Cupid of The Mountains Wedding Chapel
“Oh, my God,” Lynn breathed. “That name really is cheesy.”
Nodding his agreement, Nolan dropped his gaze from the sign and looked toward the building. “But you gotta admit that’s not bad.”
She leaned forward a little more, her eyes widening, and agreed. “Wow.”
In front of them was a log cabin, complete with a grey slate roof. A small steeple was on the top and it appeared to be more of a bell tower than a religious symbol. Flower boxes overfilled with blossoms were placed around the railing. The landscape was well-tended: lush, green grass, flowerbeds, and the entire area was nestled at the base of the mountain, thick green trees all around. To one side was a small gazebo, flowers adorning it as well.
They sat in silence for a moment, and he jumped as she reached over and placed her hand on his. Jerking his eyes from the picturesque scene in front of him over to her, he saw the questioning expression move over her face. Clearing his throat, he said, “Ready to get this show on the road?”
She blinked, her face going blank. Her lips curved slightly, and she said, “Ready as I’ll ever be.”
He climbed down from the truck and walked around to open her door. Today, she was wearing a pale pink sundress, her shoulders hidden by a white, lacy shawl. Her legs looked amazing, and even with strappy sandals, she still tucked under his chin. A strange uneasiness moved through him, an emotion that was hard to define. As they walked toward the wedding chapel, he fought to keep his mind on the information they were seeking, but with Lynn’s arm wrapped around his waist and his casually draped around her shoulders, he found it difficult to keep his breathing steady. What the fuck would the guys say about me now? Glad no one on his team was there to witness his disquiet, he offered her a smile as they stepped onto the porch.
A sign on the door indicated it led to the chapel but that visitors should make their way around to the side. He guided her along the covered porch till they came to the next door.
“I’m nervous,” she whispered.
Squeezing her shoulders, he leaned over and whispered, “We got this.”
He waited until she sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly, nodding her readiness. Pulling open the door, they stepped inside. Uncertain what he was expecting, he was surprised to see a beautifully decorated room. One wall held a multitude of black, funnel-shaped plastic containers, each filled with sample wedding bouquets. Another wall was lined with pictures of happy couples in various poses in front of a multitude of backgrounds. A woman was sitting at a wooden desk, her hair teased high on her head. A smile split her face and she stood, walking toward them.
“Welcome to the Cupid of the Mountains Wedding Chapel! My name’s Junelle. How can I help you lovely people today?”
“Um…” Lynn stammered as her head twisted to the wall of pictures.
Glancing to the side, it appeared Lynn’s gaze was still swinging around the room, taking in all that there was to see. Grinning widely, Nolan said, “We’re here to set things up for a wedding.”
“Lovely!” Junelle exclaimed, her laughter sounding strangely like tinkling wind-chimes. “Well, you’ve come to the right place!”
He wondered if she always spoke with such exuberance, but before he had a chance to speak again, Junelle was ushering them to seats in front of her desk. Once Lynn was seated, he moved his chair closer, wrapping his arm around her shoulders again. Her bravado seemed to have fled once they stepped inside the building, and he hoped to offer his strength.
“Now, when were you thinking about getting married?”
“As soon as possible,” he answered. Smiling toward Lynn, he said, “Isn’t that right, sweetheart?”
Her head bobbed up and down, her lips tense but curving. “That’s right. As soon as we can.”
“Well, we’ve got several weddings coming up this weekend, but the next two days are open if you’re looking for something that soon.”
“Absolutely,” he replied.
“Do you already have your marriage license?”
Before he left to pick up Lynn that morning, Rita had handed him an envelope with the necessary paperwork, telling him that she had already prepared the online pre-application for a marriage license. Now, he patted his pocket and said, “No, but I have everything we need.”
Junelle’s smile widened even more. “Perfect. Then we can pick out everything that you need and you can go by the Gatlinburg registry after you leave here.” Reaching across the desk, she tapped her long, ruby-tipped fingernail on top of a thick notebook. “We’ll take a look at everything we offer, and you can decide what you want. Our weddings can be as simple or as elaborate as you would like.”
“Well, I think simple would be—” Lynn began.
“Simple, yes, but cost doesn’t matter. It might just be us, but we want it to be beautiful,” Nolan pronounced. His words had the desired effect as Junelle’s smile widened to an impossible stretch, and she nodded so emphatically he wondered how her tall, teased hair stayed in place on her head.
“Simple can be so beautiful and elegant. I sometimes think that’s the best. And we have everything to make it just as memorable as you would like. Let me get one of my other books.”
As she stood and moved to the other side of the room, he caught Lynn’s wide-eyed questioning expression. Leaning in as though he was kissing her cheek, he whispered, “We want to keep her happy and relaxed. We can do that by spending a little money. Remember, it’s not our money. The owner is paying for this.” He felt some of her tension ebb away with his words, and without thinking, his lips moved over her cheek, kissing her lightly.
“This is why I love my job! I get to see people as they get ready for one of the happiest days of their lives!” Junelle’s tinkling, wind-chime laughter sounded out in the room again. She moved back to her desk, beaming at them as she plopped a large binder in front of them. “We’re going to take a look at flowers, decorations, the ceremony, cake, everything!”
Nolan had walked into the wedding chapel ready to take on the mission, but the next thirty minutes stretched his patience. Thank God Lynn perked up, seeming to get over her nerves. Junelle had flipped through page after page of floral arrangements, all looking almost the same to him. But Junelle, obviously seeing differences, tapped her long fingernail on each one, calling out the various flowers and virtues.
“This one is mostly roses and baby’s breath, but I think that the white carnations and lilies create a memorable vision for a bride to carry. Peonies and dahlias are lovely as well. Of course, you can’t go wrong with anything you choose.”
Lynn nodded and occasionally made the appropriate sounds of agreement, much to Junelle’s obvious delight.
Then the intrepid wedding planner moved through large color photographs of cakes, going from elaborate tiers down to simple. This perked his attention, mainly because his stomach growled, reminding him he had eaten breakfast hours ago.
Junelle discussed the virtues of unity candles versus unity sand jars, two items he had never heard of but noticed Lynn nodding once again. Moving on to the photo options, Junelle pulled out a separate album that was packed with photographs of previous couples and weddings. Besides just the photos, she included image flash drives, metal prints, photo books, and personalized ornaments. By now, his head was spinning and he was ready for a little recon. He squeezed Lynn’s shoulder, drawing her attention back to him.