24. Knox #2
We followed the rest of the guests down a path to the restaurant in the last golden light, the little paper lanterns glowing in a row on either side.
A whole mess of us—family, really—laughing and chattering, perhaps knowing under all of the jocularity that we’d just witnessed something truly fine.
Two people choosing to protect and love each other in a world that seemed to want to destroy all the good and decent parts of us.
But they’d not let cynics dissuade them.
They’d taken a leap of faith today and, to me, there was nothing sweeter.
Maddie and I stood just inside the door, waiting for Jack and Ivy to make their grand entrance.
It was hard to imagine that only three weeks ago I would have sworn Madeleine Price was my enemy and now I knew I couldn’t live without her.
God had his work cut out with the two of us, but apparently there was nothing he and Montana couldn’t do when teamed up together.
“I’ve been thinking,” Maddie said, leaning close to adjust my tie. “I think I want my own wedding. Not the tail end of someone else’s.”
“Nashville? This spring?” I asked.
“How did you know?”
“Because that’s what I want too. And it turns out we’ve wanted the same things all along.”
“Isn’t that something?”
I answered her with a kiss.
Madeleine left me at the bar to get a drink to do whatever a maid of honor does at receptions.
I just stood in the corner of the room, taking it in, my heart full.
There were only a couple dozen guests besides our core group.
I didn’t know most of them, but it didn’t matter.
Everyone I loved was in the room. Everywhere I looked, I was reminded how loved I was. How blessed.
Sammie and her team had been hard at work all day, and it showed.
Two long farmhouse tables ran the length of the room, dressed in ice-blue linen with a river of cedar and eucalyptus down the middle, dark burgundy roses tucked all through it, Mason jars glowing with candles every few feet, wine-red velvet tied at their necks.
The rafters overhead were strung with warm white lights.
Every chair had a velvet bow and a little brass bell on the back.
Despite the roaring fire in the stone hearth, windows had frosted at the corners, making it all the more festive.
A DJ had set up in a corner. As Rhett and Madeleine entered the reception, he started to play Chris Stapleton’s “Joy of My Life.” I watched Maddie circulate, in full Madeleine mode.
Shaking hands, air kisses, complimenting what people were wearing, asking if they needed anything.
That was okay. She was Maddie with me, and that’s all that mattered.
Jack and Ivy made their grand entrance as a married couple to “Made for You” by Jake Owens. Ivy shed her faux fur wrap, revealing the delicate bodice of her dress. Jack had already loosened his tie. I knew it would be draped across the back of a chair before long.
Maddie returned to me, cheeks and eyes aglow. She tugged at my hand. “Let’s get a drink.”
Before we could head to the bar, one of the competent staff came by with a tray of the wedding’s signature drink.
The Mistletoe Moon was made from bourbon, cranberry, lime, rosemary, ginger beer, with a sugared rim and frosted cranberries.
There was also a nonalcoholic Little Moon for anyone skipping the bourbon.
We each took one of the Mistletoe Moons. I turned to Maddie. “To us.”
“To us.”
We clinked glasses.
“Oh, that’s dangerous,” Maddie said after her first taste.
“I’d say be careful, but I happen to enjoy drunk Madeleine.”
She grinned, then kissed me, sugar on her lips, her faux fur wrap tickling my cheek.
“You ready to take that off,” I asked.
“Yes, I’m warming up considerably.” She grinned at me as I slipped one hand under the wrap to loosen the clasp, letting it fall away from her shoulders. I caught it before it hit the ground, holding it close to my nose for a split second, breathing in the heady scent of her perfume.
“You should keep this,” I said before kissing her hand. “And just wear it around the house with nothing else on.”
She laughed. “I’m not so sure that’s what Ivy had in mind, but I’m in.”
I left her for a moment to hang her wrap on the back of the chair where we were seated side by side. Good old Ivy. Never one to give up. I would thank her properly later.
By the time I got back to Maddie, the staff was circulating with appetizers—cheddar-chive biscuits with country ham and pepper jelly, smoked trout on rye, bacon-wrapped dates, and baked brie with the ranch's honey.
Together we nibbled and mingled with the other guests until Maddie was swept away to pose for photographs of the wedding party.
I hunkered down on one of the many bistro tables placed at the ends of what would later be the dance floor.
I sipped my cocktail, content and warm, enjoying the music.
Beck joined me, looking dapper in a dark blue suit.
“Hey,” Beck said. “Enjoying yourself?”
“So far, so good. It was a wonderful ceremony.”
“You played beautifully,” Beck said.
“Thanks. It was good to have something to do besides stare at Madeleine.”
Beck chuckled. “So y’all are for real, huh?”
“Yep.”
“I’m not surprised.”
I turned, staring at him. “You’re not?”
“Absolutely not. I’ve watched the two of you for ten years. I thought it would happen before now, but apparently we needed Montana.”
“You’re not worried about what it could do to the band?”
One brow raised before Beck adjusted his glasses, pushing them further up his nose. “I’m not. Never occurred to me.”
“But think of everything that could go wrong.”
“This one’ll stick. I’d bet money on it.”
I studied him for a second or two. Beck was a gentle soul.
The type who never lost his cool, always supportive of the rest of us, even when we acted badly.
Which was mostly me, obviously. He was generous and kind too.
Not one to hog the spotlight. Did it ever bother him, being the steady guy in the background?
Had we taken his helpful nature for granted?
“What?” Beck asked me. “You’re looking at me weird.”
“Do you ever get tired of being the nicest guy on the planet?” I asked.
He laughed, shaking his head. “I can’t say that I do. Comes naturally.”
“Don’t you ever want to punch someone just to see what it feels like?”
“Why would I punch someone?”
“There are so many reasons every day to punch someone,” I said.
“Or burn all the merchandise?”
I frowned. “That was justified and you know it.”
“I’m just giving you a hard time.” Beck was looking over my shoulder as he said it. I glanced behind to see Blake there, with her camera.
Beck motioned her over.
She lowered her camera and joined us. “Gentlemen, looking especially delicious tonight, both of you.”
“You look exquisite in that dress,” Beck said.
“Thank you, kindly,” Blake said. “It was a last minute purchase. At the start of this month, I wouldn’t have guessed how quickly I grew attached to all of you. It’s an honor to be included.”
Most especially attached to our piano player, I thought, but didn’t say.
Blake grew serious for a moment. “This gig isn’t at all what I thought it would be.”
“How so?” I asked.
“I thought I’d do a sweet, easily digestible feature about Jack and Ivy and the boys in the band. Something the fans could enjoy. All this beautiful scenery and all you beautiful people—I knew audiences would love it. But this is all together different than that.”
“What is it instead?” I asked, curious.
“I discovered there was so much more to your stories, individually and as a group. The loyalty and love you all share—that’s the story. The more I look at my footage, the more it emerges.”
“I can’t wait to see it,” I said.
“Same,” Beck said.
Sammie announced that it was time for dinner, so we wandered over to our seats at the table. Next to me, Maddie slipped her hand into mine as a butternut & apple bisque were set in front of us.
Everyone chatted and laughed as we enjoyed the next course, a winter green salad, followed by the main dish, grilled beef tenderloin, honey-thyme carrots, green beans with bacon.
“This will make a guy like vegetables,” I said to Madeleine just as Rhett rose to his feet.