Page 53 of The Fence Between Us

He’d had the ring since he was eighteen, all of the extra money he earned working with Mr. Jack at the corner pharmacy when he wasn’t helping at the bed and breakfast, went straight toward saving for the bit of sparking rock and bright metal. When he’d left town all those years ago, he left it with a friend to dispose of, knowing it would never sit on the finger of the girl who held his heart. He couldn’t express the gratitude he had that Mrs. Basket held onto it all of these years; it had sat in his pocket every moment since she’d returned it to him with a knowing smile.

Rabble surged to his feet and swept Skye into a tight embrace, the kind that came with never wanting to let go. As the cheering and whistling increased, the world started moving again, along with the float that had stopped during his proposal, not that Rabble or Skye had noticed.

The flower girls tossed candy from the trailer into the crowd. Thankfully, Elyza had the foresight to fill the girls’ baskets with chocolate and not harder candy as pieces bounced off unsuspecting parade-goers. Declan and Dash clasped his shoulders, steadying and congratulating him—Declan in his usual loud manner and Dash in his calmer, more subdued way. Bekah and Kellyn pulled Skye into a screeching huddle-hug that only increased in size when Elyza jumped from the truck bed onto the trailer to celebrate with her friends.

During the rest of the parade, Skye periodically flashed her ring at the crowd, grinning like a lovestruck schoolgirl. He recognized some of them, older now than they’d been when he left town, but they shouted louder, telling him that there had always been those rooting for them all along.

Throughout the parade, Rabble stole glances at his fiancée, at the woman he knew and loved, at the woman this town knew andloved, pleased he could help her replace her earlier panic with happier memories.

Seeing her joy was all he ever wanted. And in the same way she had done for him as children, he would strive to protect her peace for the remainder of their lives.

Chapter 32

The Wedding

Skye

Handing over the reins for the wedding turned out to be one of the best decisions Skye ever made. The idea of coordinating the number of details that went into a wedding and reception, even a small one like theirs, made her head spin. Elyza, however, thrived on the chaos that came with mixing and matching colors and fabrics and flowers. She blossomed under the challenge, and Skye gladly handed over control to her friend, except for the guest list and the dress.

Skye and Rabble kept the guest list extremely limited, especially since the majority of their friends would already bestanding at the front of the church alongside them. Mrs. Basket and Olivia were among the few others to receive invitations, along with Mrs. MacAlister, Elyza and the twins’ mother. So long as Skye could call Rabble her husband at the end of the day, she didn’t care about much of anything pertaining to the wedding.

Skye’s other requirement felt more personal, so she privately enlisted Elyza’s help. They met at The Wild Bride one night after closing, and Elyza made sure Skye found exactly what she wanted amid the pre-laid out selection. The thought of wearing a white wedding dress still made her heart seize with anxiety, so Elyza pulled three shimmering gowns from the endless racks for Skye to choose from. With her friend’s careful attention, she left the bridal shop feeling lighter than a feather drifting on a soft wind.

Elyza made a show of revealing the venue she’d selected for the wedding and reception. A small church that had sat abandoned on the outskirts of town for years, left to fall into disrepair. Skye had always loved the church, the magnificent stained glass in delicately arched windows, the towering steeple, and ornately crafted cross at its peak. A sense of rightness went through Skye, and her heart thumped with growing excitement.

“Isn’t the church a little…” Skye searched for a kinder word thandecrepit. “Dated?”

Elyza gave her a secret smile, a twinkle in her eye. “Do you trust me?”

She balked at the question. Of course, she trusted Elyza. They were best friends, and yet… Skye sucked in a deep breath through her nose and slowly released it from her mouth, a calming technique she’d been working on. “I trust that you’ll work your magic.”

Elyza pulled Skye into a hug, one full of unspoken gratitude for each other. Skye found herself squeezing Elyza back fiercely, tears pricking her eyes.

“Let’s get you married, girlfriend!” Elyza said with a grin.

Skye couldn’t help the blush that crept up her neck, spilling warm pink onto her cheek as she giggled. “Deal.”

***

Rabble

The repairs to the church turned out beautiful. Skye had always loved the place, ever since the original congregation moved toward the city center, leaving the old building to fall into disorder. Purchasing it didn’t take long at all. He contacted the pastor and then his realtor. Pulling the right strings, the entire transaction took less than a week to complete, and Rabble became the proud owner of one derelict church.

They didn’t have time to fix everything wrong with the structure, but fortunately the building had solid bones. Beyond a fresh coat of paint, a quick polish for the floors, and temporary fixes for the chipped stained-glass windows, everything else would have to wait. Dash salvaged four pews from a stack of furniture in the corner of the nave and dusted them for the intimate gathering.

With Dash in charge of ensuring Rabble arrived at the church on time, they pulled into the parking lot an hour ahead of schedule. The man had no patience for arriving anywhere near on time. In his estimation, if you weren’t early, you were late. Usually Rabble and Declan would give him a hard time for it, butRabble was secretly grateful for the early arrival time. He could work out some of his nerves while they waited.

Rabble took one step into the sanctuary and whistled in appreciation at Elyza’s talent. She successfully concealed the unfinished parts of the church under artful wedding decorations. Cream lace and sheer wheat-colored fabric draped around the pews they’d salvaged, and vases wrapped with satin ribbon adorned as many surfaces as possible, each with simple bundles of white sweet alyssum, vibrant-yellow coneflowers, and fountain grass.

A distant voice drifted inside the church and Rabble met Joe Armanan at the door. Small-town sheriff and conveniently, a registered officiant. Was there anything the man couldn’t do? As he took his place at the altar, Joe gave Rabble a small smile, though it looked more like a grimace on his craggy face.

Rabble escorted Mrs. Basket and Olivia to their seats when they arrived together. As he knelt before the older woman, tears pricked at his eyes. “Thank you,” he choked out in a whisper.

She patted his cheek affectionately. “You’re a good boy, Rabble Raden. And an even better man, Matthew.”

***

Skye

---