Page 74 of Gracefully Yours

Each of my bridesmaids—Angelina, Gabbi, and Noelle, as my maid of honor—were wearing long, pink chiffon dresses with fur shawls around their shoulders. Luckily, we’d only be outside during the actual ceremony part and for photos. During happy hour and the reception, we’d be in the heated tent that Daniel’s step-mom had rented. Honestly, she was a lifesaver, somehow throwing together our entire wedding in less than two months. But it felt right,realin a way that it hadn’t before.

I was really going to marry my best friend. And after last night, well… Maybe we weren’t in love yet, but I knew there was something more there. And I couldn’t wait to find outwhatit was.

But first, I had to get through this ceremony—through the day. And then the rest of our lives and this fake marriage would be in front of us. No big deal.

“No cold feet?” Noelle asked me, and I shook my head.

“I mean, my feet will probably be cold when we get out there,” I said, trying to be funny. “It is like 30 degrees out there, you know.” I was wearing fleece-lined tights under my dress.

Why had I thought a winter wedding was a good idea again?

I looked out the window and smiled. Yeah, that was why. My little miracle that it had snowed for my wedding day. It wasn’t super thick, but it coated the ground, like a white blanket dusting the outside world, so everything sparkled when the sun hit it.

“Yeah, yeah. At least you have sleeves.” Angelina joked.

“Hey, I got the fur wraps!” I protested. “And they heated the reception tent. It should be nice and cozy.”

Noelle laughed. “She’s just messing with you, Char. We’ll be fine.”

“You should just be grateful it’s not a long ceremony,” I said, shooting daggers at my soon-to-be sister-in-law. “We could have gotten married on campus.” A lot of my old college friends who had both attended had got married at the chapel at our university, but I’d wanted something different.

“Okay, okay, you win,” Angelina groaned. “Short and cold. Tradeoffs.”

“And an open-bar at the end.” I wiggled my eyebrows.

“Hope no one forgets their birth control tonight,” Angelina muttered.

“Right,” I said, giving a strained laugh. I’d been planning on stopping mine—not that they knew about my plans. The real reason I’d said yes.

And then I pushed it all out of my mind, something I would worry about later.

Because I was getting married. Today.

Now.

* * *

“Are you ready, sweetheart?”My dad asked me, studying me intently after the girls had walked away to get in place to walk down the aisle.

Dad and I were still inside the main house, so I could have my big reveal. The dress deserved nothing less.

“Yeah, Daddy.” I hugged him tightly, careful not to press my face into his suit so I didn’t get any of my makeup on it.

I’d spent an hour making sure every detail was perfect, down to the shimmer on my eyelids, and this was one day I wanted everything to be perfect.

“You’re happy?” He asked, voice quiet as he stared out the glass doors.

I didn’t even have to hesitate. “I am.” The last month, living with Daniel, having dinner together every night, the ski trip… I’d never imagined things would be like this between us. Maybe I’d still worried about what we truly were for each other, but he was my best friend. No one else in the world knew me better. “He’s everything I could have ever dreamed of.”

My dad extended out an arm to me. “Shall we take you to your husband, then?”

“Yes,” I murmured, my eyes tracking to where Daniel stood.

He was standing underneath an arch wrapped in greenery, little white and pink roses interwoven throughout. A layer of snow dusted everything, somehow heightening the look.

It was a fairytale. One I didn’t know if I’d earned, but had gotten all the less.

His eyes came up towards the house, and even though I knew he couldn’t see me, the butterflies rumbled through me.

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