“What might work?”
“What if I told you,” Will said, “that we could take care of this tonight?” He indicated them and their rumpled clothes. “And you can have your fairytale too?”
“You just gave me my fairytale.” She held out her ring for inspection. “What are you talking about?”
He strode across the room and grabbed his guitar.
“What are you doing?”
“Listen.” He shook his head, smiling to himself, then started again. “This is going to sound corny.”
“It already does,” she teased.
“Bear with me.”
“OK.” She pulled her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. She had no idea what he was trying to do, but it had better be good after interrupting her in her throes of abandoned passion with her someday husband. She hoped their engagement wouldn’t be too long. Just enough to plan the wedding, but not years, like some of her friends.
He started playing again. It was the song they’d just written. She laughed, having no idea what he was doing.
“You’re silly.” But he ignored her and kept singing.
He had a nice country voice, and she wondered if he’d ever wanted to be a singer, and not just a songwriter or an agent. Their song was fun and romantic, a little on the silly side, and the second time through, he sang it with gusto, changing the words here and there, but when he reached the punch line where the boy and girl run off to a Vegas chapel, he put extra emphasis on “Little Nashville Chapel,” and let the note resonate across the room.
She crunched her eyebrows. “What?”
“You know. Nashville has at least one of those all night wedding chapels, like in Vegas. Remember?” He winked.
“So you want to change the song to Nashville? Isn’t that an Elvis-themed chapel you’re talking about?”
Will turned red, and she wondered what was going on. Then it hit her.
“Oh,” she said quietly, and then as his meaning grew clearer, she exclaimed, “OH!”
He nodded, sang the lick again. “What do you say? Wanna get hitched tonight?”
She laughed. “Are you kidding?”
He kept playing softly. “I’m serious.”
“You’re crazy.”
“I already told you I’m crazy about you, darlin’.” He waggled his eyebrows playfully, and his blue eyes twinkled.
She had to admit the idea charmed her. “But I want an old-fashioned wedding.”
He kept playing the guitar, musical notes dancing between them like background music to their act.
“Let’s skip the engagement. We can swing by The Sweetest Tea and pick up Tasha and June to be witnesses. I’ll call Dorothy and her husband. She’ll be fighting mad if we don’t invite them. Come on, Gillian. Let’s be crazy.”
“Our friends will think we’ve lost our heads.”
“Maybe, but I don’t care. You’re the only girl I want. Why wait?” He stopped playing, and she saw that his eyes were filled with warmth and meaning. “I want to spend my whole life with you. If that’s crazy, then I am.”
He reached for her hand and squeezed it tight. “Come on,” he said. “Let’s do it.”
She couldn’t believe this was moving so quickly, but she had to admit the recklessness of it was exciting. What if she threw caution to the wind? Would her momma be hurt if she didn’t get to plan a great big wedding?
He tugged on her hands. “Let’s go.”
“But what about Momma? You didn’t tell her about this part.”
He paused, probably remembering how she’d wanted her momma so badly at the contract signing. And this was a ton more important.
“No, I didn’t tell her about this part, but it’s probably better to wait until afterward. Moms kind of put a damper on one-stop weddings.” He pretended to wince. “Dampens the romance too.”
She grinned, her eyes flirty. “If we do this, I’m definitely making you wait until our wedding night.”
“Then we’d better hurry up, before I ruin your plan.” He leaned forward and kissed her with renewed meaning.
She giggled, a surge of joy rippling through her. “We’re doing this?”
He propped the guitar on its stand and pulled her close. “If you really want the big wedding, I’ll take you back to your apartment right now, and we’ll set a date. Or… we could get married tonight. However you want to do this, I’m OK. But why wait? We can do what we want. It’s our life.”
She laughed. “This is crazy stuff.”
“And if it makes you feel better, we’ll have a great big reception later in Gold Creek Gap. The fanciest thing you ever did see. Louise will love it.”
“This is real.” She felt the seriousness of it settle over her, not uncomfortable, but it definitely had weight. “This is forever, Will. Are we ready for that?”
What if he changed his mind a few months from now? What if she changed her mind?
“Gillian.” His voice was raw with emotion. “If you don’t mind having to live with a skinny, workaholic who has to go dragging his clients—and colleagues—out of the bar sometimes, but will take you to church on Sunday and love you to the moon and back, I’m that guy. What I’m saying is, I’d be the happiest man on Music Row if you’d marry me. Tonight.”
She bit her lip. Was she about to do this?
“Marry me tonight,” he whispered, his voice husky. Her heart pounded with an array of emotions.
Finally, she couldn’t take those puppy dog eyes any more. “OK. Yes! You don’t have to beg!”
He looked surprised, jumped up and lifted her into his arms. She wrapped her legs around him and whooped.
“Now we have to give our song a new ending.”
He set her down. “Why’s that?”
“Because they can’t wake up in the morning and regret their vows.”
“I already told you. You’re getting your happily ever after all in one night. We can rewrite the song any time we want to, and we won’t regret anything. I promise.”
~~~~
“Does that mean I get Loretta?” Tasha was standing in her waitress dress beside June at The Sweetest Tea, one hand planted on her hip.
“OK. You get Loretta, as long as you’ll be my maid of honor.” They both exploded into giggles. “And I want visiting rights.”
Tasha grabbed her hand. “You threw your rules out the window, and now you’re getting married—to a hot cowboy!” She squealed, pulling Gillian into a hug. “I’m so proud of you, girl.”
“Wait a minute!” June ran back into the kitchen and soon appeared with a pink box. She called out a few instructions to her staff and turned to Gillian. “You need some kind of cake, and I have cupcakes. And did you call ahead?”
“Um… no?” Gillian hadn’t even thought about needing to prepare. The whole thing was spontaneous.
June set the cake box down. “Someone get me the number for The Rock-and-Roll Wedding Chapel.” It turned out they needed a two-hour notice.
Gillian suddenly felt the seriousness of what she was about to do.
June grabbed her hands. “Are you ready?”
“Yes.”
In the truck, June reached from the backseat and lightly punched Will in the arm. “Where’s your Elvis costume? I’ve heard stories about this chapel. I’ve been dying to see it.”
They were off to Dorothy’s house next. She and her husband were enjoying a night of reality television while the kids were off at their grandparents’ house. They seemed thrilled to jump in their own car and follow the rowdy group to the chapel, but only after Dorothy thoroughly cross-examined Gillian to see if this was what she really wanted to do. When Gillian said yes, Dorothy smiled.
“I didn’t think anyone could have a shorter engagement than Roy and me,” Dorothy said. “And you have to let us bring you some food. I know you’ll be too busy to cook.”
“And that’s why you won’t be delivering any food,” Will quipped. Everyone laughed, including Gillian who blushed l
ike a hot summer day.
~~~~
The chapel was all white except for the flashing red and gold lights trimming the eaves. Inside was a large entrance with crimson carpet and indigo drapes. They were met by a middle-aged woman with a vintage hairdo like Priscilla Presley’s, even though her nametag just said Martha.
“Do you want an officiant or an Elvis impersonator to perform your ceremony?”
Will’s mouth dropped open. He quickly deferred to Gillian.
“They are both licensed,” she assured them.
“Then definitely Elvis.”
June, Tasha and Dorothy cheered while the men shrugged. Gillian grasped Will’s hand as Priscilla/Martha showed them to a waiting room plastered with leopard-print wall paper. It was, conveniently, a gift shop too. June and Tasha pulled Gillian over to a rack of veils. Giggling the whole time, they tried various ones on her until Dorothy finally walked over and drew the line.
“This night might be a spectacle,” Dorothy said, “but it’s not a parade.” She selected a white traditional-looking shoulder length veil and settled it on top of Gillian’s head. When she pulled it over her face, they all gasped.
Gillian glanced in the mirror. She loved it, but would Will?
She turned to see his reaction.
He looked dumbstruck.
~~~~
Will swallowed, trying to clear the catch in his throat. He let his eyes travel over the silky white shirt she wore with a pair of jeans that fit her just right and those same boots she always had on. She looked gorgeous as always, but the veil transformed her. It struck him with a jolt that she was going to be his wife. What was it about a woman in a wedding veil that could make a man turn all mushy? He couldn’t speak. He crossed the room and took her hand, staring at her through the gauzy fabric.
“Beautiful,” he finally managed to say.
He wished they could be alone, so he could tell her what he was thinking without the prying eyes of their friends, but as he was about to pull her into a corner, Elvis showed up. He introduced himself as Elvis. Will shook his hand. He’d seen plenty of Elvis impersonators in Nashville, so he wasn’t at all surprised by the dyed-black hair and long sideburns, but the sight of him made the women twitter. They made an unnecessarily big deal about his snow white jumpsuit that was splattered with more rhinestones than Will had seen at The Grand Ole Opry.
“Thank you. Thank you very much. Now follow me.” They filled out some paperwork, and Elvis reminded them they’d need to make a trip to the courthouse later.
Gillian grabbed his arm. “I’m going to be your wife!” She grinned. “Your wife!”
For a terrifying moment he thought his eyes were getting all wet, but with a sniff he pulled her close. He couldn’t begin to describe the emotion that coursed through him, despite the light-heartedness of the Elvis chapel.
He was getting married, and he couldn’t wait to get his bride back home again.
“Let’s get on with the show. We’re in a bit of a hurry.”
~~~~
The actual chapel was surprisingly tasteful with traditional pews covered with red cushions, a brocade carpet running up the aisle, and a heavy oak pulpit in front. Gillian stood right outside the entrance door, peeking in as Will swaggered up the aisle, followed by Roy and Dorothy. Gillian giggled nervously at June and Tasha’s antics as they danced down the aisle in their waitress dresses dropping silk rose petals. Elvis stood behind the podium, microphone in hand, crooning Love Me Tender in a soulful voice.
Before Gillian was ready, Priscilla/Martha gave her a gentle shove. She stumbled into the aisle, clutching her bouquet of roses with shaking hands. Will stood about twenty feet away with a broad grin on his face. He was awfully attractive in his jeans, boots and a white shirt. He’d combed that scruffy hair, but it showed signs of his running his hands through it, the way he always did when he was impatient or nervous. Right now, he looked both.
Behind the wedding party, Elvis, in a pair of gold-rimmed, dark sunglasses finished his song and guided Gillian to the correct spot.
“Dearly beloved,” Elvis said in a pitch perfect voice that made Gillian want to giggle. He gestured toward the witnesses. “If anyone has reservations about these two getting hitched, speak now or never—their love won’t wait.”
Everyone laughed, but nobody spoke.
The vows were Elvis-themed: Gillian promised not to step on Will’s blue suede shoes, and Will told Gillian she was his little darlin’—which she already knew.
“Then do you, Will Adams, take this little darlin’ to be your wife?”
He grasped her hands, and the Elvis wedding trappings, the performance of it, fell away.
“I do.”
“And do you, little darlin’, take Will Adams to be your husband?”
She opened her mouth to answer, but before she could say the words she wanted to say, she felt the waterworks coming. Will’s eyes grew wide. June and Tasha moved to comfort her, but Will beat them to it. Reaching under her veil, he took her face in his hands.
~~~~
Will couldn’t bear to see her cry. He smoothed away her tears with his thumbs, remembering the day she’d cried in his office. That wasn’t all that long ago either.
Had he been wrong to think she was ready?
“What’s the matter? I thought you wanted to get married.”
She smiled a little, but a small sob escaped her throat. She closed her eyes.
“Look at me, Gillian.” She blinked, her eyes wide and glistening. Will’s heart twisted with apprehension. If she didn’t say yes, it would crush him.
Elvis handed Gillian a tissue. She turned away from Will, and let Tasha and June clean up her makeup the best they could under the circumstances. Dorothy also appeared by her side and placed a firm hand on Gillian’s arm, seeming ready to spirit her away. Will’s shoulders sagged.
It looked like all the women were in agreement. Gillian turned back to him, her eyes still shining, but the mascara that’d started streaming down her cheeks was gone. He had no idea what’d just happened, but her smile grounded him to the spot.
She took a deep breath. “I do… I do want to marry you.” She turned to Elvis. “I do.”
“You’d better kiss her now,” Elvis instructed. “Before you run out of time.”
Will flipped her veil back, wrapped one hand around her waist and the other gently at the nape of her neck. He kissed her with a barely restrained passion that left her gasping for breath. Cheers went up, and amidst all the celebrating, he leaned to whisper in her ear.
~~~~
Will’s breath was warm on her cheek, sending little shivers along her neck.
“Let’s get out of here,” he said. “I’m ready for our wedding night.”
“Me too.” And she was, but they still had to suffer through cupcakes and a champagne toast, which wasn’t too bad since eating a cupcake had never been a form of suffering in Gillian’s opinion. And once they toasted their undying love, they rushed joyfully through a paltry shower of bird seed and out to Will’s truck. Will and Roy shook hands, while Dorothy, June and Tasha hugged Gillian and pushed her into the truck. Will honked as they drove away, and when Gillian turned to wave, they were all climbing into Roy’s car.
Will patted the seat beside him. “Git over here, little darlin’.”
Gillian scooted across the seat, straddling the gear shift. She adjusted the cheap veil, smiling to herself.
“Was it a good enough wedding?” Will asked. “You weren’t sad it wasn’t some big affair, were you?”
She laughed. “It was a huge affair. Didn’t you see Elvis?” She tipped her face to kiss his cheek before settling back into her seat beside him. “And it was perfect.”
And it was perfect. She didn’t want to forget a minute of it, so on her way home she replayed the whole thing in her mind, memorizing every detail. When they rambled up the driveway of Will’s—no, their—home, the stars beyond the magnolia trees looked a little bit brighter.
>
Will put the truck in park and turned off the ignition. He smiled, and not for the last time, she was struck by what an attractive man he was, and a good one too. She knew she’d married a man who would never, ever leave her.
“Welcome home, Mrs. Gillian Adams.” She loved the sound of her new name on his lips. “Stay right here.”
He got out of the truck and met her on the passenger side.
“What are you doing?”
He lifted her out of the truck and cradled her in his arms. “Carrying my bride over the threshold.”
“Wait.” She reached for her purse and a small red Elvis bag.
“What’s that?”
“A wedding present from the girls.”
He kicked the truck door closed and easily carried her up the long flight of steps all the way to the door. She giggled as he fumbled with the key while balancing her at the same time.
“You know you can put me down for a second.”
“No, I can’t.” Finally, he got the door open, and before he carried her through it, he paused. “You ready for this?”
“I’ve never been more ready for anything in my life.”
He carried her over the threshold, kicked the door shut behind them, and headed up the stairs.
“Which room?”
She laughed, seriously afraid he might drop her if she didn’t make a decision fast. She thought of the one he’d shown her with the big bay window and pointed toward it.
He nodded and shortly deposited her on the bed. Propping herself up on a pillow, she watched him, amused and suitably amazed, at how fast he took off his clothes. He stood like a Greek god, she mused, staring down at her. Her heart skipped a beat.
He smiled that sexy half-smile. “Get naked, darlin’, or I’m going to undress you myself.”
“Is that another come-on line?”
He headed toward the bed. “No, it’s a promise.”
She hopped out of the bed before he could reach her and grabbed the little red bag.
“Be right back.”
~~~~
Nashville by Heart: A Novel Page 16