Emma
If the weather stays as it is, and we don’t get a raging storm, the marquee should hold and none of the guests will get frostbite or the flu. At least, that’s what I’m telling myself.
I tried to keep the guest list short, but in the end, it blew out to about a hundred, give or take.
My rationale for inviting more people has been to make sure we’ve at least got some wedding guests. I had no idea everyone would come.
For the umpteenth time, I check on the caterers and try to ignore the millions of butterflies that have taken up residence in my stomach.
It’s less than two hours before the first guests are due to arrive.
Phoebe is due any minute. My assistant from work was super excited to be my bridesmaid. Dylan hasn’t told me who’s going to be his best man, and deep down, I suspect he won’t have one. If we still had our bear, I bet he’d use him.
“Hey, gorgeous,” I hear his voice from behind me.
I spin around.
“It’s bad luck to see the bride before the wedding,” I tease, but he pays no attention to me.
In large strides, he comes toward me. He kisses me.
Instinctively, my arms wrap around his neck. Tingling spreads through me. I pull away from him
“Not now,” I murmur, and steal a glance at the young woman from the catering, watching us. Envy is written all over her face.
His hand runs up my back with the other resting on my ass. Intense desire stirs up in me.
Fuck.
Not now.
“We don’t have enough time,” I whisper. Instead of letting me go, he presses my hips against his growing bulge.
He chuckles into my ear and smothers me with feather light kisses. A combination of heat and lust spreads through me faster than a wildfire.
“Oh, Dylan.”
When he pulls away, I try and compose myself.
“There’s a surprise for you in the bedroom,” he whispers into my ear before he turns to leave. “Better go now. Things to get ready and you know…”
With hungry eyes, I watch his ass walk away from me. It takes all my fucking self-control not to jump his bones right now.
“Excuse me, miss.”
I turn and look into the face of the young woman who’d been staring at us with intense jealousy. “Yes?”
Nervously, she shifts from one foot to the other. “I just wondered if…”
She bites her lip and I’m getting a little impatient.
“Could you—” I start and stop.
She’s young. It won’t hurt to wait until she tells me what it is she wants to tell me.
“I can’t find the placements for the table.”
I furrow my brow. “What do you mean?”
“Usually, the bride or groom provide name placements to go on the table, but in your order, it didn’t mention anything and I just, you know…how do people know where to sit…”
Of course.
Name holders with names.
Dylan has spent hours making them.
“I’ll get them for you with the list of where to put them.”
I hurry back into the house and get the box. I take them to the young woman and she gasps when I pull the first one out.
In my hand, I’m holding a little wooden carved bear with one paw up. In the paw is a piece of paper with a name written on it.
“Wow” is all she says.
“I know. Aren’t they cute? My husband—I mean my husband-to-be—carved them. We had a bear cub for a while,” I start to explain but stop myself.
It really is time I get ready.
“In the box you’ll also find a seating plan. It should be easy enough to follow.”
Without another word, I leave the woman to do her job.
“Hey, lovely,” a familiar voice says, and I turn to find Phoebe there.
“Great, you’re here already.”
I go and hug my assistant and then link arms with her to take her inside.
“Come on, let’s get ready.”
Phoebe follows me.
“This place is amazing,” she says, and I can tell she’s not just saying it to be polite. She means what she says.
“Wait till you see the inside.”
We go straight to the main bedroom. When I walk in and see the surprise, I gasp.
Fuck.
Wow.
I’m speechless.
Over the back of my wardrobe door hangs the most amazing cream-colored winter cloak with hood and fake fur trimmed edging. It looks Russian-princess gorgeous.
“Wow,” Phoebe says next to me, and I turn to her and smile.
“Dylan organized it. I had no idea.”
“Where’s the dress?” Phoebe can barely hide her excitement.
“Come, I’ll show you.”
At first, I was going to wear something plain, but then, over time I opted for something in between plain and over-the-top dressy. It just wouldn’t look right to turn up in something too glamorous.
Phoebe claps her hands like a little kid let loose in a candy shop when she sees my dress.
“Ohhh, Emma you’re going to look gorgeous.”
She helps me into the body hugging, slim-fitting long dress. It has a high neck and no sleeves.
On my feet, I wear white leather boots with a small heel. Long cream-colored gloves to my elbow complete the outfit.
Phoebe puts the cape over me and skillfully, without messing up my hair, drapes the hood over my head.
I turn in front of the mirror and am pleased with the end result. Definitely not over-the-fucking-top, and yet I look good.
Living in the mountains doesn’t mean I have to give up all of life’s little luxuries.
When Phoebe and I walk toward the make shift little chapel, no one makes as a sound. I can hear the whispers of surprise of some of those girlfriends of mine who weren’t keen to come into the woods at all.
Dylan’s eyes shine, and I feast my own on his choice of outfit.
He hadn’t told me what he’s going to wear.
I’m not sure, but it looks like his suit is made from extremely fine leather. It’s a light brown color and fits him perfectly.
When our eyes meet, my insides melt.
The ceremony goes all too quickly. I barely remember saying “I do” and hear Dylan utter the same words. When his lips come down on mine, I know the celebrant must have pronounced us to be husband and wife.
“How does it feel to be married?” Dylan whispers into my ear, but I’m too choked up to say anything. “And may I say, you look fucking exquisite tonight.”
I smile at him. “The cloak is gorgeous.”
He nods.
Someone taps me on the shoulder.
“This is amazing Emma. You’re so lucky.”
Cynthia, one of my friends, is standing there with a bushy bearded man beside her. I frown. I didn’t know Cynthia had a boyfriend.
“Thanks,” I mumble and don’t remind her about her initial reluctance when she first received my invitation. “Who—” I start, but she’s already moved off.
“One of the locals,” whispers Dylan in my ear. “A mountain man.”
We both laugh.
Jen finds me and hugs me. “Oh, Emma, you look gorgeous! And this place.” She holds out her arms. “I mean look at it. It’s amazing.”
Another convert. Jen had complained bitterly and begged me to have the wedding in Manhattan. She’d threatened not to come.
“And the choice of men you’ve got, oh my,” she continues and fans herself with her right hand.
“Do you want me to introduce you to any of them?” I offer.
Jen shakes her head. “Not necessary, darling. I’ve met a couple of them already.”
The music starts, and Dylan grabs me by the hips. He leads me out onto the dance floor.
Applause and whistles greet us.
When the band plays a slow waltz, he leads me expertly around the floor. Who would have known Dylan to be a ballroom dancer?
Soon, other couples join us and on our next turn around the dance floor, Dylan heads straight out the door.
By now, the full moon has risen against the inky black sky.
I snuggle into Dylan. My mountain man. So much has happened in such a short amount of time.
I feel like the luckiest woman alive.
A noise near the edge of the forest made me look up.
“Dylan, look,” I point excitedly to the dark figure coming out of the forest.
He hovers for a while, waves, and then turns to run away again. A second bear is hot on his heels.
“It’s Boss.” I grin.
Dylan shakes his head. “Maybe.”
My right fist punches him gently into the upper arm.
“Was so,” I say and feel warm and fuzzy on the inside.
A shooting star floats across the night sky.
“Make a wish,” I say and look into his eyes.
“I have,” he whispers and places his hand on my lower abdomen.