Whose Wedding Is It Anyway Read online

  Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

  by Liz Botts

  Published by Astraea Press

  www.astraeapress.com

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and events are fictitious in every regard. Any similarities to actual events and persons, living or dead, are purely coincidental. Any trademarks, service marks, product names, or named features are assumed to be the property of their respective owners, and are used only for reference. There is no implied endorsement if any of these terms are used. Except for review purposes, the reproduction of this book in whole or part, electronically or mechanically, constitutes a copyright violation.

  WHOSE WEDDING IS IT ANYWAY

  Copyright © 2013 AUTHOR

  ISBN 978-1-62135-169-6

  Cover Art Designed by For the Muse Designs

  To Chad and Shalandra Prather

  as they celebrate their wedding May 18, 2013.

  Also by Liz Botts:

  In the Spotlight

  Curtain Call

  The Hidden Door

  Believe

  Adopting Jenny

  Prologue

  We were watching a reality show about chefs trying to win the chance at owning their own restaurant. Beau had just made popcorn as we settled down under a blanket. Despite the fact that my birthday was still two weeks away, Beau had a small wrapped gift sitting on the coffee table. My fingers itched to get a hold of it, almost like they had a mind of their own.

  The crunching of popcorn and mild expletives being hurled from the TV were the only sounds in the living room. As the program droned on, I wondered when I would get to open my present. Sure, I could ask, but that seemed rude and presumptuous. The gift could always have been for Chloe, my cat.

  Finally Beau clicked off the TV. “Would you like to open your present now?”

  With a squeal, I bounced up onto my knees, tucking my feet up under me. Beau handed me the gift. I tore open the wrapping paper, and looked at the small book of poetry. While sweet, I wasn’t sure what I would do with it. Yes, I loved to read, but poetry had never really been my thing. I thought Beau knew that, but maybe not. So I pulled up a grateful smile, and leaned over to kiss him.

  “Wait, I think we should read some of this,” Beau said, stopping me before our lips met. “It could be, you know, romantic.”

  “Oh-kay,” I said, squirming a little in my seat. Whenever Beau mentioned doing something romantic, I always felt a little goofy. My need to be romanced seemed to pale in comparison to my need not to be embarrassed.

  Beau smiled in a knowing way that made me think he knew exactly what was going on in my head. “Come on, it’ll be fun. It’s just you and me. No one else will ever hear us read cheesy poetry to each other, I promise.”

  “Good. Can I pick first?” I started to open the book, but Beau reached out and took it.

  “Let me read you one since this is for your birthday.” He flipped through several pages before coming to a stop. Then he started to read, glancing up at me over the top of the book every so often. When he finished, it occurred to me that it had been sort of sweet and only mildly awkward. “Go ahead and pick one to read to me now.”

  I flipped through the book, coming to a stop on a page filled with flowers surrounding a poem in a frilly font. This seemed like the kind of thing that had corny written all over it, and if Beau wanted to do this, I might as well do it properly.

  “In the garden where the flowers bloom,” I began, giggling as I read the words. “I watched you walk under the full moon.” I paused. “Wow, this is kind of stalker-ish.”

  I finished reading with a few more giggles. Beau rolled his eyes at me as he took the book back. When he started to leaf through the pages I groaned. “We’re not really going to read more, are we?”

  Beau smirked at me.

  For my sweetheart

  I loved you the moment I saw you

  Our hearts were already beating as one.

  My head, my soul, my entire being

  wrapped up in another.

  How could I have waited so long

  for the one who would complete me?

  Now I have just one question more

  Will you marry me, Elle?

  The words took a moment to sink in, but when they did I felt my eyes widen. Beau reached into his jeans and pulled out a ring with two tiny diamonds flanking a larger princess cut diamond in a white gold band. He quirked an eyebrow at me, and said, “Well?”

  “That’s for me? I mean, yes! Yes! Of course, I’ll marry you.” I launched myself into Beau’s arms, kissing him, then gasping at the ring as Beau slid it onto my finger.

  Chapterette One

  Beau and I burst through the front door of his parents’ house, exuberant from our recent engagement. And by recent, I meant literally hours earlier. Clearly everyone knew that Beau was going to propose because the second we walked in we were surrounded by family. I had an eerie flashback to the first time I had met them all as a whole. Terrifying to say the least.

  When Janelle, Beau’s younger sister, grabbed my hand to examine my ring, the congratulations started. Suddenly, just as Beau’s mom wrapped me in a hug, a repetitive thumping started in the living room. Sally released me with a sigh.

  “I need to go see what my mother-in-law wants.”

  As I watched her walk off, I thought how nice it was that my future mother-in-law was so normal and sweet. I did not envy Sally at all.

  “We should go too. You know how my grandma hates to be kept waiting.” Beau leaned close to my ear so only I could hear his whisper, but the warmth of his breath on my ear made me shiver with delight. I couldn’t believe that we were finally engaged.

  Beau’s Grandma Matthews was seated on a leather recliner in the cramped but cozy living room. Various family members had already claimed the sofa and the love seat. Some dining room chairs had been set up in front of the fireplace on the other side of the room. My instinct was to get to those chairs, as far away from Grandma Matthews as I could while still staying in the same room.

  Before I could take two steps, though, I felt someone grab my arm. I stumbled, bumping my shin on the low coffee table, and landing on the ottoman beside the recliner.

  “Elle. Beau. How interesting. I had heard that you might be here today, making some absurd announcement or other.” Grandma Matthews thumped her cane on the floor. “Someone bring me a glass of water, please.”

  Beau dropped to the floor beside me and sat cross-legged. I was grateful that he hadn’t left me to fend for myself, especially when safer ground existed a mere five feet away. “That’s right, Grandma. We’re engaged.”

  Grandma Matthews thumped her cane again. “No!”

  The room got uncomfortably quiet. I sat frozen on the ottoman with my hands clasped in my lap. No way would I risk glancing around the room. Grandma Matthews’ demeanor was already making me feel nervous; tears pricked the back of my eyes, and a tiny voice in my head wondered if maybe she was speaking for the whole family.

  “What do you mean, ‘no’?” Beau asked, his voice annoyed. I sneaked a peak at him, and sure enough, his jaw was clenched and his eyebrows narrowed.

  Grandma Matthews snorted. “I mean, no, you must not be engaged. You are far too young for such nonsense.”

  “Nonsense? How is getting engaged nonsense? Rita and Margot are married. And as for being too young, can I just point out that Janelle got married last year? And she’s a full year younger than I am.” Beau kept his voice just pleasant enough not to be rude, but there was no mistaking the ‘don’t mess with me right now’ attitude.

  “Yes, but they are girls. You are the only boy in this family. You owe it to your parents to wait, to take your time before
you make any rash decisions. And you are indeed too young. You have a whole life ahead of you. This should be your time for adventure,” Grandma Matthews said as she struck the coffee table hard with her cane. I flinched at the hollow thud. “If you won’t heed my advice, the least you can do is make it a long engagement. I’m thinking three years would be sufficient.”

  My stomach twisted as if I might throw up, and tears flooded my eyes, blurring my vision. That’s when I realized that Beau and Grandma Matthews were the only ones talking. My gaze darted around the room. Everyone else sat completely still, eyes wide, clearly waiting for what would come next. In all the family gatherings I had been to with the Matthews family, none had ever been this tense. Usually one of Beau’s grandmothers, Oma or Grandma Matthews, made some rude remark that brought out the snark in Beau’s sisters, but beyond that all the gatherings were raucous and chaotic.

  “Grandma, with all due respect, I love Elle, and I’m going to marry her. I don’t want to wait. Now, let’s have a toast.” Beau stood up, reaching his hand out to me.

  I took it feeling relieved, even though part of me felt so embarrassed I wanted to crawl into a hole in the ground. What a welcome into the family.

  Chapterette Two

  My younger sister sat across from me, her shiny brown curls pulled back into a ponytail. She took a sip of her coffee and glanced around the small café. I’d asked her to meet me a few blocks from campus. On the surface I hoped it looked like a benevolent gesture from a loving big sister concerned about the very limited availability of my baby sister, but deep down my ulterior motives simmered.

  Beau had wanted to tell my family about the engagement right away, like we had done with his family. After the spectacular reception we got there, who could blame him? I knew, though, that if Evie found out that she hadn’t been the absolute first person we told, temper tantrums of tsunami strength would ensue.

  Since Evie was seven years younger than me, I felt a certain protective indulgence toward her. Here at the café we had public witnesses should our conversation veer off course. Evie never showed a hint of anger or loss of self control in public. She saved all her dramatics for the privacy of home. As she fiddled with the spoon she’d used to stir seven packets of sugar into her coffee, I knew the time to tell her was now.

  “Hey, E? Guess what?” I pulled my hand out from under the table and laid it on the smooth surface between us.

  For a moment she gaped at my ring. Then she let out a high pitched squeal that drew curious stares from those around us. I could feel my neck grow warm as I caught the gaze of a middle-aged couple seated by the counter.

  “He finally asked you! It’s about time. I was beginning to wonder. I’m so glad you told me first. I mean, Mom and Dad don’t know yet, right?” Evie sprang from her chair, and leaned across the small table to wrap her arms around me. Our drinks sloshed out of their cups. I could feel iced tea dampen the front of my T-shirt.

  As I sat back down I grabbed a napkin and began to blot the stain that was blooming from the spill. “Nope, you’re the first in our family to know.”

  “Perfect. I want to help you think of an uber-creative way to tell them,” Evie said as she reached into her purse. A moment later she produced a pen and a pad of paper. She clicked the top of the pen several times in rapid succession as she chewed on her lower lip. “Now what will we need? How do you feel about llamas?”

  “Huh?” I stared at her in confusion. “What do llamas have to do with anything?”

  Evie didn’t answer me. She was already hunched over her notepad making lists. I breathed a sigh of relief. Not only was my sister excited, but I hadn’t lied to her. My parents didn’t know we were engaged, so Evie was the first to be told in my family. I had even said those exact words to her. In no way had told her any fibs, even if I hadn’t offered the whole truth.

  A wave of love so fierce it took my breath away swept over me as I watched Evie chew on the end of her pen. She did that any time she was lost deep in thought — even as a toddler she had done that. The memory of my sister as a baby never failed to make me a little teary eyed. Most people, including Beau, didn’t understand the bond the two of us shared. I always said that I had waited for a sister my whole life, and God hadn’t failed to deliver me the best one possible. And that was the complete truth.

  That made what I had to say next all the more difficult. I swallowed hard, past a dry lump that had risen in my throat. “Um, Evie, there’s one more thing I need to talk to you about.”

  Evie looked up at me with an expectant look on her face.

  “Of course I want you to be my bridesmaid. And I expect you to go with me for all the shopping and planning. But, um, the thing is… I just thought you should know that I’m asking Katie to be my maid of honor.” I rushed the words out in one breath, and had to fight the temptation to shut my eyes when I was done.

  “What?” The word came out as a squeak, and her mouth dropped open. She widened her eyes as the impact of my news settled over her. “You’ve got to be kidding me!”

  I flinched at the anger in her voice. Beau and I had been over this half a dozen times in the past few days. I’d been nauseous and unable to sleep, intensely worried over how Evie would react to this news.

  Sure I felt bad that my younger sister felt slighted by my decision, but the fact remained that I knew I had made the right choice. Katie and I had been best friends since high school. Katie was even tempered and organized. Katie and I had made a pact when we were sitting bored in choir one day that we would be each other’s maids of honor.

  “Look, Evie,” I said, reaching out to take her hand, “Katie and I have been planning this for what feels like our whole lives. I know you’re mad right now, but please don’t let it stop you from being a major part of my wedding, okay?”

  Beau had coached me through several scenarios with just the right things to say to my normally temperamental little sister. Now as I said the words I had practiced so carefully, I felt like a bigger heel than I had anticipated. Maybe it was because now Evie’s hurt feelings were displayed clearly a mere foot away from me.

  For a minute I thought she might cry, but then the corners of her mouth lifted upward. Soon a Cheshire cat grin spread across her face. I narrowed my eyes at her. Something wasn’t right with the situation — I could feel it. The girl was up to something.

  “Oh, don’t worry,” Evie said. “I won’t let it stop me from being a major part of your wedding. Not at all. In fact, you’ll be amazed at how big a part I’ll be. You and Beau won’t have to worry about a thing.”

  Chapterette Three

  A heavy rain had started to fall as I stared out the window of the restaurant. My grandmother was due any minute, and I was squirming with excitement. She was the last person I needed to tell about the engagement. We had held off because she had been traveling, and telling her over the phone seemed anticlimactic and kind of tacky.

  I watched my grandmother walk in, shaking off her umbrella. Where had she parked? Why was I worried about something stupid like that? Nervous energy skittered through my veins. After the way Beau’s grandmother had reacted, I wanted mine to be ecstatic.

  “Grandma!” I waved her over, and stood to give her a hug.

  “Elle, you look lovely.”

  We sat down.

  “How has work been, dear?” She smiled at me. I could fill the next few minutes with details about the kids in my classroom. Whenever she stopped by school she took time to read stories and help with seatwork. Talking about work would definitely draw out the drama of the moment but the news bubbled up in my throat. “Beau and I are engaged.”

  “Oh, darling, how wonderful.” She beamed at me as I showed her my ring.

  I pulled a few photos out of my purse to show her some of the details we had already nailed down. With a deep breath I said, “We’ve decided to get married this October so everything is happening really fast. This is one of the places we’re looking at for the reception. And this is the
church.”

  My grandma frowned at me. “October is barely two months away. How can you plan a decent wedding in that amount of time?”

  We had already heard that so many times that I struggled not to roll my eyes. “We think it will help keep costs down if we do it fast. Besides the church is free on the date we want, and it isn’t in a year. So there’s that.”

  My grandma picked up a picture of the church. “So this is where your father will walk you down the aisle?” She traced the L-shaped path I would take to get to the altar.

  My stomach tightened. I really hadn’t wanted to discuss this with her, well, ever. Swallowing the suddenly tasteless mouthful of food, I set my fork down beside my plate. Clutching my cloth napkin in my lap, I said, “Actually… Paul is walking me down the aisle.”

  The news settled over the table like a blanket of heavy, wet snow, deadening the sounds of everything in the world. Finally my grandmother cleared her throat. “I don’t see why Paul needs to do that. He’s your step-father. Besides, he has a daughter of his own.”

  Her words stung. Paul had been in my life since I was seven years old. I was closer to him than I was to my biological father. For me there had never been any other choice. The one glitch in that plan was my grandmother. I’d always been worried about her reaction. Beau and I had been over the possible scenarios of telling her ad nauseum, and here it was.

  “I think you owe it to your father,” my grandmother continued. “He’ll never have another chance like this. He deserves it.”

  I chewed on the inside of my cheek, conflicting emotions warring within me. Part of me wanted to shout that no, as a matter of fact, Walter did not deserve to walk me down the aisle. Paul had put in the blood, sweat, and tears over raising me. All Walter had done was give me a really awesome keyboard one Christmas. I knew I couldn’t say anything like that, though. Sarcasm did not go over well with my grandmother, and I really didn’t want to hurt her feelings. I didn’t want to disappoint her either. What could I do?