Luke nodded. “That would be great. No mayo.”
“Gotcha.”
Mel, Jo, and Zoe all had their hair up, with tiny flowers woven into the fancy knots.
“I feel like I should take a nap,” Mel said, her eyes closed as the stylist dusted her lids with shadow.
“No!” Zoe said, her hand placed in the palm of the woman painting her nails.
“Not unless you can sleep without putting your head down.” It had taken nearly an hour to put Mel’s hair up, and thirty minutes for Jo. Zoe, on the other hand, had hers in place within fifteen minutes. The speed came with practice. And since the on-camera team was there, they were pitching in for all the things women did to make themselves beautiful for a wedding.
“I said I think I should . . . not that I would.”
Mel’s hand displayed her nerves as it tapped on the edges of the chair.
“Nervous?”
Mel looked at Zoe without moving her head. “Excited.”
Zoe’s cell phone buzzed, sitting next to her. Carefully making sure she didn’t scuff her freshly polished nails, she checked her text messages.
The reception tent is up, the tables are set . . . the flowers have arrived and the florist is spreading them everywhere. Tell Mel not to worry.
“Who was that?”
“Luke, he wants you to know everything is on time and set up or close to it.”
Mel grinned ear to ear. “Eeek! I’m getting married today!”
Jo blew on her fingers. “You’re such a dork, Mel.”
There were four of them on the porch. Along with Wyatt and Luke, Wyatt’s father sat drinking coffee, and Mark was drinking a beer.
“Is this considered supervising?” Luke asked.
Bill glanced over the paper in his hand, then ducked back to whatever he was reading. “You wanna jump in that and help, go right ahead. When someone shoots your head off for doing something wrong, you’ll be back.”
“Sounds like too much trouble for me,” Mark said.
Wyatt slouched down in his chair and closed his eyes. “Someone wake me by two.”
Luke looked at his watch. “I guess that would be my job.” Damn it . . . he could use a nap, too. But someone needed to stay awake to get the groom showered and ready on time.
“Do we have everything?” Mel asked.
They had a makeup bag, extra hair spray, and an emergency repair kit in case one of them should break a nail in the next hour.
All three of them were still in sweatpants and button-up cotton shirts. That way they wouldn’t mess up anything removing clothes to put on their dresses. Dresses that were hanging in Mel’s room at the inn.
“Oh, shit,” Jo exclaimed and then ran into her bedroom.
When she returned, she held a holstered gun the size of her palm.
“What do you need that for?” Mel asked.
Jo walked past them and out the door. “Don’t worry, it straps to my thigh. No one will know I have it.”
Zoe rolled her eyes. “Dork.”
Luke swiveled his head when the screen door opened.
Miss Gina poked her head out and motioned toward the sleeping Wyatt. “Don’t let him in here.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, the girls just arrived, and Mel doesn’t want to see him until she walks down the aisle.”
They both glanced at the sleeping groom.
“I don’t think she needs to worry.”
Miss Gina shook her head. “I’ll let you know when it’s clear.”
It took every effort and muscle under her skin to not leave Mel’s side when the trucks arrived with the food.
In their strapless gowns the color of dusty pink with silver sequins adding drama to the bodices, Jo and Zoe stood side by side, taking in the bride.
Mel’s eyes sparkled brighter than the diamond drop earrings she’d borrowed from Zoe for the day.
The photographer snapped pictures of Melanie framed by the lace-covered window.
“Spectacular.”
Jo nodded her agreement, and someone knocked on the door.
Zoe peeked out, making sure it wasn’t Wyatt.
Felicia, Mel’s mother, stood in the doorway, holding Hope’s hand.
Zoe ushered them in and quickly closed the door.
Hope wore a princess-cut dress in the same color as Zoe’s and Jo’s. With curls in her hair and flowers in the barrettes, she was a smaller version of the adults. The eyes in the room focused on Hope as she walked up to her mother and placed her hand on Mel’s dress. “Oh, Mommy, you’re beautiful.”
Mel knelt down and placed a hand on Hope’s face. “Thank you, sweetheart. And look at you. Did Grandma help with the flowers in your hair?”
Hope glanced at Felicia and nodded.
Another knock on the door announced Miss Gina and Felix, who brought with them the flowers the bridal party was going to carry.
Zoe grinned. “Not long now.”
Luke nudged Wyatt awake. “Dude.”
Wyatt blinked a few times and stretched from his chair. “Time to shower?”
“Probably not a bad idea.”
Wyatt and Luke made their way up the back stairs while Mark and Bill went around the front.
The water pressure in the inn kinda sucked, but at least it was hot.
The mothers left with the photographers, and Hope bounded down the stairs with her newest best friend, Felix.
Zoe just hoped someone had the good sense to tie up the dog far enough away that they wouldn’t hear him barking throughout the night. The image of Sir Knight frolicking through the catering trays was nails on a chalkboard in her head.