The pastor nods. “Mica has informed me that they will be exchanging new rings as a symbol of their renewed commitment. Can the ring bearer make their way forward, please.”
Suddenly, I hear a commotion at the back of the chapel and then the tapping of claws on the wooden floor. I look up to see Sable walking up the aisle and straight to Mica. That’s when I notice she has an ivory satin ribbon tied around her collar. Mica tugs at the ribbon and two wedding bands fall into his hand. He drops the larger one into my hand. I’ve never seen either of these rings before.
Petting her, he murmurs, “Who’s a good girl?”
Sable wags her tail and sits down expectantly.
Mica says as he slides it onto my finger beside my original band, “With this ring, I thee wed, again.”
I fight back tears because I don’t want to cry in front of everyone. Gazing down at my hand I see it’s a simple platinum band that’s practical and exactly my style. My original ring is ornate and beautiful, perfect for special occasions. This one is the ring of my heart.
When he holds out his hand to me, I fumble with the ring he gave me for a second before getting it to slide onto his finger.
I can feel a slight tremor when I slide the band into place. “With this ring, I thee wed, all over again,” I say repeating his words.
Pastor Langley states, “By the power vested in me by the state of California, I am pleased to pronounce your vows renewed.” He smiles warmly at Mica. “You may kiss your bride.”
Mica slips his hand around my waist and tugs me close. When his lips touch mine it’s with warm familiarity. My hands move up and loop my arms around his neck.
We get lost in the moment and when we pull apart, the small chapel erupts in claps, and his brothers tease him about having two weddings to just get some extra kisses. His family has an odd sense of humor but since I know it comes from a good place, I’m there for it.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Pastor Langley announces over the commotion, “I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Jackson.”
When we turn to face the small crowd, Mica raises our joined hands like we’ve won a competition of some sort. He’s clearly elated and all smiles, so I don’t say another word to bring him down or spoil the moment for him.
Jasper whistles through his teeth with Tessa clapping at his side. Mac is sitting beside Cray, who gives us a chin jerk as if to show his approval. We walk back the way we came, only instead of going back to the changing room, we head out to the courtyard.
There are a few tables scattered around with drinks and a grazing table. The round table holding our tiered cake is off to the side, so no one is likely to bump into it by mistake and send our cake tumbling to the ground.
Cray and Mac find us near the grazing table, where Mica is working on his third plate of food. Mac is proudly wearing his new Raging Vultures cut.
“You got a minute for club business at your own wedding reception?” Cray asks, settling into a chair across from us with a beer in his hand.
“Always,” Mica says, setting down his plate.
Mac pulls up a chair beside Cray and the four of us lean in closer to each other. I love that they include me in these conversations. In Gramp’s club, the women were always sent out of the room when club business was discussed. Mica runs things differently and I appreciate that about him.
“Do you mind if I ask how many brothers you’ve got patched in so far?” Cray asks.
“Not at all. Our membership roster is public information.” Mica begins naming them, “Let’s see, in addition to Mac, Buck, Hawk, there are three of Vulture’s old crew who approached us once word spread about starting a new club. I’ve also got two prospects from the community who approached Mac about prospecting. They seem like solid guys.”
“Eight men total. That’s a pretty fuckin’ good start for a brand new club.”
“There are nine if you count me,” Mica says with a wry grin.
Mac leans forward and lowers his voice. “I drove out to the property yesterday with Buck to take measurements like you asked us to. The old foundation from the trucking companyoffice is still solid. If you want, we can build on top of what’s already there instead of starting from scratch.”
I chime in, “I like the idea of building on top of what my gramps left behind.”
Mica smiles and grabs my hand. “I agree. Let’s save as much of what Vulture built as possible, especially if it saves us time and money,” Mica says. “What did the contractor have to say?”
Mac replies, “He walked the property with me and said the plans you brought him could be modified to fit the foundation with very little effort. He recommended that the clubhouse be built where the trucking company once stood, and the chopper shop be built on the south side near the road for customer access. I know you said you wanted the trucking operations to stay at your office building since Nova’s already set up there.”
“When are you planning to break ground?” Cray asks.
Mica responds, “The permits cleared this past Friday. The contractor will have a crew out there on Monday.”
“My brother would’ve gotten a real kick out of this. His granddaughter and some accountant he never met rebuilding everything he lost.”
