“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.

“Are you ready, Ari?” Jenny asked.