Something Forever(75)

Jenna stared straight ahead and caught my eyes. Her smile was sweet and somewhat shy. She also seemed a bit scared. I didn’t blame her. Everyone was standing, staring at her with the “aww” and “oo” sounds. Finally, she was there. With glistening eyes, she swallowed and bit her bottom lip to stop herself from sobbing. I, too, found myself a little damp in the eyes, so I could only imagine how much she was holding back.

After the pastor said a few words, Jenna’s father gave me Jenna’s hand, and then everyone took their seats. With a nod from the pastor to confirm we were ready, he began, “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join this man, Maxwell Knight, and this woman, Jenna Mefferd, in matrimony.”

After those words, everything else seemed to be a blur as I gazed deeply into Jenna’s eyes. She looked so content. I was more than happy to be able to put that huge angelic smile on her face. Now it was time to exchange our vows. We had told the pastor that we would make our own.

Jenna handed her bouquet to Becky, then we both faced each other with our hands together in front. With a big intake of breath, and setting my eyes on her, I began, “My dearest Jenna. Where do I start telling you how much you mean to me? It’s been a long journey in a short amount of time. When I first met you, I knew you were the one. It hit me so hard, I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t breathe. But everything fell into place. What I did and said came naturally, because that is how I feel when I’m with you, like I’m home. I feel so blessed to have found you. Many search their whole life for their soul mate, but I found you when least expected. Every second, every minute, every moment, you are on my mind. My heart beats only for you, babe. My life was like a blank canvas, but you painted it with your love. You...made me a perfect painting. I promise, from this day forward, in front of all these witnesses, and under the heavenly sky, that I will honor, respect, and take care of you and our future family with my life. You are everything to me. You are my something great, forever.”

Jenna’s lips quivered and she gazed down for a moment. When she looked back at me, a teardrop came down from the corner of her eye. Blinking rapidly, I could see her effort in holding her tears at bay. I quickly wiped them with a smile and held her hands again. From my peripheral vision, I could see Jenna’s mom and my mom in tears.

Jenna took a deep breath before she started, “My dearest Max. You came into my life like a true Knight. You made me see what real love is. You made me understand that I deserved better. You’ve shown me that I was worth fighting for. I’m beautiful when I’m around you. You bring out the best in me. The once insecure girl is gone. I’ve become more confident and wiser because of you. Ever since I met you, you lifted me up and never let me touch the ground. That is how you make me feel. I promise, from this day forward, that I will be the wife you deserve, because you have no idea how much you mean to me. I can’t put it into words. I will honor, respect, and show you every day how much I love you. You are everything to me. You are my something great, forever.”

Tears streamed down Jenna’s cheeks, and before I had a chance to wipe them, Becky handled her some Kleenex. She was crying, too. I wanted the pastor to hurry. It took every ounce of my energy to stop myself from kissing Jenna right now. If I could, I would have carried her back to our hotel room, stripped her naked, and made sweet, passionate love to my wife.

After we exchanged our rings, the pastor spoke again. We were near the end. “We have come together in this place and heard the willingness of Maxwell and Jenna to be joined in marriage. They have come of their own free will and in our hearing have made a covenant of faithfulness. They have given and received rings as their seal of the promises. By virtue of the authority vested in me under the laws of the State of California, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

Carefully wrapping my arms around Jenna, I tilted her body just enough to make a show and gave her a kiss everyone would talk about. The sound of clapping and the wolf whistles blew like crazy. After I helped Jenna steady, I guided her arm through mine and we headed down the aisle. What an amazing experience.





Chapter 31

Jenna



Relief washed over me when the wedding was over. I cried, but I was able to maintain enough control not to sob like crazy. What an amazing opportunity for Max and I to show our love in front of our family and friends. As we proceeded down the long, white aisle, I noticed what a fabulous job our wedding coordinator had done with her staff.

The tower Max and I had stood under in front was draped in lavender material that looked like curtains. Long, grand vases were set on either side, filled with the most beautiful colors of flowers I had ever seen. They looked so perfect that I would have thought they were fake, but I knew they weren’t. White lace and small bouquets of flowers hung from one chair to the next in the center aisle. I was so busy making sure I wouldn’t trip and locking my eyes on Max that I hadn’t enjoyed the beauty of this set until now.