Tammy stood in front of the full-length mirror, her veil cascading over her shoulders.
Standing behind her, Mom stepped closer and rested her chin on Tammy’s shoulder. “You look beautiful. Simply radiant.”
Tammy smiled and ran her hands along the smooth satin. “Thanks, Mom. It’s hard to believe.”
“What is?” Mom turned to face her. “That you’re in love? That you found a man who thinks the world of you? I always knew you would. Of course.” She angled her head with a sigh muted by the twinkle in her eyes. “Even though this means you’re not moving to Dover.”
“Sorry.”
“Well, you’re only a road trip away.”
A knock sounded on the door, and her father poked his head in. His eyes and nose were red. “You ready, pumpkin?” He pulled a handkerchief from his breast pocket and wiped his nose.
“I am.” Tammy looped her arm through his.
She waited in a side room outside the foyer for the bridal march to begin. Then the wooden doors opened and her wedding party slipped out one by one.
Tammy’s stomach flittered, her legs wobbly, as she walked down the aisle. White carnations decorated the sanctuary pews, and on the stage, lights glimmered among the tulle. Becky and Vanessa, Tammy’s maids of honor, stood side-by-side, wearing teal dresses. Nick and Tammy’s boys stood on the other side of the altar dressed in the most adorable tuxedos. All of them grinned so widely, their cheeks had to hurt. But Tammy barely noticed any of that. Her every thought centered on the handsome man waiting for her at the end of the aisle.
Reaching the altar, she turned her head to smile at Nick. The love radiating from his eyes left her breathless.
After the pastor opened and her father officially gave her away, Tammy turned to face Nick who pulled a piece of paper from his inside coat pocket.
“Tammy Kuhn, it scares me how much I love you. I can’t imagine living a day without you. And thanks be to God, I don’t have to.”
He took her hands in his. “Tammy, I promise to love you—every part of you. When you’re mad, sad, or laughing yourself into a choking fit. Through wrinkles and gray hairs, college and empty-nesting years. I will honor and cherish you from this day forward, until the day our God takes me home.”
Once their vows were spoken and their marriage announced, the moment Tammy had long been waiting for arrived. Holding her gaze, Nick leaned closer and lifted her chin. His breath swept over her, his lips warm on hers.
Still in his tuxedo, Nick helped Rictor load the reception leftovers into the back of a refrigerated truck. Not wanting to waste good food, Nick planned on taking it to one of the local shelters. Standing, he wiped the sweat off his brow, his grin stretching so wide, his cheeks ached. Tammy stood a few feet away, talking with Vanessa. Still in her gown, her skin glowed. Ringlets framed her face, and her eyes glimmered.
My wife. Mrs. Tammy Zimmerman.
“Congrats, man.” Rictor clamped a hand on Nick’s shoulder. “I always knew you’d find your angel.”
“Thanks. You guys did a great job with the meal. I appreciate it.”
“Guess we should take up catering, huh?”
“Hardly.” Nick’s cell phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out and checked the display screen, recognizing the area code but not the number. “Zimmerman.”
“Hello. This is Randy from the Safe Haven Ministries.”
Nick held his breath.
“Your dad’s here. Thought you’d want to know.”
Nick hung up the phone and stared numbly ahead.
“You okay, man?” Rictor asked.
Nick turned on stiff legs. He looked at Tammy.
She stopped talking and came to his side. “Hey, everything all right?”
“They found my dad.”
“Oh, sweetheart.”
He let out a chuckle and engulfed her in a hug, lifting her off her feet. “They found my dad.” He pulled away and closed the back door of the van. “Hope they like rotisserie chicken. What do you say, Tam? Wanna take a trip to Safe Haven with me?”
She stared at him. “What about . . . ?”
“Our honeymoon?”
She blushed, nodded.
“Maybe he can come with us.” Seeing her eyes widen, he laughed. “Just kidding. But since we’re driving to Colorado, I figured we’re not in a huge hurry. But I would like to see my dad.” A lump lodged in his throat and he cleared it. “Make sure he’s all right, and find out how I can see that he gets the care he needs.”
She smiled and, stepping closer, grabbed his hands in hers then raised on her tiptoes until their eyes were level. “I love you, Mr. Zimmerman.”
“And I love you, Mrs. Zimmerman.”