Chapter Sixteen – Vivianne #2
Squeezing my hand, Ladd smiled at me when I turned to look at him. “Less than twenty-four hours and you’ll be Mrs. Wilde and we’ll be heading to Yellowstone for our honeymoon.”
“It can’t come soon enough.”
I stood in front of the mirror and gazed at my reflection. My blonde hair was up in a French twist, and the wedding dress I wore had once been Nellie’s. She hadn’t asked me if I wanted to wear it, but when I mentioned I’d prefer a more vintage dress, she offered to show me her dress.
The second it was out of the box, I knew it was the dress for me. It was a champagne silk and Chantilly lace ballgown dress with a beaded lace V bodice. The delicate off-the-shoulder cap sleeves were precisely what I’d envisioned for myself, and I couldn’t believe it when I saw them.
The dress was highlighted with beaded Chantilly lace panels in the front and back, and there were dozens of small silk buttons that lined the spine.
The train was long, elegant, and oh so romantic.
It was the dress of my dreams. Nellie must have been nearly the same size as me when she married Gus because the dress only needed a few tiny alterations.
Nellie walked up and smiled at my reflection. “You look beautiful, Vivianne.”
A small laugh slipped free as I turned to each side. “I feel like a princess.”
“Just one more touch, then you can say that,” Lily countered as she placed a small tiara in my hair. She stepped back and grinned. “Now you look like a princess.”
Holding up a finger, Lily turned and walked to the door.
She opened it, spoke to someone, then reappeared with my bouquet.
It was filled with white and blue flowers.
Peonies, roses, and lavender were the main flowers, each in my colors of white and blue.
When Lily brought it closer, I could see something blue wrapped around it.
When she held it up, there were little flowers stitched on the material.
“I asked the florist to wrap this around the bouquet. Logan and I stitched some flowers onto a light blue handkerchief for your something blue.”
My head rearing back, I gaped at her. “Logan and you did this?”
She chuckled. “Yep. She’s been learning how to sew, and she had wanted to give you something for your wedding, and…well, I thought this was the perfect thing.”
“Oh, Lily, it’s beyond perfect. I adore it! Thank you so much!”
Her cheeks turned a light shade of pink. Lily and I had truly become so close over the last six months, and for her to give me this beautiful gift nearly had me in tears.
Clearing my throat, I ran my palms lightly down the wedding dress.
“I have my something old, my something blue.” Reaching up, I touched the drop pearl earrings I’d borrowed from Lilith, along with her strand of pearls, which were a gift from Flint to her on their wedding day.
“My something borrowed.” I was about to say my lingerie was something new…
when Nellie walked back from the dresser holding a large box.
“I know we went shopping for lingerie for under your dress, and that’s technically your something new, but Lilith gave me something when I got married, and I’m so excited to continue that tradition.”
I stared at the box. Lifting my gaze, I knew I had a confused expression on my face. “What in the world is in there, Nellie?”
She laughed and handed me the box. I walked over to the bed and set it down.
We were in Nellie and Gus’s bedroom, since it was the biggest in the house, and declared the best place for me to get ready.
Nellie had the room to set up for hair and makeup, plus she had a full-length mirror.
With all the windows, the lighting in the room was perfect as well.
Untying the ribbon, I lifted the lid off the box and moved the tissue paper back.
In the box was a brand-new pair of blue cowboy boots.
I picked one up and stared at it in awe. They were beautiful, and my favorite color.
“When I got married to Gus, Lilith gave me a pair of cowboy boots as a pre-wedding gift. I loved them so much, I wore them under my wedding dress. You don’t have to do that, but I did want to carry on the tradition of the gift.”
I looked up and met Nellie’s gaze. “They’re so beautiful, Nellie. I…I don’t know what to say.”
She made her way over and hugged me. “You don’t have to say anything at all.” She took me by the arms and drew back. “I love my boys more than life itself, but I’ve always wanted a girl to spoil with all the girly things.”
Looking back down at the boots, I said, “I love them. I have to wear these for the wedding!”
“I knew you’d say that,” Lily said, walking over and handing me a pair of soft white socks.
“You’re the best maid of honor ever,” I laughed.
“Here, let me help you,” she replied, about to bend down to take off my shoes.
“Don’t you dare!” barked Kendra, the woman who’d done my makeup. “You’ll wrinkle that gorgeous dress! Let me do it.”
I held up my dress while Kendra unstrapped my heels and slipped the socks on, then the boots. I turned each foot and displayed the boots.
“They’re perfect,” I declared.
Looking up at my future mother-in-law, I saw her wiping away tears. She waved her hand in front of her face and let out a small laugh. “Don’t mind me. I’m just…I’m so happy to have you as my daughter, Vivianne. I truly do love you.”
I lost my battle and felt a tear slip free. “Oh, Nellie,” I breathed, hugging her. “I love you too.”
Stepping back, I looked at the three of them. “I love you all, and you have no idea how much joy and happiness you’ve each brought to my life these past six months.”
Lily walked up with a tissue. “Stop that crying, or Kendra’s going to have to do your makeup all over again.”
Kendra, who was also crying, said, “I used a waterproof mascara. I’ve learned from experience.”
Lilith poked her head into the room. “Darling, it’s time. Are you ready?”
I drew in a deep breath and nodded my head. “I’ve never been more ready.”
Closing my eyes, I tried to calm my beating heart.
“Are you okay?”
My eyes snapped open to see Gus standing beside me. “Gus? What are you doing down here?”
He smiled. “I came to walk you up the aisle…or, um…the hill.”
Surprised, confused, and overwhelmed by his kindness, I opened my mouth to reply…but nothing came out.
Reaching for my hand, he gently squeezed it. “Ladd and I talked last night about your father not being here to walk with you, and I asked him if he thought it would be okay if I offered.”
A single tear slipped free and rolled down my cheek.
Gus lifted his hand and gently brushed it away. “Would it be okay, Viv?”
Nodding, I was barely able to speak. “I’d be honored.”
He put my hand on his arm, and we started up the trail. Halfway to the top, I noticed the path was covered with rose petals. I leaned in and said, “That’s a lot of rose petals.”
Chuckling, he replied, “Apparently, you can buy them like that for this very reason.”
We both laughed as we made our way up. My heart started to beat faster as we approached the top. Once we made it over the crest, I sucked in a breath.
White chairs were set on either side of the path that led to the arbor.
The same flowers that were in my bouquet were in small pots at the beginning of each row of chairs.
Mason jars with tea lights hung from the trees and added a particularly romantic touch to the area.
The sun was low in the sky, already turning a beautiful color.
But the most beautiful sight was Ladd, standing in a black tux and wearing a black cowboy hat, a broad grin on his face as he wiped his tears away.
David stood next to him wearing almost the identical outfit, right down to the black cowboy hat.
He placed his hand on Ladd’s shoulder, leaning in to say something to his brother.
Lily stood opposite them, wearing a stunning light blue gown and holding white and blue peonies. She was also wiping away a tear. And directly in front of me now was little Logan, our flower girl, tossing rose petals as high as she could while she skipped, rather than walked.
She also cried out, “I’m almost there, Ladd!”
Everyone laughed, including me and Gus.
The closer I got to Ladd, though, the more everyone seemed to slip away. Gus and I stopped at the arbor, and the preacher, who was a family friend, and who’d baptized all of Nellie and Gus’s boys, asked who was giving me away.
Gus proudly responded. “She’s not mine to give up, and anyone who’d ever want to would be crazy.” I sniffled and held back my tears as he went on. “I am, however, here to escort her to my son to become a part of our family.”
Gus started to let go of my arm, but I turned to face him. I reached up and kissed his cheek as I whispered, “Thank you, Gus.”
He winked. “I’m not losing a son. I’m actually gaining a daughter.” My chin wobbled, and he cupped my cheeks. “Don’t you start crying now. You’ll make me cry. I love you, Vivianne.”
A sob slipped free. “I love you too, Gus.”
“Dad,” he corrected.
Nodding, I whispered, “Dad.”
Ladd stepped forward. “Um, Dad, why are you making my future wife cry?”
Gus and I both laughed with tears in our eyes, and he placed my hand in Ladd’s.
Leaning down, Ladd whispered, “You look so beautiful.”
“And you look so handsome.”
We turned and stepped up to the preacher, who smiled at both of us.
The rest of the ceremony was a blur. I was lost in Ladd’s eyes as we stared at one another. We said our vows, and right before the preacher told Ladd he could kiss the bride, Ladd drew in…then stopped.
“Look at the sky, Viv.”
I turned to see the most beautiful thing I’d ever laid eyes on. The sky was a gorgeous dark orange, casting its show down on the tops of the mountains and clouds. The lake below held a mirrored image of the skyline, and I nearly lost my breath.
This was home now. This was where I would live the rest of my life.
Where I would have kids and watch the wonder on their faces as we showed them this same view.
Where I would grow old with Ladd and, if we were both blessed, watch our children be married in this same spot, and our grandchildren be born and raised.
This was the place where I discovered what family truly meant, and where love bloomed and grew.
This was heaven on Earth.
Facing Ladd, I slowly smiled up at him.
“Ready for this?”
“I’ve never been more ready, cowboy.”
He laughed, cupped my face within his hands, and kissed me.