All three of them just stared at poor MaryBeth. “Yeah……. whatever the hell all that means…...Ellie it’s beautiful! Just perfect! Get it…….Gunner is going to be jizzing in his pants when he sees you in this!” Ari said as she jumped up and down.
I let out laugh as I thought about that day. I stood up and walked over to the curtain. Jenny and Ari stepped behind with me and helped me get dressed. I started with a white lace bustier along with a pair of blue panties that Ari bought for my something blue. I slipped the garter belt on that had been used by Emma in her wedding, my something old, and started to roll on my satin thigh high sheers on. I was wearing cowboy boots under my dress but Ari insisted I wear thigh highs with a garter belt because it would driver Gunner mad when he saw me. I slipped the garter around my leg and up my thigh. It was pale pink and a gift from Heather, my something new. Now for the dress…...I was shaking from head to toe.
Jenny and Ari carefully helped me into the dress and helped to adjust everything just right. I loved the platinum ribbon belt so much! Ari helped me slip on my cowboy boots and I walked out from around the sheet.
Amanda and Heather both let out a gasp and Heather started to cry.
“Don’t make her cry! Damn you Heather, you’re such a f**king sap!” I looked over at Ari and she was the one starting to cry!
Jenny’s cell phone rang as Jet was handing the girls all their bouquets of daisies.
“Okay, they are here.”
Gunner would not tell me how I was getting to the wedding sight; he just kept saying it was a secret. Jenny had a huge smile on her face as she handed me my bouquet of pink roses that had a small hanky that Emma carried with her bouquet, my something borrowed. I smiled down at Lauren, the flower girl. She was so sweet in her pale pink dress and pink cowboy boots. Matthew was beyond handsome! Gunner picked out what Matthew was wearing. He had on blue jean overalls, cowboy boots and a cowboy hat.
Amanda and Heather put their cowboy hats on and walked out first. The photographer had been there ever since we started to get ready and she had been snapping away. Then Ari, Lauren and Matt walked out. Jenny stepped aside so I could move out the door while she and Jet carried my train. I stopped dead in my tracks.
A carriage?
Fuck me…...I looked over and was shocked to see another one! Ari was helping Lauren and Matthew climb up into a pink carriage….a carriage for Christ sakes! My future crazy romantic husband had carriages picking us up. I had to laugh.
Oh…..…I was so going to give him a bl*w j*b tonight for this!
Jenny gave me a little nudge to move me along. I was helped into a beautiful white Cinderella looking carriage and I was shocked to see Garrett sitting there.
“Hello my sweet darling girl! Oh my holy hell……if you ain’t the most beautiful bride I have ever laid eyes on! And don’t you be going and telling Emma I told you that!”
“OH MY GOSH Garrett! What’re you doing here?” I reached over and hugged him.
“Well sweet girl, your brother really wanted to be able to walk you down the aisle but seeing as he is the best man, he asked me to do the honor for him.”
Okay…...now I might cry.
“Don’t you dare…...Ellie…...don’t you cry.” Garrett said.
I started to laugh.
“Okay, I won’t!”
Once they got my train all in Jenny ran over to her truck and took off like a bat out of hell. I was really going to have to do something special for her. I already had to force her to let us pay her for helping to plan the whole wedding.
We pulled up a little ways away from our tree. The first thing I saw was all of the people sitting on the hay bales. I still had not met Gunner’s parents. I wasn’t even sure if they would be showing up which broke my heart. Of course I hadn’t spoken to my own mother in months. She was not invited to the wedding. When I called to tell her I was getting married she laughed and asked what I had to do to get Gunner to marry me and then she asked if I was pregnant. I decided that was going to be the last time I ever talked to that woman again.
Amanda, Heather and Ari had pulled ahead of us on the way over so they were the first to get out. Amanda and Heather helped Lauren and Matthew get ready to walk down the aisle. I was watching them and my heart just melted. I was too afraid to look up and see Gunner. I knew the moment I saw him I would start crying so I just didn’t look. Garrett got out and walked around to help me down. Jenny held my train up and off the ground. The music started playing so the kids must have started to walk. Ari was now by my side.
“Ells, breathe sweets. Deep breaths in and out.”
I smiled at her. I really was feeling rather calm……which was strange.
“How does he look?”
Ari smiled. “He looks so handsome Ellie and he has the biggest goddamn smile on his face I’ve ever seen!”
”Ari, Ellie, Garrett……are you ready?”
We started to walk and stopped right behind a horse. Jenny sure knew what the hell she was doing because once I got down out of the carriage I was blocked by horses and another carriage.
Ari leaned over and gave me a kiss.
“Here we go sweets…...” She winked at me and took off.
Garrett looked over at me and smiled.
“Are you ready sweetheart?”
I had to smile at his choice of words. The fact that he called me sweetheart made my heart just start beating a mile a minute. I smiled and nodded. He took my arm in his and we started to walk.
We came around and stopped at the very beginning of the petal covered pathway. I looked around at all the people. The guest where mostly friends and family on Gunner’s side and the rest where our friends, and Gunner’s teammates. Everyone was smiling at me. Then the wedding march started. Garrett squeezed my arm and we took off.
I looked up and looked right at Gunner. His eyes captured mine and I instantly smiled. I let my eyes drift down his body. OHMYGOD……my knees felt weak and it must have been noticeable because Garrett lifted his arm up to what I am guessing was to help me stay standing up. I looked back up and my eyes caught his and it just took my breath away. He was giving me that damn crooked smile of his and I started to giggle. He raised his eyebrow up at me which made me giggle even more. It felt like it was taking forever to get up there and I found myself starting to try to walk faster. Now Garrett was the one laughing.
“Slow down there darling……this isn’t a race you know!”
Finally we made up to the altar. I looked at Jefferson who looked so handsome. He was next, him and Ari. He gave me a wink as Garrett announced he was the one giving me away. When my hand was placed in Gunner’s hand and I stepped up on the last step. Gunner leaned down, pushed a curl behind me ear, and whispered so low I barely heard him.
“You look so beautiful Ellie; you take my breath away sweetheart. I love you.”
Dear lord…...this man was amazing. I’m not sure what I ever did to deserve him but I will spend the rest of my life making him happy. That was a promise.
Gunner……
I watched as Jenny walked Ellie back over to her truck and they took off for the hunter’s cabin. Ellie turned back once and smiled at me and my knees about gave out. Will her smile always affect me this much?
“Yes.”
What? I heard Gramps and wondered if I had just said my last thought out loud.
“Excuse me sir?”
“Yes, she is always going to do whatever it is you are feeling right now Drew, whether you can’t catch your breath at the sight of her, your knees go weak from a smile or a kiss. She will always have you bewitched.
“Are you able to read minds now old man?” I asked as I watched the love of my life drive off.
Gramps let out a loud and gruff laugh. Then he slapped me on the back.
“Walk with me son.”
We headed in the direction away from where everything was being set up. I looked over my shoulder and saw Grams standing on the porch watching us.
“Were you nervous the day you married Grams?” I asked after about three minutes of silence.
“Hell yes I was nervous. I threw up three times and my father kept telling me to man up. I was scared shitless I wasn’t going to be able to make her as happy as she made me. I decided after the last time I threw up that I would rather die than not spend my life with her so I would just have to figure out a way to make her happy.”
I smiled at the thought of my Gramps being scared. He was the strongest man I knew and didn’t take shit from anyone, well anyone except Grams.
“I love her so much Gramps that sometimes I can’t even think straight when I’m around her. I never in my life thought this was what love was going to be like. The moment I saw her I knew…… I just knew I had to make her mine.”
Gramps let out a chuckle. “Drew listen to me son. Love like that, the love that you feel for Ellie and she feels for you. It’s very rare. Only a lucky few will ever experience it and when you do, you fight for that love every single goddamn day of your life. You will both fight; make each other mad as hell. You might even think it won’t work out but it will son, trust me it will. When you share a love so strong you can weather any storm.”
“Like you and Grams? Did you think it wouldn’t work out ever?”
“Yes, not long after we got married. I can’t even remember what the fight was about but I remember packing up a bag to leave. The moment I reached for the door to open it, I was hit by this realization that if I left, if I walked out that door I might not ever be able to get her back. It was not worth risking it so I put my bag down turned to see her crying and walked up to her.”
Good lord what the f**k was wrong with me? My heart was beating a mile a minute as I hung onto every word.
“What happened?”
Gramps laughed. “I kissed her, picked her up and made love to her in the kitchen. It was one of the best f**king moments of my life.”
Oh god……I think I’m going to be sick…...I didn’t need that f**king image in my head.
“Ahhh shit Gramps……I don’t want to hear about that…...man.”
Gramps laughed. “I’m just saying Drew; don’t ever give up without a fight. She loves you son. She needs you more than I think you know. The fact that only your touch calmed her down earlier was a testimony of how much she loves and needs you.”
When Ari came screaming in the house for me I thought something horrible had happened. The moment I saw Ellie sitting there…...my only thought was to get to her. When I touched her and saw her almost immediately relax, I thought I was going to burst with happiness. Knowing I was the one she needed, not Jeff or Ari or Grams, it was me who she needed.
“Drew when you see her walking down that aisle, watch her every move. Don’t look around to anyone else but her. Memorize how she looks, how she is smiling, how her hair looks, the dress she is wearing……every single thing. Tuck it away in your heart and never forget it. It will probably be one of the most amazing sights you will ever see. And when she walks up to you, tell her immediately how she just made you feel.”