I shepherd my girls downstairs. Cora stays behind in the house so she can come out for her reveal. In the meantime, the bridesmaids and I all congregate around the ceremony area. It looks great, if I do say so myself. The whole thing is breathtaking. We have a crowd of people sitting in the white folding chairs, waiting for the ceremony to start. The abandoned train tracks, still overrun with a smattering of grass, run through the center of the chairs and through the altar. The arbor at the end of the aisle is stunning, someone’s old entranceway turned into an honest altar. Painted white and entwined with magnolias, no one can notice the difference. The local pastor from Ray’s church stands underneath the awning, his bible in hand.
At the end of the arbor stands Ray. He’s looking dapper in a black suit and silver vest. He’s a cowboy ready for the runway. The smile is what does it, though—he won’t stop smiling this giant, ridiculous grin.
His groomsmen stand beside him. Except for one. Braxton appears beside me. He’s clean-shaven, his curly hair managed, and tucked away in a coal black suit. A thin tie slices his figure in half, and I’m tempted to reach out, grab it, and tug him closer to me.
“You clean up well,” I tell him.
“I have to.” He scans me over with the same inspecting eye. “I like the dress.”
“What about the girl in it?”
“I like her too.”
Braxton gives compliments so sparingly that, when he does, it suddenly becomes very hard to hide the blush that crawls up my neck. “Should we do this thing?”
“After you.”
Braxton follows me to the house where Cora waits patiently on the porch. When we get closer, Braxton falls behind slightly, slowing his steps. When I turn to look at him, he looks stunned.
“Well?” Cora says, an anxious smile fidgeting on her lips. She pinches the fabric around her hips and lifts it lightly to show the dress off. “What do you think?”
“You look beautiful.” To anyone else, he might sound unmoved. To me, I can hear the thickness in his voice. He’s touched.
Cora’s eyes start to water again. She takes in a deep breath and fans her face lightly to ward off tears. Braxton reaches out and takes her hand to help her down the porch.
“Are you ready?” I ask her.
Cora stretches a smile across her face. “Yes. I’m ready.”
Without their father there, Braxton is giving Cora away. He walks her to the starting line behind the chairs.
Lena, it turns out, is a violinist. I nod to her, giving her the cue. She tucks her violin under her chin and starts to play the wedding march.
The guests turn around at that and fix their eyes on Cora. No one’s eyes light up quite the same way Ray’s do, though.
Thom and Marlee stand at attention at the back. I hang back with them. My chest swells with pride for everything we’ve done, but at the end of the day, this moment is for the family. It’s miraculous to watch it unfold in front of us. One week. One week, too many bumps in the road to count, but we did it. We made it to this one, precious moment.
True love. It can make miracles happen.
With the clutter of planning the wedding behind me, I feel like I’m seeing the place for the first time. The mountains are sapphire blue in the distance. The altar at the end is completely covered in fall leaves, making it look as though the woods itself is reaching up to bless their wedding. The air tastes so fresh here, and in between Lena’s pauses, I can hear the stream gurgle beside us.
When they reach the end of the aisle, Braxton leans over and whispers something in Cora’s ear. She turns, wraps her arms around his neck, and hugs him tight. Finally, Braxton lets her go. He turns to Ray instead and hands off the ring. Ray’s voice booms all the way to the back row, and I can hear him thank Braxton (Braxo) and pat the other man once on the shoulder. With that, Braxton sits down in the front row, and Cora takes her place at the other side of the tracks beside Ray.
“Friends and family…” the pastor starts.
Thom shifts beside me and nudges me with his elbow. “We can handle it from here,” he whispers. “Go enjoy the fruits of your labor.”
“Are you sure?” I ask.
He lifts his eyebrows with an amused smirk. “We know how to find you if we need you. Go.”
I know better than to ask twice. I unplug my earpiece, open up my small purse, and tuck it inside. With that, I make a circle around the audience until I get to the front. Quietly, so not to interrupt the pastor, I take the empty seat beside Braxton. Gently, I slip my hand into his. He’s shaking. I give him a comforting squeeze and rub my thumb back and forth.
You did the right thing, I try to tell him though our pressed palms. I don’t know if he gets the message or if he just likes the way my fingers feel laced between his. Either way, he calms down shortly after and stares ahead at the ceremony.
“Do you, Ray Dalton, take Cora West to be your lawfully wedded wife?”
Ray is going to have to get surgery to remove that smile. He can’t seem to stop grinning. He takes Cora’s hands in his and says, “Heck yes.”
A ripple of laughter runs through the crowd.
“And do you, Cora West,” the pastor continues, “take Ray Dalton to be your lawfully wedded husband?”
Cora is on the verge of happy tears, but she smiles and says, “I do.”
“Does anyone object to this union?”
I glance back at Mandy sitting on the other side of the aisle. I hold my breath, praying she’ll stay seated. When she shifts in her seat, I nearly lunge at her and pin her to the ground just to protect the wedding. I relax, however, when I see her pull a tissue out of her purse and blow her nose.
“Very well,” the pastor says. “By the power vested in me, I pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss the bride.”
This is it. My heart patters wildly in my chest as Ray tilts down and presses a single, sweet kiss to Cora’s lips. The audience interrupts in wild hoots and cheers.
Now it’s my turn to cry. I should’ve known to bring tissues. I dab at my eyes and whimper, “It gets me every time.”
“Come here.”
Braxton pulls me against his jacket and gives me a place to cry. I cry, not because I’m sad, but because it is so beautiful and my heart feels so full. It’s overwhelming. Braxton supplies me with a small soft handkerchief, and I make a mess of it.
The ceremony finishes up, and everyone crowds around the now happily married couple to give their congratulations. I pull myself together enough to get back to my feet. I’m sniffling when I tell Braxton, “I’ve got to…go make sure everything’s okay.”
“Susie,” he says, and I turn to face him. Those deep eyes look intensely vibrant now. “Thank you,” he says sincerely. “For everything. This wedding is perfect.”
I can’t help the grin that spread across my lips now. “It’s what I do.” I give his chest a small pat and then pry myself away.
I zip past the crowd to meet up with Thom and Marlee again. My feet, however, come to a quick stop when I see him. Oh no. And this whole wedding day had been going so smoothly.
Ace stands behind a white chair. When his eyes lock on mine, he smiles.
No. This won’t do. I can’t have him here. His presence is toxic, and I’m afraid if he’s here even a second longer, he’ll ruin what’s left of the day. I walk toward him quickly and hiss, “What are you doing here?”