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“Oh, that’s right.” Marian shrugs. “Well, I’ll mow then.”
“Wait, aren’t you coming to the spa day too?” Aubrey asks.
“Nah. I’m too old.”
“You are not too old to go to a spa,” I protest. If anything, she’s too old to be mowing. Guilt hits me. “Marian, I know you mean well, but are you sure you want us to have the wedding here?”
“I told you, Claire. I won’t take no for an answer. It’ll be here. I can’t wait!”
I sigh, giving in to her excitement even though I worry about putting her on the spot like this. She doesn’t have many guests in the B&B right now. She’s not worried about them. We, all six of us, converged here for breakfast, and Marian latched on to the possibility of turning the Goldfinch into an impromptu wedding site.
If this is what makes her happy, I’m fine with it.
“All right.” Lauren taps the pencil on her lip, viewing her list. “We can still do the fairy lights and string them outside. The candles could line up along the ledge of the gazebo…” She grins. “All that lace we found in your attic, Marian. That would look pretty draped on the wooden beams.”
“Oooh. It’ll be so magical.” Marian squeals. “I am so dang excited!”
I laugh, glad to have entertained her. But we don’t have time to pick at the preparations. We are heading out later. The guys are driving to Denver for tuxes, and the girls want to go to Copper Mountain for a last-minute spa day.
Then tomorrow, the wedding!
“What do you think, Claire?” Lauren asks me as she points toward her list.
“I think I’m still stunned this is happening.”
Aubrey smiles. “What about a dress?”
I wince. That is an important detail. “When are we going to the spa?”
“Four o’clock,” Lauren answers. “And you are coming, Marian.”
“Then Jason can mow out there.” Marian nods and wipes her hands on her apron. She sets the last pancake on a plate and turns off the stove. “Come on, let’s go look at the gazebo and garden so Claire can have a better idea of the area.”
Gazebo and garden or a narrow dining room, it doesn’t matter to me, but as we walk through the grounds, I draw in deep breaths of fresh air and smile.
“It’s gorgeous out here.” It really is like something out of a fairytale. Flowers are blossoming, bees buzz in the distance, and everything smells so sweet and natural.
“Is it anything like what you’ve dreamed of?” Aubrey asks.
I give her a lopsided smile. “No.”
Lauren and Marian shrink, pouting.
“Because I’ve never dreamed about my wedding. I never thought about it, knowing early on that it wouldn’t be a love match with the way my mother treated it.”
“That’s so sad,” Marian says as she takes my hand. She squeezes it, then pats it, nodding firmly. “She’s wrong.”
“You got that right,” I reply cheerfully. As the hours tick down to the day, I feel more confident. Everyone is so happy for us and eager to stop what they’re doing to help prepare. And with the surrounding support and excitement, I let myself fall under the spell of being thrilled for this to happen, more confident in Sawyer’s feelings for me now.
“Doing this last minute like this is perfect, actually.” I smile at the women as we head back inside. “I don’t have to worry about trying to live up to any biases or standards. Just going with the flow.”
“More like starting from scratch and making the best of what we have on hand,” Aubrey says.
I nod, glancing at the time in the kitchen. “That’s true. So maybe I should try to whip up a dress for this before we go to the spa.”
Marian laughs. “Whip up?” She gestures at the room where she insists upon a “system” to make her delicious meals. It’s nothing more than a dominance of the kitchen, shooing anyone out when they don’t do things exactly as she wants. “You whip up a salad or a snack. Not a dress.”
I wink at her. “I’ll leave the food to you,” I tell her, knowing she’s probably most excited to prepare the cake. “I’ll leave the decorations to you and you,” I tell Lauren and Aubrey. “But I will work my magic and figure out a dress.”
