“Ellie.” Charlene balls her fists on her hips. “You know there is absolutely no way he’d miss your wedding. He just chartered a private jet to fly me, him, Harlow, the boys, and the boys’ fathers here.”
“Oh my God.” I laugh.
“Don’t worry. Rob and Jimmy are at the lake fishing. Matt got them all set up.”
“Oh, they could’ve come to the wedding.”
“Trust me. They want no part of the ceremony. But you’ll probably see them at the reception. I just hope they don’t reek of fish.”
“Well, just blame it on the cake.”
She snorts. “What on earth kind of wedding cake did you guys choose that will smell like that?”
“No. Trevor’s groom’s cake is shaped like a sunfish. Apparently, it’s a joke among the brothers at his old fire station back home.”
“Ah.”
My eyes land on my bouquet by the door. “Can you hand me those?”
Charlene carries the collection of wild flowers wrapped in burlap ribbon over to me. “Oh, Ellie. It looks just like the ones from Pop’s yard.”
I sniffle. “I know. It feels like he’s here with me.”
She comes closer, wrapping me in her arms. “There’s no doubt he is.”
We make our way down to the wedding venue and my eyes fill with tears as I spot Salty Jo. “What?”
“Oh, Harrison also brought Jo.”
I turn to my friend, my face in utter shock.
“You look beautiful, Ellie. Your Pops would be so proud.”
Charlene smacks his arm. “Now don’t go ruining her makeup, Jo.”
He holds up his hands in mock surrender. “Sorry, sorry.”
As the wedding march begins, Jo escorts me down the aisle to my teenage crush, the love of my life. Matt stands before me in a light gray suit, looking every bit the heart throb he was back in our high school days.
“Hi, baby. You look so pretty.”
“I love you.”
Matt leans in and places a kiss on my cheek. The crowd erupts in laughter as the Battalion Chief clears his throat and Matt jumps back in an overdramatic fashion.
The Chief recites the vows one last time and my mind wanders to our guests. They must be as sick of hearing them as the Chief is.
After exchanging rings, Chief Robertson clears his throat. Both Matt’s and my eyes flick over to him when we hear nothing but awkward silence. “Now, you can kiss your bride.”
Our guests laugh and clap good naturedly as Matt pulls me against him and kisses me with such reverence it could light up the night’s sky.
The opening notes of our chosen wedding song begin to play, and Matt gives me a knowing wink. He spins me down the aisle as “Joy” by Andy Grammer begins to play. We hear the crowd clapping along and swaying to the beat of the music. I assume it’s because they’ve endured four ceremonies and are more than ready for the party to begin.
The crowd pours out of their seats, following along behind us and the other three newly married couples. As with those before us, we are front and center on the dance floor to finish out the dance. Yet, unlike the rest, we put a little extra choreography into our number.
As Andy Grammer sings of how he found joy, bought her a rock, and made her his wife, the guests ooh and aah. Yet when he sings how he can’t believe she gave him two more of her, Matt drops down on both knees and kisses my belly.
“Oh my God!”
