Unexpected Wedding (18 page)

“He’s with Max, Kevin, and Shade. He had a couple things to do and the guys are helping him.”

Gia searched her brain for what they could be doing. She and Rocky had gotten their license, visited doctors, picked up his suit from the dry cleaners, and managed to find two basic wedding bands at the jewelry counter in the warehouse store. She tried so hard to keep it simple and easy for them both. There was so much regular daily life stuff they still had to do—he had to work, she had to find a job—and now they were in the midst of a real live wedding. With guests and everything. She felt a little scared and a lot overwhelmed.

She also felt like a hopeful bride.

Candi pulled her phone out of her sunny yellow designer handbag. “Yep. Shade says they’ll be here soon.”

“Did Rocky know about any of this?”

“Nope. He was as surprised as you when the guys ambushed him after he dropped you off here. It’s been like the plot of
Ocean’s Eleven
the last couple days. Everyone working on their part of the plan. We even had a plan on top of a plan in case you came to church with Rocky this morning and we couldn’t keep a straight face when we met you.”

“We decided I’d wait until after we’re married to attend church. Seemed easier that way.”

“I can see that.” Candi spotted the tea tray and moved to pick it up. “You need more... uh... whatever this is?”

“No, thanks. It’s a weak mint tea.”

“Why is it yellow-brown?”

“I don’t know. Delores gave me a handful of teabags to choose from. I picked the one with the most colorful wrapper that listed the ingredients. I added a drop of honey.”

“Yum.” Candi abandoned the tray and sat back on the bed. “Anyway, tell us more about yourself. What do you do?”

“My degree is in psychology. I hope to specialize in child psychology, particularly Christian child psychology, but I need more education for that—which I’m figuring out how to get. At this time I need whatever work I can get.”

“Anything specific you’re looking for?”

“I’ll take what I can get. Social services, child development. I got a response on a job with the city. They’re hiring someone to oversee activities in the county-run after school program. I’d plan activities, coordinate them with the school calendar, visit elementary schools. I don’t know. We’ll see if they call me back for an interview.”

“Have you thought about teaching?”

Kelly moaned. “She tries to get everyone into teaching because she’s a teacher. She wants me to think about it, and I can’t get past college algebra.”

“No, that’s not why I’m asking. I was only going to suggest substitute teaching. It pays OK with a degree and you can choose which schools and ages to work with. Once you get a good reputation on a campus, teachers will request you and you’ll have all the work you can handle. It’s nice because if there’s day you have an appointment or aren’t feeling well, you don’t have to take a job.”

“But school’s out for the summer.”

“Well, it takes a few weeks to apply and get through all their orientation. School will be in again before you know it. You can start the process in case you don’t have something else by then.”

“Which school are you at?”

“I’m in the music department at the college, but I know lots of people in the local district. We can talk about it more if you want to.”

“About finished with the veil,” Carol Ann called out.

“Smile!” Candi hopped up and snapped a picture of Carol Ann wielding the glue gun and wearing an exaggerated look of concentration.

“Next,” Kelly said again. “Wait. What’s next?”

Candi ticked off items on her fingers. “Flowers, veil, music, Delores is setting things out in the dining room—”

“What’s in the dining room?” Gia blurted.

“It’s nothing fancy,” Carol Ann said and started toward her in a fluffy white cloud of net. “A few snacks, a cake...”

“A
wedding cake
?”

“Well, yeah, you’ve seen Rocky eat. There had to be food. And did you think we’d let you get married without a wedding cake? There’s one thing you should know, darlin’. This band likes to eat.”

Candi shrugged. “We do. It’s ugly, but it’s true. That’s why we go to buffets on Sunday after church. It’s terrifying for the restaurant owners, but it’s more cost effective for us. Those men are so hungry after two services they’d eat the business end of a skunk.”

Gia laughed. “Wow. That is not an appealing image.”

Candi sighed. “It’s what we do.”

Carol Ann secured the headpiece and pointed her toward the mirror. “Take a look. Absolutely stunning.”

Gia didn’t have time to well up or let it soak in before they bustled on to something else.

“Now,” Candi said. “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.”

“Your veil is something new,” Carol Ann said, “and I also have something old and borrowed.” She retrieved a plastic baggie from her purse. “It’s my great-grandmother’s wedding hankie. You can carry it with your bouquet, or tuck it in your bra. Whatever you want, but know it’s caught the happy tears of many brides, so don’t be afraid to use it. It’ll wash. That’s what it’s for.”

“Thank you.”

“Now something blue.”

“Got it,” Kelly declared and twirled a lacy blue garter on her finger.

Again, Gia blushed. Again, they gave her a hard time about it.

Candi took pictures of it all, including her looking all embarrassed when they made her slide it up to her thigh.

Someone knocked.

Gia jumped and yanked the skirt of her dress down. “If that’s someone else I don’t know, I swear I might throw up.”

She bit her lip and her stomach raged as soon as the words left her mouth. These ladies had done so much and she’d insulted them. She expected ugly stares.

They laughed instead.

“Giavanna,” Kelly said. “I like you. You’re gonna fit right in.”

Candi cracked the door. “Yes? Oh, OK. Get in here.”

Delores entered the room and grabbed the sides of her face with a gasp. “Gia, you’re breathtaking. Have you brushed your teeth?”

“I’m sorry, what?”

“Have you brushed your teeth? You know, to be ready for the big kiss. Me and Asa do this all the time and you’d be amazed how many brides forget to brush their teeth so I’ve learned to ask that question.”

“Come to think of it, I haven’t since this morning. Be right back.” Gia took her bag and darted into the bathroom. She made sure the rose corpse had been discarded and then proceeded to scrub the layer of enamel off her teeth. When she returned, the women had formed a circle.

“It’s time, hon. Let’s pray.”

Gia’s heart fluttered. “So Rocky is back? Everything’s OK? And the others are here?”

“All the men are in the den,” Delores said. “They are all looking good, but your man looks particularly fine. And he’s anxious to get started.”

“What happens now?
What happens now
?”

The others laughed while Delores explained the situation calmly.

“It’s easy and like we talked about earlier. We’re going to walk to the den and someone’s going to play some music and Asa is going to ask you two to stand in front of him. He’ll pray, read some Scripture, ask you to repeat some things, and it will be over.”

Candi rubbed her back and Carol Ann told her to remember fresh lip gloss.

“Let’s pray,” Kelly said. “They’re waiting.”

Gia took Carol Ann’s hand on the left and Candi’s on the right. “Don’t make me cry,” she said. “I’ve never been a crier, but the last couple weeks it’s all I’ve done.”

“That’s all right,” someone said.

Gia took a deep breath. “Before we start I want to thank you. I didn’t realize I needed you... Didn’t realize I wanted all these things I hadn’t really thought about until you showed up with them. I mean, I didn’t even have a true girlfriend to call—” She had to stop when persistent, threatening tears strangled her words. “Anyway, you’ll never know how much I appreciate this. Please pray before I wear out Carol Ann’s hankie.”

Each woman sent up a short but meaningful prayer. They prayed for God’s wisdom, love, peace, and protection, and for the support, understanding, and kindness of others. When someone said amen, the frenzy truly began.

Carol Ann dove for Gia’s bag and held it in front of her. “Lip gloss!”

Kelly flung open the guitar case. “I’m going to find Kevin and start playing. See you out there.”

Candi ripped more paper from the silver box and exposed a pink rose boutonniere. “Here you go, Delores. Can you make sure this gets on Rocky’s lapel?”

“On it. Hurry, gals. I can’t keep those men out of the food much longer.”

Candi handed her the bouquet and brushed her hair from the front of her shoulders to the back. Carol Ann stood behind her and did the same. The result was a swishing fury of hair and tulle.

“Stop,” Gia said. “Stop! Leave it. Oh no.”

“What’s the matter?”

“I have to pee. That nasty tea has been going right through me.”

Candi snatched the bouquet back. “Hurry up and pee. Hurry!”

“Like I can really hurry when you’re yelling at me to hurry.”

Carol Ann headed for the door. “I’ll go on out and tell them you’ll be a minute.”

“Don’t tell them what I’m doing,” Gia begged.

“Relax, hon. Why would I tell them that?”

Gia washed her hands and stumbled out of the bathroom, still trying to adjust her dress. “I’m ready.”

Candi returned the bouquet and hankie to her waiting hands. “One more thing.”

“Do I have something between my teeth? ‘Cause I can’t brush them anymore. They’ll fall out.”

“No, Gia, you’re perfect, but I have a question. Are you absolutely certain this is what you want to do?”

“Yes, why? Is something wrong? Did Rocky say something?”

“No, not at all. From the little I know he’s completely beside himself with joy. No... It’s a basic question. If you’re not completely sure, I don’t want you to feel pressured because of all this. You need to know your own heart, and if you’re not ready, it’s OK.”

Gia paused and let Candi’s words flow through her busy mind. “You know, I’m glad you asked. It’s crazy and fast and won’t make any sense to the rest of the world, but in my heart I know it’s right. It really is.”

Candi grabbed her camera and opened the door. “Let’s go, then.”

Gia stepped into the hallway.

“Gia?”

“Yes?”

“Smile!”

****

Rocky spun his chair around and rolled back toward the middle of the room, narrowly missing the cowhide ottoman in front of the matching brown and white cow-print chair.

Max caught up with him. “Dude. Stop. It’s bad enough to watch someone pace, but when you’re watching them do it in a wheelchair it’s exhausting.”

“So don’t watch me.”

“You’re kinda hard to miss.”

“Where is she, Max? Do you think she freaked out and left or something?”

“No. I don’t think your bride is escaping across Uncle Asa’s pasture. Kelly said they’re coming. Relax.”

Shade joined them and had a mini-eggroll in his hand. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Max said. “And where did you get that? Aunt Delores will throttle you.”

“I took it from the dining room. I saw your uncle in there, too.”

Kevin left his sister playing solo guitar to see what all the fuss was about. “Shade has food. Where did Shade get food?”

“Get back over there and play,” Max ordered. “They’ll be out any minute.”

“Hate to interrupt you all,” Rocky cut in, “but this is my wedding and not the Country Kitchen Buffet. Can someone find Gia so we can get on with it?”

Shade popped the last of the eggroll in his mouth and rubbed his hands together to knock off the crumbs. “No one should be this anxious to get married. You should be enjoying your last five minutes of freedom.”

“That’s helpful, Shade. Thank you for that. I’m sure Candi will appreciate hearing your views on pending nuptials.”

“And I’m sure I’ll deny I said that,” Shade answered and walked away.

“Do you still have the rings?”

Max rolled his eyes. “I’m not gonna answer that since I couldn’t have lost them in the two and a half minutes since you asked me last. Get a grip, will ya’? What about that other ring? Do you still have that one?”

“You know I do.”

“So you’re aware of how pointless this Q and A is.”

Rocky ran his finger under the collar of this white shirt. “She’s going to kill me. She wasn’t expecting all this.”

“Stop tuggin’ at your shirt before you mess up your tie. She’s not going to kill you. Carol Ann said she looks beautiful and that it went well.”

“Of course she looks beautiful. She only has one way to look.”

Asa scampered out of the dining room as if his tail feathers were on fire. “OK, everybody, the bride’s coming down the hall, and I’ve been busted at the chip bowl so let’s get this party started.” He stomped across the room, his heavy, cowboy-boot-clad steps signaling everyone to get ready.

Kevin and Kelly continued to play softly, and Gia entered the room with Candi close behind, messing with whatever was on her head.

Rocky’s heart stopped. At least he thought it did. There was a pain and a thump and he had to sit up super straight in order to breathe again.

Her smile was tentative, but it was still a smile. That was good. It had to be hard for her to enter a room with still more people she didn’t know.

Her face lit up like a Texas sunrise when she spotted him. She hurried his way and landed on the ottoman beside him so hard she almost tumbled off the other side.

Rocky caught her. “Take it easy,” he said and laughed.

She steadied herself and poofed the white fluffy stuff around her hair and repositioned the flowers in her hand. “You’ll have to forgive me if I’m a little wound up here, what with the massive wedding and all.”

“Yeah,” he whispered and glanced around the room. Everyone was chatting, Candi was taking pictures, others were stealing food... “Sorry about that.”

“We’ll talk about it later.”

“I was afraid of that.” He met her gaze and brushed an eyelash from her cheek. “I was beginning to worry,” he whispered.

“No, I was beginning to worry. You’re the one who took off in a car. I was stuck here, remember? I thought you changed your mind.”