Southern Devotion

by Kaylee Ryan

  “I wish it was us,” she murmurs. “I wish it was us who’s getting married in two weeks.”

  “Me too, baby. We’ll have our day. You’ll get your outdoor country wedding that you’ve always dreamed of.”

  “So you do listen?” She laughs softly.

  “Every fucking word, Liv. There’s nothing that passes these lips that I don’t capture up here.” I point to my head.

  “What about you? What kind of wedding do you want? This isn’t all about me, you know?”

  “You really want to know?” I ask her. She nods. “My ideal wedding is one where you, my beautiful Olivia, are walking down the aisle toward me. Nothing else matters, as long as at the end of the day you’re my wife.” She offers me a sweet smile. “Now, let’s talk about this shindig,” I say, pulling back the covers and motioning for her to climb under. Once she’s settled, I pull my shirt over my head and kick off my jeans.

  “What about Dixie?”

  “She’s fine. I took her out and barricaded her in the kitchen.” I climb in next to her and burrow under the covers. “Now, tell me how it’s going to go down.”

  “My dream wedding?”

  “Nope. Our wedding. Tell me how it’s going to be.”

  “Summer, early fall. Outside. I picture it being in a field of flowers. Not a huge event, just those closest to us.”

  “I thought you wanted a huge country wedding?”

  “I never said huge.” She laughs. “But country, yes. That’s us, and I want the day to encompass who we are and who we’ll be together as much as possible.”

  “So something outside, in a field of wildflowers, with our closest friends and family. What else?”

  “My bouquet will be pink and white roses, with some wildflowers mixed in. I don’t really want a big wedding party. I think it’s ridiculous to have them spend money on clothes they’ll never wear again. My dress… well, it’s simple, yet elegant.”

  “Tell me more,” I say, pulling her close.

  “Nope. That’s a surprise. Besides, I’ve never even seen the perfect dress. It’s just an idea in my head.”

  “I think you should start looking. Doesn’t that sort of thing take time?”

  “Yeah, I mean it can, but we’re not even engaged,” she says hesitantly.

  “Oh, we are. You’re going to be my wife. My ring’s not on your finger yet, but that’s a technicality. What you described sounds pretty simple, minus the dress. Start looking.”

  “You’re serious?”

  “Yes.” I place a kiss on her temple.

  “Okay,” she agrees; however, I can tell from the tone of her voice that it’s reluctantly. “It’s just weird to not be officially engaged and shopping for a wedding dress.”

  “Trust me, Liv.”

  “Okay.”

  “Now, what about a reception?”

  “I thought just some tables set up under a white tent, or Mom and Dad have the old barn out back behind their house that they use for storage. We could clean it up and set up a few tables, string some lights. A small cake, some homemade pork barbecue with some sides.”

  “You have a field of wildflowers in mind?” I ask her, knowing she does. We’ve ridden the horses and the four-wheelers through that field many times over the years, both before she was mine and after.

  “Yeah, you know the one in the back of the property at Mom and Dad’s?”

  “That’s always been your favorite spot.”

  “It’s beautiful there. I can imagine the pictures of us in the field of wildflowers.” She snuggles closer, burying her face in my chest.

  “It’s pretty far back on the property.”

  “It is, but with just close friends and family, we can get them back there. Hell, they don’t have to dress up, and we can take them back on a hay wagon. Can you imagine Lexi and Walker? They would love it.”

  “They would,” I agree. “So that’s it? That’s all it takes to make the day special for you?”

  “No. It’s you, that’s what makes it special. The rest just paints the picture of the love we share.”

  “Very poetic.” I chuckle.

  My laughter dies out and we lie there, letting the silence surround us. It’s not uncomfortable, not with her here in my arms and not with the subject at hand. We just planned our wedding. Well, she did, but I meant it when I said all I needed was her.

  “What about me?” I ask her. “What am I wearing?”

  She laughs softly. “I say some nice jeans, a button-down, and your cowboy boots.”

  “No monkey suit?”

  “Nope.”

  “You really do love me,” I say dramatically, causing us both to laugh.

  That’s how we drift off to sleep—her in my arms, and laughter and love surrounding us.

  David was gone this morning when I woke up. It’s Saturday, but he told Evan and Aaron he would help with a couple of new horses that were being delivered today. He said that was the least he could do because they let him off to help me move. It is, but I don’t like waking up without him. I knew he was going, but I wish he would have woken me up before he left.

  Speaking of David…. I look down at my cell that’s ringing, his picture flashing on the screen.

  “Hey,” I greet him.

  “What are you getting up to today?” he asks.

  “Thought about unpacking some boxes.”

  “Why don’t you call one or all of the girls and go dress shopping? I can help you unpack. I don’t want you lifting all of those boxes.”

  “Can you hear me rolling my eyes?” I sass.

  He laughs. “Really. You know Mike is at the bar getting ready for tonight. I’m sure Jamie would love to get out of the house.”

  “What about Dixie?”

  “Leave the baby gates up and she’ll be fine in the kitchen.”

  “I guess I can call her. I still feel weird about this.” I know we’re going to do it, but it feels presumptuous, even if we are both on the same page.

  “Don’t. It’s happening, Livy.” His voice is solid, strong, and I have zero doubt that he means it.

  “I missed you this morning,” I tell him instead of acknowledging his “It’s happening” comment.

  “You looked too peaceful to wake up. I won’t be home until later. How about I swing through town and pick us up some dinner? Mexican?”

  “That sounds great. I’ll text you later if we decide to go shopping.”

  “Sounds good. Love you.”

  “Love you too,” I say before the line goes dead. I stare at my phone, wondering if I really should start dress shopping. I mean, it never hurts to just look around, right? Besides, maybe Jamie needs a dress before next weekend. That’s how I can pass it off.

  Plan in place, I dial her number. She picks up on the first ring.

  “Hey, girl.”

  “What are you doing today?”

  “Not much. Mike is at the bar. I thought about going to see if he needs any help, but you know how he gets when he’s in the zone with the books.” She laughs.

  “That I do. So, about this wedding in two weeks. Do you have a dress?”

  “No, I was actually going to just try to find a nice white or off-white sundress or something.”

  “What do you say we start looking today? Dave is working. I guess they’re getting a delivery of horses or something, and since he took a couple days off this week to help me move, he didn’t want to turn them down.”

  “Sure. Let me take Ace outside and then put him in his cage.”

  “I’ll pick you up. I have to take Dixie out too, so say thirty minutes?”

  “Perfect, see you soon.”

  I rush through taking Dixie out to pee, which she does, though she still isn’t used to her leash and tries to wiggle out of it. “Come on, you little wiggle worm.” I laugh, picking her up. “I have to go out, but Daddy and I will be home later to love on you,” I promise her. I realize I’m talking to this puppy as if she’s my kid, but she’s just so dam
n cute I can’t seem to help myself.

  After getting Dixie settled with more toys than I know she’ll play with, a puppy pad, and a bowl of fresh water, I head out to pick up Jamie. When I pull up to their place, she’s sitting on the porch swing waiting for me.

  “Hey, you,” she says, climbing into the passenger seat. “Can I just tell you I’m really excited about this?” She grins at me.

  “Good. I kind of have a confession as well,” I admit as I pull back out on the road.

  “Oh good, it’s not just me. Spill.” Her eyes are bright with contentment and love, and I couldn’t be happier for her and my big brother.

  “So, Dave and I have been talking a lot about the future, weddings, and stuff.”

  “That’s not a confession. That man has been asking you to marry him for I don’t even know how long.”

  “Yeah, but that’s just it. I told him I was ready. After your engagement party, I told him to surprise me.”

  “Eeep!” she cheers, leaning over to give me an awkward hug over the console. “I’m so happy for you,” she says.

  “Yeah, so he wants me to start looking for a dress. We talked about wedding plans, and we want simple, and the dress will take the longest, so yeah, I’m kinda looking too.”

  “You two should get married with us,” she says, excited.

  “That’s your day, and besides, I’ve always wanted a country wedding. You know that field of wildflowers at Mom and Dad’s?” She nods. “That’s where we want to do it. Well I do, and Dave just agrees. He says he doesn’t care as long as the end result is me being his wife.” I can feel my smile just at repeating his words.

  “Sounds like your brother. When I brought up getting married in the Keys, I was half joking, but he ran with it. So here we are, getting married in just two short weeks.”

  “I’m not surprised. You guys have been through so much to be together. He’s a smart man, my brother.”

  “He is.” She smiles. “So, do you know what kind of dress you’re looking for?”

  “Something simple, yet elegant. It would have to fit an outdoor wedding. What about you?”

  “Same, really. I was just going to find a white sundress. I wasn’t sure I’d have time, and then there are alterations….”

  “True, but there is the off chance that you could find one that fits perfectly.”

  “Yeah, I’m thinking something flowing for the beach. Just simple.”

  I pull into the lot of the local dress shop. “This place has a ton to choose from. Maybe we’ll both be lucky.”

  She holds up her hand, crossing her fingers. “Here’s to hoping.”

  Grabbing my phone, I send a quick text to David.

  Me: Hey, Jamie and I are dress shopping.

  David: Good news, baby. I hope you find your dream dress.

  Me: Not likely on day one.

  David: I have a good feeling about it.

  Surely it’s not going to be as easy as walking into the dress shop and the first one I see is my dream dress. Could it?

  Me: We’ll see. Love you.

  David: Love you too, Livy.

  Jamie is waiting for me when I finally climb out of the car. “You ready for this?”

  “I think so. Are you?”

  “Yeah, thanks for doing this.”

  “Umm, I had an ulterior motive,” I remind her.

  “Regardless. Thank you.”

  “Come on, let’s go find you a wedding dress.”

  As soon as we enter the shop, we’re greeted with “Welcome to Bridal Memories. What can we do for you today?”

  “Well.” Jamie looks over at me, smiling. “We need wedding dresses.”

  “Well, my dears, you’ve come to the right place. Do you know what you’re looking for?”

  “I’m having a beach wedding in two weeks, so I’m not sure I can make this happen. But I was thinking something flowing,” Jamie says.

  “We do alterations in-house, so we can definitely make it happen if you find something we have here in the store. If we have to order it, the alterations depend on shipping time, but we can worry about that once you find a dress. And you?” she asks me.

  “We’re, uh, just starting to plan,” I say, which is not a complete lie. “We’re having a small intimate country wedding outdoors. I want something simple, elegant, but that won’t look too out of place in the outdoor setting. A field of wildflowers,” I add, just in case that’s information she needs.

  “Excellent. Let’s start with you… I’m sorry, your name is?” She looks at Jamie.

  “Jamie, and this is Olivia.”

  “My name is Hazel. It’s lovely to meet both of you. Since your wedding is first, let’s take you to the simple flowing section, shall we?” she asks, turning to walk away, and we follow her.

  “This place is amazing. You have it so organized.”

  “Thank you. Planning your special day can be stressful enough, so I try to make it fun and relaxing while you find your dream dress.” She smiles kindly. “Can I offer either of you a drink? We have a range of soft drinks and water, plus champagne.”

  “No, thank you,” we both say.

  “All right then, I’ll leave you ladies to it. I’ll just be right over here if you have any questions.” She points to a rack of dresses that she’s placing price tags on.

  “Where do we start?” Jamie asks, her eyes wide.

  “Let’s just go to the end and start looking through until something catches your eye.”

  That’s what we do. Jamie begins to sort through each dress one by one, and I stand by giving my thoughts on those she stops on. They’re all beautiful, and I still find it surreal that we’re doing this.

  “Oh.” She pulls a dress off the rack. “I like this one,” she says softly, almost as if she’s talking to herself.

  “Let’s try it on. I’ll go get Hazel.”

  As if she heard Jamie, Hazel appears. “Need a fitting room yet?” she asks.

  “Yes.” Jamie holds the dress up to show Hazel.

  “That one is perfect for a beach wedding. Let’s get it on you and see what you think.” She leads us to a back hallway that has little alcoves with couches and mirrors set up. “We like each bride to have her own space,” she explains. She must have noticed the awed expression on my face.

  “This is perfect.” I take a seat on the couch, setting my purse beside me. “Go.” I motion with my hands to send Jamie to the fitting room. “I’ll be here waiting,” I tell her.

  “Olivia,” she calls out a few moments later.

  “Yeah?” I stand and go to the fitting room door, thinking she might need help with a zipper.

  “I love it,” she says, her voice cracking.

  “Let me see it.” Excitement lifts my voice.

  The door opens, and I step back to give her space. She walks to the platforms in the middle of the walls of mirrors and takes her spot.

  “Jamie,” I breathe, because she looks like a princess. The dress is white with spaghetti straps and a form-fitting bodice that flows out starting at her thighs. It screams beach wedding, and she looks beautiful.

  “You think he’ll like it?” she asks with tears in her eyes.

  “He’s going to love it. This is… perfect.” Grabbing my phone from my purse, I take a couple of photos, then show her my phone. “I can’t believe the first dress you tried on is it, but it’s absolutely perfect.”

  “Beautiful,” Hazel tells her. “It appears as though no alterations are needed. Do you want a veil or a hairpiece?” she asks.

  “No, I don’t think so. With the wind, I was just going to braid my hair.” She pulls her long locks up as if putting them in a ponytail. “I really love it, Olivia. Is this real?” she says with a laugh. “Did I really just find my wedding dress that easy?”

  I picture her day in my mind. I can see her on the beach walking toward my brother. “You did and it’s perfect. Mike is going to love it.”

  “I’ll take it,” Jamie squeals.


  “Excellent!” Hazel turns to me. “Now, I have just the selection for you. Follow me.”

  I look at Jamie, and she smiles. “Go while I change. Wait! Can you take a picture for me to show my mom and the girls?”

  I grab her phone and mine and snap a few pictures, then follow Hazel to the “perfect section for me” and begin to flip through the dresses with shaking hands.

  I’m almost to the end of the rack, and my spirits are dropping that I haven’t found one single dress that calls out to me. Then I slide yet another to the right, and I see it. Pulling it off the rack, I take in the details.

  It’s sleeveless with a V-neck. The entire dress is silk with a lace overlay, A- line, simple yet elegant. Checking the size, I see it’s mine and I slowly make my way toward the fitting room. Jamie and Hazel are zipping her dress into a garment bag.

  “Hey, you found one.” Jamie looks at the dress in my hands.

  “You can use the same room,” Hazel says. I nod and disappear behind the door.

  I quickly strip out of my clothes and step into the dress. The back is low, so I’m able to reach behind me and zip it up. I stare at my reflection in the mirror and tears sting my eyes. It’s perfect. Exactly what I want.

  Grabbing my phone, I pull up David’s name and hit the Call button.

  “Hey, baby. How’s shopping?”

  “I found it,” I say, my voice cracking. “I found my dress.” My hands are shaking. I can’t believe it. The first one.

  “Send me a picture,” he says immediately.

  “What?” I laugh. “I can’t do that. It’s bad luck.” Though I really do want to show him.

  “Come on,” he prompts me.

  “No.” I wipe tears from my cheeks.

  “You okay?” he asks.

  “Yeah, I just… this is really happening. And Jamie found hers too, and I hope my mom’s not upset that she’s not here. This is the first one I tried on, and it’s perfect and I have to get it,” I ramble on through my tears.

  “Of course you do. She’ll understand it’s your dream dress.”

  “Yeah,” I agree.

  “Love you, Livy. Buy the dress. I don’t care what it costs. But if it brings you to tears, I’m certain you in it will bring me to my knees. It’s the one,” he assures me.