Chapter Text
Arizona's POV:
"It itches!" I whine.
"It does not," Teddy drawls, sitting back on one of the plush couches within this boutique.
"Are you wearing this thing? No, I am. And I say it itches." I give my best friend a hard glare. Just then a tall red head moves into the large private dressing room.
"I swear it's like taking a child shopping," Addison growls, coming up to me and circling, surveying the latest dress she has thrown over my head. I've been standing in front of this three-paned mirror, trying on white dress after white dress for the past two hours.
"Why are there so many?" I ask, pulling at the fabric on my sides, trying to find some relief from the itchy material.
"I picked out about ten for you to choose from, all of them go well with the one Callie has chosen, and my job is to make sure you try them all on and make an educated, sound decision," Addison replies, coming up behind me and cupping my breasts and hoisting them up, creating even more cleavage than before.
Batting her hands away, I whine, "Why doesn't she just pick the one she wants me to wear?"
"Because this is your wedding too and she wants you to be a part of the planning." Addison waves someone in to start clipping and pulling my dress into place. The woman tugs at the material until it is tight around my body and makes it hard to breathe.
"No, this is her wedding and I just get a wife out of it. And I'm fine with that. Ahh!" I gasp as the employee tugs the material tighter across my chest. "Can...can we let this out a bit?" I say, short of breath.
It's been three months since I won my second, and my last, PBR Gold Cup and returned home to Colorado to bury my dad. In that time, Callie has started planning our wedding, or commitment ceremony as the great state of Washington would refer to it and has been having a blast. Usually I just stand back, smile, and nod. But now, it seems I have to take a front seat in a decision.
"Seriously. I don't know dresses, Callie does. Why can't she be here to pick for me?" I ask, looking at myself in the mirror. It's the tenth dress and by now, they have all seemed to run together in my mind.
"Because it's bad luck to see the bride in her dress before the wedding. Either bride. You can't see her; she can't see you. Hence me. I'm here to be the in-between," Addison says, moving her finger, gesturing me to give a twirl. Rolling my eyes, I spin in front of the Neo-Natal surgeon. Teddy just sits back and laughs, taking another glass of complimentary champagne from the boutique owner. She just comes for the free booze.
"I don't know what you're laughing at, Theodora." I give Teddy a hard look. "Calliope and I are stuck with Addison, but you and Addy will get stuck with Callie," I say with a smile and Teddy's grin washes from her face. Callie has been, passionate is the word, about the wedding planning. Some say she's aggressive or stubborn. My Callie? Stubborn? No way. But I know it's just because she's been waiting for her wedding since she was a little girl and wants it to be everything she's dreamed of. I want that for her as well.
"So, which one, Arizona?" Addison asks. I just give her a pained look. "Come on. This was the one thing Callie needs to get done today; you picking your dress."
"I don't know. Which one do you think Callie would like?" I ask, hoping for some help in this department.
"Well, all of the ones you tried out today go with hers," Addison replies, fluffing up the bottom of the dress I am currently trapped in.
"Why can't I just wear like jeans and a white shirt? Huh? That's me. Callie is the girly girl." I see Addison give me a big eye roll in the mirror and I hear Teddy giggle as she downs her third glass of champagne. "Fine. Alright." Pulling my game face on, I look at the other nine dresses hung around the room, and then back to my figure in the mirror. "That one," I say, pointing to one of the earlier ones. It's one of the simpler ones, but it was comfortable, showed off my boobs well, and is strapless so my arms and shoulders will be bare. Callie likes my shoulders and legs for that matter. Mayber there is a strapless mini skirt in here.
"That's what I would have picked as well," Addison says with a smile on her face as she motions a seamstress forward to get me back into the last dress and have me measured.
"You could have just told me that," I grumble as another dress is yanked over my head and replaced by my future wedding dress so I can get measured.
An hour later, the three of us walk out of the wedding boutique with our mission accomplished. I picked the dress I am going to be wearing when I say 'I Do' to the love of my life. If only we didn't have to do all this crap to get to that point. Maybe we should have just eloped while we were in Vegas. Parting with my two friends, I climb back into my truck and head back to the ranch outside of the city. As I pull up out front of the large, two-story farmhouse, I walk towards the stables. During the last three months, a lot has changed. I legally own my family's farm 100%. I bought out all of Travis Wait's property down in Sparks, Colorado and hired him on as a manager, as well as George O'Malley, my ex-animal caretaker. The two of them get on great and I think that the farm is in safe hands. They handle all day-to-day items, and all I need to worry about is the weekly report they send me. Having moved George down to Colorado means I am down a farm hand, but that's okay. I have taken the job up myself and I love it. It keeps me active and sane. Mark has once again shifted from the PBR to the NFL, picking up a few low-profile players as clients, and Teddy has gone back to the hospital, returning as one of the best physical therapists in the greater Seattle area.
Entering the stables, I walk up to the first stall and give my boy a pat. "Hey bud, how's it going?" I ask my main man. Grabbing a couple carrots from a box, I feed him as I pet up and down his long face. Skittles is also officially retired; no more shows, barrel racing, or calf roping for him. Just the occasional leisurely ride he and I take around my land, which has more than tripled, having bought up most of the free land around my property.
Moving over to the next stall, I greet the ten-month-old colt named Bernini and give him a couple marshmallows which are his treat of choice. "Hey Bernini." He is Callie's pride and joy, having been the first person to put hands on him while he was still halfway in his mother. I brought him up with us after my dad's funeral, along with another horse from the ranch. Moving on to the last occupied stall in the stable, I come up to a very pregnant mare. I decided to bring her up along with Bernini because I promised Yang a pony for saving Callie's life after the hospital shooting, and I intend on making good on that. It's the least I could do. My phone ringing interrupts the exam I am performing on the soon to be mama.
"Arizona Robbins," I answer.
"Hey Z, it's Tom."
"Oh, hey. How are things? Everything going as scheduled, I hope."
"This week's rain has put us behind a little, but I have no doubt we will be finished in time for the big day."
"That's great. You got the latest plans from me, right?"
"Yes ma'am. Everything looks good. It's going to be really sharp when it's finished. Hell, I may even want to put a bid in." The man laughs.
"Great. Great. I may stop by later on today or tomorrow to do a walk through."
"You are welcome whenever, Z. I'll see you when I see you. Bye."
"Bye." And the line goes dead. He had better get it done by the deadline. Slipping the phone back in my pocket, I continue my exam of the pregnant female and jot down some notes in the little book outside her stall. You've got about two months to go, big girl. You are looking good. Making sure all three animals are happy, I shrug off my outer shirt, pull back my hair and grab my leather gloves.
Time to put in some work.