Heart of Clay (33 page)

Clay chuckled and gave Jill a quick hug. “I
couldn’t have made this work without you. I really appreciate all
your help with this.”

“No problem, Clay. You know I’d do anything
for Callan and this was a lot of fun. Now, if we can just keep her
out of here for a few more minutes, she’s going to be so
surprised.” Jill watched her husband, John, step inside the room
and hurried to his side.

Jenna and Laken both gave Clay a thumbs-up
as he straightened his bowtie and walked out the ballroom door and
down the hall to Callan’s office.

Clay knocked on the door. He heard rustling
sounds inside then Callan was there, opening the door.

Callan blinked at him in surprise. “What are
you doing here, Clay? I’m not supposed to meet you until eight,”
she asked, studying him from his neatly combed hair to the tips of
his polished black cowboy boots. Dressed in a tuxedo, he looked so
handsome he took her breath away.

Clay was utterly speechless as he gazed at
his beloved, beautiful wife. He took a deep breath and inhaled
Callan’s now familiar scent that both calmed and excited him.

The white mermaid style gown she wore looked
like it had been designed with her in mind. Springy ringlets
escaped from the loose bun at the back of her head and a tinge of
pink rode her cheeks.

He took a step forward and clasped her hand
in his before giving her a warm kiss on the cheek. Glancing into
her searching eyes, he squeezed her hand and found his voice.

“Callan, fourteen years ago, I didn’t do a
very good job of proposing to you. I was so afraid you would say
no, I couldn’t bear to ask the question. So today I wanted to ask
you…” Clay stopped, cleared his throat then carefully went down on
one knee. “Will you marry me again, Laney? Please?” Clay smiled up
at Callan, his eyes filled with love.

Callan gazed into his face, a face as
familiar to her as her own. She’d do anything for this wonderful
man who saved her from herself more than once, who gave himself to
her completely. Blindly squeezing his hand and giving it a tug, she
nodded her head as her eyes misted with tears. As he stood and
hugged her, she whispered in his ear. “Of course I’d marry you
again. I love you so much.”

Clay stood back and gave her a dimpled
smile. He pulled a long, thin jeweler’s box from his pocket and
handed it to her. When she opened the lid, she caught her breath at
the sight of a beautiful string of pearls, just like she’d always
wanted but never dreamed of having.

She handed them to Clay and turned around.
“Put them on for me?”

Clay did as she asked, dropping a kiss on
her neck when he had the clasp fastened. The pearls looked like
they were created to nestle along Callan’s neck, especially in that
particular dress.

“Mrs. Matthews, if you’d just come along
with me…” Clay held out his arm and escorted her to the ballroom.
Callan gasped when they stepped inside.

Transformed into a summer garden, a small
gazebo sat in the far corner of the room, draped in white lights
with a profusion of flowers around it. Chairs draped in white and
tied with pale pink organza bows flanked the front of the gazebo. A
divider of greenery separated the ceremony area from the rest of
the room. A buffet lined the back wall. Tables covered in white
linen with pink floral centerpieces filled up part of the space. A
dance floor and a riser for the disc jockey rounded out the
reception area.

Pink, white, and pale yellow flowers spilled
out of baskets, stood in vases, and filled beautiful white urns
anywhere there was space to hold them. Twinkling white lights
sparkled from the greenery and even from organza garlands draped
across the ceiling. White candles nestled in and around the flowers
and buffet, adding a warm glow.

Callan couldn’t think when she’d seen
anything lovelier.

Thrilled with the look of joy and wonder on
Callan’s face, Clay hoped the next part of his plan would make her
even happier.

“Will you marry me, again, Callan, right
now?” he asked, taking her hand in his and walking further into the
room.

Callan took note of their closest family and
friends sitting in the chairs around the gazebo. “You did all this
for me?” Callan looked at Clay, working to comprehend the precious
gift he offered. “You did this?”

“Yes, I did, with help from some friends.”
He nodded toward Jill, Laken, and Jenna as they hurried toward them
with smiles on their faces.

As the girls approached, Laken took the lead
and gave Callan a big hug. “Are you going to keep this wonderful
husband of yours waiting or are you going to get up there and renew
your vows?” Laken asked with a laugh.

“I just can’t believe you all did this for
me.” Callan tried to keep her tears in check, overwhelmed by the
work everyone went to on her behalf. “It’s so beautiful.”

“Of course we did it for you, but Clay did
most of the work. We just helped out a bit here and there,” Jenna
said, patting Clay on his arm. “This cowboy seems to be wild about
you, for some reason.”

“Honestly, Callan, I couldn’t have done it
without them. You kept Jill and me hopping today.” Clay grinned and
shook his head.

“We didn’t know what to do until I figured
out a way to get you out of here for a while this afternoon.” Jill
gave Callan a hug. “I’m so glad you’re surprised.”

Laken slipped a delicate pink rose corsage
on Callan’s wrist while Jenna pinned a boutonniere on Clay’s
lapel.

Callan smiled and nodded her head. She found
it impossible to speak as she walked toward the gazebo with Clay.
The girls returned to their seats next to their own husbands. One
of their friends from church, a wedding officiant, waited in the
gazebo, ready to preside over the renewal of their vows.

The couple walked up the steps of the gazebo
and stood inside.

Callan experienced a flood of emotions –
love, joy, excitement, wonder, happiness. To think Clay did this
for her, especially after all they’d been through in this past
year. It was too much to take in all at once.

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here to
celebrate the marriage of Clay and Callan. They joined their lives
and hearts fourteen years ago today and have chosen to renew their
vows before their Heavenly Father and the family and friends
assembled here. They composed their own vows to share with us, so
Clay, please proceed,” the officiant said.

Callan started to go into panic mode. What
vows? She hadn’t written anything. If she’d known she’d be standing
in front of twenty people professing her undying love for Clay, she
sure as anything would have written something worthy to be shared.
She was not good at winging speeches. Frantic, she glanced at Clay.
He smiled with a knowing look on his face.

After inhaling a fortifying breath, Clay
began the speech he’d practiced a hundred times that day.

“Callan, I know I’ve caught you off guard
and you’re probably, right now, trying to think of what you’re
going to say when it’s your turn.” Clay ginned at her and held both
her hands in his.

“I don’t want you to worry
about that. I want you to focus on this - the day you walked into
my life you changed everything. I knew from the very first time I
saw you that I would never be happy unless I was with you. It was
true then and it’s still true today. You complete me. You fill me
up with your goodness, your laughter, your warmth, your passion,
and your love.
In the last year, we’ve made
it through some of the worst experiences I hope we ever have to
face. But know this, Laney, I have riches beyond measure because of
you, because of your love. I promise to spend all our years
together celebrating and rejoicing in this wonderful love we
share.”

Callan forgot there was anyone else in the
room. She couldn’t think of anything except the remarkable words
her adoring husband had just shared from his heart. She didn’t know
how she could speak, with her heart in her throat and tears
blinding her vision. Shutting her eyes for a moment to regain her
composure, she took a deep breath then smiled at Clay. She hoped he
knew how much she appreciated not only this evening, but also
everything he had done for her over the years.

“Clay, I don’t know what to say except that
I love you…with every beat of my heart and every breath that I
take. All I have to do is see you, hear your voice, and I still
catch my breath in wonder that I am the girl you choose to love.
Thank you for caring for me, for believing in me, for bringing me
joy and laughter, but most of all, for loving me. I promise to
spend every day of the rest of my life making sure you know how
much you are cherished, needed, wanted, and loved.”

After sealing their vow with a gentle kiss,
Clay wiped the tears from Callan’s cheeks. They turned to the
officiant who smiled broadly.

“I’m honored to present Mr. and Mrs. Clay
Matthews. Congratulations on your renewed vows and renewed
commitment to love, honor, and cherish each other as long as you
both shall live.”

Everyone stood clapping while Callan and
Clay walked down the steps of the gazebo and into the welcoming
arms of their friends and family. Most of the women were still
dabbing at their own tears while the men exchanged hearty
handshakes and backslaps.

“Come join us for dinner, folks, and some
fun,” Clay said, holding Callan’s hand and leading her toward the
buffet. After everyone had eaten his or her fill, the disc jockey,
whom Callan knew well from her event planning business, stood and
said a few welcoming words.

She looked around the room as her heart
overflowed with love, grateful for those who joined them for the
beautiful celebration. For Callan, it was a wonderful way to
commemorate how far she and Clay had come since their last
anniversary.

As the music began, Callan observed their
friends dancing before her dad asked her to join him in “cuttin’ a
rug” as he phrased it. She danced with her brother, Uncle Ralph,
Jake and most of the men there, except Clay. Callan knew between
his dislike of dancing and his still-recovering leg, he’d stay on
the sidelines. He looked happy from his seat at the table, watching
everyone move around the dance floor.

Callan poured herself another cup of punch
and sat next to Clay as the party wound down. She couldn’t think of
words to thank Clay for creating the memory of this very special
day. As their gazes connected, he smiled a warm smile and gave her
a wink.

Slowly standing from his seat beside her, he
grasped her hand as the DJ announced the final song. When it began
to play Clay leaned down and whispered in her ear. “Dance this one
with me.”

Aware of how much he hated
to dance as well as how hard it was with his leg, Callan knew this
was a huge gesture on his part. The DJ played her favorite love
song,
Even
Then
, by John Michael
Montgomery. Clay couldn’t have picked a more perfect song to end
the evening.

As they danced to the romantic song, Callan
held her tears at bay by looking into her husband’s face and
watching the mirror of her emotions in his eyes. How she cherished
this wonderful, amazing man. He was a blessed gift that she would
never again take for granted.

She couldn’t imagine loving Clay more than
she did at that moment in time, but she knew somehow she would love
him even more tomorrow.

Callan struggled to fall asleep, listening
to the sounds Clay made as he obliterated the peaceful quiet of the
night with his nocturnal serenade.

Somewhere between a snore and a whistle, she
wondered if he knew what a racket he made.

With a long, contented sigh, she turned to
look at him. A tiny sliver of moonbeam snuck through the parted
drapes to caress the hollow of his cheek, giving her the ability to
see he looked peaceful.

She rose on one elbow and listened to him
breathe in and out, smiled at the way his hair stuck out at odds
with the scar on the side of his head. Resisting the urge to smooth
it down, she grinned as she thought about his morning battles to
get his hair to submit to some semblance of order around the
hoof-shaped scar.

After a few more minutes of watching him
sleep, she quietly rose from the bed, pulled on her chenille robe,
then wandered through the darkened house to stand at the kitchen
window. She moved aside the ruffled chintz curtain and stared out
at the backyard, watching the moonlight wash the bare lawn in
shades of silver and gray.

She loved this winter, loved the cold that
made cuddling by the fire such a necessity, loved everything about
this season. Ironically, it seemed fitting that the wonder of the
season nearly matched the sense of light and joy she felt in her
spirit.

Briskly rubbing her hands on her arms to
ward off the chill, she let her thoughts tumble.

How blessed I am. In this house, in this
life, in this loving marriage.

She knew not many couples could say they
were more in love after fourteen years of marriage than they had
ever before been.

Callan couldn’t believe they just celebrated
their anniversary. It had been quite a year for them both.

After almost losing Clay twice, once by her
own stubbornness, and once from his accident, she knew she would
never take another day with him for granted. Each day was too
precious to waste on regrets.

Clay suddenly slid his arms around her,
pulling her close against his bare chest and startled her. When he
started to nuzzle her ear, she smiled.

“What are you doing up, Laney? Why aren’t
you sleeping?” Clay mumbled in a husky tone with his breath warm
against her ear.

She wrapped his hands tighter around her
waist and settled into his arms. “I was too happy to sleep,” she
said on a soft sigh.