Recap of Chapter 37: Penny and Chloe met at Willow Creek to hash out the wedding plans. Despite being overserved and giddy, they managed to land on some solid plans for the big day, which would occur in just over a month.
After weeks of careful planning, the wedding week had finally arrived. Just as they had planned for, the entire wedding party had come to stay at the venue. Well, not the entire wedding party. Penny’s dad, Martin, chose to stay at the apartment instead. Barney had come with him, so it was just easier to stay there and watch Gus. Barney and Gus didn’t quite get around to becoming friends, but they called a truce on outright warfare, so it all worked out okay. And, speaking of calling a truce, staying at the apartment made it easier to steer clear of Chloe, who was staying at the venue. They hadn’t spent any time alone since the embarrassing night he showed up on her doorstep unannounced. He would like to avoid a scene or making anyone uncomfortable, so he could escape all of that by staying at the apartment. Decision made easy. He had also promised Jesse that he’d help at the restaurant while Penny was busy with final wedding details. Staying upstairs made it very handy to keep that promise. Between helping at Lucky Penny and prepping all the food for the wedding, his days were full. Keeping up when he was so busy and in demand was a source of pride for Martin. He found himself falling into bed each night exhausted and ready for sleep.
“It’s hailing like mad here. I have to go—we’re trying to save as much as we can.”
At the venue, things were shaping up just the way they were pictured. Just two days before the wedding and the chairs were delivered and placed on the stone patio facing the creek. Lights were strung overhead and the trees surrounding the patio were wrapped with twinkling lights. The wedding party had grilled, tossed salad, made loaves of sourdough bread and sipped wine while accomplishing the set up. There was laughter, joking, music and dancing in the air. Matthew’s parents, brother and sister were all there, smiling brightly and helping at every turn. Martin and Jesse popped in daily with trays of food and liquor before rushing back to the restaurant. It was a fun and energetic time. It was to be a dusk wedding and reception following on site.
The day before the wedding, the gorgeous flower chandelier arrived. Martin, Matthew, his dad and brother set up ladders and hung it from the rafters in the center of the big living room. It was a feat of engineering, but the effect was worth it. Outside, surrounding the seats, small tables were set up for the cocktail hour preceding the wedding. The makeshift bar in the corner was fully stocked and ready to go. The very next day was the big day and it was all coming together.
On the morning of the wedding, Chloe had arranged for a bagel bar, several pump pots of fresh coffee, and a mimosa and Bloody Mary station to kick off the day. She made a tray to bring upstairs to Penny, who was stirring awake in the master bedroom. “Wake up, sleepy head,” Chloe said, elbowing into the room. “It’s your wedding day.” She put the tray down and opened the curtains, revealing a sunshine-filled morning. “I brought you some breakfast and then you and I have an appointment at TallGrass for the works.”
“Seriously? This is fabulous. You didn’t have to do all this, Chloe.”
“But I did, so the least you could do is sit up and wallow around in all the attention.” They clinked their mimosa flutes for luck and picked at the yummy bagel spread sampler from the tray. Chloe peered out the window where she could get just a glimpse of the ceremony site. “Everything looks lovely down there. Lucky Penny is closing at four to free up the staff, who will bring themselves and the food over at 6 pm. The cake is already here, chilling in the fridge in the basement. It’s lovely, by the way. So now, all you have to do is get pampered, then slip on that gorgeous gown we picked, and go marry that delicious man.” She glanced at the gown hanging on the wardrobe. It was a slip shoulder off-white brocade gown embellished with a softly toned, embroidered wildflower garden trailing up from the hemline. It was simple, yet elegant and it fit Penny’s figure perfectly.
Gulping down the last of her mimosa, Penny put on yoga pants and a tank, grabbed her purse and snuck downstairs, past the busy kitchen. Chloe snatched a bottle of champagne to slip into her tote. They met at the back door and set off for the spa for some pre-wedding pampering, giggling like schoolgirls getting away with something.
Flowers were placed around the grounds and inside—lovely bouquets to brighten and make the scene festive. The flowers decorating where the ceremony would take place were especially lush and abundant—a wildflower look to every arrangement. It was exactly how they envisioned it.
While Penny and Chloe were soaking in a mud bath after a full-body sugar scrub—with their hair wrapped in towels, cucumbers covering their eyes—a faint sound was heard over the soothing music playing in the room. It started a bit sporadically, and then increased, becoming quite loud. Both ladies removed their cucumber slices and looked at each other, listening. As if in unison, they lifted their eyes to the large skylight overhead. “Hail!” they exclaimed. “It can’t be!” Penny exclaimed. “It wouldn’t dare!” Chloe cursed. And yet it did dare, coming down hard and furious—even stacking up like snow in the corners of the skylight. “I have to call the house!” Chloe sat up, shaking mud off her hand while reaching for her cellphone. To her horror, she discovered there was no service. “No service! You try!” she shouted over the loud and persistent sound of hail pinging off the skylight. Chloe did the same, peering through her muddy fingers at the screen. “No service for me either.” A quick stare and then they both scrambled out of the mud, haphazardly wrapped themselves in towels and dashed for the door. They sprinted for the front desk, slipping at the corners and leaving muddy footprints in their path. One look at the frantic and muddy pair, the receptionist insisted on dialing and holding the phone. When eventually Matthew answered, Penny shouted, “Oh, Matthew, thank God! It’s hailing here about 8 miles up Upper Bear. I don’t know if it’s hailing there or not, but if it isn’t, bring the flowers in from outside. It could be heading your way.”
“Too late,” he said, seemingly out of breath. “It’s hailing like mad here. I have to go—we’re trying to save as much as we can.” And the phone went dead.
By the time the ladies hurriedly showered off the mud, threw on their clothes and screeched around the corners all the way back to the venue, it took a full 20 minutes. The hail had stopped at the spa when they crossed the parking lot, but it appeared to be in front of them, darkening the sky toward home. They feared the worst. By the time they pulled into the driveway, the hail was coming down like tiny darts, causing them to run for the door while it pelted them ruthlessly. Inside the foyer, the scene was surreal. Everyone was running around with huge bouquets in their arms, dropping them wherever and going back for more. The ones rescued looked like someone shook them wildly. Petals were ripped to fragments and the floor was littered with petals and bits of greenery. Stunned, Penny shuffled toward the door, afraid to look, but compelled just the same. Outside, the entire aisle between the rows of chairs was a rainbow bed of flower petals and leaf bits. Several of the small tables lay overturned, and the bar looked like someone struck it with a tennis racket in a fit of rage. There was broken glass and overturned bottles everywhere. Family members were running back and forth, wincing against the punishing hail. It was a nightmare. Chloe came up beside her. She gasped at the scene, her hand covering her mouth. Matthew came by with an armful of flowers and stopped when he saw her standing there in shock. “It’s just a small setback,” he shouted over the noise. “Don’t worry. It’ll stop soon and we can still save most of it.” As he uttered the words, two large peony stems broke off from the bouquet in his arms and fell to the floor. He frowned. “It’ll be fine. Don’t worry.” He darted back out the door. Hail was piling up at the base of the chairs and against the stone wall, looking very much like snow. Penny turned to see piles of broken flowers everywhere, dripping and drooping. She was speechless as she took in the scene.
Then, as quickly as it started, it stopped. The hail simply ceased. In a matter of minutes, the clouds parted, and the sun shone again, golden rays illuminating the destruction the hail left in its wake. It was all too much to take in. Chloe looked at Penny and Penny turned to catch her glance. As soon as their eyes met, Penny burst into tears, and Chloe took her in her arms. Moments later, her shoulders began to shake. Alarmed, Chloe pushed back to study her face and saw that Penny wasn’t crying at all. She was laughing. “It’s just so… ridiculous!” Penny managed. Shaking her head, Chloe found the humor in it too. “Only you,” she said, laughing herself. Moments later, when Matthew came into the room, he saw both women clutching each other, sinking to the debris-covered floor, laughing hysterically.
