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Soon it was time. Carly swept down the aisle to meet Brody’s cousin Adam, who’d driven in from Michigan to be a groomsman. Maya waited for her turn, then left to meet Cameron, the best man.

When it was her turn, Jenna held onto Zane’s arm.

“Ready, Sis?” Zane asked.

She nodded. “Let’s do this.”

Together, they slowly advanced down the middle of the church aisle towards Brody. The moment she saw him, Jenna forgot about everyone else. Her eyes remained on his the whole way down.

Brody couldn’t take his eyes off the beautiful woman coming towards him. His vision blurred. He blinked rapidly to clear his eyes.

In that moment, he couldn’t believe she agreed to be his forever. He would spend the rest of his life striving to be worthy of her.

Both of them would work together to serve God and each other. And to raise any children they had to love the Lord.

When Zane put her hand into his, Brody swallowed.

Together, he and Jenna turned, hands entwined, to face the reverend.

The ceremony flew by in a blur. They said their vows, then he was sliding the white gold diamond encrusted band on her slim finger. It gleamed under the interior lights. But even the shine of the jewels dimmed next to her glorious smile.

When informed he could kiss his bride, Brody didn’t hesitate. He framed her beloved face with his hands and gently stroked her lips with his, a feeling like reverence stealing over him.

The kiss deepened. He would have kept kissing her, except the applause broke through.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I give you for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Brody Carson!”

Grinning, Brody lifted the joined hands to kiss her fingers before they strode down the aisle together. The rest of the day passed quickly.

They honeymooned in Florida. Jenna had never been there before, and she wanted to see the ocean.

“I want to go snorkeling,” she told him. “And I want to walk along the beach at sunset with you.”

He had no problems with either of those plans.

Three days after she became his wife, they strolled barefoot on the warm sand, while the gentle waves lapped over their toes.

“I wanted to ask you, are you really fine selling your grandparent’s house?” Brody asked. Jenna didn’t need the money. The trust fund from her grandfather had been more than she’d ever dreamed of. She had, as he’d expected her to, taken some of the money and paid off her brother’s student loans so he and Maya could escape that burden.

“I have no connection to the house. And Gram doesn’t want to remain there. She says it’s too big. I’m fine letting it go.” She squeezed his hand. “I’ll be here with the man I love, my grandmother, and close to my brother and his family. What else could I possibly want?”

They turned as one to watch the sky shimmer with pinks and purples as the sun set. The glowing rays danced on the water. They finished trekking across the sand to their car in a companionable silence.

Brody hadn’t ever experienced the deep contentment washing through his veins. He knew their life would have struggles. Hadn’t he promised to love her in good times and bad? But the knowledge that he’d no longer need to handle the strife and tragedy alone filled him with awe and gratitude.

When they walked into their hotel room together, he placed a hand on her arm, stopping her.

She peered at him with her deep blue eyes.

“Jenna, I didn’t know it was possible to love someone more than I loved you on our wedding day, but I love you more every day. I just want you to know that.”

Her face softened. “I love you, too. So much, Brody. My heart is ready to burst with it.”

He drew her closer and leaned over to kiss her soft lips. When Claudia hired him to find her granddaughter, she hadn’t realized how much God would bless them both with that decision. She’d only wanted to meet Jenna before she died. And he’d wanted to soothe his conscience over past failures.

They’d found so much more.

As he deepened the kiss, Jenna’s arms slid around him and held him tight. In her embrace, he had come home.