Credit for 98% of this story goes to Betty. "You may kiss the bride," the judge said.
As Betty and Adam exchanged a tender kiss various thoughts went through the minds of the onlookers.
Nick: Look at what they're doing to poor Michelle
Michelle: I'm sure glad it isn't me
Audra: It's so beautiful. I could cry.
Jarrod: Thank God Nick behaved.
Gene: Thank God Nick behaved.
Heath: Boy howdy, I'm glad Nick behaved.
A few days earlier....
The Barkley mansion was bustling with wedding preparations. Everyone was busy and happy, except, of course, for Nick. Not only did he refuse to help- which was just as well- he seemed bent on driving every other member of the household completely crazy.
In Audra's room she was trying on the pale blue bridesmaid's dress. Laura had returned with a hastily fetched packet of pins from the sewing room and she, Betty and Victoria were fussing over a small adjustment that needed to be made.
"You're not going to wear THAT, are you?" Nick boomed from the doorway.
His sister looked up. "What's wrong with it?"
Nick snorted. "Well, if you don't know there's not much use in me telling you."
"Mother!" Tears came to Audra's eyes. "I wanted this dress to be absolutely perfect on me."
While Victoria reassured her distraught daughter Betty marched over to her cousin. "Nick, out!" He made no move to go so she unceremoniously pushed him into the hall and slammed the door in his face.
Nick grumped his way downstairs to the kitchen where an apron clad Michelle was humming to herself as she gathered ingredients for the wedding cake. He watched her for a bit then impulsively went over and hugged her like she was the sole survivor of a ship wreck. Michelle stood stiff as a board. "Nick, let go of me." When he showed no sign of doing so she added, "Now!"
Nick released her. "Oh, come on Chelle you don't have to put up a brave front with me. I'm your cousin remember?"
Returning to her recipe she commented, "How could I forget. And don't call me Chelle."
Nick shook his head. "So strong," he observed. "And even going through with making this cake." He wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "I know you feel like crying right now." Nick didn't notice her eye roll as she shrugged his arm away.
"For heaven's sake, Nick, I'm not going to be miserable just to make you happy."
"C'mon, Michelle, just let it out."
Michelle set aside what she was doing. "All right. I will. Nick, out!"
Nick wandered moodily into the front room where Silas was just letting Adam into the house. "Well," said the pugnacious Barkley in a tone that dripped icicles. "You have some nerve showing your face around here."
"For God's sake!" Jarrod hurried down the stairs to embrace his friend. He then turned sharply to his brother. "Nick, you promised not to say anything."
"I promised not to say anything to Betty," Nick countered triumphantly. "I never promised not to say anything to Adam."
Jarrod rolled his eyes. Adam chuckled. Nick scowled. "How can you stand there laughing when poor Michelle's heart is breaking."
Adam looked to Jarrod who shrugged. "Where is she?"
"In the kitchen," Jarrod told him.
Adam headed to the indicated room. Michelle looked up from her mixing bowl beaming. "Hello, Adam. I'm going to bake the best wedding cake this valley has ever seen."
"I'm counting on it," Adam told her. "By the way, Nick seems to think your heart is breaking."
"I promise the only thing breaking in here is eggs," Michelle joked.
"What do you want me to do?"
"Just ignore him," Michelle advised. "That's what the rest of us do."
Adam nodded and returned to the front of the house. "Well, she seems fine to me."
"What do you know?"
"Adam!" Betty almost flew down the stairs and into her beloved's arms. They exchanged a passionate kiss.
"Do the two of you have to do that in here?" Nick barked. Why on earth did that scheming cousin and traitorous Cartwright have to be kissing all the time... and under the very roof in which Michelle lived.
As one they turned there heads and glared at him.
"Nick," Jarrod spoke through gritted teeth. "Out!"
Thrown out of his own home, Nick headed for the barn where Heath was busy working on the finest buggy. It would carry the newlyweds from the mansion to the train in Stockton and Heath wanted it to be in perfect working order, cleaned and polished.
He reached the barn and entered. About half a minute later Heath's angry voice was heard, "Nick, out!" and he exited hastily. He went to complain to his horse but even Coco did not care to be ranted at. A loud angry whinny ripped through the stable, the equine equivalent to, "Nick, out!"
Dejected Nick sat on the edge of the water trough in a full fledged sulk. Gene wandered over. "What are you doing out here?" he made the mistake of asking.
"I can't talk to anybody," Nick complained. "No one listens to me. They just keep throwing me out. Even Coco threw me out. And when I go into town people laugh at me behind my back. They think I don't know. But I do."
Gene held back a grin. Nick's hostility toward the upcoming nuptials was a joke in Stockton. He dropped a kiss on the top of his brother's head. "Poor baby."
Nick grumbled at being patronized but allowed Gene to coax him back into the house.
Late that afternoon the family sat in the front room discussing travel plans. The bridal couple had decided on an extended honeymoon in Europe which Adam had never seen. They would be away for more than half a year.
Suddenly Laura asked, "Where's Nick?"
"I think in the kitchen," Adam replied.
"Again," Betty was incredulous. "That must be the hundredth time today! I don't see how Michelle can..." She broke off.
Nick was trying to sneak past unnoticed which was impossible considering that his face was decorated with pink icing, the crowning glory being a star shaped flower on the tip of his nose. "DON'T," he growled, "say...a...word." With as much dignity as he could muster Nick marched up the steps to his room. Not until they heard the distant slam! of the door did the family break into hysterics.
Present day....
While the bride was being kissed and congratulated by her female relatives the Cartwrights and Jarrod descended on Adam. Ben wrapped his arms around his son and whispered something only meant for him to hear. Hoss bear hugged him and Little Joe carried on the tradition which he had learned right there in the Barkley home just a couple of years before.
Nick remained the only unhappy person at the reception. He sneered as family and friends offered their good wishes to the newlyweds. Thoughts of Adam and Betty being swept overboard on their voyage to Europe filled his head.
"Nicholas," his mother's stern voice interrupted his reverie. "Go congratulate your cousins." Then she added. "Both of them."
As if he were walking the last mile Nick made his way to where Betty and Adam hugged and shook hands with guests. And like a sulky child he halfheartedly touched Adam's fingers and grumbled, "Congratulations."
Adam swallowed a laugh. "Thank you, Nick."
Nick looked in Betty's direction. "You too," he offered less than enthusiastically. Having done his duty he retreated to the other side of the room where Michelle was poised to serve the three-tiered cake. He glared as Betty and Adam came to the table for the traditional cutting of the cake and serving of the first bites to each other.
The music started and the couple had their first dance as husband and wife. Others then joined them on the dance floor.
"My new daughter-in-law looks stunning in her wedding dress," Ben commented to Victoria.
"She looks like a hot air balloon," Nick muttered to himself.
"What was that?" Victoria asked.
Startled Nick quickly replied, "I said I was glad everyone got here by noon."
Not noticing Nick Heath commented, "Boy howdy, she's lucky to get a guy like that."
"She's lucky to get any guy," Nick informed him.
Heath shook his head. "I need a drink." He headed for the refreshment table. Nick's eyes followed. There was Michelle putting up that brave front again, laughing with guests and serving cake. Impulsively, Nick grabbed his friend Ray's arm and yanked him in her direction.
"Here, dance with my cousin," Nick practically ordered.
Ray grinned.
"Nick, I don't want to dance," Michelle told him.
"Sure you do." Nick thrust Ray closer to his cousin who was standing there holding a cake knife. Ray looked down at the knife and then up to Michelle's face.
"Um. I really don't think she wants to dance." He made a hasty departure.
In the course of the reception Michelle did come out from behind the table to dance with Little Joe but when he asked for a second dance she excused herself politely.
The bride and groom now dressed in traveling clothes emerged from the house amidst shouts of "farewell" and "good luck" and "see you in six months". Adam stopped on the way to the buggy to reassure Little Joe that they were indeed coming back and he fully expected the house he designed to be finished when they returned. It would be only a few hundred yards from the main house on the Ponderosa.
The couple climbed into the buggy. There was lots of waving from the guests as Betty tossed her bouquet which Audra caught and sniffed dreamily. Adam put the horses in motion amid more shouts of "good-bye" from everyone except the sourpuss Nick.
"Nick," Jarrod dropped a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Betty's going to Europe."
The realization sank in. A broad grin spread across Nick's face. He leapt in front of the crowd waving more enthusiastically that anyone and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Bon Voyage!"
Betty's laughter floated back on the breeze.
The End