Loving (32 page)

No one in all the world.

Pastor Mark kept talking but Brandon stayed wrapped up in Bailey. He could see her opening the door of her house, her shock because he had flown in to help her pack before her move to New York City. And she was flying across the stage in
Hairspray
, lighting up the whole theater with her dancing and singing. She was in
his arms at the only prom ever staged on a New York City rooftop and she was kissing him at the top of the Empire State Building. He saw the look on her face when he told her he wasn’t leaving, that he would fight for her and wait for her all his life if that’s what it took. And when she walked with him along the beach and when she told him yes near a lit-up fire pit last summer.

He blinked again and he saw her as she was here, stunning in the most unbelievable white gown, her face glowing, ready to trust him and love him for life.

The time had come for the vows. Andi held Bailey’s bouquet so Brandon could take her hands. The feel of her skin against his only intensified the way he felt, the joy filling everything inside him. They had written the words they would say, and Brandon felt strong and determined as he began. Like there had never been anything in all his life that mattered as much as this moment, that he’d never been as sure about what he was going to say.

“I, Brandon Paul, take you, Bailey Flanigan, to be my wife. I promise to love you and cherish you all the days of my life. When the whole world crashes in and you’re sick or afraid or discouraged, I promise to stay beside you and pray for you and remind you of the truth. I promise to lead you, the way God intended.”

Bailey’s eyes filled with tears. She was clearly struggling not to break down. She sniffed and nodded as a tear slid down her pretty face.

Brandon felt his own eyes blur, felt the tears gather there too. But he didn’t cry, didn’t let his voice break. The words meant too much to let anything stop him from finishing his promise. His voice rang strong with passion and sincerity as he continued. “I will hold you up when you cannot go another step, and I will remind you what love means when you’re tempted to forget. Where you are, I will be, and that place will be our home. Bailey, I consider you God’s greatest gift. And so I promise to be faithful
to our love and careful with your heart. Until I draw my final breath.”

Pastor Mark seemed deeply moved by the emotion of Brandon’s words. He looked right at him. “Do you, Brandon, take Bailey as your wife, to love in the power of Jesus Christ for as long as you both shall live?”

“I do.” A smile filled Brandon’s face as he finished.

Because in all his life he had never meant any words more.

B
AILEY WAS TREMBLING, THE EMOTION
of the moment almost more than she could take. They both knew each other’s vows, but now it was like she was hearing them for the first time. Her turn had come and she felt herself gain control of her heart. She would say these words with strength and conviction, the way Brandon had said them. The way he deserved to hear them.

Holding tight to his hands, she began. “I, Bailey Flanigan, take you, Brandon Paul, to be my husband.” She grinned, overcome by the amazing way it felt to say that. “I promise to love you and cherish you all the days of my life. When the whole world crashes in and you’re sick or afraid or discouraged, I promise to stay beside you and pray for you and remind you of the truth. I promise to trust you to lead me, the way God intended.”

With everything in her, she wanted to hug him before finishing. Because his look of love was beyond what she had ever imagined when she thought about this moment. Instead she drew a steadying breath and continued. “I will hold you up when you cannot go another step, and I will remind you what love means when you’re tempted to forget. Where you are, I will be, and that place will be our home.” She angled her head slightly, and smiled because she was ready now. If God called them to Los Angeles or to the Philippines or to the moon, she would go. Wherever he was, that’s all that mattered. “Brandon, I consider you God’s
greatest gift. And so I promise to be faithful to our love and careful with your heart. Until I draw my final breath.”

Pastor Mark hesitated, his eyes damp. “Okay, then.” He looked at Bailey. “Do you, Bailey, take Brandon as your husband, to love in the power of Jesus Christ for as long as you both shall live?”

Bailey looked straight at Brandon, at the man he was and the man she knew he would be as they shared their life together. “I do.”

The depth and meaning in the moment made them both lean in closer to each other, no longer aware of the people who filled the church. After a few seconds, Connor walked up to the side of the stage where a microphone was set up, and he sang a song he’d written for the day, a song that had been a surprise until this day. While he sang, Bailey and Brandon walked to a small table where they lit a unity candle and then took communion. Something they had both wanted to include in their ceremony.

Brandon prayed quietly over the moment. “Father, I commit my life to you and to Bailey, my forever love, my wife. Help me be the leader you want me to be, and help us to keep you at the center of our lives and actions and love. For now and always. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

Connor began to sing the second verse and every word spoke straight to Bailey’s soul. The song was called “This Is What Love Looks Like,” and Bailey could hear people sniffing and pulling out tissues across the church. It talked about how her parents and his had prayed about this moment all their lives. As the song ended, they returned to their spot at the center of the stage and Andi fluffed out Bailey’s train once more. She barely noticed, so caught up in Brandon. God had done this, removed the mountains that once stood between them and He alone had brought them to this day. Brandon moved closer to her, running his thumbs along hers. She could read forever in his eyes and again it made her forget everything around her but him.

Only him.

Pastor Mark’s announcement that it was time for the rings was the only thing that brought them back, ready to continue the ceremony. Dayne held Bailey’s wedding band — since they’d put a fake ring on the pillow to keep the real one from getting lost. Now he handed it to Brandon while Pastor Mark looked at the congregation. “The ring is a symbol of forever, a symbol of unending love and promise. It has long been a sign of the covenant of marriage, and Bailey and Brandon have chosen to exchange rings as proof of the commitment they are making today.”

Bailey held her hand out for Brandon, and she saw that she was no longer shaking. With all her heart, everything she was and would ever be, she wanted this ring, wanted the promise and love and commitment that came with it. She smiled at Brandon and their eyes held, the way they would for all time.

Repeating after the pastor, Brandon slid the ring onto her left finger. “With this ring …” he grinned at her, “I thee wed.”

Bailey felt dizzy with a sort of joy and happiness she had never known before. It was her turn and she took the wedding band from Andi. Then she turned to Brandon and repeated the simple, traditional vow they’d decided on for this part of the ceremony. She felt her smile filling her face. The celebration was almost at hand. “With this ring, I thee wed.”

She could hardly breathe, hardly wait to kiss him and know for now and ever more that she was Brandon Paul’s wife.

“All right, then.” In a voice full of rich enthusiasm, Pastor Mark looked from Bailey to Brandon and back again. “By the power vested in me by the State of Indiana, I now pronounce you husband and wife.” He smiled. “Brandon, you may kiss your bride.”

In a slow-motion moment Bailey would feel in her heart as long as she lived, Brandon took her face gently in his hands and kissed her — kissed her in a way that told everyone in the church
and God Almighty that he would never let her go. Not as long as they lived. The kiss must’ve lasted a few seconds longer than usual, because the next thing Bailey heard was a wave of soft laughter from their guests.

They drew back and then hugged once more before turning to their friends and family, who were on their feet clapping and cheering and wiping away tears. Bailey and Brandon were married and ready for a lifetime together. And so they celebrated out loud because in that moment every single person in the church understood what Brandon and Bailey already knew, what Connor had sung about and Pastor Mark had talked about.

This was what love looked like.

I
N THE LIMO ON THE WAY TO THE RECEPTION, WHEN THEY WERE
finally alone, Bailey leaned on her husband and tried to believe this wasn’t a dream. “That was beautiful.” She smiled at him. “Beyond what I imagined.”

“It was perfect.” Miraculously, they’d kept the paparazzi from crashing their wedding, thanks to Brandon’s careful planning. Now he took her in his arms. “But not as perfect as you.” He kissed her, tenderly and deeply without holding back. They were both breathless as he moved his lips lightly onto her cheekbone and whispered, “Have I mentioned,” his lips found hers once more, “I can’t wait for the honeymoon?”

The anticipation made her head spin and her body anxious for the time later that night when they could be together. Fully and completely together. “I can’t wait. In fact,” she returned his kiss, working her fingers along the side of his face and into his dark hair, “I have a feeling about tonight.”

“Mmm, you do?” Brandon kissed her neck and then searched her eyes. “Tell me.”

She could feel the passion in her eyes and she was grateful for the privacy glass that separated them from the driver. “I have a feeling it’ll be worth the wait.”

Brandon’s expression told her he couldn’t agree more. He sat back in his seat and closed his eyes for a few seconds. “Okay. Think about the reception. That’s what I’m telling myself.”

They fell onto each other laughing, and they were still lost
in their own world when they arrived on the campus of Indiana University and headed into the Grand Ballroom. They saw Bailey’s mom first, just inside the double doors. “The ceremony was so wonderful.” She hugged Bailey and then Brandon. “Congratulations.”

Bailey hugged her mom. “Thank you for this. It’s a fairytale.”

“It’s what you deserve.” She hesitated for a moment, their eyes holding. “Okay, so I’ll let the emcee know you’re here. Wait till he announces you before you come in.” Her face looked like Christmas morning. “This is going to be amazing. I’ll see you inside.”

Brandon slipped his arm around Bailey’s waist and whispered to her, “We have to be serious now.”

“Hmm.” She gave him a flirty grin and brushed her face against his. “Not too serious.”

As the emcee announced them to their guests, Brandon and Bailey held hands and walked inside. The bridal party had already been announced and they were seated at the head table. Bailey felt like she was walking onto a breathtaking movie set, because every detail of the ballroom looked beyond magical. Twinkling lights covered every post and railing, and the ceiling was draped with billowy white batiste cloth, underneath which additional rows of lights created a starry night sky effect.

Bailey made a point to savor the moments: the prayer by her dad before the meal and the music and conversation and laughter that played in the background while they ate with their guests. As dinner wound down, Andi and Dayne took turns toasting them. Andi went first. She faced the guests and for a long while she looked at Bailey.

“I’ve known Bailey since our days at Indiana University.” That’s as far as she got before her voice broke. For a moment she hung her head and put her hand to her mouth. She struggled for a few seconds and Bailey fought the urge to go to her, hug her, and assure her that it was okay to feel, okay to cry. But before
she could act on her thought, Andi looked up again and smiled through her tears. “Sorry.” She paused. “No one has been a better friend to me than Bailey Flanigan. She’s always been there for me,” once more she turned to Bailey, “even when the situation was hard.”

Bailey felt tears in her own eyes, and beside her Brandon slipped his arm around her shoulders. They all knew the hard times Andi was referring to, and how God had led them past that situation.

Andi turned to the front of the room again. “I’ve prayed for her and she’s prayed for me more times than I can count. I can remember praying that God would bring her the perfect guy, the one He had created just for her.” She gave a quick smile to Bailey and Brandon. “After watching the way Brandon loved her — right from the beginning — I was convinced he was that guy. And now, Bailey and Brandon … I wish you God’s greatest blessings as you begin your life together.”

Dayne’s words for Brandon were shorter and with the depth and humor that marked their relationship. “Brandon, you are a changed man since you met Bailey. God used her to bring you closer to Him, and now God will use you to lead her and love her.” He grinned at them. “I’m just glad you found her a real ring. That seaweed one wouldn’t have lasted.”

Everyone laughed and toasted sparkling cider — the way Bailey and Brandon had requested.

Their first dance was next, and Brandon carefully led her onto the floor as their song began to play. The song was Steven Curtis Chapman’s “I Will Be Here,” and it defined the promise and commitment that marked this day.

In Brandon’s arms Bailey felt safe and sure, and once more her awareness of the people around them faded and there was only her and Brandon. Always her and Brandon. He was a good dancer, something she had learned the first time on the rooftop
of the Keller’s apartment building. Now, every step of their first dance as husband and wife felt etched on her heart, where it would stay as long as she lived. The moment was that beautiful.

The rest of the wedding party joined them on the floor, and for the next half hour the dancing changed from sentimental to celebration. The break that followed gave them time to cut the cake while their family and friends gathered around. Brandon had threatened to make the moment messy, but in the end they both took the gentle approach and shared a kiss afterward that led the ballroom to erupt in a round of whistles and applause.

After everyone ate dessert, Bailey joined the single girls on the dance floor and threw her bouquet, which was caught by Maddie — Brooke’s daughter. As she left the dance floor Bailey walked alongside Andi. “It should’ve been you.”

“Aww, thanks.” Andi gave her a side hug.

And then — for the first time that day — it occurred to Bailey that Cody Coleman was here.

That somewhere in the room and, for that matter, somewhere back at the church, the guy she had cared for so deeply for so many years was actually here as Andi’s date. The realization was both telling and freeing. Because if she’d thought about Cody before this moment she might’ve wondered at herself. Whether she had really moved on from the memory of him.

But the truth was she’d moved on a long time ago. She looked around the room and spotted him, making his way to the dance floor where Brandon was about to toss the garter to the sea of single guys. He looked older, more filled out, more confident. He wasn’t watching her, didn’t seem to notice her in that moment any more than she had noticed him the whole day to this point.

Andi was still beside her. “He wants to catch it,” she laughed. Then she gave Bailey a more serious look. “Thanks for letting him come.” She glanced from the head table back to Bailey. “Do you mind if I sit with him and my parents now?”

“Not at all.” Joy filled her at the thought of Andi with Cody, how right it was and how happy they were. “We’re finished at the head table anyway.”

They watched as Brandon flung the garter and Connor snagged it before Cody or anyone else could. He held it up like a trophy and then smiled for the photographer while the other guys patted his back and teased him about being next.

The emcee announced that the next dance would be for the bride and her father. Bailey immediately looked across the room at her dad. Like he promised, he had stayed close by. Several times she had met his eyes from her place at the head table and always she was glad that this part of her special day wasn’t like her favorite movie. She didn’t want her dad to miss a thing.

Like every other detail, Bailey had this part of her wedding planned long ago. The father-daughter dance was to Bob Carlisle’s “Butterfly Kisses” and tears gathered in Bailey’s eyes even before she and her dad met on the dance floor. He took her in his arms and for a long time, as the music spoke of a daddy’s love for his daughter, he could only look at her, his own eyes full of unshed tears. The music told what felt like the story of her life with her father. The bedtime prayers and pony rides and funny moments. But always her hug every morning, and butterfly kisses at night.

Partway through the song, he seemed to compose himself. “I’m proud of you, Bailey.”

The little girl she would in some ways always be could hardly believe this moment was here. “You’ve been the best daddy ever.”

“I tried.” He hugged her, the dance still playing out. As he drew back he smiled at her. “This part of the song … it always makes me cry.”

“Me too.”

The song talked about this being the day she would change her name, the day he would give her away, the feeling that as the wedding approached he was losing his little girl. And just like that
their moment was over. Brandon and his mother joined them for the next song. With all the key events of the reception behind them, the band launched into a playlist of fast and slow songs that kept the party going. Brandon found her after his dance with his mother and he whispered close to her. “We need to go around and thank everyone for coming.”

They had planned for this, and going from one table to another went smoothly and easily, faster than the old-fashioned receiving lines for sure. Not until they reached the Ellisons’ table did Bailey remember once more that Cody was there. She and Brandon approached their table, hand in hand, and thanked everyone for coming. Some of the guests had stood and hugged them, while others had shook their hands or simply smiled and nodded in their direction.

Bailey held her breath waiting to see how this would go, and she was glad when Keith and Lisa Ellison took the lead, smiling and congratulating Brandon and Bailey from their seats. Bailey didn’t look in Cody’s direction until she had to, until the exchange with the Ellisons was clearly over. At that exact moment, one of the other bridesmaids called Andi over to another table, which left Cody by himself. Brandon looked his way first. “Hey, man, glad you could come.” He held out his hand and Cody stood and shook it.

“Congratulations.” Cody’s smile was sincere. “Thanks for having me.”

Bailey felt a sudden and deep sorrow, a sadness she couldn’t put into words. Not because she still loved Cody or because she wished he were the one standing beside her. But because the moment felt distant. Different. But then Cody looked at her — and in the time it took for her heart to beat, the distance was gone. They couldn’t have held that look for more than a couple seconds, but it was long enough for her to know how deeply Cody cared,
how his love for her — though different now — would always remain.

“Congratulations, Bailey.” He didn’t look away, but his tone was proof of his absolute sincerity. “I’m happy for you.”

“Thanks.” Bailey’s eyes were dry, her heart at peace with this new place they’d found. “You and Andi … we’re happy for you too.”

He smiled, and there was no question about his feelings for Andi Ellison. The look in his eyes at the thought of her was different than any look he’d ever had for Bailey. Further proof that these were the plans God had for each of them. Separate plans.

Brandon gave her hand a slight squeeze. “Hey, well, thanks again. We’re going to say hi to a few other folks.”

“Yes,” Bailey was easily pulled from the moment. “Thanks.” And like that they moved on to the next table.

Through the rest of the night, Bailey only thought about Cody when he was on the dance floor with Andi, and then only to smile at the way they looked together. Like God was up to something wonderful with the two of them. The last hour of the party slipped away and their friends and family gathered around to see them off. Bailey and Brandon said goodbye to his parents and they found a quick moment with her parents, to thank them for the wedding.

“Your love is our example,” Brandon told Bailey’s dad. They shared hugs and then hurried out the door down a pathway through the guests, all of whom held lit sparklers. Tin cans and washable car paint decorated their getaway limo, and as Bailey and Brandon stepped inside and shut the door they both looked at each other.

“We’re married.” Brandon looked completely captivated, mesmerized by her. “You’re my wife, Bailey.”

“You’re my husband.”

“And we’re headed to Fiji!”

They came together in a kiss that promised much about the coming days. “It’s a dream, Brandon.” She searched his eyes, knowing his heart and soul like they were her own. “All of it’s a dream.”

Before another moment went by Brandon prayed for them, thanking God for letting him film
Unlocked
and for giving them a friendship first and for the salvation that would guarantee them an eternity together. And finally he thanked God for the one thing they had waited a lifetime for.

Their very own happy ending.