We carefully walk down the stairs and when we get to the bottom, I remove my heels. When I tear my eyes from the vision in front of me and over to the wonderful man who stands beside me, his smile says it all.
“How did you pull this off?” I mutter as I turn back to the people gathered ahead of me. My heart swells as I look at all the smiling faces and waving hands.
My parents. Drake with Franny. Dylan’s arms around Phoebe as she’s holding baby Parker. Daxton with my nieces and Jacob next to them. Then there’s Tawney, Landon, Emily, Kyle, Avery, and Jerick holding onto Serena’s leash around her neck.
On the other side, Sydney’s holding Levi’s hand, and Jenna is even here. Paula and her husband, Michael. Catherine and Jackson. Natalie, Liam, Mark, and Charlie who I met when we flew to Virginia to visit. And lastly, Laura and her twin boys.
“Seize the moment, just like my dad said in his letter.” He drops to his knee again, holding my hand and kissing the diamond ring on my finger. “Delilah Noreen Marshall . . . I love you so much it hurts. And I don’t know if I can last another minute without you as my wife. With the sunset as our witness and all the people that love us, I’m asking one more time, will you marry me . . . today?”
I can’t take it anymore as a shock wave of emotion roars throughout my body. My heart is thumping as I giggle, sniffling, and gently brush my tears from beneath my eyes with my thumb.
I pull him up from his bent knee, frame his face and ask, “But who will marry us?”
“I have that taken care of,” he says mischievously. “I’ll be right back.”
Daddy comes up beside me as I watch Brody meet up with our friends and family. “Are you ready, baby girl?” Daddy asks as I take him in, looking into his deep blue eyes and sandy-blond hair neatly combed to the side. His jolly belly in a sport coat, blue button-up dress shirt, and khakis I know Mama made him wear for this occasion.
“You knew about this?”
His baritone chuckle warms my heart as his hands grab both sides of his lapels. “Brody is a good man.”
“I can’t believe this is really happening,” I say.
Daddy leans down and kisses my cheek. “Mama adores him. And a man that flies to Kansas, knocks on the door, and asks for our blessing to marry our only daughter, is all right in my book. I just want to make sure you are happy.”
“I am very happy.” I nod and smile at him.
My heart is filled with so much love that I have for Brody, and how he planned the ultimate surprise for me. I think back to when I was a little girl and I cut out the white dresses, the tuxedos, the three-tiered cake, and all the things I ever wanted in a perfect wedding and the perfect man I was going to marry.
This is not how I imagined it to be.
It’s even better.
This moment right here, right now, is everything I want.
Daddy takes my hand and crooks it in his elbow. We walk a short distance to the man who makes my world complete.
Brody Saint Clair-Reinhardt.
“She’s yours now. Take care of my baby girl,” Daddy tells Brody as he takes my hand and places it in Brody’s palm.
“Yes, sir,” Brody says, and with his free hand, shakes Daddy’s hand.
We turn and see Mark Dixon in a black robe, and I can’t help but laugh. “Seriously? He’s going to marry us? Is this even legit?”
“Yes, he’s legit.” Brody darts his eyes to Mark, leans toward him, and whispers out the corner of his mouth, “Dixon, you are legit, right?”
Mark pats Brody’s shoulder and in a deep solemn voice, he says, “My son, never doubt a man of the cloth. I have taken the necessary online courses to be ordained by the State of California and I printed the certificate. It’s in my pocket, do you want to see?”
Brody laughs and shakes his head. “I’m good, Twilight.”
“Hey, Reinhardt, you might want to check the authenticity of that certificate!” Dylan hollers.
“Pipe down, Lincoln!” Mark bellows.
Laughter echoes behind us and I don’t know if my heart can take anymore. I have my family, my best friends, and a new family. This is more perfect than my wedding catalog or dream.
I tiptoe on the balls of my feet and whisper in Brody’s ear, “I have a feeling we may need to get married again.”
“I’ll marry you a thousand times, Dorothy,” he says and presses a kiss on my cheek.
“Brody!” Daxton hollers. “You can call her Lulu.”
Brody’s smile grows and he salutes my brother.
Mark then begins the ceremony by saying, “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today, with the beautiful sunset, to join Brody Reinhardt and Delilah Marshall in holy matrimony . . .”
My heart is about to burst as tears slide down my cheeks. Brody takes my hand and slips the diamond wedding band on my finger and I do the same. Then he cradles my face with his hands, pressing a kiss to my lips. The hoots and whistles roar and drown out the sound of the crashing waves.
As Brody pulls me closer to him, wrapping his hands around my waist, all I can think about is that this man lost me, found me, lost me again, and finally rescued me.
“I love you, Delilah. And I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life chasing sunsets with you.”
“And I look forward to capturing every sunrise with you.” I frame his chiseled jaw with my hands, pulling him closer so he’s inches from my face. “Since you are full of surprises, I have one for you too.”
“Oh, yeah? What’s that?” He wiggles his brows and I know he’s thinking about tonight and possibly using that blindfold in his back pocket.
“Do you want a boy or a girl?”
THE END
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Inspirational music
PLAYLIST
I Need a Hero ~ Sarah Buxton
Find My Way Back ~ Eric Arjes
Love Wins ~ Love and Theft
Girl Like You ~ Jason Aldean
Catch ~ Brett Young
Blue Tacoma ~ Russell Dickerson
You Make It Easy ~ Jason Aldean
Beyond ~ Leon Bridges
Captured ~ Christian Bautista, Sitti
Beneath Your Beautiful ~ Labrinth, Emeli Sandé