Most of the puzzle pieces fell into place after that. They were still searching for a couple of the women but were hopeful they would find them. As the months passed, James and Evie had become such an important part of Kara and Ethan’s lives. Therefore, it was logical to have James walk her down the aisle.
Taylor and Ella were already like the sisters she never had, and both would be standing up with her today, along with Quinn and Vanessa, who had said she was entirely too old to be a bridesmaid. But Vanessa couldn’t refuse Kara. Grayson, Ethan, Brett, and William were all groomsmen. With little Ava and Alex being the flower girl and ring bearer.
Shaking herself, she hooked her arm with James’s and walked to the door. Taylor fidgeted with the train and then grasped her hand before walking out to go get ready to walk down the aisle.
“Ready, little lady?” Bob asked.
“More than you’ll ever know.”
“Just one thing, before we go in there, there is something I want to ask of you,” James said.
“All right…” she said, bewildered at the tone his voice had taken. He actually sounded nervous.
“After we get done in there, I will consider you my daughter. I already do. So, I would appreciate it very much if you would call me Dad. Evie would also like you to call her Mom. You have made Caleb so happy. Before you, there was a piece of him not quite complete. You have helped with Taylor more than we could have ever dreamed was possible. We all love you so much. Can you do that for me, for Evie and me?”
“I don’t think that will be a problem, Dad,” she replied. Tears were in her eyes as they walked through the door. “Did you ask Bob to wait outside so you could ask me that?”
“Guilty as charged,” he answered, laughing.
Kara found herself laughing through the tears. She walked to Bob who was standing by the double doors and placed her hand on the arm he offered. Two of the most amazing fathers she had ever met would walk her down the aisle. She considered herself to be very lucky for that. The double doors opened, and she got her first glimpse of her soon-to-be husband. No longer ashamed when she cried and not caring if she messed up her makeup, she took the first step toward the future she’d wanted for so long.
In a single blink, she was standing before him. Caleb’s father gently kissed her cheek and wiped away a tear before placing her hand in the crook of Caleb’s arm; Bob shook Caleb’s hand and kissed her other cheek before he took his seat. On shaking legs, she and Caleb walked the additional two steps to face their pastor. Before she knew it, they had exchanged the agreed upon traditional vows.
At the rehearsal the night before, they had been told that the rings would be exchanged next, but instead of the pastor signaling for the rings, she looked at Caleb and nodded her head.
“Caleb asked me if he could say a few words to Kara.”
“This has been a whirlwind. From the moment I knocked you on your butt, I knew you would be a force to be reckoned with and that I needed to pay attention. And I did. You have made me the happiest man by merely being a part of my life. Now, I consider myself the luckiest man I know, because you are about to become my wife. I promise to love you forever, even when we fight.” There were some giggles in the audience, loudest of which was little Ava. “But even if we fight, I promise to make you happy, because you deserve every drop of happiness I can give you.”
Kara smiled into the eyes of the man who had brought her from the edge of darkness and despair and led her into the light.
“I will love you always, Kara.”
Her lips trembled as she whispered, “I will love you. Always.”
In the Night (Darkness Falls Book 1) Page 30
