She squeezed back. “I’m okay. I realized, this morning, my best friend has a new best friend.” She gazed at him as he turned his head to the front to drive. “You too.”
“Yeah. It hit me too.” He glanced out the window and cleared his throat. “I’m happy for them. They found the other part of themselves.” He paused. “God has a plan for them all right.”
“He has a plan for all of us.” Lucy’s quiet voice touched his heart.
“Amen.”
Did God’s plan for him include Lucy? He let go of her hand to feel his breast pocket, where the wedding rings were resting. They were still there. He had to remember to give Jared’s to Lucy. When he was sure the wedding rings were in place, he patted his pants pocket, where another box resided. It was there too. He smiled, and prayed silently. Thank you, God.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
The harpist, a friend of Sarah’s from her days as a music student at Murray State University in Kentucky, played a variety of hymns and love songs for the gathering congregation. As the car pulled up to the front of the church, Tom and Lucy both jumped out to help Sarah disembark. Her dad, however, beat them both to the punch.
“I’ll help my daughter out this one last time, if you don’t mind.” He smiled at Tom, who was prepared to do his best imitation of a chauffeur.
“Listen, Mom, Dad.” Sarah paused. “Do you remember what they were playing for a prelude the first Sunday we came to church here?”
Linda Crawford laughed. “I’ve slept since last summer.”
“‘Great Is Thy Faithfulness.’” Sarah smiled.
“It’s a special song, isn’t it?” Robert put his arm around her shoulders. “Hymns glorify God, and they also remind us to give Him the glory.”
“I miss Granny.” Sarah daubed at her eyes. It was like she was willing the tears to go away.
Robert smiled. “I do too. She would be so proud to be here.”
Lucy touched Sarah’s arm. “Are you ready?”
Sarah took a deep breath. “I’m ready. I’ve never been so ready.” She grinned at Lucy, and they laughed together.
“All right, Linda, you go on ahead, and Tom, you go around to the side door and meet up with the guys. Nothing can happen until you two are in there!” Lucy put everyone in the correct order and looked at Tom’s hair. “Stand still”
He had thrown the hat into the car and was raking his hair back with his fingers, but when Lucy said “stand still,” he froze.
He winked at her as she straightened his hair back into place.
“Stop it. You’ll have my face the same color as my dress.” She couldn’t hide her smile even as she tried to stay stern. This was no time for shenanigans.
“Will I do?” He put his hands on her upper arms and looked into her eyes.
She tilted her head, unable to break away from his gaze, and then realized she was the one holding up the process. She took a breath, released it, and swatted his arm. “You’ll do. Now get in there!”
He laughed as he jogged down the sidewalk to the side door of the church.
“All right folks. This is it. Where’s Emmaline?”
They made their way up the stairs to the small vestibule where the wedding party waited their turn to process down the aisle.
Emmaline Quincy, armed with stylish glasses, an up-do, and a white clipboard, made her way to the bride. “Everything is going as scheduled. Is Tom with the other men?”
Lucy nodded. “Yes. He should be there now.”
Emmaline smiled. “Good. Let’s get in line, people, like at the rehearsal, remember?” She shook her head and whispered to Lucy. “They never remember.”
Lucy giggled.
Emmaline clapped her hands softly. “Okay, people, grandparents of the groom, grandparents of the bride; parents of the groom, mother of the bride. The mothers will light the unity candle, and when they are seated, the gentlemen will come out. As soon as they are in place, the bridesmaids Jessica, Susan, and Lucy; flower girls Lily, Trudy, and Abby; then the pièce de résistance, the bride and her father. Got it?”
Everyone nodded. Things were going like the well-oiled wheel they hoped for. Lucy wished she could be behind the flower girls to watch their entire walk down the aisle, but she would be up front by that time.
“I Will Be Here,” by Steven Curtis Chapman was being played by the harpist as the mothers lighted the unity candle together. The symbol of two families being united threatened tears of loneliness, but looking down the aisle, she caught a glimpse of her grandmother halfway up the aisle on the end. She kept glancing back, hoping, Lucy was sure, to get a glimpse of her granddaughter. She smiled and waved, bolstering up her internal fortitude, and Grandmommy winked back. She wasn’t alone. Even if Grandmommy hadn’t been here, she wouldn’t be alone.
She stood behind Sarah’s sister, Susan, as she waited for her cue to proceed down the aisle. Her mind was a swirl of emotions, reminiscences, and checklists. Was there anything she had forgotten? Of course not. Would the little girls balk at making their way down the aisle? Lily was sure she could get Abby and Trudy down the aisle, but three-year-old babies could be stubborn. What if they simply refused to do it? No, she couldn’t think that way.
Susan made her way down, and she waited until she reached the middle pew before she began to walk. She put a smile on her face and walked in time to the music, her steps slow and measured, but natural. Up front, the gentlemen looked spiffy in their dark gray tuxedos. Jared’s had a white vest, while the groomsmen had darker vests a few shades lighter than their tux. She raised an eyebrow when she saw Tom, and her smile turned into a silly grin. The audacity of the man, winking at her now. Her face warmed with a deliciousness that unsettled her and calmed her all at once.
When she reached her spot, she turned, getting in position to view the children and Sarah coming down the aisle. This was what they had been planning since ninth grade, and it was happening. The little girls started their trip down the aisle, and Lucy had a fleeting thought of how nice it would have been to have a ring-bearer.
Ring.
Wasn’t she supposed to be carrying Jared’s wedding band?
She had been so caught up in making sure everyone else was doing what they were supposed to do that she had forgotten the ring. When she threatened to “conveniently” forget the ring back in the summer, she was joking. She would never do it. She felt the color drain from her face.
Tom’s main concern today was making sure Jared stayed upright. He had gained a lot of his strength back, but he still tired easily. He and Sarah agreed their first dance would be their last at the reception. Jared looked good. His color was good, and his hair had grown in enough to cover his incisions. He would have scars there, but as thick as his hair was, nobody would ever know.
Lucy coming down the aisle toward them was a sight to behold. Her dress swirled around her feet, and the sparkling shoes on her tiny feet peeked out with each step. She was as beautiful as the bride, in his opinion. After giving her a wink, he smiled as she blushed. It was like having a super power, to be able to make a woman blush like that.
Walking past the flower-laden pews, the three little girls strewed flower petals along the aisle. Yeah, somebody would have to clean that up, but he wouldn’t think about that, now. Jared’s nephew, Alex, named after Alex Crawford, had done a good job of ushering in the greats and grands.
As the girls got to the altar, finishing up their task and taking their places next to their mothers, Tom turned to smile at Lucy before Sarah came in.
What he saw scared him to death.
She was staring at him, her face looking like she’d seen a ghost. What was wrong? Had he forgotten his tie? He reached up to his hair. Had he messed it up after she’d fixed it?
As the music changed to the Bridal Chorus, Linda stood to signal for all to rise for the bride. While everyone was turned toward Sarah, Tom looked at Lucy again, shaking his head. She was mouthing something. Sing? He wasn’t supposed to sing. No, it
couldn’t be that. Wing?
Lucy rolled her eyes in disgust, turned back to Susan, and whispered something to her. Susan’s eyes grew wide with fright. She looked past him at Sarah’s brother-in-law, Mike. Tom turned to him with a stiff whisper. “What’s Lucy trying to say? Wait, it’s Susan now.”
Mike looked at his wife’s distressed communication. He thought a minute, and calmly stated, “Ring.”
Lucy exhaled and nodded, her color coming back. Sarah was halfway down the aisle, with eyes for no one but Jared, thank goodness.
Tom reached into his pocket and pulled out Jared’s ring. Could she catch it? He made as if to toss it, and she shook her head and bugged her eyes in fright. She held out her hand as if to say “stop,” and she simply turned to Sarah, smiling, as she made her way to the altar with her father.
Tom had the ring. Thank you, Lord. Everything would be fine. When Pastor Mike, from Sarah and Lucy’s home church in Kentucky, asked for Sarah’s ring, from Tom, he would hand them both to the pastor. When he asked for Jared’s ring, from Lucy, she would pretend to give him a ring.
Once Robert managed to say the words “her mother and I” to the question “who gives this woman to be married to this man,” and Sarah handed Lucy her bouquet, she could have passed out with relief. All the planning and work to get them to this point, and it was almost over.
As Sarah and Jared repeated their vows, Lucy didn’t feel the way she imagined she would feel. It was as if the stress of forgetting the ring reminded her she wasn’t losing her best friend, she was gaining even more friends. It wouldn’t be the same once Sarah was married, but when you think about it, it wasn’t the same after they got out of high school, or college, was it?
Times and seasons. Life is a series of times and seasons. While there were sniffles all around her, she didn’t feel like crying. One thing she did feel right now was joy. Pure, unadulterated joy. And on top of that, humor. She couldn’t wait to tell Sarah the story of the rings, once it was all over. Gotta love a good “wedding mishap” story.
They had been serious for so long, with the hurricane, Jared’s accident, and the problems at the sheriff’s office, that it was good to feel like laughing again.
After the ring ceremony, she took her eyes off Jared and Sarah to smile at Tom, who was grinning at her. Laughter bubbled up in her, and she squelched it as best she could.
The unity candle ceremony over, Sarah turned to Lucy to retrieve her bouquet and turned, with Jared, to face the congregation for their introduction as man and wife.
Brother Mike had it under control. “And now, by the power vested in me by the states of South Carolina and Kentucky, I would like to present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Jared Stuart Benton. Whom God has joined together, let no man put asunder. Jared?”
Jared turned to Sarah’s minister. “Yes, sir?”
“You may kiss your bride now.”
Jared didn’t waste any time. In fact, he may have made up for time he lost while unconscious. When he lifted his head, the congregation stood and cheered, and the music swelled. “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” was played, and once the bride and groom, and then the little girls started down the aisle, Lucy gratefully took Tom’s arm to make her way to the front door.
She might not let go this time.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Tom and Lucy drove the bride and groom to the reception at Pilot Oaks after pictures were made. Along the drive were stakes with ribbon strung from bouquet to bouquet, with candles at each one.
Hors d'oeuvres were served in the double parlors inside the mansion, with a pianist playing Gershwin tunes on the gleaming Steinway for the entertainment of the guests.
The patio and gardens behind Pilot Oaks had been turned into a dream. The summer house was the backdrop for the bride and groom’s table, and café lights were strung amongst the trees. The round dining tables were placed within view of the couple and the patio dance floor, and the jazz combo had a small tent near the house.
Lucy sighed as she walked into the house. It was a dream-come-true for Sarah and for her too. To see her best friend find such happiness meant there was hope for her as well. Things certainly hadn’t been easy for Sarah. First, a broken engagement, then when things looked perfect for her, the hurricane and Jared’s injury. Bad things happened, and God had used every one of those things for good. Tears tickled her eyes, and for a moment, she missed her dad intensely. But this was Sarah’s day, and only tears of happiness had a place here.
Once the crowd had moved out of the house and into the area for dining and dancing, Sarah and Jared came in and made their way through the house for their introduction. Lucy had never seen Sarah so radiant, and for some reason, right now it was all a blur to her. They were gathering in the dining room, waiting to be introduced.
“Are you okay?”
A hand gently touched her elbow. It was Tom. She smiled up at him. “I’m better than okay.”
“You look a little pale.”
She tried to remember when she had eaten last. She twisted her face in embarrassment. “I may or may not have eaten today. I’ll be fine.”
Tom looked around at the evidence of appetizers that had been deserted for heartier fare. “Wait here.” He came back in seconds and handed her a napkin with macaroni-and-cheese bites and a cup of punch. “Carb it up.”
She laughed. “And to think I almost missed these. I’m the one that wanted them.” She popped the hors d'oeuvre in her mouth and chased it with sparkling punch. “Ah. Thank you. I think I’ll live now.”
“Good, because I think we’re up next.”
He placed his hand on the small of her back as they stood at the door, waiting for Susan and Mike to make their entrance.
“You ready?”
“Sure we’re not forgetting something?” Lucy arched one finely-tuned eyebrow.
“Not this time. I think we’re good to go.”
Lucy sighed. “I think so, too. Well, there are the toasts.”
He patted his breast pocket. “No worries. Mine is right here.”
She pointed at her tiny jeweled bag. “Mine too.” She gazed at him with a smile. Confusion registered on his face. That was just fine. She wasn’t holding back anymore.
After the dinner and toasts, Tom’s work was done. Lucy had everyone, including Sarah and Jared, laughing at her toast. At first she read from her notes, but when she warmed up, she had to share the story of the rings.
He was relaxed now. For the most part. He put his hand in his pocket, fingering the tiny velvet box. All in good time.
“We Will Dance,” another song by Christian artist Steven Curtis Chapman, was Jared and Sarah’s first dance.
Tom had chills listening to the words of the song, including a reference to a hurricane. This almost didn’t happen.
The mood changed a bit with the father-daughter song. Sarah and Robert agreed they did not want a tear-jerker song, so they settled on “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” by Stevie Wonder. Tom noticed Jared seemed grateful to sit down for Sarah and Robert’s turn on the dance floor.
Then it was Jared and his mother Liz’s turn. Jared smiled when he realized what his mother had picked. “I’ll Say A Little Prayer for You,” by Aretha Franklin, was the perfect song for a mother and son.
After that, different people made their way to the dance floor or sat and enjoyed the beautiful autumn weather. Who wouldn’t want to be in South Carolina in the fall? Well, unless there was a hurricane going on.
Lucy came to sit next to him. “Hey, aren’t you going to get out there and dance?”
He laughed. “I’m not much of a dancer.”
She grimaced. “Me neither.”
“With your coordination?”
Lucy sighed. “I’m afraid it doesn’t extend to the dance floor.”
“Good, then I won’t feel bad not asking you to dance.” They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes when he grabbed her hand. “Are you on duty for anything?”
She
looked surprised. “No. Why?”
“Let’s take a walk.” He stood and pulled her up by her hands. “You might want to leave your shoes behind.”
“Where are we going?” She began unstrapping the jeweled heels, carrying them with her.
He led her away from the crowd, toward the boardwalk down to the beach. “This okay?”
“Perfect.” She laid her shoes at the head of the path next to his and put her hand in his, draping her long chiffon skirt over her other arm as she walked.
When they got down to the sand, she sighed with pleasure. “Why would anyone not want to be close to this all the time? I don’t blame Sarah for moving here.”
“Even with the hurricanes?”
She nodded in the twilight. “Even then.” She looked up at him. “Did you ever consider leaving the coast?”
He bent down to pick up a rock, throwing it in the ocean. “I thought about it. Did you know I wanted to join the FBI?”
“Really? I mean, that’s so cool. I love procedural TV shows.” She smiled, more relaxed than he had seen her in a while. Since last summer, in fact, when she didn’t have a care in the world. So much had happened in the last year.
“What about you?”
“I’ve lived in different places. I lived in Kentucky the longest I’ve lived anywhere. I guess that’s ‘home,’ but I don’t have family there anymore. Besides Grandmommy, Sarah’s the closest I have to family.”
“I met your grandmother again. She’s a piece of work, isn’t she?” He didn’t tell her what her grandmother said, that he’d better not break her granddaughter’s heart.
Lucy chuckled. “She is that. She keeps asking me to come live in Atlanta, but I don’t feel like that’s where the Lord is leading me. You know what I mean?”
“I do. When I went to Blythewood the other week for the deposition, I thought about what it would have been like if I’d pursued either state police or FBI. I would have had to leave the place I love. I wouldn’t have been here for my family, or for Jared.” He paused and looked down at her. “And I wouldn’t have met you.”
Carolina Mercy (A Southern Breeze Series Book 2) Page 22
