y’all. I’m beyond words right now,” I said as I started to feel the tears well up in my eyes.
“Don’t cry, we’ll have to touch up your makeup even more,” Amanda said as she took my hand and led me over to the dance floor.
Gunner’s dad was talking to the DJ as he handed him a list. I’d left all that up to Jeff. I didn’t care what we had as far as music went. My dad had wanted a band, and Jeff had wanted a DJ. I saw that Jeff won that fight.
Then, I saw the table with the cakes. I smiled when I saw Jeff’s cake. It was a chocolate cake with a Ford truck on it. As I got closer, I really started laughing. I looked at Ellie, who was frowning.
“Are you kidding me? You let him put that on his cake?” Ellie said as she placed her hands on her hips.
Amanda and Heather busted out laughing.
“I did, Ellie, it’s his cake. He wanted a truck on it with the words ‘Truck Yeah.’ Who am I to say no?” I said while trying to hold back my laughter.
Ellie turned to face at me. “You’re all crazy. I hope you know that.”
I gave her a wink and walked over to the bride’s cake. It was breath-taking. It was a four– tiered white cake with silver accents along the edge and a few crystal snowflakes carefully placed around it. I loved it.
“Ari, are you happy with everything?” Jen asked as she put her arm around me.
“Oh my gosh, Jen, I’m beyond happy. You’ve really outdone yourself this time. I mean, this is like a fairy-tale wedding.”
“Good,” Jen said, smiling.
I turned around to see my dad leaning up against the wall. I smiled at how handsome he looked and how happy he seemed to be.
“Oh, Daddy.” I ran into his arms and held him tight. “You’ve made all my dreams come true with this wedding. It must have cost you a small fortune!”
“You, my baby girl, are worth every single dime. After all, you gave me a pretty good advanced notice when you announced your marriage to your mother and me at age ten.”
I let out a giggle. “Mom brought that up to me a little bit ago.”
“He’s a good man, Ari, and he loves you very much.”
Oh shit. I was going to cry. I was so going to cry.
“Daddy….”
As my voice cracked, he held out his arms. I walked into his arms, and he held me so tight.
“Always know this, Arianna. No man will ever love you like I love you. He will never worry about you like I’ll worry about you. He will never be able to hurt anyone who hurts you like I will.”
I threw my head back and laughed. “Thank you, Daddy. Thank you so much for everything. I know you like Jeff, Daddy. So why do you give him such a hard time?”
“The same reason why he’ll do it to some poor sap when he wants to marry your daughter.”
“Fair enough, but can I ask you something?”
“Anything.”
“You’ve never had Jeff followed, have you?”
Daddy gave me his Cheshire Cat smile, winked at me, and then turned, walking away.
Oh shit.
“Ari, we really need to get you back up-stairs, so you can get ready.” Jenny said.
She practically pulled me away from my stance as I watched my father retreating and laughing.
***
Missy, who was Jenny’s new makeup girl, touched up my makeup. She was a quiet little thing. I guessed my threat of any pink anywhere on my face might have scared her just a bit.
Ellie curled a few strands of hair that had lost their curl and then sprayed the shit out of them with hair spray.
“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, can you please stop, Ellie? I seem to remember you bitching about the hair spray on your wedding day.”
“That is true. I was upset about it, but hey, my hair looked beautiful all night, even after my passionate love making on my wedding night.”
I turned and looked at her. “Really? You had to go there? I’d be more than happy to tell you about the night before last with your big brother in the living room of the cottage, then in the hallway, then in the shower.”
Ellie held up her hands to ears and started to stomp her feet. “Stop! Okay, I’m sorry….eww….don’t talk about Jefferson that way. I think I just threw up in my mouth some, you bitch.”
“Ari, it’s time to put on your dress,” Heather said as she stood next to my wedding gown.
I took off the robe I was wearing and looked in the mirror. I was wearing a beautiful vintage silver corset that Ellie and Heather had bought for me. The matching garter belt was a gift from Amanda.
I sat down in the chair, and Ellie helped me put on the blue garter that my mother had worn wore in her wedding from her mother that had worn it in hers.
Then I slipped on the silver Manolo Blahnik shoes my mother had insisted I buy.
Finally, I looked in the mirror and smiled. Jeff was going to faint when he saw me in this.
Ellie bumped my shoulder.
“I don’t even want to know what you’re thinking about right now.”
I let out a laugh. “No, you don’t.
“Ugh, gesh, Ari.” Ellie rolled her eyes.
When we walked over to the wedding dress, I stopped and stared at it. It was intoxicating, and I knew Jeff was going to love it. Designed by Matthew Christopher, it was a strapless A-line dress with a sweetheart neckline and fitted corset that descended into a flared, full chapel-length train. Two different kinds of lace were appliquéd over the silk shantung.