by Mandy Baxter
Nerves didn’t exist when something felt this right. He and Emily were meant to be together. Today would only make it official.
Not far from the arbor, a string quartet played. His own wedding had shaped up to be far classier than he was. Chance wouldn’t have cared if they’d gotten married at the courthouse with no one present but them, a couple of witnesses and a judge. But he’d wanted this day to be perfect for Emily. She deserved the world and he was more than ready to give it to her.
The quartet changed its tune to something that Chance actually recognized. His pulse kicked up a notch and a smile grew on his lips as one of the wedding planners—Ari, he thought Emily had called her—approached, a wide smile of her own answering his.
“Showtime!”
Her excited tone rubbed off on Chance. This was it. In a couple of minutes Emily would be walking through the sand, down the aisle made by the chairs. In a couple of minutes, she’d finally be his wife.
“More than ready,” Chance replied. “Let’s do this.”
Ari spoke into a small microphone that was connected her earpiece. “Tell Emily we’re ready.”
Chance turned to David. “Lose the beer, dude.”
He tipped the bottle and guzzled what was left before tucking it behind the arbor. Chance laughed. At this rate, the reception was bound to be an absolute blast.
Chance reached down to straighten his linen dress shirt and smoothed out his khaki slacks. They’d agreed on a casual wedding, but he still felt underdressed. Emily had kept her dress top secret. He had no idea what to expect. When she appeared down the beach and began to walk toward him behind her bridesmaids, Chance’s heart nearly stopped.
He’d never seen a more beautiful woman in his entire life.
And she was about to marry him. How did he ever get so damned lucky?
Chance watched in a daze as Emily walked to him. Her smile was more brilliant than the sun shining overhead. She wore a gauzy white strapless dress that floated on the breeze and gave her an ethereal appearance. Her hair had been gathered high on her head and a few of the dark strands escaped to frame her face.
She handed her bouquet over to the maid of honor and Chance leaned toward her as he took her hands in his. “Damn,” he murmured close to her ear. “You look beautiful, Em.”
When he pulled back to look at her, tears glistened in her eyes. “You don’t look too shabby yourself, Mr. McCall.”
Chance grinned. “Whaddya say we get out of here and go somewhere a little more private.”
“In a second,” Emily teased. “I have to get married first.”
“If it’ll help speed things up, we can just cut straight to the ‘I dos.’”
Emily laughed. He’d never get tired of that sound. “Give me ten minutes, and I’m yours.”
His. “I like the sound of that.”
She squeezed his hands. “Me too.”
The officiant stepped up to them and began a short speech to welcome everyone and lay the groundwork for the ceremony. Chance didn’t hear a word of it. He was too preoccupied with Emily. She was his entire world. The guests broke out into quiet laughter and Chance looked at the officiant, confused. “Did I miss something?”
Another bout of laughter erupted and this time Emily joined them. “Just your vows,” she said. “But we’ll let you slide.”
He loved that he could laugh with her. There was no one more perfectly suited to share his life with him. Chance turned to the officiant. “Pressure’s on.”
He responded with a wide smile. “Just read from your cheat sheet and you’ll be fine.”
Chance dug the paper with the vows he’d written from his pocket. His attention was for Emily alone as he said the vows he’d written from his heart.
“Emily, you are my best friend. I promise to laugh with you, support you, and tell you when you have ketchup on your shirt. I will love you whether we’re together or a million miles apart. I promise to support your dreams—and taste test all of your cupcakes—and to give you space when you need it. I promise to take you on vacations where there’s water and to feed you pizza and ice cream whenever you want it. But most importantly, I promise to love you and be by your side through all the days and nights of our lives.”
His vows garnered a few laughs, but every word was spoken from a place of love. Emily beamed at him. Tears glistened in her eyes as she gave his hands a light squeeze.
“Chance, I promise to be a loving friend and your partner in crime—I mean marriage. I promise to talk and to listen, to trust and appreciate you. To respect your uniqueness and your dislike for excess sugar and peperoni pizza. I promise to share you with the fire service because I know how much it means to you. I promise to support you, to share in your hopes and dreams. To build our lives together and to grow with you.”
Chance’s chest swelled with emotion. There weren’t words to express how much he loved Emily. The officiant turned to Chance and said, “Chance Evan McCall, will you strive to build a marriage with Emily that is compassionate, full of respect and honor, filled with peace, happiness, and love? Do you promise to always be open and honest with Emily and cherish her for as long as you both shall live?”
Chance turned to Emily. His gaze drank in her soft beauty as he said, “I do.”
The officiant turned to Emily and asked the same of her, “Emily Jean Proctor, will you also strive to build a marriage with Chance that is compassionate, full of respect and honor, filled with peace, happiness, and love? Do you promise to always be open and honest with Chance and cherish him for as long as you both shall live?
She turned to him. A tear slid down her cheek and Chance wiped it away. “I do.”
There wasn’t a single moment in Chance’s entire life that compared to this one. He turned and accepted the ring from David and Emily turned and took his ring from her cousin’s hand.
“By exchanging rings, a symbol of eternity, you both agree before your family and friends to pledge your love to one another.”
The officiant gave a nod of his head and Chance slipped the ring onto Emily’s finger. He held out his hand as she slipped his ring on she murmured, “You’re stuck with me now, McCall.”
He sure was, and Chance wouldn’t have it any other way. “And you’re stuck with me, Miss Proctor.”
“That’s Mrs. McCall,” she corrected. Emily looked to the officiant for confirmation. “Right?”
He laughed. “By the power invested in me, I pronounce you husband and wife.” He looked at Chance and winked. “You may kiss the bride.”
Chance gathered Emily into his arms and lowered her into a dip as he laid a kiss on her that he hoped she’d never forget. The crowd of their family and friends whooped and hollered, and applause broke out to join their cheers.
“How was that?” he asked as he pulled away.
Emily’s expression was so full of love it took his breath away. “Perfect.”
Chance couldn’t agree more. “Perfect.”
THE END
About the Author
Mandy Baxter lives in rural Idaho. She's a part-time pet wrangler, a full-time sun worshiper, and only goes out into the cold when coerced. She loves black clothes, pink appliances and thinks junk food should be a recognized food group. In the summer, she can be found sitting by the lake, enjoying the view from her dock.
For more about Mandy, please visit www.mandy-baxter.com or see her books on Amazon at: http://www.amazon.com/Mandy-Baxter/e/B00H7KQTME.
