Page 122 of Honeymoon Phase
Everly squeals excitedly and claps her hands.
“Where did that pergola come from?” Luke asks, frowning back at my mom. “Was that from the rental company?”
Calder steps forward with a sheepish smile on his face.
“You made that?” Luke asks, his face slack with shock.
He shrugs and waves his hand casually. “Yeah, you know, I had some extra wood lying around.”
“Jeez, man.” Luke shakes his head in disbelief.
“It’s stunning,” I offer, stepping closer to admire the wooden pergola draped with Edison bulbs, asymmetrical evergreen garlands, white roses, and hunter-green velvet ribbons.
“I thought we could put it over Dad’s bench after the wedding stuff is over. Give us a little shade when we sit there.”
“It’s too much,” Luke says, stepping closer to Calder and pulling him into a hug. “That was too fucking much.”
They clap each other on the back, not saying anything, and we all watch as they share a quiet brotherly moment together, Johanna fighting back tears.
“Wait until you see inside the tent tomorrow,” Everly whispers to me.
“I’m already blown away,” I state, still taking it all in.
“Are we all ready?” a woman dressed in a tan one-piece snowsuit asks, walking up to us with a binder in her hand. “I’m Sharon and I’ll be doing your service tomorrow. I know it’s cold, so I’ll make this rehearsal quick and easy so we can all go home and...” The woman’s voice trails off as she looks up into the night sky. “Oh my, it’s snowing!”
Everyone’s heads lift as large, puffy snowflakes begin to float and swirl all around us, illuminated by the moon’s silvery glow. It’s beautiful and feels like some sort of magical gift. Luke’s eyes find mine and we smile at each other as the flakes cling to our lashes and hair.
“Well, this wasn’t in the forecast but will certainly make for some beautiful pictures tomorrow,” Sharon says with a bright smile. “Let’s begin, shall we?”
Luke moves toward me, taking my hand in his and leading me down the snow-kissed aisle. I never thought this would be my life. I’d been determined to miss out on this, if I’m honest. And now I understand Luke’s annoyance that I’d planned to marry a logger. Nothing about the wedding would have been real or special. And despite the fact that I’ve never dreamed about getting married, Everly and Jo have somehow made this a wedding of my dreams.
Fact: I’m about to marry my best friend... and I’ve never been happier.
Chapter 40
Fact or Fiction?
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is fucked up.
Luke
Snow sparkles over everything as I struggle to focus on the walk-through of the service tomorrow, my mind swimming with thoughts that I can’t quiet no matter how hard I try. My head tips up as I look at the pergola Addison and I are standing under. It looks even more beautiful with the fresh flakes clinging to the greenery and a weighted pressure hits me in the chest. I can’t believe my brother made this. He must have spent hours on it. Days. Weeks. When did he start it? As soon as he heard about the wedding? Fuck. This is a big thing for him, to dedicate time to a wedding that’s not even real. He already pretty much works two jobs between his own furniture stuff and the family business. Why did he go to all this trouble?
Addison smiles at me, looking stunning as white flakes cling to her glossy black hair. She looks like a damn princess up here as she listens to the officiant rambling about the readings she selected for tomorrow. I release Addison’s hands to wipe the sweat off my palms, my throat feeling tight like I’m having an allergic reaction to something, but I’m not allergic to something.
Except maybe lying.
I glance at my mom, who keeps peeking inside her binder like she’s forgetting something. The lines on her forehead are creased like she’s stressed. I didn’t want her to be stressed. Everly keeps adjusting the chairs, moving them an inch one way or another so they’re all in a perfect line.
Max and Cozy are bribing Ethan with candy to get him to pull Stevie down the aisle in a wagon instead of doing snow angels like he wants to.
It’s all... a lot.
Earlier today, I loved it. Now it’s like I’ve finally taken off my rose-colored glasses and I’m seeing what I’ve done to lead up to this moment.
It’s all too much. Too much kindness, too much pressure, too much trust that this thing between me and Addison will work out. She could still walk away from me at the end of this, especially when she finds out John is going to sell the lumberyard. She won’t want to stay married to me then. She might not even want to stay in Boulder. She’ll be devastated and rich and can do whatever the fuck she wants with her life. That is if her dad gives her some of the sale money. Who knows what he might do?
And fuck, my mom’s toast tonight? Jesus Christ. If I tell her I’m getting a divorce after all of this, it will kill her. She’s been through enough. What was I thinking?
