5 months later
Cassandra stood in the church entryway, ready to walk down the aisle, with no hesitation. Never had she been happier; never had she been so sure of anything in her life. She would walk alone for she had no one to give her away, but it didn’t matter. The man who would be in her life forever was waiting for her. Leif.
The small Lutheran church was only half full, the guests composed of a few close friends of each of them, Leif’s family, and several shop owners from Crane Lake. It was perfect, she thought, small and intimate, just the way the two of them wanted. She wished her father and mother were still alive to see her marrying, but somehow she imagined they knew of her happiness.
She sighed as she watched Leif standing near the altar, dressed in a perfectly fitted black tuxedo, white shirt, black vest, and tie. Her handsome groom was shuffling his feet a bit as he moved from side to side, his big hands clasped in front of him, watching her steadily—almost daring her to walk down the aisle—to him. Beside him was his uncle. Walking down the aisle, ahead of her, was Maxie, her only attendant.
Recalling the tears of joy spilling down Maxie’s cheeks when she’d asked her to be her attendant, made her smile. But the coup de grace was when Cassandra gave Maxie a complete make-over and helped her select a gown to wear—a deep red satin gown that was elegant, ending at the tip of Maxie’s toes. She looked lovely, clutching a single red rose in her hand as she regally walked down the aisle.
Holding her full bouquet of red roses with white baby’s breath in one hand, Cassandra swept her free hand down the front of her white lace gown, smoothing it, then resumed clutching the bouquet with both hands as she took the first step toward the life she’d wanted for what seemed like forever.
There was snow on the ground for April was still winter up in the north country. But soon spring would come, and then she and Leif could start rebuilding and making the changes they’d agreed upon for Gateway. Happiness had settled inside her when Leif had agreed to the changes and had even hired the contractor and builder to begin the work as soon as weather permitted.
As she slowly walked toward Leif—her future—her heart quickened it’s pace at the possibility of him racing out the side door, but then it left her as quickly as it came. Leif wouldn’t leave her. She knew that. He’d been the one constant thing in her life since returning to him and Gateway.
He would always be there for her.
Still, she breathed a relieved sigh when she reached him and he took her hand and tucked it through his arm, holding her beside him as they faced the minister.
Cassandra almost thought she heard the same sounds of relieved sighs from their guests.
“You look beautiful,” he whispered.
Her eyes filled with tears as she looked up and met his appreciative gaze. “And you look like my hero in that tuxedo.”
“Hero, huh?” he scoffed. “Hardly, Cassie girl.”
“Yes, you are. Thank you for marrying me. I promise, you won’t regret it.”
“Thank you for having me. I promise, you won’t regret it.”
“Uh, can we get started now?” the minister whispered, looking at them with a timid smile.
“We already have,” Leif said with a nod.
Cassandra nearly laughed out loud, but refrained and squeezed his hand, refusing to let it go through the entire ceremony—even after he placed the wedding band on her finger.
THE END