Page 84 of Forever Flirting

No, these people were all smiling in support, understanding what a big day this was for them, and were here, despite the rain.

“Congratulations, Mrs. Maestro.”

“I’m so happy for you both!”

“Everly and Alex sitting in a tree…”

“K-I-S-S-I-N-G…”

“Will ya’ look at that? The hick can spell…”

“I can do my arithmetic too, Loudmouth. Like it takes onlyoneof me to clobberoneof you…”

“I love ya’ Dilla…”

“Behave, boys…”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Welcome to our family, Mrs. Wilcox.”

“Thank you all…” Everly said tearfully, smiling at Alex as they finally arrived at the doors, and everyone crowded around them.

“Let’s go inside,Mrs. Wilcox...” Alex whispered tenderly to her – and she nodded, unable to speak at hearing such pride and love in his voice.

It might be raining, but nothing was going to dampen her mood today, because she was marrying the man that she had dreamed of ever since that fateful day.

As they held hands and walked through the courthouse towards the room where the weddings were being held, everything seemed like such a blur. Their friends took their seats along pews at the back of the room, as well as Alex’s grandmother, Mallory, and Caleb.

Her hands shaking, she signed the marriage license on the line as directed, and barely saw the paperwork before her, sniffing several times, and knew she was going to be an emotional mess.

This washer Alex!

She saw Alex sign the license, as well as the officiant, and they were whisked forward before a podium…

“HANG ON!” a woman yelled loudly – and both of them turned to look nervously to see who was interrupting, only to see the woman racing forward with a bag in her hands. “Hi! Remember me? I’m Glory – and you need something blue…”

She pulled out a garter and shoved it on Everly’s arm – and put another on Alex’s arm for good measure, patting his forearm, only to hear a man clear his throat loudly.

“Hunter, two seconds,” Glory said casually over her shoulder towards the man who had gotten to his feet, before smiling happily at her. “He’s a possessive, sexy, sweet thing - and I love him for it. Now, Everly, you need a penny in your shoe…”

“I’ve got a penny.”

“You do?” Alex asked curiously, smiling.

“Wait! She needs something old…” another woman, she remembered as Sophie, jumped up and walked forward with a baby in her arms, pressing a handkerchief in her hands. “It’s not exactly ‘old,’but rather ‘old-fashioned’… and it will work.”

“Borrowed!” another woman yelled. “I’ve got the ‘something borrowed’, y’all. I’m Melody. I don’t think we met last time, did we? I’ll need my barrette back,” she said, snapping it on Everly’s collar and smiling. “Mrs. Hanky-lady is Sophie, remember? – And you need to come hang out more with us, sister-from-another-mister.”

“I will,” Everly smiled emotionally. “I promise.”

“May we get started?” the officiant began pointedly.

Everly looked at Alex, seeing so much love in his gaze that she was held there transfixed, marveling at how far they had come, especially with their strange meeting the first time. It was funny how fate, destiny, or whatever you wanted to believe in, had brought them together once more, giving them a chance to find each other.

Had she been with a patient, gone one block down the road to another bar, had he flown into another town, if anything had been different at all? They might not have met – and that almost seemed like a crime.

“I, Alex Kendall Wilcox, do take thee, Everly…ah,” he hesitated, and looked embarrassed as she realized he didn’t know her middle name.

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