Page 25 of Promise Yule Be Mine (Christmas Falls: Season 2)

25

KODY

T he next few days were an absolute whirlwind as the reality of my engagement to Nova hit and as we took the time to adjust our big day to what we wanted.

Now that my wedding was real, I didn’t want small. I didn’t want a quick ceremony and get out. I wanted it to be big, beautiful and memorable. I wanted it to be a day for Nova and me to cherish for the rest of our lives. Because I knew we would last forever. We had to. We were made for each other.

The good thing was most of the things we’d already done were to Nova’s tastes, thanks to Jenna’s machinations behind the scenes and having to sort them out with Nova. Like the cake, which was pretty perfect already, and the invitations, which while they had the wrong name on, were exclusively Nova’s creation. The playlist needed a couple of adjustments and of course we had to rush to Springfield to get him a tux, a gorgeous maroon suit that went perfectly with my forest green.

We’d decided to leave the big announcement for the big day. Not because Jenna was right, but because we already had enough to worry about without having to stop every five seconds to explain what had happened. If anything it would make the day more memorable. Heck, it might even make it in town history as the most absurd and romantic wedding ever.

As for the catering…

“I think your friend is hitting on my friend,” I told Nova and he looked over to Jenna and his friend from New York, Conner.

He was a brunet edging on ginger with soft features and a glorious mustache to match my own. He was a kind, generous and funny man, and Jenna hadn’t left his side since he’d arrived three days ago and he hadn’t complained.

“Good. He needs someone chaotic in his life to breathe some life into his routine. He works eighty or so hours a week and hasn’t had a date in five years,” Nova said.

“Ouch. Poor guy,” I said. “I guess it’s not easy for anyone to find their person, is it? I thought Jenna and I had exclusive rights to bad relationships.”

“Are you serious? Do you not watch any reality TV? Everyone is looking for somebody to love and can’t find it.”

“Well, good thing I finally found you, then.” I pulled him into my arms and gazed into his gorgeous eyes, feeling so full of joy and love I could burst any moment.

And to think only a month ago I’d resigned myself to never finding love again.

I guess when life laughs, destiny makes plans.

Because he was my destiny. That much was clear. And becoming clearer with each day.

“Awww, look at them. They’re adorable, aren’t they?” said one of Nova’s brothers.

I wasn’t sure who. He had so many I still struggled to tell them apart, but I was starting to get the hang of it. They all had different personalities that made them unique, but they all loved each other and it only took one look at them to tell they were a family.

Nova blushed and looked down but I grabbed him by the chin and tipped his head up so I could kiss him proudly.

“We are adorable,” I told him.

“Ew, get a room.” That was the one brother I remembered.

Rhett. He was a spitfire of a man with the dirtiest sense of humor ever. And since he’d arrived two days ago, he had aimed it at us.

“We will, when we have one,” Nova snapped back with an eye roll.

It was true. We didn’t really have a room.

Well, that was a lie. We did have a room. In my house. But we didn’t have a space all to ourselves.

All in due course, though.

First, we had a wedding to take care of. Then we could worry about finding a place to call our own and setting down roots.

“Why would they need to get a room? They are in a room, aren’t they?” Nova’s niece said from her daddy’s arms.

He was Nova’s oldest brother Slade, who had married a guy whose name evaded me, and they all lived in Mayberry Holm, an island that up until a couple days ago I’d never heard of.

“Don’t mind Rhett, sweetie,” Slade said to his ten-year-old daughter. “They are indeed in a room. The living room. They don’t need one.”

Everyone laughed before Nova’s mom slapped Rhett and stepped forward to hug us both. She was a sweet woman, not that I’d expect anything less from the woman who’d created such a wonderful being like Nova. Our engagement may have shocked her, just like it had everyone, but she had embraced me from the get-go, no questions asked, except for one.

“Does he make you happy?” she’d asked Nova.

“The happiest,” he’d answered her and that was that.

“Dinner’s ready,” Mom said, and her and Dad carried the last of the food to the table.

Table was an understatement. It was a whole patchwork of any surface we could put together to make a banquet table big enough to fit sixteen or so people.

The house had never been louder, more vibrant or warmer. Everyone got along, which was just the best feeling in the world, considering we’d be a family from now on.

Eventually, we got to dessert and for some reason everyone started toasting us and saying stories from our childhood. It was bizarre but it put me right in the wedding vibes. I couldn’t wait to be married to Nova and explore life together with him.

“Is it my turn? It’s my turn,” Rhett said and stood with a glass of sparkling wine in his hand. He brushed his long, coiling hair to the side and raised his glass. “Nova and Kody, Kody and Nova. Kody, I can tell you from the moment Nova met you he hasn’t stopped talking about you. No, honestly. I had to block your Facebook page from our home Wi-Fi because he kept bumping into every door and wall drooling over you.”

Nova gasped. “That’s not true,” he told me. “Stop making me sound like a creepy stalker.”

Rhett put both hands up as if to say “hey, I just say it as it is” and I laughed.

“Don’t worry. If you’re a creepy stalker, so am I.”

Nova turned to me. “Really?”

“Really.”

“As I was saying,” Rhett cleared his throat, “I’m so glad you two got together because I was starting to worry about our health.”

Everyone frowned.

“Nova was oozing so much cheese from his infatuation we’d all have gotten some nasty cholesterol if this went on.”

A few of Nova’s brothers groaned.

“You’re an idiot,” he told Rhett.

“Eh, you love me anyway.”

“That’s debatable,” Nova replied.

Rhett brought his hand to his chest with a gasp and a shriek. “How dare you? And I was going to walk you down the aisle all dolled up and everything.”

“And now you won’t?” Nova glared at his brother.

“I won’t even carry flowers,” he replied.

Jenna gasped.

I glanced at her but she had covered her mouth with both hands and stared at her plate.

“Anyway, what I was trying to say before I was rudely interrupted, was that Nova is my favorite brother…” All his other brothers huffed but Rhett didn’t pay them any mind. “And I’m so happy he found someone who loves him. And not only because it means I finally get the bedroom all to myself.”

Nova shook his head and rolled his eyes.

“Here’s to Nova and Kody,” Rhett finished and everyone mumbled our names and took a sip of their drinks.

Before another one could make another toast, Jenna came around our side of the table and leaned between us.

“Uhm…I need to talk to you. Now.”

Nova turned from Rhett to Jenna and raised an eyebrow. “What now?” he asked.

“Well, remember how I started canceling things?—”

“You mean to sabotage your own wedding? Yeah, I remember. It was only a week and a half ago,” he replied.

“Are you still on that? If I hadn’t sabotaged my own wedding you wouldn’t have one!” Jenna told him.

Nova rolled his eyes but grinned in the end. “What did you do?” Nova asked.

“Well…you see, I’d be surprised if you got any flowers for the ceremony.”

“What?” he asked. “Why?”

“Because I canceled the florist?”

“Oh my God, Jenna!” I said.

She looked at me like a wounded puppy. “I’m sorry. I forgot. I would have said something sooner.”

Nova covered his face with both hands and started growling. I reached out hoping my touch, my kiss, my hug would offer him some comfort but his growling turned to shaking, which turned to uncontrollable laughter.

“Are you okay?” I asked when he looked at me beaming and cackling.

“Of course.”

His laughter was so contagious I couldn’t help but laugh too.

“Is this nervous laughter?” I asked.

“Nope. Maybe. I don’t know.”

“I’m so sorry guys.” Jenna bit her lip.

“It’s okay.” Nova tried to compose himself. “We’ll sort it out.”

“How?” she asked.

He looked from Jenna to the rest of the table and smiled.

“Would anyone like to help make some floral arrangements?”

Every one of his brothers and his niece raised their hands, while our parents nodded.

“See? We’ll be okay,” he told Jenna and then turned to me.

I took his hand and squeezed it.

I had all the faith that it would. If he knew anything, that was how to make the best out of a bad situation. And if he could teach me how to craft a perfect wedding invitation then I had no doubt he could teach everyone how to make gorgeous floral arrangements.