Roy stood in his father’s bedroom for the last time. After the wedding, Roy would take Cora home to the new ranch, which he had closed on the week before. Tomorrow, the new owners would take over the Burns’ property, which was now empty with the exception of the full-length mirror, which Roy had requested be the last thing to be taken out of the house for this exact moment—to dress for his wedding in this bedroom, in the presence of his father.
It was also for practical reasons; the wedding ceremony would be held just across the street at his father’s church—or rather, the land where the church once stood. The community project to rebuild the church had not yet gone underway, but now that enough money had been raised throughout the past few weeks, the project would start soon.
In the meantime, the community had come together to remove all of the unsightly debris from the fire, and now Cora and Roy would take their vows in the very spot where Roy’s father once stood every Sunday to give his sermons. Chairs had been set up around the property, just enough to accommodate a modest crowd.
Roy adjusted the buttons on his black coat, which he wore over a white, long-sleeved undershirt. He wore matching black pants and shoes, but the white cuffs and collar of his white undershirt added color. He smoothed his chin-length hair, which he had washed and groomed so it stayed tamed and tucked behind his ears. He had contemplated cutting his hair in a more traditional style, but to his relief, Cora had insisted that she loved his longer hair. That had been Roy’s style for a long time, when he moved to Wheats Ridge and started to discover who he was, and that was one part of himself he didn’t want to change.
There was a knock on the bedroom door and Philip entered, wearing a dress shirt and slacks not unlike what his father would wear to preach each Sunday. He carried a boutonniere of light blue and white flowers, which would complement Cora’s bouquet.
“How are you feeling?” Philip asked as he approached Roy’s side at the mirror, putting one hand on his shoulder.
Roy inhaled a deep breath and released it slowly. “Right now, more nervous than excited, if I’m honest. I never thought I’d be here.”
“I’ve never been married myself, but from everything I understand, you sound like every other man just before his wedding. It’s a big step, but it’s not one you’ll ever regret. Being called to be a husband is one of the biggest blessings God can give a man. And you and Cora, you’re perfect together.”
Roy’s heart filled with gratitude at Philip’s words. He imagined that his father would have told him something very similar if he were here, and he was endlessly thankful that God had sent Philip to take over that role in Lakewood. Roy had given Philip his father’s old theological study books, the ones that Roy was never quite able to comprehend in the same way as his father. He was glad he hadn’t tossed them, because they would be put to great use with Philip. Also, Philip had shared with Roy that his meetings with Pastor Reynolds had become more frequent and intensive to expediate the process of ordination.
Philip helped Roy pin the boutonniere and pinned it to Roy’s suit.
“And the rings?” Roy asked nervously.
Philip patted the pocket on his shirt. “Got both of them right here.”
The night that Sheriff Williams had woken from his injury, when Cora went to lay down in her own bed for the first time in days, the sheriff had called Roy over to his bedside. He pointed at the dresser on the other side of the room.
“Look in the bottom drawer, and you’ll find a wooden box. Bring me the box.”
Roy had done what he asked, and after a moment of shuffling things around, Sheriff Williams found what he had been looking for. He pulled out a velvet bag, turned it upside down in his palm, and out fell a ring with a golden band with a solitary diamond in the center. It was not ornate but simple, just like Cora.
“That was her mother’s, and I’ve been saving it for her,” Sheriff Williams said, holding it up with two fingers. “Funnily enough, I never gave it to Alfred. Maybe it just slipped my mind, but I’d like to say it was the Lord’s work,” he chuckled softly. “The Lord and her mother, working together in Heaven to look out for her. To make sure she wound up with the right person.”
Now the ring sat in Philip’s pocket waiting for the ceremony, along with a simple, matching band that Roy had chosen a week ago.
Philip looked up at the clock on the wall. “It’s about that time,” he said gently. “Are you ready to make Cora your wife?”
“I am,” Roy said with sudden confidence. “I don’t think I’ve ever been more ready.”
The two men walked side by side across the road and through the trees to the clearing where Lakewood Church once stood. The community had done an excellent job cleaning the area so that there was no sign that a fire ever took place—just an empty field primed and ready for a new building that would be erected in just a few weeks’ time.
Roy positioned himself at where the front of the church would have been, and Philip stood next to him, holding his father’s Bible, per Roy’s request. He may not be able to have his father officiate, but he felt his presence through the Bible he preached from every Sunday of Roy’s childhood.
People began to file in and fill the chairs. He saw some of the young women of Lakewood who Cora used to be friendly with in her youth, such as Mary Robinson and Ruth Perkins and their husbands. Roy also recognized members of the community that he had worked with personally, like Mr. Beck from the bank, and even Mr. Jones, the man whose ranch Roy had purchased. He saw Pastor Reynolds from Magnolia Grove; Mr. Whitfield, his old boss from Wheats Ridge; and fellow Lakewood church members who at one time had made Roy feel uncomfortable and panicked with their questions his first day back at church. Roy understood now that although his feelings were valid, they had meant no harm. He was learning to assume goodwill from people and not let miscommunications or misunderstandings about intent come between members of God’s family.
The two most important seats on the front row were already taken. On one side of the aisle was Roy’s Bible, the one that his father had preached from in the years of his absence. Roy would forever be grateful that he took it home before he knew the church would be burned to the ground. On the other side of the aisle, next to the chair where Sheriff Williams would take his seat, was the Bible that belonged to Cora’s mother.
Once everyone was in their seats, the atmosphere grew quiet. Roy’s palms began to sweat, and once he heard the sound of horses’ hooves and the spinning wheels of a wagon on a dirt road, his heart began to pound.
But it wasn’t until Cora came into sight, emerging from the trees that hid the wagon, that Roy felt his heart stop beating and his knees nearly gave out on him.
Cora, who was walking toward him on his father’s arm while a small group of choir ladies from Lakewood sang soft hymns, was the most beautiful bride in the world. He didn’t have to see any other bride to be one hundred percent certain of that fact.
Her long, golden-blonde hair was pulled back away from her face, which was hidden beneath her mother’s veil. She was wearing a simple wedding dress, a white dress that ran to the length of her ankles. Fitting with Cora’s down-to-earth personality, the dress was free from any unnecessary embellishments or extravagances.
The sleeves were made out of delicate lace that extended just past her beautiful, slender elbows. Cora had of course not shown him the dress prior to the wedding, but he did remember that she told him the dress she would wear was one she had picked out a while ago, when she was shopping for what would have been her wedding to Alfred. She had fallen in love with the dress, but Violet had rejected her preference.
Now, Cora was getting to live her dream of wearing the dress of her choosing, a dress that looked as if it were made to be worn by only her. Cora’s simple, elegant beauty had stolen his breath as he watched his bride walked down the aisle toward him.
After what seemed to be an eternity, Cora and her father made it to the end of the makeshift aisle, and Sheriff Williams lifted her veil. Cora smiled up at Roy, revealing the dimple on her cheek and the slight gap between her two front teeth that he had found adorable since the first time he got a good look at her in Wheats Ridge.
