Love Takes Hold: The Helena's Grove Series Book 3

by Ivy Alexander

  Jen reached out and squeezed Bianca’s hand as Annie went in the bathroom to set up her hair supplies. “Thank you for coming,” she said softly.

  Bianca shrugged. “Yeah well, I really didn’t have that much of a choice. Bambi here was pounding on my hotel room door at friggin six o’ clock this morning – just about the time I actually got to bed!”

  Jen tried to hide her smile.

  “Is she always like this?” Bianca whispered, her dark eyes wide.

  Jen nodded. “Pretty much.”

  “Give me strength,” Bianca muttered, her eyes skyward. “I’m gonna head downstairs and see if your Aunt will make me some coffee – some STRONG coffee.”

  Annie emerged from the bathroom. “How are you feeling?”

  “Surprisingly calm,” Jen admitted.

  “No cold feet?”

  “Not even a little.”

  “Oh good.” Annie grinned. “Oh I can’t wait to see you walking down that aisle. You’re going to look so beautiful! Zack is going to die!” She squeezed Jen’s arm. “You get showered and I will go make you some tea.” She headed for the door with a purposeful stride.

  “I’d rather have coffee,” Jen called after her.

  Annie gave her a look. “You can’t have coffee. That will give you the jitters. I read all about it in this big time wedding magazine. It stated emphatically that you should only consume things that are going to calm you down on your wedding day. It recommended chamomile or peppermint tea.”

  Jen exhaled in defeat. “In that case, I’ll take peppermint.”

  Annie nodded and was out the door.

  A couple hours later, after a fifteen minute debate on the most appropriate amount of makeup, Bianca was just finishing up Jen’s face with a shade of pale pink lip gloss. Her hair was elegantly done and she was ready to put on the dress. It was nearing eleven o’clock and Jen was glad she’d have some time to breathe before the wedding. Annie and Bianca were dressed and seemingly ready but Bianca was adamant that she needed to touch up her hair and makeup back at the hotel, so Annie reluctantly agreed to take her.

  “I’ll be right back. Don’t go anywhere or do anything!” Annie said with a solemn tone.

  Jen just shook her head; Annie had seriously taken the maid of honor thing to a whole new level. Jen felt like reminding her that she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself but decided to leave well enough alone. Once the girls were gone Jen basked in the silent tranquility. She pulled the dress out of the closet and laid it on the bed. Her fingers reached out and touched the soft silky fabric, in awe of how beautiful it was.

  “Knock knock.” Aunt Gabby’s head poked in the door.

  Jen turned. “Hey.”

  “Well, don’t you look beautiful?” she stated happily. Aunt Gabby looked amazing herself, the champagne colored dress suit complemented her gray hair and piercing blue eyes nicely. “How are you holding up?”

  “Great I think. I was just about to put on the dress.” She glanced up at Aunt Gabby. “Would you help me?”

  “I would be honored.”

  Jen slipped into her body shaper and then slowly stepped into the dress, making sure not to pull or tug on anything. Aunt Gabby pulled the zipper up on the side and stood back to look at her. She put two hands together as her eyes shone with approval. “You look like a vision,” she said shaking her head. “And even that is an understatement.”

  Jen grinned as she slowly made her way to the full length mirror. She smiled despite herself. The dress was more perfect on than she remembered and her makeup was flawless. Annie had done a fabulous job on her hair having pulled it up off her neck with a mass of curls in the back. Everything was perfect and she silently thanked those who had helped make it so. She smiled again at Aunt Gabby, and then went to the drawer to get her earrings and matching necklace but Aunt Gabby stopped her.

  “I was actually going to give you this.” She held out a blue jewelry box.

  Jen looked at her in surprise and took the package. She slowly opened the lid and gasped at the display before her – the necklace and earring set inside were stunning! Delicate, silver leaves traced along the chain until it came together, with a single chain falling another inch, and a solitary diamond at the bottom. The earrings matched perfectly, with silver leaflets and diamonds dangling at the end. Jen’s breath caught as she awed at the simplistic beauty of the set.

  “I can’t accept this,” Jen whispered.

  “Why ever not?”

  “It’s too much. You already paid for the dress; you didn’t have to buy this too.”

  “I didn’t buy them; they were given to me when I was about your age. I always thought I’d give them to my daughter.” She smiled and Jen felt a lump grow in her throat. “You’re the closest thing I have to a daughter so they’re yours now. I want you to have them.”

  Jen didn’t know what to say. She set the box down and wrapped her arms around her aunt, holding her tightly. She didn’t dare speak, knowing the tears were being held at bay by only a small amount of willpower. But Aunt Gabby seemed to understand; sometimes silent gratitude was best. When Jen released her, Aunt Gabby patted her cheek, smiled and walked out of the room without another word.

  Annie and Bianca were back five minutes later. Gushing over Jen and how amazing she looked, the four women headed out. Jen rode in silence as Annie chatted away about how she should have brought the lavender to ease everyone’s nerves. It was clear to everyone in the car that Annie’s nerves were the most on edge.

  It wasn’t until Jen was standing behind the white curtain waiting to walk down the pathway to the flower covered arch where she was to be married that her nerves really began to get to her. She held her hands out in the slight breeze, willing them to stop sweating. Bianca and Annie stood in front of her, waiting for their cues. Twice Bianca turned to Jen and mouthed the words ‘TE-QUI-LA’ but Jen just shook her head. She wanted to feel this way. She wanted to be excited and nervous and on edge. This was her wedding day! Roger emerged behind the curtain and stood by his daughter, seeming every bit as nervous as she.

  Jen smiled up at him as he leaned down and kissed her cheek. “You look so much like your mother,” he whispered.

  Jen looked at him in surprise. “You’ve never told me that before.”

  He shrugged. “I hate to give her the credit but, she was a magnificently beautiful woman and you do look very much like her… only more beautiful.”

  Jen grinned and placed her arm in his. “Thank you for being here Dad, for being there for me through everything.”

  He patted her hand. “That’s what dads are for honey.”

  Finally, after what seemed like an eternity but in reality was only a few minutes, the music began. The curtain parted and Bianca made her way down the aisle followed by Annie. Their purple dresses shimmered and swayed in the morning sun as they sashayed down the pathway. It was now Jen’s turn and her heart pounded as she took the first few steps. She was grateful for her father’s steady arm; otherwise she was sure she would have fallen as her knees didn’t feel strong enough to hold her up on their own. They came to the beginning of the pathway, only fifty or so feet from Zack. She watched his face as his eyes met hers. He swallowed hard and shifted his feet, looking positively dashing in his black tuxedo. Jen was sure he was the most handsome man on the planet right then.

  Slowly, they continued walking and Jen had to remind herself to breathe as they made their way down the pathway that was lined with purple and white flowers. The forty white chairs on either side were tied with a purple bow and were filled with friends and loved ones. The archway where Zack stood was covered in flowers and vines. The place looked amazing and Jen knew she should be marveling at how much work everyone had put into it – but she was mesmerized by Zack, knowing this was the most important act of her life so far. She breathed deep and tried to keep her tears in check – after all they’d been through, it seemed the emotions were coming to a head.

  Zack’s eyes kept
sweeping her body, from her shoes to her hair and everything in between. Having his eyes on her made Jen’s skin tingle. They reached the archway and Jen kissed Roger’s cheek before taking Zack’s hand; it was shaking and the thought that he was just as nervous as her was somehow comforting. She stared up into his eyes and he mouthed the words, ‘You’re beautiful’. She smiled and breathed as the Justice of the Peace gave them some words of wisdom that Jen had a hard time concentrating on. When it was time to say their vows, Jen shakily pulled out the paper she had written hers on.

  “Zack,” she began and took one more breath to steady her emotions. “The first time I met you I thought you were the most arrogant, stuck up, gorgeous cowboy I’d ever met.”

  The audience laughed and Zack smiled widely.

  “Since then I have had the privilege of getting to know you and realize how amazing you are. I admire and love you more than I ever thought possible.” Her voice caught and she sniffed as the tears she had fought so hard to keep behind her eyes spilled over. “I am so excited for our life together. And I’m so glad that you didn’t take no for an answer, each time I refused to go out with you.” Zack chuckled and Jen went on, “I love you, forever and always, through good times and bad, through internships and long work hours. I will always be there, in constant love and companionship. I will be your rock when you need it. I will be your wife, your lover, your friend – forever.”

  There were some sniffles from the guests as Zack cleared his throat to begin his vows. He took her hand and held it as he began to speak; no paper, no cues. “I struggled for weeks, trying to come up with the perfect things to say to you today. I searched tirelessly to try and find the words that were big enough, deep enough, and emotional enough to describe the way I feel about you.” His voice caught and he cleared his throat as Jen’s tears ran freely. “But the truth is there aren’t any words. There aren’t any words that can describe how much I love you, how much I care about you. The best way I can describe it is like this. The third time I saw you, you were in a yellow summer dress with matching yellow shoes. That outfit was covered in mud that day. And although I knew you’d most likely go home and try to scrub that mud out, I knew you’d never be able to. You’ve had the same effect on my heart as that mud did on your dress. I knew I’d never be able to get you out of my thoughts or out of my heart. I love you so much more today than I did that day, and I promise to, throughout the course of our lives, love you more each day than I did the day before. Which by the way seems downright impossible since I’m pretty sure my heart is to the point of bursting but…” he shrugged and Jen wiped a tear from his face. “Plain and simple, I love you. You are my everything.”

  There were sighs from the audience as the couple exchanged rings, followed by the JP pronouncing them husband and wife. Zack took a step toward her and placed both hands on her cheeks. He took his time touching his lips to hers but when he finally did Jen felt the full magnitude of it. Though they had shared countless kisses throughout their relationship, this one was different. It felt different and Jen was at peace. They were married! Jen was kissing her husband and it was a wonderful thought! As he pulled back and the crowd began to cheer Jen remembered Aunt Gabby’s words to her, “Zack is a gem, but he’s not perfect. He’s perfect for YOU,” and she couldn’t agree more.

  Chapter 16

  Jen and Zack spent the rest of the day taking pictures and visiting those who had come to the wedding. The reception wasn’t until six, which gave them some time to greet each person and thank them for coming. Around four o’clock Jen’s feet began to feel like they were going to fall off – those wedding shoes were beautiful, but severely uncomfortable! She leaned from one foot to the other, trying to relieve some of the pain but to no avail. She and Zack were just finishing up pictures and Jen hoped they’d have a few minutes alone before the reception. Her prayers were answered when Aunt Gabby told them to go take a drive and take a breath before the real party began. Not needing to be told twice Zack wrapped his arm around Jen’s waist and pulled her to his rental car. The two of them jumped in and were gone within minutes.

  “Oh thank goodness! My feet were really starting to kill!” She pulled her heels off and sighed as she wiggled her toes.

  Zack had already stripped off his jacket which was now lying in the back seat and was swiftly doing the same with his tie. “I didn’t think it’d be so darn warm at the end of September but I’m roasting.” He threw the tie on the backseat and cracked his neck, smiling at Jen as he reached for her hand. “So much better.”

  “You know you’re going to have to put those back on right?” Jen asked, teasing him.

  “Not if we just take off. What do you say to us heading out on our honeymoon right now?” His eyes were wide with excitement at the thought.

  Jen laughed. “What about all the guests?”

  “What about them?”

  “They’ll want to see us.”

  “They don’t care. As long as there’s food and champagne they won’t mind if we’re there or not.”

  “That may be true but you know we can’t ditch our own reception.”

  Zack sighed in defeat. “All right, but we don’t have to be there till six so we have an hour to kill.”

  “What do you want to do?”

  Zack gave her a sideways glance and wiggled his eyebrows up and down.

  Jen giggled. “Just drive.”

  “At five forty-five they pulled into the parking space at the Christmas farm barn. Jen could hear the music as she stepped out of the car. She smoothed her dress and gingerly touched her hair. Zack met her as he came around the car; smiling he offered his arm. “Mrs. LaFaye?”

  She couldn’t help but grin as she took the strong arm of her husband. Her husband. The words still seemed strange but yet, very comfortable. They walked arm in arm to the front entrance and Jen’s breath caught as she entered the building. Annie had outdone herself! The large room had double doors open wide on each end, letting in the natural light and breeze. Each round table had a white tablecloth with a purple runner, and a beautiful flower arrangement as a centerpiece. To the side of the room were several tables filled with elegant food and champagne. Two enormous chandeliers hung from the ceiling spaced evenly apart with purple and champagne colored cloth swooping from each to different areas surrounding it. Lights were strung in between the cloth and around every post in the room. It was more beautiful than she could ever have imagined!

  Annie bounded up to them at that moment. “What do you think? Didn’t it just turn out awesome! I thought that the chandeliers were going to be a little much at first but once we got them up it was like the heavens opened up and choirs of angels were singing it was so beautiful!”

  “How much did all this cost? I’m sure it went way over the budget I gave you,” Jen marveled.

  Annie shook her head. “Oh I didn’t end up using your card. Your dad gave me his and told me there was no limit, so I went a little crazy.” She giggled. “You know how much I LOVE decorating.”

  Jen raised her eyebrows and whispered, “My dad paid for all this?”

  “Yes ma’am. You know, he’s not nearly as frightening as Zack made him out to be. I have found him to be quite a sweet and caring man.”

  Jen smiled. “He really is.”

  “Well come on you two,” Annie said grabbing each of their hands. “This is your party!”

  The place was packed. Jen had planned on around two hundred but judging from the amount of people she saw, she guessed it was closer to two-fifty or more as she and Zack greeted guest after guest. After the food was served Chris Harris proposed a toast to his old friend.

  “Zack and I have been friends for a long time, but I have to say he had a bit of a hard time finding a best man. First he asked his nicest friend to be his best man, but he said no. Then he asked his funniest friend to be his best man, but he said no too. He then asked his best-looking friend to be the best man but even he said no. Finally, he asked me and after turning h
im down the first three times I couldn’t refuse again!”

  The crowd erupted with laughter as Zack nodded emphatically.

  “But in all seriousness Zack,” Chris continued, “You’ve been a great friend, and I’m so happy you’ve found someone that will make you happy!” He held up his glass of champagne. “To Jen and Zack – may your days be long, prosperous and may you always have good friends like me!”

  “Here, here,” the crowd chorused, laughing.

  Soon after, the dancing began. Zack gently led Jen onto the floor for their first dance as husband and wife. Jen’s mind went back to the year before when she had first danced with him. It seemed like a lifetime ago and yet she still remembered the feel of his arms around her for the first time and the strong steadiness of his hands as he moved her around the dance floor.

  “Do you remember our first dance?” Zack asked.

  “I was just thinking about it,” Jen told him.

  “That’s one of my best memories – except the part where we were so rudely interrupted.” He made a face.

  Jen laughed at the memory of Melanie Hansen calling out to Zack just as they were about to kiss. She had been in love with him then, and Jen couldn’t blame her. “It was still a great night,” she said wistfully and laid her head on his shoulder as his arms held her close.

  The song ended and Chris announced the father-daughter dance. Zack kissed Jen softly and then handed her off to Roger. He nodded at Zack as he took his daughter into his arms. The song began and Jen felt an instant sting come to her eyes. She breathed deeply as she looked at her father.

  “You alright?” Roger asked.

  “I promised myself I wouldn’t cry,” she said softly.

  He gave half a smile. “You go ahead honey, I won’t judge this time.”

  She laughed and hugged him. “Daddy, this was just beautiful, thank you so much.”

  “That’s what fathers are for. I was happy to give the money if it meant I didn’t have to do any of the actual decorating. That energetic brown eyed girl assured me she had everything under control.”