“Can you direct anyone coming in where to park and walk down to the wedding site?”
“Sure.” Bridget’s chest puffed out.
Jerica nearly smiled at the look, pretty sure that Bridget was made for this kind of helping. It was essentially police work but not at the same time. Karen stepped in and gripped Bridget’s arm and kissed her cheek.
“You look lovely, by the way. You, too, Jerica.” Karen did the same for her and stepped back. “It’s good to see you both again. Now get, I’ve got to figure out which kid isn’t listening.”
“Yours or grands?” Bridget joked.
Karen gave her a flat look and pointed a finger at Bridget. “All the kids. Including you.”
“I’m on my way out the door.” Bridget turned, Jerica following as they went out the way they’d come.
She was walking much better with only the black air cast, which they both enjoyed. It was far easier for Bridget to maneuver around and do things she wanted to. Jerica kept their hands locked together as they made their way behind the barn where Eli had moved the wedding arch and they had set up chairs they’d borrowed from the church.
They still had about an hour before the wedding was going to start, so as soon as they got to the fork in the road, Jerica tugged Bridget in and pressed their mouths together in a tender kiss. “Karen is right, you know. You are very handsome in this.”
Bridget wrinkled her nose. “I can’t remember the last time I wore it.”
Jerica ran her fingers over the suspenders all the way down to Bridget’s hips and just under the edge of her jacket. Leaning in again, she stole another kiss. “Well, I for one had fun watching you get in it this morning.”
Bridget’s cheeks tinged pink.
“And I think I’m going to have loads of fun getting you out of it.”
With hands on Jerica’s hips, Bridget shook her head slowly. “Your mind is in the gutter.”
“It’s a wedding, Bridge. We’re supposed to be thinking about that kind of thing.”
“No, the wedding couple is. We’re supposed to do exactly what Karen tells us to do to help out around here.”
“Uh-huh, right.” Jerica kissed her again.
It wasn’t long before people started arriving, and Bridget directed traffic and told them all where to park. Jerica stayed mostly silent but helped with what she could. Bridget checked her watch several times before grabbing Jerica’s hand and walking toward the back of the barn.
Jerica had never been to that part of the farm, so she followed dutifully to the place they’d told everyone to go. She was surprised Bridget continued to hold her hand the entire way, twining their fingers and locking them together. She went with it, of course, because she loved it, but was surprised Bridget was being so forward with their relationship.
As they got to the site where the ceremony would happen, Bob waved at them from the front row. Bridget went full speed ahead, walking with Jerica right next to her as they got to the front.
“What’s going on, Bob?” Bridget asked.
“You’re sitting up here.”
“Oh…um…” Bridget shifted her glance from him to Jerica. “We can just sit in the back. It’s fine.”
“No. You’re family. Eli wants you up here.”
“Okay.” Bridget shrugged but moved to sit in a chair in the first row.
Jerica leaned into Bridget’s side as Bob disappeared. He brought Karen down the aisle to sit next to Bridget and the rest of Eli’s family. Another couple walked down, sitting on the opposite side, and Jerica could only assume they were Sarah’s parents, and since they sat next to the woman who looked like Sarah, she bet she was right.
Next up was the minister. Bridget leaned over and whispered, “That’s Pastor Scotty. She’s the most open pastor in town.”
“Is she?”
“Yeah.”
“So she could do our wedding?” Jerica asked the question innocently enough, but she could feel Bridget tense uncontrollably, her entire body going rigid. It was probably too far to push that question just yet. They hadn’t been dating that long, although Jerica became more convinced by the day that there was no one else out there for her but this woman.