Page 133 of Zane

Plus, he really did want the memory of committing to Kelsey before friends and family and slipping a ring on her finger.

Putting his arm around Kayleigh’s shoulders, he said, “Thank you for everything you’ve done to pull this off. I really appreciate it.”

“Anything for you, brother.” She gave him a hug, then relinquished him to Lee, who took him into the house and down to the basement where the guys were getting ready.

Since he hadn’t had a strong opinion on clothes for the wedding, he’d left that to Kayleigh as well. She was by far the most stylish of his siblings, though Lexi and Carisa were also pros when it came to fashion.

Kayleigh had taken responsibility for the men while Carisa had chosen the dresses for her, Rori, and Kelsey. He and the guys had had a chance to try on their outfits, but that hadn’t been the case for Kelsey, so he hoped that her dress fit and that she was happy with it.

Gareth joined them a few minutes later, since he was also standing up with Zane. Though he could have picked any of his brothers, Zane had appreciated the input Gareth had given him when he and Kelsey were struggling and wanted him standing up with them as they renewed their vows.

It didn’t take long for them to get dressed in the dark gray pleated slacks and white long-sleeved shirt that Kayleigh had chosen for them. Each of the men also wore a colored vest. Zane’s was a deep dark green, while Gareth wore maroon, and Lee was in a burnt orange vest. The ladies who were standing up with Kelsey would match the men they were paired with.

“How are you gentlemen doing?” Pastor Kennedy asked as he joined them once they were dressed.

“We’re ready to get this show on the road,” Lee told him.

“Perfect!” The pastor rubbed his hands together. “How about we say a prayer together before we join the others?”

After a short prayer, the men left the basement and returned to the backyard. The photographer took a few pictures of them, along with his parents, then it was time for the ladies to join them.

Because it wasn’t a traditional wedding, there wasn’t going to be a giving away of the bride. Instead, the men lined up by the back door.

When the door opened and Carisa stepped out, Gareth offered her his arm and they walked up the aisle to the string quartet version ofOde to Joythat flowed out of Bluetooth speakers strategically placed around the yard. Next, Rori came out, her burgeoning belly filling out the front of her dress.

Lee rested his hand on her stomach briefly before offering her his arm. They moved more slowly than Carisa and Gareth had, with Lee carefully helping Rori carefully descend each level of the deck.

Finally, Zane turned his attention to the door in anticipation of Kelsey’s appearance. When she stepped through the door, she took his breath away. Not because of the beautiful champagne colored dress she wore that fit her perfectly, or her flawless hair and makeup, or even the earrings and necklace he’d picked out for the occasion.

No, it was the expression on her face. Her beautiful smile and the light of love in her eyes when she saw him.

Approaching her, he said, “You look gorgeous.”

She rested her hand on his chest. “And you, my love, are so handsome.”

“Ready to do this?”

“Oh, yes.”

She shifted her bouquet, which was made up of all her favorite fall flowers, and slipped her hand through his arm. The two of them took their time walking to where Pastor Kennedy now waited for them at the arch.

The ceremony didn’t have many of the traditional elements of a wedding, but it did have a part for them to share their vows with each other. And then he had a ring for her.

After she handed off her bouquet to Rori, Zane took Kelsey’s hands. Pastor Kennedy welcomed them and said a prayer before sharing a few words, then he turned it over to Zane and took a seat beside his wife in the front row.

As Zane gazed down at Kelsey, the rest of the world fell away, and it was just the two of them.

“Kelsey, I may not remember how things started for us, but I’m thankful for the person I was then for choosing you to marry. You are a strong, beautiful woman who has brought so much joy into my life. Every day, my love for you grows.”

Feeling his emotions start to swell, he took a deep breath. “Thank you. Thank you for sticking with me through those first few months after the accident when I’d forgotten the most important things in my life. You and my love for you. You were faithful to our vows as you saw me through the worst, patiently loving me even though it hurt you.

“I’m thankful for how God has guided us through that dark time, and I know that He will see us through all the times ahead, both good and bad. Thank you for loving me when I wasn’t verylovable. Thank you for being willing to walk into the future, hand in hand with me.

“Today, as we stand before God and those we love, I vow to love you, and I will strive to be the husband that God would have me be. One that cherishes our love and guards it against anything that might try to tear us apart. I want the love we share to reflect God’s love for us.

“Kelsey, I love you more than I ever thought I could love someone. You hold my whole heart in your hands.” He cleared his throat. “I can’t wait to see where God takes us. I love you.”

Zane hadn’t given much thought to what he was going to say since Kelsey wasn’t going to have opportunity to prepare her vows ahead of time. So he just spoke from the heart.

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