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Breakfast was over, and John could sense the shift in his family’s emotions.

Sam and Erin had made the rounds, taking time to tell each person good-bye, making promises to call and visit and pray for each other. Sam was talking to Peter and Ryan in the family room, while Erin had a last few minutes with the girls. John and Elizabeth sat at the dining-room table watching the exchanges.

“Austin’s just a few hours by plane.” Erin hugged Kari, and then Ashley and Brooke. “Every few months we’ll have to have a weekend together. Just us girls.”

“Hey…” Luke walked up and reached his arms around Ashley and Erin. “Brothers like weekend getaways, too.”

“Don’t forget us moms.” Elizabeth rested her chin on her hands and smiled at their children.

“Fine with me.” Erin laughed, despite the faint mist of tears in her eyes. “We can have a reunion every month if you want.”

Elizabeth stood and headed for the kitchen. She took a mug from the cupboard and a box of tea bags from a nearby drawer. John watched and knew she was struggling. She was doing a fine job of pretending, but this was hard on her. He followed and leaned against the wall a few feet from her.

“You okay?” His voice was too quiet for the others to hear him. He cocked his head and studied his wife.

Elizabeth dropped a tea bag into the mug and turned on the burner beneath the old kettle. “I’ll be fine. They’ll be back in a few weeks for the wedding.”

“Still…” John gazed at their adult kids, still gathered in a circle laughing about something. “It’s hard, letting them go.” He looked at Elizabeth. “It was hard when Kari went to New York and when Ashley went to Paris.”

“But this is different.”

“Mm-hmm.” John crossed his arms. The breakfast dishes were piled in the sink, and he made a mental note. After Erin and Sam left, he’d do them so Elizabeth could have a break. He looked at her again. “It’s more permanent.”

“And then Luke…”

Now they were getting somewhere. John had figured Elizabeth was dealing with more than Erin and Sam’s move. “I still can’t believe he’s here.”

“He’ll be gone again in four weeks.” Elizabeth turned to face him, and he saw her tears. She had promised Erin she wouldn’t break down this morning, so no wonder she’d come into the kitchen. Elizabeth sniffed and brushed her fingertips beneath her eyes. “We just got him back, and now he’ll be leaving.” She lifted one shoulder. “It’s hard, John. I have to be honest. Everything’s changing.”

Sam entered the dining room and raised his voice loud enough for all of them to hear. “Okay…we’re off.”

The kids were already out front playing, but now Kari took Jessie from her playpen, and the group followed along behind Erin and Sam. Outside there were more hugs, and this time a few tears. Cole and Maddie and Hayley clambered around for kisses and then scampered off again to play.

Kari squeezed Erin’s shoulders. “You’ll do just fine. I know it.”

“Thanks.” Erin sniffed and uttered a quick laugh. “I’ll be back in a few weeks for your big day.”

“You’ll make it, Erin. Believe, okay?”

“I will.”

John wasn’t sure if any of the others heard their exchange, but he’d been standing nearby. He figured it had something to do with the Bible studies Kari and Erin had gone through together the previous year, back when Erin had considered leaving Sam rather than moving to Austin. The glowing look in Erin’s eyes told John that whatever had transpired during those meetings, the result had been miraculous.

The moment was ending, and Sam gave Erin a look as he held up his watch. They needed to leave if they were going to get to their hotel before dark. Sam gave them a final wave and slid into the driver’s seat. At the same time, Erin looked at the faces around her and smiled. Her eyes were watery, but they held none of the desperation she’d felt back when Sam first announced they’d be moving.

“Bye, everyone.” She took her seat and rolled down the window. “See you soon!”

The Baxters stood as a group and watched Sam and Erin’s car head down the drive, turn left, and pick up speed down the two-lane highway. They waved until they could no longer see their car.

Kari and Ryan said good-bye next. They had final wedding arrangements to make with the photographer. At the same time, Brooke and Peter gathered up Maddie and Hayley and said something about having chores to do at home.

The group dwindled to just Luke and Ashley, and John saw them whisper to each other before Luke headed inside with Cole. They were barely out of earshot when Elizabeth fell in beside Luke and linked arms with him. “So tell me about your little boy.…”

John wasn’t in a hurry. He took slow steps toward Ashley, but the closer he got the more sure he was that something was wrong. Dark shadows fell across her face, and the smile she’d had for Erin a few moments earlier was long gone.

“Hey, Ash…” He came up to her and put his arm around her shoulders. Maybe if they spent an hour together doing dishes, she’d open up about whatever was bugging her. Whatever it was Luke had flashed her the look about. “Let’s go see if your mom needs help in the kitchen.”

But instead of walking with him, Ashley remained firmly in place. John stopped and turned to her. “Ashley? What is it?”

The color drained from her face, and for a long while she didn’t seem to be able to speak. When she did, her tone was strained and breathy, as though saying the next words was taking all her effort.

“Dad…I have something to tell you.” She hesitated and her knees buckled just a bit. John took hold of her elbow, and she leaned into him. Tears filled her eyes and spilled onto her cheeks, but finally she found her voice again. “What I’m about to tell you…will change everything. For all of us.”

T
HEIR WEDDING DAY DAWNED
with full sun and mild humidity. Kari’s house had sold a while ago, and she and Jessie had moved her things into Ryan’s house a week earlier. They were staying at her parents’ house, in her old room, until after their honeymoon. Then they’d move in with Ryan.

Kari yawned and looked around the room where she’d first dreamed of marrying Ryan Taylor. For a few minutes after she woke up and registered the weather, Kari just lay there and remembered.

She thought how she’d looked down and found her heart gone the afternoon when she met Ryan for the first time—how they’d hung out together for several summers after that, fishing from his rowboat on Lake Monroe and skipping rocks from the shore. Hadn’t she known back then that one day they’d be together?

The detours, of course, had been impossible to predict. And even a year ago she couldn’t have guessed they’d be here now. But they were. And what she was about to do brought up every memory of Ryan she’d ever had.

He’d been her first kiss, first dance, first crush. But that day at Ryan’s parents’ barbecue she’d felt the same way she did now. That she wouldn’t really have her heart back until the two of them were together forever.

As they’d be after this evening.

From out back she could hear the caterers with their trucks, already getting things ready in the tent. The wedding was scheduled for three o’clock this afternoon, and a gazebo with a floral arch had been set up the day before. Chairs were placed evenly on both sides of the makeshift aisle, and pots overflowing with jasmine framed the entire setting.

After months of planning, hours of discussion, and a million phone calls, Kari could hardly believe September 21 was here. She and Ryan would spend tonight at a hotel in Indianapolis, and tomorrow morning they’d fly to Seattle. Ryan had kept the honeymoon plans a surprise, and last night after the rehearsal dinner, he’d given her a card with the details inside.

They were taking an Alaskan cruise, following the Inside Passage on a Holland America ship that catered to newlyweds. For seven days they would see grizzly bears and bald eagles and whales as they traveled up and down the Alaskan coast. Apparently September was the best time to go. Ryan had booked a cabin with a balcony and a Jacuzzi tub.

Kari climbed out of bed and slipped into a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. She had a hundred things to do before three o’clock, including packing for their honeymoon. As difficult as it had been, they’d waited for this day, saved themselves because that was what God wanted of them. And because they wanted to keep him first in everything about their marriage.

Though her wedding day was bound to be a day she’d remember all her life, the details seemed less pressing. Because sometime tomorrow she and Ryan would be on a plane to Seattle and after that, an Alaskan cruise. It was all she could think about. The two of them married, alone together on an adventure that would take them through both the daytimes and the nighttimes.

She could hardly wait.

The hours flew by, and shortly before three o’clock, Kari’s father found her and her mother in the bedroom, in front of the mirrors they’d set up so the girls could get ready. Ashley, Erin, and Brooke were dressed and talking in excited whispers out in the hallway.

They’d been put on lookout, in charge of making sure the guys headed out to the tent first. Erin had just flashed the signal, so Kari took a final look in the mirror. Her mother was beside her, fixing one of the ringlets that hung on either side of her face.

“Now there’s a picture.” Her father entered the room with slow steps, his eyes fixed on both of them. His black tuxedo was a bit tight around the middle, but he looked fantastic all the same. He stopped and gave a shake of his head. “As long as I live I’ll remember this.”

“Hi, Daddy.” Kari grinned at him in the mirror. “You look great.”

“But you, my dear—” he came up alongside her—“you look radiant.”

Her mother took a step back and admired the dress. “It’s perfect, honey.”

“Thanks.” Kari had found the dress in Indianapolis, not long after Ryan proposed to her. It was white satin with a fitted bodice and short, puffy sleeves. The skirt was simple and straight, floor-length and cut longer near her heels, where it formed a subtle train. Her veil flowed along her back almost to the floor, and a hairdresser had come that morning to pile her hair on her head in a mass of ringlets.

“Guys, it’s five to three.” Brooke poked her head into the room. “Everyone’s in the tent.”

“Okay.” Kari looked from her father to her mother. “Here we go.”

Her father linked arms with her and leaned close, his voice a whisper. “I can’t wait to see Ryan’s reaction when you come down that aisle.”

The tent was full, the guests seated, and Ryan and Pastor Mark stood near the front, waiting for the procession to begin. An organist set up in the back played Pachelbel as a hush fell over the small crowd.

“Ready?” Pastor Mark leaned toward Ryan. Pastor had a Bible in his hand, and his smile went from ear to ear.

“For the past two decades.” Ryan winked and turned his attention to the back of the tent.

When Kari’s mother poked her head through the flaps, Luke was at her side instantly. He held out his arm, linked it with hers, and led her down the aisle. Ryan felt a lump in his throat as he took in the scene. Luke’s return to the Baxter family had been nothing short of a miracle, the answered prayer they’d all sought God about in the past year.

Watching Luke now, it was impossible to tell he’d ever been gone. That’s how good God had been to them. Ryan shifted his gaze to the back of the tent again. This time, Luke brought Ashley, leading her to her place at the far end of the altar area—the bride’s side. Then he moved to a spot not far from Ryan.

Peter and Brooke came down the aisle, and then Sam and Erin. Both couples parted at the place where Pastor Mark stood and then veered off toward their designated places.

The children came next. First Cole, the ring bearer, dressed in navy pants and vest, with a white shirt and tie. His blond hair was neatly combed, and his steps were sure and proud as he carried the satin pillow down the aisle.

Not far behind him were the girls—first Hayley, then Maddie. Each of them wore a frilly white dress and carried a basket of rose petals. They looked like angels, and as they walked they took delicate handfuls of the petals and scattered them on the white walkway.

Hayley stopped halfway down and waved at Brooke. “Hi, Mommy! Am I doing good?”

“Yes, dear.” Brooke mouthed the words and flashed the okay sign at her youngest daughter.

Hayley seemed to understand that she wasn’t supposed to be talking. She dropped her voice to a loud whisper. “Can I keep some of the flowers, Mommy? Please. They’re too pretty to drop on the ground.”

Muffled laughter came from the guests, and a few people snapped pictures of the sweet child. About that time, Maddie caught up to her. “Keep going, Hayley. You’re almost there.”

Ryan smiled at Maddie’s encouragement. How wonderful that she was healthy now. She’d had her procedure three weeks ago, and everything had gone well. She hadn’t had a fever since.

Everything about the procession was beautiful, but Ryan shifted his weight and focused his attention at the back of the tent once again.
Come on, Kari, girl. Walk down the aisle. Show me that I’m not dreaming.

When the music changed, the guests stood and faced the back of the tent. The traditional wedding march played as Kari and her father entered. For several seconds, the two of them stood frozen in place while Kari looked for Ryan.

Their eyes met then, and Ryan’s jaw dropped ever so slightly. She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. He’d loved her nearly all his life.
God, thank you…thank you.

Kari and her father began their walk, but never once did Ryan break eye contact with her. His heart pounded against his chest, making his tux and tails tremble. He folded his hands in front of him and grinned at the woman who was about to become his wife.

When they reached Ryan, Pastor Mark looked at Kari’s father and nodded. “Who gives this woman to be married?”

“Her mother and I do.” John Baxter stepped forward, briefly lifted Kari’s veil, and kissed her on the cheek. Then he took her hand and placed it in Ryan’s.

When John was seated next to his wife, Pastor Mark took a deep breath and began. “Sometimes, in the course of the job, a pastor has the privilege of marrying two people who have something special, something other people long for.” He paused and looked at the wedding guests. “Kari Baxter Jacobs and Ryan Taylor are people like that.”

He talked about their childhoods, how they had been friends as kids, and how God had brought them together through sometimes difficult circumstances. “But our God is a God of second chances and mended dreams.” Pastor Mark smiled. “That’s why Kari and Ryan are standing before you today.”

He shared with the guests the fact that the couple had received premarital training, and that in every way possible, they’d attempted to put God first in their relationship. “What happens when two people make that decision?” A light chuckle came from the man. “God becomes a part of that union from the moment they say ‘I do.’ ”

Ryan glanced at Kari and they exchanged a private smile.

Pastor Mark mentioned that Kari and Ryan had written their own vows but also how that hadn’t surprised him. “These aren’t new words, friends. The vows you’re about to hear express feelings that have grown between these two since they were in high school.”

Ryan went first. He was no longer nervous as he took Kari’s hands and spoke straight to her heart. “Kari, you are my heart’s song, the one I long for and live for, the only one I could ever share my soul with.” He gave her fingers a gentle squeeze. “I want to share with you everything about the future. The joys and sorrows, the happy times and the hard ones.”

His voice grew thicker…filled with the feelings he wanted to get across to her. “Kari, I promise to be true to you, to pick you up when you fall, and to celebrate with you when life gives us reason to smile. I promise to be a godly father to Jessie and whatever other children the Lord might bless us with.”

The lump in his throat grew a notch. “Will you take my ring and my name and all my tomorrows, and will you stay by my side for always?”

Tears glistened in her eyes, but her smile told him she could hardly wait to say yes.

He was almost finished. “Marry me, Kari girl; share my life with me, from now until death parts us.”

She ran her thumbs over the side of his hand and bit her lip. “Yes.” The look on her face blocked out everything else in the tent. “I will.”

It was Kari’s turn, and she’d worried that in the excitement of the moment, she might forget her vows. But after hearing Ryan’s words, she was mesmerized, drawn into the spell of what was happening between them. Suddenly everything she wanted to tell him was right there in her heart.

She searched his face, his eyes, and for the briefest instant she was sixteen again, opening the door and seeing Ryan on her doorstep, a dozen red roses in his hands. “Happy Birthday, Kari…go out with me tonight?”

The memory was gone as quickly as it had come.

Pastor Mark turned to her and smiled. “Kari, you may speak your vows to Ryan now.”

Kari looked deep into Ryan’s eyes. “Ryan Taylor, I’ve loved you since the first day I met you, even when it seemed that my love for you might only be as friends. You captured my heart when we were barely more than kids, and since then you’ve always owned a piece of it.”

Ryan bit his lip and gave her a lopsided grin. His eyes stayed on hers as she continued.

“I never dreamed back then that God would give us today, that he would lead us to a place where we could stand here before our friends and family, before God, and promise each other a lifetime. But here we are.” Kari’s voice cracked and she blinked back tears. “So now, before God and our guests, I promise to love you and honor you, cherish you and care for you all the days of my life. When the journey we’re about to take leads us to the mountaintops and when it leaves us in the valleys, I will be by your side.”