Page 69 of Bad Habits
She’d gone to her old shop for the royal treatment that morning: hair, nails, and makeup, and she’d selected a green pantsuit, opting to banish the colorful streak in her hair, so as not to clash.
“You look wonderful.” I knew our celebrity friends made her a bit nervous, but mama was always… mama. No matter the company. She made people laugh, gasp, and shake their heads sometimes, but I couldn’t imagine my special day without her.
“I couldn’t be happier for you.” She blinked back the tears, fanning her face. “Knox is an amazing man, and you two together… well, you’re just perfect for each other.”
We weren’t perfect. We were like every other couple. We snapped at each other when we were tired or stressed. We argued over the little things and felt guilty enough to apologize after an hour. I got jealous when I saw groupies hanging off him and he warned men off with filthy looks whenever I chatted a little too long. We were still the best of friends, but these months added a new dimension to our relationship that made it both more challenging and more amazing.
In spite of the trials, I’d stake my life on one thing: Knox was my forever.
A knock on the door, followed by that familiar creek that Granddaddy never got around to fixing, alerted us when Daddy stepped into the room. His long hair was pulled back into a low ponytail and his beard was groomed, probably for the first time ever. He was wearing a black suit with a white shirt, yellow tie, and yellow rose in his lapel. But the profusion of flowers in his hand made me giggle.
“These are for you ladies,” Daddy said, thrusting the bouquets at Mama. “The florist asked me to bring them up, since I was headin’ this way anyhow.” He shrugged a broad shoulder. “She was busy with somethin’ else, I guess.”
Charli whistled under her breath as Mama passed her a bouquet before slipping a corsage on her own wrist. “You clean up good, old man.”
He gave her the stink eye. “You know I’m none too happy about this, so watch it.” He pulled at his collar. “I feel like I’m bein’ strangled in this damn thing.” He sighed when he caught my eye. “But I’d do anything for my girls, you know that.”
“Thank you,” I said, stepping into his outstretched arms. “Can’t tell you how much it means to me.” Almost losing him meant I treasured every moment we had together so much more.
“Well, we’ll give you two a few minutes,” Mama said, beckoning to Charli with her finger. “But don’t take too long. We don’t wanna make that handsome groom of yours nervous.”
Daddy waited until we were alone before he released a gusty sigh, “My princess. You really do look like a princess today.”
“Thanks.” The tears threatened to spill down my cheeks again, but I couldn’t let them fall. I had to be strong today, just like he taught me. “Feeling really blessed today. Especially because you’re here.”
He nodded. “Bein’ here to see my baby girl get married means everything.” He pinched his lips together and I could tell he was wrestling his emotions too. “You chose the right man, Cece. No doubt in my mind about that.” He looked around at his parents’ old bedroom. “The fact that he would do this for our family shows what kind of man he is. Proves that family means somethin’ to him, and your kids, they’ll mean everything to him.”
“I know,” I whispered.
A hundred times I’d imagined the love of my love as the father of our children and it wasn’t hard. He wasn’t the same man who’d charmed me into taking a job with him almost six years ago. He still loved to put on a show, but didn’t need to get high or drunk when the lights went down anymore. Instead we’d sneak away to our bus and enjoy our own private celebration between the sheets. Instead of flirting with all the girls who scored backstage passes, the way he used to, he’d grant a few selfies and autographs, answer a few questions, and politely excuse himself. He’d become a family man, even though we weren’t officially a family yet.
“Just appreciate each other, honey. Don’t ever take one another for granted. You know that life can be cut short so live every day like it might be your last together. And don’t ever forget to tell that man how much he means to you.”
“I won’t. I promise.”
Daddy had never been big on meaningful moments, but he came through when it counted. Like the day he packed up my old jalopy so I could make the long drive to Nashville the summer I turned nineteen. He made me believe then that I could make all my dreams come true, and his soft-spoken words were giving me the confidence I needed today too.
“Well, you ready to do this?” he asked, handing me my bouquet.
“So ready.”
* * *
Knox
Cece took my breath away as I watched her walk down the aisle.
Reminded me of the first time I saw her. We’d been holding rehearsals at a friend’s bar. She strolled in wearing tight ripped jeans and a low-cut black t-shirt with high heeled boots. She had a beat up guitar case slung over her shoulder and when our eyes met... her dimples popped.
My heart started beating a little harder and faster when I saw her. And by the end of the night, my whole body was thrumming with awareness. When I asked her to come back to my place, she laughed and patted my chest, telling me we were better off as friends if we were gonna be working together.
Friends. Best friends. That’s what we’d evolved into over that first year. I loved everything about her, even her quirks, but if someone had told me then I’d be standing here, my heart beating out of my chest, just like it did the first time we met, because I was finally going to make her my wife, I would have laughed and called them crazy. Because guys like me didn’t commit to one woman forever. Guys like me didn’t fantasize about babies. Or buy run-down old farmhouses. Or horses. That last one still made me chuckle. She’d named her horse Misty because it reminded her of her favorite cow, Maisy. My girl had a serious soft spot for four-legged animals, but I was grateful she’d had the patience to tame this two-legged animal too ‘cause I couldn’t imagine my life without her.
Reed agreed to officiate for us, which meant seeing his ex-girlfriend for the first time since their breakup. And Brooklyn brought a date. I knew it was killing Reed to see her with someone else, but he was putting his friendship with us first and vowing not to let anything ruin our day.
He opened with a few remarks about how long it took us to get here, because I was a little slow on the uptake, making everyone laugh, before he invited us to recite our vows.
For a man who made his living weaving words, my wedding vows proved harder to write than any song. How the hell was I supposed to put into words how much this woman meant to me? It seemed impossible, until I started to think about her. The memories we’d made. The laughs we’d shared. The fights we’d had. The successes we’d celebrated. And I realized I already had the words buried deep inside. Words she’d placed there, every day that she loved me and showed me how to love her.
