He felt her breath catch as she moved closer to him. “I love you too.”
He reluctantly let go of her hand and grabbed his jar of California sand. They took turns pouring their elements in a slim, twisting vase. As the dirt and sand intermingled, he could clearly see the dark and the tan sections shrink as they neared the top. Nick placed a rubber stopper in the top. Then he pulled Kaylan to his chest for the last few moments to pray with his bride for God to bless the marriage.
As the strains of the song ended, Nick helped Kaylan back to the place in front of the minister. The glowing red sun sat on the ocean behind them shooting rose, gold, and crimson into the sky around them. Dusk descended as Nick pulled his vows from his pocket and cleared his throat.
“Kaylan, from the moment I met you, I knew you were special. Something about you on our first day just sparkled. Vibrant and pure, Kayles. That’s how I would describe you, but I wasn’t a man who could lead you or love you well at that time. Thank God, he is never finished with us. And thank God, he never ceases to write beautiful stories with our lives, for he led me back to you, and I returned a stronger man because of what he led me through.
“As we stand here before God and our family and friends, I commit to love you for the rest of my days, however long God gives me to live and breathe. I promise to lead you as I seek to follow our Father. I promise to love you to the point of death, because I would give my life to keep you safe and happy. I promise to honor and cherish you because you are a daughter of the King and my sister in Christ before you are my wife. I take seriously my responsibility to lead our home. I promise to partner with you, never rule over you, to enjoy life with you because it is fleeting. I promise to go to war with you, recognizing that we are called to share the gospel with every person we meet. I promise to push you closer to our Father and realize that you must love Him before me. I promise to watch Dancing with the Stars even when I don’t want to and paint a room pink if we have a little girl.” The audience chuckled and Kaylan grinned, a blush coloring her cheeks. He squeezed her hand with his free one, letting the hand holding his vows fall to his side so that nothing hindered him from looking at his bride.
“I promise to love you, Kaylan Lee Carmichael, in sickness, in health, in war, and in peace, in high tides, and low tides, and everything in between.”
His hands shook as he threaded his fingers through hers but noticed her gaze was averted. He tipped her chin to meet his eyes and brushed her tears away. She smiled, her green eyes shining as dusk took hold, and the candles behind their wedding party cast a warm glow. Her turn. His throat went dry as Megan passed Kaylan her vows. Nick took a deep breath as her gentle voice washed over him.
“Nick, I never believed I deserved a man like you, especially not after the last two years. But in the midst of my most broken moments, God gave me a gift. He gave me you.”
Nick couldn’t help it. He pulled her close to his chest as she continued to read, the world around them fading as stars began to appear.
“You fought through my fear and my anger. You reached to my heart and encouraged me until it beat again. You didn’t leave. You were a man of your word, and I realized that I could trust you because you trust Jesus first. I learned courage from you, Nick. I learned that a warrior’s heart is both strong and gentle. And you are both of those traits with every person you meet. So as we stand here before God and our friends and family, I promise to submit to you, Nick. To follow you as you follow Christ and be solely devoted to you. To love your SEAL family as much as you do, and to let you go because I trust our God is good, even if you don’t come back. I vow to esteem no one but Christ higher than you, to trust your leadership of our home. I vow to love you, Nick Carmichael, to respect you because you are a mighty man of God, a man who cares more about his character than his bank account, resume, or physique. A man who values others. I vow to partner with you in ministry. To go to war with you because we do not fight against flesh and blood. To honor you and cherish you in sickness and health, in loss of limb or wholeness, in your absence and in your presence, all the days the Lord chooses to give, knowing I get to spend eternity with you, my soulmate, my best friend, the love of my life.”
Silence descended over their friends and family. Nick looked to the minister, who smiled and looked to Megan and Micah. “Do we have the rings?”
Nick turned to his best friend, brother in arms, and soon to be brother-in-law. Micah winked as he dropped Kaylan’s band into Nick’s waiting palm. “Almost there, Hawk,” he whispered.
Nick gripped the band and winked back. “You’re almost stuck with me.” He pivoted before Micah, David, or Seth could say anything else. As his eyes met Kaylan’s again, she rolled her eyes and shook her head, clearly having heard the conversation.
“Nick,” the pastor’s voice broke through their silent teasing. “Place the ring on Kaylan’s finger.”
Nick reached for her left hand and slipped the band over her knuckle. “With this ring, I thee wed. Finally.” Their guests snickered. Kaylan reached for his hand and slipped the tungsten silver band on his finger. “With this ring, I thee wed.” She smiled shyly. “Finally.”
They both looked to the pastor as he rocked back on his heels, dragging the moment out. “Well, I guess that about does it. You know what comes next, I suppose.”
Nick didn’t wait for permission. His arm slipped around Kaylan’s waist as he tipped her face to meet his. Their lips met and he dipped his bride, lengthening the moment as the audience whistled and hollered.
“Hey, that’s still my sister,” Seth shouted over the noise. Kaylan broke away from Nick, causing both of them to laugh as he set her upright, his fingers slipping through hers.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I introduce Mr. and Mrs. Nick Carmichael!”
“Woo!” Nick threw his fist in the air as he led his bride, his wife, back up the aisle.
*
Kaylan couldn’t quite take in everything around her under the white tent on the beach. Lights hung beneath the canopy, mirroring the stars studding the black sky. The roar of the waves mixed with the DJ playing pop, country, jazz, and everything in between. About one hundred guests sat around round tables with white, wooden folding chairs or milled around food tables. Her parents, Pap and Gran, her brothers, and Natalie all sat at a table, talking and laughing. They’d cut the cake, Nick successfully spreading icing all over her lips. Her small bite had tasted like heaven.
Nick had danced with her mom and Kaylan with her dad. But now, it was their turn. Kaylan sat in her chair surrounded by her family as her groom advanced, his eyes connected to hers. He’d lost his vest somewhere over the course of the evening. His white shirt made his ever-present tan skin glow. The light danced over his dirty blonde hair and the light dusting of scruff on his face spoke of a disciplined man that couldn’t quite be tamed. She wouldn’t have it any other way. His blue eyes appeared fathomless as he bent and offered his hand.
“May I have this dance?”
She slid her hand in his as she rose to her feet, her boots abandoned for slippers. “I thought you didn’t dance.”
“Only with you, gorgeous.”
He pulled her into the middle of the floor and into his arms as the strains of a Michael Bublé song filled the air. Kaylan forgot the rest of the room watched. She forgot the details she needed to cover with her bridesmaids for their getaway. She forgot everything except Nick’s arm around her waist and the cadence of his heart near hers. She’d never felt so loved, so safe.
Nick was her husband. Husband.
That title carried weight. For better or worse. No matter what. But she loved the certainty, the permanency. The cords that had bound her since she said those three words were now encased in gold. Unbreakable. And she loved it.
“You remember the last time we did this?” His warm, rich voice whispered near her ear, sending shivers down her spine.
Kaylan smiled. “Before Haiti in the dance studio when you wanted to kiss me.” She pulled b
ack and looked into his eyes. “And I made you wait.”
He groaned. “Ugh, pure torture.” He smiled back and lowered his face to hers, whispering against her lips. “But well worth the wait.” As the last strains of the song rang out underneath the ivory canopy, Nick dipped her, kissing her. A kiss that spoke of promise, ownership, and respect.
They both came up breathless and smiling to a round of cheers and Seth’s exaggerated groans. As the guests began to mill around under the tent and the DJ kicked the dance music up, Nick squeezed Kaylan’s hand. “Slip away with me for a few minutes.”
“Babe, we can’t. We need to be with our guests.”
Nick rolled his eyes. “They’ll be fine for a few minutes.” He looked around at all the guests engaged in the electric slide on the dance floor. “They won’t even notice.”
With a final tug, they slipped out from beneath the canopy and hurried a little ways down the beach. Kaylan finally tugged on Nick’s hand, laughing. “Nick, it’s hard to run in this dress. Slow down.”
He stopped and pulled her into his arms, his grin electric in the moonlight. He turned her to face the tent they’d just left. “I want you to look at this for a moment.” Kaylan leaned back against his chest as she watched their guests and laughed. Micah, Seth, and David hammed it up on the dance floor. Megan, Jay, and Colt played with the Carpenter kids as Logan and Kim watched and laughed, Kim sitting in Logan’s lap. Titus and Liza joined in a growing dance circle as Jay and Colt busted moves that sent the whole room laughing. Micah enticed Gran onto the dance floor while Seth worked on their mom, their dad and Pap looking on and laughing. Other SEAL families and friends from Alabama sat and ate or joined in the festivities. A lump formed in Kaylan’s throat as she snuggled against Nick’s chest. “If that’s not proof that we are loved, I don’t know what is.”
Nick turned Kaylan to face him again. His eyes, gray blue, were cloaked in shadows. “I want you to remember this moment when you feel alone, when I’m deployed, when you’re missing Sarah Beth. I want you to remember that you have a whole family around you, bound by blood or commitment. And I want you to lean on them.”
She reached up and ran a finger down his jawline, feeling the faint stubble. She didn’t know how she could love this man more, but every day her love for him grew. She still struggled with loving a warrior with a sacrificial heart, but in this moment, she knew he gave her a gift. A gift to let others be part of her life, to love with abandon the way Sarah Beth had taught her, and to trust the Lord. No matter what came, she was not alone.
“You’re pretty amazing, you know that?” Kaylan whispered.
“Keep telling me, Mrs. Carmichael.”
“Oh, wow. That’s weird.”
“Good weird?” His voice held a hint of uncertainty.
She slipped her arms around his neck and stood on her tiptoes. “Amazing weird.”
“Good.” He swooped in for a quick kiss. Then he pulled back and began to remove his shoes and socks and roll up his pant leg.
“What are you doing?””
His smile changed in the moonlight and Kaylan spotted trouble. “Nick . . .” But it was too late. She squealed as her feet left the sand and she settled in his arms. Her dress fell heavy around them, but Nick didn’t seem to mind. “Nick, don’t you dare toss me in the waves like you usually do. This is not a moment for that.”
His smile quirked at the corner. “Now that would be a great memory.”
“Nick Carmichael . . .”
“I guess we can save that memory for another time. I had something different in mind. A tradition that dates back in time.”
“And what tradition is that?”
“Carrying the bride over the threshold.” His voice grew gravelly.
“Babe, I think you are confused. You do that after the honeymoon.”
“True. But you see, Mrs. Carmichael, you just happen to be with a Frogman in his natural habitat. And this great expanse”—he nodded at the ocean—“is the birthplace of our life of adventure.”
“Oh, I see.” She hugged his neck. “And just where will this adventure take us?”
He walked to the edge of the surf until his ankles were under water. The stars studded the sky and the moon hung low, its reflection buoyed on the water. “That’s a mystery, gorgeous. But here’s to a beautiful future.”
His lips met hers under the starry sky, and Kaylan knew in that moment that shooting stars couldn’t compete with the fireworks she had with Nick Carmichael. And this moment was only the beginning.
Acknowledgments
Everything is better together, and no book comes together based on the sole effort of the author. As this series ends, I want to give a huge hug and thank you to all who have been part of the adventure.
My family: Dad, Mom, Toby, Jaryn, Chasya, and now Jordan, as well as all my extended family. You have consistently encouraged, challenged, and enabled me to pursue this dream. Thank you for believing in me even when I didn’t. These books wouldn’t have seen the light of day without you!
My community: Thank you to those in the two church communities I’ve been privileged to be part of—my community groups, volunteer teams, childhood friends, and all who poured into me while growing up — you have greatly shaped my life. To my roommate who put up with my tears, panic moments, brainstorming sessions, and numerous late nights, you warrant your own mention. To my friends from Focus, my college friends, professors, and coworkers, you entered my life as this part of my story began. Thank you for helping me through the growth pains.
My writing mentor: DiAnn Mills, you have been a blessing! Thank you for pushing me and encouraging me in every step of this process. I couldn’t have done this without you. You were an answer to prayer!
My publishing team: Sarah and WordServe Literary and all those at Realms and FaithHappenings—thank you, thank you, thank you for taking a chance on a rookie. You brought this story to life. And I can’t thank you enough. To my editor, Lori, thank you for sharpening me, learning with me, growing with me, and teaching me. You made these stories better than I could have made them alone. To those who helped me with research and provided an extra set of eyes to make sure things were accurate, you know who you are.
To the Master Dreamer and Creator: Good stories stir my affections for the Lord, and I pray these stories bring glory to You. Thank you for making us in Your image and instilling us with the desire and ability to create and dream things that are a reflection of You! Thank You for the story You are penning with my life and for choosing to use me, even when I’m broken. May these stories be proof of You!
ABOUT THE PUBLISHER
FH Publishers is a division of FaithHappenings.com
FaithHappenings.com is the premier, first-of-its kind, online Christian resource that contains an array of valuable local and national faith-based information all in one place. Our mission is “to inform, enrich, inspire and mobilize Christians and churches while enhancing the unity of the local Christian community so they can better serve the needs of the people around them.” FaithHappenings.com will be the primary i-Phone, Droid App/Site and website that people with a traditional Trinitarian theology will turn to for national and local information to impact virtually every area of life.
The vision of FaithHappenings.com is to build the vibrancy of the local church with a true “one-stop-resource” of information and events that will enrich the soul, marriage, family, and church life for people of faith. We want people to be touched by God’s Kingdom, so they can touch others FOR the Kingdom.
Find out more at www.faithhappenings.com.
-ms-filter: grayscale(100%); filter: grayscale(100%); " class="sharethis-inline-share-buttons">share
Surrendered (Heart of a Warrior Series Book 3) Page 25
