Scars Like Ours | Red View Romance #2

🍂 Twenty Four

After what felt like forever, the week of the wedding finally arrived. Annie could only imagine the wait had seemed like an eternity for Kenzie and Marshall.

Seven days passed in a blur of last minute preparations, from helping Gabby practice her Maid of Honor speech to going in with Kenzie for her last dress fitting.

She looked absolutely gorgeous, even better than the first time Annie had seen her in it. Between the big, layered skirt and elaborate sweetheart bodice, everything about it just seemed to scream Kenzie, fun and playful just like the bride herself.

Between the typical bridesmaid duties she also found herself as a baking assistant for both Dawson and Gabby, helping them prepare the desserts along with Roman. They were allowed to use the bakery in town after hours, apparently an easy arrangement thanks to Roman's lifelong friendship with the owner. The ins and outs of the small town never failed to put a warmth in Annie's heart--her hometown wasn't big by any means, but the sense of community that flourished in Red View had been absent for her back in Connecticut.

Everyone pitched in where they could--Jack had been working tirelessly to make sure the wedding barn was just as Kenzie pictured it, and when the flower arrangements came in wrong, Lillie-Mae stepped in to fix it before Kenzie even got word. Layla kept Kenzie and Marshall's stress levels down through their usual workouts, adding evening yoga sessions to their routine to help them mellow out.

Annie saw flashes of Cliff throughout the chaotic few days, but never long enough for anything more than a quick hello. From what she could tell, it seemed like Halloween had helped him--he was stepping out more, venturing out around the orchard to help with things even when the store was open and he was at risk of being seen. His car, however, remained in the driveway, still yet to go into town.

The less she saw of him, the more she found herself yearning for him, missing that easy conversation and those butterflies dancing under her skin. She wanted to learn even more of him, hear him play again, listen to another story about his life.

Eventually, she at least was able to be close to him--much closer than she was prepared for. On the evening before the big day, the wedding party gathered at McAden Orchard for the dress rehearsal and Annie found herself walking arm in arm with Cliff up the outdoor aisle, right behind Layla and Dawson. She'd known it was coming for months, and yet nothing could have prepared her for an hour in Cliff's close quarters, going through the motions of tomorrow's event over and over again.

Other than meeting Marshall's best man David, his parents, and following the directions she was given, Annie could barely focus on the actual evening. How could she, when her whole body felt like it was on fire?

They'd started rehearsal with the ceremony, then practiced the recessional and finished with the processional so that everyone already knew their places. Everything went smoothly (apart from David tripping on the first run-through and nearly bringing Gabriela down with him on the way to the altar), far better than any rehearsal Annie had witnessed before. Not only was that a complement to the McAden's, but also an unintended realization of how poorly her own family got along.

Cliff looked gorgeous, and it took every ounce of self restraint for her to not stare at him the whole time. His hair fell in soft waves around his face, had her yearning to reach out and tuck it back just to get a better look. When they walked together, his sweater was soft against her skin, and the warmth of his body helped keep her warm as the sun began to set.

When the dress rehearsal came to an end and it was time for the rehearsal dinner--a catered meal courtesy of Marshall's parents, served at the long table in the McAden's backyard--Annie excused herself and headed inside to freshen up. When she came back out, she left through the front door, walking around the wrap-around porch to take a breather at the side of the house, keeping a moment for herself as the voices of her friends drifted from around the back.