Chapter 20 #2
“I guess I better go to the other tent so I can line up with the women,” Dylan said as he walked off.
“Tell Bella I love her!” Matteo called out.
“Tell her yourself in a few minutes!”
◆◆◆
RAIN FORRESTER-MARKS
“I can’t believe you’re so calm,” I told Bella as I adjusted the drape of her veil. “Damn, girl, you look fantastic.”
“I’m only calm on the outside,” Bella admitted. “My insides feel like I’m riding a roller coaster.”
“Are you getting cold feet?” Lark asked. “We can get you out of here if . . .”
“No! I can’t wait to be married to Matteo, I’m just starting to regret making such a big thing of it.”
“A big thing of it?” I echoed.
Bella glanced over at Ember and Coco, who were so adorable that it was almost impossible to look at them without smiling, and caught Liam’s eye.
He winked before he grinned and gave her a thumbs-up.
I’d watched Bella slip him a twenty earlier, and I knew that was why he was much more into this than he had been at the rehearsal.
He tugged at his bow tie and then frowned before he dropped his hand and let out a big sigh.
“Damn, he’s so freaking cute,” Bella whispered before she looked back at me. “And yes, I mean this whole fiasco.”
“You’re an event planner that orchestrates weddings much bigger than this on the regular, and you’re calling this a fiasco?” Lark asked.
“Well, this is the first time I’ve been on this side of things, so now I know just how momentous the event feels.”
“Nothing else matters. Bernadette and Holly have taken care of everything so you can just concentrate on yourself,” I told Bella as I reached for her hand. “All you have to focus on is getting up the aisle to that handsome man of yours.”
“Bring it in, ladies. Bella’s on edge!” Lark called out.
Teague was the first to join our circle, and she whispered, “You clean up pretty good, Conner.”
“So do you, Conner.”
“I guess I’ll have to start saying that differently before long, huh?”
“You will,” Bella answered with a grin.
Teague smiled brightly as she said, “You clean up pretty good, almost-Russo!”
“You’re the most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen,” Cydney said as she joined our circle.
“That dress is beautiful, but you make it absolutely stunning,” Zoey told her.
“Y’all shut up before you make me cry!” Bella whispered before she took a deep breath in through her nose. She blew it out and ordered, “Janis! Say something . . . Janis-y.”
“You’re about to be married to a bossy mobster. Obviously you don’t listen when I talk, so what’s the point?” Janis asked as she pushed in between Lark and Cydney. “God! You’re not about to get all whiny, are you?”
“Nope!”
“Good, because it would fuck up all that spackle they put on your face, and it would take them an hour to fix it.”
“I knew I could count on you, Jan,” Bella said with a grin, all signs of tears gone now.
“I’ve seen movies where this happens right before a haze comes over the moon and the undead start attacking people,” Dylan said from somewhere behind me. “What the hell are all of you doing?”
“We’re telling Bella how pretty she is,” I explained.
“Real friends don’t lie to each other,” Dylan said as he walked up and turned Bella so that she was facing him. He stared at her, and I could tell by the look on his face that he was in awe, but he didn’t say that. Instead, he schooled his features and said, “You look okay, I guess.”
“Most men look good in a tuxedo, but you just look like a penguin with a bad attitude.”
“I wouldn’t have a bad attitude if I weren’t dressed like a fucking penguin,” Dylan grumbled.
“You were born with a bad attitude,” Bella shot back.
“Because I had to spend nine months in confinement with you,” Dylan retorted. “Matteo told me to tell you that he loves you, and he’ll see you up front.”
Bella’s face lit up with a beaming smile, and she said, “I’m terrified and excited all at the same time.”
“He’s feeling the same way, but he got a pep talk from his twin brother instead of a bunch of crazy women.”
“Kind of like I am?”
“I guess so. Are you ready?”
“I’m ready!”
“Dad’s walking this way, and he’s gonna lose his shit when he sees you.”
“I’m not ready for that.”
“Neither is he.”
◆◆◆
FINN CONNER
“Oh, sweetheart, you look beautiful,” I whispered as my heart broke in two at the thought of my baby girl walking down the aisle.
The smile on her face put it back together, though, and I was able to choke back the tears I could feel welling up before I said, “Matteo is going to be floored when he sees you.”
“I’m so excited!” Bella whispered frantically. “I can barely contain myself.”
“Then let’s get you married,” I said as I turned and put my arm out for her to take so I could escort her to the aisle I’d helped create that led to the platform where she’d soon be married. “Come on, Belly Button. Your future awaits.”
◆◆◆
CONSTANCE ROMANO
Once I was lined up with the guys, Bella’s assistant gave us our cue.
We walked in single file toward the stage where we’d wait for the bridal party to appear.
Since Matteo was the last in our line, we watched him walk up the steps and take a deep breath before he turned toward the audience, his eyes focused on the end of the path where Bella would appear shortly.
The men all looked extraordinarily handsome in their tuxedos.
I wasn’t even self-conscious to be the only woman standing with them.
If anything, I felt incredibly safe, sandwiched between Zach Campana and Stamp Russo - two easygoing men who I knew could turn on a dime if provoked.
Not that anything like that would happen today, considering the amount of security around the property.
I scanned the crowd, looking for Rin to focus on so I didn’t get overwhelmed by the sea of faces studying me and the men on stage with me. When I finally found him, he blew me a kiss. I winked at him before my attention went to the end of the stone pathway.
A few seconds after the music started, the crowd turned to see Bella’s sister, Teague - the first bridesmaid to appear.
She looked gorgeous, just like I knew all the women would.
I appreciated the fact that Bella had chosen to let each woman personalize their own unique look rather than dress in the same cookie-cutter dresses in a single color.
The bouquet Teague was holding was an explosion of autumn colors that were striking against her dark purple dress.
Not too far behind her, Janis appeared at the top of the aisle and paused for a second to let Teague get farther away before she started walking.
Her bridesmaid dress was a little different, showing less shoulder but highlighting her figure.
It was a lighter shade than Teague’s dress, and the bouquet she had was just as complimentary.
I could tell that Janis was gripping it tightly as she slowly walked toward us.
Next was Cydney, wearing a dark lavender dress with more rust-colored flowers in her bouquet to offset the lighter color.
Her dress was a style that draped artfully over her small bump, almost concealing her pregnancy all together.
Zoey was next. I knew from listening to the conversation that she was the most nervous about walking up the aisle, still uncertain about her gait since she’d been injured in an attack almost a year ago.
Dylan followed her. He was dressed in a black tuxedo just like the men around me, and his accessories were a purple so dark that it was almost black to match my dress.
Rain appeared next and smiled serenely until her eyes found Lucky in the crowd and twinkled.
Lark waited her turn and then smiled as she lifted her chin and walked confidently down the aisle with her bouquet held in front of her.
There was a slight pause before Ember and Coco appeared, wearing white dresses with hand-stitched flowers in colors that matched the wedding.
They had flower crowns in their hair and proudly walked with the ring bearer, Liam, between them as they carefully tossed colorful flower petals on the ground.
Once the kids made it to the front and took their places on the stage, the music changed, and everyone stood in anticipation of Bella’s entrance.
I heard Matteo gasp as Bella appeared with her father, and I felt tears sting my eyes at the love and excitement I could feel emanating from him as he watched her slowly make her way toward us.
Bella’s dress was a dream. There was no doubt that it had taken a seamstress countless hours to create such a work of art.
It was a vision of silk and off-white tulle that left her shoulders bare and was fitted just perfectly to her waist before it flared slightly and draped to the floor.
Bella had chosen to have flowers embroidered on it as a personal touch.
They were artfully scattered along one hip with another cluster near the hem on the opposite side.
Even though I couldn't see it from this angle, I knew the train was covered in embroidery, with colors ranging from dark rust to pale lavender to match the colors of the bouquets the women carried.
Even more gorgeous than the dress was the smile on Bella’s face as she slowly approached on the arm of her father, stopping at the bottom of the steps to wait for the priest to say a few words before he asked the crowd to be seated.
I couldn’t stop the tears from falling when Finn leaned down and kissed Bella on the cheek before he gave her hand to Matteo.
I heard my dad blow out a long breath and knew that he was imagining what it would be like when I got married.
I wondered if Rin would feel as emotional as Finn was right now when he gave our daughter away one day.
I firmly believed he wouldn’t be quite sure of any man’s honor, no matter who he was.
“Family, friends, and welcome guests, it is my honor to preside over the joining of these two young people in marriage . . .”