Every Yesterday (Boot Creek)

by Nancy Naigle

  “If it’s going to look natural, can’t I just go au naturel?” Megan scrunched her lips.

  “No,” they all said.

  “Got it. Fine.”

  “Quit making faces,” Katy chided.

  “Sorry.”

  “Okay, look at me.”

  Megan lifted her chin and looked at Katy, then batted her eyelashes. “Beautiful?”

  “Very,” Flynn said. “Well, you will be when I fix that mop. What’d you do? Dry your hair with the mixer by mistake?”

  “Long story,” Megan said.

  “Get over here.”

  Megan followed Flynn and sat down in the chair where Angie had been, while Katy and Angie started working through the order of how to get Angie in her getup for the day.

  Flynn pulled a comb through Megan’s waves.

  “Oh, wait, before you get started, let’s do the old-new-borrowed-blues with Angie.” Megan bounced out of her seat and took a small box out of her tote bag.

  Flynn and Katy dispersed and came back with boxes—all of them wrapped in Tiffany blue wrapping paper with white ribbons.

  “You didn’t have to do this. I think I have it covered.”

  “Oh no, we’re not taking any chances,” Megan grinned.

  “It was Megan’s plan. She rocks the maid-of-honor spot,” Flynn said. “We were excited to do this.”

  Angie dropped into the Queen Anne chair next to a coffee table. “Y’all are going to make me cry before I even get dressed. This isn’t fair.”

  “All’s fair in love,” Megan reminded her.

  “Open this one first.” Flynn stepped forward and placed her box on the table. In the top right corner in black script, it read “Something Old.”

  Katy put one of hers on the table. “Something new,” she said, and then laid down the other one. “This one is from Naomi. It’s the something borrowed . . .” Katy practically bounced with excitement. “You’re going to die. I can’t wait to see your face.”

  Angie laughed. “And I can’t open that one first? Really? That’s torture.”

  “Oh, stop complaining.” Megan set the last box on the table. “Something blue, and a lucky sixpence in your shoe,” Megan said, stepping back to stand with the other girls; they held hands. “Open them.”

  “I couldn’t have better friends. I love y’all.” Angie started with “Something Old.” Placing the box in her lap, she pinched the end of the white, satiny ribbon and tugged. She laid the ribbon aside, too pretty to waste, then slipped her manicured fingernail under the edge of the paper to unwrap it.

  “We couldn’t let you go through this life-changing event without all the tokens of good luck for a bride.”

  “I’d never heard the sixpence part. What the heck is a sixpence?” Flynn shrugged. “Glad I didn’t get that one to do.”

  “It’s the wish for good fortune and prosperity, but I had to look it up. I found one on online.” Megan shrugged.

  “Guess I know what’s in that box then,” Angie said with a nervous giggle.

  Her laughter coming to a halt, as she opened the “Something Old” box, “It’s beautiful. It has to be vintage.”

  Megan watched as Angie carefully slipped her nail into space between the two wings of the tiny gold locket until it opened. Inside there were pictures of Billy and Jackson. “This is perfect. Thank you, Flynn. So thoughtful.”

  Flynn beamed. “I had the little loop changed so you can use it as a charm instead of a necklace. It’s so pretty. So you. And the something old is for continuity.” Flynn stepped over and hugged Angie.

  Angie shook her head as she focused on Katy. “I’m glad we didn’t do my makeup yet.” She picked up the “Something New” box.

  Katy said, “That one is from Derek and me. He picked it out. The something new offers optimism for the future. Derek is always saying that you are the most optimistic person in the world, so you probably don’t need it, but you deserve it anyway.”

  “A gold bracelet? This is gorgeous. Oh, my gosh. I love it. For the charm, right?” She looked to Flynn and back to Katy.

  “Yes,” Katy quickly added, “But we don’t expect you to wear it today. You’ll see. There’s a theme here.”

  “Why wouldn’t I?” Angie held the gifts in her hand, treasuring them.

  Megan interjected, “Because we all know you’re wearing your mother’s pearl necklace and matching bracelet. Those are special and you should wear them. This is for the happily-ever-after. Keep going.”

  “Fine. Something borrowed then. You said this is from Naomi?” Angie asked as she pulled the ribbon from that box.

  The girls nodded.

  “Diamonds and pearls? Oh my gosh, this ring has to be every bit of what? Like, four carats?”

  “Only three according to Naomi, but I’m with you—that’s one big diamond,” Katy said. “It was just sitting in her jewelry box.”

  “And the pearls have the most beautiful bluish tint.” She pressed her lips together, and tried the ring on different fingers of her right hand, settling on her middle finger. “Holy smokes.”

  The girls were giddy.

  Angie held her hand out, wiggling her finger so that the light cast a prism on the wall across the room. “She’s letting me wear this for the wedding?”

  “It was her idea,” Katy said. “I swear, it’s like an Elizabeth Taylor ring or something.”

  She lifted her hand to show them. “It fits perfectly on my middle finger. Amazing. Look how it shimmers.”

  “Something borrowed symbolizes borrowed happiness, and Naomi said that no one on this earth could have had a more blessed and happy life than her. She wants you to walk in her shoes.”

  “That is so sweet.” Angie fanned her eyes. “This is too much. My eyes are going to be puff bags.”

  “No worries. The maid of honor has witch hazel. It fixes everything.” Megan walked over and got the bottle and some pads from her bag. “Weep on, wedding girl. I’ve got you covered.”

  “Thank goodness.” Angie picked up the “Something Blue” box.

  “Something blue is for love,” Megan said. “And fidelity.”

  “So that’s what I did wrong the first time,” Angie teased. “Didn’t have the right shade of blue.”

  “No. You didn’t listen to me the first time,” Megan said. “This time you have my complete blessing.”

  “He is great.” Angie opened the box that held a blue pearl charm by the engraved gold clasp. In perfect tiny letters, her wedding date and new monogram were engraved. She picked up the sixpence. “Am I supposed to put this in my shoe? I’m wearing sandals. That is not going to work.”

  Megan pointed to the box. “I put a glue dot in the bottom of the box. You can glue it in the arch of your sandal or under your shoe on the inside of the heel or something.

  “Good idea. This is perfect. Y’all put so much thought into all of this.” She pulled the tissue paper aside. “There’s more in this box.”

  “And the rest of the story,” Flynn added in her best Andy Rooney impression.

  Two soft blue garters. A slim one and a wide one.

  “Two,” Megan said. “The slim one is for Jackson to slingshot to the single guys. It has extra bouncy stretchy elastic. The other one is for you. All of your good luck treasures fit into the little pocket sewn into it.”

  “How clever.” Angie stood and hugged each of them one by one. Tears streaming down her face. “I am the luckiest woman in the world.”

  “Okay, get it out. Because there will be no more crying today.” Megan dampened two of the cotton pads with witch hazel. “Hold your breath. This stuff stinks, but it is a freaking wonder drug. Lay back in that chair and let me put these on you while we get everything laid out for you.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Angie said. “It does stink. I better not smell like this.”

  “It dissipates. Trust me.” Megan and the girls started slipping out of their casuals and into their gowns. Then laid everything out for Angie.


  “Okay, let’s look at your eyes,” Megan said. “Katy, what do you think?”

  Katy put her fingers under Angie’s chin. “A masterpiece. Let’s get this going. I’ll do makeup first. We’ll all do lipstick last so we don’t get it on our dresses. Come over here in front of the mirror, Angie. The light’s better.”

  Angie got settled and Katy got herself ready and then went to work like an expert.

  Megan sat in the straight-back chair and let Flynn work her magic on her hair. Less than twenty minutes later, her hair looked like it could be on the cover of a bride’s magazine. “Flynn, this is magical. Thank you.”

  All of them were made up and the girls were in their gowns, except for Angie. “I’m starting to get nervous.” Angie balled her hands in her lap.

  “You’re going to be fine. You’re a beautiful bride getting ready to marry the man of your dreams,” Katy said.

  “What if he changes his mind and doesn’t show up?”

  “Why would he do that,” Megan asked. “That doesn’t even make sense.”

  “It happens. I’ve seen it. Heard stories.”

  “I’ll go make sure he’s here,” Flynn said. “I’ll be right back.”

  Flynn breezed out of the door in her soft blue gown and strappy sandals. The old heavy oak door clicked loudly behind her.

  “I wonder if Billy is nervous?”

  “Don’t you melt down on me,” Megan said. “I’ll lose my maid-of-honor card. I worked hard for this.” Megan tried to get Angie to laugh, or at least breathe. She winked at Katy. “There was tough competition.”

  “Yeah, Flynn and I were just waiting for her to screw up,” Katy added.

  “See. Don’t ruin all my hard work.”

  Angie reached up and grabbed Megan’s hand. “Thanks.”

  Flynn walked back into the room and closed the door behind her. “This is so exciting. People are starting to arrive. The church looks beautiful. Angie, Billy looks so stinking cute. I wanted to gobble him up in that little suit. And Jackson is so excited I swear he looks like he won the big lottery. Not a worry that I could see.”

  Angie let out a breath. “Billy was okay?”

  “High-fiving and fist-bumping with the guys. He even showed me how he’s going to carry the pillow with the rings. He’s very proud to be in the wedding.”

  “My little man.”

  “Let’s get you in your dress, Angie.” Megan helped Angie into her gown, and then Katy took over with the last details on makeup. Nothing left to do now but wait for someone to tell them to start walking.

  Jackson reached down, picked up Billy, and placed him up in the windowsill. “Now, you’re on our level, sport.”

  “Thanks, Daddy Jax.”

  Noah loved the nickname Billy had made up for Jackson. He hoped Angie wasn’t going to kill them for that, but it had happened in the middle of things this morning after Billy picked up that Noah called Jackson “Jax.”

  Billy had just stood there letting Jackson put a flower on his suit lapel for an incredibly long time, even for an adult, but the kid had been a trooper. Then he’d looked up and said, “Thanks, Jax.” Ford had laughed and said, “you can’t call your daddy by his first name,” and Billy said. “I can call you Daddy Jax. Okay?”

  And Noah wouldn’t soon forget the kindness that seemed to fill Jackson’s face at that moment. Hell, all of them had traded a look. It was pretty touching.

  Jackson had bent down on his knee, eye-to-eye with Billy. “I’d be honored,” he’d said.

  The waiting around was making Noah stir-crazy. To go from the adrenaline rush with Megan this morning to the dead stop of waiting around in this musty dungeon before the wedding was hell.

  “When you think about it, this whole wedding procession thing seems backwards. I mean the girls are the ones dying to get those fancy gowns that cost a month’s salary on and be seen like runway models walking down the aisle, and yet they stick us out there for an awkwardly long time before those girls are ever seen.” Noah ran a finger between his collar and neck. He had a feeling wherever they had all the pretty girls stashed was a lot nicer than this dark stuffy room they were crammed into.

  “Does seem backwards, doesn’t it?” Ford agreed.

  “Yeah.” Derek said, “But you guys won’t understand until you’ve gone through it. Man, seeing your girl that day . . . In all white. Just for you. Indescribable.”

  “I’ll take your word for that,” Noah said.

  “Maybe I’ll be able to describe it. Ask me at the reception,” Jackson said with a poke to Noah’s ribs.

  A knock came at the door. Noah opened it and poked his head out.

  “That’s our signal. Time for us to take our positions.” As best man, he made sure they all lined up in the right order like they’d practiced the night before. And Derek, who’d been hanging with them, took Billy with him. He’d send Billy down the aisle and then hang back to walk his best friend, Angie, down the aisle to give her away.

  “Last chance.” Noah’s brows rose. “What’s it going to be?”

  Jackson smiled and said, “We’re doing this, man.”

  “Then let’s roll.” Noah prodded Jackson and he walked out to the altar.

  Jackson looked happy, but it felt more like lining up in front of a firing squad to Noah.

  The church was packed. At least the air was moving out here, but he was already hot from being cooped up in that room. Jackson looked suddenly pale. And sweating.

  “You gonna be okay, man?” Heck, if all those satiny looking bows and flowers on each pew weren’t enough to make a man sweat, the fact that there were more people in this church than in a sports bar on Super Bowl was.

  Jackson nodded, smiling like he was afraid someone might have heard them. “Yeah. I’m just a little bit nervous. This looks like a lot more than seventy people.”

  “I can get you out of here.”

  Jackson laughed. “Not that damn nervous. I love her. I’m excited. I can’t wait to make her mine forever.”

  “Don’t call me in five years and tell me I was right.”

  They fist bumped, and there was a low chuckle from the front row.

  “She’s a great gal. Don’t worry,” Noah said. And there it was. Another one of his friends getting married. And being completely sure of it. Not one doubt.

  As usual, he stood there with this weird sense of curiosity. He’d never come close to feeling that romantic love that seemed to make his friends get married. Even his engagements had been more of those women wearing him down than something he’d really felt. He felt a little like a naturalist observing some odd phenomenon, detached but totally engulfed in the whole thing as it unfolded in front of him.

  Soaring wooden ceilings warm with the patina of time made the big church still feel intimate. Noah felt the pull of the colors and distinct artistry of a large, triangular, stained-glass window depicting Christ as our good shepherd above the baptistery. Another large stained-glass window depicting Mary meeting the risen Christ in the garden dominated the front of the building.

  The building was reminiscent of a capsized ship with large wooden beams representing the bare hull. An image that reminded Noah of the words of his grandfather about how important our faith is in the midst of a stormy journey.

  And for a moment, Noah felt closer to his grandfather. He wasn’t sure if that had something to do with Megan’s DeSoto or with being here in this church with that memory. He hadn’t thought of that conversation with him in such a long time.

  The prelude music flooding the space from the Moller pipe organ suddenly shifted, and the doors opened at the back of the church.

  Noah watched with a curious eye as Flynn and then Katy walked down the aisle. Noah felt smug, like the one with all the marbles as his friends, old and new, seemed to look drugged with romance, yet he remained unaffected.

  Then Megan stepped into the doorway and began her procession down the aisle.

  His mouth went dry. He knew it was her. But
she didn’t look like the young thing he was cruising down the highway with a couple hours ago.

  Her hair was up in a fancy twisty updo just like the other girls, but on her it looked different. Soft. Innocent. Curling pieces had fallen forward to her cheek, that soft cheek.

  He felt the incredible urge to rush forward and brush them back. Her eyes were smoky and her lips the softest pink, like a soft rose begging to bloom.

  She took cautious steps up to the altar. Her bright pink toenails peeking out from the strappy shoes with each step. The way the soft blue dress moved around her legs, no stockings, her tan legs begged for his attention.

  Megan took her spot, directly in line with him, and smiled.

  She looked more beautiful than he could have imagined. She was gorgeous all sweaty with paint splotched on her. But this? This he wasn’t prepared for.

  She wrinkled her nose, her perfect smile turning to a playful grin. Even though her lips were pressed together, he could tell they were quivering slightly.

  Excitement. Nerves. He didn’t know, but whatever it was . . . it suited her.

  The rising sound of a collective awwww broke his attention. Beside him, Jackson was giving Billy a thumbs up as the little boy marched proudly down the aisle in his tiny tuxedo with that white satin pillow in his hands. He clutched that thing like it was his favorite toy and someone was going to try to take it from him. He climbed the steps and shook Jackson’s hand.

  Everyone in the room was smiling.

  Billy turned and looked at the rest of the guys with a knowing smile. That little guy knew exactly what was going on and he seemed as excited as Jackson.

  I’d have my ring bearer ride down in one of those little cars. Beep beep.

  What the hell am I thinking? I’m not having one of these.

  Noah bent his knees and then straightened them again, those last thoughts making him wonder if he was about to pass out or something. Crazy. He was losing it, but he wouldn’t deny that there was a tug on his heart at the sight of stepfather and son. The happiness in that pint-sized little boy’s face was immeasurable.