Bride Wanted

by Renee Andrews

  She had skipped going out to lunch with her parents because she simply wanted to get away from crowds of people she didn’t know and get back home.

  “We met a guy at lunch today, and we’ve asked him to come back to the house and visit for a while. Is that okay with you?” her mother continued.

  Destiny frowned. They were bringing some guy they just met home? “You’re bringing someone here?” She’d come home because she didn’t want to hang around a bunch of strangers all afternoon and now they were bringing one? “Mom, I’ll probably go up to my room. I’m not really feeling all that up to visiting.”

  “You sure about that?”

  Destiny recognized that beautiful deep drawl and dropped the phone when she saw Troy standing on the back porch with her parents.

  Her hand flew to her mouth and she mumbled, “Troy?”

  “This is the guy we met at lunch.” Her mother dropped her cell phone into her purse. “Actually, he called and asked us to meet him there, and we had a very enjoyable visit, wouldn’t you say, Phillip?”

  Destiny’s father patted Troy’s shoulder and nodded. “Very enjoyable, Geneva. But I have a feeling he wants to visit with Destiny now, and we should probably head on in.” He turned to Troy. “Nice to meet you, son. And I mean that.”

  “You, too, sir.” Troy smiled but barely glanced at Destiny’s parents as they disappeared into the house; his attention was as focused on her as hers was on him.

  “You had lunch with my parents?” she asked, her mind reeling from the realization that he’d not only met her parents but that he was here, in Atlanta, on her porch. And talking to her. Please, please, God. Let him forgive me. Give me another chance with Troy.

  He slowly moved toward her, and Destiny fought the urge to jump up from the rocker and into his arms. She didn’t know yet if he wanted her again, but she hoped and prayed that he did. “I needed to talk to them about a few things,” he said.

  “They knew you were coming?” She couldn’t imagine how her mother would have been able to keep that from her. She could have at least encouraged her to fix up a little. Destiny had changed out of her church dress into an old T-shirt and ragged shorts.

  He shook his head. “No, I called them when I was almost here and asked if they could meet me somewhere. They said they’d just left the church and suggested we have lunch. And then we had a nice visit.”

  “A nice visit,” Destiny repeated, wondering what they’d visited about.

  Troy moved directly in front of her rocker, sat on the railing and faced her. “Yes, a nice visit. And I want to tell you about it, but first I need to ask you something.”

  She moistened her lips, prepared for whatever he would ask, and said a quick prayer that she’d answer correctly. “Okay.”

  “Those letters you’ve been writing...”

  She nodded. “Yes?”

  “Did you mean what you said in them, or were you just trying to boost your subscribers?”

  A sharp pang pierced her heart that he would even insinuate that she had merely been pulling a publicity stunt, but then again, her track record with him wasn’t so good. She’d have to show him that she wasn’t that girl anymore, and she wanted to start convincing him right here, right now. “I meant every word, Troy. I promise. And I hope—and I pray—that you believe me.”

  He moved his head in a single nod but didn’t say anything for a moment, and Destiny feared he didn’t believe her at all.

  “I mean it,” she whispered. “I do love you, Troy. I made a horrible mistake by not telling you why I was in Claremont. And I’ve had to think about that and live with it every day since you told me to leave. It’s been killing me because I came so close to having it, the kind of love that Marvin and Mae have, and the Tingles, and—and even my parents. The kind of love that Bevvie has found with Jared. I want that so much, but I don’t want it with anyone else. I don’t think I can even have it with anyone else, because—because―” her eyes filled with tears, her throat closed in, her heart ached in her chest “―my heart—belongs to—”

  He leaned forward and touched his finger to her lips, then eased to his knees in front of her, those blue eyes studying her as her tears fell. “That last letter I gave you, on the night I told you to leave,” he said. “Do you still have it?”

  She blinked, more tears trickling down her cheeks with the action. Then she sniffed, reached into the pocket of her shorts and withdrew the folded envelope with her name written on the outside. “I carry it with me everywhere,” she whispered.

  Troy took the envelope, his fingers grazing hers in the process. Destiny longed to feel her hand in his again, but he hadn’t reached for her hand. He’d taken the envelope and turned it over. “You never opened it.”

  She shook her head. “No, I didn’t.”

  “Why not, Destiny?” He was so close now that she literally felt her heart pulling toward him, but he’d asked her a question, and she needed to answer. She never wanted to leave him wondering about anything again.

  “Because it wouldn’t have been right. You never told me to open it. You said I’d open it later that night, that you’d tell me when, but we never got to that moment. And I couldn’t read it without you saying it was okay.”

  “You read the other ones,” he said, his voice soft and low but filled with emotion.

  “And I’m sorry for that. But I—I think I started falling in love with you when I read those other letters.” Her mouth moved into a smile. “And I’ll never be sorry for that, Troy.” She looked back at the letter he now held in his hands. “I couldn’t read this one, though, because it was different. Special,” she added. “I guess because it was written specifically to me.”

  “This one is special,” he said, running a finger across her name on the envelope, then handing it back to Destiny. “Open it.”

  A rush of adrenaline caused her skin to tingle. “Are you sure?”

  He nodded. “I’m sure. Open it, and read it out loud.”

  She turned the envelope and, with her hands trembling, pushed her finger beneath the seal to break the precious letter free. Then she withdrew the paper, slowly unfolded it and read.

  Dear Destiny,

  I began writing to you fifteen years ago, even though I didn’t know your name. I’ve waited a long time, prayed a long time, for God to bring you into my life. You see, I’ve searched for years for the woman that I believed made my life complete, the one who I could not only share my love with, but also my faith. From the moment you entered my world, that first day when I met you at the filling station, I felt something pulling me toward you.

  Sure, in the beginning, I know it was the attraction that any guy feels when he first meets a beautiful girl. But the more I’ve been around you, the more I’ve gotten to know you, the more I’ve realized that there was more to this feeling. It goes beyond infatuation, way beyond, and into the type of desire that I’ve wanted to find, not only a physical desire but a spiritual desire, as well. I have no doubt that God planned me for you, and you for me. I want to be with you always, to love you and take care of you and be a part of you, through the good and the bad. I want to truly be that cord of three that cannot be broken, you and me, with God in the center, making us strong enough to last through the bad times and strong enough to soar through the good times.

  I love you, Destiny. I love you today, I’ll love you tomorrow, and I’ll love you to eternity. I’ve been waiting fifteen years to find my future bride, and now I have...if you’ll say yes.

  Destiny held the paper out so her tears wouldn’t mar the precious words. “Are you...?” she whispered. “Do you still...?” She looked up to find him kneeling in front of her.

  He gently took the letter and placed it on the porch, then he took her hands in his. “I was going to ask you that night, and then—then I let my anger get the best o
f me. I told myself I could ignore the feelings, that I would get past the sensation that I’d met my future bride and that my heart would eventually stop aching for you.” He shook his head. “But it hasn’t, and I’ve hated every moment I’ve spent away from you.”

  “I’ve hated it, too,” she said, her voice quaking. “I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you about the letters....”

  He shook his head. “Then I read your letters to me, and I knew that you were hurting the same way, and that you had loved me the same way I loved you.” A soft smile played on his mouth. “And that was an answered prayer for me, Destiny. Because I couldn’t forgive myself for letting the best thing in my life slip away. And I want to ask you to forgive me. You tried to tell me the truth that night, that you’d planned to tell me about the letters, and I didn’t believe you. But I do now, and I always will.” He reached into his pocket and withdrew a small box.

  Destiny gasped, focused on the box as he opened it and she viewed an elegant antique wedding ring. “Oh, Troy.”

  “This was my great-grandmother’s ring,” he said. “I’d planned to ask you if you’d wear it that night, but this actually worked out better because this gave me a chance to meet your family.” He looked up. “And ask your father for your hand.” Troy tilted his head toward the windows behind Destiny, and she turned to see her parents watching them, her father’s arm around her mother and her mother’s tears dripping as she smiled. Troy cleared his throat, and Destiny turned back to the man she loved. “So now it’s up to you. I’ve searched for you for fifteen years, and I plan to love you for eternity, if you’ll have me. Marry me, Destiny, and make me the happiest man in the world.”

  She fell off the chair and into his arms. “Oh, yes! Yes, yes, yes, I’ll marry you!” She kissed his forehead, then the bridge of his nose and then finally, pressed her lips to his in the most amazing, most touching kiss she’d ever experienced. Because she was saying yes—yes!—to marry the man she loved.

  When the kiss ended, she heard the back door creak open and then the sound of her parents laughing and clapping and congratulating the newly engaged couple. Destiny looked down at the ring, still in the box. In all of her celebration, she’d forgotten to give him a chance to slide it on her finger. “Please, put it on, Troy. And then I’ll never, ever take it off.”

  Grinning, he slid the ring on her finger. “How soon can we get married?” he asked.

  Destiny looked at the ring, looked at her fiancé and knew she didn’t want to wait any longer either. “Is Saturday soon enough?”

  She heard her mother’s gasp, followed by her father’s laugh and then ultimately Troy’s triumphant cheer.

  “Saturday,” he said, “is perfect!”

  Epilogue

  Troy couldn’t believe how excited the entire town of Claremont became for his wedding, especially the fact that they only had six days to prepare for the event. It was as though every shop owner, every church member, every family member and friend got in on the act of decorating the place for the wedding of the century, or at least of the decade.

  “We’ve been waiting for this for years,” his grandmother proclaimed several times throughout the week, and almost every time she said it, whoever happened to be within earshot responded the same: “I know, right?”

  Troy attempted to help out wherever he could, but the majority of the week found him accepting hugs and high fives of congratulations or planning for their honeymoon, which they decided would be spent driving around the Southeast in search of towns for Destiny to write about in her upcoming books. Troy was so proud of his future bride and the fact that her new writing contract would provide them with a reason to travel a little and also allow her to spend the majority of her time working from home, their home, in Claremont.

  Her family and her friend Rita had made a couple of trips from Atlanta this week to bring all of Destiny’s things and to add a bit of a feminine touch to his place. Destiny had immediately fallen in love with the 1920s house he’d inherited from his great-grandparents. Similar to the Tingles’ place, it had a porch surrounding the home and plenty of space to be filled with their love. Troy had been thrilled to hear her parents marveling at the appeal of his old house.

  “A perfect location for Destiny to write,” they repeated when they first looked at the place. Troy thought the same thing.

  His grandmother and mother had promised that the refrigerator and freezer would be stocked when they returned from their honeymoon, with his grandma specifying she didn’t want Destiny worrying about cooking when she had a book to write. Troy suspected that, if Grandma had her way, Destiny wouldn’t have to cook for at least a year.

  Troy loved that his family embraced his new love and had all gotten in on the fast-paced planning of the week. When Destiny said she wanted to get married by the fountain in the square, his grandfather had been the one to call a town meeting and assign duties for the special day. And the wedding decorations put the Fourth of July and First Friday scenes to shame. All the shop owners had white tulle and bows draped across their awnings. Multicolored flowers bordered the sidewalk all the way around the square and formed a path for the bride to walk from Gina Brown’s Art Gallery to the fountain. There were no chairs for guests because everyone in town had been invited, and they’d never find that many chairs to cover the square in Claremont. So the crowd stood surrounding the fountain and waiting for the appearance of Claremont’s newest resident...and Troy’s future bride.

  “You nervous?” Aidan stood a few feet away from Troy as best man, with his three younger brothers, Josh, Adam and Cole, on the other side as groomsmen.

  “Nope, just ready.” And he was. He’d been preparing for this day, for this moment, since he wrote that first love letter at age twelve.

  “Looks like she’s ready, too,” Brother Henry said, and Troy turned to see his bride. Her sister, Bevvie, along with Becca, Rita and another of Destiny’s friends from college, walked ahead of her as bridesmaids, but Troy barely noticed. Destiny outshone them all.

  She’d been excited about wearing her mother’s wedding gown, and Troy could see why. The white lace dress fit her beautifully, showcasing her slim figure and her hair, which was falling past her shoulders the way Troy liked. But the gown had nothing on the woman wearing it. Her smile beamed as she made her way down the aisle; her eyes sparkled with excitement, with happiness. She looked...the way Troy felt.

  By the time she reached the fountain and her father placed her hand in Troy’s, Troy couldn’t wait any longer, and he moved toward her, then brushed a tender kiss across her lips. “You’re beautiful, you know, and I’m one lucky guy.”

  The crowd laughed, and Brother Henry shook his head.

  “Troy, you do realize that goes at the end of the ceremony,” the preacher said.

  “Don’t worry, I don’t mind repeating,” Troy answered and heard more giggles, including Destiny’s.

  Brother Henry laughed, too, then started the ceremony. Troy and Destiny said their vows flawlessly, and then they were treated to cheers and applause before the entire town joined in the reception. The Tollesons had prepared everything on their menu for the guests, and the Sweet Stop had prepared not only a wedding cake but every other kind of treat from the shop, as well as an ice-cream buffet with all of the toppings.

  By the time the reception ended, everyone in town had personally congratulated the couple, and Troy was eager to leave and start the honeymoon. “Are you ready for the bombing of the birdseed?” he asked his bride.

  Destiny hadn’t stopped smiling since Brother Henry pronounced them husband and wife. “I am,” she said, “but I need to tell my mother the news first.”

  “You haven’t told her yet?

  She grinned. “No, I was waiting for the right moment. I think that’s now.”

  They walked to where her parents stood holding pouches of birdsee
d along with everyone else in town, forming the two lines leading the way to their car.

  “Mom, I need to ask you something,” Destiny said.

  Her mother looked surprised but said, “Okay, honey, what is it?”

  “I’m going to need a photographer to take pictures of the couples in my book, and Lamont Sharp said I can select the person I believe would do the best job. You think you’d be up to it? It’d mean traveling around the South every now and then to take the pictures. But Troy and I were thinking maybe we could all do that together, make it like a family vacation.” She looked to her father. “And it’d mean a lot to me, Daddy, if you’d come, too.”

  Her mother’s eyes welled with tears, and she looked at her husband. “What do you think, Phillip? It sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? It’d—it’d be a dream come true for me. Do you think you could take some days off every now and then for us to spend time together like that, as a family? Oh, Destiny, are you sure you want me to take the photos?”

  “I can’t imagine anyone I’d rather have.”

  “And I’m due for some time off,” her father answered, causing Destiny to grab him in a fierce hug.

  “Thank you, Daddy,” she said. “It’ll be wonderful, I just know it.”

  Troy hugged Destiny’s mother and then shook hands with her father before turning to his bride. “So now are you ready for the birdseed run?”

  Destiny laughed. “I am!” And then the two darted through the center of their friends and family, everyone cheering and tossing birdseed as they sprinted toward the car.

  Destiny laughed breathlessly as she shut the door and additional bouts of birdseed pelted the windows. “This—this is almost too much fun to leave, isn’t it?”