Chapter 15
“Okay, let’s not overdo that,” Linda insisted. “Seriously, let’s not overdo the mascara. I don’t want my daughter looking like something from the Adams family on her wedding day. Let’s be careful and stick to the colors and tones we already have going.”
Katy snickered. For the last hour or so, she’d been sitting in front of the mirror. People were coming into the church; she could hear them, even though she was in one of the church’s back rooms. And her cousin Sherry, who had a salon up in Columbus, was doing her makeup.
“Mom, calm down,” Katy said to her worked up mother. “That’s what she’s doing… That’s what she’s doing.”
“I know, Katy,” Linda said. “I know. You know I just want to make sure you look your best. I’ve been to a couple of weddings where the brides could’ve used a little constructive feedback.”
“Linda, you’re not over there talking about me again while I’m standing right here, are you?”
Katy laughed out loud, causing her cousin to pull the eyeliner stick back away from her face for a moment. She had forgotten her Aunt Claudia was in the room. The 55-year-old woman, who was often called “Foxy” by people who grew up knowing her, had been married four times. Not one marriage lasted five years, but the last marriage – the fifth guy – she had a wedding. Katy vividly recalled the family feedback, so to speak.
Linda waved her hand dismissively. “Oh, Claudia… Not right now. We all already talked about your wedding and how you were up there looking like a Cher Halloween costume. Enough already. Everything isn’t about you, Claudia.” She shook her head.
Claudia bickered with her sister Linda for a while then there was a tap at the door. Instantly, the room got quiet. Katy stared on at the mirror while Sherry was finishing up with her blush. “You really do look beautiful,” Sherry said. “You look like a doll.”
Katy had been waiting six long months for this day. She promised the kids that she would get with the school so they could get pictures from today. It was so cute how some asked if they could come – something she wouldn’t forget. Katy thought about all of this while she looked at the door in the mirror. Her Aunt Claudia had jumped up out of her seat and was now making her way over to answer.
“Yes?” Claudia asked. “Who is it? The groom isn’t supposed to see the bride before the wedding.”
“Oh, Claudia, hush up,” Linda snapped. “Do we need to go over John?” This was Claudia’s second husband, which she married when she was 25 years-old. “I recall a certain bride and groom being missing for a while. We won’t talk about how Aunt Lula had to find them in a car in the church parking lot.… And how they had jumped to the fun part of the honeymoon.”
Katy’s mouth hung open in shock. She quickly turned around and looked at her Aunt Claudia. “Aunt Claudia? Are you serious? Is what she’s saying true?”
Gasps and giggles erupted from the other few ladies – cousins and aunts of Katy’s – as Claudia turned away from the door, rolling her eyes. “Katy, I hate to say this but you might really have a fight in the parking lot at your wedding.” She shook her head and sat back down. “Let’s just hurry up and get to the reception so I can get a drink. I’m going to need one.”
Linda opened the door and found herself looking into her husband’s eyes. Richard smiled. “I know the rule very well.” Linda smiled, remembering her own wedding day.
“Katy, it’s your father,” Linda announced, opening the door and allowing the man inside.
Katy looked in the mirror at her father and how he commanded attention and respect entering the room. Her mother quickly motioned for the other women to give them some privacy. Several seconds later, Katy and her father were alone. Richard walked up to his daughter and kissed the side of her head. Katy looked down at herself then up at her dad. “So… How do I look, Dad?”
“Katy, you look absolutely beautiful,” Richard said. He then grinned. “You look just like your mother on our wedding day.”
“Oh, Dad,” Katy said, sighing and rolling her eyes. “How did I know you would say something like that?”
Richard chuckled then pulled a picture out of his pocket. He handed it to Katy. Katy smiled, seeing it was a picture of her parents on their wedding day a little over three decades ago. Katy studied her mother’s doll face then looked up at her own in the mirror. “Okay, maybe I do.”
“Not maybe, Katy,” Richard said. “You do.”
Richard shared some words of wisdom with his daughter for a few minutes then let the ladies waiting outside know they could come back into the room and finish up their work. “I’ll be waiting.”
The next twenty minutes zoomed by. Women darted around the room making sure Katy was ready then time came for her father to walk his daughter down the aisle and give her to Brennon. The music started; Katy approached the entrance of the sanctuary then wrapped her arm around her father’s. She took a deep breath then he guided her out through the double doors.
***
Katy and Brennon looked at one another then smiled when yet another relative approached their table, demanding a picture. The wedding reception was going just as planned. While the ceremony took place at a well-known cathedral downtown, the reception took place at a banquet hall Brennon’s father had reserved for other kinds of events to do with his job in the past. The banquet center was known for its older, castle-like mystique. Its large banquet hall’s back wall was lined with French doors that faced the river.
Brennon nodded Katy then pointed toward her father. “I didn’t know your mother and father could dance.”
Katy giggled. “Yeah, they used to go dancing. Let’s just hope they don’t break anything out there.”
The couple chuckled then Katy saw Eve coming up to the table. She hadn’t had a chance to catch up with her until now. Eve had to do something with her mother so she couldn’t stop by the dressing room before the ceremony.
Katy stood up and embraced her best friend. “Are you enjoying yourself?”
Eve smiled. “Don’t worry about me, Katy. Look at you! You look so beautiful. I was out there taking so many pictures. I so like cannot believe this still.”
Katy laughed, holding her dress train out to the sides then playfully dipping like a princess. “Yeah, I know the feeling.” Katy then thought of something sarcastic she could say that would be doused with irony. “So, what are you waiting on, Eve? We’ve got to get to finding you a husband.”
Eve squinted at Katy then shook her head. “Look here, Little Missy. Nope. That’s not the game we’re going to start playing. I’m working on it, I’m working on it.”
Katy and Eve hugged again, laughing. Eve then spotted a construction worker-type of guy sitting at the other side of the room and appearing to have not come with a date. “Well, I’ll let you get on with everybody else.” She ran her hands down her skirt. “I just might have found something.”
Katy watched Eve rush away then she sat back down. The reception carried on. People held on to their wine glasses while they danced; the little kids of the family rushed around out in the lobby entrance. Several minutes passed then Katy felt Brennon tugging her wrist. “You want to get up and dance?”
Katy wasn’t really the best dancer, but she didn’t care at this point. Brennon pulled her by her wrist out to the middle of the floor. Guests made room, pointing and taking pictures while Katy did her best to get on beat. Brennon guided his wife best he could. Then, suddenly out of nowhere, Katy nearly fell. Her heel glided against the tile, causing her leg to extend out in front of her. Brennon caught her. She then found herself looking up into his eyes.
“Katy!” someone yelled out while her heart thumped from her nearly hitting the floor if Brennon hadn’t caught her.
Katy turned and was blinded by a bright flash. She burst into laughter, realizing how this pose looked to the crowd. She simply put one hand up around Brennon’s neck and smiling as if she’d done it on purpose, as if it were part of the dance.
***
Katy looked across at Brennon then raised her glass of wine back to her lips. “Oh, is that what you think?”
“Absolutely, Misses Hicks,” Brennon said, obnoxiously smiling and shrugging his shoulders. “I don’t see why not.”
“So, you really want four or five kids?” Katy asked. “Seriously? Four or five kids? These days. There’s this mother whose kid used to be in my class and she had like five or six. That woman always looked so tired.”
“Awe, that’s just her,” Brennon said, waving his hand. “Yeah, four or five sounds good.”
“And who’s going to have all these kids?” Katy asked. She and Brennon had been realizing in the hot tub for about thirty minutes, chatting. The topic of starting a family came up. Katy was okay with having two kids – three at the most. Brennon took the numbers higher and talked about having an “all American” family. “Huh?”
“Well, you, of course,” Brennon said. “Oh, it’s going to be okay. It won’t be that hard.”
“Ha!” Katy said. She kicked Brennon’s shin underwater. “Easy for a man to say. I can’t believe you.”
Katy started to act as if she were mad, pouting like a little girl. Brennon set his glass down on the side of the hot tub then waded across. He leaned in toward Katy and kissed her. “Oh, calm down,” he said.
“No, you calm down,” Katy said. She then felt a pinch on her butt underwater. “Hey!” She playfully slapped Brennon’s shoulder.
Brennon put both hands on Katy’s butt then leaned in closer to her ear. He flicked her lobe with the tip of his tongue then whispered in her ear, “I think it’s time to get out.”
Katy smiled and gladly obliged. Brennon climbed out of the tub first, out onto the cabin’s wood deck. He grabbed a towel then helped Katy up and out. As they both dried off, they looked up and out at the sunset and its orange and purple hues. For their honeymoon, they returned to the Smokey Mountains. However, this time Brennon reserved a luxury cabin – a cabin much larger than where they stayed previous; and it was far away from any other cabins, sitting alone in the mountains with a view that made it worth the risky hour-or-so drive outside of the nearest town.
Naked, the newlywed couple rushed back into the cabin. Just as Brennon was closing the door, Katy swatted his butt, causing him to jump suddenly. Brennon then chased Katy across the living room and into the master suite where she jumped on the bed, laughing. Brennon dived onto the canopied bed then slid his body between Katy’s legs. They kissed, Katy putting her hands on the sides of her Brennon’s face. Their hearts and souls were flooded with love for one another.
Brennon continued kissing Katy until his manhood told him otherwise. With Katy’s eyes locked with his, he gently spread her legs wider apart. He leaned over and kissed her breasts, even going as far as flicking her nipples with his tongue. Katy squealed with pleasure then felt Brennon pushing inside of her and her insides stretching. “Oh, Brennon.”
“Katy,” Brennon said, going all the way inside until he had no more reach. “I love you so much, Katy.”
Katy looked up at her husband – at the love of her life. He slowly started rocking, working his way up to a nice stroke with force that made Katy’s body bounce up and down the mattress. The focus – the determination – in Brennon’s face turned Katy on like no other. Curse words slipped out of his mouth; Katy screamed with pleasure. She rustled his hair with her hands when he leaned over and kissed her neck.
Brennon’s body glistened with sweat when he finally stopped stroking. He kissed Katy passionately. Then Katy pressed her hands into his chest, motioning for him to get up.
“Oh, yeah?” Brennon asked.
“Hmm, hmm,” Katy said, knowing that Brennon would like what she was about to do.
Brennon rolled over then watched Katy get up. She straddled him, putting one knee on either side of him. She then smiled and leaned her chest into his face, playfully slamming the sides of her cleavage against the sides of his face. When she pulled away, Brennon was doing his typical frat boy smile. Katy then wrapped her hand around his shaft and lowered herself down, all while looking into Brennon’s eyes. For the next thirty minutes or so, the sounds of their lovemaking filled their isolated cabin in the woods of the Smokey Mountains. Katy and Brennon leaned that there is no greater power in the world than when two hearts that are meant for one another unite in passion and in love.
***This book also contains 6 of my Best Seller Novels, which follow next. Turn ahead to read “The Perfect Holiday***