Page 18 of The Wedding Gift
“So did I, and I thought because of that, I wasn’t worthy of your love.” She had to be honest. “Granny and my sisters called it the bridal test.”
“My dad and mama said it was a minor test compared to others that will pop up in our married lives. Right now, it may seem big, but when we look back, we’ll realize that it just helped us to be sure that we were in love.”
“That’s basically what Granny said.” Darla scooted over even closer to him and laid her head on his shoulder. She was crazy, she realized, to have even thought about leaving all this behind for a moment of excitement. “Is that all that we need to talk about?”
“Not really.” Will tipped up her chin and studied her face.
She felt as if he could see past her heart and into the depths of her soul. “What else do we need to…?”
He gently pushed a strand of her blonde hair away from her face. “I want you to tell me the story behind the fishing stuff and the television set.”
“I don’t think we’re going to need either one of them like Granny and Gramps did, but here’s the story…” She went on to tell him and ended with, “Are you going to watchBonanzaevery night?”
Will’s chuckle turned into full-fledged laughter that rang out across the yard. When he stopped laughing, he wiped his eyes on the sleeve of his shirt and said, “That should be written down in a journal for our kids and grandkids to read, not that I’m in a hurry for either one. I want to have you all to myself for a couple of years before we start a family.”
“Then we’ll have to be very careful with our Sunday afternoon naps,” she teased.
Chapter 6
“We can be in Florida on the beaches by midnight.” Roxie finished off her coffee at breakfast on the day of the wedding. “All you have to do is say the word.”
Sarah pushed back her chair, stood up, and refilled everyone’s mugs. “Toes in the sand does sound good.”
“A nice margarita while we sit in a hot tub,” Marilyn joked.
“Maybe even some fresh boiled shrimp,” Gloria chimed in.
“If this is another one of your tests, you can forget it,” Darla told them as she reached for two more pancakes. “I’m getting married in seven hours, and tomorrow morning, I will be having breakfast in the Colorado mountains with Will.”
“She’s serious,” Roxie sighed. “And I had my heart set on sitting in the sand tomorrow.”
“You’ll have to talk Gramps into taking you,” Darla saidbetween bites. “Thank you for making my favorite breakfast today, Granny. With a two o’clock wedding, I’ll be way too busy to eat lunch.”
Gloria shook her head. “Oh, no, you will not be too busy or too nervous. I’ve ordered a fruit and cheese tray. I will not have you fainting at the altar. Rumors will spread like wildfire that you’re already pregnant if that happens.”
“Not that we would mind.” Roxie winked from across the table. “It’s been a while since we had a baby in the house.”
“We’re both done with babies.” Sarah nodded toward Marilyn and then turned her attention back to Darla. “It’s up to you to keep Granny happy now, little sister.”
“Wedding first. Marriage second. Babies later.” Darla finished her breakfast and stood up. “Let’s get this kitchen cleaned up and get on out to the Wildflower. I don’t want to be rushed, and our beauty operator and makeup specialist will be arriving at ten o’clock.”
Darla had fallen in love with the Wildflower venue when she and Will attended a wedding out there just before they had gotten engaged back in the spring. The weather in Oklahoma, especially in the fall, is about as predictable as a woman who is eight months pregnant. The backup plan was to be married in the church if it rained or, heaven forbid, even snowed, but that morning turned out to be beautiful.
“Oh. My. Goodness!” Darla squealed when she and all the women had arrived and she saw the white chairs arranged outside on a carpet of green grass, with an aisle down the middle and a decorated arch at the end. “It’s even more beautiful than I remembered. Look.” She pointed at a van pulling up in the driveway. “There’s our makeup and hair ladies. Thank all of you so much for working so hard to make my day perfect.”
“I wish this place had been here when I got married.” Sarah sighed.
“Me too,” Marilyn added. “But the past is the past and can never be changed. This is Darla’s day. Let’s go inside to that gorgeous bridal room and get beautified for the ceremony. It’s been ages since someone else has done my makeup, and my nails are a fright from working with flowers all week.”
Darla’s eyes welled up with tears. “I have the best family in the whole world.”
“And now you’re getting good in-laws,” Sarah said. “We all love Vicky and Susanna and Robert like they were family.”
“Did we hear our names?” Vicky asked as she followed them into the bridal room.
“I was just telling everyone that I have an amazing family, and that includes all y’all as well,” Darla said.
“Honey, getting you in our family makes us the blessedones,” Vicky said. “Now you sit down in front of one of those mirrors and let everyone wait on you. Today you are the queen, and we all intend to make you feel like one.”