“Last one,” he said. “Though I don’t know how you’re going to take it off later.”
“I’m sure Blade will rip it off!” Shirley giggled.
“He’ll probably go run and hide in the bathroom when he sees me,” I complained.
Shirley tied the big satin bow around my waist. Then she picked at it, making sure it was even, as Edward draped the wedding jewelry on my wrists and neck and pinned on the brooch. Finally, he fitted the veil and tiara on my head, pinning them into the updo.
“How do I look?” I asked. I would have spun around, but the dress had me trapped. I was like an oil tanker.
Edward studied me critically. “Very expensive. You’re, like, eighties upper-class wedding personified.”
“Lord, help me survive this day.”
Edward was gathering up the train as my grandmother came into the room.
“Avery, you look so beautiful,” my grandmother exclaimed, tears running down her face. “I just love how you’ve approached this whole wedding. You know I married your grandfather rather quickly. It was such a happy day. Back in the day, people married a lot quicker than now. When you know, you know!”
“Yes,” I said, thinking of Blade, “when you know, you know.”
“I wanted to tell you that I have the lawyers drawing up the paperwork to transfer the estate house and acreage over to you. Not only do you clearly love this town and history, as evidenced by your wearing my old dress, but you have wonderful ideas for how to bring it to life. And”—she winked at me—“dare I say, a man who can help fund it!”
“I’m not with Blade for his money,” I countered. “He’s smart, he’s kind, and he’s a really good friend.”
Dottie smiled even more widely. “And of course you’d give the right answer!” She hugged me. “I cannot wait to see you walk down the aisle. This day is going to be perfect!”
63
Blade
Ididn’t have to start getting ready as early as Avery did, though the film crew and photographers did want footage of me and my brothers putting on our tuxedos.
“I just feel like,” Archer was saying, “that we should have done something a little different, you know, like, say, a powder-blue tux.”
“No,” Hunter barked as he helped Arlo and Henry into their little three-piece suits. They were going to help carry the long train on Avery’s wedding dress. Davy was already dressed and hopping around the room with the ring bearer’s pillow.
“Don’t lose the rings,” Mace warned him.
“Maybe someone else should carry them,” Weston suggested.
“No!” Davy shrieked. “I’m the ring bearer!”
“Too bad none of our sisters are here,” Weston said. “We could have a flower girl.”
“And whose fault is that?” I said, glaring at Garrett.
“I can’t be the only one responsible for dismantling the cult,” he scoffed.
“You could have had them out by now if you weren’t so busy trying to pick apart my relationship with Avery,” I snarled at him.
“Everyone just calm down,” Remy bellowed. “This is supposed to be a festive day celebrating family and love.”
* * *
The rain had stoppedby the time we all trooped down the street from Archer’s hotel to the historic City Hall building.
Guests were milling around talking to people in the foyer as we assembled at the end of the long aisle. Someone had been busy draping the whole space in flora. There were garlands of flowers wrapped around the columns, large arrangements as tall as me marking the entrance to the aisle, and at the end, where a small platform had been set up, was an archway of flowers.
Gunnar slapped me on the back.
