Strawberry Wine (Strawberry Inn Book #2)

Chapter 40

BLAIR

“I can’t believe you roped us into this, Blair,” Angela said for the fifteenth time today.

“Is this a mistake? Shit, it is starting to feel like a mistake.” Angela put one more hairpin into the curls on the back of my head, but this time it poked against my skull. “Ouch!” I yelped, pulling my head away from her.

“Oops, I’m sorry.” She may have apologized, but there was nothing about her apology that was genuine. 

“If it didn’t take me a good ten minutes to get to my feet I would show you how sorry you really are.”

“You’re feisty these days, does Cody like this attitude, or are you saving it for your best friend who got off her ass six days post-partum to do your hair for this wedding ceremony?”

“You do think this is a mistake, don’t you?”

“I don’t know, Blair. I don’t think you wanting to get married before the baby is here is crazy, but I think your timing could have been better.”

She was right, it is the exact reason I’m now second-guessing my decision. When Cody proposed to me the night of our gender reveal dinner, I wasn’t thinking a wedding was going to be in the near future at all. The sentiment of the engagement ring and the promise that came with that was plenty for both of us. We even joked that no matter when we decided to get married again, the baby would have the same last name since I never changed it back after we got married.

We also agreed that we didn’t want a huge ceremony. Our first wedding had the bells and whistles, even though we were two different people now, redoing that original wedding wasn’t something we wanted to do. I was shocked when Cody brought up the idea of getting married in Italy. It was one of the things he promised me when we were younger. We never got around to the big Italian honeymoon and he felt like he owed me that much. I wasn’t about the go to Italy pregnant and the chances of wanting to leave our newborn anytime within the first year were slim to none. That meant we were going to wait to get married and I was fine with that.

Until yesterday, that is. I don’t know why, I can’t explain the nagging feeling in my gut, but I just knew that I wanted…no, I NEEDED to get married before this baby was born. When I told Cody, he laughed at me. He wasn’t trying to be rude, he just didn’t think I was serious. Mainly because Angela has just given birth to her baby girl, Indie, and I was due any day now with our little girl. When he realized I wasn’t just joking about getting married, he jumped into action. I don’t know exactly how it all happened in just over twenty-four hours, but here we were, about ready to tie the knot at his parent’s vineyard while I was a day shy of forty weeks pregnant, literally ready to give birth at any given moment.

I still don’t know how they managed it, but my mom and Diana managed to find a beautiful white maternity dress. I was with my mom bright and early this morning and she had a few adjustments. The Strawberry Phone Tree must have been used to find a lace fabric that could be used to create a few panels so the dress fit around my massive stomach. Angela volunteered to do my hair and make-up. I didn’t expect much from her seeing as though she’s barely even been out of the hospital. I insisted that we could just Facetime her during the ceremony, but she said I would make the same sacrifice for her and she’s right.

A knock at the door paused the conversation between Angela and me. I answered the door while she took a chance to fawn over sweet Indie who was swaddled up in a bassinet next to us. I couldn’t wait for Indie’s best friend to be born, but she needed to hold off for just a few hours. My mom and dad were standing in the hallway, and seeing the two of them made me burst into tears once again.

“Oh my sweet girl,” my dad said as he comforted me, “Why are you crying?”

“I’m just so happy you’re here, Daddy. I know I put everybody on the spot wanting to fast-track this wedding. Thank you for putting up with my indecisive butt.”

“I’m used to last-minute changes of plans, you are your daughter’s mother after all.”

“I can’t say I’ve ever planned a twenty-four-hour wedding,” my mom chuckled, “but he may not be totally wrong.”

“How does everything look out there?”

“It is stunning, Blair. You’d never believe Diana and Emory decorated this place with such short notice. We’ve been sent to get you, your groom is getting a bit restless to get this started.”

“Have you seen him? He isn’t having second thoughts, right?”

My dad chuckled, “Blair, honey, Cody is not restless because of your nuptials, he’s worried that you’re going to give birth walking down the aisle.”

“It’s true,” Angel piped in from the corner, “He was on the phone with Harrison this morning to make sure that he knew how to deliver a baby.”

“Oh geez, what did Harrison tell him?”

“He assured him that both Dalton and he were fully trained to help with an emergency delivery, but he’d much prefer it happened at a hospital so…don’t be mad but…”

“Oh crap, what did he do?”

“Harrison may have required one of the guys to have the ambulance parked in the parking lot…you know just in case.”

“Why in the world is Harrison putting up with Cody’s ridiculous requests?”

Angela giggles, “Oh honey, they are practically cut from the same cloth. Harrison wanted to borrow a wheelchair from the fire station for me today. Speaking of my husband, the two of us better get to our seats as well before Daddy comes looking.”

“Let me help you, Angela.” My mom picked up the diaper bag and held out her arm to help my friend to her seat outside. I felt a ping of guilt, but once again reminded myself that I did everything I could to prevent her from being here.

My dad put out his arm and I looped my arm into his. We’ve done this song and dance before, but this time it felt so different. Less than fifteen people were in attendance today. We aren’t even using live music, just Emory’s phone attached to the speaker. We begin the walk down the aisle as the music is playing and I begin to cry once again as I see my two men waiting for me at the end. 

Little did we know that in this state anybody over the age of eighteen can be legally certified to perform marriages. For some reason, Hayes knew, and he spent his day yesterday getting ordained online. My heart beat with excitement as we approached the alter. I think back to that eighteen-year-old girl that married her high school sweetheart. I may not have known every twist and turn life was going to take us at the moment we do, “I do,” but I knew without a doubt that Cody was going to be my happily ever after. We took a few detours to find our way back, but at this moment, I know all is right in the world once again.

THE END