“Daddy!” Katie’s tears overflowed. “I love you.”
“Your mother loves you, too, Katie. She’s just let her guilt destroy too much of her joy.”
“Mom feels guilty?”
“Of course. We both do.” His eyes glistened with unshed tears. “We didn’t take good care of our daughters. We were only blessed that we didn’t lose you both.”
“Mr. Carson, you picked a terrible time to do this.” Nicole stuck her head between them and dabbed Katie’s face with a tissue. With an irritated glance at Katie’s dad, Nicole dragged them toward the double doorway. “That’s our music. They’re waiting on us.”
As Nicole started down the aisle, Katie moved in front of the open doors, gripping her father’s arm. At the front, the most handsome man she’d ever seen stood in a black tuxedo. His blue Superman eyes locked with hers and never wavered, full of love that washed away her fears. With her gaze on him, Katie floated to the front on her father’s arm, and stopped to give her mother a flower from her bouquet.
Her mother, who seemed so much smaller than Katie remembered, looked up with tear-filled eyes. “Katie… I…” Her lips trembled, her eyes overflowing.
Katie placed a kiss on her mother’s cheek, not caring if she smeared the lipstick Carla had worked so hard to perfect. “I love you, Mom.”
As she straightened, she set her eyes on Gary again. Her father walked her to Gary’s side and transferred her hand from his arm to Gary’s. His chin quivering with emotion, her father leaned closer to Gary. “Take good care of our little girl.”
Gary lifted his chin, and Katie felt his hand come to rest possessively on top of hers. His grip tightened, and she wondered if he was going to share a few choice words with her father. Then his head dipped in a sharp nod, his eyes narrowing. “Don’t worry. I will.”
When her father turned to go, Gary paused, his hand cupping her face, thumb sweeping beneath her eye. “Who’s been making you cry?” he murmured, with a wry grin. “Tell me, and I’ll beat ‘em up.”
Katie couldn’t help smiling as she blinked her tears away. “It’s all good. I’m just emotional.”
With her hand on his strong, steady arm, they moved forward to stand in front of their pastor. She tried to listen to his message, but Gary’s mesmerizing gaze held her attention.
“I love you,” he mouthed, silently.
“I love you, too.” Her lips mimed the words.
When the time came for their vows, he pulled out a folded page from his pocket and read with a catch in his voice.
“Katie Eileen Carson, I promise to love you as long as I have breath. I will cherish you for who you are and be completely faithful to you. And with God’s help, I will walk with you through our daily struggles, fly with you to great adventures, protect you when we swim through shark-infested waters, and laugh with you as we ride through life with the wind in our faces. You are my life and my joy, the first and last item on my bucket list.”
He leaned in and kissed her lips, as the pastor cleared his throat. “Eh-hem. We’re not to that part yet. I’ll give you permission to kiss her at the end.”
The audience laughed, and Gary obediently straightened. “Sorry. I’m a bit impatient.”
Katie unrolled the paper in her hand and blinked to clear her eyes.
“Gary Evens Lassiter, I promise, before God and all these witnesses, that I’ll love you with all my heart and never look at another. I promise never to take you for granted. I promise I’ll be honest with you and not hide anything. I vow to face my fears with you, because you always make them less. And I vow to share my joy with you, because you always make it greater. I promise to love you and stay by your side, no matter what the future brings. And I promise…”
She’d come to the end of
her written vows, but felt, after hearing his, she needed something more.
Must be that competitive streak Gary saw in me.
“I promise I’ll go scuba diving with you.”
His blue eyes sparkled, and he threw back his head in laughter. The pastor was pronouncing them husband and wife, but Gary wasn’t waiting for permission. She grinned as his hands slid up to cup her cheeks. The kiss he gave her made the blood rush to her face, warmth curling deep inside her soul. It was sweet and passionate and full of promise… just like their future.