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Fern pursed her lips and shrugged. “She says photography is just a hobby, and that she wants to make sure to keep it separate from her professional life.”
Lydia scoffed. “Like, on the one hand, I get it, but on the other, that’s just stupid.”
“Yes, well,” Fern said, a mischievous smile curving her lips, “from what we heard about you two at brunch this morning, I think if anyone can talk some sense into her, it’s you.”
“Oh?” Lydia blushed and glared playfully at Eve. “Dare I ask why we were a topic of conversation?”
“We were telling them about the photographer situation,” Eve explained. “And then Aspen made a crack about not being sure you’d make it back in time for the rehearsal, and Alder—”
Lydia held up a hand to stop her. “You know what? I really don’t want to know.”
Fern laughed. “It sounds like you two hit it off about as immediately as Aspen and Eve did.”
Busted, Lydia couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah, probably.”
“Probably, what?” Zann asked, and Lydia smiled at her as she was pulled into her side. Zann was a lesbian wet dream with her hair pulled into a crisp low knot that highlighted the angular perfection of her face, tailored black slacks that hugged her ass, and a gauzy, steel gray short-sleeved linen shirt with the top three buttons undone that displayed a tempting amount of skin at her throat.
“Nothing,” Lydia said.
“You all weren’t exaggerating,” Fern said, throwing a playful wink at Eve. “They are disgustingly cute together.”
Lydia shook her head as Zann just cackled and replied, “Aww, thanks, mom!”
She wanted to be annoyed—lord knows she didn’t need her personal life to be gossip fodder—but she figured that, in this instance, at least, it was worth it to see the melancholy that had crept over Eve be replaced by a cheeky, if muted, all-too-pleased smile.
“All right, everyone!” Alder hollered. “Let’s get this show on the road!”
Lydia bit her lip against a laugh when Zann muttered, “Bossy little thing, isn’t she?” as they all turned toward her. She lost the battle, though, when Fern replied, just as quietly, “Always has been.”
The glare Alder shot her was withering, but Lydia ignored her in favor of the group’s newest arrival—a petite blonde in designer jeans and a pale pink sweater.
The woman smiled brightly as she stepped forward with a hand held aloft to gather everyone’s attention. “Hi there. I’m Michelle Herrera, and I’ll be the officiant for Aspen and Eve’s wedding tomorrow. I’ll try to keep this short, but I’m afraid we do have some choreography to rehearse so tomorrow’s ceremony can go smoothly.”
“Choreography? We know the ‘Bye-Bye-Bye’ dance!” Kit hollered, pointing at herself, Jack, and Michael.
Michelle laughed along with everyone else and, without missing a beat, sassed, “Yes, you three look like you would.”
Which, of course, only set everyone off more.
“I love her,” Zann declared.
“She is pretty amazing,” Eve agreed as Fern nodded in agreement.
“Now, if you would,” Michelle called, and Lydia was impressed by the way their usually rowdy group immediately quieted down, “I’d like us to practice walking in a few times, and then we’ll do a yada-yada-yada version of the ceremony, and then we’ll practice walking out. Any questions?” When nobody spoke up, she said, “Wonderful. Aspen and Eve have opted for a streamlined ceremony, so there won’t be a lot of the traditional parading in of family and whatnot. So, when it’s time to begin, I will lead us off, and then the rest of you will follow in this order, so please line up now accordingly.” She pulled out her phone and tapped at the screen to pull up her notes. “Aspen, then, in pairs, Alder and Michael, Zann and Lydia, Kit and Shannon, Jack and Bonnie, and then we’ll have June and Nash—our flower girl and ring-bearer—right before Eve.”
“Wait!” Michael hollered, holding up a hand. “I thought I was with Zee?”
“We figured she’d rather walk with Lydia,” Eve replied as she shot Lydia a look that said I hope that’s okay.
Lydia smiled at her and nodded as Aspen added, “Never mind the fact that we decided you needed adult supervision.”
Lydia chuckled at the way Michael responded with an overly dramatic gasp as he clutched at imaginary pearls, and smiled when Zann turned to her with her right arm crooked in a way that invited her to take it.
“Looks like it’s you and me, beautiful” she said as she slipped her left hand into the crook of Zann’s arm.
Once those who weren’t involved in this part of the rehearsal had stepped aside while the rest of them lined up, Michelle said, “Excellent. Now, Aspen, you will start walking once I’m in position and give you a nod. Everyone else, count five-Mississippis slowly,” she stressed, and Lydia smiled, convinced that it was because she’d already gotten a read on the chaotic nature of their group, “before you follow whoever is in front of you at a controlled pace to your spot at the end of the line beside your respective bride. Eve, tomorrow, you will wait until the processional music changes to the Wedding March, but, for tonight’s purposes, just wait until everyone is in position, and then you may begin. Any questions?”
When she was met with what, from this group, was uncharacteristic silence, she nodded and said, “Great. So let’s get going,” as she started walking toward the white wooden lattice arch that stood between the main building and the water’s edge, that the resort’s staff had erected for the event.
