The pathways had been cleared earlier and since the snow had stopped and the sun had made a slight appearance, warming the pavement, they were clear of all snow and ice.
“Can you imagine living in a place like this? I bet they have Fourth of July parades and homecoming dances here,” she said, looking around the town.
“Family barbeques,” he added. “Town meetings.” He laughed, half-joking. “I mean, it’s straight out of the movies.”
“Yeah, all the old ones our mothers love watching.” She turned to him, remembering all of the times she’d watched the black-and-white movies with her mother and his. “We should bring them here. This summer. We can rent out all of the cabins and…” She turned away when her face flushed. She’d been thinking about how perfect the town was to get married in.
She could see it clearly: Putting up their families in the cabins. Setting up the town square for a wedding. Or better yet, having a beach wedding in the warm sand.
“What?” he asked, turning her back towards him.
“Nothing.” She shook her head.
“Alice.” He used a gloved finger to pull her chin up until their eyes met. She could see that he wasn’t going to drop it. She knew him too well and knew that there wasn’t any way of avoiding telling him her thoughts.
“It’s just… I was thinking that I bet it would make a great place for a wedding.”
He stilled and then smiled. “You want to get married here?” he asked, looking around.
“Here”—she avoided his gaze again—“or on the beach by the cabins.” She shrugged, trying to sound casual.
“Okay,” he said, surprising her.
“Okay?” she asked, unsure what he was saying.
“Sure.” He shrugged. “I mean, where else would we get married but the place we fell in love?” He pulled her closer to him. “So?” He waited. “What do you think?”
“I…” She blinked a few times, her heart racing so fast she could almost hear it in her ears. “Are you asking me to marry you?” she finally asked.
He smiled at her. “I would get down on my knee, but…” He glanced at the still-wet sidewalk. “Maybe later.”
She didn’t need him on his knees. All she’d ever wanted was a moment this perfect. Looking around now, she realized it was more than that. It was pure magic.
“Yes,” she answered easily. “Of course, I’ll marry you. I’ve been waiting my entire life for you to ask me. Yes,” she said again before throwing herself into his arms and kissing him.
Seven months later
Alice held her breath as she started down the sandy pathway. She nervously played with the flowers in her hands as she walked closer and closer to the small crowd.
Surrounded by her family, she stopped in front of Eric and her brother, who was acting as his best man.
Eric’s sister, Sarah, was standing in as her maid of honor. She had a few friends she’d thought of for the job, but none of them had known her as long as Sarah had. Besides, they had grown a lot closer in the past few months since she’d moved back to Portland.
“Hi,” Eric said under his breath.
“Hi,” she replied and smiled at him.
“Want to get married?” he asked with a chuckle.
“Yes.” She laughed, as did the small group of people surrounding them.
The ceremony was short, since they hadn’t wanted any of the bells and whistles. Besides, they had officially gotten married at the courthouse in Portland the day they’d gotten home, a week after Christmas.
She’d transferred her credits up to the University of Portland and had gotten another internship at the Veterans Affairs clinic in town. She’d already been offered a job. Several, actually.
Eric had taken a position with his father’s old employer as head engineer, since his father’s buddy had retired.
They were in the process of house hunting but had wanted to take a weekend to celebrate their marriage with their families.
The Jordans had helped plan their special day and several of them were in attendance, including Todd and Megan’s newest daughter, Susannah, or Suzie, as they called the tiny baby.
Suzie and her older sister Sara were dressed in matching dresses. They sat by their very uncomfortable older brother, Matthew, who was dressed in a little suit.
Alice had thought about making Sara one of her flower girls, but she was still a little too young. Instead, Eric’s nephews had played ushers and, with the help of their fathers, they sat everyone in the folding chairs.
Most of the guests were dressed casual enough to enjoy a warm day on the beach. Even her dress was short enough, hitting just below her knees. She’d kicked off her sandals as she’d stepped off the pathway and had enjoyed the warm sand between her toes as she’d made her way towards the wedding party.
She glanced around and smiled at the Jordan family in attendance. She’d never been anywhere before where she’d felt so welcomed, so accepted. Even her family had fallen for the small town.
Their rehearsal dinner last night had been at the main house at the bed and breakfast, with Iian, Todd’s brother, as head chef. She’d enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere and had loved returning to the cabin where she and Eric had spent those two weeks trapped together in the snow.
Since there were going to be a lot more people at the wedding reception, it was taking place at the Golden Oar, the Jordan’s family-owned restaurant in town. The place had a reputation as one of the best restaurants to eat in along the Oregon coast. She’d never had better food than with Todd’s brother Iian cooking.
Eric squeezed her hand again as they said their vows once more. They had practiced them so many times in the past few weeks that she knew them by heart. They had decided to write their own words, which had made her nervous at first, but then she’d decided to keep it simple and just tell him exactly how she felt.
“I’ve loved you for as long as I can remember,” she started out. “I’ve dreamed of the day when I would become your wife. The day when we’d be together forever. The day I would become yours and you would become mine. I love you,” she said as he smiled at her.
“Alice, you blindsided me.” The crowd chuckled as he smiled at her. “I didn’t think it was possible to love someone so much. I think about you day and night. I want to be with you every waking moment, holding you. I’ve never been as happy as I am now, but I plan on having a lifetime full of these moments, with you,” he added. “I’m so glad we were snowed in together.” The crowd chuckled again. “It was the perfect storm.”
When Eric kissed her, their family cheered, and she knew her life was going to be exactly what she’d dreamed it would be.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
A PRIDE CHRISTMAS
DIGITAL ISBN: 978-1-945100-05-5
PRINT ISBN: 978-1074813178
Copyright © 2019 Jill Sanders
All rights reserved.