CHAPTER 6

They'd decided to get married in the garden in back of the cottage. She and Beau and Liz spent countless hours planting and decorating and arranging for chairs and tables. Liz had spent most of her time on the phone doing the ordering of linens and flowers and whatever else they needed. Beau had erected a small portico under which they would stand during the service, and she and Liz had fastened hundreds of fresh flowers to it with ribbons that hung to the ground. They had placed dozens upon dozens of candles and torchiers around the yard. A bar had been set up under a large birch tree, which had been wrapped with hundreds of strands of little white twinkling lights for when the sun went down. They had also set up a small platform for the musicians they had hired. Simple string music would entertain them.

Liz had helped her pick out her wedding gown. As they looked in the full-length mirror, they both laughed. Here was Cass, the perfect bride, slim, beautiful and glowingly happy, or as they would call her at work—camera ready, and beside her, Liz, with her belly endlessly protruding, and her face swollen just like her ankles. It would be a few months still before the baby was born; yet Liz had put on so much weight already that she was terribly uncomfortable. She tugged at the top of her two-piece outfit, trying to make it sit closer to her body, then finally shook her head and gave up.

“Cass, I have to say, you are the most beautiful bride I think I’ve ever seen in my life.” She was so excited for her.

“And I have to tell you, you are the most pregnant maid of honor I have ever seen in my life.” Cass laughed. She turned to her friend and took her hands into her own. “Have I told you thank you enough times for putting us together?”

“Oh I think perhaps you may have done that a time of two. Sometimes things just feel right at the right time, and I guess this was just one of those small miracles we get to glimpse every once in a while,” Liz said as tears filled her eyes.

“Don’t you start that, you hear me, you…you bag of emotions. If I ruin my makeup now, I’ll just have to kill you,” Cass said as she turned to look in the mirror again. She wanted to look perfect this day. She dabbed at her own eyes to dry the tears that had threatened to spill down her cheeks. “By the way, I have a little present for you.” She opened the top drawer of her dresser and pulled out a small beautifully wrapped box. She turned and handed it to Liz. “I wanted you to have something to remember this day with. Go ahead, open it.” Liz took the small box and undid the ribbon that was holding it closed. She took the lid off and removed a small piece of tissue. Inside was a small pin Cass had specially made for her. It said ‘love forever’. Liz looked at Cass and knew exactly what it meant. That they should always love forever, no matter what storms passed through their lives. She put her arms around Cass and whispered thank you in her ear.

They heard the music as it got louder and Cass moved over to the window and looked down on the beautiful back yard. She saw that all her guests had arrived and were beginning to sit. The moment she had longed for was just moments away. She saw Beau talking with the minister. He looked so handsome in his dark tuxedo, even more so with the sun shining on his black hair. He must have sensed her in the window and his gaze turned towards it. He saw her and smiled. How he filled her heart that moment. The music began to change and everyone sat down. Beau tilted his head at her and jokingly tapped his finger on his watch. She smiled back at him and then turned away.

“I guess it’s time,” she said to Liz, “Please don’t let me fall down the stairs.”

“Well, if you do at least I’ll have something soft to land on.” She smiled.
“Very funny. Well…Here goes”

She opened the door and began the decent down the stairs. When she got to the bottom, Liz straightened out the back of her dress and adjusted her veil. “Ready?”

“I’ve never been more ready in my life girlfriend!” Cass said.

Liz walked out first as the band played the wedding march. All the guests rose to watch. A moment later, Cass stepped out of the house and slowly made her way towards Beau. She was so incredibly nervous and she could feel her hands shake with each step. When she finally reached him, he stretched out his hand to help her take the last two steps till she was beside him. They looked at each other and their eyes shared a thousand promises in those precious seconds. They turned towards the minister as the music began to subside. They stood side by side holding hands as the minister spoke.

The ceremony took about twenty minutes and when the minister said ‘you may kiss the bride’, Beau took he so gently in his arms and kissed her lips softly. The minister pronounced them man and wife and everyone stood and clapped. Their guests threw birdseed instead of confetti so that even their natural friends from the woods would be able to enjoy them later.

Afterwards, they ate and danced and chatted with all their friends, Cass introducing Beau to those he’d never met and he did the same for the few fiends of his she’d never met. It was the most perfect day. The sun blazed, the breeze flowed randomly, and the birds chirped happily in their trees as they awaited their feast once the party was over. Everyone was quite impressed with what they had done with the house in the short time they’d been together. How could anyone not love the place they fell in love at?

Liz and Bill were the last of their guests to leave, and Bill assured them that he and Liz would take great care of the house while they were away on their honeymoon. They were going to spend the first night as husband and wife here at the house and then the next day, they would leave for Mexico.

While Cass changed, Beau brought up a chilled bottle of champagne and a few crackers and cheese. He set them down on the side table, dimmed the lights, turned a sexy CD on, and then sat waiting for Cass to come out of the bathroom. Minutes later, Cass opened the bathroom door and stood there, the light silhouetting her body, She started to move towards the door as Beau said, “Stay right where you are,” and he got up from the bed.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Absolutely nothing. I just wanted to look at you for a minute, and the light behind you is so perfect.” He moved towards her slowly. He ran his fingers up and down her arms, giving her goose bumps. He kissed her lips as he picked her up in his arms and carried her back to the bed. His lips touched every part of her, electrifying her, setting her senses on fire. She pushed him away after a few delicious moments. She rolled him over on his stomach and began to rub his back. There was no way this night was going to be done too fast. She stroked his buttocks and down his thighs and then with her lips, she traveled back up his body to his neck. He rolled over and pulled her on top of him. She straddled his body as they moved together, Beau running his hands over her tight buttocks.

“Oh Cass, you are so beautiful.” He muttered as he began to lose control.

Later, they sat in bed and drank the champagne and munched the cheese and crackers. It was four o’clock in the morning by the time they fell asleep, both with smiles on their faces and cuddled tightly together.