Chapter 25
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Julia leaned back in her soft chair and inspected her appearance, feeling almost in a daze. She was sitting in the bridal suite at Turtle Dove Hall, preparing for her wedding day with all of the most important women in her life.
She looked around the room, feeling delighted by how beautiful it was.
The furniture was gold and white, and reminded her of some French castle, maybe even in a fairytale.
There were pink curtains on the windows, and the wallpaper was an antique-style white and pink striped pattern.
The whole room felt elegant, and it smelled of lavender and vanilla.
“You look just like a princess,” Samantha said, sighing dreamily as she stared at Julia’s hair, which had been expertly done in a half-up, half-curled style by Alexis.
“Thanks, Sam.” Julia grinned. “I definitely feel like a princess.”
“You should, it’s your wedding day,” Vivian said, stepping up behind her daughter with a warm gleam in her eyes. She laid her hands on Julia’s shoulders and squeezed them. “You do look absolutely beautiful.”
“Yay!” Macey, who was sitting in an armchair playing with a busy board, looked up and clapped her hands. She seemed to truly understand what was going on, and she wiggled in her seat with excitement.
“It’ll be time to get into our dresses soon,” Faith said, glancing at the clock on the wall. At the moment, they were all wearing matching silk pajamas—in Julia’s favorite color of royal blue. It had been Alexis’s idea, and they’d surprised Julia with her set the night before.
“I can’t wait,” Hazel sang out, putting the finishing touches on her own hair, which she’d pinned up in an elaborate braided bun.
“Better finish these pastries before then,” Alexis said, helping herself to one of the lemon croissants that they’d ordered from Seaside Sweets Bakery.
Each of the flaky pastries had been covered in a creamy lemon-vanilla glaze, and they were so light and flaky that they practically melted on the tongue.
“Ooh, yes please,” Julia said, holding her hand out toward Alexis and the pastry box. “One more please.”
Alexis grinned and handed her sister one of the croissants along with a napkin.
Julia devoured the pastry hungrily, since she hadn’t eaten much breakfast early that morning.
She’d awoke in a haze of happiness, feeling as though she was still dreaming.
She’d managed to get down some yogurt and a cup of coffee before leaving the house, but she hadn’t had any sort of an appetite until they’d arrived at Turtle Dove Hall.
Thankfully, there they had a fruit salad that Vivian had brought, along with coffee and the pastries.
“I think I want to darken your eyeliner just the tiniest bit,” Alexis said, pressing her lips together as she inspected Julia’s makeup.
“Not so much that it doesn’t still look natural—but I remember that one time I gave you thicker lines just above the thickest part of your lashes and it looked amazing. ”
Julia shook her head. “Thanks, Alexis, but I like this.” She smiled at her reflection. “I don’t need to look perfect today, and I like the way this look is mostly natural, with a little bit of shimmer.”
“It does look very nice,” Hazel said, sighing dreamily. “That sparkling white eyeshadow is really bringing out your eyes.”
“And don’t forget about the highlighter,” Alexis said proudly. “There’s just enough to make your features shine without it looking like too much.”
Julia grinned, grateful both for her sister’s love and for her expertise in makeup. “It does look really nice, thank you, Alexis.”
“What about a red lipstick?” Faith suggested. “I think that would look so stunning with your dark features, Julia. And of course, with the white dress.”
Julia smiled. “I do love wearing red lipstick, but not today. Today I just want to look like me.”
She met Vivian’s eyes through the mirror, and her mother winked at her. “I think it’s about that time,” Vivian said. “We should start putting our dresses on.”
Just like the pajamas, the bridesmaids’ dresses were a luscious royal blue.
Vivian’s ‘mother of the bride’ dress was a similar hue but was a different style and had a matching jacket.
Samantha’s junior bridesmaid dress was a pale blue, and so was Macey’s darling little flower girl dress with a tulle skirt.
“Where are they?” Faith asked, looking around the room.
“I dropped them off last night,” Hazel said. “They should be, um—” She looked around uncertainly.
“Oh no.” Samantha gasped. “What if they got stolen?”
Julia laughed, and so did Vivian. “Oh, hon, they’re not stolen,” Vivian said. “They’re around here somewhere.”
“Definitely.” Hazel smiled and then frowned as she put her hands on her hips. “But where?”
“Don’t you remember where you put them?” Faith asked.
“Well, I gave them to Lindsay.” Hazel wrinkled her nose.
“We should text her,” Faith said, glancing at the clock again.
“Here they are!” Alexis opened the doors of a wardrobe that was resting in the corner of the room. It was so elegant and whimsical, Julia had assumed it was simply decorative, but apparently it was useful as well.
“Oh, perfect.” Julia grinned. “Then let’s all get dressed.”
Her wedding dress had arrived that morning with her. It was hanging up on a hook near one of the windows, and the morning sunlight was gleaming on the folds of lace. It looked like something out of a fairytale, Julia thought, and her heart began to beat faster when she thought about putting it on.
Once everyone was dressed, they worked together to zip up each other’s dresses. Julia’s wedding dress had a row of tiny white buttons down the back, and it took a long time to button each of them. Vivian did the first half and Alexis did the second half.
“Everyone looks so beautiful,” Julia said once they were all ready, looking around with tears in her eyes.
“So beautiful,” Hazel agreed, gently turning her sister toward a mirror. “Look at you, Julia. You look like a queen or something.”
“You do, you look so beautiful,” Alexis said, squeezing her sister’s hand. Everyone else echoed their agreement.
Julia smiled, feeling tears spring into her eyes.
She loved her dress, and the way the full skirt swished around her legs definitely made her feel like a princess—or, yes, maybe like a queen.
Her hair looked exactly the way she’d hoped it would, and she turned slowly in a circle, inspecting her reflection.
Everything feels perfect, she thought, feeling happiness sweep over her like a sunrise. I can’t believe it’s really today. I get to marry the man of my dreams.
“How do you feel, Aunt Julia?” Samantha asked. “Are you nervous?”
Julia shook her head, smiling. “Not at the moment. Right now, I just feel incredibly happy.”
“It’s okay if you do get nervous,” Vivian said, wrapping her arms around Julia. “Sometimes we get nervous before doing something big with our lives just because our bodies realize how monumental it is. It doesn’t mean you don’t really love Cooper or that you don’t want to be married to him.”
Julia held her mother back tightly, grateful for her words of encouragement. “It is a big deal, that’s for sure. I feel like I’m in a daze. I can’t really process it yet.”
“That’s okay,” Alexis reassured her. “You’ll process it all later. For now, just float on this cloud you’re on, and when you come back to earth, you’re going to be married to Cooper.”
“Who is an extremely lucky man,” Hazel said, grinning.
“Come here, everyone,” Julia said, holding her arms out. “Group hug.”
They all clumped together for a group hug, with Macey held in Hazel’s arms.
“I love you all so much,” Julia said, holding onto the women in her family tightly. “I couldn’t have done today without you, and I’m so happy you’re in my life.”
“We love you so much too,” Alexis said, squeezing her hand, and everyone else chorused agreement.
Faith poked her head out of the group hug to check the clock. “We’d better go,” she said. “It’s time to get to the church.”
Although they’d gotten ready at Turtle Dove Hall, Cooper and Julia’s wedding ceremony was set to take place in the beautiful old stone church in the center of Rosewood Beach.
It wasn’t a long drive, but Julia agreed with Faith that they should leave sooner rather than later.
She wanted to make sure they arrived at the church in plenty of time.
They left the bridal suite, stepping out into the main room of Turtle Dove Hall, which had been decorated gorgeously for Cooper and Julia’s wedding.
The beautiful trees that Julia had made with her mother and sisters were in the center of the dinner tables, and colored lanterns in the royal blue and orange wedding colors were hung over the dance floor, along with the usual twinkling lights.
Julia half-shut her eyes, imagining the reception. She could just picture herself and Cooper waltzing across the dance floor together, and the people that they loved most in the world sitting at the tables and chairs, clinking their champagne glasses with knives so that Julia and Cooper would kiss.
Smiling with joy, she followed the women in her family out to the parking lot, where they piled into Vivian’s car and Hazel’s Jeep.
During the drive to the church, Julia kept thinking to herself how happy she was that she had decided to move back to Rosewood Beach.
If she hadn’t, she wouldn’t have found Cooper, or the wonderful community that was so supportive and made her feel so at home.
A few minutes later, they arrived at the church. Hazel went inside first to make sure that Cooper was safely stowed inside the sanctuary and that he wouldn’t see Julia when she went inside. She hurried out a moment later to announce that the coast was clear.
They left the car and darted into one of the small rooms that bordered the lobby of the church.
Julia’s heart was fluttering, and she finally felt a little nervous.
They waited there for about ten minutes while the last of the guests took their seats.
Then there was a soft knock on the door.
Dean opened it a moment later, a huge grin on his face.
“The signal has been given,” he said. “You ready, Julia?”
“Yes.” She laughed breathlessly and was soon surrounded by another group hug.
Vivian hurried off to take her seat, and then the music began.
Macey toddled up the aisle, tossing white rose petals and looking extremely proud of herself.
Julia could only see her for a few feet of the aisle from her hiding spot in the lobby, but she couldn’t wait to see Cooper’s face on the recording of their wedding.
She could just imagine the way he’d be grinning adoringly at his little girl.
Next, the bridesmaids began to troop down the aisle with Cooper’s groomsmen. When Alexis, Julia’s maid of honor, started down with Cooper’s best friend, Dean turned to Julia with a smile and held out his arm.
“Here we go,” he whispered.
She squeezed his arm, tears rushing into her eyes. She wished her father could have been there, but she was grateful to be able to share that moment with Dean.
She began to walk down the aisle, feeling as light as a feather. Her eyes immediately searched for Cooper, and the glow of joy that she saw on his face made her heart soar.
Dean led her up to the steps, where Cooper was waiting for her. She took Cooper’s hand in hers, squeezing it tightly and feeling as though he was her anchor to the world.
Just before the vows began, Julia looked out across the pews and saw their guests all smiling at them with loving expressions. There was her wonderful mother sitting with Dean, Terrence, Sally, and Allison and Tom from The Lighthouse Grill, along with the rest of their friends and neighbors.
And her family. She looked again at her mother and Dean and then at her sisters, standing behind her on the stage.
There’s truly nothing more wonderful than family, she thought, her heart aching with happiness.
And she was about to start a family of her own.
The series continues in A Breeze over Rosewood Beach ! Get your copy HERE and spend another season with the Owens family and their friends!