“Yes, the book club.” Natalie had told her about the book club. Well, not everything. What happens at book club stays at book club. In fact, she hadn’t even told Sam yet everything that happened. But the rule was you couldn’t tell until you were married, so maybe tonight. But she was sure they would be busy tonight.
“They seem nice,” Della said.
“They’re the best. Did you want a drink?” Natalie pulled the tray off the shelf. Someone had to drink them, and maybe there were more whiskeys than Mia should drink. Della looked down at the tray and up at Natalie. “Some are not whiskey if you’re not partaking in alcohol.”
Natalie took another glass and watched as her mom took one also. With a raised glass, they drank them. “Thank you for coming, Della. It was nice that you made the long trip here. You didn’t have to. But I really wanted you here. Today I feel everything is perfect.”
“There was nothing that could have kept me away. My baby girl is getting married, and I get to be here.” Della hugged her, and Natalie couldn’t see over the other woman’s head today.
“How high are your heels?” Natalie had to know.
“Almost too high, but I knew you would be in heels and are already so tall. I didn’t want to seem too short,” Della said with a chuckle, looking at her feet.
“No heels for me. Sam said no since I’m almost as tall as him as it is. So, he got me these.” She lifted her dress and showed her mom the new orange tennis shoes that matched her coaching ones.
“Orange? But it’s supposed to be something blue.” Della laughed at the shoes.
“Not when you’re a Tiger, Mom.” Natalie stopped. She had never called her that. They had never even talked about it.
“It makes me happy that you are comfortable enough to call me that. I know you had a mom you loved and you miss, but I feel honored to be your mom. Not just today, but every day. I regretted every day that I gave you up for adoption. That was until I met you and your dad. I couldn’t ask for a better parent than him, and I assume your real mom was just as amazing. Because of them, you are amazing.” Della hugged her again.
A knock interrupted their hug, and Hazel stuck her head into the room. “If you are going to do this, Natalie, you better get going. You’re already late.”
“Shut up, Haze.” Natalie dabbed her tears away as Della took a step back.
Della gave her one last look. “I will go. Is your dad walking you down the aisle?”
“No, I am taking these last few steps alone,” Natalie admitted, something she hadn’t felt at her last wedding. But since that day, she had grown enough that she needed to stand alone for one last moment before she became one with Sam.
Della left to take her seat. Her mom. The last time she was here, she wished she had her mom there, and now she was. Turning to Hazel, she gave her a hug. She had wanted her as a bridesmaid, and she was. This was her perfect wedding. And she was getting to marry Sam.
Over the last few months, she had realized that nothing would change when they got married. They were still going to live together, sleep together, and do everything together. But she wanted to be married to Sam. In fact, she wasn’t overly excited for the wedding, but everything that came after the wedding was what she was looking forward to this time around. The happily ever after.
CHAPTER29
“She isn’t coming,”his brother Seth whispered from beside him when his bride was five minutes late.
Though the words should have freaked him out, he knew Natalie wouldn’t take off. Not today.
Right now, he was wondering what Jason had thought when she had run off on him. Could he believe it either? He probably couldn’t.
“She’s coming,” Pastor Ruston said behind him, though Sam saw nothing through the crack in the door to the sanctuary.
It didn’t help that half the faces in the church were looking right at him, thinking she had left again. Once a runaway bride, always a runaway bride. Isn’t that a saying? It felt like a saying—a bad one.
He might be starting to worry. Not about her standing him up at the altar, but her not being in his life anymore. What would he do if she wasn’t in his life anymore?
“I thought for sure she would show up for you, Sam.” His brother couldn’t not chuckle as he whispered the words while they both stared at the closed door that she would walk through.
“Last time, all the bridesmaids were at the altar before the announcement was made,” Ruston stated, as if that made him feel better about being abandoned.
The door swished open slowly, and all heads turned to see Hazel, except it wasn’t Hazel. It was Mia’s mother, Mrs. Lawson, sneaking in late, followed closely by her red-faced husband. But behind them, Sam could see blonde-haired Hazel in a pale blue dress with Mia doing something to her dress. The bride was nowhere in sight.
Once the couple was seated, the doors opened once more, and this time the music started to play a light and airy song that he had never heard before but was sure that Natalie had spent months thinking about.
So, he should have paid more attention to her wedding plans, now he could see that. But at the time, it was something that took her mind off the ending of the volleyball season and the adoption process that was a headache. Instead, he pushed the wedding on her, saying yes every time she asked him about something.
Now he had no idea what he’d said yes to, just that in the end, he got to marry Natalie Hart Beckett. It was all he wanted. In fact, he would marry her in a dirt field if that was what she wanted. But she wanted the church, the same church, and the same everyone here.