Page 276 of Steeling Her
Something borrowed, something blue, right?
My mom gave me her lucky pin that she wore to her wedding with my dad. It’s a blue pin with the words “Steel” and my dad’s football number back when he played in high school and college. She’s letting me borrow it for today. I watch her as she pins it to the back of my dress.
Sienna returns with my shoes and helps me put them on and strap me in. Once they’re on, I know I’m ready.
No veil for me. Plain, I know, but this is the way I like it.
I stand up and fix my hair so it falls down my back in effortlessly soft waves. I take a deep breath.
I’m ready for this. I’m ready for this day and our wedding,I think to myself as my mom finishes zipping up my dress.I’m ready to be Mrs. Carter Jackson.
Sienna holds the door open to where the guests are. I’m greeted with smiles, stares, and joy on their faces. But it’s my dad that I want to see. He hasn’t seen me in this dress before. It’s his first time to experience it today.
He’s sitting on a tub chair in the suite, staring out the window and leaning on his elbow that is propped up by the small round glass table.
It’s the sudden quietness in the room that catches his attention, then he soon focuses on to me. His mouth hangs open as he sits and looks at the dress, his eyes wandering down the length of it. He pushes himself up from the chair and stands in complete and utter shock.
“Well?” I break the ice jokingly.
He smiles and shakes his head disbelievingly with his hand over his mouth. “You look beautiful, Carter.” His jaw tightens as he rubs his eyes. I know it’s become real for him, I can see it in his face. “You really and truly are beautiful, baby girl.” He holds back the tears that I know he wants to release, but he’s a guy, and guys try not to cry. I can see he’s trying to hold himself back to keep it all together. I know he doesn’t want to see me go, but he knows that I’ll always be around and that I will always be a Steel.
He reaches across to engulf me in a great hug. “I am so happy for you, sweetheart,” he whisper’s so it can only be heard between the two of us. This a moment just for us.
“Thanks, Dad,” I reply, appreciating this very moment were sharing. It’s all any girl could ask for with her father, the very first man she truly loves, and he will always be just that to me.
After a few celebratory drinks of champagne and countless warnings from Sienna, it is time. It is finally time for me to be reunited with my love. The more I think about it, the more excited I become. I don’t care who is attending the wedding, this is about me, him, and our future together.
My dad holds out a bent elbow for me to slide my own arm through so we can walk together. I know Danielle has my bouquet. After I was made to be the Maid of Honor at Haley’s wedding and a bridesmaid at Danielle’s, it’s time they pay me back.
Outside of the room, there are two security guards to escort the party down to the wedding area and bypass all of Nick’s party and the paparazzi. The girls walk in front. I walk with both of my parents.
We ride down the elevator to get to the reception area—which is off limits for the next hour, hence why we needed to move at this time—and come to the end of it. Only people who work at the hotel are allowed in the area, and the majority of them stand back and watch as we all make our way to the golf carts that are waiting outside to drive us to the gardens without ruining the dresses. There are two people per cart, plus the driver. I’ll ride with my dad. My mom and Sienna ride together.
It’s a short drive through the trees to get to the wedding area. Once we arrive, we could hear the chatter from the guests as we hop off the carts to get into position. Sienna races around to get things organized before we kick off the wedding.
The girls line up in the order Sienna wants them to be in, and I give my mom a kiss on the cheek before she steps out to take her seat. We are hiding behind a wall of white and pink roses. When we’re ready, we will walk through the gap and down the aisle.
Taylor, as the flower girl, will walk first. For the bridesmaids, Candice will go first, then Cassie, then Harper and then Haley, leaving Danielle to walk last in line as my maid of honor and to make sure everything is okay.
As they walk one by one, I can feel my dad kiss my temple. I know that this is the final hurdle for me. I am so wrapped up in my world. I’m watching everything around me when I should be enjoying this special moment. As we step closer and closer to the gap, I feel the butterflies flutter inside of me.
I just can’t wait to see him.
“You ready, kiddo?” my dad asks for the go ahead.
I take one deep breath in and hold my bouquet on my right hand and my dad on my left. I nod. “Let’s do this.”
The typical wedding music plays by the small orchestra we hired to serenade the crowd who are just off to the side of the gazebo.
I know it’s time. I’m ready. I look at my dad, who nods happily to indicate that now is the moment. “I love you. I’m so proud of you, Carter,” he whisper’s before we walk out together. I can feel Sienna fixing the train behind me so it won’t catch on anything as I walk. I’m trying not to cry by his kind words. I’m trying to hold myself together and smile.
I can see Nick standing underneath the large archway completely decorated with flowers that match the wall my dad and I were hiding behind. The ocean waves are crashing softly in the background, the perfect picture of blue skies and blue ocean decorating the whole place. Pillars are placed at the end of each row for guests, connecting to another archway to walk through to get to their seats, which is completely saturated with flowers. The colors are breathtakingly beautiful.
As we walk down the aisle to the rhythm of the music, I look at my future husband and see him standing handsomely in a black tuxedo, his hands joined softly in front of him as he stares back at me with a soft smile and bright eyes. A soft breeze greets me, and my hair sways a little across my bare back. He looks absolutely incredible as always. His fresh white shirt accentuates his tanned face and model-like features.
My heart leaps, flips, jumps, and rams against every part of my chest. I’m on a high because I finally get to see and be with him.
Together with my father in tow, we make it to the end of the aisle. I am greeted by the groomsmen lined up behind Nick as well as the minister who is about to marry us. Nick walks down to shake my dad’s hand and to take me up beside him. “Take good care of her,” he says to Nick as he grips tightly onto his hand. I can’t help but chuckle.
