She read it again. And then again.
The words seemed to clang through her brain. Over and over until she could feel those blasted tears again and the sound of Steve’s voice saying, “Listen, baby, you know me. Don’t you?”
He had to love her. Didn’t he? She felt it more strongly than anything she’d felt before. Just because he hadn’t said it last night didn’t mean it wasn’t true. Maybe he didn’t even know it himself. How could a man who’d spent the past week trying to make her father’s wedding day the most special day it could be not love her?
The only time she’d ever doubted it was when someone else had planted an insecurity. Not because they were being cruel or mean but because they loved her, and they didn’t know him. Not like she did.
“Baby, you know me. Don’t you?”
Yes. She knew him. And she loved him. Maybe it was as simple as that.
“Daddy, can you excuse me for a second?”
He glanced at his watch. “We’re supposed to be out there in a few minutes.”
“That’s all this will take.” She opened the door that led into the church and slipped off to the side aisle. Immediately, Shea and Pilar and rest of the church craned their heads in curiosity.
Let them watch, she thought.
She caught Steve’s attention and waved him over to the area behind the violinist.
Steve took her by the arm further away from the crowd’s view. “What’s wrong? Are the flowers not okay? Or is it the music? I can—”
“I love you,” she blurted again for the second time in the past twelve hours. Only this time when she said it, it felt nothing but right.
“I just wanted you to know that. I love you, Steve. And I don’t care who Joanna is, because she’s probably someone you work with or maybe she’s involved in the sale of the house, or whatever. I don’t know and I don’t care. But you’re right. I know you and that’s all that matters.”
He looked as if it was the last thing he’d expected her to say. “Kitty—”
“Kitty!” her father hissed from the vestibule. “It’s time!”
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Reverend Donalan standing at the front of the church, waving her over. She couldn’t wipe the grin from her face. It was so freeing. Telling Steve after all this time the way she felt. No matter what happened between them, she would never regret saying it.
She reached up to peck him on the cheek. “I’ll see you later.” Then she hurried to take her place next to her father.
The violinist began playing Pachelbel’s Canon, and a few seconds later Mallory and Ginny came walking down the aisle together in matching knee-length peach chiffon dresses. They looked almost as emotional as their mother, who looked both ready to laugh and cry at the same time. Sharon wore an ivory-colored, tea-length satin dress and looked like something out of a bridal magazine. Kitty grabbed her father’s hand and squeezed it. He squeezed it back, then turned to face his bride.
Reverend Donalan smiled at the congregation. “Friends, we are gathered together in the sight of God…”
#
His heart felt like one of those little silver balls in the pinball machine being pinged from side to side and lever to lever. Every couple of seconds it would soar, then fall, only to be bounced around, never quite coming back down.
Kitty loved him.
She’d said it last night, but not the way she’d said it just now. Clear and strong with no doubt whatsoever. Despite the fact he hadn’t said it back. Despite the fact that a strange woman had called him in the middle of the night and he’d refused to tell her who she was.
Looking beautifully serene in a light blue dress that highlighted the auburn in her hair, she stood proudly next to her father, occasionally nudging him in the side when he was too stunned from the solemnity of the event to remember his next lines. It was a poignant moment, seeing her support her father on the day of his wedding.
He’d never met anyone like her before.
He’d never meet anyone like her again.
A small trickle of sweat ran down the back of his dress shirt. She’d promised that they’d talk later today. But after the ceremony, there would be pictures. Then a small reception back at the house, filled with Sharon’s family and Kitty’s friends and… He couldn’t wait. He simply couldn’t. He had to talk to her before then.
“And so,” the minister continued, “If anyone here knows of any r
eason why this man and this woman should not be joined in holy matrimony, let him speak now or forever hold his peace.”