Page 138 of Left Behind

Moments later, Dani, the maid of honor, came down the aisle, followed by Amalie and Amy, a nurse who was one of Linette’s oldest friends from work. They took their places at the altar and then looked up the aisle.

Ava appeared in the doorway—a tiny blond in floor-length pink tulle, walking beside the little boy with black hair who was sedately carrying the ring fastened to a white satin pillow. He had one eye on the little blond scattering flowers beside him and the other on their progression.

But Ava wasn’t ignoring anything. She was aware of herself in a way she’d never felt. She felt pretty, and important, and most of all, she felt loved, and her best friend, Mikey, was walking with her, whispering as they went, “You’re doing good.”

***

Wiley saw it all as if watching it all through a veil, because he was waiting for Linette, the woman who made his life matter.

And then the music changed, and when it did, everyone in the congregation stood and turned to look up the aisle.

The bride and her father appeared in the doorway.

Wiley took a deep breath and found himself blinking back tears. They were moving toward him, and it was all he could do to wait. The rest of the ceremony was a blur of words and rituals and flowers and a ring, and the vow of promising to love her forever and beyond.

And then it was over.

He heard Brother Farley pronouncing them husband and wife, and then he kissed her.

And in that brief moment of silence, as they were turning toward the congregation, Ava spoke her delight.

“You’re married!” she cried. “No more almost wife.”

The congregation erupted in laughter, and Linette and Wiley laughed along with them.

“I’ve got Ava,” Aaron whispered. “You two head into the dining hall. You have a cake to cut and a first dance waiting to happen.”

The cake and punch happened, and then the band began to play an old Willie Nelson song, “Always on My Mind,” as Wiley led Linette out onto the floor. His arms went around her. Her hand was on his shoulder. Their eyes locked into each other’s gaze. And as the music swelled around them, he swung her into a waltz and whispered in her ear.

“The family has a secret. Only spouses are allowed to know, and it can never be told to outsiders. All of us on the mountain—the Pope, the Cauley, and the Glass families—own Jubilee, lock, stock, and barrel, and the mountain on which we’re standing. PCG Incorporated, the company you pay rent to, the company that owns the hospital and every building in the valley, is all of us, and Cameron is the CEO. We make a buttload of money and get quarterly dividends that will keep us solvent for the rest of our lives. So, mum’s the word, my love. Mum’s the word.”

Linette gasped. “Talk about classified material and a need to know! Holy crap, Batman!”

Wiley threw back his head and laughed, then kicked into high gear and spun her around the floor, dipping and swaying, until others joined in. He looked once to make sure Ava wasn’t feeling left out and saw her sitting with Dani.

Then the brothers began cutting in, and he reluctantly gave Linette up and went to get Ava. He bowed at where she was sitting and then held out his hand.

“Miss Ava, would you like to dance?”

She giggled. It was all Wiley needed to hear. Moments later she was in his arms, and he was swirling her across the floor.

“We got married today, didn’t we, Bubba?”

He grinned. “Yes, we did, honey. Yes, we did.”

“Am I gonna sleep in my new room soon?”

“Yes, but not tonight. You’re spending the night with Grammy and Sean and Amalie, remember? We move in two more days, and then we’ll all be sleeping in our new house.”

Her voice segued back to the whisper she’d come with as she tucked her head beneath his chin. “Corina can’t find us there, right?”

He hugged her closer. “Honey, don’t ever worry about her again. Corina is gone forever, understand?”

Ava blinked. “Did she drop dead like Miss Mattie?”

“What would you think if that happened?” he asked.

“I’d think I was safe.”

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