“What do you want to do?” I asked.
She gathered up her dress again and turned to me.
“I want to marry you,” she said. “I just want to do the ceremony and finally be your wife. I told you when we first talked about the wedding that all the pomp and circumstance doesn’t matter to me. All that matters to me is us being married and having our family.”
“That’s what I want, too,” I told her. “So, let’s get this done. What else do you have to wear? We’ll do this our way.”
A few minutes later, I walked back out of the office into the hallway. Cole and Dean both came toward me, concerned looks on their faces. I told them the new plan, and we rushed to get changed. Our wedding started almost an hour late, but I didn’t care. Neither did any of the guests. They were all here to see exactly what they were getting: Merry and me walking down the aisle.
For our wedding, the aisle was flower petals sprinkled down the ground to lead toward the pond. We wanted to have our ceremony right there by the water, to commemorate the place where we both knew for the first time we were in love. I stood at the end of the aisle with Cole as our officiant and my brothers by my side. Olivia, Glenda, and a couple of Merry’s other friends came down the aisle and took their positions before everybody turned to look at the bride.
She was gorgeous. And I meant it with every fiber of my being. Her arm tucked in the crook of her brother’s elbow, holding a bouquet of her favorite sunflowers, she was captivating. Her jean shorts and flowy white top were an upgrade from any bridal gown she could have chosen. We smiled at each other as Brandon escorted her toward me. I shook his hand and thanked him before taking hers and guiding her the rest of the way to stand in front of Cole. There in my jeans and white button-down, with Rosie ready to carry the rings to us hanging from her collar, everything was perfect.
After the ceremony, everyone moved out into the field where we often ate lunch. Several grills and smokers were set up in the grass, and the nearest pavilion had tables laden with salad, corn on the cob, rolls, watermelon, coleslaw, and macaroni and cheese. There were even deviled eggs and cheese wafers from the box lunch shop Merry loved so much.
Away from the cooking meat and the tent set up with a dance floor and music was a small decorated area. Twinkling lights hung in the branches of Merry’s favorite tree. A table draped in white fabric and holding a glass vase of sunflowers was set beneath it, ready to accept gifts and cards from the guests. Another table set on the other side of the table had the guest book. When Merry picked it out, she told him she could see us ten years from now sitting down with the guest book on our anniversary and looking through the inscriptions to remember this day.
Everybody dove into the food, loading up plates and sitting down in the nearby pavilion. I saw my parents already in the tent, the only two people on the dance floor. Merry and I would have our own first dance later. Right now, we all just wanted to relax and enjoy. This wedding was everything I could have wanted. It was a family affair in every sense, and that was perfect. I was so grateful for my parents and the company they’d started so many years ago, the company they’d handed over to me and let me build into what I had today. Including being what brought Merry into my life.
We’d raise our son here. He’d learn about the bikes and how to take care of them. When he got older, maybe we’d train him to race. Then one day, I’d turn the company over to him.
A few hours into the party when the guests were distracted with drinking, dancing, and eating their way through the massive cake, I took Merry’s hand and brought her out to the pond. I wanted a few moments just with her. I brought her over to the bench and sat. I kissed her there, in the spot where we conceived our baby, and cuddled her against me, sighing as I listened to Bud and Rosie play and our family celebrate.