Chapter 7 Pepper
PEPPER
Pepper stood just outside the door to the parlor as the bridesmaids and groomsmen entered two by two.
First, Maggie and Kyle, followed by Lisa and Rafael, then Trey and Autumn.
Nico, ordained just for this occasion, stood in front of the fireplace.
Her flower girl, Lily, had done her part and was now plopped down by her daddy in the front row, waiting to see what happened next.
Dack, her stepdad who was her true father, stood next to her adjusting her veil, his eyes soft. “You and your mom have always been my favorite people in the whole world, you know that, kid?”
“I know, Dack. Don’t make me cry.”
“I’ve been proud of you many times since I met you.
All the times you stood up for the little guy or underdog.
How brave you were to go to theater school and then kept at it when that idiot of a father made you feel like crap.
And how you came back after what those monsters did to you.
” He hesitated before speaking. “Like your mother, you’ve always loved clothes and glamour.
I can still see you in your pink tutu with the glitter on it.
I found that stuff for years. When I found out about your dress, my heart broke for you.
But I shouldn’t have underestimated you.
As usual, you’ve blown all my expectations clear through the roof.
Here you are, getting married in a sheet, and I think my heart might burst.” His eyes welled with tears.
“What you’ve done here tells me everything I need to know about how you feel for that young man in there. ”
“I told you not to make me cry,” she said, swallowing the ache in the back of her throat. “It’s the man, not the wedding.”
The music started and she took a deep breath, suddenly scared. What if she disappointed Stone? Would he hate this?
It was too late now. Clutching her flowers, she placed her arm through her father’s and walked into the room. By the fireplace, her groom waited for her.
Stone took one look at her and started laughing, then crying.
As she walked slowly toward him, the quartet playing Canon in B, the entire wedding party was also laughing through their tears.
Two aisles of chairs, tied with the same blue ribbon around her waist, were taken up by the Dogs, Wags, and parents.
They cheered so loudly as she came down the aisle, they nearly drowned out the quartet.
When they arrived, Dack kissed her on the cheek, then turned to Stone. “You take care of my girl.”
“Yes sir,” Stone said. “Always.”
Dack joined her tearful mother in the front row.
“I’m sorry about the dress,” she whispered.
“I love it,” Stone whispered back. “You look perfect.”
Nico wiped his eyes before he began. Even so, his voice wobbled slightly.
“Dearly beloved, we’re gathered here today to celebrate the wedding of our dear friends, Stone and Pepper.”
Another cheer from the guests.
“They have written their own vows,” Nico said. He nodded at Pepper.
She swallowed and looked up at Stone. Even with her heels, he towered over her.
She’d written down a few notes but in the end had decided to wing it.
She was an actress. Improvisation was nothing to her, right?
Standing here, however, looking into his eyes, she fumbled for words.
“You’re so good. You make me want to be a better person, which is hard for me as everyone knows.
I’m high-maintenance and a pain, but you never get impatient and you never try to clip my wings.
You let me be myself and let me take the spotlight all the time, and I’m so grateful to have found you.
I still can’t believe it, really. My goal is to make sure you never regret choosing me.
I love you more than you could ever know.
I’ll never stop trying to show you how much. ”
Stone smiled down at her. “Pepper Shaker, you came into my life and turned everything upside down, and I’ve loved every minute of it.
I can’t possibly shine as brightly as you, but I’m happy to bask in your glow.
I’m enormously proud of your fortitude, work ethic, and talent.
Most of all I love how you love the people in your life.
Not just me, but our friends and family.
Your loyalty and passion for those of us lucky enough to be in your orbit are incredible.
I love the way you wake up every day ready to conquer the world.
I love you with every bit of my big, dumb heart.
I vow to look after you, to cheer you on, and to be your best friend from this day forward. ”
The rest of the ceremony flew by. Maggie and Lisa paired up to sing “The Wind Beneath My Wings.” Their harmonies complemented the other like those of blood sisters.
They exchanged rings and then were pronounced husband and wife.
As they turned to walk down the aisle together, her heel caught in an uneven floorboard and her ankle twisted. She yelped in pain. A second later, Stone lifted her off her feet and into his arms.
“Is it bad?” he asked.
“I think I sprained it.” Her ankle throbbed. How would she dance with a sprained ankle?
The musicians had stopped playing. Pepper waved at them to begin again.
“You’ll have to carry me down the aisle,” she said, laughing even as pain radiated up her leg. “Because nothing about this wedding has gone as planned.”
And she couldn’t have cared less. She had her Stone Soup by her side. Even when she stumbled, he’d be there to pick her up and carry her. That was the only plan she needed.