The Wedding

by Lorhainne Eckhart

  “Not at all! You give that precious boy to me,” Emily said, taking the baby and holding him as he snuggled, appearing content while Diana righted her clothes and fastened her overall straps.

  “Do you want me to take him back?” Diana asked.

  “No, he’s fine right here,” Emily said as she gazed down at the baby with such longing that Candy again wondered what was wrong with her. She prayed no one offered her the baby to hold. She was terrified and not even a tiny bit intrigued.

  “Candy, I’m glad the men went out and it’s just us,” Diana said, sharing a conspiratorial glance with Emily.

  “Oh, and why is that?” Candy asked.

  “So we can give you a wedding present,” she answered.

  Candy glanced from Emily to Diana, a bit confused and leery of receiving any more gifts. “You didn’t buy me anything, did you?” she asked.

  Both women laughed, but it was Diana who said, “No, it’s much better. Our wedding gift to you will be the key to handling a Friessen man.”

  Candy blinked before realizing these two women seemed to understand her soon-to-be husband a lot better than she did.

  Chapter 18

  The house was alive with a commotion of voices, caterers, and vehicles. A steady buzz vibrated through the entire house, rising from downstairs.

  Candy was still in bed, doing her best to sleep in. Neil had climbed out of bed, pressed a kiss to her forehead and lips, and then dressed and left, taking his tux, which had still been in the garment bag in the closet, and closing the door behind him. That had been two hours ago, and Candy was now starving but had no intention of setting one foot outside that door and facing what she was positive was a small army downstairs. Her back, however, was killing her. It was a dull throb lower down, and no matter which way she moved, she couldn’t relieve the ache. She was sure it was from all the stress and anxiety of this whirlwind wedding, listening to all the information about these complex, difficult men, and being invaded last night by the entire Friessen clan, with babies and children everywhere. She’d worked herself up, and it was no wonder her back was in knots.

  Their cousin, Andy, showed up at dinnertime with his young, blonde wife, Laura, their newborn twins, and a little boy. Candy had managed to piece together that the boy wasn’t Andy’s but the result of a teenage pregnancy on the part of his child bride, who wasn’t even of legal drinking age. On top of that, children seemed to be running everywhere, and Brad and Emily’s five-bedroom, two-storey home had suddenly become an overcrowded madhouse. Everyone else, including Neil’s parents, who had arrived right behind Laura and Andy, seemed happy and celebratory, hugging and cooing over babies and tossing each of the rambunctious, out-of-control kids—well, in Candy’s mind, anyway—around.

  Candy herself had found a spot in the living room, against the wall, perched on a hard straight-back bench. Neil had joined her twice, leaving each time when one of the kids landed on him, which meant she had been left alone most of the night. Thankfully, the children seemed to have spotted her unease and steered clear.

  Candy hadn’t moped and pouted in the corner, though. She didn’t do stuff like that. What she had done was remain polite, responding with all the right things, saying “Nice to meet you” to Laura and Andy and forcing such a phony smile on her face that everyone had to know something was wrong. Laura was quiet and seemed to be quite close with Diana and Jed. She wasn’t outgoing and had been busy most of the night with nursing one baby then the other. Andy was a force of nature, darker than his cousins, with blue eyes instead of brown, but he had the same rugged, drop-dead gorgeous, magnificently sculpted body. He was the best-looking man, in a dark sort of way, that Candy had ever seen—and he terrified her.

  Becky had come over once and asked if she was all right, if she needed anything. Of course, Candy had lied as if there was no tomorrow, saying she was fine. Rodney, her new father-in-law, had watched her as well from across the room.

  Dinner had ended up being the barbeque Candy had wanted for the wedding, with baked beans, potatoes, salad, and what she was positive had to have been half a cow. Everyone had eaten except Candy. She had picked at her food, moving it around her plate, but the ache in her back from sitting so straight and being tense for so long was starting to bother her. To top it off, she’d had a headache that had been creeping up on her for most of the day. Neil had been happier than she’d ever seen him. Watching the brothers together with their cousin, they resembled a formidably strong pack, and any fool could see they were very much the heads of their households.

  She had watched each of the women from across the room: Emily with her children, Diana with hers, and Laura always carrying around one of her babies. These women loved their families, their children, and their roles, and Candy had no doubt, by the way each of the men watched over them and their children, that the Friessens would kill anyone who tried to hurt their families. She had swallowed when the same look came into Neil’s eyes from across the room. It was powerful, overwhelming, to the point that she had felt caged in. It was… freaking her out. She had swallowed, and while the children were being bathed and tucked in and everyone was distracted, Candy had slipped away to her room and shut the door. She had been lying on the bed when Neil came looking for her twenty minutes later, and this was the first time since she had found out she was pregnant that the room started spinning, and she flew off the bed, raced to the bathroom, Neil behind her, and vomited.

  After that, he had tucked her in and left her to sleep, which she’d been grateful for. This morning, as she stayed in bed, her headache now gone, she dreaded getting up and facing what she imagined was the entire family, a bunch of strangers, and absolute chaos. Her stomach rumbled again, and she willed it to stop. A knock sounded at the door.

  She jolted up, pulling the comforter to her chin and sitting at the edge of the bed. Neil would never knock on the door, so she fretted about who was there.

  “Candy, it’s Becky. Can I come in?”

  “Um, I’m not really decent,” she called out.

  Becky didn’t listen but opened the door, and Candy scooted up further on the bed. Emily and Diana followed Becky in, one carrying a breakfast tray and the other coffee. Candy swept back her tangled hair. She had to look pretty bad, but at least she wasn’t naked, as she’d slept in one of Neil’s t-shirts.

  “This is your wedding day,” Emily said. “I know you weren’t feeling well last night, but I thought with all the commotion downstairs, you might like breakfast in your room.” She set the tray on Candy’s lap. There was a plate of scrambled eggs, sausage, and toast, with a small fruit salad.

  “Thank you,” Candy said, but she couldn’t look at them. Even this morning, she was uncomfortable around these people. They were so close. They were a family, and she didn’t understand how she could ever fit in. Her stomach was still bothering her, cramping off and on, but it was more of a discomfort, probably because she was so hungry and Neil hadn’t let her do much of anything all week. She was usually active, and she never sat around doing nothing, ever. She loved hard labor, lifting and carrying things, shoveling dirt and manure, lifting hay bales and buckets, fixing anything, and especially riding her horse. Maybe that was why her muscles were going soft from weeks of doing very little, lifting nothing, and spending most of her time with Neil in bed.

  “Are you feeling okay this morning? Neil said you were sick last night and had a headache, too,” Emily said. Diana hovered behind her in a pair of black sweats and a blue sweatshirt.

  “Yeah, I just… sorry about last night. I didn’t feel well, but I’m okay now,” Candy said. She wondered for a second whether her nose was growing from the bold-faced lie.

  “You poor baby, getting pounced on by Neil’s family, all the kids running around last night. Why don’t you just take it easy, have some breakfast? Everything is being taken care of. You don’t have to do anything. What time is the hairdresser coming, Emily?” Diana asked.

  Emily glanced at her watch and
missed the alarm that had to be showing on Candy’s face. One thing Candy knew was that she had the worst poker face ever.

  “You didn’t know a hairdresser was coming, did you?” Becky asked, and her mouth widened as she groaned and shook her head. “That son of mine.”

  “I can do my own hair. Or is Neil worried I’m not going to look good enough?” Candy snapped. The instant the words were out of her mouth, she regretted having said them out loud.

  “Of course you can.” Emily glanced up at Diana, who sucked in her bottom lip, sharing a sympathetic look with Candy.

  “You know what, Candy? This is your wedding day. You tell us what you want, and we’ll make it happen for you. If you don’t want a hairdresser, we’ll send her away. We’ll bar your door and make sure no one gets in. You want us to get rid of anyone, tell us right now. Consider us your personal slaves for the day. Anything you want, you shall have,” Diana said, leaning over to pat Candy’s leg under the blanket.

  “So when the hairdresser shows, you’ll tell her to go away?”

  “Yes,” all three women said in unison, their faces showing their solidarity. “And the makeup artist, too,” Emily added.

  “He hired a makeup artist, are you serious?” Candy blurted out, staring with disbelief at all three women.

  “She’s downstairs now,” Diana said before clearing her throat.

  The warm eggs and sausage had started to give off an odor that was turning Candy’s stomach. It ached and cramped.

  “Here, let me move that,” Emily said, lifting the tray from her lap and setting it on the dresser. “Why don’t you try some toast to settle your stomach?” She set the small plate on her lap, and Candy took a bite.

  “What else has Neil arranged to surprise me today?” Candy asked, and the women shared a look that had Candy saying, “What else could there be?”

  “He hired the lady from the bridal shop to help you get dressed,” Diana said.

  Candy knew her jaw was hanging open, as she could feel the muscle stretch, and she shut it as she looked away. She started to say something but, for the life of her, wasn’t sure what to say.

  “And an aesthetician to give you a manicure and pedicure,” Emily added.

  “I’ll get rid of them,” Diana said, turning to the door.

  “They’re here now?” Candy asked.

  “Having coffee with Neil,” Emily said. She glanced up at Becky and winced.

  “So is this what you meant about me standing my ground with Neil, not letting him push me around or arrange me, to stand up to him until he tells me all that he’s hiding? I’ve got to tell you, I don’t know how you do it. Watching you all last night, it looked more like the men have you where they want you,” Candy said. She wasn’t being very diplomatic, but the art of handling a difficult man who could bark orders and kill a man for looking at her the wrong way wasn’t coming easily for her.

  “Well, that’s where you’re wrong, Candy. I love my children. That’s where I want to be, and my husband has my back, always, so I don’t ever have to worry about someone coming up and shoving a knife in it again,” Diana said a little sharply. She flushed. “Sorry, but each of us is happy. We told you that you can’t hold back with Neil. If we did that with our husbands, they’d steamroll right over us. You’re being diplomatic, loving, and pleasantly persistent, but at times you need to fight back,” Diana said, quite clearly making her point.

  “So what am I doing wrong?” Candy asked, feeling like a failure.

  All three women shared another meaningful look. “You can’t let Neil take over. You need to step in and handle details. If you want a barbeque and not a caterer, you need to arrange it. You need to tell him, no, you’ll pick out your own dress, and then pick up the phone yourself and handle it,” Becky said.

  “When you hesitate or you’re not sure, they sense weakness, and they’ll swoop in and take over,” Emily added.

  “Okay, enough,” Becky said. “Candy, you need to eat something. Diana won’t let anyone else upstairs unless you give the go-ahead. You’re getting married today, and after that you’ll learn how to handle your husband.”

  Emily picked up the tray and set it on Candy’s lap. “Eat what you can.”

  “Okay, so tell us what you want us to do,” Diana said, sounding like an excited little kid.

  Candy scooped up a forkful of eggs and chewed. For the first time, she felt that someone other than Neil truly had her back. She had a lot to learn and a lifetime to learn it.

  “Tell Neil I said to send everyone away except the hairdresser,” Candy said.

  Diana winked at her and said, “That’s my girl.”

  Chapter 19

  “You look beautiful,” Diana said as she put both of her hands on Candy’s bare shoulders. Candy was resting on a chair in Emily’s large master bedroom, where the women had ushered her after she finished eating. Apparently, Neil hadn’t argued when Diana relayed Candy’s demand for a hairdresser only.

  Candy had enjoyed a nice, leisurely bath in Emily’s en suite bathroom. The women had been true to their word and kept everyone away, and for the first time since being here, Candy breathed a sigh of relief. Now, dressed in the beautiful white gown Neil had picked out, with a clasp around her neck and a deep V that accentuated a generous amount of cleavage, she felt sexy, desired, and beautiful. Maybe Neil had been right about the dress.

  The hairdresser had pinned the lace veil to her dark curls along with six white roses, and Candy had to admit she looked stunning. She did, in fact, feel like a princess. Emily wore a long burgundy dress with a lace bodice and straight skirt, while Diana wore a short, green, sleeveless dress, tight around her stomach and her breasts. The color really brought out her eyes. Becky stood behind her, wearing a light blue beaded silk top with a matching skirt. There was a knock on the door, and Emily firmed her lips, opening it a crack to see who it was. Candy couldn’t see, but she heard a man’s voice. Brad, she thought, and then Emily shut the door, holding a lovely bouquet of pink roses and white lilies.

  “Everyone is downstairs whenever you’re ready, Candy,” Emily said. She gestured to Diana and Becky, and they started toward the door.

  “Wait,” Candy said. “I don’t have anyone to stand up for me. Emily, Diana, I know Neil suggested both of you, and he probably even asked you already for me, but would you do it? I know I didn’t plan this very well.”

  “Now, stop right there. You were overwhelmed,” Diana said.

  “And you had your hands full, trying to keep your wits about you with a Friessen man,” Emily said.

  “Don’t forget that you were trying to keep your sense of self,” Becky added. “My sons are honorable, strong, solid men, but you need to keep your head together and learn to stand your ground.”

  “And… Neil already asked us,” Emily and Diana muttered.

  “I guess I haven’t done too good a job of standing up to Neil,” Candy said.

  “Oh, honey, you’ve got that man twisted up in knots right now,” Becky said. “He loves you, but you make sure he understands he can’t decide for you, that you have a mind of your own, because if you don’t speak up, he won’t wait. He’ll take the reins, and one day you’re going to wake up and realize that your man is running your life, and you’ll no longer be you.”

  Candy watched Becky and wondered for a minute, by the way she had said it, if she spoke from experience.

  “Well, I would love to stand up for you,” Diana said.

  “So would I,” Emily added.

  Candy stood up and winced from the ache in her shoulder. She rolled it a bit and saw the concern on Emily’s face.

  “You okay?” she asked.

  “Yeah, fine. Just stiff, is all, from not doing anything, and, I guess, the joys of being pregnant.” That was what she told them, but she wondered whether she would feel unwell and achy throughout this entire pregnancy. When she got out of the bath, she had noticed she was spotting, but instead of worrying, she’d dismissed it. She did
n’t want to inconvenience anyone. That was what she had told herself as she put it from her mind.

  “I’m ready,” Candy said.

  “Well, let’s go then.” Becky opened the door and signaled to someone just as what sounded like a dozen guitars started strumming the wedding march.

  “Neil!” they all muttered as they burst out laughing.

  Chapter 20

  The entire house had been transformed into what could have been a page from a bridal magazine. The living room furniture had been arranged tastefully to the side so that an archway of flowers, where Candy and Neil were to stand, could be the centerpiece of the room. The dining room, which was just off the living room through a set of double glass doors, held a champagne fountain and warming trays filled with enough hors d’oeuvre and platters of food to feed a small army. The aroma was mouthwatering, and with all the mountains of flowers, the house had never smelled better. There were bows and decorations, and Brad and Jed stood beside Neil in their dark suits. Andy stood with Laura, holding one of their babies in the crook of his arm, and Laura held the other sleeping baby. Gabriel, her son, was pasted to Andy’s leg, wearing a white shirt, dress pants, and a tie. He beamed up at Andy, and Neil was taken aback and almost brought to tears by the change in his cousin since he’d last seen him, after Jed’s surgery.

  Neil watched as his bride came down the stairs first, followed by Diana and Emily, who held up the train and helped Candy down. Neil had to suck in his breath, as he was bowled over by how stunning Candy was. She accepted the bouquet from Emily, looked up, and met Neil’s gaze as he watched her, willing her toward him. She lifted her skirt, and Emily and Diana straightened the train that flowed behind the stunning gown before taking their spots up front. The guitarists continued to play in the background as Candy started toward Neil. When she reached his side, she handed Emily her bouquet, and Neil took her hands. He noticed there were a few beads of sweat above her brow. It wasn’t that hot in the room—cozy and warm, maybe, but not hot enough for him to sweat—so he wondered if it was just her nerves.