Page 37 of A Triple C Ranch Christmas Wedding
That was such a relief to hear. Lucy sighed. “Oh good.”
“Wine?” Sadie asked.
“Yes, please,” Lucy said.
Sadie poured her a glass.
Acoustic guitar music started to play.
Lucy realized it was live music coming from just outside the room. The musician walked in, still playing, and seated himself in a corner of the room where he continued to play.
“I love all of this,” Lucy said, sweeping her hand in a wide arc, around the room. “It is perfect. Just perfect,”
She loved listening to the acoustic guitar. She settled into a chair, and taking a pen and pencil started to sketch the model, while the ladies started deciding what kind of lingerie they wanted to design for themselves.
Lucy already knew.
Jack was going to be so surprised.
* * *
The next day,Jack was bright eyed and not hungover, and everyone was gathered in the great room of the lodge to wait for the wedding to begin.
The furniture had been removed to storage, so there was room for the rented white folding chairs where the guests sat. Any moment now, Lucy would come down the hall where the bedrooms were and would walk down the aisle between the rows of chairs.
A tall Christmas tree stood in the corner between the fireplace and the front wall, each window in the wall holding a wreath and a red bow. The tree had red bows, red and white bulbs all over it, and a white star on the top.
White candles with red and gold ribbons were spread throughout the room, and red and white poinsettias were scattered across the hardwood floor and on the base of the fireplace.
The bridal party wore dark green velvet dresses with hoods, and the men’s rented tuxes were of a green fabric which matched the color of the dresses.
Jack hadn’t known the men could rent green tuxes until they’d gone to the store to pick out tuxes. Lucy had been thrilled that the men’s tuxes went so well with the ladies dresses and Jack had been pleased to contribute to her happiness.
The ladies held bouquets of red and white roses, with dark greenery and ribbons. Even the white wedding cake had red poinsettias with green leaves decorating it.
Everything had been perfectly planned and looked perfect.
So why was he so nervous? Jack waited for his bride and shifted nervously from one foot to the other.
His best man, his twin brother Ted, nudged Jack with his elbow. “Nervous?” he whispered.
“Nah,” Jack said and forced himself to stand still.
If a man can stand in formation in the blistering sun, he sure as hell can stand still for his wedding to the love of his life.
He would force his nervousness away by willpower and positive thoughts.
Soon the wedding march began to play. The old, traditional tune reminded him that Lucy was an old-fashioned sort of woman. Her tastes ran to the traditional, the classic, the elegant.
Even so, when she emerged from the hallway, Jack wanted to pinch himself to make sure he wasn’t dreaming and that this vision was real.
She was beautiful. Breathtaking.
Her dress, made with white lace, hugged her upper body, allowing a hint of soft pale skin to peek through, and dipped in front, which enticed him toward her cleavage. Her long dark hair had been curled and fell in waves down her back, and she carried a bouquet of red and white roses with greenery. Her bouquet was filled with red and white roses. But it was the smile on her face and the light in her eyes which were the most beautiful.
As her gaze met his and never wavered, the love shining in her eyes made him swallow hard.
He felt he was the luckiest man in the world.
