"You're the most amazing woman alive?" I prompted.
J.J. laughed with me and leaned in to kiss my cheek. "You are the most amazing woman alive, but don't expect me to tell you that in front of my mother or sister."
We were both laughing as we exited the car and were met by the photographer Colette insisted on hiring.
The next twenty minutes were a blur of pictures and positioning. I was shifting on my sore feet for the third time in as many minutes when J.J. called a halt to the proceedings.
"That's enough posed pictures," he stated to his mother. "Lee needs to sit down, put her feet up, and get something to eat."
Colette looked like she wanted to argue until she looked at my feet. "Oh, sweetie, your poor feet are so swollen."
Within minutes, I was settled at a table next to J.J. with my shoes off and Colette sent Cam into the kitchen to get a pan full of cool water for my feet.
J.J. sat next to me and I watched with wide eyes as a group of people came in carrying boxes and bags full of food.
"What's this?" I asked J.J., leaning closer so no one could overhear me.
When we'd talked about the reception, there was a discussion of cake and champagne. Well, champagne for everyone else, sparkling grape juice for me. But no one had mentioned food. But the bakery in town didn't have time to make us a cake, so Cam mentioned putting together ice cream sundaes as our reception food. It was fine by me because I was beginning to get strange cravings, which did include the stereotypical ice cream, but usually topped with fudge, pretzels, and bacon crumbles. Cam said she was putting it on her menu and calling it the "Lee Special."
J.J. put his mouth next to my ear and murmured, "Your mom and my mom teamed up and put this together. I think you'll like it."
I glanced over at him, our faces a few inches apart. "What—" Then, I smelled it. There was a steakhouse aptly named Chop about thirty miles from Farley that had the best prime rib I'd ever tasted. I very rarely got to go because I was on a strict budget and it wasn't cheap.
My mouth watered and I sat up taller in my chair. J.J. chuckled next to me.
I didn't even want to think about what it had cost to have them cater our reception, but gratitude filled me. I looked over to my mother, who was helping with the unpacking, and then Colette, who was talking to a young woman with vibrant purple hair and several tattoos on her forearms and hands.
"Who's your mom talking to?" I asked J.J.
"I think that's the woman who baked our wedding cake."
"Wedding cake? I thought we didn't have time to get a cake made?" I asked.
He didn't have time to answer because Cam arrived with the pan of water just as I started to cry. She knelt at my feet and shot J.J. a stern look. "Not even married an hour and you're already making her cry!"
At the sound of Cam's voice, my brothers' heads swiveled toward us as one, even though they weren't standing together.
Oh, no. I had to say something, fast, but I was still trying to stop crying enough to catch my breath. I sniffed hard and coughed, which brought Cam's eyes back to me.
"It wasn't J.J. I just didn't expect all of this," I said. "I'm surprised, that's all. Good surprised," I explained, looking up at my brothers as they halted behind Cam and glared down at J.J.
They looked at me and I tried to stare them down, but it was hard with tears still running down my cheeks and a runny nose.
J.J.'s arm squeezed my shoulder lightly and I realized that I was leaning into him. "Let me go get you some tissues," he said.
"There's a box in my office. Go ahead and bring the whole thing out here. I'm pretty sure Mom is seconds away from bursting into tears as well, so we'll need it," she said as she unbuckled my sandal and slid my foot into the cool water.
"We'll help," D.J. said, turning to follow J.J.
Huh, D.J. and J.J., that was kinda funny.
Now, I was giggling and crying at the same time.
"Oh, God, please tell me my brother didn't manage to drive you around the bend before you've even cut your wedding cake," Cam grumbled as she unbuckled my other shoe.
"No, but my brothers might bend him into a pretzel if you don't go save him."
She shook her head. "Nope. He's a big boy, he can handle his own problems."
