Ned's Big Payday Pt. 06

Arriving at the ranch house, Janet noticed that many of the cars at the bunkhouse were gone. The winter cowboys had returned to their good-weather jobs and their horses were back in the pasture. Before going inside, Janet walked with Rob to check on Ruby. With apple in hand, she approached the docile horse. Ruby nuzzled Janet's chest before biting the apple in half. It seemed that the horse remembered her.

After unpacking, she and Rob joined his parents in the kitchen. Jamie has prepared drinks and snacks for everyone. Clayton told them that the barn was finished and the house planned for his newly married hand would be finished in June.

Rob asked about the cattle and learned that 2945 calves were dropped. Six had birth defects of one type or another, twenty-eight had been born breached but only five of those didn't survive. It had been a good winter with only moderate cold spells and wind. Ten of the older cows died from natural causes.

Clayton told them that two more wells had been drilled and another two were being drilled. Production reports showed extraction numbers consistent with expectations.

Rob learned that a housing developer had approached Clayton and wanted to buy four hundred acres at the far end of the ranch near a major highway. It would be a mile or so from the oil tanks and well outside the known oil field. After discussion with Rebecca, agreement was reached, and the sale happened recently.

Janet felt at home, surrounded by family she loved.

Chapter 20

The Wedding

The excitement was palatable as June approached. The local news channels had picked up rumors that something big was being planned at the Convention Center and it involved Kate McAllen and her daughter. Once the coveted wedding invitations arrived in homes, all doubt was removed. The people of Denver knew of Kate and Angie. They had been in the news for many years.

The Bentley limo service was booked, solid, with very few open dates and none on weekends. It was clear that a niche in the limo services market had been found. Anyone could hire a stretch limo but there was only one Bentley of this quality in town. The weekend of June 27 was reserved for the exclusive use of Tom, Kate and their guests.

Angie and Ned agreed that there would be only three attendants each. Angie wanted just her and Ned to be the center of the ceremony, not in a vast field of colorful attendants on the side.

Ned chose his father, brother Chris, and a college friend who'd been his roommate for three years. Angie chose Denise, Chris's fiancée Jennie and her best friend at work. Tom would proudly walk Angie down the aisle.

Although the Presbyterian Church was huge, there were only three aisles. With 300 couples to be seated before the ceremony, a lot of ushers would be needed to accompany each lady to their seats. A call went out to Kate's employees, all of whom had been invited, to volunteer husbands, boyfriends and adult sons to take on that massive duty. A training session with dinner was held. Each man agreed to wear a dark suit with tie.

On the day before the wedding, Tom and Charles arrived with Billy Joel, Claire and the sound team. Jason picked up Tom and Billy at the private air strip and took them to Kate's. It was clear to Jason that Tom and Billy were great friends. Lots of old memories were shared and laughter filled the limo.

Kate had never met Billy, but she had modeled with Billy's former wife, Christie Brinkley. Billy and Christie were married nine years and shared one daughter. Christie was a beautiful lady with a smile to die for. She was in the very top echelon of models, commonly referred to as supermodels, and could command top fees for any event she agreed to do. She had the longest contract every negotiated with Covergirl at 25 years. She also appeared three times in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, compared to twice for Kate. She was in several movies and on many TV shows and her face was on over 500 magazines around the world.

What Kate also knew is that Billy had dated Elle Macpherson, a supermodel from Australia, when she was only 19. She lived with him in a New York penthouse for a couple of years. They broke up when Billy started dating Christie. Both women were nearly six feet tall, and Billy was only 5'5." He obviously had something big going for him, probably his fame and fortune.

Kate was surprised by how personable and friendly Billy was as he greeted her and Denise. He seemed so normal, nothing like she envisioned from seeing him so many times on TV and in music videos.

After Billy unpacked and showered, a dinner of great seafood was served. Tom knew that Billy preferred fish to meat and had advised Denise. Of course, Kate's favorite New Zealand sauvignon blanc accompanied the meal.

Tom couldn't stay for dinner, however, as a rehearsal for the wedding was taking place a few miles away. Kate could miss it, but Tom's attendance was critical. He rushed back to Kate's as soon as the rehearsal ended. The rest of the wedding party and spouses plus the minister and his wife went to dinner at a local steakhouse. Angie and Ned were there, of course, and all the talk centered on them and their plans. At the end of the meal, Angie and Ned handed out gifts they'd purchase for the wedding party. The ladies received a beautiful necklace with small diamonds and pearls. The men were given an elegant pen and pencil set from Mont Blanc, one of the premium makers of fine writing instruments in the world.

When Tom and Kate adjourned to their bedroom, they passed the one being used by Billy. They could hear him talking to someone on his phone. Since it was nearly 11:00pm, they were surprised.

Next morning the weather was unsettled with random showers passing through. Since nothing was planned for outdoors, no one was too concerned about the wedding being affected. There would always be umbrellas.

The plan for that day was discussed at breakfast. Jason would take Angie and Kate to the church at 1:30pm. They would have their hair and makeup done by hired pros. They would dress and be ready in plenty of time for photos to be made in the bridal room prior to the 3:30 ceremony. The flowers Angie and her bridesmaids would carry were to be there when Angie arrived. All the flowers in the sanctuary had been arranged the prior day. The large sanctuary was beautiful.

Two of Kate's video production crews would be set up by 2:30. Their purpose was to capture the arrival of guests and later to video the service from three different angles. One camera would be in the choir loft behind the minister, one on the right side near the front and one from the back to capture the scene from the guests' point of view. Only their best cameras and sound equipment were to be used.

Jason would take Billy to the convention center at 3:30. Tom's studio sound team would be set up ready for sound checks when Billy arrived. The Yamaha grand piano had been delivered and tuned that morning.

Guests would arrive at the convention center from the ceremony starting at 5:00. A guest pianist from the symphony would play as people went to the bar, found their seats and waited for the wedding party to arrive. When Angie and Ned arrived, Billy Joel would be introduced and sing for their first dance. Angie would then dance with Tom while Kate danced with Ned. After that, dinner would be served accompanied by the symphony pianist.

As dinner wound down, Billy would again take the stage and give a rocking concert for everyone to dance and sing along. He would do many of his great hits and some of his favorites that were lesser known. By 8:30, the event should be winding down and that's when Angie and Ned would leave in the Bentley for their honeymoon. At least, that was the plan. But you know how plans are. They rarely go as planned.

One of the first unplanned events happened to the sound crew. One of the large and very expensive speakers supplied by the convention center was defective. Another one from a different conference hall was quickly moved in. Then they found a switch problem on the sound control board. A new one was finally found in the box truck. That cost them twenty minutes of valuable time.

When it seemed like everything was fixed, they realized that there was a significant dead zone in the hall near a large grouping of tables. The speakers were not reaching that area the same as other areas. The sound engineers quickly moved several speakers around and finally solved the problem. That's the thing about sound, it doesn't always sound the same in the world of directional speakers.

Meanwhile at the church, there was a problem. One of the big flower arrangements on the stage had totally wilted overnight. It was sad. Evidently, there hadn't been enough water put in the large vase. The custodian of the church saw the problem and called the florist. It was too late to make up another arrangement, so they told the custodian to remove the wilted ones and re-arrange the other vases nearby to cover up the bare spot. He shook his head but did as he was told.

When Angie arrived at the church, there should have been two make-up artists to do Kate, Angie and the three bridesmaids. One didn't show up as she'd been stopped for speeding on the way. That delayed her for 30 minutes. Kate had extensive experience with makeup, so she did Jennie and Denise.

Just as that was happening, the guys were getting dressed at Ned's condo. One of them had a button near the neckline pop off. That was a critical button. It took Ned fifteen minutes to find his sewing kit that he'd not used in four years. All was mended with just minutes to spare.

When 3:10 arrived, so did the photographer. The ladies had him wait for five minutes while they finished their makeup. About ninety seconds before the ceremony was to begin, Sue and Ron, Ned's parents, were seated. Just a minute later, Kate was seated at the front next to her parents. The other ladies rushed from their dressing room to the vestibule of the church. Only a few late comers were still to be seated and the soprano was just finishing her set. After a long moment of silence fell over the hushed crowd, the amazing pipe organ loudly began a wedding processional.

The double center doors in the back opened and first of the three attendants began her calm, rhythmic walk down the center aisle to the front. The minister was in place at the center of the stage, Ned and his groomsmen were facing the rear door. The ladies dressed in burgundy gowns were beautiful and lots of small camera flashes greeted their arrival and walk. One of the video cameras was focused on the rear door, one was on Ned and the other focused on the bridesmaids coming down.

After Denise, the matron of honor, entered and began her walk, the doors closed again. It was not until Denise was standing to the right of the pastor that the organ stopped a few seconds and then began playing "Canon in D" by Johann Pachelbel.

The doors slowly opened, and the world seemed to pause. Poised there was a vision of perfection. She was like a goddess it seemed. The sun was entering the vestibule windows behind Angie, and she seemed to glow. Tom offered his arm, and they began their slow walk to the front. The video showed later than many women were wiping tears as Angie passed. Flashes followed her ever step. She was the definition of glamour and poise. The gown was breath-taking.

Angie approached to take her place before the pastor. Tom stood between her and Ned. Through her vail, Ned could see a woman totally in love with life and with him. Her eyes seemed to revealed her heart and soul.

After the pastor's welcome and statement of purpose, he asked who gives this woman to be married to this man. Tom replied, "Her mother." Tom kissed Angie's cheek through her vail and stepped back to allow the bride and groom to hold hands.

After a beautiful song of love, the pastor gave a brief sermon on marriage and why God ordained it. He talked about the importance of commitment and the importance of forgiveness. He then said a prayer to ask God's blessings on this couple. After the prayer, another song of love was sung. Then came the vows. Angie had pre-warned the pastor that she wanted to say a few words to Ned after the vows.

The pastor began, "Ned Ronald Bergen, do you take Angela Katherine McAllen to be your wedded wife to live together in marriage? Do you promise to love her, comfort her, honor and keep her for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health, and forsaking all others, be faithful only to her, for as long as you both shall live?"

Ned replied, "I do."

The pastor continued. "Angela Katherine McAllen, do you take Ned Ronald Bergen to be your wedded husband to live together in marriage? Do you promise to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health and forsaking all others, be faithful only to him so long as you both shall live."

Angie replied, "I do, and I'd like to say a few words to Ned."

Ned was shocked. This was not in the program. Kate knew Angie had been thinking about something but didn't know it would come now. Wow. The wedding party was stunned.

"Ned, I was in a deep valley of darkness and in a maze of misery when you found me. You carried me to the mountaintop and showed me the beauty of love and life. You caused my soul to sing praises to our maker. You have supported me when others did not. I love you with all my heart."

There was total silence in the sanctuary as those words resonated through the sound system. The video cameras caught many tears being wiped. Ned was able to hold back, although his emotions were on fire. Their eyes locked and no other words were needed between them.

The pastor closed the vows with the exchange of rings. He then said that under the powers granted by God and the State of Colorado, he pronounced them to be husband and wife and warned that no man should try to ever separate them.

The pipe organ burst forth with the recessional as they kissed, not once but twice.

As they walked to the back, they stopped occasionally to great very special friends. The hundreds of small cell phone cameras flashed away. Many people expressed admiration for her gown.

After arriving back in the vestibule, they were escorted through a series of hallways eventually ending up at the front stage. As the guests slowly filed out to drive to the reception about ten miles away, the photographer snapped dozens of photos of the bride and groom, the wedding party, parents with the couple, and then close friends with the couple. The last action required was for Ned and Angie to sign the certificate of marriage along with the pastor. It was then official. Mr. and Mrs. Ned McAllen-Bergen kissed again.

At the convention center, work was underway everywhere. There was a large check-in area where each guest could locate their assigned table. The wedding planner had eight hired assistants to help with that process. Many trays of pre-made cocktails and glasses of champagne were distributed by servers and the bars on both sides of the hall opened for guests. It was a wonderful party atmosphere and groups of four to ten dispersed throughout the hall to renew acquaintances, recall past experiences and discuss the beautiful wedding. As the alcohol flowed, they had no idea of the entertainment coming soon.

When the wedding party arrived, all stood and applauded as Mr. and Mrs. McAllen-Bergen were introduced and walked in with their parents. Tom accompanied Kate, of course. Once order was somewhat restored, the background music stopped, and a voice penetrated the room.

"Ladies and Gentlemen. To accompany Angie and Ned for their first dance, we have a very special entertainer tonight. He has had thirty-three Billboard Top 100 hits included three number ones. He has been nominated for twenty-three Grammys and won six. He has sold 160 million albums and has been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Billy Joel."

The place exploded with cheers, applause, whistles and every form of expressed amazement you could imagine. Wide eyes and open mouths testified to the fact that this just doesn't happen at a wedding of their friends. Billy stepped from behind a curtain, acknowledged the applause, and walked to the piano. Uptown Girl was his choice for Angie and Ned to dance. The guests quietly sang along to this well-loved song he had written about Christie. The sound was amazing, even better than the recording. Tom's guys had done their job. Don't Go Changing was for Angie and Tom plus Ned and Kate to dance.

Billy then turned and said into the mic, "I'm going to do one more then give you a chance to dine. I'll be back to rock and roll the night away after that." He then sang Piano Man, probably his best-known hit.

Billy joined Tom and Kate at their table for dinner. The pianist from the symphony played for easy listening as the servers rushed delicious hot food to each guest.

After most had eaten, Angie and Ned cut the massive cake and neatly fed each other a bite. That job was immediately turned over to a crew of servers who job was to cut and distribute pieces to everyone who wanted them. The cake stood almost five feet tall and was chocolate with a white buttery frosting and lots of beautiful swirls and simulated flowers.

Billy returned to the piano and the concert took off. We Didn't Start the Fire, You May be Right, It's Still Rock and Roll to Me, Movin' Out, and New York State of Mind followed. The dance floor was packed. Even the servers were dancing in the aisles and in the catering prep area.

Billy turned from the piano and took a breath to say, "I'd like to say a few words. Our hostess, the lovely Kate McAllen, is engaged to Tom Blanchard. Tom and I go way back, and I was delighted when he asked me to come tonight. I love weddings so much that I've had four of them. Last night, I had the pleasure of staying at Kate's home. The dinner and discussion were fun and many memories with Tom were shared.

"Many of you may not know that Kate was a fashion model in the 1980s. If fact, she was one of only ten or so models who the fashion press labeled as supermodels at that time. That moniker was given to those few women who achieved the pinnacle of success and could command any fee they wanted for modeling any apparel they wanted to model. The designers loved them. Their faces appeared on the cover of hundreds of magazines all over the world. But last night was my first time to meet the famous Kate. And Kate, it was a great privilege.

"I do have a lot of experience with supermodels. I dated Elle Macpherson for several years before I met and later married Christie Brinkley. Christie and I were married for nine years and we're still on good terms. In fact, I spoke to her just last night. She sends her love to you, Kate, and her warm congratulations to Angie and Ned. She has many great memories of working alongside you.

"Ned, I have just a friendly piece of advice for you. Your bride could easily be the next great supermodel in the world of fashion. She could drop everything and start making millions. Don't make her mad."

Everyone in the hall laughed and applauded. Ned smiled and leaned in to Angie for another kiss.

Billy turned to the piano and sang twelve more songs as everyone danced. The bars were open and busy until nearly 9:00. The bride and groom, accompanied by Kate and Tom, visited the tables and thanked everyone for coming. It was a party to remember. Some had to be taken home by taxi after too many bar visits. The wedding planner had allowed for that and had numerous taxis on hand. Kate paid her a huge tip for all the great work she had done. It was a total success that would be remembered.