a quiver in his heart and an emotion too tender to name. He longed for this moment to last so that he could touch the silken sleekness of her hair and breathe in the fragrance of vanilla and roses. He ached to reach out and draw her into the shelter of his arms.
Then she released him, tapping away in her matching blue shoes to heft the bag for the kids into the back of the van. The moment was broken; his pulse thudded to life again, his troubles returned, and Madison was still fighting her nemesis, the seat belt.
With a final click, she was secure and safe and unhappy. “I wanna sit with you, Daddy.”
“I want that, too, princess, but your mom is making me sit up with her.”
“Oh.” With a gulp, Madison quieted.
Before she could ask the inevitable why question, he hit the button on her cell phone. It rang with a cheerful electronic tune. “You’d better answer that. It could be your aunt.”
“Yip.” She smiled up at him angelically. “Hello?”
He shut the door and leaned on his cane the few feet to climb up into the passenger seat. His leg was wobbly and hurting him, but he couldn’t let Danielle know.
“And you said he could get a dog.” She winked at him as she settled behind the wheel. “As if we don’t have our hands full enough already.”
“Not full enough for me.” He winked at her, hoping he was being charming.
Must have worked because she laughed, gentle and warm, and the sound of her laughter made his world brighter. Better.
He clicked his seat belt buckle into place, bowed his head and sent a prayer heavenward as the van rolled out of the garage. Show me the way, Lord. Show me how to care best for these incredible blessings You have put into my life.
The van came to a stop, he opened his eyes.
“Please hit the remote for me, handsome.” Across the console, she was watching him with soft tenderness on her face.
Tenderness for him.
Yep, he was sure grateful for that. He reached up and hit the button, the garage door slid down and they were off, a family, rolling down the residential street together, awash in sunshine.
With Madison on her hip, Danielle peered through the arched doorway into the church’s sanctuary. A string quartet played, while the last of the guests were seated. White roses filled the church in fragrant, pure displays at the end of every aisle, and graced the altar where Aubrey’s William was waiting to marry her.
It was hard not to remember her own wedding, pink roses instead of white. She would never forget seeing Jonas standing at that altar, watching for her, and how his face had lit with awe when he saw her for the first time. The dress, she remembered, had been beautiful. She had it still, wrapped carefully and stored in case Madison should ever wish to wear it.
Jonas. There he was, sitting in the second row next to Spence. Marin Baylor, the church’s youth pastor and a family friend, was talking with both men. Jonas was smiling—how handsome he looked in his navy-blue suit—but there was nothing except polite interest on his face. Not a single drop of recognition.
“Dani?” Katherine touched her shoulder. “We’re ready to start. Is our flower girl ready?”
“She is. You look incredible.” She shifted Madison and lowered her gently to the floor, careful not to muss her champagne-colored gown. “Pregnancy agrees with you.”
“You have no idea the panic at the final fitting when I didn’t fit into this grown, but the owner managed to alter it just enough.” Katherine was the epitome of happiness as she took Madison’s little hand. “Come with me, princess, okay?”
“’Kay.” Madison tilted her head back, her silken curls tumbling around her adorable face. “Bye, Mommy!”
“Bye, baby. I’ll be waiting for you at the end of the aisle, okay?”
“Yip.” A seasoned flower girl after walking the aisle for now three of her five aunts, she happily trotted along with Katherine to where Tyler was. He looked like a little man
Then she released him, tapping away in her matching blue shoes to heft the bag for the kids into the back of the van. The moment was broken; his pulse thudded to life again, his troubles returned, and Madison was still fighting her nemesis, the seat belt.
With a final click, she was secure and safe and unhappy. “I wanna sit with you, Daddy.”
“I want that, too, princess, but your mom is making me sit up with her.”
“Oh.” With a gulp, Madison quieted.
Before she could ask the inevitable why question, he hit the button on her cell phone. It rang with a cheerful electronic tune. “You’d better answer that. It could be your aunt.”
“Yip.” She smiled up at him angelically. “Hello?”
He shut the door and leaned on his cane the few feet to climb up into the passenger seat. His leg was wobbly and hurting him, but he couldn’t let Danielle know.
“And you said he could get a dog.” She winked at him as she settled behind the wheel. “As if we don’t have our hands full enough already.”
“Not full enough for me.” He winked at her, hoping he was being charming.
Must have worked because she laughed, gentle and warm, and the sound of her laughter made his world brighter. Better.
He clicked his seat belt buckle into place, bowed his head and sent a prayer heavenward as the van rolled out of the garage. Show me the way, Lord. Show me how to care best for these incredible blessings You have put into my life.
The van came to a stop, he opened his eyes.
“Please hit the remote for me, handsome.” Across the console, she was watching him with soft tenderness on her face.
Tenderness for him.
Yep, he was sure grateful for that. He reached up and hit the button, the garage door slid down and they were off, a family, rolling down the residential street together, awash in sunshine.
With Madison on her hip, Danielle peered through the arched doorway into the church’s sanctuary. A string quartet played, while the last of the guests were seated. White roses filled the church in fragrant, pure displays at the end of every aisle, and graced the altar where Aubrey’s William was waiting to marry her.
It was hard not to remember her own wedding, pink roses instead of white. She would never forget seeing Jonas standing at that altar, watching for her, and how his face had lit with awe when he saw her for the first time. The dress, she remembered, had been beautiful. She had it still, wrapped carefully and stored in case Madison should ever wish to wear it.
Jonas. There he was, sitting in the second row next to Spence. Marin Baylor, the church’s youth pastor and a family friend, was talking with both men. Jonas was smiling—how handsome he looked in his navy-blue suit—but there was nothing except polite interest on his face. Not a single drop of recognition.
“Dani?” Katherine touched her shoulder. “We’re ready to start. Is our flower girl ready?”
“She is. You look incredible.” She shifted Madison and lowered her gently to the floor, careful not to muss her champagne-colored gown. “Pregnancy agrees with you.”
“You have no idea the panic at the final fitting when I didn’t fit into this grown, but the owner managed to alter it just enough.” Katherine was the epitome of happiness as she took Madison’s little hand. “Come with me, princess, okay?”
“’Kay.” Madison tilted her head back, her silken curls tumbling around her adorable face. “Bye, Mommy!”
“Bye, baby. I’ll be waiting for you at the end of the aisle, okay?”
“Yip.” A seasoned flower girl after walking the aisle for now three of her five aunts, she happily trotted along with Katherine to where Tyler was. He looked like a little man
Similar Books
