Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
It didn’t seem possible, but one month later, Billie was sitting in Ash’s salon getting her hair done for her wedding day.
It was finally her turn.
All around her, people were running around, fussing over one thing or another, but Billie was sitting with a cup of tea, feeling completely at peace. Ash and her team were doing hair and makeup for Jade, Chloe, Marie, Cora, and a few of Billie’s cousins. They had the salon to themselves and there was a whole spread of breakfast cakes and muffins, fresh fruit, coffee, tea, and mimosas. There was nothing but joy and laughter all around, and it was beyond perfect.
Because it was such short notice, it wasn’t possible for the entire extended Donovan family to attend, but that was okay. All of her cousins from the Laurel Bay branch of the family were there, along with her grandparents and the Florida Donovans. It was so much more than she expected, and she felt beyond blessed that so many people made the time to come and celebrate with her and Marcus.
“Are you nervous?” her cousin Ryleigh asked as she sat in the salon chair beside her. “You look almost too serene and I’m trying to figure out if you’re inwardly freaking out.”
Laughing softly, Billie shook her head. “I think everyone else is freaking out more than I am. I’m just ready to be married. I didn’t think this day would ever get here.”
“You mean because there was so much to do in such a short amount of time?”
“No, because I was beginning to think it just wasn’t going to happen for me,” she admitted. “There was a part of me that said you only get one shot at falling in love and I had it and lost it.” She shrugged. “I guess that’s partially true. I mean…I fell in love with Marcus when we were just teenagers and eventually, things fell apart. Then he came back, and I realized I was still in love with him.”
“I don’t think you only get one shot,” Ryleigh said thoughtfully. “But clearly the two of you found each other and your hearts knew you were the ones. The timing just had to be right.”
She had to agree.
Reaching over, they held hands. “I’m so happy for you, Billie. Ryker and I were supposed to be at a tattoo convention this weekend, but there was no way I would miss your wedding.”
“Thank you, and I really appreciate you changing your schedule for me. We knew there was a chance that a lot of people wouldn’t be able to make it, but I am loving how many did.”
Ryleigh looked around. “Your poor sister has her hands full. I didn’t think this many Donovans would take her up on the offer to come in to get their hair and makeup done!”
Laughing, she nodded. “Ash has a great staff, so they’re happy to do it.”
“And can I say how freaking adorable it is that your sisters are pregnant at the same time? That’s just perfect!”
“I think they were bummed that they’re three months apart. Chloe said they used to talk about being pregnant at the same time and having their babies on the same day. It would have been amazing, but…”
“Three months isn’t that far apart, trust me. Once we all got married and started having kids, I feel like there was never a break. Someone is always pregnant!”
As if on cue, her sister Arianna walked over with her hand on her tiny baby bump. “How are you this calm on your wedding day?” she teased. “Ask Ryleigh and she’ll tell you how much I freaked out on mine. I ran around worrying about everything!”
“She was the worst,” Ryleigh agreed. “We considered shooting her with a tranquilizer dart, but we couldn’t find one.” Winking, she added, “Then she tried to demand that we start the ceremony early!”
“It was all taking too long! I wanted to marry Will and the whole day was dragging!”
“The whole thing was outrageous. I didn’t carry on, Tessa didn’t act crazy, and she’s the one I really thought was going to go wild,” Ryleigh went on.
“That’s only because we distracted her with decorations.” Turning to Billie, she explained. “Tessa has a weird obsession with holiday decorations. To her, there is no such thing as too many. So the day she and Liam were getting married, we told her there was a problem with some of the centerpieces.”
“That’s just mean!” Billie stated.
“Maybe a little, but playing with flowers and bows kept her incredibly calm,” Arianna explained. “But the calmest out of all of us was Fallon. She was so chill!”
“That’s because she had multiple spreadsheets that had everything planned down to the second,” Ryleigh reminded her. “It worked, but whenever she pulled out that binder, we all cringed.”
“How are Fallon and Jamie doing? They just had their second baby, right? I seem to remember that happening right after Chloe and Tanner’s wedding.”
“Three days after we got home, she went into labor,” Arianna confirmed. “Three kids, all under the age of five.” She shuddered. “It’s total chaos at their house sometimes, but they love it!”
“Aww…that’s so sweet!”
“And naturally, our parents are over the moon because of all of the grandchildren,” Ryleigh commented. “How many are we at now? Ten? Eleven?”
“Eleven,” Arianna replied. “But this little bump here will make twelve.” Then she frowned, glancing around. “Unless anyone else is going to announce they’re pregnant.”
“Stop making such a scrunchy face! You’ll stress the bride out!”
“I’m fine,” Billie said, still feeling completely peaceful. She was surrounded by all the people she loved, so all was right in her world.
“What about Ash and Chloe? Were they calm on their wedding days? We didn’t get to hang out with them before their ceremonies.”
“Chloe’s always calm, but that morning she was feeling a little tense because her dress was a little loose. Other than that, she was fine.”
“And Ash?” Ryleigh asked.
“She just walked around barking orders at all of us. So really, nothing out of the ordinary.”
“Ryleigh!” Ashlynn called out. “You’re up!”
Standing, Ryleigh gave Billie a hug. “I love you and I’m so happy to be here with you today. Now it’s time to attempt to do something with this hair!”
No sooner had she gotten up than Arianna took her seat. “I need to sit and rest whenever the opportunity arises,” she joked.
“Jade says the same thing. After she had Calvin, she swears she never gets to sit for more than five minutes at a time.”
“There’s the beautiful bride!”
They both looked up and spotted their cousin Hailey walking toward them, along with her sister Sloane. Everyone hugged one another before they all started talking about family news and how excited they all were for Billie.
“You’re both sickeningly tan,” Arianna said, pouting.
“We live in Florida. It’s kind of a rule,” Hailey teased. “But I’m thinking of letting this tan fade. I’m tired of…well…everything. Every time we come up here, I tell myself I want to stay.”
“Really? You’d leave all the sunshine and beaches for small-town life?” Arianna asked in disbelief. “Why?”
“Bored. We’ve lived in Fort Lauderdale my entire life, and I’m just ready for a change of pace. I’m not saying it’s going to be here specifically, but…I’m considering it.”
“What about your job?”
“I teach yoga and nutrition,” Hailey explained. “I should be able to find a job almost anywhere. I’d love to get a position at a big resort like the one you have up here. What’s it called?”
“Summit Ridge,” Billie replied. “They’re always expanding. You should talk to Chloe’s husband, Tanner. He teaches up there at their ski school. Maybe he knows someone. You know, if you’re really serious about a move.”
“I am.” Then she smiled coyly. “Any chance there are some eligible men coming to your wedding?”
“Hmm…Marcus’s brother is eligible and a great guy. I thought I saw you two chatting last night at the rehearsal dinner?”
“Keep it in your pants, Hales,” her sister mumbled. “We’re here for a wedding and to visit with our family. Can’t you just be happy with that?”
“Pfft, this from the girl who gets a kick out of kissing guys at every fair or festival…”
“Only if there’s a kissing booth!” Sloane argued. “It’s not like I just run around randomly kissing unsuspecting men! Sheesh!”
“What’s the appeal to a kissing booth?” Billie asked, trying hard not to laugh.
“I honestly don’t know! It started back in high school when we would have these carnivals and there was always a kissing booth. It was a fun way to kiss the guys you had crushes on, even when they weren’t interested in you.” She shrugged. “Now it’s become a thing that I can’t seem to help myself.”
“Is that why you came to the opening of Summit Ridge last fall?” she asked, laughing that time.
“It wasn’t the only reason. I was driving back from visiting a friend in West Virginia and the timing just worked.” She shrugged again. “And that guy in the booth was well worth the line!”
“Maybe I’m not the only one who needs to keep it in my pants,” Hailey murmured.
“Sloane! You’re up!” Ashlynn called out before walking over to Billie. “Jade’s going to take you over to Mom’s now, and Chloe and I will be there in an hour.”
Standing, Billie hugged everyone. “I’ll see you guys soon!” Waving, she made her way to the door where Jade was waiting for her. “Thanks for doing this. I may look calm, but I’m not drive-myself-anywhere calm.”
Laughing, they walked out to Jade’s car and climbed in. “It’s my pleasure. My mom’s hair was done first, so she’s at my place with the boys so Levi could get over to your house to be with Marcus and the guys.” She pulled away from the salon. “And you’re sure you’re okay? Is there anything you need? Did we miss anything?”
Smiling, she shook her head. “Everything’s been perfect. I’m good.”
“I still can’t believe we pulled this off on such a short time frame. A few extra weeks would have helped, but…” Jade winked. “I get that you guys were just so ready for this.”
“It wasn’t just that. With both Ash and Chloe being pregnant, I knew if we waited much longer, there would be a lot of complaining about dresses and how they looked in pictures. Honestly, that would have stressed me out.” She hummed happily. “But the main reason was just wanting to finally marry the man I love. It’s been a hell of a journey.”
“I know it has, and I am beyond thrilled for you.”
Billie’s phone vibrated in her purse and she wondered who could possibly be texting her on her wedding day. When she saw Marcus’s name, she smiled.
Marcus: Hey, my beautiful bride. Happy Wedding Day. I can’t wait to see you walking toward me and then kissing you to make it all official
She felt herself blush.
Billie: Hey, my sexy groom. Happy Wedding Day to you too. In case you don’t see me right away, I’ll be the one in the white dress carrying a big bouquet of flowers.
Giggling, she continued to type.
Billie: I can’t wait for this day to be over so I can finally be your wife.
Billie: Plus…the honeymoon. I’m really looking forward to having a few days off!
They were only taking a quick trip up to New York because there hadn’t been enough time to thoroughly plan a big getaway. Was she disappointed? Maybe a little. But she knew they’d be able to take a proper honeymoon in the next few months.
Marcus: I left a gift for you at your mom’s. You can open it right away. You don’t have to wait.
Billie: Aww…I love you.
Marcus: Love you too
Marcus: And I’ll be the guy standing at the back of the church next to the pastor
Marcus: See you soon.
Sighing happily, she slid her phone back into her purse.
“You two are adorable,” Jade said.
“How did you know I was talking to Marcus?”
“Because you had a dreamy smile on your face. I love it.”
She did too.
Within minutes, they pulled up to Marie’s house and were ushered inside. “I’m supposed to give this to you right away,” Marie said excitedly, handing her a beautifully wrapped small gift box. “I wonder what it is!”
“I have to admit I’m kind of curious too,” she said as she sat down.
“Did you get him something?” Jade asked.
Grinning, she said, “I did. But I’m not giving it to him until tonight when we get to the hotel.”
Jade immediately giggled. “Good one.”
That’s when Billie realized that what she said sounded very dirty. “It’s nothing sexy! Get your mind out of the gutter!” she joked as she unwrapped the box and took the top off. “I went for sentimental—we had portraits taken with the dogs and I had one framed. It’s our little family.”
“Aww…that’s adorable! He’s going to love it!”
“Well?” her mom asked. “What is it? What did Marcus get you?”
For a moment, it didn’t register what she was looking at, but then it clicked.
“Oh my goodness,” she whispered, pulling the travel brochure out of the box. Opening it, she saw the plane tickets and the itinerary and felt tears stinging her eyes.
“No. No, no, no, no, no,” Jade murmured before reaching for a box of tissues. “No crying! He didn’t say it was going to make you cry, and if you mess up your makeup, Ashlynn is going to freak out!”
Carefully, she dabbed at her eyes, still amazed at what she was seeing. “It’s our honeymoon,” she said softly. “This is the trip I wanted to take ten years ago, but never got to. He made it happen.” Scanning the itinerary, her heart felt ready to burst. “We leave tomorrow! What? Wait…how…? I’m not packed for that! I’m not ready for it!”
When she looked up, her mom and sister-in-law were grinning. “You’re all packed and you’re definitely ready,” Jade told her.
“And anything you need, you can buy when you get there,” Marie added. “Everything’s under control.”
“But…but…the dogs…?”
“Max is staying at your place. He hasn’t found a place yet and it will be a nice break for him and John. He’ll be working from home, and he swears he’s going to get those puppies trained,” her mother explained. “So you don’t have to worry.”
Then she looked up at Jade. “The baking…we don’t have enough…”
“Julie is more than capable of handling it for a few weeks. We’ve been prepping for it. Don’t worry about Books & Beans. We’re going to be fine.”
Her heart was racing, and she wanted to laugh and cry and run around and scream with joy all at the same time.
“Okay, okay…now I’m freaking out. I’m freaking out!”
Luckily, no one freaked out with her and within minutes, she had a glass of champagne in her hands and a plate of food because…well…food was a serious love language in the Donovan family.
“I need to text Marcus,” she said. “Where’s my phone?”
Jade handed it to her.
Billie: I don’t know how you did it, but I love it! It’s everything I wanted!
Marcus: You used to talk about it all the time and then you mentioned it several times when we talked about potential trips.
Marcus: All I want is to make you happy and start our lives out in the best way possible.
Marcus: I love you
She grabbed another tissue and gently dabbed at her eyes.
Billie: I love you too. I’ll see you soon.
Marcus: I’ll be waiting!
Putting her phone away, she let out a happy sigh. “Okay. I’m good. Everything’s good and…I’m ridiculously happy.” Her mother sat to her left and Jade to her right. “I know we rushed this wedding, but…we’ve waited long enough.”
“You definitely have,” Marie agreed. “But you know what they say, the best things in life are worth waiting for.”
“I know, I know…and I’m always patient, but today? Not so much.”
“That’s completely understandable. Unfortunately, we have a schedule to keep to, so finish your snack and try to relax, and then we’ll get you ready,” Jade said with a smile that matched her own.
Letting out a long breath, she nodded and nibbled on some cheese and crackers while chatting about all the work they’d done on the house in the last month, some of the crazy antics of life with two puppies and their mom, and all the things she was most excited to see and do in Hawaii. Before she knew it, Chloe and Ashlynn arrived, and it was time to finish getting ready.
“Were you crying?” Ash accused. “Why were you crying? Your makeup is smudged!”
“Leave her alone,” Chloe scolded. “It’s an emotional day. We’ve all been crying.”
“Shut up! I haven’t,” Ash corrected. “This is a great day. Our big sister is marrying the man she’s been in love with since forever, and they’re finally getting their happily ever after and…and…dammit!” She turned away and they all heard the sniffle. “I’m not crying…”
Suddenly, they were all in a group hug—all the Donovan girls—and it felt like a very important moment. This was the last time she was going to feel like the odd one out, the last time she was going to question when it was going to be her turn.
“No crying,” Billie said with a small laugh, even though they were all tearing up. “We can’t all show up at the church with red eyes and smeared makeup.” And just like that, the authoritative big sister was back. “Now, let’s fix our faces and do this. I’ve waited long enough!”
“You heard the bride!” Marie called out. “Let’s do this!”
“Yes, ma’am!” they all said in unison before scrambling around to finish getting ready.
Her happily ever after was waiting.