Nick glanced at the priest for a moment before his eyes found Sam’s. He swallowed against the lump in his throat and found his voice.
“Samantha,” he started. She smiled up at him. Never would she get tired of hearing her name come from his lips, nor would he get tired of saying it. “I don’t remember when I fell in love with you. I don’t remember when you stopped being Luke and Jake’s little sister and started being my dream girl. I just am so grateful that it all happened. I took the long road, but you were always there, right in front of me. I look at you and I see the young girl I used to tease, and then I see the girl I fell in love with. I see the girl who patiently waited for me to come to my senses. I see the woman who is my future, the woman who owns my whole heart. I see my wife, my partner for life. I see the mother of my daughter. You’re my destiny, always have been. I love you, Samantha and I vow to show you just how much I do all the days of my life. I vow to give you all of me, everything I am, because you deserve nothing less. I’ll be with you through thick and thin, in sickness and in health, in all the ways that matter, and when we are old and sitting around with a house full of grandchildren, I’ll relive every beautiful memory we create with them. I’ll tell them the greatest fairy tale of all, I’ll tell them ours.” He lifted her hand and kissed the ring he had just placed on her finger, sealing his promise.
Sam wiped at her eyes before she took his platinum band from the priest. She slid it half way up his finger and stared into Nick’s eyes. Her breath caught for a moment, realizing all her dreams had come true.
“I ask myself why, a lot. Why did I get everything I ever wanted? Why did God chose me out of everyone I know to get my happily ever after? I don’t know why he did. I don’t know why he sent you to me, but I will thank him every day for the rest of my life. You were my first love and you will be my last. You were the first boy I ever loved and you’ll be the man I spend forever with. I am so honored to be the woman you share your life with, Nick. I promise you to be true and to be the one person you can always count on. I will share all the joys of life with you and even the sorrows and we’ll overcome any obstacles that come our way, together.” She slid the band on the rest of the way before she lifted her eyes and smiled brightly at him. “I’ll love you with all I am.”
*
“I now pronounce you husband and wife.” The priest said slowly. Sam and Nick turned to him, Nick watched the priest’s lips carefully, waiting for the words…give them to me, he silently urged. The priest eyed Nick, watching as he took a step closer to Sam and then he laughed. “You may now…”
Nick turned around mid-sentence and cupped Sam’s face. His mouth came crashing down onto hers and he kissed his bride. He kissed her with everything he had.
“Kiss the bride…” The Priest said through his laughter. The applause sounded around the happy couple that was, in the middle of a serious lip lock.
Cara felt a tug on the hem of her dress and she looked down at Ava.
“Cara is that panty dropping?” She asked, staring at Nick and Sam.
*
The tent was beautifully decorated for the intimate beach reception. The tables were lined in beautiful silver and lilac linens. Floating lilies were the centerpieces and the party lights lit the dance floor. Nick and Sam were dancing to their wedding the song, The Search is Over, by Survivor. Fitting, how their search really was over and all along they were standing in front of one another. The lead singer went on to sing about a girl he always knew, that he took for granted. He declared that once he looked into her eyes, his search was over, that she was with him all the time, much as Sam was there waiting for Nick.
Luke stood at the bar watching them dance as he nursed a scotch. His nerves were getting the best of him and he was trying desperately to convince himself that his sisters’ idea wasn’t halfcocked.
“Shots! Shots! Shots!” Mallory chanted beside him and Luke turned to see Phillip handing off another shot glass to Joe.
“Dad, think maybe you should slow down a bit, yeah?” Luke said placing his scotch on the bar.
Joe took the shot like a champ and then slammed the empty shot glass down on the bar. He looked over at his son. “Second hardest thing I ever had to do.” He stammered as he stumbled over to Luke and grabbed the lapels of his suit. “You are going to give away that little girl of yours one day and know my pain.”
Luke looked over his father’s shoulder at Phillip and gave him a warning glance before turning to look at his old man again. “Alright, I hear you. Just take it easy though, you still have to dance with her.”