air was comfortable, the last of the late-night chill keeping the rising Louisiana heat at bay. Maitlyn wore a simple knee-length sheath dress of white crochet lace over satin and three-inch heels the color of a rich cabernet. Her hair had been brushed into a loose chignon adorned with pearl combs tucked into the strands. Her bouquet was a mix of English tea roses in varying shades of orange. Her sisters, Tarah, Kamaya, and Katrina, and Zak’s sister Myriam flanked her left side in simple maxi-length dresses with three-quarter-length sleeves. The floral print, in fall shades of oranges, yellows, reds and browns, was muted against an ivory background.
Kendrick and his brothers—Mason, Donovan, Darryl and Guy—stood beside Zak, the men wearing dark brown linen suits with white dress shirts opened at the neck and orange tea rose boutonnieres. As a family, they were beautiful together; as a wedding party, they were stunning.
As the family’s minister pronounced them husband and wife, the first rays of the morning sun hit both their faces. Light peeked beneath the tree-lined blanket to kiss their cheeks. The small gathering of family and friends erupted in cheers. Minutes later everyone followed as the couple led the way to the veranda of the plantation home, where a morning spread of breakfast foods was laid out for the reception.
In the midst of the celebration Kendrick lifted a glass of champagne and orange juice to toast the couple. “First, on behalf of our parents, Mr. and Mrs. Mason Boudreaux, and Zak’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Hassan Sayed, we want to thank all of you for getting up before dawn to be here with us this morning. Only my big sister could manage to get people out of their warm beds so early on a Saturday morning and have y’all looking good while doing it!” He paused and smiled back at the beaming guests.
“There comes a time in everyone’s life when they meet their one true love, their soul mate, the person who is going to love them for the rest of their life. That moment came for Zakaria ten years ago when he met me.” Everyone laughed as Kendrick tossed his friend a wink of his eye. Maitlyn shook her head from side to side as he continued.
“Zak and I didn’t become friends overnight. We had to go through some things before we learned to trust each other. It wasn’t until he took me home to meet his mother and she made me her famous m’hanncha, a decadent orange-almond pastry, that I knew he and I would be buddies for life.” Kendrick grinned as he leaned over to kiss Mrs. Sayed’s cheek. “To be asked by Zak today to be his best man is an honor, but it’s also honorable of him, because he’s finally admitting to all of you today that I truly am the best.”
Laughter rang out again. Kendrick took a deep breath, and then paused. “If someone had told me that I would be celebrating my best friend marrying my favorite sister I would have told them they were crazy. It feels like just yesterday I introduced the two as Maitlyn was headed away on a cruise by herself and I asked Zak to keep an eye on my sister for me. It gave me great joy to ask because it meant that for the first time Maitlyn wouldn’t be in charge. And you all know how bossy she can be. It’s one reason she’s my favorite sister.” He tossed the other women a quick nod. “No offense, girls.”
“None taken,” Katrina chimed.
“Speak for yourself,” Tarah teased.
Kendrick smiled. “Anyway, it warmed my heart to ask my best friend to protect her and make sure that whoever she was spending time with made her happy and showed her a good time. It was a request I knew he would fulfill because that’s the kind of man my friend Zak is. He is upstanding and honorable and a true man of his word. I really wasn’t expecting him to take my request literally, so imagine my surprise when my best friend had to admit that he’d fallen in love with my sister!”
Everyone chuckled softly as Kendrick continued. “That broke all the guy codes but I had to give him a pass because my sister is such an incredible, beautiful woman that I imagine he just couldn’t help himself. This union was not without some bumps along the way but thankfully I was able to come to the rescue and make things right between them. Now, it is an honor and a privilege for me to be here this morning with all of you to witness Maitlyn and Zak become one. Everything about this moment is as it should be. Mattie, I love you. Zak, welcome to the family, my friend. It warms my heart to now call you my brother.” Kendrick lifted his glass and cheers rang around through the space.
By midmorning the heat was already beginning to rise. Kendrick was seated at the end of the table with his brothers Mason and Donovan.
“This was some wedding,” Donovan intoned.
Mason grinned. “Maitlyn has always been able to pull off a party better than anyone else I know. Do you remember Darryl and Camryn’s New Year’s reception? That was over the top.”
Kendrick nodded. “This has Maitlyn written all over it.” He looked toward the couple. His sister was glowing and Zak was looking at his new wife with overwhelming love. “They look happy,” he said as his gaze danced around the veranda. “Everyone here looks happy.”
Mason laughed. “That’s not a bad thing, little brother,” he said as he moved back across the oversize porch.
Kendrick shrugged. His eyes skated around the space. Their not-so-little family was growing faster than he was able to keep up. Every time he went away and came back there was a new spouse, a new baby or someone who’d captured everyone’s hearts while he’d been gone. He suddenly realized just how much he’d been missing out on.
He tossed an easy arm over the back of his chair as he leaned his torso back. Mason, the eldest child of the Boudreaux clan, had moved back to sit with their mother. His wife, Phaedra, stood behind him, her thin arms wrapped warmly around his neck. His brother Guy and his very pregnant wife, Dahlia, were seated at the opposite end of the table. Their father, Senior Boudreaux, was talking to Dahlia’s bulging belly as if the fetus inside might talk back.
Phaedra’s oldest brother, John Stallion, and his wife, Marah, were seated across from the newlyweds, all of them laughing easily together. Beside them sat John’s three brothers, Matthew, Mark and the youngest sibling in the Stallion clan, Luke.
Kendrick smiled. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John! He could just imagine the ribbing the four of them must have gotten as kids with their biblical monikers. His sister Katrina was married to Matthew Stallion, a lawyer, and she was a district court judge. The two were constantly debating politics and legalese. They had two children, teenaged Collin and baby Jake. Kendrick could only imagine what his two nephews would aspire to as they grew up.
Kendrick smiled as Mark’s wife, Michelle, waved in his direction. “You’re pretty quiet sitting over there!” she chimed warmly.
“Just taking it all in, Mitch,” Kendrick answered with a nod, calling her by her family nickname. “Your little munchkin is growing too fast. How old is she now?”
Mitch smiled. “Almost five,” she said.
He grinned. “I like those red cowboy boots, Irene,” he intoned.
The little girl just stared at him, not at all amused with his compliment. She then turned her back on him, marching off to catch up with a ball that had captured her attention.
Luke Stallion laughed, his wife, Joanne, joining in the merriment. “She’s going to be a tough one,” Joanne joked. “I already feel for the young boys who will start chasing after her.”
“Ain’t no boys going to be chasing after my baby!” Mark Stallion exclaimed. “I’ve already got my gun locked and loaded for any of them who even think to look in my girl’s direction.”
“I know that’s right,”
