Six Miles From Nashville (21 page)

“You did?”

He placed the guitar against the wall and took her hands. “I want to take care of you, now and always.”

“Bill.”

“I can’t imagine my life without you. I want you to be my wife. Do you think you could ever love me? I know that I love you.”

Her eyes danced. “I love you, too.”

He pulled her close and kissed her tenderly on the lips. He held her and whispered in  her ear. “So, you will marry me?”

“Yes.”

The
bride stood in front of a full-length mirror adjusting the chapel-length veil around her face. It flowed behind her in a sheer, lace dotted train. Her dress had a full empire waist trimmed with wide Chantilly lace around the bottom of the skirt. The bishop sleeves were accented with tiny pink bows at the wrist and at the high neck. Betty’s face was aglow with love for the man who was about to meet her at the altar.

Her mama kissed her on the cheek as
her daddy offered her his arm. She held on for dear life as they waited just behind the swinging doors to the sanctuary of the small church.

The wedding march rang out from the old organ and the ushers opened the doors for her to walk through.
She saw that the place was full, but her focus was on the face of the groom.

Their eyes locked and no one else in the world mattered.
Her father took her slowly down the isle. It was a moment frozen in time. Her face glowed with love and reflected the emotion from his twinkling dark
eyes.

He looked handsome in his white tuxedo coat trimmed in black satin. The black bell bottoms and white ruffled shirt
edged in black were the latest trend in fashion. He had also rented patent leather shoes to match. His best friend had helped him fasten the black satin cummerbund just before they walked out to await the bride. If he was uncomfortable in the stylish clothes, no one could detect it.

Mr. Barnes put her hand in
Bill’s
and found his place next to his wife. Phyllis sniffed loudly and dabbed her eyes.

Although Betty heard the irritating sound, it had no affect on her as she smiled up to the face of her groom.
Had he always been this handsome?

T
he old pastor began by referring to Scripture that revealed that the Lord was interested in weddings. He attended the wedding at Cana where He preformed His first miracle. He quoted from memory the vows to love and honor until death do us part. The vows were serious and both bride and groom felt the weight of them. It was to be a union to never be dissolved. They knelt for prayer as the pastor prayed a blessing over their marriage.

A moment before t
hey sealed their promises with a kiss, her eyes flickered. She wondered if it was fair to marry such a good man. She had so much hurt in her past, would she be able to be the kind of wife he needed? He squeezed her hand and mouthed, ‘I love you.’ It was just what she needed to get through the rest of the service.

As they turned to greet their friends and family
, they were introduced for the first time as Mr. and Mrs. Bill Wall. They began their journey six miles from Nashville and would continue it wherever life took them.

The End

Coming soon:

Christmas in Nashville

A Note From the Author:

If you have enjoyed this book, please write a review for it on amazon.com or goodreads.com or even on your profile page on facebook. I appreciate it so much when you share your books with friends and/or tell them about my writing. It really does help a lot.

I realize that many readers may not be believers. They rush through the ‘God stuff’ to get to the rest of the story. What I want to say to all of the readers is that I am not writing to be offensive to anyone, but, as the Bible states, “The cross is an offense to many.”

I am not a preacher, but as a believer in Jesus, I cannot help but share the hope I have in Jesus Christ. I will not tell you that the Christian life is without struggles. I will tell you that in my darkest times, when I reach out to God, He has never failed to hold me steady.

You may have noticed that these books do not portray Christians as flawless individuals. We cannot be perfect all the time. That is why we need a Savior. When we sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sin. I find great comfort in that.

Maybe the message of Salvation through Jesus Christ spoke to you in this book and you responded. Maybe it spoke to you and you took it as an emotional part of the story. Right now, I would like for you to examine what Jesus means to you. Do you know Him as your God? If you do not and you would like to, I would be happy to pray with you over the telephone. (806)202-0204 or you can email me at [email protected]. If you would rather pray privately, then you can use your own words or you might want to use the following as a guideline:

Dear Jesus,

I have become aware of the fact that I need a Savior. I cannot save myself. I have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Forgive me of my sin and help me to follow You.

I believe that You are God’s Son and that You came to live a perfect life so that You could be the only Sacrifice for my sin. You shed Your blood for me, died, and rose from the dead on the third day.

I want to believe. Help my unbelief. Wash me from my sin and I will be whiter than snow. My sins are gone and I am set free from the power of sin and death.  I am now your child and will follow You.

Amen.

You will need to start reading the Bible. I recommend that you start in the New Testament in St. John. You are not in this alone.

Please
contact me if you prayed that prayer at the phone number above, email, at elainelittau.com, or nansjourney.blogspot.com. I can be found on twitter as nansjourney. I would love to hear from you.

Elaine Littau

About the Author

Elaine Littau is the author of  seven published books and many magazine and newspaper articles. She is  a mentor/coach for other authors and enjoys public speaking for groups.  Many enjoy listening to her humorous take on life. Even the most simple activity takes on a life of it’s own when Elaine is involved in the telling of it.

Some of her favorite events have been speaking to young people about pursuing their dreams. She has been a church secretary, Sunday School teacher, led women’s groups, and taught pre-school, and was a mentor for the M.O.P.S. (Mother’s of  Preschoolers) group in her community.

Her writings have also received recognition:

Nan’s Journey - Named “Best Christian Historical Fiction 2008” by Christian Story Tellers.

Luke’s Legacy - “Honorable Mention Christian Historical Fiction 2010” by Christian Story Tellers.

Elaine and Terry, her husband since 1975, reside on a small acreage near Perryton, Texas where they enjoy spending time with family and friends. They raised three sons and now enjoy three daughters-in-law and five grandchildren.