they all turned at the last minute and let the flowers fly.
Levi couldn’t help but laugh. The tosses were very intentional. Ty’s bouquet went straight into his friend Bryan’s lap, where he was sitting in his wheelchair in the middle of the aisle following them out. Tucker’s bouquet landed squarely in the hands of the hometown-boy-turned-doctor, Jason Gilmore. TJ tossed his more gently, but still directly to Hope’s half-sister Peyton, who turned bright red.
Looked like there were some other matchmakers among them.
The three grooms then took their wives’ hands and started for the doors again, but they all came up short when they saw Phoebe and Joe.
“Phoebe!” Delaney exclaimed.
Ty ran into her from behind. “Hey.”
Delaney elbowed him in the gut. “Phoebe and Joe are here.”
“Phoebe!” Hailey said happily.
“Phoebe’s here?” Hope pushed forward from the back of the group.
“And Joe,” Joe said dryly.
“Hey buddy,” Tucker greeted. “What are you—”
Joe pointed to the side, where Levi and Kate were standing.
Kate knew they looked more like a bride and groom than the three brides and grooms that had just gotten married. Levi had his suit on—the sapphire-blue suit he’d specially ordered for the occasion. And she’d been planning to have Levi meet her in the gazebo with the minister, so she’d taken a few minutes in the bathroom at the Stop—the local gas station/pizza place/ice cream shop—to change into her wedding dress. Her hair was kind of a mess, her makeup was far from perfect and her shoes were not appropriate for walking in snow, but she’d fallen in love with the blue heels that matched Levi’s suit and she known she would be wearing them when she said I do.
There was a heartbeat of silence and then a general squeal of happiness and surprise. Hope, Hailey and Delaney rushed toward her. They enveloped her in hugs while the men surrounded Levi. Soon their little crowd had grown exponentially as people came out of the sanctuary. Lauren and Travis joined them first. Kathy and Thomas Bennett were close behind. Adrianne and Mason were just behind them. Kate caught sight of Hope’s half-sister, Peyton, and their father Dan. All four of Delaney and Tucker’s boys were there, of course, as was Phoebe’s mom and dad with their daughter Kaelyn, who saw her mom and dad and immediately squealed a squeal that was heard over all of the other noise in the foyer.
“Excuse me everyone!” TJ Bennett’s voice boomed out in the small, mostly marble space.
The group quieted immediately for their mayor.
“We aren’t quite done here tonight,” TJ said, shooting a smile at Kate and Levi. “The guests of honor are finally here. How about we head back inside?”
A little cheer went up and everyone turned and started back for the pews.
Kate looked up at Levi. “I was planning to surprise you at the gazebo with a small ceremony, just you, me, Phoebe, Joe and the minister.”
Levi watched the crowd streaming into the church. “We could do that,” he finally said.
Kate studied the face of the man she was going to love forever. And laughed.
“What?” he asked.
“Yes, we could do that. But be honest, small and quiet isn’t really your style.”
A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. “I kind of like flashy,” he admitted.
Kind of. Right. She laughed. “You love flashy. You love throwing the party and being the center of attention and having a ton of people around.”
He nodded. “I do.”
“So seems like a wedding is the perfect thing for you to do.”
“It does.”
“The only question is what you’re going to do after this. You can’t get married again.”
He pulled her in. “No but I can have an anniversary party every year. And there are birthdays. And holidays. And baby showers. And kids’ birthdays. And—”
“Baby showers and kids’ birthdays?” she asked. “Really?”
He gave her the most solemn look she had maybe ever seen from him.
Levi couldn’t help but laugh. The tosses were very intentional. Ty’s bouquet went straight into his friend Bryan’s lap, where he was sitting in his wheelchair in the middle of the aisle following them out. Tucker’s bouquet landed squarely in the hands of the hometown-boy-turned-doctor, Jason Gilmore. TJ tossed his more gently, but still directly to Hope’s half-sister Peyton, who turned bright red.
Looked like there were some other matchmakers among them.
The three grooms then took their wives’ hands and started for the doors again, but they all came up short when they saw Phoebe and Joe.
“Phoebe!” Delaney exclaimed.
Ty ran into her from behind. “Hey.”
Delaney elbowed him in the gut. “Phoebe and Joe are here.”
“Phoebe!” Hailey said happily.
“Phoebe’s here?” Hope pushed forward from the back of the group.
“And Joe,” Joe said dryly.
“Hey buddy,” Tucker greeted. “What are you—”
Joe pointed to the side, where Levi and Kate were standing.
Kate knew they looked more like a bride and groom than the three brides and grooms that had just gotten married. Levi had his suit on—the sapphire-blue suit he’d specially ordered for the occasion. And she’d been planning to have Levi meet her in the gazebo with the minister, so she’d taken a few minutes in the bathroom at the Stop—the local gas station/pizza place/ice cream shop—to change into her wedding dress. Her hair was kind of a mess, her makeup was far from perfect and her shoes were not appropriate for walking in snow, but she’d fallen in love with the blue heels that matched Levi’s suit and she known she would be wearing them when she said I do.
There was a heartbeat of silence and then a general squeal of happiness and surprise. Hope, Hailey and Delaney rushed toward her. They enveloped her in hugs while the men surrounded Levi. Soon their little crowd had grown exponentially as people came out of the sanctuary. Lauren and Travis joined them first. Kathy and Thomas Bennett were close behind. Adrianne and Mason were just behind them. Kate caught sight of Hope’s half-sister, Peyton, and their father Dan. All four of Delaney and Tucker’s boys were there, of course, as was Phoebe’s mom and dad with their daughter Kaelyn, who saw her mom and dad and immediately squealed a squeal that was heard over all of the other noise in the foyer.
“Excuse me everyone!” TJ Bennett’s voice boomed out in the small, mostly marble space.
The group quieted immediately for their mayor.
“We aren’t quite done here tonight,” TJ said, shooting a smile at Kate and Levi. “The guests of honor are finally here. How about we head back inside?”
A little cheer went up and everyone turned and started back for the pews.
Kate looked up at Levi. “I was planning to surprise you at the gazebo with a small ceremony, just you, me, Phoebe, Joe and the minister.”
Levi watched the crowd streaming into the church. “We could do that,” he finally said.
Kate studied the face of the man she was going to love forever. And laughed.
“What?” he asked.
“Yes, we could do that. But be honest, small and quiet isn’t really your style.”
A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. “I kind of like flashy,” he admitted.
Kind of. Right. She laughed. “You love flashy. You love throwing the party and being the center of attention and having a ton of people around.”
He nodded. “I do.”
“So seems like a wedding is the perfect thing for you to do.”
“It does.”
“The only question is what you’re going to do after this. You can’t get married again.”
He pulled her in. “No but I can have an anniversary party every year. And there are birthdays. And holidays. And baby showers. And kids’ birthdays. And—”
“Baby showers and kids’ birthdays?” she asked. “Really?”
He gave her the most solemn look she had maybe ever seen from him.
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