Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
Louisa
Olivia and I barely sleep, but I feel fine and fresh the next morning.
I must be energized by the excitement for the wedding, and the joy of being around my friend.
Since the weather is still cold and the ground is muddy, the ceremony will be held on the sizable three-season porch at the main house.
Wylie, Ennis, and Jake have vacated the house to let Olivia and I have the place to ourselves while they get ready in one of the cabins out back.
Olivia and I enjoy a breakfast of croissants and other pastries I’ve never tasted before. After that, we give each other manicures and pedicures. So far, it’s a fantastic day.
Around noon, the florist arrives with several assistants to decorate the porch for the ceremony and to set up the wedding arch.
“I feel so spoiled. Shouldn’t I be helping with something? The food? Anything?”
Olivia shakes her head as she blows on her wet nails. I’ve done my best to paint without smudging, but she doesn’t seem to notice the flaws. “Nope. Curly’s got it handled."
Curly is visible through the great room windows, busily preparing a feast on a fancy barbecue setup.
“How many people are coming?” I ask, feeling a little fearful at the idea of interacting with a bunch of folks I don’t know.
“Well, all of Wylie’s family and friends from the surrounding area. A few neighbors, with the exception of, well, you know,” Olivia says.
My stomach tightens at the reference to the church. “Of course not them,” I choke out.
“You, and Ellis, and all the employees…” Olivia goes on to list more people, but I’m still stuck on the mention of Ellis.
I’m surprised at the little kick my heart gives when I remember that I’m going to see him again. Well, of course I’m happy to see him again. We’re friends. And he’s nice to look at.
Olivia sees my lost expression and quickly adds, “But don’t worry. We’re not doing the whole bride-side/groom-side thing. Since you’re the only family I have here.”
It squeezes my heart to know she still considers me a sister.
“I’m glad you still think of me as family,” I say.
Olivia rolls her eyes. “Don’t get sappy. Of course, you’re my family. Maybe not by blood, but we’re sisters for life.”
The bride holds out her pinky, and I hook mine around it. A little secret handshake since we were small.
She laughs and then announces it’s time for makeup.
I’ve never been good at it, but Olivia pulls up an internet tutorial on bridal makeup on her tablet, which offers instructions that are surprisingly easier to follow than I would have thought. I do my best with the eyeshadow, blush and brow pencils laid out on the dining room table, and we gossip about the latest news from the church.
I’ve forgotten how much Olivia has missed since she ran off a few months ago. Since it’s all very sad now that we’re out and Goldie is still in it, I decide against the rumors about jealous sister wives and which elder gave his whole family chlamydia. I’m in the middle of telling an anecdote about Jaxyn when the doorbell rings.
“Come in!” Olivia calls out.
I’m not ready for my body’s reaction when Ellis strolls in through the front door carrying a massive spool of party lights. It’s a warmer day than yesterday, and he wears a tee shirt that stretches tight around his bicep, straining with the weight of the heavy spool. My nipples harden at the sight of tanned, bunched muscles.
“Hi, ladies. Uh, where do you need me?”
On your back, gasping for breath while I ride your face?
Ellis blushes at the sight of us. I’m confused at first, then realize we’re both wearing bathrobes. Out of instinct, I close the front of my bathrobe as Olivia answers by pointing to the right toward the three-season porch.
“The ceremony’s in there.”
He nods, and that friendly smile lights up his face. “I’ll have this done for you in a jiffy.”
I watch him walk away from us and slide the door open to the porch, where the florists are finishing with their setup.
Olivia clears her throat.
“What did you say?” I ask.
She laughs. “I didn’t say anything.”
“Oh. Never mind then,” I say absently, rewatching the eyebrow tutorial.
I have no idea why Olivia is smirking at me, but I’m uncomfortable.
She raises one perky eyebrow. I smudge the color and have to redo it. “So. Tell me about Ellis.”
I shrug. “He’s my boss. Or was, yesterday. I found his cow loose in the wild, and I brought her home.”
“And?”
“Um, what else is there to know?”
“He’s adorable,” Olivia whispers. “Don’t you think so?”
I glance over at the sliding glass door and watch Ellis’s backside as he climbs a ladder and begins stapling the strings of lights to the ceiling.
“Well, he’s clearly very comfortable on a ladder. And he’s very friendly. And helpful.”
“And what’s he like with you, specifically?”
We both know what she’s getting at. I scoff, my hand shaking as I work on her brows once again. “I barely know him. He likes ice cream, and he’s a patient teacher. His cooking extends to hot dogs and sloppy joes. What else do you want to know?”
“So you haven’t kissed him yet?”
I shriek. “Olivia! No!”
“Fine, fine! I’m just asking. I guess I’ve got love on the brain. And everywhere else.” Olivia wags her eyebrows.
I shake my head, but inside, I’m thinking about all the ways that Wylie’s gotten inside my brain and under my skin. The thoughts I have are so shameful that I could never say them out loud. Not even to my best friend.
The ceremony may be simple by most people’s standards. The white bouquets of hydrangea and lilies, mixed with spring greenery and soft, magical lights against the backdrop of the sunset over the valley, have turned the three-season porch into a fantasy come true.
As for me, I’m standing down the hall with Olivia, watching all these strangers gather.
About twenty people squeeze in for the ceremony, the anticipation palpable. It’s so strange because I know none of these people, except for Ellis, who wears a dark gray three-piece suit that looks more Wall Street than farmer. I’m so impressed I stumble and catch myself against the wall.
Someone taps me on the shoulder. I turn to see Curly, the cook, looking dapper in a black vest and shined boots.
“Excuse me. I know this is last minute. I’m supposed to give the bride away, but I think it should be you instead, ma’am.”
“Me?”
I look from Curly to Olivia, who looks stunning in her white lace gown, her cheeks glowing. I look down at the simple blue dress that I’ve borrowed from Olivia’s closet. I’m hardly formal enough for that role, but one look at the bride and I know I have to do it.
“I’d be honored,” I say.
I can feel Ellis’s eyes on me as I escort my best friend to the ceremony, thankful that everyone else’s eyes are on Olivia and not on me.
After I hand her off to Wylie, I automatically find myself filling in the space next to Ellis.
The exchange of vows and rings and all the rest of it goes smoothly, or at least it appears that way to me.
When I dab the tears from my cheek, I feel a slight pressure on my arm. I look to my left and realize Ellis is handing me a linen handkerchief. I use it to soak up the tears and then blow my nose quietly. “What do I do with this, now?” I ask, leaning in close to his ear. Ellis smells like cedar-scented aftershave and soap, and it does filthy things to my body.
His white teeth are perfect when he grins at me—perfect except for one front tooth that’s slightly overlapping. I never noticed until now that I’m right in his face.
“I have no idea,” he says. “I think you’re supposed to keep it.”
“Gross.”
Both of us chuckle. Some lady in front of us turns and gives us a dirty look. I look down at my lap, stifling my laughter. I can’t look to my left because I know Ellis is still grinning at me like a bad little boy in church.
And now I’m thinking of my little brother Jaxyn, and my heart aches.