Page 18 of Enchant Me

I bend over. “Hush now. You can talk to them after the ceremony, okay?”

He nods. “Sorry, Mama.”

I kiss his head and assure him it’s fine as Ronnie continues down the aisle in time with the music. Jeffery walks naturally, ignoring the whispers and eye rolls of his big sister. They both carry baskets and are scattering white petals along the aisle. The wedding is small enough that none of the kids really needed a role, but Evelyn and Frank insisted.

As soon as they finish, Ronnie and Jeffery take the seats that have been set aside for them on one side of the arch, and by that time, my girls are on their way down the aisle, too, both dressed in pale-pink dresses that match their cousin. Lara’s dark hair is still miraculously in the bun, a serious feat considering her hair is so thick and shiny that it’s a nightmare getting it to do much more than hang around her pretty face or wrangle it back into a ponytail.

I knew better than to try to tame Anne’s blond waves, as she’ll just shake them free. So instead, she’s wearing a circular headpiece threaded with ribbons and flowers, giving her a fairy-like quality. Her eyes find me, and I put a finger to my lips the moment I realize she’s about to call for me.

I’m a flower girl, she mouths, and I blow her a kiss as Syl giggles beside me. Bradley’s squirming, clearly wanting to call out to his sisters. But to my shock and amazement he not only stays quiet, he turns to me with a finger over his lips and whispers, “Shhh.”

I flash him a thumbs-up, then return my attention to the aisle where both my girls are scattering red rose petals to complement their cousins’ white ones. Lara is pulling them from her basket and releasing them slowly and deliberately while Anne grabs handfuls and drops them in clumps.

“Oh my God,” Syl whispers. “They are so precious. And they’re going to be perfect next week in your ceremony.”

“I know,” I say, but I don’t turn around, because now Damien has stepped into the light at the end of the path, Evelyn standing tall and proud beside him.

The music shifts to the bridal march, and my heart flutters.

Soon, I’ll be doing this. The walk down the aisle, anyway, though Damien and I have decided to walk together, and to music other than the bridal march. We’re already married, after all, and that simple fact gives me so much joy that I only want to add to it, not re-do it.

Damien meets my eyes, and I feel that tug in my chest. The sight of him, so proud and perfect. And Evelyn glowing with happiness. I turn away just long enough to look at our girls in their seats by the arch, and see that they are looking at him with pride as well—their daddy walking their Ebby down the aisle.

“Dada!” Bradley’s cry rings out, and laughter rises again from the small group of invited guests as Damien grins at his son and Evelyn blows Bradley a kiss.

Behind Damien, I see Wyatt Royce standing at the end of the aisle, taking the candid photos that Evelyn insisted she wanted as a record of the day.

It’s because my gaze lingered on Wyatt after Damien passed that I’m still turned in my seat, and that’s how I notice the dark-haired man with a trimmed beard rise from his seat in the last row. He’s dressed in black slacks, a white shirt, and a black vest under a matching jacket. He hesitates, then lifts his phone as if taking a picture before slipping out past Wyatt to leave the ceremony altogether.

I frown, but there’s nothing I can do now except wonder who he was. I know all the guests, and though the guy seems somewhat familiar, I can’t place him. I’m certain, however, that he wasn’t invited.

Considering the style of his suit, he’s probably part of Alaine’s catering staff, but that means I need to talk to Alaine about reminding his people to not wander the house or the grounds.

I push it out of my mind for now, and the last remnants of worry flutter away as Damien leaves Evelyn’s side to come sit in the seat beside me, lifting Bradley into his lap as he does so.

He takes my hand, and I lean in with a sigh as Evelyn and Frank exchange the familiar vows to love, honor, and cherish. Right then, my heart couldn’t be fuller as I watch these two people who are so important to us. My father, who worked so hard to turn around a relationship that he’d once walked away from. And Evelyn, who has always been more family to both of us than our own blood.

Damien’s thumb casually strokes my hand as they exchange rings. And with timing that is nothing short of perfect, the sun disappears below the horizon as my father very tenderly kisses the bride.

The reception is spread out over the pool deck, and soon most of the guests head that direction, including Sylvia and Jackson who take all the kids with them, but not until after Damien and I have had a chance to hug the four oldest and tell them what a great job they did in the ceremony.

As the five cousins skip away, Bradley holding tight to Lara’s hand, Damien and I linger, watching Wyatt take a few shots in front of the lights and flowers.

“Not too formal, Wyatt,” Evelyn says. “Why the devil would I want a picture of us looking formal?” My dad laughs and slides his arm around her, and right then I don’t think I could be happier.

“It was beautiful,” I tell Evelyn, as she pulls me into a hug. “I’m so happy for you two.”

“I’m quite pleased with us myself,” Evelyn says. She reaches for Frank’s hand. “I think this time, we both got it right.”

“Yes,” he says, and the love in his eyes is so clear my vision turns misty. “Yes, I’m sure we did.”

Half an hour later, the reception is going strong. The kids are playing on the playscape that we installed just off the patio. Bradley is in the sandbox with Anne, and Lara and Jeffery are on the swings with Ronnie taking turns pushing them. They’re all still relatively tidy, but I don’t expect that to last for long. Already, Lara’s hair has slipped out of the bun and the hairpiece is now part of the sandbox project.

But they’re having a blast, and that’s all I care about right now.

For that matter, as I sit on the edge of one of the chaise lounges and glance around, I can’t help but notice that everyone seems to be having a great time, especially Evelyn and my dad. They’re laughing and mingling and holding hands, and my heart swells so much I actually feel breathless.

“Hey,” Damien says, coming to my side with a glass of bourbon for him and one for me.