I really have not written any holiday themed books nor any historicals except for one time travel. However I did have a Christmas wedding in one that I am kind of promoting again recently. I guess it is a slight spoiler to show the H&H do get married but don’t we expect it in romances? At least kind of! So here is the wedding at the end of The Man in Black. The book is available at my page on Amazon and from the publisher, Amber Quill if anyone is intrigued. Apologize for the format; I pasted from a .pdf file thru Word so it isn’t quite right!
The Gulch Gang, apparently feeling a proprietary interest in the
event, went all out for Melissa and Lawton’s wedding. The ladies
decorated the main room of the clubhouse, practically hiding the adobe
walls with streamers and garlands of scarlet and green, bows of red
velvet and lacy rosettes. Wreaths of evergreen boughs, decorated with
red and white poinsettias and carnations, hung at close intervals along
the walls. Bells and cherubs added a festive touch.
Every available chair had been commandeered, arranged in slanting
rows facing the end of the long room, leaving an aisle down the middle.
A carpet runner of deep green marked the aisle. At the room’s end, the
platform, which served as a stage, had also been carpeted. Huge baskets
of red and white poinsettias sat on each front corner flanking the row of
tall candles along the forward edge. A space had been left in the
middle, where the two steps led up from the floor.
The day came at last. At six-fifty on the evening of Saturday, the
sixth of December, all was in readiness. With every chair occupied, a
few late arrivals stood along the walls. The spicy perfume of pine and
carnations hung in the air. To the left of the stage, a handsome older
woman sat at an electronic keyboard, softly playing familiar love
songs. On the opposite side, three men stood together, talking quietly.
As a hush fell over the room, they stepped up on the platform and
took their places. Jason “Deacon” Barnes, elegant in a charcoal gray
frock coat and ruffled shirt, faced the crowd. On his left stood Eric
Landis, dressed in a lighter gray, his suit also cut in the style of the 19th
Century. On Eric’s left, Lawton waited. Clad in his customary black,
his darkness was relieved by a dazzling white shirt and a red carnation
boutonniere.
At Deacon’s nod, the organist switched to the opening bars of the
Wedding March. At the first notes, everyone turned, every gaze
centered on the procession starting down the aisle.
First came two little girls in white organdy dresses with red and
green bows gracing their short, curly hair. Each carried a little silver
basket from which they scattered white rose petals along the aisle as
they walked. The darker one wore a beatified expression of sweet
sobriety while the blonde seemed barely to contain her bubbling
merriment. Jo followed, dressed in a bell-skirted gown of emerald
green. The little girls turned aside to sit near the organist, but Jo
continued on. Deacon helped her up the steps.
Then, all eyes turned to the final couple. Charlie Brock, dashing in a
western cut suit of pearl gray, escorted the bride. His splendor was all
but eclipsed by the radiant young woman on his arm. At the head of the
aisle, they hesitated a moment, as if dazzled by the candles and the rich,
heady scents. After a moment, they continued at the stately pace of the
traditional music.
The bride wore a Gibson-girl gown of ivory satin with a fitted
bodice, sleeves puffed at the shoulder and fitted from the elbow down,
and a narrow skirt that flared back into a graceful train. Imported lace
lavishly trimmed the sleeves, bodice, and hemline. A crown of tiny
white carnations woven into sprigs of pine and holly graced her dark
head. Her face held a radiance that outshone the tall candles on the
platform. As they proceeded down the aisle, the lights went out, bank
by bank, to highlight their progress.
Almost overcome by awe and shyness the first few steps, Melissa
looked up and met Lawton’s gaze. The blazing pride and love in his
eyes reached out to sustain her. Could she possibly be worthy of such
adoration? Yes, she was! On this night of nights, she felt every inch a
princess, more privileged than ever in her life.
As she drew closer, she began to see herself through her beloved’s
eyes and for the first time recognized her own beauty. Reflecting his
adoration, she began to glow. Although shyness touched her, under the
intent gaze of the crowd, she sensed nothing but warmth and love from
them all. Borne by the magic of Lawton’s loving gaze, she floated up to
the edge of the platform.
Lawton watched his bride come down the aisle knowing he had
never seen anything as lovely. Her radiance dimmed every other light,
bringing a lump to his throat. Joy and pride surged through him so
intensely it almost hurt. The music died on the final triumphant chord
as Melissa took her place. Then Deacon’s deep, mellow voice filled the
stillness.
“Dearly beloved, we are gathered together”¦” The ageless words
had never sounded so real, so right. Their power lifted every heart for
they were solemn and joyful, ancient and novel, a bridge across eternity
and relevant for all times. Charlie answered the first question before he
steered Melissa to Lawton’s side. When he held his hand out to her, she
slipped hers trustingly into his clasp and moved to stand near him.
“Whither thou goest”¦and the greatest of these is love”¦love
endures all things and love never dies”¦” They turned to each other,
lost in one another’s reverent, loving gazes. Finally, their attention was
fully captured by Deacon’s next question. “Lawton, do you take this
woman”¦?”
“I do.” His low voice resonant and sure, he spoke the vow with
pride, his gaze never leaving Melissa’s face.
“Melissa, do you take this man?”
For a moment, overcome with emotion, she could not speak, but
then her words came. “I do. Oh, yes, I do!” She smiled up at Lawton
her eyes alit with love.
From the back of the stage, almost in the shadows, a small figure
came forward, steps not quite certain but with determination in every
move. The child held aloft a dark green cushion that bore two wide
bands of gold. Lawton picked up the smaller ring. He released
Melissa’s right hand to take her left in his as he slid the ring carefully
onto her finger. Then she, with hands shaking only a little, took up the
other and put it on him. They stood then, facing each other, hands
clasped.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife,” Deacon intoned.
They moved together, ivory and black. She reached up and he bent
down until their lips met. The kiss went on forever but ended too soon.
The joyful music boomed out as they stepped down off the platform,
walking up the aisle together, past a sea of beaming faces, many shiny
with tears.
They had only a moment, when they paused at the door, to draw a
calming breath before the well wishers surrounded them. Hugs and
handshakes, kisses and congratulations, advice bawdy, loving, serious
and humorous bombarded them.
A young couple, the girl blonde and slight and the boy, taller and
handsome in spite of the shadowy scars on his face came up near the
last. The girl leaned on the boy’s arm, her steps short and uncertain, but
she walked. She beamed as the newlyweds saw and recognized her.
“Lisa and Jon,” Melissa cried. “I’m so happy to see you both! I
think of you two and of Harriet, Rachel, and Pete as very special
friends. My very special day would have been incomplete without all of
you here.”
“We wouldn’t have missed it for the world,” Lisa said, “Would we,
Jon?”
The boy grinned at her and shook his head. “No way. This is a
really rad affair, and we’re happy to be a part of it. We owe you both so
much. Even the fact we’re together, so we wouldn’t have missed it for
anything. Congratulations.”
Lawton and Jon shook hands and then Jon very shyly kissed
Melissa on the cheek. Lawton bent to give Lisa a kiss, and whispered
something to her that made her blush. She giggled and stepped forward
to hug Melissa.
An older couple followed them and stepped up to introduce
themselves. “I’m Lisa’s mother, Beverly Fenimore, and this is my
husband Tom. We just wanted to thank you both for the encouragement
you gave Lisa this past summer. As you can see, it made a big
difference in her life, and this fine young man has done the rest. We’re
very happy for you both and thank you so much for inviting us to share
your special day.”
“Well, these special kids made a difference to us too. In fact, we
hope by next summer to have a camp where healthy kids can come and
spend several weeks on a working ranch, and then before long, to
expand our facilities so children with disabilities or illnesses can also
come and participate to the extent they are able.”
As she explained, Melissa watched the Fenimores carefully,
anxious to see how they would respond to her idea. They both beamed.
“What a wonderful idea. If these youngsters are an example, it
should be a great success.”
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