Page 125 of The Anatomy of Matchmaking

Fredricka’s sharp tone follows.“Ten minutes to go! We need everyone out on the back stoop. Hop to it, my friends!”

I’m not sure how I feel about Fredricka referring to me as her friend. I guess it’s better than her threatening to call the cops on me. But I do have reservations.

The other day, when I was weeding a new garden bed out behind Nick’s house—now my house, too—she gave me a real earful about how we had to take better care of the patch of lawnout front.“The rest of us on the street mow on the diagonal. Can’t you see that if we all use the same pattern, we’ll look more like a neighborhood? That’s how they do it over on Center Street…”

Pansy stops in her tracks when she enters the living room. Her tunic billows dramatically as she raises her hands to cover her mouth. The tiny planets decorating the fabric swim around her, like she’s a mini galaxy. “Maddison! My word… Nicholas might faint when he sees you. You’ll take his breath away. You look stunning, darling.”

I’d thank her, except now she has me by the elbow. “Everyone’s seated. The music’s playing. Are you ready?”

There arelots of things I didn’t know about weddings before planning this one.

For instance, I didn’t know about the little, clear clip-on platforms that go onto the spikes of high heels, to help with walking on turf. I’m grateful my little sister researched that trick now, as I make my way down the aisle of emerald grass. Flower petals are sprinkled on the carpet of green.

I can’t lift my eyes.

Not yet.

If I do, I might lose my concentration, and I need to focus right now. I’m not great at being the center of attention. Never have been.

If I don’treallypay attention, I could walk too fast, or too slow, or?—

Oops.

I just lifted my eyes. And now all thoughts about perfect pacing, and the cameras aimed at me, and the smiling faces of our guests… they all fade.

My eyes hitch on Nick’s.

My best friend in the world is waiting for me, at the end of this stretch of green.

He’s smiling at me, looking at me with so much love.

I remember that late night, when I first met him. He was napping on the study room couch. He sat up, all ruffled looking, his voice sleepy. I remember thinking that he was handsome.

But that was nothing compared to how he looks now, all buttoned up, with the satin, light-blue tie and matching corsage. His hair’s neat, shining in the sun. His gray suit fits his athletic frame perfectly; it’s tailored just right for his broad shoulders, strong chest, perfect waist. His eyes, intense and deep, watch my every move. The adoration written on his face makes me feel absolutely certain, in my core, that our marriage is meant to be.

When I reach my spot across from him, he reaches for my hand. “Maddison… wow.”

His eyes sweep down my long dress. He hasn’t seen me in it yet. I can tell he likes it. When his gaze returns to my eyes, his baby-blues sparkle. “You razzle-dazzled me again.”

“I should have warned you,” I tease.

“No warning would suffice.”

“Pansy said you might pass out.”

“And she’s the one who can read astrological signs. Maybe she’s right.”

“Please don’t faint. An ambulance would totally ruin the atmosphere. And I have zero medical training. I wouldn’t know the first thing about fixing your heart. What would I do, pound your chest?”

His mouth hitches up at the side. “You’re going to be a doctor’s wife. Maybe I should teach you some of the basics. Forstarters, when a guy faints, it doesn’t mean his heart’s broken. It might just be a temporary thing, and he’ll come around. Chest pounding is probably not the best idea.”

“Noted,” I say.

Pansy takes her place a few feet from us. She dons reading glasses and then picks up a few papers from the small table nearby.

“Also,” Nick whispers, “my heart… it’s not broken anymore. You fixed it, Maddison, when you came back into my life. So, actually, maybe we should give you a little more credit for your knowledge of medicine.”

“We helped each other,” I whisper back. The first warm tears prickle my eyes.

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