place to eat,” said Josie.
He checked the street signs. “No, I have a place in mind.” Finally he parked downtown and turned toward Josie. “Do you want to do something crazy?”
“Sure! What?”
“Get married,” he replied casually.
“What? Here, in Lancaster?”
Nick nodded toward the courthouse across the street. “In there.”
“Nick, I’m not dressed to get married. I’m wearing cut off shorts, and a t-shirt with iced tea stains.” Josie pulled her shirt and pointed at the stains.
“Well, hold on,” Nick said. He leaned over the back of the seat, opened an icebox on the floor behind him and handed Josie a white rose bridal bouquet. “Does this help?”
Josie smelled the roses and choked out a response, “What about rings?”
Nick snapped his finger. “Rings, right. I forgot about the rings. He reached in his pocket, retrieved a black velvet jewelry box and displayed a small half carat diamond ring. “Will this do? I know it’s small, but it’s a start.” He studied her shocked, teary-eyed expression. “We can walk into Lancaster courthouse boyfriend and girlfriend and walk out husband and wife and then have a week long honeymoon in Ocean City, Maryland. What do you say?”
“I want to marry you but what about our families?” she asked.
“You know what our families are like and what a mess our wedding will be. Your parents will want something small and conservative; my parents will want a reception of drunken debauchery. This saves us a lot of drama.”
Josie laughed. “It’s true.” It was every girl’s dream to marry and have a big wedding—white dress, bridesmaids, flowers, the huge reception. But none of that mattered to Josie, for her, it was about love. Josie threw her arms up and smiled from ear to ear. “Why the hell not? Let’s get married!”
“Great!” Nick exclaimed.
He took her hand and escorted her across the street to the courthouse. Once inside, Josie was shocked to find the justice of the peace waiting. “I was getting worried the young lady didn’t say yes,” he said.
“Yes is her favorite word.” Nick wrapped his arm tightly around her shoulder and yelled out, “Yes! Yes! Yes!”
“All right,” said the justice of the peace. “Do you kids have a witness?”
“You,” replied Nick quickly.
“No son,” chuckled the justice of the peace, “someone else.” He called his elderly Pennsylvania Dutch secretary to witness their marriage. “This is Claudia Yoder; she will be your witness. Do you have rings?”
“Yes.” Nick retrieved the male wedding ring from his pocket and handed it to Josie. Holding her diamond, he spoke the vows to Josie. “I, Nick Markovich, in the presence of you…Ms. Yoder, take Josephine Elizabeth Hynes to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to honor and
obey
,” he stated with a laugh and continued, “to love and to cherish, until death do us part.” He slid the diamond ring on Josie’s left ring finger.
A flood of tears washed down Josie’s face as she awkwardly looked for something to do with the bouquet. Ms. Yoder took the flowers from her. Josie looked up at Nick and laughed before starting her vows. She managed to get through them without crying but fumbled with his wedding ring as she tried to put it on his finger.
“Ouch!” he jokingly yelled out.
She smacked him playfully. “Will you stop? I’m trying to marry you
He checked the street signs. “No, I have a place in mind.” Finally he parked downtown and turned toward Josie. “Do you want to do something crazy?”
“Sure! What?”
“Get married,” he replied casually.
“What? Here, in Lancaster?”
Nick nodded toward the courthouse across the street. “In there.”
“Nick, I’m not dressed to get married. I’m wearing cut off shorts, and a t-shirt with iced tea stains.” Josie pulled her shirt and pointed at the stains.
“Well, hold on,” Nick said. He leaned over the back of the seat, opened an icebox on the floor behind him and handed Josie a white rose bridal bouquet. “Does this help?”
Josie smelled the roses and choked out a response, “What about rings?”
Nick snapped his finger. “Rings, right. I forgot about the rings. He reached in his pocket, retrieved a black velvet jewelry box and displayed a small half carat diamond ring. “Will this do? I know it’s small, but it’s a start.” He studied her shocked, teary-eyed expression. “We can walk into Lancaster courthouse boyfriend and girlfriend and walk out husband and wife and then have a week long honeymoon in Ocean City, Maryland. What do you say?”
“I want to marry you but what about our families?” she asked.
“You know what our families are like and what a mess our wedding will be. Your parents will want something small and conservative; my parents will want a reception of drunken debauchery. This saves us a lot of drama.”
Josie laughed. “It’s true.” It was every girl’s dream to marry and have a big wedding—white dress, bridesmaids, flowers, the huge reception. But none of that mattered to Josie, for her, it was about love. Josie threw her arms up and smiled from ear to ear. “Why the hell not? Let’s get married!”
“Great!” Nick exclaimed.
He took her hand and escorted her across the street to the courthouse. Once inside, Josie was shocked to find the justice of the peace waiting. “I was getting worried the young lady didn’t say yes,” he said.
“Yes is her favorite word.” Nick wrapped his arm tightly around her shoulder and yelled out, “Yes! Yes! Yes!”
“All right,” said the justice of the peace. “Do you kids have a witness?”
“You,” replied Nick quickly.
“No son,” chuckled the justice of the peace, “someone else.” He called his elderly Pennsylvania Dutch secretary to witness their marriage. “This is Claudia Yoder; she will be your witness. Do you have rings?”
“Yes.” Nick retrieved the male wedding ring from his pocket and handed it to Josie. Holding her diamond, he spoke the vows to Josie. “I, Nick Markovich, in the presence of you…Ms. Yoder, take Josephine Elizabeth Hynes to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to honor and
obey
,” he stated with a laugh and continued, “to love and to cherish, until death do us part.” He slid the diamond ring on Josie’s left ring finger.
A flood of tears washed down Josie’s face as she awkwardly looked for something to do with the bouquet. Ms. Yoder took the flowers from her. Josie looked up at Nick and laughed before starting her vows. She managed to get through them without crying but fumbled with his wedding ring as she tried to put it on his finger.
“Ouch!” he jokingly yelled out.
She smacked him playfully. “Will you stop? I’m trying to marry you
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