Of his dad’s cousins from Maine, Sean stayed in New Hampshire after he met Emma, and Ryan lived in Massachusetts with his wife, Lauren. The rest were still in Maine. Ryan and Lauren’s son, Nick, was about Brian’s age, he thought, but he wasn’t able to make it. The rest of the cousins had teens ranging from thirteen to fifteen. Mitch and Paige brought Sarah and Charlotte. Liz, the only female cousin on that side, and Drew had fourteen-year-old Jackson, and Josh and Katie brought Nate and Bella with them. Rosie, who’d always run the Northern Star Lodge and had practically raised the Kowalski kids there and was tight with Mary, had brought her husband, Andy. She’d always been an honorary aunt. Other than that, Brian had given up trying to keep everybody straight and they were just collectively the family from Maine.
Luckily, Siobhan was spared the awkwardness of an entire new pack of Kowalskis meeting Oliver. He’d been handed over to Ellie and Nora while Siobhan focused on getting the bride ready for her big day. And Brian actually overheard his mother start the whispering to hold off on letting Steph know they’d all arrived until they’d all had their chance to remark that yes, it was so clearly obvious the little boy was one of them.
Brian finally made his way to Rob. “If we’re going to have time to shower and change so we don’t show up all sweaty in shorts and T-shirts, we need to get going on setting stuff up.”
“I’ll give Mom and Gram the heads-up to start moving social hour over to Gram’s site. I know she’s got lemonade and a light lunch in the works to perk them up after the long drive, plus they can socialize out of our way.”
Once the majority of the family was lured away by snacks, Brian hooked the tractor to the trailer and pulled it over alongside the grassy area they’d chosen for the ceremony. They’d had to relocate some of the playground equipment and Rob would have to digitally remove a power line from some of the photos, but the background beyond the arch would be the pond and trees.
Steph and Kyle had opted out of bride-side and groom-side seating. For one, her family vastly outnumbered his. But also they just didn’t want to start their life as a married couple with a vibe of family separation. They still left an aisle for Steph to walk down, but the only reserved seating was the front row, for parents and grandparents, as well as one chair that would hold a photo of Kyle’s parents together and a single rose.
They got the arch up so Hannah, Emma and Keri could decorate it with the vines and flowers, and then they managed to move the entire thing three times without breaking or knocking the flowers off as Rob adjusted and readjusted the angle for photos. Brian was about to bodily drag his brother to the edge of the pond and shove him in when he declared it good.
They didn’t want to ask too much of the guys who’d come over from Maine, since they’d arrived already dressed in their summer outdoor casual wedding attire, but Brian and his brothers needed a hand with the massive white canopy they’d rented. They were erecting it a ways behind the chairs because Steph wanted the open air ceremony. But they’d not only needed a backup plan for rain, they’d also want the shade during the reception. With the rain panels down on the side facing the arch, it also offered a place for Steph to enter from, and they could remove them later.
By the time they finished, they were already running late for getting dressed, but Brian took a moment to admire the culmination of so much planning and work, and so many text messages. Fingering the smooth rock in his pocket, he looked at the venue they’d made for his cousin’s wedding and felt a rush of pride.
It was simple without being plain. Elegant without being fussy. A perfect backdrop for the couple who’d shared their first kiss here. It was everything Steph wanted, and they’d actually pulled it off.
Movement in his peripheral vision made him turn in time to see Ellie and Nora, with Oliver between them holding their hands, turn the corner toward the camper Joey and Ellie were using. She was probably hoping he’d take a quick nap, Brian thought. Or at least have some quiet time before the wedding started.
“You okay?” Danny asked, having appeared at his side at some point while he was watching Oliver. “You look…off.”
He chuckled. “I look like I’ve been sweating my ass off and now I have to go put on a shirt with buttons. You know I hate those.”
“Unless they’re flannel.”
“Good point.”
“But you’re okay?”
“Yeah. I think putting all this together kept me distracted from the fact that the last wedding I attended was my own. I don’t love thinking about that, especially…” Brian had decided to respect the concern in his older brother’s voice by being honest, but maybe notthathonest. He didn’t want to talk about Siobhan. “There’s Oliver, which is messy and brings up that time, too. There’s a lot going on, but nothingbad, you know?”
“That’s understandable. As long as you’re good.” Danny blew out a breath. “You should shower, though.”
They started walking toward the house together, and Danny slapped his arm. “Good call on vetoing Stella being the ring bearer, by the way. Brianna wanted to see if she’d hold the ring pillow and it was a shredded mess of satin and stuffing before she could get it back.”
Brian laughed. “Stuffed toys have about a thirty-second lifespan around here. Please tell me the rings weren’t tied to it.”
“No, but there was a panicked moment when we weren’t sure and we thought the ceremony might have to be pushed back while we followed your dog around with a poop bag and rubber gloves.”
“I guess that explains why I heard everybody yellingnot itabout twenty minutes ago?”
Danny chuckled. “Stella’s probably one of the most beloved dogs this family’s ever known, but in that moment she was undeniablyBrian’s dog.”
* * *
“Thank goodness we don’t have a full glam squad because there are no outlets in this cabin at all,” Terry said, looking around with a scowl on her face.
Siobhan smiled because there actuallywereoutlets in the cabin. There just weren’t very many. But she wasn’t about to correct the mother of the bride when she was clearly venting about the electrical situation to keep from crying.
Steph’s dress was still hanging on the rack in the corner, and the bride herself was pacing the floor of the cabin so intensely, Siobhan had finally given up and sat on the edge of the bed. If she tried to keep up with herfriend’s nerves, she’d be worn out before the ceremony even started.
“You talked to Dad, right?” Steph asked, pausing to stare at her mother for a few seconds. “He’s not going to try to be funny or anything, right? If he pretends to trip going down the aisle or refuses to give me away or something, it won’t be funny.”
“Yes, honey, I did. But I didn’t need to because I know it doesn’t always look like this family takes anything seriously, but this is the most special day of your life and every single person here is one hundred percent dedicated to making it beautiful for you.”
“Oh. Okay, I know that.” She blew out a breath and resumed pacing. “Why am I nervous?”
