Chapter two
Danny was lounging casually on a bar stool while Mom and Charlie leaned against the counter. She was sitting there with her back to me. She had raven black hair that was messy and curly, like you could use it to scrub your dishes if you ran out of Brillo Pads. Her skin was dark complected, but in an unnatural way, like she had been tanning everyday for years and she was sitting with perfect posture on the bar stool next to Danny.
Danny swung around as soon as I walked into the room. He smiled and jumped off of his stool. "Lucky!" he cried.
"Danny!" I squealed as he scooped me up into a hug and twirled me around. "How are you?!"
He put me back on the ground. "Just fine and dandy. How are you?"
"Glad to be home," I stated quietly.
We just stared at each other smiling for a moment; it was like no one else was in the room. But the moment was soon ruined when Maxxie cleared her throat.
"Oh!" Danny exclaimed. "Lucy, this is my girlfriend, Maxxine Felderman-"
"Fiancée," she interrupted. "Soon to be wife." She smiled as she shook my hand, making sure to flash her ring.
"Right," Danny beamed. "And Maxx, this is my best, best friend, Lucy Porter."
I grinned, happy that he referenced me as his
best , best friend. "Hi," was all I said.
Charlie drummed on the counter, "So, when's everyone else coming in?"
Danny spun to face him, "Well, Mike and Jake get in tonight, Jim's flying in tomorrow morning, Corey got home about two hours ago, and everyone else will be here by noon tomorrow."
Mom smacked her hand on the countertop, "Looks like we're having a bonfire tomorrow night!"
My parents' bonfires were notoriously known for the food creations that came out of them. Everything from broccoli and ham pizza with caramel sauce to bacon-wrapped, cheese-stuffed hot dogs.
Later on that night, before Danny and Maxxie left, Maxxie turned to me and said, "Oh, Lucy, we have an appointment at noon tomorrow at the bridal salon for bridesmaids dresses."
"Oh, alright," I said taken aback. I hadn't even thought about dresses.
"It would have been sooner, but my wedding planner couldn't get here, and even then she'll becoming straight from Indianapolis."
"Alright, I'll be there." I smiled.
She hugged me and kissed me on the cheek as she left with Danny.
Once they were gone, I turned to my mom and brother with a glare. "I like her." Charlie said.
"She claims she wants a simple hometown wedding and then she goes and hires a wedding planner?!" Momma exclaimed.
"Thank you!" I cried. "I was thinking the same thing!"
"Seems a little fishy." My mom said as she began to wash dishes.
***
It was 11:50 the next morning when I pulled into the small parking lot of AnnieLou's Bridal Salon. The only bridal salon in this whole town. I walked in praying Danny's sister, Natalie, would be there before I was so I wouldn't be alone with Maxxie. When I walked into the store, a cute, strawberry blonde was leaning across the check-out counter laughing with Annie, the store owner. As hard as it was to believe, that cute girl had to have been Natalie all grown up. long sleeve bohemian wedding dress
She turned around and saw me. "Lucy?!" she squealed.
"Hey, Nat," I smiled.
She ran toward me and embraced me. Annie yelled behind us, "Lord have mercy! Our prodigal daughter has returned again!"
I laughed out loud, "Hi, Miss Annie, how have you been?"
"Oh, just fine. I been tellin Natalie here about all about this appointment y'all have today. Seven bridesmaids? Lord save us now."
I giggled and move towards the counter, leaning into to give her the scoop. "You know, if she had it her way, there'd only be five. Natalie and I would be outta the wedding in no time."
Natalie made a face, "It's true."
Just then, the bells on the door behind us jingled and in walked Maxxie. "Hello, my beautiful bridesmaids!" she exclaimed.
Miss Annie crossed herself behind us. "Miss Annie, when did you become a Catholic?" Nat muttered.
"I haven't, but I'm gonn' need e'er type of religion to get through this appointment." Miss Annie said as Maxxie and five other girls filed into the store.
***
At 12:30, a tall woman in a navy pencil skirt and rose colored blouse strolled in, looking extremely out of place in this small North Carolina town. She was obviously the wedding planner.
"Hello, I'm Rebecca Whalstrom. Maxxine's wedding coordinator." she introduced herself and shook all of our hands.
Miss Annie appeared from the back room as Rebecca started to rattle off wedding details. "Becky? Becky Newman?" Miss Annie asked.
Rebecca looked up from a clipboard mortified. "Hello, Miss Annie."
"Do you two know each other?" Maxxie asked.
Rebecca sighed. "Yes, my grandparents are from this town and know Annie." She then mumbled something quickly to Maxxie. The only thing I could pick up was "Hell hole."
Annie glanced at Natalie and I and rolled her eyes.
It took over twenty-five dresses, but we finally found a dress that looked good on all seven bridesmaids, but once I tried mine on, Sofia, Maxxie's cousin piped up, "No."
"Excuse me?" Maxxie asked, ticked off.
"She looks too good. She'll overshadow you."
Annie walked over, "Well, I'm sorry, ladies, but y'all have tried on every dress available in all y'all's sizes. It's either this or drivin' to the Sears in the next town over."
Sofia scowled and murmured something about "stupid rules" and how "no one should look better" than she did.
***
The rest of the afternoon consisted of the bridesmaids trying on shoes and eating lunch at ChaChi's, my parents' pizza place, where most of the bridal party got salads. Salads. At a pizza place. Please be a little more cliche. Natalie and I had rolled our eyes as we indulged in our usual bacon and M&M pizza. Weird, yes, but nothing can beat bacon and chocolate on cheese.
It wasn't until 4 o'clock that afternoon that Natalie and I finally trudged into my house, exhausted. We slumped down onto the couch and immediately began gossiping about what I'd missed over the past two years. Natalie was two years younger than me, five younger than Danny, so she had just graduated high school.
After she had just finished telling me about Megan Webster's prom fiasco, she rolled over onto her stomach to face me. "So, any cute guys at UT?"
But before I could answer, she and I were swept off the couch by four large, masculine hands that carried us outside, kicking and screaming, to the edge of the balcony. "Ready?" a deep voice called to the other set of hands and two others that had grabbed our ankles at one point.
"Ready!" Charlie called back.
I heard my mom scream from below, "If you boys kill or injure either one of those girls, I'll call your mothers or strangle you myself! Don't you dare do it!"
But it was too late, over the side of the balcony we went, straight into the pool. Natalie and I surfaced at the same moment and immediately we both started screaming at the four boys leaning over the balcony laughing hysterically. Those four boys would be Michael Donovan, Jake Carter, Corey Carver and Charlie. The three other boys were friends of Charlie and Danny's from high school who were in town for the wedding.
I exited the pool by hoisting myself over the side onto the hot pavement. I helped Natalie out of the pool and we headed inside to change, shaking water onto my brother and his friends as we walked past.
Natalie and I were sitting on the edge of my bed brushing out on our wet, tangly hair when Danny came in. "Hey, fire's lit, we're putting food out in ten," he said.
"'Kay!" I called as I headed towards the mirror to throw my hair up in a perfect messy bun. I wanted to look good tonight. I had to look good tonight.