The aisle is made of burlap with A+S written at the end of it. The best part about the runner? It’s in Shelli’s handwriting from when she was younger, taken right out of her wedding book. I have to say, that’s the awesome thing about Grace. She may be annoyed with Shelli, but she adds all these special, sweet touches that are incredible. In the rafters, white silk sheets drape down, outlined with lights, and are gathered at the top of large wooden chandeliers. The chandeliers, which I’ve learned are made of barnwood, contain candles and flowers arranged in an elegant way. Candle vases line the burlap runner, and on the back of each of the three hundred chairs is impressive greenery with white baby’s breath. At the end of the rows of chairs, interspersed between the candles on the burlap runner, are steel buckets of the same baby’s breath flowers. The stages arranged around the edge of the barn and built up behind the altar are just the right height and are set with the same chairs as in the audience. Strands of lightbulbs strung from the tops of long steel poles hang above them and will be lit with a romantic glow tomorrow. The table where the Cup will sit is behind the altar, which is made of barnwood and swagged with white silk sheets, along with baby’s breath, huge white peonies, and purple roses.
Holy shit, I’m starting to get chills.
I’m marrying my best friend tomorrow.
If she makes it.
She’s shaking with anger because we were supposed to meet everyone at the dance studio for our last practice, but that has slowly but surely unraveled.
“Shelli, baby, it’s not a big deal.” I never wanted to do the dance anyway, and neither did anyone else. It was a vision from the crazy mind of my beautiful fiancée.
Shelli’s look says otherwise. “It is! It was going to be awesome. Ha, Posey thought she’d be smart and have Boon call me. But little did she know, I’d yell at him too. At least Amelia had the balls to call me herself.”
I try to rub her back to calm her, but she’s on the verge of tears. “Shelli, no one cares about a group dance.”
“But I did! It would have been fun to look back on. But no, Posey and Amelia have to go off and get pregnant. My sister is lucky she is throwing up all the time and Amelia that she has her swollen ankles. Please, I bet they’ll be walking down the aisle just fine and eating my cake. It’ll be all grins tomorrow and tonight, but God forbid someone does a dance.”
I blink. “Um, listen, Bridezilla—”
Her eyes narrow to slits. “Excuse me?”
I throw my hands up. “Shelli, you’re ten seconds from spitting fire out of your mouth.”
She glares. “Well, I know who my first victim will be.”
I feign hurt. “Then who are you going to marry?”
She groans loudly as she sits in my lap, wrapping her arms around my neck. “Fine. I won’t set you on fire. It’s not your fault. But I’m not a bridezilla.”
“No, you’re the mother of dragons.”
“Not helping,” she says, and I cuddle her close. “I really wanted to do the group dance.”
“I know,” I say, rubbing her hip and butt. “But just think, now we’ll be the only ones dancing, and everyone will be in awe of your beauty.”
She leans her head on my jaw. “Nope, my grandma will be checking you out.”
“That’s concerning.”
She snickers, which is what I wanted. “Whatever. It’s fine. Everything is fine.”
“Exactly. We’re getting married tomorrow, and everyone will be there.”
“True.”
“And tonight, we get to rehearse getting married, which is kind of cool. It’s like the practice before the big game.”
She sighs. “It’s not a game—”
“I know, baby. I was just trying to make you smile.”
She doesn’t, though. Anxiety is eating her alive. She didn’t sleep last night, and that worries me. “Ugh, my dad is going to be pissed when we go back to Brooks House.”
I chuckle. “Hey, if I can get free food, I’m getting it.”
“You know we’ll have to pay since your mom supplied everything last night.”
“I know. I’m just kidding,” I say, gathering her in my arms. “Don’t be upset. Be excited. Our life as a married couple is about to start.”
“Apart,” she says, leaning her face on mine.
“Wow, you are a true Debbie Downer today,” I tell her. “I wasn’t going to bring that up.”
“But it’s true,” she says on a sigh, and I hate when she gets like this. “Maybe I shouldn’t take the part.”
“Shelli, you already committed,” I say, kissing her. I cup her jaw and turn her head, making her meet my gaze. “You want that part. You are made for that part. You said we’ll be fine, so trust and believe, we will be.”