Cowboy, Stay with Me

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Here Comes the Bride

At last, the big day arrived.

Cassandra looked absolutely radiant in her strapless white Vera Wang wedding gown, trimmed with lace and silver pearls.

Only the very best for Cassandra. She worked in the local attorney's office as a paralegal, so even though she was marrying a very rich man, she had purchased her own, insanely expensive wedding gown. Though she was okay with Carson and her father paying for all the rest.

Kailee was just old enough to be trusted to hold up Cassie's long train when she walked.

Guy walked Cassandra down the aisle and she looked beautiful even behind her veil. Her long brown hair streaked with gold was pinned up today in an elegant French twist.

The Something Old was her mother's vintage white shoes that Sunday had worn at her own wedding, the Something Borrowed was Amanda's diamond bracelet, the Something New, aside from the dress itself, were the blue garters and corset that Cassandra was wearing beneath the dress.

The Something Blue was technically the bridesmaids' dresses; columns of Grecian style chiffon with powder blue pumps and corsages.

First went the flower girls, who were wearing their little blue dresses and looking just as cute as cupcakes as they scattered white flowers all over the church aisle.

Cassandra didn't want to have to choose between her two sisters and so she had chosen her best friend and coworker, Mindy, to be her Maid of Honor, and Mindy walked first with Carson's brother, James.

Then Amanda, with Carson's cousin, Erik.

Then Lucy. And she, of course, was walking inevitably with Sean Kallaghan.

They were followed by a few other of Cassandra's close friends, all of whom had been at the bachelorette party, and they walked with Carson's friends. Both bride and groom were gregarious people, that was undeniable.

They were going to make the most amazing married power couple, Lucy had no doubt.

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Lucy survived walking up the aisle with Sean.

It really wasn't as bad as she'd expected; even though they walked slowly it went by with dizzying swiftness and she was watching the floor most of the time just trying not to trip in her heels and her long dress.

She was actually grateful to have someone walking beside her whom she knew and trusted not to let her fall on her ass in front of everyone. She clung to his arm and didn't look at him. Then they had to separate to go take their respective places.

Lucy had already resolved only to stare down at her bouquet of white and blue flowers when she wasn't gazing adoringly at the bride.

This strategy worked out pretty well throughout the long ceremony, which included several readings from the Bible.

Finally the blushing couple said, "I do" and kissed to an uproarious applause.

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It was a proud day for Cassandra. Lucy knew that she had always felt the pressure from the conservative, religious community to marry Carson. Especially because they already had a child together.

Carson hadn't been ready for that commitment for almost a decade. But now that Cassie was pregnant with their second child, they had finally agreed it was time to tie the knot.

Lucy was happy for them for being able to stick it out and eventually solve their differences together. Carson was from a mostly agnostic family; people who believed in hard science over God. But Carson clearly worshipped the very ground that Cassandra walked upon and while he was just as stubborn and prideful as she was, he would do anything to make his woman happy.