Page 70 of Moving to Love
“I told the boys I was asking you to marry me this weekend, too. They’re excited as hell. They love you, Joci. Ryder especially. It’s been a little harder for him, being so shy. But I’d watch him stare at the door on ride meeting nights, waiting for you. My heart swelled.”
“I love them, too. You’ve raised amazing young men, Jeremiah.”
“Yes, I did.” He held her hand as he pulled her inside. Turning just inside the door, he scooped her up in his arms. “I want to get married soon. Can we get married in the fall? It’ll be beautiful with the trees in full color.”
She laughed at his request. “Clearly, you have no idea about all the planning that needs to happen for a wedding.”
Chapter 30
They got busy calling family and friends. The boys were happy for them but weren’t surprised. Jeremiah’s parents were elated. So were his brothers and sisters-in-law. Joci called Jackie and Sandi, too.
“Jackie, I’m going to need help planning a wedding for the end of September or early October.”
“What year?” Her tone flat.
“This year.”
Jackie burst out laughing. “He doesn’t want much, does he?”
The remainder of the weekend, they discussed the future and the upcoming rally to Milwaukee. They had quite a crew going. Most of the employees from the shop were coming along, as well as Jeremiah’s brothers, Jackie and David, Jon, Sandi, and Connor.
At four, they stood in front of the shop talking to the large group of rally riders. Spirits were high. Joci was thrilled that Jackie and Sandi were coming along, as well as all of Jeremiah’s sisters-in-law. They might even get some wedding planning done.
“Okay, let’s roll,” Jeremiah yelled over all the talking. He walked over to Joci and gave her a hug and a kiss. “Ride safe, baby.”
“Same to you.”
The rumble of a bike caused them both to turn. Chase pulled in with LuAnn on the back. Another weekend with LuAnn. Joci looked over at her sister, and Jackie shook her head. Okay, at least she felt she had support. With her lips pulled into a thin line, Joci climbed on her bike. Jeremiah looked back at her and winked.
He mouthed, “I love you,” and started his bike. Everyone else followed suit. Jeremiah nodded at JT and Gunnar to lead them out. He made sure she was riding alongside him the whole way down.
The weather was fantastic, high eighties and no wind. The scent of fresh-cut hay from farms along the highway caused her to smile. Flowers along the road and in yards they passed brightly decorated their respective homes. Her heart felt happy and light. They met so many bikes as they rode. Thousands of people were headed their way to the rally, and the excited butterflies in her stomach took flight each time they met a new group of riders. She’d been excited about the rally for months now.
Their group behaved and stayed together on the ride, something she appreciated and knew made Jeremiah very happy. They stopped for gas in Fond du Lac, which left them with only around an hour to go before they reached their hotel. They gassed up, talked a little, and got back on the road. Surprisingly, LuAnn was quiet. Fine by Joci; she was sick of the drama.
They checked into their hotel rooms around seven p.m., the sun still high in the sky. When their bikes were unpacked, they dropped their bags off in their rooms, then headed back down to the parking lot to discuss what they would do next.
* * *
“So, listen up. Joci and I, and anyone who wants to join us, are heading down to the Summerfest grounds. We’ll grab a bite to eat there and listen to music. There are several bands around the grounds, playing a variety of music, so there should be something for everyone. If you want to go a different direction, just be careful, please. There are thousands of people pulling in who aren’t from around here and may not be looking at where they’re going.” He probably didn’t have to sound like everyone’s dad, but if something happened, he’d feel guilty. So, better safe than sorry.
Walking from the parking lot to the grounds, he looked back at Joci and smiled as he pointed to an old truck parked in the lot. As soon as she saw it, her smile grew wide.
He walked back to where she stood. “Do you want to go and take a closer look?”
“Oh, I really would if no one else minds. Do you mind?”
“Of course, I don’t.” He chuckled.
They headed in that direction and continued looking at bikes along the way.
He watched her eyes as she looked at the truck. Her face was so expressive; her smile lit up his whole world. He would do everything in his power to make sure she was happy. “Hey, maybe we should find the owner of the orange truck from the Veterans Ride and see if we can use it for the wedding. Would you like that, Joci?”
She looked at him and squealed, her eyes bright. “I would love that! Really?” She clapped her hands together, her smile bigger than the sun.
He chuckled. “Of course. I’d love that, too.”
Chatter turned to the wedding. Nothing had been decided, except the date—September twenty-eighth—which was only five weeks away. He was happy to stay out of most of the planning. His head began to spin when the women started talking about all of the meals, drinks, flowers, and location. It was more than he cared about. He just wanted to get married. All that other stuff could sit for all he cared.
