Within seconds of our arrival, Xenia The Wedding Planner, much like Xena Warrior Princess only with less leather and more taffeta, comes to the door and peeks out. It’s like she has a spidey sense that can detect the location of the bride and groom at all times. It’s kind of creepy actually.
She sticks one perfectly manicured hand out the door and folds her fingers in toward the church twice. I can almost hear her saying in her schoolmarm voice, “Come come!” And then she disappears back inside, no doubt off to swat some poor noisy child’s knuckles with a ruler.
While she might seem like the devil, holy hot damn can she plan a wedding! I bet even the flowers don’t have the nerve to drop a single petal until the festivities are over and she’s gone.
Yeah, it’s like that.
We all shuffle out of the limo, up the steps and into the vestibule. When I take my place at the front of the line and the noise on the other side of the doors quiets, the energy and excitement and significance of the day finally seeps in to take over everything else. Just like it should.
This is my best friend’s wedding day. She’s marrying the man of her dreams and getting the life she’s always hoped for, the life every little girl prays she’ll one day be blessed with.
I should wanna slap the lucky bitch.
But I feel nothing but love and happiness and elation for her. And I know it shines from the smile I turn on her when I look back between all the other perfectly-coiffed bridesmaids’ heads and meet her eyes. She nods. I nod. And, between us, an entire conversation happens in the blink of an eye.
I could cry.
But I won’t.
I’m not sure the salon used waterproof mascara, although they’d be complete imbeciles if they didn’t.
A door to the left opens. Rusty walks through and pauses. My heart stops beating right inside my chest. If I thought I looked hot…holy effin’ cow!
His tux is black, his shirt is white, and his cummerbund is the same beautiful blue as my dress. His hair is dark and looks freshly washed. His shoulders are impossibly wide and strong as ever. His waist is narrow and flows smoothly into his long legs.
But it’s his eyes that capture me. Just like always. They are fastened on mine when I meet them, after I finish appraising him. They’re brilliant blue. And very intense. It makes me wonder what’s going on behind them. Because something definitely is.
Letting the door fall shut behind him, he moves slowly toward me, not stopping until he is standing so close that my boobs almost brush his lapels.
I get short of breath when I see his eyes travel down to my cle**age and back up again. They run all over my face, taking in every detail, even flickering up to my hair and back again.
Finally, they settle on mine, making my nerves flare up. “Hello, handsome,” I say playfully, hoping I seem natural rather than insecure.
“You look…amazing,” he says softly. Sincerely.
The blood that stains my cheeks is genuine. I don’t blush easily, but something about his comment seems so heartfelt that my body reacts in a very physical way.
Just as I begin to search for something else to say, it registers that there’s music playing on the other side of the door. I take a deep breath, thankful for the notes that saved me from further embarrassment, and I tip my head toward the interior of the church. “Shall we?” Rusty nods and I smile, turning toward the sanctuary just as the ushers open the door.
Everything flows perfectly, just like we’d practiced at rehearsal. I do my best to enjoy my best friend’s perfect day without letting doubts and insecurities about Rusty tarnish it. It’s hard, but I keep my focus on the bride and groom, and that makes it easier.
When it comes time for the vows, Trick clears his throat and asks if he can say a few words. The minister nods and smiles. He doesn’t look the least bit surprised, which leads me to believe that he knew Trick would do this.
The church is absolutely silent around us, every person, no doubt, waiting on bated breath to hear what he has say. I can imagine all too easily how Cami must feel right now. If I was in her shoes and Rusty was getting ready to say something special to me, I’d be a mess behind my veil.
“Since I was a kid, I’ve always known what I wanted to do with my life,” Trick begins. “I wanted to work with horses. I didn’t much care about the how, the what or the where, as long as I got to be around them. I thought that’s all it would take to make me happy. Until I met you. Without you, those dreams were just…empty. It didn’t take me long to see that without you, I could never be happy.
“Whether you knew it or not, I was yours from the second you looked up at me with the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen. I knew you’d mean more to me than all the riches, all the horses, all the things the world has to offer. And I was right. Cami, I love you with everything I am, and everything I ever hope to be. From this moment on, I’ll spend the rest of my days making sure you never regret picking me.”
His words float through the church like they’re on angel’s wings. I’m pretty sure every heart has stopped, just like mine has. To know a love like that is everyone’s dream, whether they admit it or not. And to have someone look at me the way Trick’s looking at Cami is my dream.
If he hadn’t said a single word, the look in his eyes says it all. All he sees is Cami. And that’s all he needs to see. It’s right there on his face, for all to behold. Just like he said, she’s everything to him. Everything.
My eyes flicker to Rusty. He’s watching me with a strangely puzzled expression. I look away. My heart can’t stand the pain of it.
CHAPTER TWELVE - Rusty
I grab Trick’s arm after the photographer finishes taking a blue million pictures. I want to catch him before he heads toward the reception hall with Cami.
“Hey, man, can I talk to you for a sec?”
“Sure,” he says, kissing Cami’s cheek and telling her he’ll be right back. We walk a few feet away. “What’s up?”
“Would I be on your shit list forever if I bailed?” He says nothing, just eyes me suspiciously. I rush to explain. “I’ve got some major work to do on that car I just got in and—”
Trick starts shaking his head. “Stop right there, man. You don’t have to make excuses for me. I know you’re full of shit. There’s nothing that’s that important, that you have to do today.” I have nothing to say to that. Because he’s right. That has nothing to do with me wanting to get the hell out of here. “But, you’re my best friend and I love ya. I’m grateful you did this much for me.”