Page 20 of Beautifully Used
I looked at Brodie and he shrugged. “They’re from the garden. They don’t get viewed as much out there. I thought they’d be a nice touch.”
“They’re beautiful. Thank you, Brodie.” Even though he made excuses for his efforts, the gesture was still very sweet. No one had ever given me flowers of any sort before. So what if he hadn’t bought them. Not everything wonderful is store bought. These flowers meant more because they’d come not only from his hands, but also through them.
“Let’s pop that cork,” Jackson said.
Chapter 15
Brodie
* * *
The rest of the week before the wedding flew by in a blur as we all worked our tails off getting everything ready for the big day. Jackson had the gardeners come at the crack of dawn the day before the wedding so the place would look good, which gave us the rest of the day to set up without them underfoot. That night, we all went out to dinner, including our mother who’d insisted we needed a rehearsal dinner—because it was tradition. Mom and Lena, as well as Gabrielle, hit it off immediately, which I knew would be the case. My mom was as easygoing as apple pie; always delightful, and always made you feel like you were home.
It was wedding day, and I walked into Jackson’s room to grab my tux.
“How do I look?” Jackson stood in front of the mirror admiring himself in the black tux. The wedding was about to take place. The backyard buzzed with guests milling around drinking and talking. Soft music flowed through the wireless speakers I’d splurged on just for the wedding. Chairs were set up in rows with an aisle of heavy white paper positioned down the center for Lena to walk on toward Jackson, who would be standing at the end under the bridal arch decorated with white and pink sprays of miniature roses and baby’s breath. Tons of baby’s breath, as I’d spent all day yesterday helping Gabrielle place them on the arch. My fingers were now numb from twisting the wire around the arbor. It had looked awesome by the time we were finished though.
The rest of the flowers had arrived about two hours ago, and Gabrielle and I had just finished placing them around and decorating the tables with the vases and ribbons as well as those pearls I’d insisted on having.
I eyed Jackson, scrutinizing every detail. The silver bowtie around his neck drooped a little to the right. “You look like a penguin, and you look like you’re about to get married and are actually happy about it, crooked tie and all,” I said as the door to the room opened a crack.
“Boys?” Our mother peeked around the door before stepping all the way in. She never fully rushed into our rooms anymore. Something Jackson and I both appreciated. Once she was in, she stopped and stared at Jackson before wrapping her arms around him, kissing him on the cheek. Tears welled in her soft blue eyes. Stepping back from him, she let her hands drop to the sides of the light blue sheer-layered gown she wore. I had to admit, our mom looked amazing. She’d scooped her shoulder-length brown hair up into some sort of bun with a few small strands curled down her neck, exposing the blue topaz teardrops hanging from her ears that my dad had given her years ago. “My, Jackson. You look so handsome. Do you need help with that tie?” Not waiting for an answer, she walked to him and proceeded to fix the bow so it sat straight.
I strolled over to my tuxedo still hanging from the top of the door.
“Why aren’t you dressed yet?” she asked.
“Because, I’ve been decorating the yard with Gabrielle. You didn’t think all those flowers were just going to magically appear on the tables in the vases did you? Besides, we still have over an hour before the ceremony begins.”
“Thanks,” Jackson mumbled, but I wasn’t sure if he was thanking her for the tie straightening or me for the decorating. I let it go.
“You’re a good brother.” She walked to me and kissed me on the cheek. “No hug for you until you shower, though. You’d be wise to shave, too.”
Leaving them, I quickly got in the shower and washed off all the sweat from the morning’s work, picked up the razor, and shaved off the permanent weeklong growth I’d been sporting for the past couple of months. Today called for a clean, smooth face. Whether my mother had said it or not, I’d already planned to shave it off for the wedding. Besides, it would grow back quickly enough.
“I’m glad you decided to have the wedding here instead of at the bar. It would have been very crowded with all those tables,” I told Jackson while pulling on the black pants to the tux.
“Yeah. We tried to keep it small, but the guest list kept growing.”
“You mean Lena tried,” I pointed out, slipping my arm through the shirtsleeve, and with fingers fumbling, fastened the tiny black beads they tried to pass off as buttons. “I don’t think there’s anyone on that list for her except Gabrielle and Weezer.”
“Hmmm. That’s true. But my friends are now her friends so it’s okay.” He glanced at me. “Did the bouquet I asked you to get turn out okay?”
“It did. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised when you see it. That reminds me. I’ll be back in about fifteen minutes. We’ll have a toast to the end of your single life.”
I grabbed the box with the two bouquets, one for Lena, the other for Gabrielle, and headed toward the room where the two women were getting ready. God, I hoped they were both dressed by now. I knocked lightly, and the door opened a crack. A moment later, Gabrielle poked her beautiful head out and her brown eyes danced with delight when she spotted the box in my hands. “The bouquet!” She opened the door wider, stood on the other side of it as she shielded herself, and I slipped inside.
I placed the box on top of a dresser too high for either of them to see inside, and turned to see Lena standing by the mirror. My tongue got stuck in my teeth as I tried to talk. “Wow. You look gorgeous and radiant, and beautiful, and everything every bride is supposed to be.” She blushed a little, and it only made her more beautiful. “My brother is a lucky man.”
“Thank you, Brodie.” She stepped up to me and kissed my cheek. “You shaved.”
“Yep.”
She twirled around, holding the sides of the dress up so she wouldn’t trip on the hem. “Do you think he’ll like it?”
I slowly shook my head. “No. I don’t think. I know he will, and he loves you. He’s so stupidly happy, he’s in the other room right now trying to remember how to tie his shoes.”
They both laughed and I turned to look at Gabrielle. Words escaped me this time as the lovely vision of her standing there in a pale pink strapless gown stole my breath. The light shade brought out the rich, dark color of her eyes and her equally dark hair that she’d swept up on one side. She’d fashioned her hair with soft looking curls in the back, but most of them hung down to her waist and cascaded over her right shoulder. There was no question in my mind, she was a goddess, and I silently cursed my stupid attempt at carelessly trying to get her into my bed last year. One does not simply just have sex with a goddess.
