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Damaris couldn’t imagine a more perfect day for a wedding. She had never thought about her ‘perfect wedding.’ In fact, until she and Nate got together, she’d never thought of her own wedding at all. She’d been a tomboy, for Pete’s sake. She’d always thought more about horses than weddings.
Their families and close friends were all gathered for the ceremony and basically the whole town of Whiskey River and part of Last Stand were invited to the reception. Luckily, the Harwood Inn, south of town, was a great venue with plenty of room for both the ceremony and the reception. Damaris knew this because her brother Gabe and his wife Chantel had gotten married there.
Damaris’s mother Josie, her sister Jedidiah, Nate’s sister, Kali, her friend Hazel, and her sisters-in-law were all in the bride’s room—set aside for the bride and her wedding party to get ready. Jaclyn was her matron of honor and the only person standing up for her. Nate had asked his brother Liam. Otherwise they’d have had to ask far too many people to be in the wedding, so they’d decided on one attendant each.
“You don’t look nervous,” her sister Jedidiah said.
“I’m not. I’m happy.” She’d never been more sure that she was doing the right thing in marrying Nate.
Jedidiah handed her a makeup brush. “You need a little blush on this cheek.”
“When did you become so knowledgeable about makeup? I thought Jaclyn was picky, but she runs a makeup company. What’s your excuse?”
“I’m a woman of many talents,” Jedidiah said loftily.
She said it jokingly, but Damaris knew it to be true. Her little sister was a computer genius, but in no way did she look like a nerd. All dressed up, Jedidiah looked beautiful, which, while it didn’t surprise her, was unusual. Normally, when she was at the ranch Jedidiah wore jeans, an old T-shirt, no makeup, and her hair curled wildly down past her shoulders. She could never be unattractive, but dressed like that she was merely pretty. When she dressed up she was stunning. Tonight she wore a long dress in an emerald green that matched her eyes, her makeup was perfect, making her eyes mysterious, her lips glistened with red lipstick, and her long, curly auburn hair had been tamed into submission in a French braid.
“I miss you,” Damaris said. “I wish you could come home more often.”
“About that,” Jedidiah said.
“What?”
“I’m thinking about moving back to Whiskey River.”
Damaris simply stared at her. “You hate Whiskey River.”
“No, I don’t. I just needed to get away. To be on my own and see other places.”
“You’ve been away for ten years. You’ve been in California for the last three. I thought you were happy there.”
“Not lately. I wanted to ‘see the world.’ Well, I’ve seen it and it’s not nearly as great as it seemed at first.”
Before Damaris could ask what she meant, Jaclyn said, “It’s almost time to go.”
Damaris’s wedding dress was a beautiful white lace floor-length design with capped sleeves and a sweetheart neckline that dipped low in the front. It had a diamond-shaped illusion back, which, unsurprisingly, Damaris had never heard of. But it meant the back was open with lace framing the diamond. The train was a long, lacy tulle. She’d left her hair down since that was the way Nate liked it best. She’d fallen in love with the dress at first sight, which had surprised everyone except her mother. They’d all thought she’d want something more modern and not quite so feminine but Damaris figured if she couldn’t be feminine and lacy on her wedding day, when could she be?
Standing with her father at the back of the library at the Harwood Inn, Damaris realized she was nervous. Apparently her dad was too. Her arm was tucked into the crook of Mike’s elbow, and he kept squeezing it to his side and not saying a word. But then she looked at Nate, and the expression on his face made all her nerves disappear. He looked like he was being given the world. Their eyes locked and they smiled at each other and she and her father walked down the aisle. Nate looked breathtakingly handsome in a charcoal-gray suit and striped tie. A tie she knew would come off the minute the ceremony was over.
Her father gave Nate her hand, kissed her cheek and told her he loved her. Nate smiled at her. “I’ve always known you were beautiful, but tonight you’re absolutely gorgeous. Are you ready to get married?”
“I am. Are you?”
“Totally. Let’s do this.”
They turned to the minister. “Dearly beloved…” he began.
When it came time to say their vows they each recited their own. Damaris went first. “Nate, I can’t imagine anyone who fits with me better than you. You’re my best friend. I can talk to you about anything, and I have. You understand me, you know how much I love my horses, and you’ve even gotten to be a pretty good hand with them. I promise to love you, cherish you, and be true to you for the rest of our lives.”
Then Nate said, “Damaris, I knew the first time I saw you that you were the woman I wanted to marry. It took me a lot longer to convince you that I was the man you wanted to marry. I would have waited forever, but I’m really happy you didn’t make me. You’re the perfect woman for me and I’m the luckiest man to be able to call you my wife. I promise to love you, cherish you, and be true to you for the rest of our lives.”
After the ceremony there were hugs and kisses all around. Eventually the guests left for the reception, which was in the big remodeled barn where large events were held. Damaris and Nate told them they’d be there shortly.
“I thought they’d never leave,” Nate said.
Damaris laughed. “Why? Did you have ideas?”
