Flight Risk

14 - Adams-Vanderhoff Wedding Part 1

As I pulled into Claire's family's farmyard-turned-wedding venue, my palms were sweating more than usual, but I didn't want to wipe them on my dress. I had intended to wear a more casual cotton t-shirt dress, but my mom had left a few dresses on my bed after Caleb and I had returned from our sightseeing yesterday.

She'd said she would return them if I didn't like any, but the moment I'd tried on the red-wine-coloured, off-the-shoulder one whose skirt had a higher hem in the front, I knew it was the dress. Especially with the way Caleb's eyes widened when he first saw me in it and how I'd catch him glancing at me during the drive. While I liked that it wasn't a 'want-to-rip-off-your-dress' stare, both because I wanted to wear it again and I wasn't into that, it gave me a boost to know I looked good.

But was the outfit too much knowing Trevor would be here? It was modest up top, though leggy enough, but not in an overdone way.

"Everything okay?" Caleb asked.

At the very least, our outfits matched in formality. He wore a sharp black suit jacket and tie and white shirt that brought out his broader shoulders, and it fit him well.

"Audrey?"

"Just overthinking, as always."

"It's only a wedding, not like it's your own or anything."

"God, that'd be terrifying."

His chuckle made my stomach dance, but at least he didn't seem horrified. "Are there some dangerous Canadian wedding rituals I should watch out for? Ceremonial axe-throwing, moose riding to the altar, or a vow-confirming polar bear plunge?"

"Nah, we have the ceremony, dinner, bouquet toss, toasts, first dances, and our regular rotation of 'party' songs."

"Vince told me he put 'Men At Work' on the playlist for me. Like that's the only band to come out of Australia." Caleb laughed.

"I suspect Claire might have shot down 'Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap' or 'Big Balls'. Mostly because she knows I'd be giggling too hard through the latter."

That made him laugh again, teasing out that charming smile, and built up my nerve to leave the car.

"Ready?" I asked.

He glanced at the two-storey home with a beautiful front porch wrapped in blush-coloured ribbon and various branches of greenery. "For you, always."

"I should have guessed you'd be all cheesy about this."

"Only because it annoys you a little."

Or more accurately, it messed with my head and sent confusing jitters through my extremities. I shouldn't feel this way about a fake date. I swallowed that emotion, grabbed my card for Claire and Vince and we followed the cute lawn signs painted with various wildflowers toward the backyard where her parents' barn had turned into a seating area with many round tables and folding wooden chairs.

To the right sat a collection of wooden benches that faced a beautiful off-white wedding arch looped with sheer blush fabric and purple and orange flowers. Along the sides of the altar area, two stunning wildflower gardens boasted tall wild grasses and mixes of flowers like false sunflowers, showy asters, pearly everlasting, bergamot and many colourful others. Claire's mom must have planted them at least a year ago, given that they were thriving.

"Wow, it's really something," Caleb said.

"Claire and her mom love butterfly gardens and native prairie landscapes, and they've done an amazing job."

I scanned the yard for Trevor with a nervous pit in my stomach, but he hadn't arrived yet. As I let out a breath of relief, Caleb counteracted it by squeezing my hand for a second, filling my body with a different form of nerves.