Stubborn and in Love (Book Three)

26.

Melody's POV

The morning of Peggy's wedding. Jack and I had woken up extra early to help each separate nervous party get ready to walk down the aisle.

We met the wedding party in a quaint country church on a rolling green hillside. Jack and I, hands full with puffy dresses and pressed suits, headed down the cool candle-lit hallway to the small rooms set aside for the bride and groom.

We stopped in front of Peggy's room, and even from standing outside in the hall I could hear the clatter and loud voices from the other side of the door.

"Good luck," he said, smirking.

"You too, tell Daniel he's got this."

I took a long, deep breath and turned the handle to enter the chaos.

"Angie! Stop trying on my viel! I need it!"

"Sorry, it's just so pretty Peg-"

"Give it!"

I laughed and immediately made myself useful by separating the two.

"Hey, this is an exciting day! No more silly fighting."

Peggy sighed and squeezed each of our hands.

"I apologize. I'm just so nervous..."

"If anyone is ready to dive headfirst into something, it's you Peggy."

"Thank you Melody. I needed to hear that."

She paused to turn and stared out into the small garden outside the church. It was bubbling over with tulips, roses, and orchids coming together to form a beautiful messy ensemble.

Without a word we already knew what Peggy was thinking.

"Steve would be proud of you," whispered Angie.

She turned back to us, tears brimming in her eyes.

"Happy, Peg. He'd be happy."

"He's with me, I feel it. Wishing me luck, almost."

A silence blanketed over the room, one used to allow Peggy to collect her thoughts.

A few of Peggy's British friends who were also bridesmaids interrupted our little moment with a flurry of rouge and smoothing powder.

Angie and I got changed into the rose colored bridesmaid dresses with slightly different cuts to distinguish the maid of honor, and then helped Peggy get her gown on.

"Suck in that stomach Peg! What are you pregnant or something?"

"Not yet Angie. Just too many London sweets."

Slowly we placed the veil on her head and stepped back so she could look in the mirror. She turned to us, and all of our jaws dropped

. "Oh, Peggy..."

Everyone stared in a silent awe.

"Do I look okay?"

"Okay? You're absolutely radiant. It's even prettier now than in the store."

A soft tear slipped down her cheek, and soon we were all pulling out our tissues.

While the rest of the girls gathered around Peggy, I took a step back into my own thoughts.

I hadn't done it.

Not what I'd set out to accomplish here.

Instead, I'm leaving a case cold and my world had been turned upside down.

No matter how, it just was.

Soon the line of girls were gathered up and heading out the door with Angie motioning me to follow.

"C'mon southern belle! We've got a wedding to attend!"