“Not dead, thank God,” Molly broke in, flinging her arms around Seth’s neck to give him another big hug. Grateful tears glistened in her eyes as she released him, and she turned to Caleb and embraced him as tightly. “Thank you for bringing him home to us—thank you!”
It seemed Molly’s weren’t the only eyes wet with tears. Caleb’s were welling, too, though he summoned a smile that shed ten years from his face and gave Kari her first glimpse of the man her mother had fallen in love with so long ago.
Seth stared at him with quiet amazement, too, Kari remembering what he’d said the night before about hoping his uncle had meant his pleas for forgiveness.
This day couldn’t have been any more proof that Caleb Walker had undergone a miraculous transformation that had changed him from the inside out—and she couldn’t help but once again think of her mother.
Truly, the Lord worked in mysterious ways, Kari sending up a prayer of thanks that made her wish again that her family was closer, if only to share with them her overwhelming happiness—
“Whoa, company coming!” Lucius shouted. The other ranch hands wheeled their horses around as an open carriage turned into the ranch and rumbled toward them, a young woman with white-blond hair waving her pink-beribboned bonnet.
“Kari! Oh, Kari, we’re here at last!”
She looked in amazement from Caleb, who shrugged apologetically, to Seth, who shrugged, too, clearly having no idea what was going on, as the carriage came around the drive amid riders and snorting horses scattering out of the way.
No sooner had the driver stopped the vehicle than Anita scrambled out in a flurry of pink calico to run toward Kari and throw her arms around her. Not far behind came Ingrid, as pretty as a picture in her dove gray dress, and Andreas, her brother appearing so much more strapping in his dark brown traveling suit than Kari remembered. Laughing gaily, Anita moved aside so Ingrid could embrace her, her middle sister as shy and unassuming as ever. Last to hug her was Andreas, who smiled broadly.
“Did you think we’d miss your wedding, Kari? Not on your life! Mr. Walker sent us a telegram and train fare a week ago so we could be here. Now where is this Saunders fellow? No one’s marrying my big sister without the man of the house first having a say so—”
“No Saunders fellow is marrying Kari,” Seth cut him off, stepping forward and extending his hand to Andreas. “That’ll be me if she’ll have me”—he glanced behind him and winked at Kari, her heart suddenly beating furiously—“and if you give your blessing, of course. Andreas, is it? I’m Seth Davis, the man who loves your big sister more than she’ll ever know.”
Looking perplexed for an instant, Andreas nonetheless recovered and pumped Seth’s hand heartily. “Glad to make your acquaintance, Seth. So, Kari, it seems to me he’s awaiting your answer. Will you have him or not?”
Kari reached out for Seth and he took her hand, pulling her close and entwining his fingers with hers as she smiled into his eyes. “Yes, I’ll have him.”
Grinning, Andreas nodded. “Then you have my blessing.”
“And mine,” Caleb said, coming forward with a warm smile to stand beside Kari and Seth. “As the father of the bride. Ingrid, Anita, and Andreas, welcome to Walker Creek.”
* * *
“Oh, Ingrid, look! Have you ever seen a church filled with so many flowers?”
Kari smiled at Ingrid’s soft murmur, “It’s perfect, truly,” to Anita’s irrepressible outburst, her two sisters as unlike each other as night and day but so very dear to her. All three of them stood in the small narthex, Kari’s heart brimming with joy as they anticipated the start of the music that would carry her down the aisle to where Seth awaited her.
He looked so handsome, his dark blue eyes fixed intently upon her, her soon-to-be husband dressed in a charcoal-gray suit expertly tailored just for him.
Caleb had spared no expense over the last ten days to ensure they would have a beautiful wedding, though Kari could have married Seth the moment she’d said, “Yes, I’ll have him.” Yet all the dizzying preparations had given Seth time to heal, his arm thankfully as good as new, and for everyone to see that her father had truly meant what he’d said about making amends.
Andreas and Lucius stood alongside Seth, both of them wearing new suits, while her sisters’ dresses in rose and plum hues made them look as much like lovely flowers. As Anita fussed with the lustrous folds of Kari’s white satin dress while Ingrid arranged the lacy train behind her, the sweet strains of a single violin made everyone in the packed pews rise to their feet.
“God bless you both,” Ingrid whispered, seconded by Anita’s breathless, “God bless you!” right before they hurried to take their places opposite Andreas and Lucius.
Kari paused only an instant to take everything in, the smiling faces, the heady scent of pink roses adorning her bouquet, and Seth watching her as if he couldn’t tear his eyes away…and then she couldn’t wait any longer to be by his side.
Her gaze fixed upon him, she moved down the aisle as admiring whispers filled the small church, though she scarcely heard them. Happiness overwhelming her, she had never known a more wondrous moment as Caleb rose from the front pew to accompany her the last few steps and place her hand in Seth’s.
His touch felt so strong and sure that she could but smile up at him even as Seth smiled with such love at her.
“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here…” she heard Reverend Thomas say as she and Seth turned together to the altar, his fingers squeezing hers.
Could a wedding ceremony so impatiently awaited have passed by more quickly? It seemed in only the briefest of moments their vows were spoken and simple gold bands exchanged, followed by a blessing and then Seth lowering his head to kiss her so tenderly before murmuring, “I love you, Kari.”
“Mrs. Davis,” she whispered back to him, reaching up to touch his face. “I love you, Seth. More than you’ll ever know.”
Her words were no sooner uttered when the congregation, in true Texas fashion, erupted in exuberant whoops, while Lucius handed Seth his black cowboy hat that he brandished like a triumphant hero in the air. She’d never seen him grin so broadly, his joy over their wedding as plain as daylight for everyone to see.
Kari couldn’t stop smiling, either, as people rushed from the pews to congratulate them before she and Seth could even walk down the aisle. A pretty little girl in a yellow dress, no more than five years old, pressed forward to stare with shining brown eyes at Kari.
