Getting to the Church On Time (11 page)

The guys emerged a moment later. All three stopped, as if it had been choreographed, and stared.

TJ recovered first. He stepped toward Hope, love so apparent in his eyes that Lauren had to swallow hard. She stepped closer to Travis and he tucked her under his arm, hugging her close.

“Sunshine, you look gorgeous,” TJ said gruffly.

Hope beamed up at him. “Back at ya, big guy.” She wrapped her arms around him, her tiny frame up against his much taller and wider body.

With a little growl that widened Lauren’s eyes, TJ picked Hope up, putting their lips on the same level, and gave her a kiss that made Travis finally clear his throat.

“Uh, we should get in to the ceremony.”

TJ pulled back, but his eyes never left Hope’s. “Yeah, the sooner we get in there, the sooner we can leave.”

She laughed and gave him another smack on the lips. He set her down, grabbed her hand and started for the sanctuary.

“Damn,” Tucker said. “It is so…
weird
to see him…”

“Happy?” Ty supplied.

Tucker nodded. “And ga-ga in love.”

“Right? It’s sickening.” Ty turned a wicked grin on Hailey. “But I bet we can make everyone even sicker.” He put his hands on her hips and pulled her in close.

“Oh baby, I love you so much,” Hailey cooed.

“Oh honey, you’re everything to me,” Ty said in a cheesy voice back to her.

Then they started kissing with big open mouths and lots of unnecessary noise.

Tucker laughed. “Oh no, Delaney and I have
got this
.” He took three steps to her and swept her up in his arms.

She laughed. “You’re my hero.”

“Fucking right.” He sealed his mouth over hers in a big kiss too, likely meant to be goofy and over-the-top, but this one got heated quickly.

Delaney threaded her fingers through his hair, Tucker put her down next to the nearest wall and pressed close.

“Okay, G-rated only please,” Lauren finally said loudly, interrupting. “How about we go out there and get someone married and then you can all do…whatever you want…later.”

Travis came up behind her as the other couples separated, laughing. Lauren felt his hands on her hips as he pulled her back against him. “Or we could just join the fun.”

She slipped out of his hold and shook her head. “Good Lord, the testosterone in this family is too much. All four of you here, all rarin’ to go? I might need to step outside for a moment.”

Travis narrowed his eyes. “Outside sounds great to me. There’s a storage shed out there—”

Lauren extended her arm and pointed in the direction of the sanctuary. “Go. Now.”

And she stayed carefully out of his reach as he gave her a wink and sauntered toward the hallway that would lead to the back of the church.

Because he knew that it wouldn’t take much to talk her into that shed.

Lauren took a deep breath and followed him out of the little foyer and down the hall to where everyone was gathered, waiting to proceed down the aisle.

Her heart gave a thump at the picture they created.

The three couples were so happy, so in love, had so much ahead of them. And the man she loved, the father of her child, the man she was going to grow old with.

Her eyes stung for a moment and she sniffed.

They all turned toward her.

“Oh my God, are you
crying
?” Hailey asked.

Lauren shook her head.

“Yes you are!” Delaney sniffed at that.

“Stop it, all of you!” Hope insisted.

The guys laughed and rolled their eyes.

Lauren took another deep breath. “I just want to say—”

Ty leaned forward, pulled open the door to the sanctuary where ninety percent of the town of Sapphire Falls was gathered and called, “Hit it, Margie!”

Margie Ferguson, the organist, started the wedding march.

Lauren smacked Ty on the arm. But said, “Okay, thanks.”

He grinned at her.

Lauren and Travis, the only known bridesmaid and groomsman, started down the aisle. Then the other brothers came down from oldest to youngest—TJ and Hope, then Tucker and Delaney, then Ty and Hailey.

When they all stood at the front, the organ stopped, the minister looked at them all expectantly and seemingly everyone in the pews shifted forward.

A second ticked into three, which stretched into ten. The Bennett brothers glanced at one another. The girls looked from the guys to each other, then to Lauren.

Lauren shrugged.

So did Travis.

“Whose happy union are we celebrating today?” Pastor Michaels asked.

Again, everyone looked at one another.

Finally, TJ said, “What is going on?”

The question was directed at his brothers.

Tucker frowned. “Who’s getting married?”

“That’s what I want to know,” TJ said. He looked down at Hope.

She looked back at him. “We’re waiting for you guys to tell us.”

“You don’t know?” TJ asked.

“
You
don’t know?” Hope asked.

“None of us know?” TJ asked, looking at the rest of the group.

They all shook their heads. Then, as one, they turned to face the congregation.

“Where’s Levi?” Tucker asked.

“He had to take a phone call.”

The answer came from a very familiar voice.

They all pivoted to look at Kathy. She was standing up in front of the first pew, smiling and crying at the same time.

“Mom?” Ty asked, stepping forward. “What’s going on?”

“You all came to Levi and told him to give the wedding to one of your brothers. He decided to leave it up to you.”

TJ looked his brothers. “But…I want them both to have it.” Then he looked down at Hope. “But I want it too.”

Tucker and Ty both nodded.

“Then you should all do it,” Kathy said.

The town gasped collectively.

Lauren felt excitement shoot through her. She grinned at Travis.

Thomas, their father, stood up beside Kathy. “A triple wedding, my three boys together with my fourth as the witness.” He nodded happily. “Best idea I’ve ever heard.”

Tucker took a deep breath. “Well, I’m definitely in. How about it, Laney?”

“I’ve been ready and willing to marry you for months,” she said. “I’m in.”

“We’re definitely in,” Ty said.

Hailey nodded. “Definitely.”

Hope’s eyes were shiny as she nodded. “I can’t imagine a better wedding than this.”

TJ hugged her against his side and turned to the minister. “What do you say?”

Pastor Michaels looked at them all. “I’m in too.”

The town erupted into applause as the three couples took their places evenly in front of the minister.

“Do you want to do this one by one or all together?” he asked.

TJ, Tucker and Ty looked at one another, then back at him. “All together,” they said simultaneously.

“Dearly beloved…”

Kate & Levi (and everyone else…really
everyone
this time)

“So they’re really all doing it? Together?” Kate asked. Their friends were getting married. A
bunch
of their friends.

“They are.”

She was sure Levi could hear that she was a little choked up. Sometimes he’d tease her about how sentimental she was, and it was true that ever since she’d moved to Sapphire Falls, it seemed the waterworks were never far below the surface. But he didn’t tease this time. Because he was a little choked up too.

“Oh wow, that’s amazing.”

It was. The bachelor Bennett boys had all met and fallen in love with their girls since Kate and Levi had moved to Sapphire Falls. It had been three whirlwind romances, but that seemed to be Sapphire Falls’ specialty. She and Levi certainly fell into that category.

And now they were all getting married together. It was great.

“It’s beautiful, Kate. And they’re all so happy.”

She knew. She could see it. She just couldn’t
hear
exactly what was going on.

“Ow, hey, watch the heels.”

Kate covered the mouthpiece of the phone and looked down at Joe, who was crouched beneath the church’s window, letting Kate balance on his thighs to look in on their friends.

“Shh!” She didn’t want Levi to overhear his brother.

He rolled his eyes. “How long before we let him know we’re here?” It wasn’t quite a whisper.

“As soon as they say their vows. I don’t want to interrupt this,” she whispered back.

“So, just tell Levi. He’s the only one you need.” Joe shifted, moving her heel out of his thigh muscle again.

“Well, him and the minister,” Kate said. “Be patient.”

“Easy for you to say.”

Kate sighed and climbed off of him. “Fine. I saw what I needed to.” Mostly, six of their friends grinning and glowing and agreeing to spend the rest of their lives together.

“Kate? You there?”

She turned her attention back to Levi. “Yes, sorry. The reception is spotty. Hey, hold the phone up so we can hear.”

“You’re with Phoebe and Joe right now?” he asked.

She glanced at the other two standing in the snow in a tux and a bridesmaid dress. They looked cold. Kate grinned at them. She loved her almost brother- and sister-in-law.

Phoebe smiled back but circled her finger, indicating Kate should hurry up.

“I am.”

Levi cleared his throat. “I have an idea.”

Kate felt a little shiver go through her. She started back toward the sidewalk from under the window, carefully placing her feet in the big footprints Joe had left in the snow. It was cold out here. But it was partly adrenaline too. She was about to surprise Levi—and the whole town—with their own impromptu wedding. As soon as their friends were done.

“An idea?” she asked, stepping from the slick snow-covered grass to the sidewalk—that was only slightly less slick and snow-covered.

“Will you marry me?”

She stopped. “Of course. I thought we already covered this.”

“Tonight. Over the phone. I can go in there as soon as the Bennetts are done and get Pastor Michaels to do it. You have Phoebe and Joe as witnesses, I’ll have…the whole town. Everyone is here. And I want it. Tonight. Now.”

Kate covered her mouth with her hand, blinking hard against the tears that threatened. It took her a second but she finally said, “Is that legal?”

“I don’t care. We can do it again later if needed to make it official. I just want…to say vows to you and hear you say them to me and have our entire town hear him say ‘I now pronounce you husband and wife’. Tonight.”

Kate sniffed and brushed away a tear. Then she started for the front of the church. She had to get in there to him.

It had been killing her to not go straight to him when they’d gotten to town twenty minutes ago. Lauren had been keeping her and Phoebe updated with texts about the wedding contest and what had gone down in and outside of the bridal room and the walk down the aisle. She’d even gotten a short video of that.

Kate had been reveling in all of it. She was thrilled for her friends and as they’d rolled into town at five-forty, she’d known that she wasn’t going to interrupt and reclaim her wedding.

There were other ways to marry Levi. Like in the town’s gazebo right after the Bennetts said their vows in the church. She was so glad the snow had stopped and the temperature had rebounded to a balmy forty-six degrees.

But she couldn’t wait anymore.

“Kate?” Levi asked.

She hadn’t answered yet.

She pulled the heavy church door open and rushed inside. She wouldn’t interrupt the wedding but—

She almost plowed Levi over. He was standing in the foyer just inside the main doors.

He caught her by the upper arms, his phone clattering to the floor.

“
Kate
?” He was staring at her with a comically stunned look.

“Yes,” she said, slightly breathless. “Yes, I’ll marry you tonight. But let’s do it in person, not over the phone.”

“You’re
here
?” He hadn’t blinked yet.

“I’m here.” She gave him a big grin.

“How?”

“Joe was able to get the private plane after all. Or maybe Candice actually did it. But anyway, the
moment
it was clear he got us straight back here. We just drove in from the airport.”

Levi shook his head. Then he finally blinked. He glanced toward the church doors.

Kate read his intention one second before he started toward the doors.

“No.” She grabbed his arm. “Let’s wait for them to be done.”

He looked from her to the doors and then back to her. He nodded. “Yeah. Right. Okay.”

Phoebe and Joe came through the front door then.