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  The women ran over to her and covered her with praises while Tracy sat in her chair and watched. She looked at her sister, and when the oohs and aahs died down, Courtney’s eyes locked with Tracy’s. Courtney smiled politely, and Tracy felt her heart sink a little when she smiled back.

  The Canon in D started as Kenneth and the rest of the groomsmen stood waiting at the makeshift alter the resort had put up on the wide deck of the ballroom. The deck overlooked the ocean, and Tracy could see the waves in the background as she rolled closer to the altar. The other women walked slowly ahead of her one by one, each nodding and smiling to the small crowd of guests assembled in the chairs on either side of the ribbon-roped aisle.

  Paul held his breath as he watched Tracy near the altar. His father Howard, had volunteered to push her down the aisle since Randall would be escorting Courtney. Tracy’s honey blonde hair was swept up loosely in a casual style that showcased her long neck and striking features. Her bronze skin displayed the yellow and chocolate diamond pendant perfectly and the delicate earrings dazzled from her ears. Paul couldn’t contain his smile as he watched the woman he had fallen in love with so many years before, roll closer and closer to him.

  Kenneth cleared his throat nervously, and it snapped Paul back to reality. This wasn’t his wedding, Paul reminded himself. This was Kenneth’s. And despite the fact that Paul had encouraged Kenneth to call it off and tell Courtney the truth, Kenneth had refused. Instead, he had insisted that he only kissed the woman because he was drinking. And, Kenneth had told him, it was his last chance at kissing another woman since he would be marrying Courtney in the morning.

  Paul hadn’t truly believed anything his brother said. He knew Kenneth wanted to do the right thing, but Kenneth’s lustful desires had always been stronger than his will to be committed. In fact, Courtney was the first girl Kenneth had ever dated for more than three months. And now, Paul wasn’t so sure if Kenneth had been faithful in any of the time the two had been together.

  Kenneth rocked back and forth on his feet and nervously straightened his bowtie as Howard smiled and pushed Tracy to the head of the altar, right next to where the bride would be standing. He looked down at her, patted her gently on the shoulder, then locked the wheels into position before he stepped aside and found his seat in the front row next to Margo.

  A brief lapse in the music cued the guests to stand for the bride. Then the lead member of the reggae band began playing the Canon again very softly, on his keyboard. It wasn’t quite the violin that Courtney had requested, but it was pretty close and sounded beautiful.

  Tracy looked over at Paul and felt her heart swell. He looked so handsome in his gray tuxedo and crisp white shirt. Her mind flooded with images of him standing in almost the same exact spot just four years before. But he was nervous then. He was happy and ready to be married, for certain. But there was still the air of nervousness that every groom has. When Tracy looked at him today, she saw none of that. All she saw was the confident love that Paul had for her, and she felt it in every fiber of her being.

  The guests rose as the music began again, and then Randall and Courtney appeared at the back of the aisle. Randall held his daughter’s arm in his and squeezed her hand gently as they stood with all eyes upon them. Courtney looked radiant. Her strapless dress hugged her curvy frame, tastefully accentuating her figure without being too revealing. The off-white sequined bodice was cinched to a full length, ruffled lace skirt that flowed out behind her. Her hair was pinned up with a dozen yellow and chocolate sequined pins that sparkled in the warm afternoon light.

  With all of the expert make-up, hair style and exquisite gown, Courtney looked like the bride every little girl wanted to be. She smiled politely to the crowd as they watched, waiting for her to make her way down the aisle. And she did. Just not the way they thought she would.

  Courtney turned to her father, still grabbing his arm, and whispered something in his ear. The crowd watched Randall’s expression change from pride to controlled anger as he nodded curtly. He released his daughter’s arm and kissed her on the cheek, then put his hand on the small of her back as if he were giving a small child a nudge in the right direction.

  Tracy and Paul watched as Courtney took the flowers she held in both hands and switched them to her left hand. She then proceeded to walk very quickly down the aisle, fists pumping at her sides as the petals of the fresh cut flowers bounced wildly by her side. The guests stood in utter confusion as she whisked past them and stopped at the foot of the altar, just feet away from Kenneth and the rest of the wedding party. Without pausing, she turned and faced the crowd.

  “Friends, family, all of you who flew all the way here to celebrate this special day with us, I want to thank you so much for coming.”

  Kenneth began to approach her from behind. When she felt his hand on her arm, she pulled it away sharply and ignored him. He stood by her side, trying to hide his embarrassment but unable to stop Courtney from continuing.

  “As I was saying ...” she glared at Kenneth “... I want to thank you all for coming. But there will be no wedding today.”

  Chapter 21

  For a few seconds, deadly silence blanketed the chapel, enough to hear a pin drop. Then a symphony of gasps drifted from the crowd as they expressed their disbelief. Kenneth looked at Courtney and then immediately spun around and glared at Paul as if his brother had just sentenced him to a lifetime of punishment. But Paul ignored his brother and focused only on his parents. What were they going to do now? Twice their sons had let them down. Well, actually, the first wedding wasn’t Paul’s fault. But either way, his parents had gone out on a limb for both of them only to be left holding the bag both times.

  Courtney ignored the murmuring from the guests and instead looked over at Tracy with love in her eyes. “I know now, even though I didn’t want to believe it at first,” she turned back to the crowd, “that Kenneth has been unfaithful to me.”

  A second wave of gasps and groans crescendoed from the crowd. Several people raised their hands in the air while others covered their mouths in shock. Kenneth spun toward Courtney and grabbed her hands in his.

  “Court, that’s not true! Why would you say such a thing? I love you!”

  His face pled innocence, but Courtney held her position. “I know about the girl in Newport, the brunette,” she said as she watched his expression of defiance fade. “And the bar hostess.”

  Kenneth slowly let go of Courtney’s hands. “And I’m sure there are others,” Courtney said with sadness in her voice.

  She turned back to face the guests. “Please, please stay and enjoy the food. We have invited you all here because we love you and want to spend time with you. That has not changed. So please, if you can, please stay and enjoy the music and food.”

  Kenneth collapsed onto the steps of the altar with his head down, unable to defend himself any longer. Paul watched as shame and a look of defeat washed over his brother. Then he glanced out on the crowd. They hadn’t left, milling by the pews talking amongst themselves, unsure what to do. The bridesmaids were talking with Courtney, rubbing her back and offering condolences. And that’s when it hit Paul.

  His lips spread into a wide grin as his gaze bounced over at Tracy, who had a sad expression as she tried to console the former bride. And he knew, he knew exactly what to do. Paul quickly leaned over to his brother and whispered something in his ear.

  Kenneth turned and looked at Paul with confusion, but Paul kept talking in hushed tones. After another moment, Kenneth finally nodded and shook his brother’s hand.

  The crowd of guests began to quiet down and started moving toward the reception hall when Paul took center stage.

  “Excuse me, excuse me!” he called out from the spot where Courtney had just made her announcement.

  The audience of friends and family turned around and a hush fell over the crowd. “Um,” Paul continued, “if I could have your attention, please.”

  Courtney and the bridesmaids stood and look
ed at Paul as if he had just lost his mind, unsure of what was about to happen.

  “Thank you, thank you,” Paul said nervously. “Um, I know you all came here today for a wedding. And,” he looked at his parents in the front row.

  “Well,” he laughed. “That’s just how we Myers boys do things, apparently.” His comment drew a good laugh from the crowd and eased the tension of all the guests.

  “But since we’re here,” he said, taking a step backward, toward the altar, “why waste this opportunity.”

  The bridesmaids looked at each other with narrowed eyes, trying to figure out if Paul was suffering a side effect from his injuries.

  Paul moved back one more step until he was standing next to Tracy. He went on. “As many of you know, just four years ago, I was in a similar situation.” He looked down at Tracy, who blushed at his words.

  “A very similar situation.” Paul’s face was soft as he spoke. When Tracy looked up, she saw nothing but genuine love in his eyes.

  “And now, four years later, God has brought me and that special woman together again in the most incredible way.”

  The guests laughed again as Paul pointed out his boot and Tracy’s broken leg. “But I’m grateful. God gave me a second chance.”

  The guests quieted down and hung on Paul’s every word. He moved closer to Tracy and looked directly at her as he spoke. “God gave us a second chance.”

  Tracy gave him a nervous glance and whispered, “Paul, are you okay? What are you doing?”

  Paul gave her a reassuring smile. “I’ve never felt any better in my life than now. Do you trust me?” He slid his hand down her jaw and caressed her chin.

  Tracy nodded her head and smiled openly, feeling the wave of embarrassment leave her body. Paul smiled back at her and bent down on one knee. He looked longingly into her eyes.

  “So, Tracy Anne Moore, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

  The guests squealed with delight while they waited with bated breath for Tracy to answer. She looked at Paul with huge eyes, and her hand flew to her chest to slow her pounding heart.

  Was she dreaming? Or was he playing a practical joke with her?

  Tracy could tell he was serious. But what about Courtney? This was her day, thought Tracy.

  She looked over to where her sister stood and could tell, by the smile on her face, that she had Courtney’s complete approval. Tracy turned back to Paul with tears in her eyes and nodded.

  A boisterous cheer reverberated throughout the chapel as the crowd and bridesmaids went wild. But Paul remained focused on his soul mate. He stayed kneeling on one leg with Tracy’s hand in his until the crowd quieted down again. Then, he spoke.

  “Today? Right here? Right now?”

  Hushed silence permeated the chapel as the guests held their breath, waiting for Tracy to answer Paul’s question.

  But the crowd didn’t have to wait long. “Yes! Yes, I will!” Tracy said with a confident voice as she threw her arms around Paul’s neck.

  Paul fell into her and pressed his lips against hers. The guests jumped to their feet and cheered while the bridesmaids and Courtney flocked around Tracy and pushed Paul aside. Within minutes, they escorted Tracy off the deck and into the back room to prepare her for the ceremony.

  Randall smiled and shrugged as Howard and Margo laughed with pleasure. Kenneth stood with the groomsmen, a look of relief on his face. Paul knew that Courtney had made the right decision. It was obvious that Kenneth was not ready to settle. But he certainly was. He had been ready for four years. And now, finally, Tracy was, too.

  Moments later, Jules ran down the aisle and told the groomsmen to get ready. She cued the reggae keyboardist and the music began again. The women made their way down the aisle, with Courtney, changed out of her dress and into the green emerald bridesmaid dress, the last to walk.

  The crowd got to their feet, and Randall appeared again, this time with Tracy. Her hair and jewelry were the same. But instead of wearing the green bridesmaid dress she had on moments before, Tracy was wearing a simple white sundress that she had packed for the trip. The eyelet fabric fit snugly against her slender frame and hid the bandages around her chest perfectly. The skirt flared out and stopped just above her tan knees, revealing all of the full-length cast on her leg.

  Paul looked down the aisle at his broken and bandaged bride-to-be and thought she had never looked more beautiful than she did at that very moment. With the help of Randall on one side and a crutch on the other, Tracy hobbled down the aisle to the tear-filled smiles of all the guests. When she got to the altar, Randall handed her over to Courtney and Jules, who held her up while she got in position in front of Paul.

  The music stopped and the reverend came over and began the non-traditional ceremony. He spoke about true love and God’s plan for our lives. He spoke about how sometimes we think we want something, but God wants us to have something else. And so many times, we miss out on God’s gifts because we are scared.

  When the reverend was through speaking, he asked Paul and Tracy if they wanted to say anything to each other before he had them say their vows.

  “Yes,” they both said at the same time. Paul laughed and motioned to Tracy. “After you,” he said, holding her hands in his while she balanced on one foot and one crutch, supported by her sister and friend.

  “Okay,” she said. She looked up at Paul and her eyes spilled over with tears of joy. “Paul, Paul I love you. I have loved you since the moment I met you that night at Esther’s apartment. And I thought I knew how my life would turn out. I mean, I thought I knew what I was and wasn’t capable of in a relationship. And no matter how much I wanted to believe in you ... the problem was ...” she paused, trying to catch her breath. “I never believed in myself.”

  The guests were as silent as mice, waiting for her to continue. “I guess I thought I would fail you. But today, now, here, with God’s intervention and grace, I know that as long as I am honest and put God first in our relationship, I can never fail.”

  She waited and swallowed hard before finishing. “I will never leave you Paul. You are my world. You are my everything. You are my love, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

  Paul smiled broadly as the guests cheered silently. Now it was his turn. He blinked away the tears that had formed in his own eyes.

  “Cee,” he began softly, squeezing her hands gently. “We’ve been to hell and back, literally and figuratively. And I would do it a thousand more times if it meant I’d end up here with you today. I have always loved you and will always love you. And nothing can ever change that. So today, I want you to know that I will do everything I can to make sure that you are always happy, always protected and always loved in the best way I can for the rest of your life.”

  The crowd cheered audibly this time, unable to contain their own emotion. The reverend wiped tears away as well before coming back to the stage and placing his hands over Tracy’s and Paul’s.

  “By the power vested in me in the township of Flic En Flac in the Province of Mauritius, I now pronounce you husband and wife!”

  Tracy leaned in as Paul grabbed her shoulders, supporting her as she fell against his lips. The two held each other in a long kiss for several moments as the guests cheered. They pulled their lips apart but continued to hold onto each other as they made their way down the aisle. Tracy looked around to see her father smiling broadly and hugging Howard. Even Margo was bawling with joy at the sight of her baby boy getting married.

  Jules wheeled the chair down to the end of the aisle and helped Tracy sit back into it as the guests began swarming the happy couple. Even Kenneth came over to congratulate them.

  “And I’m sorry,” he said to Tracy. “I’m sorry that I hurt your sister, you, your family. I guess ...”

  “You don’t have to apologize to me,” Tracy said. “But thank you.”

  Kenneth looked at Tracy and saw her glance over at Courtney standing at the end of the receiving line. He nodded briefly
and then went over to Courtney. He said a few words, and then she nodded and walked off of the deck and onto the beach with Kenneth to talk.

  The guests finished shaking hands with Tracy and Paul, and then he wheeled her over to the edge of the deck. They sat hand in hand as the sun danced on the water in the distance. They watched as Kenneth and Courtney sat on a rock and talked.

  “I’m glad they are talking,” Tracy said to Paul as she leaned against him.

  “Yeah,” Paul said with his arm around his bride. “But I’m glad they didn’t get married.”

  “Me, too.”

  Paul looked over to Tracy as the seagulls flew overhead. “So, Mrs. Myers ...”

  Tracy’s face lit up. “So ... Mr. Myers.” She giggled with delight. She had waited so long to hear those words and couldn’t believe she was finally being called Mrs. Myers.

  “How would you like to spend our honeymoon? Maybe some dancing? Some surfing?” Paul said jokingly.

  Tracy laughed. “Ha! Hardly!”

  Paul scooted in close to Tracy and whispered in her ear. “Or, we could get started on those two kids you want to have ...” he said teasingly.

  Tracy laughed again. “Wait,” she said, placing her hands on his chest.

  “How about we take a tour of the island?” Tracy smiled at Paul. “I hear they have some great caves around here.”

  The End

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