During one of the many times I went over to Cal and Violet’s place to drink wine, shoot the shit, and be a casual observer while Vi, Kate, and Keira discussed wedding plans, Vi had shown me brochures. But as I got out of my Z, left my bag to grab later, tucked my clutch under my arm, and made my way toward the stately-but-welcoming, flower-festooned, red brick building with its white columns in the front, I saw that this was a case of pictures not doing it justice.

The rehearsal dinner was in one of the private rooms inside. The wedding was going to be outside by the lake.

And taking in the graceful building, I knew it was going to be amazing.

I walked in and found signage that directed me to the Lakeview Lounge, where the dinner was going to be.

I was a couple of minutes late but had texted Benny when I left my place, then proceeded to drive like a crazy lady to get there on time so I wasn’t more late than my ill-advised side trip and crazier-than-normal Friday traffic threatened I would be.

I saw the double doors to the room were opened. I walked through and stopped.

I did this mostly because the back of the room was made up of windows, which had a fabulous view of a flawless green lawn that had pots and flower beds filled with vibrant color and greenery, and beyond that, a massive, tranquil lake, one of many in Indiana.

I also did this because there were three intimately arranged six-seater tables, all with white tablecloths, candles, and exquisite bouquets made of downy-green hydrangea, creamy roses, and spikes of purple iris.

Oh yeah, just with a glance at the rehearsal dinner setup, I knew the girls did good. I also knew this wedding was going to be amazing. Then again, even if they’d decorated in neon and asked everyone to wear ’80s outfits, it would be amazing simply because of the people involved and what this wedding meant.

The end to Cal’s years of grief.

The same for Violet and her girls.

I scanned the room and spotted Benny, his suit-jacketed back to me, Cal on one side wearing dark gray suit trousers and an open-necked, black, tailored shirt. Vi was to Ben’s other side and when I saw her, I smiled.

Cal and Vi, I found, were much like Benny and me in the squabbling department, and this occasion, joyous as it should be, was not immune to said squabbling.

Since Vi had shared during one of my shooting-the-shit times at her place, I knew that Cal wanted his band on her finger and he wanted that done yesterday. He didn’t give a shit about how that happened, he just wanted it to happen. Pronto.

Vi, on the other hand, was not about to make her second star appearance at a wedding wearing a maternity gown, something she’d done at age eighteen during her first big event.

“Been there, done that. This time I’m livin’ the dream,” she’d told me.

Because Cal loved her like crazy and wanted her to have what she wanted, he gave in, but only slightly. That was to say he wanted the wedding as soon as she could pull it off after she had their baby.

Thus commenced more squabbling because Vi didn’t want a maternity wedding part two, but she also didn’t want to be carrying baby weight at her dream wedding.

I was actually there during one of these squabbles, to which Cal remarked, “I don’t give a f**k if you got an extra pound or two.”

“It’ll be more like forty,” Vi retorted.

“Okay, I don’t give a f**k if you got an extra pound or forty,” Cal returned.

“I do!” Vi snapped. “Wedding pictures last an eternity.”

“Yeah. And we’ll look at them and remember a coupla weeks before we got hitched, you gave me my baby girl. How’s that bad?”

You couldn’t really fault that logic, and Vi agreed because she gave him a look but said nothing further.

Therefore, Vi, who had gained thirty-five pounds with Angie, had spent the last six weeks doing what she could to work it off.

Luckily, she was active by nature and went back to the side business she had within a couple of weeks of having Angie. She worked at the garden center in Brownsburg but also maintained a few personal clients’ lawns and gardens. So although the weight didn’t melt off dramatically, she’d taken off fifteen pounds and planned ahead, ordering a wedding dress that was two sizes too big.

At her last fitting on Monday, it had had to be taken in.

And now, she was standing there wearing a purple, strapless cocktail dress with a ruched bodice and a flirty skirt that fell just past her knees, which had a long, green, satin ribbon as a belt, the same adorning the flippy hem. She had on spiked-heeled, strappy green sandals and her fabulous, thick, dark hair was arranged away from her face and fastened in a side ponytail that was a burst of soft curls.

She was smiling at something Benny was saying.

She looked amazing.

She also looked completely happy.

Which made me completely happy.

I quit looking at her, and eyes to the prize (that being Ben’s broad shoulders in his suit jacket), I headed their way.

Cal’s gaze came to me when I was five feet away, Vi’s smile a couple of feet later. Ben noticed and started turning when I was right there.

So when I slid my arms around his middle, I got his back, his side, and full face. This meant I could roll up on the toes of my own strappy sandals and press my mouth against his.

I smelled his aftershave, felt his strength, and therefore couldn’t stop myself from touching the tip of my tongue to his lips before I pulled away.

“Hey, baby,” I whispered.

“Hey,” he whispered back, then twisted further and brought me around so I was at his side, doing this with his eyes dropping to my dress.

I was not wearing a graceful-yet-flirty dress like Vi.

My dress was coral, short, skintight, had one long, tight sleeve and one exposed shoulder and arm. I’d toned down the jewelry (even so, my thin rhinestone hoops nearly brushed my shoulders) and went big with my hair. My sandals were copper. My makeup dark but dewy.

I had the process down so vamping it up prior to driving there didn’t take forever.

Still, from the look in Ben’s eyes and his arm tightening around my waist, I knew he appreciated my efforts.

I pressed closer to him and turned my attention to Vi and Cal. “Hey, guys. How did the rehearsal go?”

“We’re all set,” Vi said. “Tomorrow, five o’clock go time.”

I grinned and replied, “Awesome.”

I barely said that word before I watched Cal move in and touch his mouth to Vi’s, muttering, “Gonna check on Angie.”

“Honey, she’s sleeping and she’s with Mimi. She’s fine,” Vi told him.