Chapter 16
Poppy
No Horse To Ride by Luke Grimes
This is the biggest day of my life, and I’m nervous. It’s almost time for us to meet at City Hall and get married. I stand in front of the mirror at Boots & Bangs and smooth my hands down the front of my dress, still in disbelief that it’s me looking back in the mirror.
Cami, Violet, Maggie, and Mack helped me change into my dress.
It looks like it belongs in a fairy tale.
It’s what dreams are made of, a long, bustling skirt and a laced top with long sleeves covered in lace.
It makes my boobs look fantastic with amazing cleavage.
This is the dress that I tried on with them that made me feel like a beautiful princess.
My white heels have red bottoms, a little secret splash of bold that feels just like me.
I have no idea what kind of shoes they are, but Violet surprised me with them, and they fit me like a glove and feel like the best shoes I’ve ever worn.
Butter soft. So pretty, I’ll keep them where I can see them to remember this day.
Maggie drapes a fake white fur stole around my shoulders earlier, fussing until it sat just right.
Cami places light blue teardrop pearl earrings in my ears that belonged to her grandma Wilder for something borrowed and blue. “So many people here with all of us today watching in spirit. I know Grandma Wilder would have loved you both together.”
“Don’t make me cry,” I tell her, pulling her in for a hug. She leans back and looks at me with her long hair curled around her shoulders, looking stunning as ever.
“Thanks for becoming my sister,” she says, smiling back tears.
“I’ve always been your sister,” I tell her proudly.
I’m wearing lingerie too. The light pink set Violet insisted on. Ollie probably won’t see it and might not even know I have it on. But I do. I’ve never felt prettier. He says he won’t take it there with me unless we’re real. I want that so badly, but I have no idea how to tell him.
We’re still finding our footing and still learning how to say what we mean without getting scared. He still looks at me sometimes like he’s waiting for me to change my mind. Like he can’t quite believe I want him the way he wants me.
I love Ollie, and I’m nervous. I don’t know how to say it so he’ll believe it. But I do want this to be real.
The stylists from Boots & Bangs move around me, curling and pinning, brushing and blending. Soft music plays. The mirror fogs slightly from hairspray and nerves. When they step back, I finally really look at myself.
My hair is half pulled up and braided around my crown, with loose tendrils around my face. My blond hair curls into lovely waves around my shoulders and down my back.
I’ve never felt more beautiful in my entire life. And there’s one person that I always thought would be here on the day I got married. My mom. And that stings. But I won’t cry and ruin my makeup, I remind myself.
Maggie stands behind me, her hands clasped together. When our eyes meet in the mirror, hers shine with tears.
“Oh, Poppy,” she says softly.
I turn toward her. “What?”
She steps closer and cups my cheek. “I know your momma has to be looking down at you right now. So proud of you. Of the beautiful woman you’ve become. I love you so much, sugar.”
My throat tightens instantly, and she knew why I was upset. Every girl dreams about their wedding day and pictures their mom there. I’ve always known that my mom wouldn’t be there, and today that became real, and I hate it even more.
“I wish she were here,” I whisper, my lip quivering and my nose starting to run with emotion.
“I know,” Maggie says. She pulls me into a warm, solid hug. “But she’s with you. Always has been.”
I breathe her in and let myself have the moment. The ache, love, and missing her.
When we finally head to City Hall, my heart starts beating faster with every step. I keep my stole pulled close, my heels clicking softly against the floor. Maggie squeezes my hand once before letting go.
They’re already there. Owen is the first person I see. He’s in a tux that fits him perfectly, black and crisp and handsome. He spots me, and his face lights up. He pulls at his collar like it’s strangling him, clearly not a fan.
“Poppy.” He waves, turning to show me his tux proudly.
“You look so handsome,” I tell him, and I mean it with my whole heart.
Ollie quietly walks up and stands beside him, and my breath hitches when I see him.
He looks devastatingly handsome with a fresh haircut, his tux is sharp and tailored, his shoulders broad, his posture proud and steady.
His eyes meet mine, and something flickers there.
A hint of awe, relief, and love fills his face as his eyes meet mine and shine with pride.
I choke up instantly as I put my arms around him and pull him in for a hug. His arms tighten around me. “You look so beautiful, baby,” he whispers in my ear and then kisses my forehead.
Owen tugs at his collar again, and Maggie gives him a look, one eyebrow lifting in silent warning. Owen grins mischievously and freezes in place like he’s being perfectly behaved.
I smile through the tears. And this time they’re happy tears. Owen stands next to us, proudly, belonging and happy.
I love the way Ollie loves us. The quiet guidance and humor. The steadiness in the way Owen watches him, like he’s learning how to be a good man just like Ollie.
If there ever was a man I could dream of marrying, it’s Ollie. He’s the only person I could ever see fitting into our world, sliding in like he was always meant to be here.
We stand together before the clerk. The words are simple. The vows are quiet and sincere. When Ollie says my name, it sounds like a promise.
When he slides the basic gold wedding band onto my finger, my hands shake. We picked them out online, and they’re not real, just something we could get quick. Just like our wedding, I try to remind myself. But it doesn’t feel pretend. This feels very real to me, anyways.
When it’s time to kiss, he pulls me in slowly, one hand settling at my waist like he’s steadying us both.
His other hand comes up to tip my face, thumb warm at my jaw, giving me a second to breathe him in.
Then his mouth meets mine, unhurried and sure, the kiss deepening a fraction at a time.
It’s soft and deliberate, like he’s memorizing the feel of me, like he has nowhere else to be.
I feel it everywhere, the quiet intensity of it, the promise in the way he stays, and I know I’ll remember this kiss for the rest of my life.
He leans in and presses his forehead to mine. “You okay?”
I nod. “Yeah.” I’m more than okay.
Later, before the reception, I step away for a moment. I find a quiet corner and let myself feel it again. The missing. The wishing.
I close my eyes. I wish you were here, Mom. I wish you could see him. See Owen. See us. I know you’d love Ollie. He’s the best.
Maggie finds me like she always does.
She doesn’t say anything at first. Just wraps an arm around me and lets me lean into her. “Ready, sugar?”
My makeup and hair are touched up, and Maggie smiles proudly as she leads me to our reception that already has soft music playing.
“Hey, all that sappy yappy is gross,” Owen complains from the doorway. “Are we almost ready? I’m hungry.”
“Come here, bozo,” I tell him and pull him in for a hug.
“You look pretty, Pops,” he says in my ear.
“And you look so handsome, buddy. Are you ready to have fun tonight?” I pat his back and pull back.
“Yeah, you should see all the food! Walker said I can have as much as I want!”
I laugh. “Okay.”
“Are you missing Mom?” he asks wistfully.
“Yeah, I am. But I feel like she’s here with us,” I tell him.
He nods. “It feels like a good day. I’m glad you’re marrying Ollie. We need him, and he needs us. Did you know that today was his grandma and grandpa Wilder’s anniversary? Kinda cool you guys got married on their anniversary.”
I bite my lip and admit. “I didn’t know that was today.”
“I had a weird idea,” he says, and looks around. “What if I changed my name to Kendrick, too? I don’t want to be a Murphy anymore, Poppy.”
My stomach twists because I don’t either and I can’t blame him. Sully tainted our family name and no one respects it.
He nods. “Can I be like you guys?”
I pull him in for a hug. “We’ll figure it out, buddy.”
I step out into Walker’s backyard and feel like I’ve crossed into another world.
Soft lights glow everywhere, warm and golden, strung through the trees and wrapped around posts like something out of a storybook. Lanterns flicker along the paths, their light dancing over petals scattered across the grass. The air smells like flowers and champagne. Maybe hope.
An acoustic version of Today Was a Fairytale drifts through the space, gentle and dreamy, the kind of music that settles right into your chest. It mixes with the sound of laughter and low conversation, the clink of glasses, the soft hush of people moving carefully like they don’t want to break the magic.
I stop walking without meaning to.
Everything feels hazy and unreal, like I’m inside a dream I didn’t know I was allowed to have. The night air brushes against my skin, cool and light, carrying the warmth of bodies and joy and celebration. Even the ground under my feet feels softer somehow, like it’s cushioning every step.
It really does look like a fairytale.
I’m still taking it all in when Violet appears in front of me, eyes shining. She doesn’t say a word. She just smiles and pulls me into a hug, tight and warm and grounding, like she knows I need a second to believe this is real.
I wrap my arms around her and breathe it in.
For once, the world feels beautiful instead of heavy.
And for a moment, I let myself believe in the magic of it all.
“You deserve your fairytale, Poppy. Now, before we go in, Ollie wants to have a moment alone with you before we formally announce you as a couple.”
I nod and look around, nervously. “Where is he?”