Christmas on 4th Street (Fool's Gold #12.5)

“I could have lost you,” he said. “I could have lost us.” Then he let her go and dropped to his knees.

He took both her hands in his and stared into her eyes. “Noelle, I’m sorry. I was wrong about everything. Not in wanting to take care of you, but in believing that would be enough. I want to give you everything I have, everything I am. Whatever it takes to convince you, I’ll do it. I swear. I love you. I want to be with you, always. I want to be by your side for however long we have. Six weeks or sixty years. I’m sorry I left. I have no excuse except that every soldier has to face fear and some do it with more grace than others. I won’t run again. I’ll stand and fight. For you. For us. If you’ll have me.”

There were too many words, she thought, unable to take them all in. Except right in the middle, she would have sworn he said he loved her.

He must have read the question in her eyes because he held on tighter and repeated, “I love you. I’ve loved you from the first, but I didn’t want to admit it. I want to marry you, if you’ll have me.”

Somehow she managed to pull him to his feet. Then they were holding on to each other and he was kissing her and she was kissing him.

He drew back. “Am I too late?”

She smiled. “It’s been two days. Did you think I’d forget so fast?”

His expression turned hopeful. “You’ll marry me?”

She smiled. “You know about the cats, right?”

He laughed and pulled her into his arms. Then he swung her around until she was dizzy and slowly lowered her to the ground.

“I stopped at Jenel’s store in town. The longest few minutes of my life, for many reasons.” He pulled a diamond ring from his pocket and slid it onto her left hand.

“I love you, Noelle,” he said, staring into her eyes.

“I love you, too.”

“So about the wedding tonight.”

She gasped, then looked at the clock by the TV. “I have to start getting ready. I’m the bridesmaid.”

“Are you sure? Because I talked to Dellina on my way here and if you want to make it a quadruple wedding, she says she can handle it.”

Noelle couldn’t believe what was happening. Gabriel was back and he loved her. That was enough. But to get married tonight?

“You’ve been busy! Are you sure?” she asked.

He smiled. “You think now that I’ve finally figured out what I have with you that I’m going to be stupid enough to let you get away?” He chuckled. “Don’t answer that. Yes, I’m sure. I want to start our life together. I’m going to leave the army and live here in Fool’s Gold. I hear there’s a new hospital that needs a trauma specialist.”

She flung her arms around him, knowing she would never let go. “The wedding is supposed to be a surprise,” she murmured.

“Then let’s make it a big one.”

* * *

The last strains of music faded. Evie Jefferson walked out onstage. “Thank you so much for joining us tonight,” she said as her dancers waited behind her. “Before you go, we have a little something special prepared.”

She moved off the stage and her students began to dance to a special arrangement of the wedding march. Four girls twirled into view, each dressed as a bride. Then two teenaged boys walked down the center aisle, carefully unrolling a white carpet.

In the audience, whispers were heard as the townspeople realized this wasn’t a simple encore. As if to confirm the murmurs, Mayor Marsha walked out, a microphone in her hands.

“Good evening. Tonight as we celebrate a season of miracles, I am pleased and honored to tell you there will be four weddings performed here. Four beautiful brides join with four handsome grooms and begin their lifetime journey of love and commitment.”

Gladys nudged her friend Eddie. “Another wedding. It’s a Christmas miracle.”

“I hope one of them is wearing Vera Wang. I just love Vera Wang.”

The music changed and Lillie and Carter walked down the aisle together. They separated and stood on opposite sides of a podium someone had put in front of the stage. Four men started down the aisle, each in a black tux.

Seventysomething Eddie sighed. “Now that they’re getting married, we’ll never see them naked. Wives have a way of objecting to that.”

“What about those football players moving to town? We can suggest another calendar as a fundraiser. Butts of Fool’s Gold.”

“Good plan.”

The music swelled to the wedding march. Everyone rose and turned to watch as four brides started down the aisle. Patience, Felicia, Isabel and Noelle.

The bouquets were done in shades of pink, ranging from very pale to nearly fuchsia. The dresses were all strapless, but otherwise as different as the women themselves.