With These Four Rings - Book Five: Wedding Bonus (Billionaire Brides of Granite Falls 5) (33 page)

Colorful garlands, wrapped around each of the numerous Corinthian columns, were held in place with satin ribbons of the same colors as the drapes. Crystal candelabras hung from the ceiling and crystal vases hosting long-stemmed roses of varying colors were situated in different locations around the church. Lester had heard that there were enough vases and strings of pearls for each guest to take one home. Just below the first of seven steps that led up to the podium at the front of the church, a black and white rug made from bales of silk stretched the width of the church from one side door to the next.

Awed by the enchanting, fragranced atmosphere, the murmur of the guests as they waited with baited breaths, and the soothing melodies from the orchestra, Lester turned his attention to the four aisles where the brides would be making their trips toward their husbands. Flamboyant, elegantly fashioned arched floral trellises with silk and satin ribbons were stationed at the beginning of each aisle. Five-foot gold pillars, topped with mauve burning tapers and decorated with colorful bouquets, decked the entrance of each row of white, satin-cushioned chairs, the backs of which were draped with yards and yards of white ribbons and lace. Silk runners, bordered by a polychromatic parade of petals extended from the back to the front of each aisle. The only differences between the aisles were the individual flowers and the colors of the silk runners.

The first, Michelle LaCrosse’s, was lined with a red covering and adorned with a variety of lilies—pink Peruvian, red and white calla, and white and yellow valley. Next to her, Kaya Fontaine’s aisle was aglow with a sheet of gold, embellished with pink, white and yellow orchids. Third in line, Shaina Andretti went all out with a stunning purple throw beautified by red, pink, and white tulips, while Tashi Andreas, snatcher of the last remaining Granite Falls billionaire, would take her walk on a baby pink layer, garnished with red, white, and pink peonies.

One would think mixing that many varieties of flowers and colors would be overkill, but quite contrarily, they were so esoterically blended together, the scene could only be described as exquisitely magical.

Lester leaned forward in his seat and looked toward the front of the church as pastor Kelly dressed in a black and white Minister’s gown with gold sashes and four gold crosses on the front, and his wife, Samantha, along with three other clergymen emerged from the side doors, walked along the satin path, and made their way up the steps to the podium. Pastor Kelly took his place behind the pulpit. The ushers closed the drapes at the back of the church and Pastor Kelly raised his hands, indicating that the ceremony was about to begin.

The chatter waned to a stop and heads turned to the back of the church in anticipation of the grooms’ parents’ entrance—as explained in the wedding playbill. The orchestra switched tunes to Boyz II Men’s “A Song for Mama.” Everyone stood in honor as the grooms’ mothers—Felicia LaCrosse carrying baby Fiona, Lillian Fontaine, Arabella Andreas carrying baby Alessandro, and Aziza Shomari (Azi)—distant cousin of Massimo Andretti, who’d stepped in as a mother figure after his mother died—appeared under the trellises. The Matriarchs, dressed in beautiful, floor-sweeping lace and silk gowns, the color of their individual daughter-in-law’s runner, were slowly escorted up the aisles by their husbands: Philippe, Henry, and Alessandro, while Galen Carmichael, Massimo’s half-brother, accompanied Ms. Shomari.

Once the grandparents were seated in their respective family section, a litany of
Ohhs
and
Ahhs
penetrated the air as the grooms appeared under the trellises
.
They looked unequivocally debonair and handsome in white morning coats with diamond-studded lapels over charcoal embroidered vests. Ascots, matching the color of their individual wife’s aisle runner were held in place around their necks by silver stickpins jeweled with white pearl and onyx stones, and a white rose nestled in each their pockets. The conductor signaled the orchestra, and as a collection of photos of the four couples and their children at play were displayed on the church’s teleprompters, the grooms began marching down the aisle to the orchestra’s rendition of Snow Patrol’s “Chasing Cars.”

At the front of the church, they faced the audience and began singing the lyrics to the song—substituting the words “
If I lay here, will you lay with me?
to
“If I stand here, will you stand with me?”

Lester choked up at the elation on those men’s faces and the melodious sounds of their voices as they sang from the bottom of their hearts, expressing the burning passions that could not be contained. Except for Bryce, Lester had no idea the Fabulous Four could sing so beautifully and convincingly. He scanned the now seated and totally captivated crowd. Women gazed at the husbands, mesmerized and perhaps a bit envious that they weren’t the ones who’d captured their hearts and souls. The men looked on with a
so that’s what women like
expression on their faces. The children were just excited to be part of something so memorable, even though they didn’t quite understand what was happening around them.

When the men concluded their serenade, their Best Men: Philippe, Henry, Galen, and Alessandro—who were dressed identically—joined them at the front of the church, amidst an uproar of clapping and cheers until Pastor Kelly raised his hands to silence the room. There was a slight commotion at the back of the church and everyone turned as the most beautiful little Flower Girls appeared under the trellises: Tiffany LaCrosse, Alyssa and Anastasia Rogers, Elyse Fontaine, Aria Andretti, and Brittany Marshall for the Andreases. They looked astonishingly adorable in white satin and silk tulle dresses with sashes the color of the runners garnishing their waistlines and hanging like mini trains to the floor behind them. They wore white satin shoes on their feet, and colorful garlands of flowers on their heads. In their white-gloved hands, they carried round silk baskets, fashioned from the flower of their individual aisle and that matched the color of their sashes.

Lester placed his hands over his mouth to stop his scream of adoration as the pretty little girls began their march, dropping petals on the way to the tune of “Beautiful as You” by Jim Brickman, while the grooms and their Best Men sang the lyrics to their darling daughters, granddaughters, and daughters of their dearest friends. Undeniably apropos, Lester thought, dabbing at a tear in the corner of his eye.

With three-year-old Tiffany and an almost three Elyse occasionally stopping to admire the flowers, and say “Hi” to the first person in each row, it took a while for the Flower Girls to reach the front, but no one seemed to mind. In fact, they found them endearing, especially when little Aria dropped her basket halfway up the aisle and ran to her father yelling, “I don’t want to, Daddy. I don’t want to.” Amidst the laughter, Massimo walked her back to the aisle and helped her scatter her petals before placing her on the lap of her adopted grandmother, Azi.
What else can one expect from a seventeen-month-old
? Lester thought with affection.

The Bridesmaids: Precious LaCrosse, Liberty Lynd, Monica Hamilton, and Mindy Marshall were next to emerge from behind the drapes, wearing black and white bridesmaids dresses with flower tiaras on their heads and colorful bouquets in their hands. Behind them, the Pageboys: Erik LaCrosse III, Eli Fontaine, Marc Castle Jr. for the Andrettis, and Kyle Marshall for the Andreases, dressed in smaller replicas of the grooms’ attire, carried white satin pillows with red velvet heart-shaped boxes fastened in the center, and red, gold, purple, and pink ribbons hanging down the sides. They marched to the orchestra’s rendition of Billy Ocean’s “Color of Love,” and once they took their places on the black and white carpet, the drapes were closed once more
.

Finally, the magical moment everyone had been waiting for, since the wedding announcement eight months ago, had arrived. Pastor Kelly directed the guests to stand. Four ushers entered through the side doors, walked to the front of each aisle, and blew golden trumpets as was customary in Fairytales to announce the arrival of the Princesses.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

The curtains parted and a plethora of sighs of admiration simultaneously reverberated through the congregation, then all mouths seemed to freeze open. Lester swore he could hear the heartbeat of every single guest present drumming in his ears. They held their breaths as if afraid that if they let them out the brides, embraced in layer upon layer of luxurious elegance, would disappear into obscurity.

To say the brides were beautiful would be a gross understatement. They were quintessentially heart-stopping specimens of supreme regal sophistication, and aptly wearing tiaras studded with diamonds and other shimmering jewels. As they stood smiling under their trellises giving everyone a chance to admire their bridal gowns, their husbands, accompanied by the church’s harpist, began singing Elvis Presley’s “Can’t help Falling in Love.”

Those four ethereal creations were white, strapless, dramatically cut, and featured sweetheart necklines and glamorous bodices dripping with teardrop diamonds and pearls. Yet, each was intricately and uniquely designed from an assortment of premium satin, silk, organza, taffeta, tulle, embellished lace, and jeweled embroidery, to the finest details. The gracefully fashioned and jeweled waistlines were comprised of two dropped, one empire, and one natural, but all subtly hugged the delicate figures of the brides, giving each a sweet and feminine, yet timeless and extravagant touch. Nothing less would have been accepted for this glamorous affair.

No one could help falling in love with them, indeed.

Lester was out of words to describe the surreal scene, and not a moment too soon as the Giver of the Brides appeared, dressed like the grooms, and carrying the bridal bouquets held together with ribbons, of the day’s four dominant colors. Robert Carter stood next to his sister, Michelle, and handed her a bouquet of red and white calla lilies; Jason Rogers joined his Aunt Kaya with a bouquet of white orchids; Cameron Norwood stepped beside his sister, Shaina, and handed her an arrangement of white and purple tulips, and Paul Dawson hugged his daughter, Tashi, before giving her a bouquet of pink and white peonies.

As the husbands’ song faded out, and the orchestra began to play Deniece Williams’ “Black Butterfly,” the brides began their dazzling walk under their motorized trellises, toward their husbands, whose eyes were fastened on them with tears streaming down their faces. They were obviously mesmerized as they watched the stunningly exquisite loves of their lives, their prides and joy, the mothers of their children, their soul mates with whom they would grow old, walk toward them to freely and willingly offer themselves to them once more.

Lester looked around. There wasn’t one dry eye in the church as those four amazing women made their way to the front, shimmering in an aura of opulent beauty and class.

Finally, the wives stood in front of their husbands, gazing up at them through teary eyes.

“Who give these women to these men?” Pastor Kelly asked.

“We do,” the brides said in unison as they handed their bouquets to their Bridesmaids.

“And so, let it be duly noted,” Pastor Kelly responded, to which everyone chuckled as the Father Givers placed the wives’ hands into those of their husbands’, before joining the families in the front rows.

Pastor Kelly indicated for the audience to sit, and then for the next few minutes, Felicia, Lillian, Azi, and Arabella, took turns reading short scriptures from the Holy Bible, short passages from Kahlil Gibran’s
The Prophet
, and from
Love Poems of Rumi,
after which Pastor Kelly asked the couples to face the pulpit.

“Dearly Beloved,” he began. “We’re gathered here today before God, family, friends, and acquaintances to witness the reaffirmation of the wedding vows of Erik and Michelle LaCrosse, Bryce and Kaya Fontaine, Massimo and Shaina Andretti, and Adamo and Tashi Andreas…”

Twenty minutes, later the Pageboys stood in front of the couples and the husbands opened the velvet boxes. Another series of
Ohhs
and
Ahhs
filled the room as the multitude of diamonds from the duplicate platinum rings coruscated in the light from the skylight ceiling. Lester couldn’t see them up close but he was certain that the identical intricately designed platinum rings were elegant, and rightly portrayed the purity, strength, and durability of the couples’ love and commitment to each other, just as the inherent qualities of platinum itself signified.

The orchestra softly played “Give me Forever” in the background. The husbands held their wives right hands and while slipping the rings on their ring fingers, they said in unison, “With these four rings, we thee wed.” They embraced, gazed into each other’s eyes, and sang the words of the song. It was angelic and melodious. During the final chorus, they all walked to the center of the front, and exchanged hugs and kisses on the cheeks while they finished singing their vows.

The aura of passion, love, devotion, and commitment was so thick between them, one couldn’t cut through it with a machete. Nothing, nothing in this world would ever separate these men from their wives, or these friends from each other—not even death itself.

They tuned to the audience and said, “As we’ve just pledged ourselves to each other, we also pledge our commitment to each and every citizen of Granite Falls. We are devoted to make this town safer, friendlier, more prosperous, and the most coveted little town on the planet. As God is our witness.”

Pride and joy bubbled in Lester’s heart as the guests—most of whom were Granite Falls residents who’d won a lottery that placed them on the list of invitees—came alive with shouts of cheers and well wishes, and “We Love you Fabulous Four.”