Six

Link

I was up and gone the next morning before Andy was awake. He'd worked hard this week, and I wanted him to get as much rest as he needed. He'd be getting his tux but the rest of us were going to be working at Sam and Erik's to make it as magical and perfect as was humanly possible.

The truck bumped along the gravel road that led to their house, and when I was close enough to get a clear view of their house, I was surprised to see a few cars already there. Pulling up as near to the house as I could, I jumped out and jogged up to the door.

"Link, it's about time you got here, we've been waiting for almost an hour," Erik said from the kitchen where he and Sam were busy making breakfast for everyone. "Grab a cup of coffee, this is nearly done."

"Morning, Link," Jase said from where he stood next to Blair.

"Does he know?" Blair asked, taking a sip of her coffee.

"Nope, he has no clue. He thinks it's a small wedding with only the locals. He has no clue that it's being catered, or that his friends from Sacramento are going to come." Just thinking about how surprised he'd be brought a smile to my face.

"The newspaper article is a great idea," Blair said.

"We bought one of them at a craft fair when we first met. I chased down the vendor and asked if they could do something special and that was the result." The craftsman had taken a picture of us and turned it into a painted image he'd then put over the top of a fake newspaper article announcing our marriage. It was so amazing it was all I could do to keep it from Andy. But I knew when he saw it displayed on the table at the wedding, he'd love it.

"He's going to love it," she said just as Erik started dishing out food. She took a big bite of eggs from the plate Jase set in front of her before meeting my eyes. "Link, Andy would have married you in a hot second if you'd asked years ago. It's going to be perfect." She patted my hand like she would reassure a child and immediately went back to eating.

After everyone had their fill of food and plenty of coffee in them, we all walked out of the house and toward the barn. Darren, Andy's dad, sent a text saying he'd gone to the house and woke Andy up. I immediately got a text from Andy asking why his dad was there, but I was gone. Shoving my phone in my pocket and hoping Blair was right, I walked into the barn without answering, and hoped Darren could keep Andy busy.

Erik and Sam had painted the old barn, and it was now a bright red with white trim, far different than the grey weathered wood it had been for many years. It was an average size barn that had been used as a small dairy in the fifties. The center area that was once where bales of hay were stacked and stored was now filled with rows of chairs. The far end of the barn would be where we'd stand to take our vows. My mind raced with images of the two of us, so real it took my breath away, and I swallowed down my emotions as everyone got to work finishing the decorations. They'd placed flowers along the stalls giving a very country look that was also warm and inviting. Intermingled with the flowers were pine boughs that not only looked amazing but combined with the flowers made the barn smell incredible. The picture I'd had made for us would be on a tripod atop a table next to where we'd stand. Fresh cut flowers in small jars were placed on the table making it really stand out.

"Come on, Link, let's get it done before Andy starts sniffing around," Stu said. "Morgan and I are going to work on clearing that stall area so we can set up the bar there. The other side will be where we'll setup the food. Does that sound good to you?" he asked while Morgan put his arm through Stu's and waited for me to answer.

"It sounds great. I love the idea of there being a bar area in here."

"We have a dance floor being delivered. I mean we could have just danced outside but we figured a few less broken ankles was probably a good thing."

"Wow, I never thought of that. Let me know how much it costs, and I'll pay you or whoever paid for it. That's a great idea." There were so many little things I'd forgotten about, and they'd all been taken care of by one of our friends or family.

"It's on us. Morgan and I wanted to pitch in," Stu said and pulled Morgan close. I still couldn't get over the change in him since meeting Morgan. He had found happiness I never imagined he'd find, and knowing Morgan was the reason it made me like him even more.

"Thank you. I know Andy is going to love it."

"They'll be here to install it first thing in the morning. They don't want it outside in the elements for any longer than is necessary. We got lucky there's no rain or fog predicted." He looked out through the big barn door where the foothills sloped down to the valley floor and smiled at the bright fall day.

"So, when are you two getting hitched?" I asked, and immediately Morgan blushed, and Stu grinned.

"Hopefully soon. I keep asking him but he's playing hard to get," Stu said.

"That's not true," Morgan said and gave him a playful shove. "I just want it to be special, and a surprise. He keeps asking me every time I walk into the room."

"I'll keep asking until I get it right," Stu responded, making Morgan smile at him. Stu and Andy hadn't always had a close relationship and seeing him with Morgan made me wonder how lonely he'd been without any of us noticing. Morgan made him happy, and Stu made Morgan smile like he hung the moon.

"Oh my god I see another wedding in our future." Toni said exactly what I was thinking as she stopped to give us all a hug.

"Toni, I didn't know you were here."

"I brought over the alcohol and drinks we'll need for the bar. Mind if I start setting it up?"

I waved her through with a wide sweep of my arm. "Yell if you need help," I said as she walked past us.

"Oh, I'm only setting it up, you guys are hauling it in. There's no way I'm carrying all those bottles and a keg." She walked off without another word, leaving us to it.