Just then, she heard a car pull up behind her. She turned to see Jillian getting out of her white convertible (with the top up since the weather was slightly cooler with fall approaching).
“Hey girl,” she greeted Kenzie with a smile as she made her way around to the back of her car to extract gifts from the back seat. “When did you get here?”
“Just a little bit ago. How was the drive?”
“Pretty good, not too much traffic. Have you seen Cheyenne yet?”
“I was just about to head up and ring the doorbell when you pulled up.”
“Great, then we can go in together.”
“Where’s Isaiah?”
“He’s on his way. He wanted to stock up on vampiric sunscreen since the wedding’s outside. What about Hayden?”
“He’s over with Austin getting ready for the bachelor party. Although they both insist there won’t be any strippers.”
“Good, because we don’t get any, so they shouldn’t.”
Just then, the front door opened and Cheyenne came out with two other women following her, one of them carrying a toddler.
“You made it!” she exclaimed as she descended the stairs and wrapped her arms around each of them in turn.
“Of course we did,” Kenzie laughed as she returned the embrace. “We wouldn’t miss your wedding or your bachelorette party for the world!”
“Technically it’s just a bridal shower because I don’t want any strippers,” Cheyenne laughed.
“Where’s the fun in that?” Jillian teased as she took her turn hugging the third point of their friendship triangle.
“Kenzie, Jillian,” Cheyenne said as she stepped back. “This is my mom, Tracie, and my older sister, Shannon. And this is her daughter, my niece, Abbey.”
“Hi girls,” Mrs. Baker said. “It’s so nice to finally meet you. Thanks for coming.”
“You’re welcome,” Kenzie replied. “It’s nice to meet you too.”
“So, you two are from Riverview?” Shannon inquired with a smile.
“Well, technically I was born there,” Jillian elaborated, “but I live in Sunset Valley now. Kenzie still lives there.”
“Is it a lot like Appaloosa Plains?”
“The farm aspect is,” Kenzie replied. “It’s very similar but I don’t think it gets this pretty in the fall.”
“Speaking of fall,” Tracie said as she also descended the stairs, “I’m so relieved that the weather will be perfect for the wedding tomorrow. I can’t believe it, my last baby is getting married!”
“Oh, Mom,” Cheyenne said with a giggle. “You’ve wanted me to find a man forever, and now I finally did.”
“True, but now I don’t know if your dad and I are ready to let you go.”
It was nice meeting part of Cheyenne’s family, and Kenzie would see Austin’s parents again, but her own parents unfortunately couldn’t make the wedding; their busy work schedules didn’t allow them time off work for a wedding that wasn’t for their child, even if she was taking part in it. No pressure there…It was also too bad that Paige wasn’t able to attend, but then again, she hadn’t been properly introduced to anyone else yet anyway. But she did send her best wishes to the happy couple.
Abbey squirmed in Shannon’s arms, prompting her to say, “Sorry, she needs to be changed real quick. Excuse me.” Then she darted into the house.
Cheyenne took this as her cue to beckon Kenzie and Jillian inside (after insisting they didn’t have to bring any presents when she saw her friends carrying them).
The inside of the house was just as impressive as the outside. It was very feminine but with touches of the country vibe of Appaloosa Plains. Horse décor was everywhere, even pictures of Cheyenne with Clover, her beloved horse (who had originally belonged to Austin until he’d sold her to Cheyenne not long after they met).
“Where do you want us to put these presents?” Jillian wanted to know.
“Well, if you insist on giving me some, I guess put them over there by the couch with the ones Mom and Shannon brought.”
Kenzie and Jillian obliged. There were quite a few presents already gathered on the floor, and Kenzie hoped that Cheyenne would like the ones she received from her.
Shannon emerged from the bathroom with a much happier-looking Abbey in her arms. Shannon set her down on the floor, where she crawled toward an activity table and began playing with the blocks.
“She’s a cutie,” Kenzie observed. “How old is she?”
“Thanks. She’ll be two in February. Oh, and pardon the toys – she has to bring them everywhere. Besides, I don’t want her getting bored while we’re opening presents and having girl talk.”
“It doesn’t bother me.”
Just then, the doorbell rang again. Cheyenne answered it and another young woman was standing there, and it was easy to tell that they were siblings.
“Charlene!” Cheyenne exclaimed happily. “I didn’t know if you could make it!”
“I almost didn’t, but I told my boss he could get someone else to cover the big story in Aurora Skies. It’s my little sister’s wedding, and I won’t miss it.”
Charlene stepped into the room and Cheyenne introduced her as the middle sister of the Baker girls. Everyone gave polite introductions and greetings.
“Isaiah just texted me,” Jillian said as she looked up from the cell phone Kenzie hadn’t noticed her pull out. “He’s in town but wants to know if he should come here or just go see Austin.”
“That’s up to him,” Cheyenne answered, “but he might be bored here with all the girls.”
“I’ll tell him to go ahead and see Austin and Hayden.”
“My dad and Shannon’s husband are there too, so they’ll probably start their party soon.”
“Why don’t we do the same?” Tracie suggested.
“At least let me make you guys something to eat or drink,” Cheyenne insisted.
“No,” Shannon replied just as stubbornly in unison. “This is your party, you’re the bride, and I don’t care if it’s your house, you’re the ‘guest’ of honor. Sit your butt down and we’ll get you something.”
Cheyenne faked a tantrum as she sauntered over to the couch and plopped down onto it. Kenzie and Jillian sat on either side of her while Tracie took one of the two living chairs. Shannon and Charlene soon brought over a plate of drinks and set it on the coffee table before taking a seat themselves. Abbey continued to nibble on her toy blocks, paying no attention to the older women.
Instead of having a bachelor and bachelorette party, Austin and Cheyenne had decided to have the bridal shower and fun evenings the night before the wedding. Kenzie and Jillian had left their bridesmaid dresses at Cheyenne’s house so they wouldn’t get damaged in their suitcases. They were best friends but had no qualms about Cheyenne’s choosing her mother as her maid of honor and Shannon and Charlene as the third and fourth bridesmaids. They were just happy to be part of the special occasion.
The ladies made small talk while consuming their drinks, and finally Shannon insisted that Cheyenne open her presents.
At the mention of the word “presents,” Abbey toddled over to the group and looked at the boxes and bags hopefully. Everyone laughed and Tracie picked up her granddaughter, attacking her with The Claw.
Abbey squealed with glee until Tracie sat down again and cuddled her closely. The sweet and innocent gesture made Kenzie smile. She felt silly for having ever doubted Cheyenne when they’d first met. Her family was a loving, caring one and she was a perfect match for Austin. She no longer felt jealous toward either of them; instead, she was filled with bliss.
Jillian took the liberty of handing Cheyenne her first gift. The tag said that it was from Tracie and Cheyenne’s father, Glenn. Cheyenne gingerly opened the paper so as not to tear it, and when it had all been delicately pulled away, there was a box with a food processor inside.
“I know how much you love cooking,” Tracie explained as though Cheyenne wouldn’t understand the gesture, “so I thought I’d get you a tip-top new mixer to help you out.”
“Thanks, Mom! I love it! I did need a new one; mine’s almost shot.”
“Well, and like I always say, the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.”
“Mom!”
Tracie laughed as Cheyenne rolled her eyes. She opened the box and examined the food processor more closely. It did look like a very nice one, and Kenzie could tell that Cheyenne loved it.
The next gift Jillian handed Cheyenne was from herself. Cheyenne gently parted the top of the bag and peeked inside. Nestled between the bright tissue paper was a flat box. Cheyenne opened it and her face flushed a bright shade of umber when she saw the lingerie packed inside.
“JILL!” she screeched, picking up Kenzie’s habit of shrieking when she got freaked out.
Jillian let out an uproarious guffaw before saying, “That isn’t the main present, Chey. But I couldn’t resist. I’m sure Austin will approve of that for your honeymoon.”
Kenzie couldn’t stifle a laugh herself as Cheyenne hastened to hide the risqué attire as though her mother and sisters hadn’t already seen it. Tracie looked flustered whereas Shannon looked amused. Charlene was trying to stifle a giggle that threatened to emerge from between her lips.
“Okay, what’s next?” Cheyenne asked with a nervous chortle. Jillian handed her a much larger box, and from the look on her face, it was a heavy one. Cheyenne was cautious as she opened this one, but to her relief, what was wrapped up inside was an innocent microwave.
“Better?” Jillian asked with a sparkle in her eye. Cheyenne stuck her tongue out playfully and thanked her before setting the microwave on the floor.
Shannon’s present was next, and it was a brand new set of dishes with horses painted on them. Cheyenne insisted they’d be too pretty to even use but thanked her sister wholeheartedly. Kenzie’s present came next, and it was an ice cream maker.
“It’s not exactly a necessity,” she hastened to explain, “but I thought you and Austin would like a treat once in a while.”
“It’s fine, Kenzie,” Cheyenne said kindly. “I love it. And it’ll remind me that being a wife isn’t all about cooking huge, gourmet meals.”
“Just you wait and see,” Tracie said playfully. Shannon nodded in agreement and added, “Yeah, I love Eric, but I swear, his eating habits are worse than mine were when I was pregnant with Abbey.”
“Thanks a lot, that’s really helping my nerves,” Cheyenne said dryly. The other women laughed and then Jillian handed Cheyenne another present, this one from Charlene. Inside the box was a hot beverage maker. Charlene insisted that her younger sister would need her energy after she was married, which caused the women to laugh some more.
Then, Cheyenne noticed that more presents were on the floor.
“You didn’t think we’d get you nothing but household items, did you?” Shannon asked mischievously. It had been decided weeks ago between Kenzie, Jillian, Tracie, Shannon, and Charlene (whose arrival was known only to them and not the bride-to-be so as to surprise her) that they’d each get Cheyenne and Austin one practical newlywed household item and a more personal item for commercial purposes. Jillian insisted that the lingerie wasn’t her contribution to the latter category.
Jillian passed all the remaining gifts to Cheyenne, who set them in her lap. She then opened them one by one to reveal various stunning pieces of jewelry and other goodies. Kenzie had given her a pair of western-style earrings, Jillian gave her a sophisticated bracelet, Shannon gave her a sparkling new necklace, and Charlene gave her a table lamp with a horse carved on the base. But the biggest surprise was from Cheyenne’s parents. Tracie withdrew a hidden box from behind the cedar chest by the door and called Cheyenne over. She then presented the package to her daughter, beaming with happiness. Cheyenne opened it quizzically to reveal a stunning and very professional-looking horse riding jockey outfit.
“Mom! You shouldn’t have!” she exclaimed. Her mother just silenced her with a wave of her hand and said, “You want to be a professional horseback rider more than anything. Now you can be dressed for it. Your dad and I want you to have it and we wish you the best. We love you, honey.”
“I love you guys, too.”
Kenzie felt her eyes well up as mother and daughter embraced each other with tears in their own eyes. She only hoped that, if she ever got around to actually getting married, her own experience would be this memorable.
After a few more hours of conversing and eating supper (and calling the men to check up on them – or, in Jillian’s case, to confirm that no strippers were present), Glenn and Eric came to pick up their wives (Charlene wasn’t married so she left on her own, prompting Cheyenne to insist to her mother that she still had one more daughter to play matchmaker for). Kenzie and Jillian would be spending the night at Cheyenne’s house, as they wanted to experience at least one BFF sleepover before one of them was married. Isaiah and Hayden would be staying at the hotel. Kenzie hoped the two wouldn’t bite each others’ heads off; the last thing they needed before a wedding was a vampire/werewolf brawl.
After everyone showered and put on their nightclothes, Kenzie and Jillian waited to unroll the sleeping bags they’d brought and instead leaned against them. Cheyenne climbed onto her bed, since her friends had insisted she could sleep there instead of on the floor with them. It had been quite a long drive to Appaloosa Plains, plus it had been a big day and the planning had taken a lot of time. Kenzie still couldn’t believe that she’d only met Cheyenne a few months ago and already she and her high school boyfriend were tying the knot. But she felt nothing but happiness for them. They both deserved the best.
“Guys, can I tell you something?” Cheyenne suddenly asked skeptically.
“Of course,” Kenzie replied earnestly. “You can tell or ask us anything.”
“It’s kind of embarrassing.”
“I doubt it’s that embarrassing,” Jillian contributed.
“What is it?” Kenzie prodded.
Cheyenne turned her face so she wasn’t looking at either of them in the eye. Kenzie was baffled as to what could be so embarrassing that Cheyenne could hardly tell her two best friends, even if they hadn’t known each other that long. Still, they’d talked almost every day for the past several months, both online and on the phone, and had even managed to hang out a few times in person. They were very close. Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something might be wrong. She hoped she didn’t have to solve a case while she was here for two of her best friends’ wedding.
“Well,” Cheyenne finally began, “I’m a little nervous.”
Jillian couldn’t stifle a snort. “Cheyenne, everyone’s nervous about their wedding day. I’ve never even been married and I know that. And Kenzie could tell you the same thing.”
“It’s not the wedding I’m nervous about. It’s the wedding night.”
Kenzie’s eyebrows raised and she heard Jillian quietly inhale. “You mean, you’re nervous about woohoo?”
“Haven’t you and Austin…?” Jillian asked tentatively.
“No. Never. And I use the term never loosely. I’ve never…”
“You’re a virgin.”
Kenzie snapped her head around to glare at Jillian. Why did she just blurt it out like that? Jillian, however, looked unfazed.
Cheyenne didn’t seem to take offense. She just blushed deeper before nodding silently.
“So…” Kenzie cut in, attempting to shut Jillian up before she bluntly said something else, “You’re nervous about your first time?”
“Not just that. More like, I know Austin’s not a virgin…what if I don’t…you know. Satisfy him?”
“Cheyenne,” Jillian interjected before Kenzie could cut her off, “We’ve known Austin for practically our whole lives. He’s not the type of guy to judge someone based on their woo performance. He’s not an ass like a lot of guys are. He loves you, and we all know it. We can see that easily. There’s no way you won’t satisfy him; just being married to him, being his girlfriend even, is satisfaction enough.”
That was better, Kenzie thought. She also jumped in with, “I’ve been there, Cheyenne. You know I dated Austin years ago. And Jillian’s right; he won’t judge you or treat you differently or anything because you’ve never had woo. If anything, he’ll respect you more, and I know he won’t force you. For all we know, he may not be expecting anything.”
“Wait…” Jillian said. “You mean, Austin doesn’t know?”
“Of course not,” Cheyenne said as though Jillian were dense. “But I haven’t kept it a secret; it’s just never come up.”
“How long have you been thinking about this?”
“The last few weeks.”
“Okay,” Kenzie said as she raised a hand, “that proves my point. The subject hasn’t even come up, so obviously Austin doesn’t expect anything. He’s a hopeless romantic; to him, woo is just a bonus to being with the one he loves. Trust me.”
Cheyenne smiled and she seemed to be less nervous. “Thanks,” she said. “That helps a lot. I know Austin loves me, and I love him too. I want to be with him for the rest of my life. I just don’t want to do, or not do, anything that might jeopardize that.”
“Like I said,” Kenzie insisted, “Austin isn’t that kind of guy. He loves you and that’s all that matters.”
“But if you want my advice,” Jillian said, “you should definitely tell him before you actually go through with it. And you’re going to honeymoon in Sunlit Tides; that’s the perfect romantic setting.”
“Jill!” Kenzie shrieked.
“I am never going to get used to both of you screaming that.”
The three laughed together before finally deciding it was time to go to sleep. They all had a big day tomorrow. And that big day would be a new beginning for all of them.
No comments:
Post a Comment