“Francesca! Your phone is going off. Don’t you dare answer it if it’s my brother!”
“Relax, B, I know the drill.” She hands me my phone and I open the text app.
Jackson: Today you’ll be the first … on your knees
A big grin takes over my face and my heart races. I have a feeling this man and his dirty mouth will never not affect me.
The photographer does a great job of letting us do our thing as he silently takes photos, and then we’re climbing into the limo, heading to the field.
“Oh my …” I trail off as I see crowds of people lining the sidewalk by the field. It looks like the entire town has shownup for us today.
“They love you, Francesca, and Jackson. Of course, they’re all here.”
We pull into the parking lot and as I struggle to get out of the car in this dress, I’m met by Stephan. “Stephan!” I cry. “What are you doing here?”
“You think I’d let you get married without me?”
And now I’m crying. He quickly starts dabbing my face with a handkerchief he’s pulled from his pocket. “I’m so happy to see you! I’m so sorry about what happened to the Holiday Star.”
He waves me off. “Wait until you see what your fiancé and brothers did for you. It’s gorgeous and only proves the fact everything happens for a reason. And your wedding? It was supposed to happen here all along.”
I squeeze his hand as he leads me to our holding area. It’s really unseasonably cold today so I’m hoping we won’t be out here too long. The girls are being coached on when to walk and where to stand. My dad is stoic, taking it all in but he lets me peek out to the front so I can see the aisle we’ll be walking down in a few short minutes. It’s stunning. There is a long white runner that leads to three steps up onto a platform. On the platform is a tall archway with pink and white roses, white twinkling lights dangle from the sides and there is not a piece of ivy in sight. The chairs, already filling up with people, are wrapped in white cloth and draped with a light pink bow on the back of each. It’s warm and romantic.
And behind all of that? The goalposts.
It's perfect.
Adam comes around the corner and our eyes meet. He slows his walk and a small smile spreads on his face. He puts his hand to his heart as he comes close and I throw myself into him, makeup and hair be damned.
“You look amazing, Chessy.” He grabs my hands, standing back taking me all in again.
“You did all this, Adam?”
He looks down, smiling. “It was nothing. Grabbed a couple guys and banged it out in forty-eight hours.”
I shake my head. “It’s not nothing, its beautiful. Thank you.”
“Anything for you. You know that.” He pulls me close, kissing the top of my head.
“Are all of the guys where they’re supposed to be?”
“If you’re asking if he showed, don’t worry, we dragged him down here from the house kicking and screaming.”
I slap his chest. “You did not!”
He relents. “No, we didn’t. He left voluntarily,” still smirking at my evil glare back at him. “Chessy, nothing was going to keep him from meeting you at that altar today.”
My face relaxes and I give him one last hug. “Go. Get in your spot. I’ll see you in a few minutes.”
~
The music starts and the girls begin their walk down the aisle. Stephan is barking out orders, ‘slow down’, ‘speed up’, ‘don’t’ trip’.
And then it’s my turn.
The excitement warms me, and the cold I was feeling before is no longer. My dad takes my hand, and we step up, waiting to be sent down the aisle. Stephan gives the nod, and we take our first step. I look up and my heart skips a beat. Then two more. Both sides of the aisle are lined with people, the girls all stand up front, my brothers on the other side, but I don’t see any of them.
I onlysee Jackson.
