Wedding Song in Lexington, Kentucky

by Jennifer Johnson

  He heard the door open behind him, but he didn’t look back. He didn’t want to discuss his feelings with anyone right now. Waving his hand, he said, “Sorry to leave so quick. Got something I need to do.”

  “What do you need to do?”

  Justin stopped at the sound of Megan’s voice. He turned on his heels and studied the woman who’d stolen his heart. He felt sure she’d spent most of the day working on her classroom. Her blond hair was pulled up in a ponytail, but some of the shorter strands had escaped and touched the sides of her cheeks and the back of her neck. She didn’t have on a drop of makeup, and she sported an old Wildcats T-shirt, navy blue shorts, and flip-flops.

  He crossed his arms in front of his chest. He loved this woman. He’d told her as much, but she’d said straight to his face she didn’t feel the same. “I need to do stuff.”

  Great comeback, Frasure. That’s telling her.

  She squinted at him. “Stuff? You come to Bible study. I start talking about God’s plan for my life, and you walk out to do”—she lifted up both hands and made quotation marks—”stuff.”

  Her sassiness drew him like a magnet, and he took a step toward her. It was none of her business what stuff he needed or didn’t need to do. He had every right to walk out of that room. “Yes. That’s right.”

  She thrust out her chin and took a step toward him. “Well, that answer isn’t good enough.”

  “Who isn’t it good enough for?”

  She pointed at her chest. “For me.”

  He stepped toward her again. If he reached out his hands, he could take her in his arms. The desire warred within him. He raised his eyebrow. “It’s going to have to be good enough.”

  She pinched her lips. “Justin.”

  He couldn’t take anymore. She was just too close, and she smelled too good. Like some kind of fruity lotion. He grabbed her arms and pulled her to him. Pushing away the knowledge that this may be his last kiss, he pressed his lips to hers.

  He took both her cheeks in his hands. He didn’t want to let her go. She wrapped her arms around his waist and deepened the kiss. Knowing he had to let her go, he pulled away and searched her eyes for the truth. “I couldn’t sit in there and listen to you talk about Colt.”

  Megan’s jaw dropped, and she pushed away from him. “Colt?” She lifted her hands and shook her head. “What is it with everyone thinking there is something going on between me and Colt? We’re just friends.”

  She obviously hasn’t taken in the way the guy looks at her.

  She punched his arm. “I was talking about you.”

  “Me?”

  “Yes, you.” She rolled her eyes and shifted her weight. “Didn’t you just tell me last week you loved me?”

  He raised his brows. “Yes I did. And you said you didn’t love me.”

  She bit her bottom lip and scrunched up her nose. “Well, maybe that wasn’t the complete truth.”

  “You love me?”

  “I do.” Her cheeks darkened, and Justin thought his heart would float out of his chest.

  He grabbed her arms then wrapped his arms around her, pressing her as close to him as he could get. He looked up at the heavens. “Thank You, God.”

  She pushed away. “I’m not going to love you if you’re going to smother me to death.”

  He laughed, scooped her into his arms, and twirled her around. “I knew it. I knew you would have to love me back.”

  She patted his chest. “Seriously, Justin. I’m going to barf on you.”

  He placed her back on her feet, and his mind traveled to the night he’d taken Brandy to dinner. He had to tell Megan. Had to start off with complete honesty. Especially given his past.

  He sobered, fearing she wouldn’t believe him. “I’ve got to tell you something.”

  Worry etched Megan’s face, and he wished he hadn’t had that moment of almost weakness. If he told her and she walked away believing he was who he used to be … He shook the thought away. He couldn’t hide the truth. “Remember the night I saw you and Colt at the frozen yogurt shop?”

  Megan frowned, and Justin saw her take in a long breath. “Yeah. Why?”

  “I was really upset when I left there. I went to the gym. There was this girl who’d been hitting on me since I started working out there.”

  Megan took a step away from him. “What happened?”

  “Wait a minute.” He touched her arm. “Give me a chance to finish.”

  She crossed her arms in front of her chest. She looked ready to bolt but hadn’t done so yet.

  “I took her to dinner, and she offered to go back to my place.”

  Megan lifted her hands and spun on her heels. “Bye, Justin. I won’t go there. I have too much in my past. I have to be able to trust you.”

  Justin reached for her arm and spun her back toward him. “Nothing happened. I took her to her car. I’m not that guy anymore. And I love you.”

  He watched as Megan stared at him, taking long breaths in and out. He knew her mind churned with what decision to make. It would hurt if she walked away, but he’d been honest. Their relationship had to be based on truth.

  Her expression softened. “I believe you.”

  He took her hand in his. “It’s going to be truth all the way for you and me.”

  “I’d like that.”

  He grinned and nudged her arm with his elbow. “Unless you’re wearing a really ugly outfit and you ask my opinion, and I know if I tell the truth I’m going to get in trouble.”

  Her jaw dropped, and she punched his arm. “You’d better tell me if an outfit looks ugly.”

  “Don’t worry, I do promise to tell you if you have something in your teeth.”

  “Justin Frasure!”

  He twirled her in front of him and placed a quick kiss on her lips. “Would you like to go get some frozen yogurt with me?”

  She pointed back to the church. “What about Bible study? They’ll wonder where we are.”

  “They’ll know we’re off making out somewhere.”

  She punched him again. “We are not.”

  He rubbed his arm. “You know if you don’t stop, you’re going to give me a bruise.”

  Megan grinned. “My purse and Bible are in the room.”

  “Don’t worry. We’ll be back before the study is over.”

  Megan cocked her head. “Well, it is my favorite place.”

  Justin raised his eyebrows. “Oh honey. We’re not going to that one. We’re going to the chain store on the other side of town. I’ll never go to that one again.”

  Megan lifted her fist to punch him once more. He stuck out his bottom lip and pointed toward the spot. “Bruise?”

  Megan laughed and wrapped her hand around his arm. “Okay. Take me to the chain. I’m sure it’s just as good.”

  “It’s even better.” He pointed to his chest. “Because you’re going with me.”

  She shook her head. “No. It’s because you’re going with me.”

  He sobered as he placed a kiss on the top of her head. “You are right. It’s better because of you.”

  He opened the car door, and she slipped inside. As he walked around to the other side of the car, he offered up a silent prayer of thanksgiving.

  Epilogue

  I dreamed of a wedding of elaborate elegance, A church filled with family and friends.

  I asked him what kind of a wedding he wished for, He said one that would make me his wife.

  UNKNOWN

  Megan’s hands grew clammy, and her heart beat with a staccato pattern against her chest. She loved her job as a music teacher and felt the first five months had gone well. There was no reason to be so scared about being asked to see the principal. And yet she felt like one of her fifth-grade students who’d gotten caught doing some punishable activity.

  She knocked on Mrs. Carey’s office door. The sandy-haired woman motioned her inside. Megan entered then clasped her hands as she stood in front of the massive mahogany desk. “You wanted to see me?”
/>
  Mrs. Carey motioned for her to take a seat. Megan sat on the edge, holding her back straight and shoulders up. A smile lit up her boss’s face, and Megan let out a breath. “I just wanted to check with you to see how your first semester of school has gone. Christmas break is just around the corner, and you’ve done such a great job, I haven’t had much of a chance to talk to you.”

  “I love it. It’s even more rewarding than I’d hoped.” Megan’s mind raced with all she’d experienced. The career choice was challenging. She spent more hours in the building than she’d ever anticipated. But the students! How she loved the eagerness and excitement on the faces of the first and second graders whenever she pulled out the instruments to practice playing and singing at the same time. The older students had been eager to learn the historical Kentucky music pieces and were quick to come up with motions to the songs they’d perform for their parents at their concert in a week’s time.

  She shrugged. “I suppose there have been a few challenges, things I needed to learn.”

  She thought of the third grader who’d slammed the piano keys cover on his fingers after she’d warned him not to mess with it.

  She continued, “But I can honestly say I love this job. Each day I feel more confident that this is where I need to be.”

  Mrs. Carey looked at her watch then stood up and motioned for Megan to do the same. Megan frowned. She knew her boss was busy, but she’d called her in to talk. Now she acted as if she needed to get her out of the office.

  “That’s lovely, Megan.” She opened the door and guided her out. “I knew when we hired you that you’d be perfect for the students.” She motioned for Megan to follow her. “Come on. I’d like to visit your room.”

  Megan’s stomach turned. Her room? She hoped the students in her last class had placed their songbooks back in the cubbies. She normally checked, but she’d been in such a rush about the meeting, she’d let the last class leave without double-checking.

  Mrs. Carey smiled. “I haven’t been in there for a few weeks. You’ll have to show me some of the things the students are doing.”

  Megan’s mind raced. She did have her daily learning targets on the board, right? They were supposed to be posted and current each day so the students knew exactly what they were to be learning that day. Megan’s lessons were always planned bell to bell, but for some reason she was always forgetting those targets.

  Megan fretted over her desk. She wasn’t sure her papers were as neat as she’d like them to be for her principal to visit. They weren’t bad, but she wished she’d had time to be sure everything looked as she’d want it. Sucking in a deep breath, she opened the door to the music room.

  “Surprise!”

  Megan gasped and placed her hand against her chest when she spied all of her fourth- and fifth-grade classes squeezed into the room. Soft music played from her computer. She recognized the song—”Will You Marry Me?” The title swam through her mind, and she sucked in her breath.

  She watched as the children lifted up a banner that had been hidden around the bottom of their legs. She looked around the room. Her hands trembled and her legs grew weak. Where was he?

  The words “Will you marry me?” spieled from the song and were painted in bright red letters across the banner.

  Megan lifted her hand to her mouth as tears formed in her eyes. She saw movement from the back corner. She bit her bottom lip when Justin appeared wearing a tuxedo and carrying a dozen red roses. She drank in his love-filled yet smug expression. He knew he’d surprised her, and he was proud of himself.

  The kids giggled, and she realized several of her colleagues and her principal stood in the door. She could tell by their oohs and aahs that they were as teary-eyed as she.

  Justin reached her, and she bit her lip as he bent down and kissed the top of her head. He handed her the flowers then lowered himself to one knee.

  Megan wiped her tears with the back of her hand. Her boyfriend was proposing, and she’d be a black-eyed raccoon before she’d have the chance to say yes.

  Her heartbeat raced as Justin pulled a black box from the inside of his coat pocket then opened it. She gasped at the large square solitaire on the white gold band. The thing would practically cover her finger.

  He took her hand in his and looked up at her. The love in his eyes made her want to melt into his arms. “Megan, I love you. Will you marry me?”

  Her body filled with wonder. A year ago she never would have imagined this possible. She wouldn’t have wanted to, especially with her then-boss. So much had changed. And she couldn’t believe how much she loved him.

  “Yes.” He pushed the ring on her finger, and she said it again, “Yes.”

  He stood, and she wrapped her arms around his neck and planted a quick kiss on his lips. The students yelped and whistled, and she let him go. A more fitting kiss would be had later that night.

  She laughed as she looked up into his eyes. “You got me good. I had no idea.”

  Thrill traced his features, and he wiggled his eyebrows. “I know.”

  She laughed as she looked at the enormous ring on her finger. Then she pressed the roses to her chest. “I don’t know how I’m going to make it through the rest of the day.”

  Mrs. Carey stepped forward. “You don’t have to. We got you a sub.” She touched Megan’s arm. “You don’t mind that you took a half day off, do you?”

  Megan giggled as she wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand. “I don’t mind.”

  Justin handed her a tissue then offered his arm, and Megan wrapped her hand around it. They headed toward the door, and then she looked back at her students. “Be good for the sub.”

  Promises of good behavior filled the room, and Megan let her fiancé lead her to his car. She looked at her ring then back up at Justin. “So, where are we going?”

  “To our engagement party.”

  Megan’s jaw dropped. “What?”

  Justin kissed the tip of her nose. “Don’t worry. I’ve got your dress in the car. We’ll stop at your house so you can change. Your mom and sister and Kirk. My dad. Everyone is already there. Lunch will be served when we arrive.”

  Megan shook her head. “I can’t believe you did all this.”

  “I’m good, aren’t I?”

  She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pressed her lips to his. She released him and gazed into his eyes. How she loved this man. “You’re very good.”

  “Which is why I will stay right here in my car when you go in the house to get ready?”

  “What?” she asked.

  He winked. “I’ll need the distance to stay that way.”

  Megan laughed as she lowered herself into the passenger seat. She inhaled a deep breath as she looked at the engagement ring, the promise she would belong to Justin legally at a future date. Hopefully soon.

  He grabbed her hand in his and kissed the top of her knuckles. He gazed into her eyes, and she thought she would melt into their deep brown depths. “You know being good doesn’t come easy to me.”

  “I know.”

  He lifted one eyebrow. “Short engagement?” “Absolutely.”

  Discussion Questions

  1. Even though Justin became a Christian, he dealt with the temptations that plagued him before he knew Christ. Do you have a temptation that you still battle against? What measures do you take to fight it?

  2. Megan was raped as a teenager by someone she knew and trusted. Then her parents didn’t believe her. Have you ever been betrayed? Maybe your betrayal is not as life-changing as Megan’s, but it still hurts. What can you do to overcome that betrayal?

  3. Colt is a great guy. Like the elder son in the parable of the prodigal son, Colt is a steady, faithful person. However, his pride sometimes gets in the way. Is there an area of your life where pride sometimes takes over? What steps do you take to ensure you live a life of humility?

  4. Both Tina and Barbara (Megan and Marianna’s mom) needed forgiveness. They needed the opportunity to be gi
ven a second chance. Is there someone in your life to whom you need to extend grace? Pray that God will show you what He desires for you and that person.

  5. Justin says several times in the story that he connects with Paul from Scripture. Is there a person in the Bible with whom you relate? Who is that person, and why do you connect with him or her?

  6. God was silent with Megan in several places in the book because she wasn’t willing to trust Him with her future. Is that true for you? Are you hesitant to trust God with an area of your life? What is keeping you from yielding to His will?

  7. The story doesn’t end as Colt would have hoped. How do you react when God says no? Do you trust Him? What practical steps can you take to strengthen your faith when you don’t get what you thought was best?

  Jennifer Johnson and the world’s most supportive redhead have been happily married for over two decades. They have three of the most beautiful daughters on the planet and an amazing soon-to-be son-in-law. Jennifer is a seventh-grade language arts teacher in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. She is also a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. When she isn’t teaching or writing, she enjoys shopping with her daughters and playing on Facebook. She’s addicted to Words with Friends. Blessed beyond measure by her heavenly Father, Jennifer hopes to always think like a child—bigger than she can imagine and with complete faith.