Love At First Swing

Chapter 7

For the first time in my life the drive up Anita and Robert's drive way felt unnerving. The two have always been like a second pair of parent to me and now that mine are gone and I am marrying into the family my back ups are all that I've got. It wasn't a good feeling knowing that my parents were not going to be at my wedding, or that my mother wasn't going to be able to help me plan it. Though having Anita by my side going to make it a little easier. After ringing the doorbell I was greeted by Robert and led into the living room. 

"Hey Laken," said Anita and Hunter as I walked into the room. 

"Hi, so am I here to talk about what I think I'm here to talk about?"

Robert laughed at that and Anita giggled out her reply, "yes darling you are."

"Okay well then lets get to it, Hunter told me that the plan was to get married as soon as we can get it all planned. And if I'm honest arranged marriage or not I've always wanted to get married at the end of May. So I was thinking we could start looking for dresses this weekend, Anita does that work for you?"

"You want me to go with you, to find your dress?"

"Of course I do, you are the closest thing that I have to my mom. And you know even if she was still alive and I wasn't marrying Hunter I would still want you there," my reply came out as a whisper though by the look on her face I was sure she heard it. 

Before I could think she was pulling me into a hug, one in which Robert quickly joined in on. I had missed them so much, people in New York weren't near as considerate and caring, the since of family I get around them is astounding. We stayed there standing in our group hug for a long moment, and in which Hunter joined after awhile. 

"I would love to come with you to find your dress Laken Marie," Anita said to me as we all pulled away from each other returning to our respective seats.

"And I think that I have colors and flowers decided already too, as long as Hunter is okay with them. Though I have no idea where I want the whole sha-bang to happen though I would prefer it be  in a 50 mile radius of town. I don't want anyone having to go to much trouble for us."

"That is very considerate of you dear," Richard smiled.

"Yes and I don't mind the colors or flowers Lay. Guys don't plan out there weddings when they are eight like girls do, and this is your only chance to have the wedding of your dreams. So please plan this however you want."

"Okay well then I'm think very formal but no black. I was hoping for khaki suits for Hunter and his groomsmen with blush and or navy ties. I'd like pink peonies and white and blue anemone flowers. I would really love either lace or seersucker in the linens and pearls... with lots of gold accents."

"That's exactly what I would expect from you darling," Anita laughed, "you have this whole thing planned on Pinterest already don't you?"

"Maybe," I blushed because she was right, I began planning my wedding as a freshman in high school and by I had pretty much perfected it. 

All three of them burst into laughter at my reply. I guess even with my best friend being a boy I was still awfully girly, and that would make my mother very proud. 

Robert was the first to speak to after the fit of laughter, "well I guess we don't have anything else to really discuss, just maybe some plans to begin making."

"That sounds like a plan," Anita seconded, "I think that we should start with looking for your dress this weekend. And if you don't mind we might shave some time out for bridesmaid dresses as well. And next weekend if you want we can look some more if we don't find anything on Saturday. I can spend the week researching locations for the wedding if you want and you can look through them and decide which ones that you would like to visit, starting whenever you want."

"That sounds perfect, thank you so much!"

Hunter just sat there letting me be a complete and utter girl about it all, it was quite perfect actually to tell Anita all my plans and watch her smile about them. As the conversation came to an end and Hunter and I said our goodbyes we headed out the door, when I froze. 

"Hunter. Where is my car?!"

"Well the last I heard someone was dropping it off at the farm house," he replied as I raced to the old work truck and then sped to the house. 

When I pulled into the driveway I saw my beautiful car parked in the garage, and I could feel my eyes begin to water. I quickly parked the old work truck and ran to my baby. My father had worked so hard to make the car perfect. My turquoise and white 1957 'vette was just as beautiful as the day he surprised me with it. I hoped in and sank into the familiar comfort of the white leather seats and started the ignition to notice that Patsy Cline was still "Walking After Midnight" over the speaker. Hunter pulled up beside me and smiled at me through the window. 

"Want to go for a ride with the top off?"

"Only if you take that top off," he laughed as he hopped into shotgun, our old insider still as funny as the day we made it. 

I could remember my sixteenth birthday like it was yesterday. My parents were so excited about my first car, I think my dad was more jittery than me. Mom had made me french toast for breakfast and served it with whip cream and candles. After they sang they handed me a small box with the keys to my car inside. My dad ran to the door faster than I did. It was beautiful pulled up in the drive way with the biggest pink bow sitting right on top. I loved it. I loved it before I had even stepped outside. When I called Hunter that day and asked him if he wanted to go for a ride with the top off he replied that he would only go if I took my top off. When I pulled up in my bathing suit top in the middle of January I thought that he was going to lose his mind he didn't calm down until I showed him the sweater in my lap and had it safely back on my body. But from that moment on it was tradition. He never once got inside my car without making a joke about my top. And I loved that, just like I loved him. We pulled out of our drive and onto the familiar backroads. With Patsy on repeat and the pine trees rushing by.