Reverend Black is out of town and Pete is our only hope right now.”
“Maybe we can just ask everyone to come back later tonight?” suggested Laney.
“The mayor can marry you,” came Mabel’s voice from behind them. They t urned around to realize Mabel had been eavesdropping on the whole conversation.
“What do you mean?” asked Laney.
“As past mayor of Sweet Water, I’ve actually conducted wedding ceremonies and married a few people over the years,” she said with a satisfied nod of her head. “So, Levi can solemnize the wedding.”
“Oh, that would be great,” said Laney, noticing the looks on both Judas and Levi’s faces that told h er they didn’t feel the same way as she did.
“I’m not sure that’d be a good idea,” said Judas, looking to the ground.
“I agree,” said Levi, looking the other way at nothing in particular.
“Judas, are you saying we have a way to get married and you’re turning it down?” Laney suddenly felt like she was going to have to relive her past again but in a whole different way.
“No, I’m just saying . . . ” he looked up at Levi. “I’m just saying that I don’t think Levi knows how to do it, being new at his job as mayor and all.”
“It’s easy, I can show him,” said Mabel, and the crowd started getting restless waiting to find out just what was going on.
“Can’t you just marry us?” Judas asked Mabel.
“No,” she said with a shake of her head. “Only the reign ing mayor can conduct a marriage ceremony.”
“Well, I’m not going to do it,” said Levi, shaking his head.
“Levi, you’ve got to help out your brother,” said Candace.
“Do I?” he asked, and Laney knew there was a huge rift bet ween Judas and Levi and that this was probably never going to happen.
“Don’t bother,” Judas spat. “You’d probably screw it up anyway. We’ll just wait til Pete gets back.”
“You think I can’t do it?” Levi looked up with challenge written all over his face.
“That’s right,” growled Judas. “I don’t think you can.”
“Well, I’m mayor and I just decided I’m going to conduct this wedding, so back off and keep quiet.” He looked over to Mabel. “What do I do?” he asked, and then hurried to the altar, picking up the book and coming back and standing between the two altar servers directly in front of Judas and Laney.
Judas smiled inwardly, knowing Levi never would have agreed to conduct the marriage ceremony unless he thought that Judas didn’t want him to, or didn’t think he was capable of pulling it off. He felt bad for tricking Levi into it, but there was no way he wanted to leave Laney stranded at the altar again. Besides, she seemed a little apprehensive earlier, and he didn’t want her changing her mind and running out on him this time.
He knew he wanted to marry her, and to be a father to J.D . And if having Levi do the honors was the only way it was going to happen, then he’d do it though he wasn’t crazy about the idea.
To his surprise, Levi did a great job conducting the ceremony, with a little co aching from Mrs. Durnsby. And Judas actually felt as if this action might have just chipped away a little of the wall between Levi and himself in the process.
Judas and Laney exchanged the rings Judas picked up yesterday when he said he had errands to run, and also recited their vows, and it felt good. Damned good to actually finally be marrying her after all this time of wondering what it would have been like. Now he knew for sure that he should have done this years ago.
“All right, you’re husband and wife,” said Levi slapping closed the book in one hand. “Go ahead and kiss her already, brother, what are you waiting for?” Levi smiled his cockamamie crooked grin, and Judas smiled and nodded back at him.
“Thanks, Levi,” he said, then leaned over and planted a huge kiss on Laney. The crowed cheered and clapped, and when Laney looked up to him he no longer saw the doubt in her
“Maybe we can just ask everyone to come back later tonight?” suggested Laney.
“The mayor can marry you,” came Mabel’s voice from behind them. They t urned around to realize Mabel had been eavesdropping on the whole conversation.
“What do you mean?” asked Laney.
“As past mayor of Sweet Water, I’ve actually conducted wedding ceremonies and married a few people over the years,” she said with a satisfied nod of her head. “So, Levi can solemnize the wedding.”
“Oh, that would be great,” said Laney, noticing the looks on both Judas and Levi’s faces that told h er they didn’t feel the same way as she did.
“I’m not sure that’d be a good idea,” said Judas, looking to the ground.
“I agree,” said Levi, looking the other way at nothing in particular.
“Judas, are you saying we have a way to get married and you’re turning it down?” Laney suddenly felt like she was going to have to relive her past again but in a whole different way.
“No, I’m just saying . . . ” he looked up at Levi. “I’m just saying that I don’t think Levi knows how to do it, being new at his job as mayor and all.”
“It’s easy, I can show him,” said Mabel, and the crowd started getting restless waiting to find out just what was going on.
“Can’t you just marry us?” Judas asked Mabel.
“No,” she said with a shake of her head. “Only the reign ing mayor can conduct a marriage ceremony.”
“Well, I’m not going to do it,” said Levi, shaking his head.
“Levi, you’ve got to help out your brother,” said Candace.
“Do I?” he asked, and Laney knew there was a huge rift bet ween Judas and Levi and that this was probably never going to happen.
“Don’t bother,” Judas spat. “You’d probably screw it up anyway. We’ll just wait til Pete gets back.”
“You think I can’t do it?” Levi looked up with challenge written all over his face.
“That’s right,” growled Judas. “I don’t think you can.”
“Well, I’m mayor and I just decided I’m going to conduct this wedding, so back off and keep quiet.” He looked over to Mabel. “What do I do?” he asked, and then hurried to the altar, picking up the book and coming back and standing between the two altar servers directly in front of Judas and Laney.
Judas smiled inwardly, knowing Levi never would have agreed to conduct the marriage ceremony unless he thought that Judas didn’t want him to, or didn’t think he was capable of pulling it off. He felt bad for tricking Levi into it, but there was no way he wanted to leave Laney stranded at the altar again. Besides, she seemed a little apprehensive earlier, and he didn’t want her changing her mind and running out on him this time.
He knew he wanted to marry her, and to be a father to J.D . And if having Levi do the honors was the only way it was going to happen, then he’d do it though he wasn’t crazy about the idea.
To his surprise, Levi did a great job conducting the ceremony, with a little co aching from Mrs. Durnsby. And Judas actually felt as if this action might have just chipped away a little of the wall between Levi and himself in the process.
Judas and Laney exchanged the rings Judas picked up yesterday when he said he had errands to run, and also recited their vows, and it felt good. Damned good to actually finally be marrying her after all this time of wondering what it would have been like. Now he knew for sure that he should have done this years ago.
“All right, you’re husband and wife,” said Levi slapping closed the book in one hand. “Go ahead and kiss her already, brother, what are you waiting for?” Levi smiled his cockamamie crooked grin, and Judas smiled and nodded back at him.
“Thanks, Levi,” he said, then leaned over and planted a huge kiss on Laney. The crowed cheered and clapped, and when Laney looked up to him he no longer saw the doubt in her
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