The professor looked over to Randi and shook her head. “And to think that we were just like that on our wedding days.” ‘Both of them shared a laugh as Janet walked over to stand by the lawyer. “Thanks for calling me last night, Randi. I would’ve hated to miss this. I’m sorry I missed out on the double bachelorette party.”

“Well, from what I heard from Brian when he was getting dressed, I’m not sure you would have been too comfortable at Brooke’s.” Randi giggled, “It seems she was beating them at their own games.”

“You know your sister,” Janet chuckled. “She’s always got to show the guys up.”

“Yeah, I know. You’d think that the whole lot of them would learn by now.” Randi turned at the sound of knocking and looked to the door. “Okay, now who?”

Terri crossed the room and opened the door. “Mom, come on in.” She stepped back and held the door while Mable and her group came marching in.

“Where’s Sam?” Mable stepped in, scouring the room for her new daughter-in-law to be.

“Oh…I hope we’re not too late,” Sandy said with a worried tone of voice.

“Now, Mom, you know that cousin of mine ain’t going nowhere without her posse of girls around her. There’s no way that we’re letting Brooke see her now.” Crystal winked to Randi and patted Terri on the shoulder. “Is she getting dressed?”

“Where’s Ida?” Randi looked for the woman as they entered the room.

“She’s downstairs making sure everything is set up the way it should be.” Mable looked around, then whispered, “If you ask me, you’d think she was the nervous mother of the bride.”

“Mom, I just think she wants everything to be right for Brooke. God knows, your daughter probably gave Ida a list of things to do before Brooke even came up here with Sam.”

The matriarch nodded. “You’re probably right, too.” She turned to talk to Sandy when, out of the corner of her eye, she caught the bedroom door opening. “Sh…I think the bride’s ready to meet her audience.” Mable smiled as she gestured the women over with her hands.

The bedroom door opened and Sarah came out in advance of her sister. Walking several steps into the room, she turned and motioned to the doorway with her arm. “Presenting to you, on this her Wedding Day, the…”

“Knock it off, Sarah,” the blush was already crawling up Sam’s face. “We don’t have all day.” The bride-to-be came into the room and smiled at the assembled women, turning slowly around as she moved forward into the center of the room. “So, what do you think?” Sam looked eagerly into their eyes. “Will I knock her dead or what?”

“WOOHOO!” Crystal let out with a yell.

“Sam, you’re…you’re beautiful.” Sandy brought her hand up to her mouth.

“You are, Sam. Just simply…beautiful,” Mable concurred as her eyes grew bigger and a pleased smile settled on her face.

“Brooke will pass out on the spot when she catches her first sight of you,” Terri offered her opinion.

Randi raised an eyebrow to her sister. “Well, that’s the benefit of having a doctor or two in the family, Terri. We won’t have to delay the wedding waiting for someone to come and revive her.” Turning toward Sam, she smiled, then added her own thoughts. “That dress does you justice, Sam.”

“Damn right, on both accounts. You’re going to stop her heart for sure,” Terri agreed as they all shared in the laughter.

Mable walked over to Sam and looked at her more closely for a moment before turning to Sam’s aunt and calling her over. “I don’t know, Sandy.” Mable’s face grew pensive. “There’s still something missing.”

Letting her eyes inspect her niece, Sandy agreed. “You’re right, Mable. Something is missing. It’s just too empty looking there with that scoop neckline.” The older woman looked to the Gordon matriarch for confirmation of her observation.

“Hmm…” Mable cocked her head to one side, then to the other. “I don’t know.” She circled Sam once more, then nodded. “I’m thinking that her neck is too bare.”

“That could be it,” Sandy nodded to her desperately waiting niece.

“Well, what the hell is it that we need. I’ll run and get it,” Crystal stepped forward, offering her assistance.

Seeing the worried look on Sam’s face, Mable took the blonde’s hand and patted it. “Actually Sam, your aunt and I decided to go in together on the something old.” Mable looked over to Sandy.

“Yeah,” Sam’s aunt smiled. “Now turn around and let us put it on you.” Sandy pulled out a small jewelry box and opened it up for Mable.

Sam waited patiently as she felt the piece of jewelry being placed around her neck. “What is it?” The blonde’s fingers ran over it as Mable secured the clasp behind Sam’s neck.

“We combined our two wedding days to help you get through yours.” Mable spoke softly, “I wore the cameo the day that I married Henry and your Aunt wore the chain the day that she married your Uncle.”

“Johnny would have been so pleased to see you wearing this today, Sam.” Sandy smiled sweetly at the thought of her departed husband with the mist of a tear accumulating in her eye.

“Oh my God. Aunt Sandy,” Sam turned to see Mable, “Mom, you didn’t have to do this.”

“But we wanted to, Sam. We both love you.”

Sam moved to see her reflection in the mirror on the wall. “I…I don’t know what to say.” She turned to look at the room full of women who were making such a positive impression on her life. “Thank you…thank you all for everything.”

“You’re welcome.” The same phrase could be heard repeating itself as each woman replied in turn.

After letting Sam’s sentiments sink in, Janet spoke up. “Hello, people. We’re still not done, here.” She clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention. “We’ve got the new dress, the old jewelry, and the blue garter, but Sam’s still missing something from the borrowed category.” She looked over to the door to see the youngest Gordon sibling walking in. “Do we have any suggestions?” The professor looked directly at C.C.

“Hey, I could let you borrow my little black book.” C.C. started fishing for it in her purse.

“I don’t think she’ll be needing that, Brat,” Randi piped in. “Remember, she’s getting married today. And besides, what would she want with all those guys in your book. Huh?”

“She’s right, C.C.” Sam wrinkled her nose and giggled. “I don’t think that Brooke would think it too amusing.”

“Okay, so…ah…how about…” the brunette looked around the room as she thought, then slowly put her hand into her purse. “How about I let you use this music that I burned for your wedding?” C.C. pulled a shiny looking CD out of her purse and held it up for all to see.

“Hmm…” Sam smiled. “Does it have my favorite artist on it?”

“Well, duh.” C.C. looked shocked. “I only lived with you. You don’t think that I’d forget, do you? I mean you are marrying her today and she is my sister.”

Sam chuckled, “I guess not. Thanks, C.C.”

“So, C.C.,” Janet called out, then laughed. “How’s the ‘Groom’ doing?”

“Well,” the brunette let her face take on a tentative look. “She’s getting there, slow but sure.” C.C. chuckled, thinking of Brooke’s nerves about the big day finally coming to the surface.

“Oh, yeah?” Janet pushed for more information. “Is it her nerves or is she just being picky as usual?”

C.C. thought for a moment, noticing the intent stare that she was getting from Sam. Slowly the brunette nodded and began to speak. “You could say that.” C.C. gazed over to Sam and smiled. “That and a little Southern Comfort for good measure.” She gave her ex-roomie a wink as the rest of the room started to chuckle.

Sam watched her fidgeting father as he straightened his tie again in the short span of time that it took her to walk down the hallway. Coming to a stop next to her father, Sam turned to him and asked, “Are you okay with this, Daddy? You seem a little nervous.”

His chest puffed out with pride as he complimented his oldest daughter. “Sweetheart, I don’t think I’ve ever been any better. You’re absolutely beautiful, Samantha.”

“Thanks, I just hope that Brooke thinks so, too.” Sam’s upturned lips edged into a full smile.

“Oh, I’m sure she will. You know, she couldn’t stop talking about you last night. We had to actually physically restrain her at one point because she wanted so much to get back to you.” Samuel took his daughter’s hands and held on to them as he gave her a kiss on her cheek.

“You didn’t hurt her, did you?” Sam’s face took on a concerned look.

“No, of course not.” Samuel shook his head as his hands waved the idea off. “She fell asleep right afterward, whispering your name the entire time.” The man took in a deep breath and smiled. “You did good, Baby. Brooke’s a wonderful person and so very lucky to have you in her life.”

Sam smiled as she started to feel the heat of a blush as it climbed up her neck. “Thank you for looking at the person, Daddy, and not just the gender.”

“Yeah, well…” Samuel sighed. “I just wish that some things could have been…well…different.”

“I know.” Sam looked down to the ground. “Maybe once Mother really gets to know Brooke…” the blonde paused for a moment and gulped, “…and me, for that matter, I hope she’ll change.”

There was a quiet moment between father and daughter as Samuel took the bride in his arms and hugged her. He kissed her on the forehead, then whispered into her ear. “We all can change, Samantha, it just takes some longer than others. Don’t give up on her, yet.” He pulled himself back from his daughter and looked into her eyes from arm’s length. “Okay?”

Sam looked into her father’s green eyes and hoped that he was right. “Okay,” she gave a slight nod to her head, then turned, listening to the music that was beginning to play. “Daddy, I think it’s time.” Half torn between being her father’s little girl and the grown-up woman role that she’d assume at the end of her arm-in-arm walk with her father, Sam felt a single tear work its way to the surface as it spilled over and ran down her cheek.

Seeing the tear, Samuel caught it with his finger, then gave her cheek a tender kiss. “You’ll always be my little girl.” Clearing his throat, he held out a bent arm to his daughter.

“Thanks, Daddy.”

“Come on. I believe that a beautiful creature is waiting to spend the rest of her life with you.”

Sam took in a deep breath and wrapped her hands around his arm, then nodded her consent to begin the walk that would deliver her into the arms of everlasting love. “God, I hope so. I know I’m ready to spend it with her.”

Brooke stood in the front of the room as the last of her family was seated. After wiping her face with her hand, she reached out and touched the podium that she was standing next to. Tapping on it a time or two, her gaze fell upon her mother and she jerked her hand back, stuffing it into her suit coat pocket.

Oh God, stomach, not now. Brooke reflexively brought her other hand up to lay on her abdomen as she tried to settle the rumbling monster of her inner depths. Give me a break here, will ya? She felt another queasy feeling coming over her and looked to her side for some comfort from the man next to her.

Peter stood there, thankful that he was only standing up for and not in place of his longtime friend. He caught the tapping of Brooke’s foot, figuring that she was keeping time with the music that was now filtering through the room. In an effort to calm his own nerves, he started to keep the beat with the music, only to realize that his famed friend and drummer was tapping nowhere near the beat of the song. If he were playing to her rhythmic ministrations, it would be to the tune of a minute waltz in half the time. That was his first indication as to just how nervous his friend was.

“Hey, would you stop that,” Peter leaned into Brooke and whispered. “You’re making me nervous.” The man motioned to her tapping toe.

“Huh? Oh…yeah.” Brooke turned to look at her friend. “You’re positive I gave you her ring, right?” The woman was searching her own pocket now for something to keep her mind occupied with.

He reached out and placed his hand on top of hers, stopping her frantic search. “Brooke, I got it right here.” Peter patted his own suit coat pocket. “Chill out, my friend. Do what I do before a big gig. When I’m standing there waiting for the curtain to go up, I just grab the first song that comes to my head and go with it. Let it take over your mind.” He brought his hand to her shoulder and gave it a good squeeze. “When the song’s over, you’ll know what to do.” Peter winked, “Trust me.”

Worried blue eyes locked onto Peter’s face. “I just want this to be over with. I need to know that she hasn’t changed her mind.”