Page 195 of Wicked Fantasies

“The picnic at our old house on Anders Street was wonderful and this place,” Faith gestured to the fire hall, “it looks incredible. And my dress. Thank you.”

Turning, her mother grasped her hands. “You look lovely in that dress, dear. Have you had a good time this weekend?”

“The best time of my life.”

“Well, it’s not over yet.” Troy took her arm and led her to the middle of the dance floor, surprising her by dropping down on one knee. The room fell silent and Faith felt her heart race at the image of Troy’s handsome face looking up at her as if she were the only person on the planet.

“Twenty-five years ago, I asked you to be my wife and you said yes. Faith, no man’s ever had a more wonderful life than me and well, if it’s okay with you, I’d like to do it all over. What do you say we get hitched…again?”

Faith laughed through the tears streaming down her face. Nodding, she said, “Okay, that sounds like fun.”

The crowd cheered at his proposal and her response. As Troy rose, he gestured toward a hallway off the back of the room that led to the fire hall’s kitchen and restrooms. From the door, Faith gasped as the minister who married them came out followed by their original wedding party.

“Oh my God,” Faith whispered as her two best friends from high school strolled into the room on the arms of Troy’s brother and his cousin, the groomsmen from their first wedding.

She couldn’t hold back her girlish squeal as she and her two friends rushed to hug each other, all of them crying and talking at once. She hadn’t seen either of her friends in years and she had remarked to Troy on more than one occasion how much she missed them.

“How did you find them?” she asked, turning to Troy who walked over to greet both women with a friendly hug and kiss on the cheek.

“Facebook. Jenna showed me how to sign up and use it.”

Faith laughed at the idea of her anti-technology husband starting a Facebook account. “Amazing.”

The deejay began playing the wedding march and Jenna handed Faith a beautiful bouquet of daisies, her favorite flower. Troy took her to the end of a strip of red carpet she hadn’t noticed before. At the other end of the rug, a decorated arch had been erected and the minister stood beneath it. They were going to renew their wedding vows. Right now. Here.

Faith swallowed hard, the beauty of this moment shaking her more than everything that had come before. Troy was offering her the ultimate do over.

Her bridesmaids and the two groomsmen walked forward, in time to the music, taking their places off to the side. Faith started to step forward, but Troy held her back.

“Not yet. The best man and maid of honor will lead us in.”

Faith gave him a quizzical look until Jackson took Jenna’s arm and led her to the front of the room. As they reached the arch, her two grown-up children turned and faced her, both of them smiling widely.

She looked up at Troy, shaking her head slightly in utter disbelief. “This is the best day of my life.”

He grinned, then bent forward to rub his nose against hers. “Every day since the night of senior prom has been my best day. I love you, Faith.”

Pulling gently, he escorted her to the archway and there, under the gazes of their children, their family and friends, they renewed their wedding vows.

She gasped when the minister kept the exchange of rings part. Jackson pulled a ring on a string out of his pocket and handed it to Troy, who placed it on her finger. It was an anniversary band, large and sparkly and stunning.

“A more worthy trade,” he whispered. “I’m going to need my jacket back now.”

She laughed through her tears at his joke. Only Troy could make such a moment so touching…and funny.

The minister gave Troy permission to kiss the bride and as he did so, the room burst into loud applause.

The rest of the evening flew by in a beautiful blur and Faith was reminded of Troy’s letter about their first wedding. She knew, like him, there were special moments of the evening she would carry in her heart forever. Beautiful scenes she would always remember.

Her children standing beside the arch as they walked down the aisle.

Troy taking her in his arms for their secondfirst dance,the sounds of Billy Joel singing their wedding song, “You’re My Home.”

Troy proposing a toast to his mother and her father, who’d both passed away since their first wedding.

A series of tiny pieces that all floated together to create the most magical night of her life.

Waving goodbye to the last guests in the parking lot, Faith glanced at her watch, surprised to find it was after 1:00 a.m. She’d danced and talked the night away. As she and Troy walked hand in hand to the truck, Faith decided her first wedding hadn’t been half as much fun as the do over.

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