Forever (23 page)

“She probably fell asleep,” Amy said. “She’s been moving nonstop since breakfast. I’ll go check on her.”

“Ahh, I’ll do it,” Scott said. “I wanted to put some sweats on, anyway.”

He opened the door to his room, and smiled at the sight. He went back up the hall and stuck his head around the corner of the living room. “Come here,” he said to his sisters.

They followed him back down the hall. Roni lay diagonally across the big bed, she took her jeans off but was out like a light in her sweatshirt, underwear and socks.

“
Aww,” Kimmy said. “She looks so cute. Want us to put her to bed, Scotty?”

“I’ll do it,” Scott said. “Besides, I have an ulterior motive.”

“You’re sick, Scott,” Amy said, shooting him a dirty look. “She’s asleep.”

“I know,” he said. “Now I can lay down in here and watch Grizzly!”

Thursday was the fun day. In the morning, Scott, Rick, Andy and Todd met the girls at the Sagebrush Ballroom. Built the early in 1948, by Roni’s great-uncle Jack, it had been home to some of the biggest events in the history of Cheyenne County. It played host
to many top musical acts over the years, especially country artists.

The floor itself was huge and on this day, probably three dozen large round tables, seating 10 people each, were positioned around it. Around the perimeter of the floor, a half level up, sat booths. Behind them more tables and three different bar areas.  On the bandstand was the head table.

The whole room was awash in the gold and silver. Centerpieces of gold and silver flowers along with noisemakers donned each table. Boxes of New Year’s Eve hats waited near the front entrance. Everything looked ready for the biggest party in Wild Horse, at least since the Stampede.

Scott pulled Roni aside on the steps near the front entrance as everyone worked on the finishing touches.

“This looks amazing,” Scott told her. “No wonder you’ve been so tired. It’s beautiful.”

“Fucking right it is,” Roni said. “You haven’t even seen the best part.”

She took his hand and led him back down the four steps to the ballroom floor. She pointed up. Scott looked to the high arched ceiling of the building. Secured by huge nets, the balloons stretched from the head table, to out over the dance floor, to part way back over the tables.

“At midnight, they all come down,” Roni said, quite proud of herself.

“We have confetti?” Scott asked.

“There about 500 of those little popper things we’ll hand out right before midnight.”

“You,” he said, kissing her tenderly, “have thought of everything.”

She smiled. “Yes I have, haven’t I?”

It was a relaxing day. Scott and Roni even managed to get a nap and a little alone time at the house, but by 4:00 Roni was out the door. She, Donna, Amy and Kimmy piled into the van and were on their way to an undisclosed location.

They made a deal there would not be wild stripper parties. The guys were headed to McNichols Arena in Denver watching the Rockies and LA Kings play hockey. The girls had their own plans.

Promptly at 4:15, two shiny new Suburbans pulled into the driveway. Ray was driving one and Rick the other, but he gave up the wheel to Wayne. Scott, Rick, Andy, Todd and Mark were in one, while Ray had Kevin, Donnie, Grandpa McIntyre, Grandpa Hanna and Roni’s cousin Tim on board. Tim was a sophomore at WHHS and had a major crush on Kimmy.

They made good time, and by 6:30, they pulled off of I-25 and into the parking lot of the sports complex. Big Mac sat on the left, Mile High on the right. Ray turned into the VIP lot and after he spoke to the attendant, both vehicles were waved in.

“VIP lot?”
Scott asked. “How did we pull this off?”

“Oh, you’re in for all kinds of surprises tonight, Footer,” Rick said.

“Don’t tell me; strippers at the hockey game,” Scott said.

“No,” Wayne said. “But it probably wouldn’t hurt attendance. You’ll see.”

Obviously, Scott was the only one kept in the dark.

They entered a canopied doorway marked “Suite Holders” and were whisked up an elevator to the main concourse. Ray, Wayne and Rick went ahead of the rest of the group.

“Grandpa,” Scott asked Grandpa Hanna. “What’s going on?”

“It’s a hockey game boy,” he said.
“Fairly obvious.”

“What else is going on?”

“Beer, I would guess.”

That was going nowhere.

Rick returned with an usher in a gold satin jacket and Rockies’ hat. “Right this way, gentlemen. You’re in Suite 18.”

They walked through the concourse past a couple of gates, then were let in a door between two of the loge seating tunnels.

It was a magnificent suite. In the back was a kitchen area with a fully stocked fridge of beer and pop. Huge bowls of chips, pretzels, Cheetos and Chex Mix were scattered around the room. Some tables and chairs sat toward the front overlooking the rink, and in front of them a row of 10 arena seats hung above the loges.

“You guys go ahead, grab a beer and get seats,” Ray said to wedding party. “The servers will be here in a few minutes to take your dinner orders.”

“This is great,” Scott said. “How did you pull this off?”

“Ray used his GM connections to get the suite and the food and drinks come with it,” Rick said. “We kicked in for this for you.”

Mark handed Scott a wrapped package. “What is this?”

“Your bachelor party present, Mitch,” Todd said. “It was actually a pretty good idea.”

Scott tore off the paper and pulled the box open. It was a Rockies hockey jersey, with the mountain logo that resembled the cutout of a Colorado flag. It was blue with the distinctive red and gold trim.

He took it out and was even more surprised. On the sleeves and the back were Scott’s number 73 and across the nameplate it read, “GROOM.”

“Shit, you guys, this is GREAT!” Scott said, pulling it on over his shirt.

Scott sat on the aisle of a row of five seats. Rick was on his left and Todd across the aisle from him. The rest of the guys were spread along the seats enjoying cold (and free) Coors. A shelf to place the beer and food on ran the width of the seats.

Scott was leaning forward to say something to Donnie when he heard the servers behind them taking orders. The choices were steak sandwiches or tenderloins.

The servers were all dressed in blue shorts, white and red Rockies T-shirts and gold visors. One of them was leaning over the far end of the row. She had long wavy blonde hair. She looked very familiar. Scott was pondering that fact when he heard another server ask, “What can I get you, ‘Groom’?”

Scott turned, and then nearly fell out of his seat. Roni and Amanda were standing there in server outfits. He then realized the blonde was Mollie, and as he looked around, Maggie, Amy and Kimmy surrounded him, all in server outfits. Kat and Donna were standing back as well enjoying the moment.

“Surprise!”
Roni said, leaning down to kiss Scott. “Now what will you have?”

It was a magical night. The Rockies managed to make it a good game, scoring twice in the third period to beat the Kings, 3-2. Maggie took tons of pictures. Tim followed Kimmy around all night.

It was nearly 1:00 by the time they were ready for bed. WGN had just been added to Wild Horse’s cable system so Scott had tuned in to the start of “Holiday Inn.”

Roni came back from the bathroom and had already laid claim to the Rockies’ jersey, which was even bigger on her then Scott’s football jersey.

“Is your dress that long?” he asked as she crawled under the covers with him.

“At least that long,” she said, snuggling up to him. “Did you have fun tonight?”

“It was great. But I’m looking forward to the party Saturday. I’m looking forward to marrying you.”

“Me too. Are your vows ready?” she asked.

“Yep.
Yours?”

“I’m working on them. I want to say it just right. I love you.”

“See, that was just right.”

****

CHAPTER 27

“Does anyone on this fucking planet actually know how to tie one of these things?”

Scott was standing in front of the mirror in the back upstairs Sunday School room of the First Congregational Church trying to tie his bow tie. Actually, all of the guys were trying with no success.

“Footer, don’t say ‘fuck’ in my dad’s church,” Maggie said as she clicked pictures around the room. She was having a ball, and was even wearing her bridesmaid dress. But it was 3:15, 45 minutes before the wedding, and Scott was in no mood.

“A: It is not your dad’s church anymore. 2: You just said ‘fuck.’,” he answered.

“1: If my dad’s here, it’s his church. B: When it’s my dad’s church, I’m allowed, and 3: Grandpa Mac and Grandpa Hanna are on their way up to help you guys.”

“Oh. You win,” Scott answered, smiling as Maggie took another picture.

“This is what happens when you give her too much power,” Rick said.

Maggie bopped back and forth from the guys’ dressing room behind the choir loft to the girls’ dressing area in the basement, which explained why she was wearing black Chuck Taylors instead of the black pumps like the rest of the girls.

At 3:35 she returned. She took some staged group shots of all of groomsmen together, including one of all of them – including their ring-bearer, Coach
Connel’s son, Tyler – pointing at Scott’s watch with shocked looks on their faces. She took an interesting candid shot of Scott, Mark, Rick and Andy staring solemnly out the window. “That’s a going to be good one,” she said.

But she also took one that fascinated Scott. She took him over by the oval mirror on the wall and had him stand next to it with his foot propped up on a chair. She had Rick hand him Roni’s wedding band.

“I want you to stare right at the ring and I want a few smiling and few not smiling,” Maggie said. She fired off about six shots with her auto drive. “Perfect. OK, we’ll see you guys out there.”

She kissed Rick as she was about to leave the room, then leaned up and gave Scott a quick kiss on the lips. “Don’t worry. You’ll be great. And wait until you see her.”

Scott was looking forward to that. They spent their last single night apart; both moms and grandmas insisted Scott and Roni follow the age-old tradition of the groom not seeing the bride before the ceremony. So, after the rehearsal dinner, the girls planned a slumber party at the ranch, while the guys camped out in the Mitchells’ basement.

They played poker and talked long into the night. Scott finally went up around 3 in the morning to try to sleep, but without Roni there, he just dozed off and on. Now, between caffeine and adrenaline, he was wired.

At 3:50, Pastor Jackson came into the room and said a prayer with the guys. At 3:55, Todd’s voice came over the little walkie-talkie. “It’s time.”

“Roger that,” Rick answered, then turned to the rest. “Let’s do this.”

Mark opened the door to the choir loft. The place was packed. Even the horseshoe-shaped balcony was full; it looked like Christmas Eve service. They walked along the right side of the loft, then on to the right-hand grand staircase that led to the stage. Mark walked about two-thirds of the way down, then stopped as the guys positioned themselves two stairs apart.

Joanie was at the piano. At exactly 4:00, the church’s great bell rang three times and when the chimes finished, Joanie started playing “Canon
In D.”

Amanda was first. She looked stunning; her hair was up and she was wearing a halo of baby’s breath and daisies Baxter’s Florists had woven for each of the girls. “Amazing,” Scott said to himself.

As Amanda walked about two-thirds of the way down the aisle, Mark walked down the rest of the way to the stage, then down the front stairs and over to meet her. He escorted her to her spot at the base of the stairs, then went across to his spot.

Andy and Mollie were next, followed by Donnie and Kimmy and Kevin and Amy. As Brooke started down, Rick turned to Scott, reached up and shook his hand. “Be happy, my brother.”

Scott nodded and smiled. “I already am.”

Rick turned and headed down the stairs. Once he and Brooke reached the top of the front stairs, the music stopped. Scott looked across to the back of the church. He could see Todd, and Tim, and Ray. Maggie stood in front of them, snapping pictures. The organ music came up.
Pastor Jackson came through the door, and then lifted his palms to bring the crowd to its feet as the Bridal March began. Ray started forward. Scott’s heart skipped a beat.

Roni was stunning. She was wearing the same halo of flowers as the rest of the girls, but hers had long lace veil draped from it that cascaded along her shoulder and back.

And she was wearing the dress. It was Kat’s dress from their wedding in 1954. Scott had seen the picture dozens of times, hanging over the fireplace in the study at the ranch. Sleeveless and strapless, lace with the upper part covered in satin roses. She looked up at Scott and gave him that wide smile, the one he saw at the Fort and the one he saw when he proposed, and the one he saw after the Billy Joel concert, and every other time she was incredibly happy.