Shoe Strings

wreck
waiting on you to get here.”
    “You’re not supposed to see Bryce on your wedding day!”
    “Don’t get your panties in a wad.   I wouldn’t push my luck that way,
especially today of all days.   We’ve
been texting.   He’s said the most
wonderful things.   I’m the luckiest
woman in the world.”
    “And the most beautiful bride.   Kerri Ann, I’m so very happy for you.”
    Kerri Ann waved her hands in front of her face.   “You’re gonna get the water works
started again.”
    “I’m sorry, honey, but it had to be said.   Now, I’m off.   Don’t you worry.   Bryce wouldn’t care if you came down in
clown makeup.   That man is in love.”
    “He’s not the only one.”
    Lita gave her a quick hug and scooted out of the door and
down the stairs to the chapel.  
    It was packed, both sides jammed with suits, multi-colored
dresses, and even a few hats among the crowd.   She slipped inside and eased into a seat
in the last pew.   A teenaged girl
slumped over a piano playing an incredibly moving “Ave Maria”.   Lita took her first steady breath since
she’d left Atlanta.  
    Just as she’d begun to relax, a side door opened and the
minister emerged in full white robes, followed by Bryce, Ty, and Jesse.   Her chest constricted and she felt tears
sting her eyes.   They looked so
handsome, the three of them in dark suits and white rose boutonnières.   Bryce stood ramrod straight, looking
like a prince waiting for his princess, not a trace of nerves on his face.   Ty fidgeted with his tie and seemed
unable to stand still.   Jesse set a
reassuring hand on Ty’s shoulder before adjusting his own tie.  
    Jesse scanned the crowd, his expression serious.   She couldn’t take her eyes off him, his
dusty blond hair darker with gel, every hair in place.   Clean-shaven, his face seemed even more
angled, more handsome, more dangerous.   Everything inside of her craved his touch, his smile, but he continued
to look through the pews, searching.   She rose when the music changed to the bridal chorus and watched as
Kerri Ann strode confidently through the doors, her face radiant beneath the
thin veil of lace.   Lita turned to
see Bryce’s reaction and that’s when she realized Jesse had found her; his eyes
bored a hole through her heart.   When he winked and flashed his crooked smile, she knew she was home.
    The ceremony was quick and business-like, just like the
bride, and before long the couple headed down the aisle to the wedding
march.   She lost Jesse as he headed
through the doors with a bridesmaid on his arm and guests filed out of the pews
into the center aisle.   Even with
her three-inch heels, she could barely see above the people in front of
her.   When she finally reached the
vestibule, the wedding party had disappeared and the guests, after milling
around a bit, began heading to their cars.   She spied Cal as he emerged from a back hallway, smiling and nodding to
a group of older women.  
    “Cal.”   She
reached for his arm.  
    He turned and smiled.   “Well, if it isn’t my soon to be daughter-in-law.”   He placed a kiss on her cheek before
stepping back to examine her from head to toe.   “And looking mighty pretty.   How have you been?”
    “Anxious to get back.”   She scanned the thinning crowd.   “Have you seen Jesse?”
    “Not since the ceremony, but I assumed he’s with the wedding
party in the back.   There are a slew
of lights and cameras being set up in the chapel for pictures.”
    Pictures.   She
hadn’t thought of that.   “Oh….”
    “Why don’t you head on over to the reception with me.”   He leaned down to whisper in her
ear.   “That ought to get the old
tongues a-flapping to walk in with you on my arm.”
    She had to laugh when he raised his brows suggestively.   “Okay, I guess it would be silly to
wait.”
    She had a drink at the reception as Cal wound her through
the crowd and introduced her to his friends.   He didn’t mention her status as his
son’s fiancé, as they’d all agreed it was Kerri Ann’s day.   She declined a second drink when her
stomach began to twist with anticipation.   Where in the world was Jesse?   The band had begun playing country music cover songs and the crowd,
minus their jackets and ties, seemed to settle under the pavilion at Jesse’s
raft shop, ready for a long night of fun.  
    She recognized Mr. and Mrs. Collins from the general store,
Bryce’s secretary, and just