Daring Brides (14 page)

He leaned closer so only she could hear him. “I can’t wait to lift your skirts up and give you a few pinches in other places.”

“Rhett!” she cried out like she was embarrassed, but he knew it was only foreplay.

He said outrageous things. She protested for show. And they both enjoyed everything he’d promised to do to her once they were behind closed doors.

After bending down to kiss her cheek, he nudged her in the direction of the head table. “I’ll just be a minute.”

Of course, that turned out to be more difficult than he’d anticipated. Other guests wanted to offer their congratulations. He finally had to be as rude as a redneck drinking outside of church on a Sunday so he could get Abbie her plate of food. He prayed it wasn’t cold.

“Sorry, sugar,” he said when he finally reached her. “I got swarmed.”

She fingered the edge of the plate after he set it in front of her. “It looks wonderful.”

“Can I grab you anything else?” he asked.

“You don’t have to wait on me, Rhett.”

“It is my deepest honor, Mrs. Butler.” He bowed at the waist.

“I like the sound of that,” she said, spearing an asparagus. “Now, run and get your plate.”

He was rounding the table when Rye, who was seated four chairs down, right next to Eugenia, stood. “Go sit with your bride. I can get you some food. What do you want?”

His relief was as powerful as drinking Alka-Seltzer for a hangover. “You know what I like.”

“I think that’s what your bride is supposed to say,” Rye said with a dopey grin. “Take a load off, bubba. I’ll be right back.”

Someone brought him another mint julep after he took his seat. He’d lost his on his trek back to the table. When Rye brought him a plate, it was piled high with all his favorites. He dug into the ribs first. Took a bite of the maple cornbread and collard greens. Then he mowed down a dozen crayfish. And since Abbie hadn’t agreed to his marvelous idea of providing wedding bibs for their guests, he stuffed his napkin in his collar so he wouldn’t get BBQ sauce or crayfish drippings on his suit. When his mama started laughing like she’d uncovered a dirty little secret from Rye, who was seated on her right, he looked over and noticed the BBQ stain on the fabric above her bosom.

Since he wanted to keep peace in his marriage—even if it had only been legal for a couple hours—he did not point out that he’d been right about the bibs.

When he was as full as a prized hog, he leaned back in his chair and laid his arm across the top of Abbie’s chair. Someone clinked a glass, and the crowd noise dissipated. Rye stood up.

“Thank y’all for giving me a moment of your attention. As one of Rhett’s oldest friends, I drew the short straw today to give a toast to the bride and groom. Just kidding. I’ve known Rhett for a long time now, and I have to say, I don’t think it will ever be long enough. He’s one of the best guys you could ever meet. Generous. Loyal. A true friend. A man like that would be hard-pressed to find a woman who deserved him, but I can attest to y’all that Abbie is that and more. She is like the first sweet rose in spring. And she makes my friend happier than I have ever seen him, and for that she has my undying gratitude.”

Crap. Rye was going to make him bawl like a baby if he kept at it. He dabbed his eyes with his napkin bib.

“Today they begin their life together, and I know it’s going to last as long as their time on this earth. To Rhett and Abbie.”

Everyone raised their glasses and echoed Rye’s last words. After he drank, Rhett caressed the soft curls on Abbie’s neck under her French twist. Her eyes were tearing just like his were.

Mac cleared his throat as he stood. “Rye couldn’t have put it more elegantly, being a singer and songwriter and all, but I’d like to offer my own toast to the bride and groom. Abbie is everything Rye said and more. She’s gracious and kind. And she has one of the most loving hearts you’ll ever have the pleasure of encountering. I’m so fortunate to be her brother and to have shared so much of my adult life with her. And Rhett…well, Rhett came into my life when I needed a friend.”

Mac Maven was going for a home run, Rhett thought as he knuckled more tears away.

“In the beginning, Rhett was as different from me as an apple is from an orange, but there was just something about him. He’s one of the most fun people you’ll ever meet and loyal beyond words, just like Rye said. It’s been my privilege to be his friend, and now I have him as my brother. Welcome to the family, Rhett. May today mark your passage into one of the best parts of your life. And to Abbie. No other man could love you more or better, and nothing could make me happier than to see the two of you together. To Rhett and Abbie.”

Abbie sniffed by his side and took a drink of her champagne. “I’m going to have to redo my makeup again after all this.”

Then, from the corner of his eye, Rhett saw Dustin stand up to speak. Abbie was next to him, so she swiveled in her chair to stare up at him.

“No one but the wedding planner and Uncle Mac knew I was going to make a toast,” the young man said, sweating under the light of the chandeliers.

Rhett’s heart turned as soft as grits, and he reached for Abbie’s hand under the table.

“I’ve been lucky enough to know Rhett most of my life since he’s one of Uncle Mac’s oldest friends. All my life…I’ve wished he was my dad…and today he became that. Not only because he married my mom, but because he’s started…the process to adopt me.”

A soft sigh crested across the room as nearly every man and woman wiped away tears.

“Usually they say the bride and the groom are the luckiest people in the world on their wedding day, but…well, I’m the luckiest one because I have both of them for the rest of my life.” He turned his head away from the crowd to look at them. “To my mom and dad.”

Now Abbie started crying in earnest, and Rhett leaned across her to pull the boy down so all three of them could embrace.

“You’re the best son a man could ever have, Dustin,” he whispered through his own tears.

They took their moment, and Rhett heard soft music come on in the background as people resumed their conversations. When they finally broke apart, they simply looked at each other, love shining in their eyes.

“Okay,” Dustin said finally. “That was intense.”

“The intensest,” Abbie said, trying to make a joke.

It made them all laugh. “We’re the lucky ones, Dustin,” Rhett said.

His son nodded. “Aren’t you supposed to cut the cake or something?”

Yeah, they probably needed to do something constructive now, or they’d all be crying like babies in the corner for the rest of the night.

“How about it, Abbie?” Rhett asked her. “You ready for some cake?”

She rose from her chair. “Let me check my makeup.”

“You look beautiful,” he said, gazing at her loveliness.

“Thank you, but I don’t think you could possibly see a hair out of place right now.” She excused herself.

She was right. That’s why they call them rose-colored glasses, after all.

When she returned, they made the journey to the cake table. Abbie’s apricot-filled Lady Baltimore with buttercream frosting was exactly the color of her favorite rose. He didn’t like white cake with fruit in it, so he suffered through one bite to her two or three.

“Okay,” she said with a sigh. “We can go cut your cake now.”

Usually the bride and groom didn’t cut the groom’s cake, but he’d told her they would just have to start their own tradition. He was going to darn well make sure he had a piece of his own cake. Sometimes the groom never ended up getting a piece of cake in the melee of the reception, and the prospect horrified him. When he cut it, he knew he’d been right to insist. The chocolate was pure sin—just like he liked—and he grew light-headed after just two bites.

“This is delicious,” he told her. “I might die on the spot.”

She leaned in and pressed a frosting-coated finger to his lips. “Please don’t. I have plans for you on our honeymoon.”

He didn’t suck her finger into his mouth like he wanted to, but by the slumberous look in her eyes, he knew she was thinking about how much he was resisting the urge.

“Later,” he whispered. “Make sure the wedding planner packs us up a few pieces of cake to take to New Orleans.”

“I already told her to snag some,” she said with a wink.

“I like it when you’re all organized and detail oriented,” he whispered, pulling her flush against his body, not caring about the crowd.

The chiming of metal against glass rang out and gained in volume, signaling that the crowd wanted a kiss. He was more than happy to oblige.

“Perfect timing,” he said as he pressed her mouth to his.

She tasted of apricot and chocolate and was so intoxicating he nearly carried her off then and there. But his mama would slap the back of his head for his foolishness, and it would be embarrassing.

He finally was able to angle them over to Jane and Elizabeth. “Hey, girls,” he said, kissing their cheeks one at a time.

“Abbie, you are the most beautiful bride ever,” Elizabeth said. “Thank you again for letting us come today.”

“Rhett considers you sisters,” she replied. “You just had to come.”

“And we’re pretty normal looking, right?” Jane asked, gesturing to her outfit.

Rhett snorted. “I purposely didn’t tell Mama, Charleston, Rye, or the other guys about your new roles yet. I wanted to make sure no one would recognize you.” He would drop the bomb another time. Part of him was enjoying the secret, truth be told. And heaven knew his mama couldn’t keep a secret, a quality the mint juleps would only intensify.

“You look lovely,” Abbie said. “It’s…nice…seeing you look like everyone else.”

Rhett cleared his throat. “Ah, sugar. Isn’t it time for our first dance soon?”

Elizabeth and Jane both met his gaze, trying to hold back smiles. They both knew Abbie was still warming to them, but no one needed a reminder of the over-the-top outfits they used to wear as his poker babes.

“I think it might be,” she said. “Thanks for coming again.”

Jane and Elizabeth hugged him and then headed off to their seats. Rhett signaled to the band to let them know they were ready. When they began to play the first strings of the song Abbie had chosen, he led her onto the dance floor. They swayed to “Night and Day” by Cole Porter, and she felt so good in his arms that he twirled her around like his mama had taught him to do when he was a sprout. As soon as he dipped her, she laughed with abandon, an unusual sound for her in public. But today wasn’t just any day. She was happy. Happier than he’d ever seen her. When the song ended, he kissed her because he could.

“I have a surprise for you,” he said and left her in the middle of the dance floor.

He signaled to Rye, who was standing at the edge of the room with his guitar in his hands. Keeping his gaze on his wife, Rhett took the microphone from the lead singer of the band. Abbie was already tearing up in anticipation.

“I wrote a song for my bride,” he told the crowd. “My friend, Rye Crenshaw, is going to sing it for y’all.”

When he walked back across the dance floor and took her in his arms, she squeezed him with all the love he was feeling inside.

***

Abbie had wondered if Rhett would write a song for their wedding. It was how he’d officially won her heart, after all—with Rye’s help, he’d serenaded her on a cold winter night.

As she gazed into his eyes, she raised her hand to his jaw. “I love you. So much.”

“And I love you.”

Rye strummed the guitar and started to sing the words.

My angel wife,

Sent from above,

How did you find me?

How did you hear my call?

I’ve been calling to you,

Asking for you,

Praying for you.

And now, you’re mine.

My love is strong.

You can trust it.

My heart is true.

You can count on it.

I will always be here.

You will always be mine.

And I…

Will always be yours.

When Rye finished singing, Abbie pressed her wet face against Rhett’s suit and let herself go to pieces. How was it she’d become lucky enough to fall for a man with so much love inside, who bravely gave words to it for all to hear?

“You are simply the most amazing man I’ve ever met, Rhett Butler Blaylock,” she finally composed herself enough to say.

His eyes were bright too, and he gently traced the tear tracks on her face. “I’ll give you fair warning. I plan to write a song when we have our first child.”

More tears swelled in her eyes and fell down her cheeks. Even though Dustin was a teenager, she and Rhett had talked about having more children together. They wanted to have the experience of raising children together.

“I can’t wait to hear it,” she said in a hoarse voice.

And as the band started playing the next song, she knew Rhett would be writing lots more songs about them, their children, and their life together.