I always said I wanted to get married in the gazebo; it’s a beautiful white structure in the middle of a field of flowers. I thought my cousin Amelia would have gotten married there, but she chose the beach for her ceremony. Ryan and his wife, Sofia, had a gorgeous wedding, but they didn’t use the gazebo either, which is crazy. I wonder why?
I can’t wait to be Mrs. Boon Hoenes. I love my last name and the people who gave it to me, but I’m ready for my new name. My unbelievable exciting future that he has been promising me since the moment we met. He may never have said those words, but his eyes promise me endless excitement to come.
Remembering that Grace just spoke to me, I say, “Thank you for allowing us on such short notice.”
She winks. “I’m just glad I get to come.”
I chortle a bit as I look back in the mirror. “I hope Boon likes it.”
“He’d be an idiot not to.” At the sound of Shelli’s voice, I meet her gaze in the mirror as she enters my mom’s room. She shakes her head slowly as she takes me in. “Man, I knew I couldn’t pull off that dress, but you… Wow, Posey, it’s perfect on you.”
I pull up the straps a bit. “It’s a little big.”
“Just a bit, but I’m sure my alterations lady can take care of it,” she says, looking back at my mom, but she waves Shelli off.
“Grace is going to do it. It’s an easy fix.”
“Awesome. You look gorgeous, Posey.”
I smile gratefully down at my sister. I assumed she was still mad about yesterday, but thankfully, normal Shelli is here and not Bridezilla Crazy Pants. “Thank you.”
She takes my hand in hers, and I squeeze her palm. “So, no one is standing up there with you?”
I shake my head. “No, but I’m going to have you, and Boon has Wes, sign the witness section of the marriage license. I didn’t want you and Ally to have to figure out dresses or anything like that. Figured only Boon and I need to worry about that since we’ve sprung this on everyone.”
“It’s going to be beautiful,” Shelli reassures me, and I sigh.
“I hope so.”
“It will! Grace, can we go out to the field and make sure they are doing what we want?” my mom asks, and Grace nods.
“Sure. Harper, you want a ride?”
She agrees as Mom looks up from her phone. “We’ll need to swing by the airport. Mom, Dad, Amelia, and her family will be landing in two hours.”
“Sounds good.”
“Shelli, help Posey out of the dress. We’ll be back. Wait for Daddy and Boon.” Then Mom stops. “Oh, I haven’t heard from Tina. Do you know if she needs to stay here or not? I have her room made up, and I put Grandma and Papa in your room.”
I shrug. “I haven’t heard, but I’ll text Boon and ask.”
“Great. Make sure to hang up the dress in the bathroom. Reese and Piper will be here in the afternoon for hair and makeup on everyone.” Mom says all that as she walks out the door, so I don’t hear the rest, but I’m sure she’ll tell me about six more times before tomorrow.
Shelli looks back up at me. “This is all so overwhelming.”
I laugh as she steps behind me. “Who are you telling?”
She unzips my dress, and together, we carefully take it off me. “I’m glad I got my own dress. This wouldn’t look good on me.”
I nod my head. “Yeah. You need something all ritzy and Broadway-ish. Your train is the length of Times Square.”
She laughs. “Maybe half,” she jokes as she hangs up the dress, and I put my bra back on. “Boon is going to pass out from how hot you’ll look tomorrow.”
I sigh as a grin covers my lips. I reach for my shirt, but Shelli’s hands on my gut make me jump. “Damn cold hands!”
She laughs as she rubs my belly. “I can’t believe there is a baby in there.”
I nod as I look down at my itty-bitty little belly. In all reality, it’s probably just from the candy and Oreos Wes and I eat all the time. “I can’t either. It’s all so crazy.”
She meets my gaze, still rubbing my belly. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
I shrug. “I didn’t tell anyone.”
“Not even Ally?”
“No. No one. I still can lose it, but I don’t think I will, which is why I told everyone. I could be jumping the gun—”
“No. Don’t think like that. We will meet this baby, and they will be spoiled rotten by their auntie Shelli.”
I cover her hands with mine. “Really? Because Auntie Shelli was acting like a baby herself at dinner yesterday.”
She rolls her eyes, shaking her head. “This wedding is making me crazy,” she says, sitting down, and I do the same. reaching for my leggings. “I am so stressed out at the office with the Cup run. I’m trying to make sure to have new donations at every home game and even away ones. Which involves yelling at the guys to sign things for me and asking for contributions from local businesses and big corporations. It’s been rough. And then when I think I’m done with the wedding planning, something new comes up. As much as I wanted a huge, lavish wedding, I am totally envious of your sweet little gazebo wedding in our mom’s dress.”
I snort. “Liar.”
“Seriously! I am,” she insists, and I still laugh.
“Shelli, you live for that kind of stuff. You love it.”
“I know, but I just wish it would happen already. I think that’s why I acted the way I did last night. I want my wedding to be perfect, but I want it now. I want it to be over so the stress and anxiety of it are done with. So I can just be married to Aiden, and that’s it. Really, you’re smart doing it this way.”
I cover her hand with mine. “I know it’s all stressful, and I know us teasing and picking at you and my getting pregnant isn’t helping.”
She snorts with laughter. “I’m just worried you and Amelia will be too big to do the group dance.”
With the straightest face I can muster, I say, “God, I hope not.”
She side-eyes me, and I can’t hold it in. I laugh from my soul, falling back on the bed as she does the same. Our hands lock, and I let out a long, happy sigh. In a matter of months, Shelli and I will both be married, and I’ll be starting a family. Owen and Evan will be heading to Carolina for their new careers, and Quinn will be off to college soon. It’s all so crazy. “When did we grow up?” I find myself asking.
I look over as Shelli does the same, a bit of sadness in her blue eyes. “I don’t know. I can still remember playing hockey with Dad, and the boys being in their walkers on the ice.”
I grin. “Remember when Owen flipped his and busted his face? Dad and the rest of us were laughing so hard, while Mom was freaking the hell out.”
Her laughter fills my heart. “It was so funny.”
“It was!”
“It has all gone by so fast.”
“I know, but I’m so happy.”
She nods. “So am I.”
“Good thing we have a dad like we do. We would never settle for less than Shea Adler status.”
“For real, and I think Aiden knows that.”
“I know Boon does. I mean, he’s out with dad right now.”