Page 86 of A Chance at Forever
Rebecca interrupted them to announce the beginning of the ceremony. Victoria reminded herself to breathe as the music swelled, and she began to ascend the aisle, clinging to her father.
She kept her eyes focused on Rusty. He stood tall and erect next to Alex in his black tuxedo. His jaw dropped when he saw her, and she smiled at him.
They reached the altar where the minister and the bridal party waited for them, and Richard placed her hand in Rusty’s. It felt warm. Rough. Familiar. “Be happy,” Richard whispered and took his seat next to his sons.
Rusty’s eyes glittered with love and adoration. He murmured, “You’re the most enchanting bride I’ve ever seen.”
He’d gained a little weight over the past two weeks and wore his tux well. “Says the Greek god.”
He chuckled and they turned toward the minister who said a few brief words before announcing that Victoria intended to sing a special song for them. She handed her bouquet to Mia, and the minister offered a microphone. She took a deep breath as the minister’s wife began the introductory chords to an arrangement Victoria had worked on, a mash-up of “Here Comes the Sun” by the Beatles and “Truly, Madly, Deeply” by Savage Garden. At the end of the song, no one in the audience had a dry eye. Sniffles echoed in the sanctuary.
Rusty brushed the tears from his rugged cheeks. “I don’t have the words to express what I’m feeling right now. You take my breath away.”
The minister performed the traditional ceremony that Victoria and Rusty had requested. When it was time to exchange rings, Bud understood his role and approached the altar. His whole body shook with the force of his wagging tail, and the audience rippled with laughter. Victoria and Rusty untied the diamond-studded wedding bands from around the dog’s neck, repeated their vows, and slipped the rings on each other’s finger. Bud waited to be acknowledged, and they both reached down to rub his head.
“Good boy,” Rusty said.
Bud let out a huff and returned to his place next to Rebecca. The minister pronounced them husband and wife and indicated Rusty could kiss his bride. He grinned mischievously and took Victoria’s mouth in a full kiss before he dipped her. Everyone applauded as the couple made their way hand in hand down the aisle.
After an endless round of photographs, the wedding party climbed into the limousine and headed toward the reception. Rusty snatched a few hot kisses, much to the amusement of their friends. He and Victoria had not made love since their reunion, and his desire poured off him.
Over an hour later, after a dinner buffet catered by the Grand Hotel followed by humorous but heartfelt toasts by their friends and family, Rusty took Victoria in his arms for their first dance as husband and wife. A deep sigh of contentment rumbled in his chest.
“I’ve been dreaming of this moment all my life. Holding my wife in my arms for our first dance at our reception.” His eyes glowed with a hypnotic green light.
A tinkling laugh escaped her. “Why, Rusty, I never knew you were such a romantic.”
“I’m not. I’ve only felt like this about one woman. You. You’re my heaven, Tori. My chance at forever.”
Victoria’s breath caught in her throat. Tears stung her eyes. “I feel the same way about you. I love you, Rusty.”
The lyrics to Celine Dion’s “Because You Loved Me” swirled around them. Victoria rested her cheek against Rusty’s chest and listened to the familiar rhythm of his heartbeat. It comforted her, and his nearness, the way he danced with her, made her feel cherished.
By the time they cut the cake, Victoria sensed Rusty’s energy waning. She told the DJ to announce the couple’s departure, and everyone lined up in front of the ballroom’s exit to wish Victoria and Rusty well and to blow bubbles as they walked between rows of their guests. Under the circumstances, they had decided to spend a few days at the cabin up in the mountains. Rusty had reserved a VIP suite on the top floor of the Grand where they could change their clothes before leaving on their honeymoon. Though anxious to make love, they fueled the fire burning between them by slowly undressing each other and pausing often to kiss and caress.
“Soon,” Rusty whispered in Victoria’s ear. “I can’t wait to be with you as your husband.”
She shivered and gave her mouth up to his expert kisses. “Let’s hurry.”
Rusty drove as fast as he dared on treacherous Highway 10 that wound its way through the Rockies. When they arrived at the cabin, illuminated in the moonlight, he carried Victoria over the threshold and kicked the door shut behind him.
They didn’t make it to the bedroom.
*
It snowed everyday after their wedding. They spent the time snuggling in bed or in front of the fireplace and shared their hopes for the future they prayed they would have. Rusty wanted to name the baby, and Victoria agreed. He grew weaker and soon their idyllic getaway would end.
“If it’s a girl, let’s name her after our mothers,” Rusty suggested one evening as they cuddled on the sofa. “How does Catherine Eve sound?”
“Perfect. And there’s no doubt if it’s a boy we’re naming him after you.”
“After me…” Rusty’s voice faded into awe. He tilted Victoria’s chin toward him. “I can’t say this enough. The luckiest and happiest day of my life was the day you wandered into the diner in West Bend. You are, without a doubt, the most incredible person I’ve ever met. Is it possible to love you more every minute? Every hour? Every day? You make me believe nothing is impossible.”
“Rusty, my sweet love,” she whispered.
He lowered his head and claimed her lips with his in a soft, heart-stopping kiss.
Forty-eight hours later, Rusty could barely rise from their bed. Victoria packed their suitcases, and they left the cabin.
