Lily’s mouth went dry as she realized what was coming. Finally! “Yes!”
Nate lifted an eyebrow, amusement sparkling in his eyes. “You’re supposed to let me ask you the question first.”
She reached out to cup his face in her hands and looked into his eyes. “Okay. Ask me.”
“Lily-belle, I love you so much. I can’t imagine living my life without you. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
There was so much emotion in his eyes that Lily’s breath caught. Oh yes, this man loved her as much as she loved him. “Yes. Oh, yes.”
Nate reached for her left hand and held it in his own. “This is not the same one I proposed with last time. That one got burned in the fire, but I hope you love this one just as much.”
She looked at it, trying desperately to keep the tears from flowing over and ruining her makeup. “It’s beautiful. I love it because you gave it to me. It’s perfect.” Then she looked up at him and pinned him with a determined look. “But I’m not waiting very long for you to set the wedding date this time. I want to take a page out of Will and Amy’s book and get married sooner rather than later.”
Nate stood and drew her to her feet as well. He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her lips. “How about we take a page out of Will and Amy’s book and get married today?”
Lily stared at him, shock coursing through her. “Today?”
“Knowing that stress often aggravates your MS, Amy suggested that we have a double wedding, but not put any pressure on you to plan it.” Nate held her hands tightly in his. “Are you okay with that? If not, that’s fine. It will just be Will and Amy’s wedding, and we can do ours on a different day.”
Lily shook her head. “No. Today is perfect.”
“Then let’s go to the chapel so you can get dressed.” Nate turned toward the door and called out, “Jessa?”
Jessa came back into the room, a wide smile on her face. “Congratulations!”
“You knew about this?”
“Of course! We’ve been busily planning it. We even snuck your dress over to the chapel while you were taking a shower earlier.” Jessa pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Ready to go?”
Violet, Laurel and Cami were waiting for her in the foyer of the chapel. After hugging her, Laurel said, “Let’s get you into the room and into your dress. The guests will be arriving soon.
Nate grabbed her hand and pulled her close. He kissed her softly before releasing her. “Meet me at the altar, Lily-belle.”
“I will.”
Inside the bridal room, Lily immediately sought out Amy. Her soon-to-be sister-in-law wore a white gown with a lace overlay that skimmed her curves and then flared out at mid-thigh. Her blonde curls hung long and loose under the headpiece and veil she wore. She was positively beaming.
“I can’t even begin to thank you for this.”
Amy’s smile widened. “Are you sure you’re okay sharing your wedding with me?”
“That’s the question I should be askingyou,” Lily said. “I’m still in shock.”
“I wanted this. After the rough roads we both traveled to get to this point, I think it’s only fitting we share this final step.”
“You need to get dressed,” Cami said. “Unless you want to walk down the aisle dressed like that.”
“Never!” Lily gave Amy a quick hug. “Thank you, again.”
Heart pounding, Lily allowed her sisters to help her into the dress that was still as perfect as it had been three years earlier. “How is this even possible? We didn’t apply for a wedding license or anything.”
“Don’t worry about that,” Jessa said. “Today you will be married before God, and next week Nate said you guys will make it legal.”
As Cami drew the zipper up her back, Lily asked, “Will we have to wait until then to…you know?”
Everyone in the room burst out laughing.
“I would imagine that’s up to you and Nate,” Cami said. “But in the eyes of God, you will be married today.”
