*Author's Note*

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The Wedding Day

Novella POV:

We've been livin' together for a few days, actin' as man and wife, whenever the day before our weddin' rolled up. Traditionally the bride and groom can't see each other before the weddin', so I was stayin' the night in town at my uncle's. Since both Nancy and Roseanna are my bridesmaids they're also spendin' the night at Uncle Perry's with me.

All three of us were currently in my old room, dressed in our night gowns, crowded on my bed talkin' as snowflakes could be seen fallin' outside the window durin' the bone chillin' cold December night.

"So, ya do the trick yet wit' him or are you innocent and pure? Waitin' for t'morrow night?" Nancy bluntly asked me, her face straight as curiosity shined in her beady black eyes.

Before I could answer Roseanna spoke up and answered for me with a firm, but sweet soundin', "She's savin' herself for her husband and weddin' night like God told her too."

"Well…" I sighed before admittin' to my cousins, "Me and Tolbert's been doin' the trick since we moved into our cabin."

Roseanna's innocent lookin' eyes went wide as she gasped, "Novella! How could you? You're not married yet."

Nancy rolled her eyes at Roseanna before tellin' her, "Ah hell, don't gotta be married to do that. It's just some bullshit they tell us ladies so we won't get busy wit' a man an' come home knocked up with bastards."

"Why didn't ya'll wait?" Roseanna asked me, disappointment in both her eyes and voice.

"I dunno." I shrugged my shoulders. Feelin' their gazes on me I sighed before explainin', "It just happened. I was kinda sad and he comforted me, then we were kissin' and it just led to us layin' like man and wife."

"Oh…" The sweet blonde trailed off, lookin' a bit lost and disappointed.

The fair and dark-haired beauty just shook her head 'fore sayin', "Roseanna, don't act so scandalized. One day a man's gonna come that you'll drop your skirts for too."

"No, I'm goin' to save myself for a husband like God says." Roseanna swore as she looked between me and Nancy.

"I ya say so." Nancy sarcastically scoffed while lightly shakin' her head. "But it don't matter much when they started doin' the trick cause they'd always be gettin' married anyhow." She said, referin' to me and Tolbert's intimacy.

"I guess that's true, Nancy. My brother's loved her for years." Roseanna remarked, causin' Nancy to get a smug look on her face.

"Bet it won't take long 'til your expectin' a baby." Nancy told me with a smirk.

"Yea, I'm hopin' to become a mother right away. I'd like to have a family of my own." I admitted, a small smile crossin' over my face, as I settled down into my spot for the night.

Nancy crawled under the quilt and settled into bed while tellin' me, "You and Tolbert'll have a fine family."

"One day this'll be our daughters havin' sleep overs and talkin'." Roseanna mused before turnin' off the oil light and crawlin' into bed.

Tomorrow my life would change and hopefully for the better. I'd be the first out of the three of us to get married an' settle down. I pray that Roseanna and Nancy find their husbands soon cause I don't want to be the only married one out of our friendship group.

After being woken up by a loud knock on my door followed by my uncle's slick voice announcing to was time to wake and dress for the day I got ready for my weddin' with the help of my bridesmaids. My dress was simple, but beautiful. The collar was entirely made of lace and the long sleeves had lace inlayed all along it. A blue strip of material wrapped around the waist, matching the color of Nancy and Roseanna's dresses. Their dresses were modest, but beautiful too. Deep blue with lace on the edge of the sleeves and neck. I was impressed with my veil, it was simple and had lace edging. Not too full like I've seen many be. It was single layered, meaning I didn't have to cover my face with it. I was glad bout that.

The weddin' was takin' place at the Tug Fork Church of Christ, Reverend Garrett was officiatin' it. Since me and Tolbert are kin there weren't any bride or groom side for seatin'. Everyone just sat whenever they wanted. Even tho the weddin' was on short notice just bout all of our kin from all sides of the Tug showed up.

Whenever my uncle opened the doors of the church I felt nervous. I saw the reverend's wife turn her head to look at me and my bridesmaids before startin' to play music on the pipe-organ. Nancy walked down the aisle followed by Roseanna. My uncle held his bent arm out for me to take while sayin', "This is it, my dear. You're now a grown woman off to be a wife." I just nodded my head and linked my arm into his. With a genuine smile painted on his sly foxlike face he told me, "I approve of you and Tolbert. If not I wouldn't be giving my blessing and walking you down the aisle to hand you off to him."

"Thank you, Uncle Perry, for approvin' of my match." I simply told him, grateful that I was able to marry versus bein' curse as a lonely old maid, as the weddin' march began to play.

My uncle just nodded before we began to walk down the aisle. Everyone stood up and turned 'round to look at me. I was shocked to see my step-pa Fred in the front row next to my brother Moses. So many people filled up the church, I wasn't even aware that our family had that many friends and kin. Apparently, we do. As I continued down the aisle I saw Tolbert standin' up front with Pharmer and Jefferson. They were all dressed in their Sunday best and Jefferson even looked clean and sober for once. Tolbert for the first time in his life was wearin' a tie. It was a simple white bowtie, no doubt to match my weddin' dress, but the fact that he wore somthin' he detested to make our weddin' day nice meant a lot.

Tolbert's smoky eyes raked over me as Uncle Perry stopped us right in front of him. Reverend Garrett looked 'tween all three of us as my uncle unlooped my arm from his and pressed my hand into Tolbert's after grabbin' his said hand. "I trust you to take care of her, love her, Tolbert. She's like a daughter to me."

"I will, Perry." Tolbert vowed, nodding his head.

"It's Uncle Perry now, boy." My uncle told Tolbert before turnin' and goin' to sit down in the front row pew that Moses, Fred, Ole Rand'l, and Aunt Sally were at.

"Dearly beloved, we're here to day to witness the vow of love and sacred matrimony between Novella LaVerne Landon and Tolbert McCoy. This young couple come before us and God to bless their holy union. Marriage is a sacred act between two a man and a woman. The woman puts her life into the man's hands while the man leaves home to start a family with his woman." Reverend Garrett lengthily told the crowd of guests after they had all taken their seats in the pews. Turning his attention to me the reverend said, "Please repeat after me, miss. I Novella LaVerne Landon do swear-"

"I Novella LaVerne Landon do swear-" I repeated, feelin' my nerves begin to rise.

Reverend Garrett quickly went on to say, "To honor, cherish, and obey-"

Feelin' my heart race I said, "To honor, cherish, and obey-"

"You with love til my last day." The reverend finished, lookin' at me.

"You with love til my last day." I vowed, feelin' a pit form in my stomach. I don't know why I felt this way, it was my weddin' day and I should be happy that I'm a wife now. I shouldn't be nervous and sick to my stomach.

Reverend Garrett turned his attention to Tolbert. "Now Tolbert McCoy repeat after me. I Tolbert McCoy do swear-"

"I Tolbert McCoy d'swear-" Tolbert repeated smoothly, but gruffly.

"To honor, cherish, and respect-" The reverend said, his eyes narrowin' at my soon-to-be husband.

"T'honor, cherish, an'spect-" My moody ginger quickly spat.

"You with love til my last day." The reverend finished with the same words he had me say.

"Ya wit' love til my last day." Tolbert finished his vow, his smoky gaze held onto my cornflower blue one.

"Now if you may the rings." Reverend Garrett said, holding his hand out between me and Tolbert. Tolbert looked over his shoulder at Pharmer, who quickly produced a pair of gold rings from his pocket, before turning to look at me once more. Pharmer, acting as bestman, placed the rings into the preacher's palm. Reverend Garrett looked at the rings in his hand before sayin', "Almighty God bless these rings as symbols of the bond 'tween this young man and wife." He looked between us while instructin', "Please, take the rings."

Once we had the rings in her hands the preacher nodded his head before lookin' at me and sayin', "Place the ring on his finger and say with this ring I thee wed."

"With this ring I thee wed." I slid the ring onto Tolbert's left hand.

"Now place the ring on her finger and say with this ring I thee wed." Reverend Garrett instructed Tolbert.

"Wit' this ring I thee wed." Tolbert said in his velvety timbre while slidin' the simple thin ring onto my left ring finger.

"Now with the power invested in me by God and the state of Kentucky I now pronounce you man and wife." With a smiled Reverend Garrett looked between us while saying, "You may kiss the bride."

Since my uncle's house was only a short walk down the road from the church the weddin' reception was bein' held there. Uncle Perry had hired the owners of the diner to cater the event. He even paid some local musicians from the saloon to provide music. Apparently, Uncle Perry wanted my wedding to be nice despite it being done so quickly. The house was packed with friends and kin, all of which had given both me and Tolbert their congratulations.

Talk 'bout Tolbert he was drinkin' and conversin' with our male cousins while I was sittin' down. I had been with Roseanna, but my Uncle Perry had asked her for a dance. Roseanna shyly accepted. I'm not sure if my uncle's goin' to try and court or yet or not, but it's nice that he's at least dancin' with her.

"Mind if I sit wit'cha?" Fred, my drunken step-daddy, asked as his dirt uncrusted fingers curled onto the back of a dinin' chair.

"Go on, I don't mind." I told him, noddin' to the chair with my head.

"I got a weddin' gift for ya. From yer daddy's half-sister's eldest son." He announced as soon as he settled in his chair at the table.

"Some cousin I don't know 'bout gave me a gift?" I was skeptical. Why would somebody I never knew existed give me somethin' for my weddin' whenever they didn't even bother to show up?

"Mhm. It's 'por'nant too." Fred nodded his head as he pulled a folded paper from his shirt pocket. While handin' it over to me he explained, "It's half-stake in his lumber mill ova in Boone." Boone was a county in West Virginia, a few up from Logan actually. As I unfolded the paper to look at it he told me, "A lumber mill that's in par'nership wit' yer ol'man's 'nemies. Keep this 'ere paper close an' hidden. Might very well come in handy, save yer life or chil'runs lives one day."

My eyes widened as I realized what he was sayin'. My half-cousin, who's name on the contract read Sawyer Amstead, had a lumber mill partnership with the Hatfields for the Boone Mills an' Yard. A mill that I was now invested in due to my marriage, but the contract named me and only me. And in my maiden birth name of Novella LaVerne Landon too. This was mine, all mine, and no matter what Tolbert couldn't touch it cause it weren't in his name of McCoy. Wonder why my unknown kin did that, did he think my marriage weren't gonna last long?

I knew that Hatfields solely owned the Tug Fork Saw & Lumbermill in Logan, but honestly I never knew that they had a partnership with other loggers. Ones that were my distant kin on my pa's side too. I just raised a brow at Fred as I clutched the paper in my hand, rereadin' it.

"Sawyer's ma, yer pa, and me all has the same memaw. Our ma's be sisters." Fred explained, soundin' a bit sober for once in his pathetic life.

Folding the paper up and tucking it into my sleeve I told Fred, "Thank you."

"Yer welcome. I best be off t'see Moses 'fore I git up 'n' go." Fred told me before risin' from his chair and walkin' away from the table.

Reckon I better go mingle wit' all my weddin' guests. Thank them for comin' to celebrate my weddin' day.

After spendin' a few hours at my uncle's house in Pikeville we left. Of course, as we walked out the door everybody tossed rice at us for good luck. I didn't mind, but I think Tolbert did since he was givin' everyone nasty looks. Currently we were on his horse ridin' back home to our cabin deep in Blackberry Creek.

"I'm s'prised yer step-poppy showed up." Tolbert remarked, his velvety gruff timbre mixin' in with the hoof beats the trottin' horse was makin'.

"Yea, me too." I admitted, my head restin' on my husband's shoulder.

"Ya know why he came?" Tolbert asked as we continued to travel down the well worn dirt road that was dusted in snow, frost, and ice.

"Reckon cause he was invited."

"He talk t'ya any?"

"Not really. Just sat down and wished us luck 'fore seein' Moses an' leavin'." I lied since I was afraid that the truth 'bout what went on 'tween me and Fred would cause a fight. I didn't need a fight on my weddin' day.

"Yea. Well, I didn't talk to the prick. Wouldn't 've either even if he tried talkin' t'me." Tolbert grumbled in his velvety timbre.

I let out a deep sigh 'fore suggestin', "Let's not talk 'bout Fred anymore. It's our weddin' day, we should just talk 'bout happy things."

"Like how your gonna be havin' my son next fall." Tolbert blurted out with confidence in his smooth toned voice.

"It's too early to tell any signs of bein' with child." Hell, we haven't been with each other long 'nough to be pregnant. Well, at least that's what I thought anyways.

"Darlin', we gotta week t'spend holed up in our cabin 'way from the world honeymoonin'. I'm gonna be gettin' a baby on ya t'be birthed next fall." He declared as we got closer and closer to the woods that our home was nestled in.

AN:

And they're married! YAY! Next chapter will be a time jump and an appearance by everyone's favorite one-eyed sharp shootin' Hatfield. Heehee! Oh and what do ya'll think about the wedding gift Novella got from Fred via the unknown half-cousin? And will that claim come in handy for Novella one day or not? Oh, how connected to the Hatfields do ya'll think Novella's half-cousin Sawyer is?