by Lisa Harris
He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. “I’m sorry about all of this.”
“As long as we’re all okay.” She breathed in the salty sea air that mingled with his aftershave lotion.
“So.” Ty stepped off the walkway and turned her toward him. “Where were we when Penny, my former secretary-turned-criminal-accomplice-turned-hero so rudely interrupted us?”
The gentle waves lapped against the shore. A seagull cried out overhead. But all she saw at the moment was Ty. “If I remember correctly I think you were proposing.”
“Was I?”
“Yes, you were. And I was about to say yes.” She shot him a wide smile.
“Well, if you were about to say yes, then I’d better hurry up and pop the question.”
Kayla looked up at him. Her toes tingled with anticipation, and her heart felt as if it were about to fly out of her chest.
“Kayla Rose Marceilo, the worst thing that’s happened to me in the past forty-eight hours was the thought of losing you. It seemed worse than the pending trial or even facing the reality I might go to jail. I need you to be a part of my life, because I love you.” He brushed back a strand of hair the wind had blown across her cheek. “You help me be a better man, Kayla, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
Kayla felt her chest swell with emotion as she gazed into his eyes. “Ty, there’s nothing else I’d rather do than spend the rest of my life with you.”
Ty pulled her into his arms and gently kissed her on the lips. “I take it that’s a yes?”
“Oh yes, Ty.” She giggled as he kissed her again. “Definitely a yes.”
sixteen
Kayla stood in front of the full-length mirror and fingered one of the small pearls that graced the sleeves. The satin skirt, with its trail of roses and silver leaves, served as a reminder that God really had worked things together for good. In the past three months Ty had been exonerated by the government, and her mother, while still not back to work, was able to walk again.
Kayla felt a ripple of peace flow through her. Nightmares from the day Richard Abbott had grabbed her from the prayer room had completely vanished. No longer was her heart overcome with fear of the future. Instead she saw only possibilities and the rich future she and Ty could have together.
Jenny walked into the sunlit dressing room carrying the veil.
“It’s breathtaking, isn’t it?” Kayla gathered the skirt and spun around to face her friend. Today she really did feel like a princess about to marry her prince. No more doubts or uncertainties. Only a calm assurance she was following God’s will.
“So how does it feel to know that in less than an hour you’ll be Mrs. Ty Lawrence?” Jenny asked.
Kayla’s smile reached the corners of her eyes. “Like I’m flying on top of the world.”
“I’m glad to hear that.” Jenny handed Kayla the same gauzy veil with rhinestones and drop pearls she’d first admired at the boutique then helped her slip it on. “Though I’m still not sure how you were able to schedule your wedding before mine.”
Kayla laughed. “Because I’ve always wanted a Valentine’s Day wedding, and I’m not waiting another twelve months.”
Jenny nudged Kayla with her elbow. “I should have agreed with your offer to have a double wedding.”
Kayla smiled, then glanced at the clock on the wall. The forty-five minutes left until the ceremony seemed like forever. Lifting up the front of her dress so she wouldn’t trip, she headed for the small balcony outside the room.
Jenny hurried behind her with Kayla’s satin slippers. “Where are you going?”
“I just want to take a peek and make sure everything is ready.” Giddy excitement wouldn’t allow her to stay cooped up in the small room any longer.
“Chloe is down there right now, double-checking everything, and besides Ty is going to see you if you stand there.”
Ignoring her friend’s counsel, Kayla leaned against the railing and glanced over the balcony onto the wooden church pews where Jenny and Chloe had transformed the simple sanctuary with roses, white organza, and candles. Soon the lights would dim, and the string quartet would start playing. It was everything she’d ever imagined her wedding day to be.
“Kayla?”
She ducked behind the railing at the sound of Ty’s voice. “Ty? You’re not supposed to see me yet.”
“What?”
Jenny leaned over the balcony. “She said you’re not supposed to see her yet. It’s bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the ceremony.”
“Tell her I don’t believe in bad luck.”
Kayla crouched behind the wooden balcony rail, working to keep her balance without ripping her dress. “I don’t either, but it’s … tradition.”
“What?”
Jenny pulled her cell phone from her pocket, punched in a number, then waited for it to ring.
Kayla glanced up at Jenny. “Who are you calling?”
A cell phone rang from below the balcony. “Ty, here’s Kayla”
Kayla stared at the phone Jenny shoved in her hand. “Okay, isn’t this a bit silly?”
Ty laughed on the other end of the line. “I agree. Tell your friend she’s nuts.”
Kayla pressed the phone to her ear. “I could give her the phone, and you could tell her—”
“No!” Ty laughed. “I might not have you exactly where I want you, but at least I can hear your voice.”
“Forty-five minutes and I’m yours.”
“There’s still the ceremony, the reception—”
“And a week in the Bahamas.” Kayla moved back from the edge of the balcony and sat down in a chair, letting the yards of fabric swirl around her.
“Now you’re talking.” The line was quiet for a moment. “Kayla?”
“Yes?”
“I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
Kayla clicked the phone shut and sent a prayer of thanks to God that everything was right in the world.
To DiAnn Mills, for taking me under her wing as a newbie writer.
To my husband who graciously reads every one of my manuscripts and encourages me to persevere in this ministry.
And for Beth and Lena for coming along on this adventure with me.
A note from the Author:
I love to hear from my readers! You may correspond with me by writing:
Lisa Harris
Author Relations
PO Box 721
Uhrichsville, OH 44683
LISA HARRIS and her husband, Scott, along with their three children, live in northern South Africa, where they work as missionaries. When she’s not spending time with her family, her ministry, or writing, she enjoys traveling, learning how to cook different ethnic foods, and going on game drives through the Africa bush with her husband and kids. Find more about her latest books at www.lisaharriswrites.com
