Chapter Thirty-one
Matty slipped her arms into the sleeves of the pale pink dress shirt, pulling it over her white sports bra.
The shade was prettier than she would have ever admitted out loud.
Definitely not her usual thing, but the look on Reese’s face when she agreed to matching outfits had made any doubt vanish.
All she had to do was button it up and tuck it into her light khaki pants, and she would be good to go.
She wandered into the bathroom to find Reese wrapped in a towel with a curling iron in hand.
Her long hair spilled over one shoulder, and her bare legs looked downright sinful.
Matty immediately stepped behind her and ran her hands over the top of the towel, smiling when Reese huffed and pushed them away.
“We don’t have time for that.”
“We have like thirty minutes,” Matty argued, already going in for another grab.
Reese laughed and blocked her again. “I still have to finish my hair, put on makeup, and get dressed.”
“So I’ll play with them while you work. It’ll be like multitasking,” she grinned.
“No, ma’am. You’ll get me worked up, and we do not have time to take care of it.”
Matty puffed out her lip. “That’s not fair.”
“Later, baby, later.” Reese turned and gave her a quick, soft kiss before going right back to her hair like she hadn’t just made Matty want to drag her back to bed.
By the time they were both ready, Reese caught Matty by the hand and pulled her in front of the long mirror on the back of the bedroom door. “Come here, let’s take a picture. I want to document how hot you are and make other people jealous of me.”
Matty laughed softly as Reese tucked herself against her side.
She wrapped an arm around Reese’s waist while Reese’s hand settled over her upper stomach.
Reese was wearing a dusty pink floor-length dress that cinched at her waist and dipped into a soft V in the front.
The wispy sleeves made Matty think of a fairy.
Matty’s shirt and tie matched the dress, and both wore caramel-colored shoes, Matty’s oxfords and Reese’s strappy leather heels that made her hips sway in a way that should’ve been illegal.
Matty immediately decided she’d be walking behind her all night.
Reese snapped a few pictures, then checked them and made her take a few more. Matty didn’t mind. The sight of them together in the mirror did something warm in her chest. They looked good. Like they fit.
On the way to the car, Reese held the keys out to her. “Will you drive?”
“I will. Let me help you in.” She gathered the bottom of Reese’s dress as she climbed into the passenger seat.
Once Reese was settled, Matty jogged around and got behind the wheel.
“I can’t wait to see this place. You said it was in a barn?”
Matty nodded as she pulled the car out of the driveway. “Yep, it took all morning to get it ready. Doing the decorations ourselves saved them a ton of money.”
“It’s really nice of you to help them. I wish I could have helped.”
“You couldn’t help that it was the only time they could deliver the furniture.”
Reese had been so excited about having new living room furniture that Matty wouldn’t have dreamed of asking her to move the delivery.
“Still, it would have been an extra set of hands.”
“You should have seen Bette. She made Kerrie FaceTime her so she could see everything. Like, multiple times. She made me move the placement of the chairs five times. She couldn’t decide if she wanted skinnier long lines or longer short rows.
I’m still not sure what she meant, but I did as she said because she scared me a little bit,” she laughed.
“It’s usually best to go with what the bride wants. Well, the real bride. We both know Kerrie’s just doing this because it’s what Bette wants. I think she would have been fine with a courthouse ceremony honestly.”
Matty felt her pocket vibrate. Leaning to one side, she fished out her phone, frowning at the screen. Her stomach dipped when she saw the name.
“Who is it?”
She flipped the phone around for Reese to see. “Grammy.”
“Are you going to answer it?”
Matty nibbled briefly on the corner of her lip before shaking her head and silencing the call. She let the phone drop into the cupholder with a thunk. “No. I’m in a good mood and she’ll just ruin it.”
Reese reached over, rubbing her thigh. “I’m sorry, baby. I know you wish she acted differently. Have you thought anymore about setting firmer restrictions on her?”
She had. Every time Grammy called, it was the first thing she thought of.
Not hello. Not what does she need. Just that same heavy question of how much longer she was going to let this keep happening.
It was something she’d been seriously considering for a while, but pulling that trigger still felt huge.
She gave a short nod. “I have. I just haven’t decided yet.”
She could feel Reese watching her, probably wanting to discuss it further, but she didn’t push. Matty was grateful for that. Since their reconciliation, Reese had supported whatever Matty decided instead of forcing the topic. It was a breath of fresh air. Completely unlike her family.
“Are you going to dance with me tonight?” Reese asked with a playful smile.
“Definitely. I’m going to sweep you off your feet.”
“I’m pretty sure you’ve already done that.”
“Never hurts to keep trying.”
The large sign for Honeysuckle Holler came into view on the little country road.
It was hardly wide enough for two lanes, and a good portion of it had been lined with thick trees standing high above them.
Honeysuckle Holler was absolutely gorgeous.
The plot of land was flat, surrounded by hills thick with trees.
Everything was so green. The neat lawn, the shrubbery garnishing the welcome sign, the tops of the trees. It was a beautiful place.
“Oh Matty, this is gorgeous,” gushed Reese, her hand landing on Matty’s knee. Her nails lightly dug into the fabric of her slacks.
“It is. Wait until you see the barn.”
The ceremony place was outside under a large pavilion that modeled the top of a church and even had a steeple. It kept the sun off the guests and rain at bay when the weather didn’t cooperate. Simple puffy ribbons with baby’s breath accented the area with a large arch at the end of the aisle.
“I know you had to move the chairs a dozen times but I really think this is a nice setup,” commented Reese. Her hand was holding onto Matty’s arm. For once, the two of them didn’t mind public affection. It was a lesbian wedding after all. “Does it matter where we sit?”
“No, I don’t think so. This side is Kerrie’s side.”
“How do you know?”
Matty pointed to the arch. “That stool is there for Kenny. He’s the best man. Or bride’s man. Whatever he is, the twins are there.”
“Oh, how cute are these little fans?” gushed Reese. Each seat had a hand fan with Bette and Kerrie’s names and date. Tennessee in the summertime wasn’t for the faint of heart. The humidity alone was oppressive.
They took seats on that side and settled in. Matty slid her arm on the back of Reese’s chair. It was nice to not have to worry about those around them for safety reasons. Matty briefly wondered how hard it had been for them to find a queer-friendly venue.
“Matty, this is so nice,” gushed Reese. Her eyes were wide and shiny with excitement.
Matty’s chest warmed. They hadn’t talked about marriage. It was a little too early for that, but she couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to see Reese walking down the aisle toward her. Her arm tightened around Reese’s shoulder.
The chairs quickly filled with guests. A familiar voice brought their attention. “Is that seat taken?”
Tyler pointed to the seat next to Matty. Both of them straightened at the sight of their boss, but relaxed some when his eyes pointedly went to Matty’s arm around Reese. “Well, this is nice. I thought I’d heard a rumor about you two.”
They exchanged looks as pink tinted their cheeks.
Matty shook her head. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that gossip gets around.”
“Not at Turtle Grove.”
It wasn’t long before the chairs were full and music started. They all stood.
A woman in a burgundy suit started down first, a book in her hand. Matty assumed she was the officiant.
Next came Kerrie and Kenny.
“Oh, they’re so cute,” Reese whispered, leaning close enough that Matty could feel the warmth of her where their bodies brushed.
They wore matching navy blue suits and looked every bit like twins.
Kenny’s eyes darted around at the crowd and he started to lift a hand to rub his head, only to stop himself halfway through.
Matty guessed Bette had already warned him not to mess up his hair again.
Kenny clutched Kerrie’s arm as they walked, both of them smiling so bright it made Matty’s chest ache a little at the sight of her friends.
A photographer moved quietly, snapping pictures as they came down the aisle.
When they reached the front, Kenny was guided to a tall stool. Kerrie adjusted his tie and kissed his cheek before stepping into place with her hands clasped in front of her.
There was no flower girl.
The music shifted into a soft version of the wedding march, and Zoe and Bette appeared across the lawn, arm in arm.
Matty couldn’t help but grin at Reese’s reaction. Her eyes went wide, and both hands flew to her chest. She whispered again, voice full of awe, “They’re so beautiful.”
Matty had to agree. The mother and daughter moved together like something out of a dream. Zoe’s dress was light purple, wispy, and simple but elegant. Bette’s wasn’t white, not exactly. It was some soft creamy shade with beading and a fitted shape that made her look timeless and radiant.
Matty hadn’t been to many weddings, but she knew this one was special.