Maizy the Bear Charmer(Diving Creek Ranch 16)(115)

Lucy bit her lip as she knelt down to him, her eyes shiny. “Hey, honey.”

PJ went to her and whispered, “You look like the queen of the world.” He reached out a tentative hand to stroke the veil attached to the underside of her updo and said, “Dads are gonna flip out.” Recently, he’d begun referring to his dads in plural form when he was around family and friends.

Lucy smiled and kissed the top of his head and then stood. “Think so?”

“Oh, yeah.”

Maizy giggled when she noticed Rose Marie modeling her little violet-colored satin and lace-trimmed dress for the others. “I’m a princess. Daddy Adam says so.”

“Yes, you are, honey,” Grace replied softly. “Ready to be a flower girl?”

Rose Marie nodded and Maizy noticed that she was bare-legged, except for lace-trimmed socks that Grace must’ve put on her before buckling her dress shoes back on her. She picked up her bucket of red rose petals and said, “I’m a bridesmaid flower girl, Mommy.”

“Okeydokey,” Grace replied, rolling her eyes as they herded the kids to the back door. Adam kissed Grace’s temple, whispered something to her that made her smile, and then slipped out, followed by Jack, who winked at his wife and gave her a soft wolf whistle.

Rachel poked her head in the back door and then let Lucy’s mother and father in as she said, “We’re ready when you are, Lucy.”

Mr. and Mrs. Carter both greeted Jayne at the door with hugs and kisses. Charity handed Lucy her bouquet of fresh blue hydrangeas and ivory roses, and the girls their bouquets of blue and purple hydrangeas as Lucy said, “Give me just a minute and I’ll be ready, Rachel.”

“Take your time. The guys are looking a little nervous but they’ll be fine,” she added with a giggle.

Her mother and father both had tears in their eyes as they looked Lucy over. Her dad arched an eyebrow as he stared at Lucy’s hemline but he smiled at her and carefully kissed her cheek and said, “Honey, there’s still time. I have the SUV right outside. We can be gone in a couple of minutes.”

Lucy giggled with her mother and whapped her dad on his forearm. “The only SUV I want to ride in is the white one out there that screams ‘Just Married,’ but thank you Daddy for having my back.”

“We brought you something, honey,” her mother said as Mr. Carter handed Lucy a velvet box. Maizy could plainly see that both Lucy and Seth shared their unusual eye color and jet black hair with Mr. Carter. Both of her parents were also quite tall and it was obvious Lucy had inherited her curvaceous figure from her mother.

Lucy whimpered when she opened the box. “Great-grandma’s silver locket!” Her voice caught on the last syllable as she stroked the antique jewelry and then carefully lifted it from its bed of white satin.

“She told me years ago to give it to you on your wedding day as your ‘something old,’” Mrs. Carter said, tears in her eyes and her own voice catching a little. She gently took it from Lucy’s trembling hands and clasped it around Lucy’s throat. Charity and Jayne fanned Lucy’s face as she flushed and tears welled in her eyes.

Lucy’s parents hadn’t been too surprised to discover that their daughter had fallen for Patrick and Beck. They’d spent enough time in Divine, visiting their grown children and their grandchild, to get to know some of the ménage groups. Once they’d seen evidence of the deep, abiding commitment between the members, they hadn’t been all that shocked. Although Maizy knew her mom would cheer Patrick on in finding his own happiness, Maizy lamented that her dad wasn’t as accepting of the lifestyle Patrick had chosen. She knew she probably wouldn’t be able to look back on a sweet memory like the one she was witnessing, if she was ever in Lucy’s shoes.

“Okay, sweetheart. Ready to go strap on a ball and chain?”

Lucy burst into laughter. “Daddy!”

He gestured with a thumb in the direction of the front door. “There’s still time. Just sayin’.”

Grace ushered Rose Marie and PJ onto the back porch as she whispered encouragement and instructions to them. With the door open, Maizy could hear soft guitar music playing as the kids and Grace took their places at the bottom of the steps. Before long the kids found something to squabble about.

The adults all burst into restrained laughter when they clearly heard Rose Marie yell, “You’re not the boss of me, PJ! You hush up! Talk to my hand, ugly boy!”

Charity chuckled and said, “Clearly taking after her Auntie Charity, there.”

Because PJ delighted in bossing Rose Marie around, which inspired wall-eyed fits in the young lady, it had been decided that Grace would escort the young attendants up the aisle. Lucy had been happy because she’d wanted to include Grace in the ceremony all along and Grace had been excited as well. Now all she had to do was get the warring youngsters down the aisle.