Honey opened her door and headed towards the bathroom. She knocked then opened the door to find a gaggle of young women with their hair in large round curlers clamoring for the mirror.

“Oops. Sorry.” Honey muttered.

“Oh, it’s okay,” one of them called out.

“The potty is open,” another one said.

“Christie is still in the shower, so you’ll have to wait.”

“Will there be any hot water left?”

Honey stood in silent amazement of the hive-mind conversation. The curlers and the makeup reminded her of being backstage at a low-budget runway show. The only difference was the lack of clothing racks. There had been many times Honey had to do her own makeup and hair. The memories flooded back. They were good memories, and they brought a smile to her face.

The bathroom door shot open, and another young woman leaned in and yelled that breakfast was almost over and everyone had better have eaten already. Honey stood back as the group in the bathroom squealed in unison, became a flurry of activity, and ran out the door. She could only assume they were headed off to make sure they ate. Honey leaned in and turned off a faucet that had been left running.

She returned to her room after taking care of her morning ablutions. She’d decided that a late morning shower would probably be best, and the bathroom might actually not be so chaotic. After dressing in jeans for the morning, she picked up her phone to text Morgan. She’d just pressed send when a knock sounded on her door.

“Morning, beautiful,” Morgan purred and leaned in for a kiss. “Ready for this?”

“What—breakfast? Definitely. I’m going to need to come back here for a shower and to get ready later. I’m trying to decide when the best time will be to have access to the bathroom. I’m sharing with a bunch of bridesmaids.”

Morgan huffed, “Sorry about that.”

“No, you’re not. You’re laughing at my pain.” Honey sneered teasingly as she followed him down the hall.

Morgan stopped and pulled her into his embrace. He played with the curls by her ear. “I am genuinely sorry you have to share the bathroom with JoJo’s crazy friends.” He stood holding her, gazing into her eyes. “Next time we visit, you’ll stay with me. I promise.”

Morgan’s intense gaze left Honey breathless.

“Okay,” she muttered.

“Come. Food.” Morgan took her hand and led her off.

They walked into a large white and stainless-steel kitchen full of activity.

“Nice to see you this morning, Morgan.” A slightly round, older, woman called out as she chopped a pile of peppers and onions

“Good morning, Connie,” Morgan called back. Honey stopped as Morgan continued into the fray.

“Breakfast is in the big dining room this morning,” Connie announced

“You’re going to make us eat with the masses?”

“Us?” Connie turned from her task. “What us? All I see is you nosing into my refrigerator.”

Morgan closed the door of the large, walk-in refrigerator. He walked over and placed an arm around Connie’s shoulders. He held out his other hand to Honey. “Connie, this is Honey. Honey, this is Connie, queen of the kitchen. She makes the best guacamole and salsa. She also makes a mean blueberry waffle.”

Morgan’s affection for this woman was clear in his praise of her cooking and the expression on his face. Honey held out her hand to Connie. Connie took her hand and covered it with the other. “Now tell me about Honey.”

Morgan leaned down and whispered conspiratorially to Connie, his eyes on Honey. “Honey has my heart.”

Honey blushed. She felt a sting of tears in the eyes. Her heart welled with joy. She felt the same about him, and he had actually voiced it.

“That’s all I need to know about her,” Connie said. “Nice to meet you, Honey. I look forward to getting to know you.”

Honey nodded, still in a blissed shock at Morgan’s confession.

“Now get out of my kitchen. You want food, you get to eat with the masses.” Connie flicked her fingers in air quotes. “I’ve got too much work to do, and the caterers are about to invade.” She pointed out the door. “Go.”

Morgan chuckled.

“Hey, Morgan.” Honey stopped him outside of the kitchen.

He stopped and turned to face her. “Yeah?”

Honey swallowed. All of a sudden her throat felt dry. She hoped she could speak without choking up. “You have my heart too.”

Morgan stepped in close. His eyes flared gold. He took Honey’s hand and kissed her knuckles. His smile dazzled her.

“Come on. Let’s get some breakfast.”

Honey felt as if her face would crack from her smile. This is what in love feels like. It was a very good feeling.

Breakfast was served buffet style. Honey was astounded at the quantity of food prepared, but it made sense when she saw how much Morgan ate. A few others also had their plates piled high. Honey did not shy away from taking her fair share of bacon.

“What?” she asked, chomping on a piece.

Morgan laughed. “You. You’re not afraid of food. I know you told me you’ve had issues in the past, but you are clearly not afraid of food. And I thought you said you didn’t eat pork.”

Honey smiled. “This isn’t pork. It’s bacon. Bacon doesn’t count.”

* * *

Honey didn’t have access to a full-length mirror. The small mirror in her room was all she had to use. It wasn’t worth her neck to try to get into either bathroom with the various bridesmaids running around. She decided a minimalist approach to hair and makeup would serve her purpose. She did put more cosmetics on than she normally wore on a daily basis. This afternoon, she added shimmery gold eyeshadow and lip gloss with a hint of color. She didn’t want to call attention to her forehead. She slicked her messy curls across her brow to hide the bandage and pulled the rest into a low loose bun, leaving a few tendrils of golden blond curls to frame her face.

She slipped the dress over her head and smoothed the fabric past her hips. The dress fit as if it had been made for her. The bodice, gathered into small tight pleats, swirled between her breasts. Layers of sheer aqua-colored silk fell in graceful waves to the floor. Thin shoulder straps kept the column dress in place. From what she could see of herself, she looked pretty good. Maybe not as good if she had had a team of stylists putting her together but still pretty good.

She slipped her feet into a pair of Louboutins. If there were an appropriate time and place to wear these shoes, this was clearly it. All of the clothes from Honey’s modeling days no longer fit. Anything she had that had continued to fit, she’d left in her closet when she ran away. She had taken a few pairs of her beloved shoes. Designer shoes were her weakness, even if she could no longer afford them.

There was nothing for her to do but wait. Morgan had already indicated he would be by when it was time to head down for the ceremony. She had expected that Morgan would have to wait for her and not the opposite.

She perched on the edge of her bed, phone in hand. She accessed her favorite game app and lined up colorful gems. A deep voice told her she was doing great. She continued to match gems in the game while she waited for Morgan.

A loud thundering passed by her door. Honey stepped out to see what had caused the sound. She caught a glimpse of pink and yellow fluff disappearing around the corner. She smiled to herself. The bridesmaids. They were all over-the-top dramatic and silly, she thought. Probably the heightened anxiety of being in a wedding. She could only imagine if the bridesmaids were out-of-control, how insane the bride must be. Honey shook her head and returned to her video game.

Lost in concentration of beating the next level, Honey almost missed the soft tap at her door.

The knock repeated.

Honey stood, smoothing the fabric around her hips before opening the door. She hoped Morgan would find her beautiful. Hoped he would see past the bandage that she was constantly aware of. She felt beautiful every time he smiled at her, and in this dress, she thought she might actually look as nice as he made her feel.

Honey opened the door. Jinx stood there in a long black gown with a plunging neckline. A simple row of pearls draped over her prominent collarbone. The necklace reminded Honey that she hadn’t put on her jewelry.

“Morgan sends his apologies, and he asked me to escort you down.”

“Is everything okay?” Honey asked as she slipped her earrings on. She slid stacks of pink and gold Indian glass bangles over her wrists. She left the single pendant as her only necklace.

“Everything is fine. He just needed to take care of something.”

Honey sighed, Jinx seemed exceptionally cryptic this afternoon.

Honey followed Jinx through different halls and down different stairs than she had traversed previously. She was definitely not going to learn the ins and out of this house in a weekend.

The continued into the courtyard. Many guests were already seated. Jinx leaned over and said something to the usher. Honey recognized him as the young man who won the race to park Morgan’s car. He nodded to Jinx’s instructions.

He approached Honey. “Miss.” He stuck out his elbow for her to take. Guests were already crowding the middle section on both sides of the aisle. Honey expected him to deposit her somewhere in an empty section towards the back, but they kept walking. He stopped at the front row, indicating for Honey to sit.

“Oh, I’m not family,” she whispered to the usher.

“You’re with Morgan, right?”

She nodded.

“So you’re here. Third seat in please.”

Honey felt awkward and conspicuous as she took her seat. She knew no one around her. The people in the row behind her, she assumed, were Morgan’s family whom she hadn’t met yet. Remi rolled up the center aisle. The usher removed the chair to Honey’s left. Remi positioned himself next to her.

“Hello, Miss Gould.” Even when speaking quietly, he had a large voice.

Honey smiled and nodded in greeting. “Do you know where Morgan is?”

“Apparently, JoJo had a moment of panic this afternoon. Originally, she planned to walk herself down the aisle. She conscripted Morgan into participating in this event.”

Honey nodded as if she understood. She didn’t. Did this mean Morgan was now one of the groomsmen? The processional music began before she had a chance to ask.

Music that had been quietly playing in the background suddenly grew louder, transitioning into a traditional processional march. Honey watched as two small girls in white dresses, with layered tulle skirts that made them look like white puff balls, tossed small purple flowers as they walked up the aisle. The scent of lavender reached her as the girls passed. The flower girls were followed by a rainbow brigade. The bridesmaids were each dressed in a different color, creating a pastel spectrum effect. They wore yellow, peach, pink, lavender, and pale blue dresses in a puffy style similar to the flower girls. The groomsmen wore black tuxedos with color coordinating vests and boutonnieres. The couples separated and lined up, flanking the sides of the small lectern where a priest stood. JoJo’s groom approached the priest, and the groomsman in blue stepped closer to him. Honey guessed he must be the best man.

The music swelled into the Wedding March, and everyone stood to watch the bride make her entrance. Honey didn’t know what to expect. Based on JoJo’s choice of bridesmaids, she almost expected to see someone in a frivolous and flamboyant dress. She caught a glimpse of a small, delicate, young woman with waves of dark hair in an elegant white gown with long lace sleeves. The high waist and bell-shaped skirt reminded Honey of a 1950s movie star.

Before Honey took in any more details, her eyes found Morgan escorting his sister down the aisle. Honey felt her mouth go dry. She knew her attention should be on the bride, but she could not take her eyes from Morgan. He was better looking than any model Honey had ever known. Standing next to the petite JoJo emphasized his height. The cut of the tuxedo emphasized his broad shoulders.

Honey caught Morgan’s eye, and he smiled. She could see by his expression that he felt honored to give JoJo away. Sparks of gold flew from his eyes.

They reached the front of the aisle. The groom and the priest stepped forward. Morgan took JoJo’s hand and placed it in that of her husband-to-be. The priest mumbled a few words. Morgan nodded and said his reply then stepped back next to Honey. Honey wrapped her arms possessively around Morgan’s arm. She leaned in. He smelled nice, clean like fresh rain on a dry forest floor.

Honey’s mind drifted as the ceremony proceeded. She thought about what she would wear if she were the bride. Something classic. Simple. She decided on one bridesmaid, Lana. Lana would probably wear a tux. That would be really quite sharp looking, she thought, all black and white. Honey, framed by people in tuxedos while she wore a cream colored dress with a tea length skirt. So handsome in the tux he currently wore, she decided Morgan could wear it again. Honey blinked back to reality as she realized she was imagining marrying Morgan. She leaned her head against his shoulder. Who else would she marry? He hadn’t said he loved her, exactly. No, he said she had his heart. That was pretty darned close.

JoJo leaned forward and kissed her husband. Everyone burst into cheers and applause. The wedding party walked back down the aisle. The bride and groom were followed by their rainbow entourage. Guests began pouring into the aisle, following them out.

Morgan grabbed Honey’s hand and headed in the opposite direction. “Come on. We’ll meet everyone later”

“What are you doing?” Honey laughed.

Morgan glanced over his shoulder. “Avoiding that crush.”

“Won’t you be expected to be there, having given away the bride and all?”

“That was nerve-racking. But I couldn’t say no. She was a crying mess when a few of the bridesmaids dragged me off to see her. Her big plan was to do that on her own with a picture of her mom in the bouquet.”

“Her mom’s picture? How sweet.”

“Apparently, she was fine with it last night at the rehearsal, but she flipped this morning. I’m sorry I couldn’t meet you, but Jinx explained everything, right?”

“Not exactly. She said you sent her to bring me down to the wedding and that was it. No explanation.”

Morgan humphed, blowing air through his nose. “Sounds like Jinx hasn’t decided if she likes you or not.”

“I think it’s probably not.”

“I’ll talk with her.”

“Is that really necessary? So what if your head butler doesn’t like me. It’s not like I’m going to live here.”

Morgan paused, looking at Honey. “I’ll have a talk with her.”

Honey realized they had circled around the outside of the crowd and approached the reception party area from the opposite side. They stepped out from between planters and past the DJ, out onto the dance floor, heading towards the reception tables.

People dressed in formal attire mingled about the tables. Morgan began introducing Honey. She lost track of names and faces began blurring together. More than once Morgan left Honey standing alone as he was pulled into more detailed conversations. Honey spent her time looking around at the people and the back side of the mansion. A row of columns and arches created a covered walkway and trellises supported flowering vines over a separate patio area. The opulence of the setting and everyone’s elegant dress made her feel as if she was in a living magazine spread. This was almost too perfect to be real.

Honey watched as JoJo dragged her new husband to different groups. She may have been dressed more sophisticated than her bridesmaids, but she exhibited the same exuberant and flighty enthusiasm. She plowed into Morgan. He caught her fierce hug with a huff of air. Honey couldn’t make out what they said to each other from where she stood, only squeals and excitement. Morgan turned to Honey and held his hand out for her. She approached him taking his hand. JoJo hugged her unexpectedly. Then scampered off, pulling her new husband along.

Honey had to laugh at the brief, excited exchange. “Is she always like that?”

Morgan sighed. “Fortunately, no. She’ll be back to normal in a month or so, after all the adrenaline and excitement wears off.”

A server with a tray of champagne strolled by. Honey lifted two flutes, handing one to Morgan. “I’ve met so many people already that I don’t know who anybody is. I hope there isn’t a quiz later.”

“Come on. I want to introduce you to my other sisters.” Morgan led the way towards a very pregnant woman. Honey could tell by her features and coloring that she was clearly Morgan’s sister. She had the same aquiline nose and curling dark hair, only longer. Only her features were softer, feminine. “Carolyn, I’d like to introduce you to Honey.”

Carolyn awkwardly pushed herself out of the chair she was in before offering her hand to Honey. “Nice to meet you. So you’re the woman Morgan met in Monterey?”

Honey nodded.

“Good, good. Have you met Julia yet? She’s our younger sister. A bit of a powerhouse these days.”

“Powerhouse? You don’t mean anything like JoJo, do you?” Honey wasn’t sure she could handle more intense exuberance.

Carolyn laughed. “No, not like JoJo at all. Julia is more business power. Intense. JoJo is like a ball of kinetic plasma, zapping from grounding rod to grounding rod. Julia has her nose into a big project these days, so she might be a little abrupt.”

Honey smiled and nodded. She didn’t know what else to say. Meeting new people was not something that came naturally to her.

She felt at a distinct disadvantage. Everyone she met had known Morgan for years. She felt as if she constantly walked into conversations already started. Everyone continued with the conversation, expecting her to be able to keep up, but she was hopelessly behind. Morgan was clearly distracted by the conversations he kept getting pulled into. Honey didn’t know what else to do but follow him around. She watched Morgan smile and talk or have a serious face and talk. More than once he seemed to huddle in close and speak quietly with a few other men who would leave and return. This party was turning into a boring, lonely event.

Honey wandered around admiring different dresses. She thought maybe she could find a snack or even a place to sit and people watch. There were certainly enough people here to keep her occupied for several hours.

A young man with an easy grin approached Honey. “Bride or groom?” he asked.

“Pardon?”

“Bride or groom? Who are you here for?” He gestured broadly toward the party.

“Oh, right. Bride.”

“Great!” He stepped in closer. “So how do you know JoJo? Are you another relative? It seems like everyone here is related in one way or another.”

Honey laughed. This guy should have been hitting on one of the bridesmaids. Maybe he was working his way over to them. “No, actually I don’t know JoJo at all. I just met her today, in fact. I’m here with Morgan, her brother. He gave her away this afternoon.”

“Oh, Morgan.” His grin disappeared, and he took a few step backwards away from Honey. “Well, nice to meet you. Enjoy the party.”

Hmm. Morgan must have quite a reputation. Honey figured the guy would have at least looked around for Morgan and continued hitting on her when he didn’t see him. She had not expected him to scamper away like a frightened rabbit. She found the canapes and other finger foods and sampled a few delicacies before deciding she wasn’t really hungry. Honey continued to look at the selection to see if anything did appeal to her.

“You’re Honey right?” a voice behind her asked.

“Yeah.” Honey turned.

A friendly looking man with a square jaw and sandy blond hair approached her. He stuck out his hand “I’m Jake. Caro sent me.”

“Who?”

“Carolyn. She sent me to find you. She saw you on your own and wanted me to invite you back to our table. I’m Caro’s husband”

“Oh, okay. That’s nice. Thank you.”

Honey followed Jake back toward the tables.

They approached a table where Remi and a little old woman sat. The woman was petite, wrinkled, and shriveled with age. She wore her thick, snow-white hair pulled back into a rather severe bun.

“You know Remi, right?” Jake said in lieu of introductions.

Honey nodded in agreement before taking a seat at the table. “This is Nan. She’s Caro’s great grandmother. That would make you Remi’s grandmother, right, Nan?” Jake raised his voice when he addressed Nan.

Nan muttered something not particularly intelligible.

So this was Nan, the old Catholic grandmother. “Hi.” She said as she sat down at the table with Nan and Remi.

“I’m going to go find Caro. I’ll be right back.” Jake wandered off into the party in search of his wife.

Honey tried to think of something to say to Remi. She didn’t want to sit there in awkward silence. “Uhm, so how are you related to Morgan? I’m a bit confused. He says pretty much everyone here is related, so big extended family? Lots of cousins? How does this work?”

“Lots of cousins and distant cousins. Some of the family Morgan mentions are family by choice not by blood. I’m actually Morgan’s cousin once removed, not his uncle.”

Honey looked at Remi with a puzzled expression.

He clarified for her, “I’m his father’s cousin.”

“Oh, okay.” Honey nodded, her conversation gambit depleted.

“If you’ll excuse me, Honey, I see Jinx. I need to speak with her regarding the aftermath of these festivities.” Remi’s electric wheelchair whirred into life as he backed away from the table.

Honey was left alone with Nan.

“It was a lovely ceremony.” Honey started. Nan sat nodding her head slightly. She didn’t seem to be reacting to Honey’s words, just rocking slightly. Honey tried again, a little louder, “Nice day for it. Great weather. Of course, it’s probably always great weather up here. Not like Monterey and Pacific Grove that gets fogged in all the time.” Honey watched Nan. Not a flicker of recognition. She stopped trying.

Honey let her gaze drift over the party, her focus drawn to a group of teenagers on the patio a level above where she sat. A group of boys was gathered around one girl. At the next table over, another girl sat alone. Honey watched a tall boy, the one who had been her usher, sit down and start talking to the lonely girl. One by one more of the boys moved to the other table.

Honey began to feel sorry for the girl who had been abandoned, when the process began again with the boys drifting from one girl en masse to the other. Eventually, it appeared the groups evened out with each girl having a small collection of admirers.

“At least, they have admirers,” Honey pouted.

“Ain’t no one gonna sniff around you.”

Nan had spoken.

Honey turned to her in shock. She hadn’t thought the old woman could talk.

“Excuse me? What’s that supposed to mean?” The old woman was right. No one had bothered to try to talk to Honey since that one guy in the blue suit. Honey wanted to know what did Nan know about it.

Nan muttered something and returned to her nodding, rocking motion.

Great. Nan is some kind of complaint oracle. Only hears when people are bitching about something and only provides insults without insight.

Honey slumped in her chair. She contemplated heading back to her room, but she didn’t know how to get to it. Stupid oversized house. Stupid party. Stupid Morgan.