A knock on the door interrupted their conversation. “Miss Chapman?”
“Yes?” She peeked outside to respond to the stage manager.
“Curtain in five minutes. You sure don’t want to be late for this one. They can’t start without you tonight.”
Jessica smiled. “You’re right.” She turned to face her mother. “You’d better take your seat, Mom. I don’t want you to miss anything.”
“Okay.” Her mother held her tightly for a moment. “Oh, by the way – Andrew’s waiting at the back of the theater. Do you remember where to meet him?”
“I remember.” Jessica grinned and reached for the exquisite bouquet of red roses to her left. “And I can’t wait.”
***
From upstage left, Colin waited. Tonight’s performance would seal his future and write in stone every God-given dream upon his heart. Tonight—in just moments, in fact—Jessica Chapman would enter the stage and take his hand.
For the rest of his life.
From behind the Mediterranean backdrop, Colin waited for the music to begin. He sneaked a peek through the window and his gaze fell on Nathan and Kellie, who sat, hands tightly clutched, in the third row. Their wedding, just weeks ago, had been a lavish, upscale affair. He and Jessica had attended with great joy.
Just in front of the new couple he located another old friend. Ida Sullivan sat in the second row with a look of pure satisfaction on her wrinkled face. Walter Malone was seated next to her, dressed in a suit that must, surely, be older than Colin, himself. The elderly man leaned in to whisper something in Ida’s ear, and she responded by smiling broadly. Colin took a second look. Is he holding her hand?
He barely had time to contemplate the matter. The stringed quartet began the introduction, and he swallowed hard as the familiar strain of music gave him his cue. His heart pounded in anticipation as he stepped through the doorway at the designated moment and began to sing. The love song he and Jessica had chosen was in Italian. Of course. Nothing else would have done.
He had rehearsed at length, though his nerves now kicked in and Colin found himself barely able to eek out the first few words. And yet he must continue. He would sing beyond the tears that now formed in his eyes. He would sing over the lump in his throat. He would sing the song of angels, and she would join him in a heavenly chorus, one that would require no interpretation.
As the words began to soar like ribbons on the wind, Jessica made her entrance from the back of the theater, stepfather Andrew at her side. The audience stood to their feet and Colin could hardly contain the emotion that held him in its twisted embrace. My bride! By the time he reached the chorus, Andrew had released Jessica’s hand and she crossed the beautifully decorated bridge across the orchestra pit to join him onstage. By the time the second verse began, Colin’s solo had become a duet.
***
Jessica fought back tears as she crossed the stage. Roman columns, draped with tulle and twinkling lights, framed a beautiful Italian village, hand-painted by the best set designers Dallas had to offer. She hardly noticed it, however. She couldn’t seem to take her gaze from the man she loved, the one the Lord had dropped into her life when she least expected it.
Her grandmother’s words of encouragement flitted through her mind rather unexpectedly. When had she spoken them? Ah yes—that day she had tried on wedding gowns. You’re going to be a beautiful bride, Honey, and that radiance is going to shine through like a light that can’t wait to escape the darkness because it will spring up from your innermost being. For the first time, Jessica understood. From the very core of her being, she understood. I love this man. Honestly and truly love him. And the light in her eyes must surely radiate the love she now felt.
His eyes seemed to dance with excitement, as well. The handsome baritone, tall and striking in his romantic Italian apparel, sang to her in a voice she had only dreamed of. She eagerly took Colin’s hand and joined him in song. Their voices rose and fell, and emotion carried them through to the end of the piece. Then, as the dramatic piece ended, the minister made his entrance.
Together, he led the two through the rest of the ceremony. With all of her heart, Jessica vowed to love this man. To cherish him. You make it so easy, Colin. She wiped tears of joy from her eyes as he shared his heart openly and clearly for all to see and hear. His hand-written vows seemed to ignite her heart and set it ablaze. Have I ever loved before? No. I’ve never known love until now.
Now, at this very moment, all of her dreams ran crazily, merrily, into truth. Into reality. Tonight, she would cling to the hand of this man God had given her and commit to raise her voice alongside his for all of time.
Never again a chorus of one.
THANK YOU FOR READING
TEXAS WEDDINGS
BOOKS ONE AND TWO
LOOK FOR TEXAS WEDDING BOOKS THREE AND FOUR
(SWEET CHARITY & BANKING ON LOVE)
NOW AVAILABLE ON KINDLE.
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Table of Contents
Dedication
A Class of Her Own one
two
three
four
five
six
seven
eight
nine
ten
eleven
twelve
thirteen
fourteen
fifteen
sixteen
seventeen
eighteen
nineteen
twenty
twenty-one
twenty-two
twenty-three
epilogue
TEXAS WEDDINGS BOOK TWO A Chorus of One DEDICATION
one
two
three
four
five
six
seven
eight
nine
ten
eleven
twelve
thirteen
fourteen
fifteen
sixteen
seventeen
eighteen
nineteen
twenty
twenty-one
twenty-two
twenty-three
twenty-four
Texas Weddings (Books One and Two) Page 31
