It was a wedding like no other Wes had ever attended. The tiny chapel with its backlit stained glass and few pews contained no altar or dais, only a simple cross upon the wall. No music played. No guests other than the immediate family attended. Then again, his daughter made a bride like no other.
Dressed in shiny gold and white, she looked like a million bucks. Meredith acted as bridesmaid. Rex pushed Wes in his chair at Ann’s side then moved to stand next to Dean and Donovan, who held the rings and could barely contain his excitement. Dean wore almost exactly what Rex had worn for his wedding, dark jeans, black boots, white shirt, black jacket and a string tie. He looked more prone to tears than the bride.
The chaplain kept it simple, leading them both through their vows. Within very few minutes, they were at the point of pronouncement, when Dean suddenly lifted a hand as if to bring a halt to the whole proceeding.
“Oh, my word, Jolly!” he said, clapping his hand to his face, the newly installed gold ring on his fourth finger gleaming in the canned light. “I just realized. Sweetheart, you weren’t being stupid. You did just what you were supposed to. Think about it. You are a beautiful, talented, intelligent, loving woman. It was a plan to keep some guy from snapping you up while God worked on me. He put you in a safe place and kept you there until the time was right. Until now. For me. For us.”
Wes had no idea what that was all about, but Ann certainly did. Lifting her hands to Dean’s shoulders, she sniffed back tears and tremulously said, “That’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard.”
“What a gift!” Dean exclaimed, pulling her close, his big hands at her trim waist. “I’ll never deserve it, but I’ll always be thankful for it, and I’ll love you until my dying breath.”
If Wes had had any doubts about this marriage, they would have vanished on the spot.
Ann wrapped her arms around Dean’s neck and went up on tiptoe to kiss him.
The chaplain chuckled and said, “A little premature, but appropriate. I now pronounce you husband and wife.”
Everyone applauded and wiped at their tears. Wes gulped down the nausea rising within him and tried not to shiver. Meredith noticed, however, and hurried to hand Ann her bouquet and come for him, picking up a blanket from the front pew as she did so. A blanket in the middle of August. Wes wanted to rage as Meri draped it about his shoulders, but then Donovan grinned at him and waved, posing with his parents as cell phone photos were snapped, and the rage dissipated beneath the weight of his blessings.
Not long ago Wes had feared that he might not live long enough to be a grandpa; now he had two grandchildren, and two of his children had come home to stay. God was good.
For a while now, Wes had wondered why he labored so at Straight Arrow Ranch. For what? For whom? With Gloria gone and his children uninterested in the family concern, the years had begun to seem pointless, but even if God chose not to heal him from this cancer, Wes would forever be thankful that he had lived long enough to see the plan that God had set into motion for his family.
Was it selfish and foolish of him to hope that his youngest child, the one with whom he had the least in common, might also find her way home to stay? She deserved to have more in her life than a spoiled cat.
He told himself that he would be thankful for the time that he and Meredith had together. He would be thankful, but he would also pray. It was a father’s privilege and responsibility to pray for his child.
And prayer, as he knew well, availed a man much.
So very much.
* * * * *
If you loved this story,
check out the first book from
author Arlene James’s miniseries
THE PRODIGAL RANCH
THE RANCHER’S HOMECOMING
Or pick up these other stories of small-town life
from the author’s previous miniseries
CHATAM HOUSE
THE DOCTOR’S PERFECT MATCH
THE BACHELOR MEETS HIS MATCH
HIS IDEAL MATCH
BUILDING A PERFECT MATCH
Available now from Love Inspired!
Find more great reads at www.LoveInspired.com
Keep reading for an excerpt from THE SOLDIER AND THE SINGLE MOM by Lee Tobin McClain.
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