Jack ran a hand through his hair. He’d sold his parent’s house, but the money hadn’t come through as quickly as he’d hoped. He’d had to use the money he’d saved for their honeymoon to put a down payment on the property and fix up what would be their bedroom in the old hotel part of the building, upstairs from the public bar room.
“She’ll like this even better,” he said, silently hoping that was true.
“You’d better hope so,” Brian told him. “Or you might be looking at the fastest annulment in the history of St. Patrick’s.”
The pipe organist sounded their cue. “It’s time,” Brian said unnecessarily. “Are you ready to become a married man?”
“Aye,” Jack grinned. “Very ready.”
“Then let’s not keep the lady waiting, shall we?”
They stepped out of the tiny room and took their places before the altar. Jack’s eyes immediately flew to the back of the church, but there was no sign of Kathleen yet. What he did see was a packed church. Each pew was filled end to end, and people were even standing along the back and sides.
“You are a popular man, Jack,” Brian leaned over and whispered.
Not really, he thought, as he looked out into the sea of well-dressed attendees. The section to his left held a lot of familiar faces, neighbors and people he had known all his life. That wasn’t a surprise. His parents had been pillars of the community, and Pine Ridge supported its own.
Those on the right held less recognizable faces. That was the bride’s side, he realized, which meant that most of them had travelled over from Birch Falls. Yes, there was Kathleen’s mother in the front row, happy tears already streaming down her face and several handkerchiefs at the ready, clutched in her hand.
Many of the others on that side were looking at him curiously, as if trying to figure out why their Kathleen had chosen him. It was a question he’d asked himself a thousand times over the years. He had yet to come up with an answer, but whatever the reason, he was profoundly grateful she had.
The organist progressed from the cueing chords to the traditional wedding march. Torsos turned as all eyes went to the back of the church where Kathleen’s sister stood. She began to walk slowly down the path of white that had been rolled out, holding a small bouquet of chrysanthemums laced with dark pink around the fringes.
When she reached the front, she moved off to the side, mirroring Brian’s position. She gave Jack a wink and an encouraging smile, which he appreciated.
The tune of the organist changed slightly, and as one, everyone in the church rose. A blur of veiled, satiny white was just beginning her procession, arm-linked with a tuxedoed Conlan O’Leary. For several moments, Jack’s heart stopped, then resumed with thunderous force.
“Easy there,” Brian warned under his breath. Jack felt a tug, then realized he’d taken a step forward. Since everyone was looked at the bride, no one noticed except Brian and the priest, who chuckled knowingly.
It took forever for her to reach the front, or so it seemed. But then Kathleen was standing beside him, the last notes of the pipe organ faded away, and the priest was asking, “Who gives this woman to be married to this man?”
“Her mother and I do,” Conlan said clearly. The priest nodded, and Conlan lifted Kathleen’s veil, kissed her on the cheek, and took his place beside her mother. Then Kathleen looked at him and everything else faded away.
If asked, he couldn’t have recalled much about the actual Mass. He remembered repeating whatever Father Murphy told him to. Lighting some candles. Slipping the ring on Kathleen’s finger. But what really stood out about that day was the love he saw in his bride’s eyes, and the sensation of absolute completeness the moment the priest announced, “I now pronounce you man and wife.”
It was done. Kathleen was his, now and forever. He didn’t wait for permission to kiss the bride; if he had to wait one more second he wouldn’t have survived it. Brian told him later that everyone in the church had laughed and cheered, even the priest, but Jack couldn’t remember anything but the feel of her lips on his.
––––––––
Jack fought the growl that had been rolling around deep in his chest as the call for the bridal dance was announced. He’d sat through dinner, toasts, and the Father-Daughter dance, and now that he finally had her in his arms again, they’d come up with something else to keep them apart.
“It is tradition to dance with the bride,” Kathleen told him, sensing his irritation. Amusement danced in her emerald eyes as she tilted her head up to his. She was so beautiful, just looking at her took his breath away. And she was all his. Screw tradition. She belonged in no one’s arms but his. If only everyone would just go home and leave them alone, or maybe they could make their escape through the kitchen entrance...
“Don’t even think it, Jack Callaghan,” Kathleen warned under her breath, but she was smiling and she had that look in her eye, the one that said she wanted out of there as much as he did. “This is it, a one-time deal. We’ll have the rest of our lives to be together.”