Bart walked down the aisle next, Megan on his arm. She was gorgeous in her white silk dress, her dark hair hanging down her back. A short veil—the one the sales clerk had recommended—was pinned to the top of her head. She carried a bouquet of soft pink roses. All eyes in the chapel were on her, but her gaze remained fixed on him as she made her way to the front of the room. The love in her eyes sucked his breath away, and he once again thanked God above that this woman was his. His chest warmed as she approached him, and before he knew it, they were standing in front of everyone.
When the minister announced it was time for the vows, Josh interrupted him. “Uh . . . I wrote my own vows.”
Megan’s eyebrows lifted playfully as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a napkin.
“Okay,” the minister said, sounding uncertain. Josh knew Knickers had told him to stick to the traditional vows, and this was throwing off the scripted ceremony.
Josh opened the napkin and began to have second thoughts as he looked down at the list in his hand. His gaze lifted to hers and she smiled, giving him the silent encouragement he needed to speak.
“Megan, I promise to stay in the shower with you when the water turns cold.”
She giggled.
“I promise to carry you off planes when you overdose on Dramamine, but I draw the line at letting your Gram take pictures of my bare butt.” He turned to the audience and found her grandmother on the front row. “Sorry, Gram.”
“That’s okay,” Gram called out to him. “Noah will pose for me.”
The crowd snickered and laughed.
He turned back to Megan, who was obviously struggling to keep a straight face.
“I promise to walk the dog when it’s cold and rainy,” he continued.
“Wait,” she whispered, loud enough for only them to hear. “You have a dog?”
He leaned closer and whispered, “No. Do you?”
She shook her head. “No, but I want one.”
“So do I. I’ll walk it.” He straightened and looked at the bottom of his list. “And if you agree to keep me around, I promise I’ll always bring you milk.”
She started laughing.
“I promise to throw my laundry in the hamper and always keep your feet warm.” He looked up at her. “I’ll be there to share your joy, and I’ll always be there to wipe away your tears in your sorrow. I will support you in every choice you make—unless it involves snow peas—but I’ll definitely be there for everything else.” He took her hand, turning serious. “No matter what, I promise to always love you. I want to thank you for turning my life completely upside down.” He looked into her eyes. “You are my once in a lifetime, Megan Vandemeer. Thank you for giving me a second chance.”
She squeezed his hand and bit her lower lip. “I didn’t write any vows, Josh.”
“That’s okay.”
She took a deep breath and pushed it out. “I don’t know what I would have done without you over these last few days, and I had no idea what I was missing until you showed it to me, but now that I’ve had the milk, I wouldn’t dream of giving up the cow. Thanks for crashing into my life.”
He laughed.
“And thank you for giving in to fate, Josh. I can’t imagine spending the rest of my life without you.”
He grabbed her hand and squeezed it as she stared up at him with so much love he had to fight the impulse to kiss her right then and there.
They turned back to the minister who was gaping at them, his eyes wide. He took a moment to gather his wits. “You can exchange the rings,” he stammered out.
Josh knew from the rehearsal that the minister had been planning to recite something, but the unorthodox vows had clearly thrown him for a loop.
After pulling the wedding ring from his pocket, Josh picked up Megan’s finger and held the ring over it. “This was my grandmother’s ring. My grandfather had it specially designed for her, and they were married fifty-two years.” He glanced at his mother in the audience, wondering what she thought, but she just gave him a loving smile and wiped tears from her cheeks. He turned back to Megan, suddenly wishing this wedding had been planned for the two of them—that it was real. “I hope we can have a marriage as strong and long-lasting as theirs was.”
He slid the ring over her finger.
“I don’t have a ring,” she whispered. “I forgot a ring.”
Kevin cleared his throat. “I have one. Mom worried that you’d forget, so she gave me Grandpa’s,” he grumbled, walking over and handing her a ring. “And for the record, this is the most bizarre wedding I’ve ever been to,” he said, soft enough for only them to hear.
Josh grinned. There was nothing traditional about how they’d gotten here. Why would their wedding be any different?
Megan put the ring on his finger with little fanfare, and the minister, who was clearly eager to be done with this mess, said, “May I present Mr. and Mrs. Josh McMillan.”
“Who?” Knickers asked Bart, loud enough for everyone to hear. “Why did he call them that?” Hopefully the pain medicine was still in full enough effect that she’d forget the slip.
“You may kiss the bride.”
Josh pulled Megan into his arms and kissed her, then lifted his head as applause filled the chapel. “We really did it.”
She beamed up at him. “We really did.”
Chapter Thirty
Josh endured several rounds of photos with the drunk photographer, who hiccupped in between shouting out orders, a wedding cake that nearly fell over, and Knickers’ spiraling mood swings as she came off her pain meds. Luckily Knickers seemed to have forgotten the minister’s use of his real name, though, and everyone was having a wonderful time.
It was the best day of his life.
When Bart introduced him to Drew Peterson and his fiancée Miriam in the receiving line, Josh realized he’d completely forgotten the original purpose for carrying on with the charade of the wedding. His back stiffened, and he forced himself to shake the man’s hand. Megan wasn’t as gracious and barely acknowledged either of them. Her father gave her a confused glance, but the next guest approached, and Drew and his date moved along to their table.
Josh looked over at Noah, a couple of places down the line. They exchanged a nod; then Noah’s gaze followed Drew to his seat.
A couple of minutes later, Josh’s stomach tightened when he glanced into the face of his mother. She’d seemed happy enough during the wedding, but what would she say now that it was all over?
“Mom . . .”
She reached up and pulled him into a tight hug. “I’d ask you if you’re sure, but it’s too late for that now. Besides, the happiness rolling off you tells me that you are.”
He swallowed. “I’m sorry.”
She broke loose and looked up into his eyes. “Why would you be sorry?”
“For not telling you sooner.”
“From what Noah told me, there wasn’t much sooner you could have told me.” She grabbed his hand, tears in her eyes. “You’re so much like your father. Even when it comes to love.”
His face warmed and he realized Megan was watching them, both fear and worry on her face. He took her hand in his and turned to his mother. “Mom, this is Megan Vandemeer . . . the most amazing woman in the world.” He turned to his mother. “Next to you, of course.”