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To her supreme horror, she realized she couldn’t remember a single word of the vows she’d painstakingly written and memorized over the course of the past two weeks. She’d recited them in the shower, in her office at work, and when she was driving in her car. She’d known the words forward and backwards, and now … they were freaking gone. Poof.
Paige swallowed hard and blinked at David. “I can’t,” she whispered, flushing with a wave of mortification, as all eyes continued to be on her.
“Did you forget your vows?” he whispered back.
She gave a quick nod, and behind her, Jules gave an unladylike snort, which sounded incredibly loud in the otherwise quiet church.
Evan took a step forward. “What’s the holdup?” he whispered. “Is Cat Lady backing out?”
“No,” David hissed, before clearing his throat and addressing the minister. “Why don’t we just do the traditional vows, instead?”
“Of course,” the minister said, and with barely a blink, immediately switched gears and resumed the ceremony.
When it came time to exchange the rings, Jacob removed the two wedding bands from the plastic bubble container David had chosen for Jacob to carry them in. However, there was a bit of confusion when he handed the wrong one to David, who then had to quickly switch it for the correct one before sliding it on Paige’s finger.
With surprisingly steady hands, Paige slid David’s ring on and then rubbed it for a second, liking the mark of ownership it conveyed, signaling to the world that he now belonged to her. Again.
The minister announced it was time to kiss the bride, and Evan gave David an enthusiastic man-slap on his shoulder, and what sounded like, “Make it a good one, because everyone’s watching.”
David put his hands on both sides of Paige’s neck and leaned in to kiss her. At first, it was soft, as if he was mindful of being in church, but then it evolved into something a little more thorough and she could feel herself getting lost in it. Everything felt different. She’d gotten so used to his beard being a part of every kiss that the absence of his facial hair was like a whole new experience, as was the fact that she was now kissing her husband.
The kiss went on long enough to elicit a few laughs from the guests and bring on another shoulder slap from Evan. “Okay, that’s probably good enough.”
When David finally broke the kiss, he was grinning from ear to ear, and once Paige regained her equilibrium, she quickly grinned in return. “It’s like kissing a different person without your beard.”
After they were announced as ‘Mr. and Mrs. Lowe’ for the (second) first time, Paige and David walked down the aisle as guests clapped.
“We really did that, didn’t we?” she murmured, feeling ridiculously giddy.
“Hell, yeah, we did,” he returned, then because he could, he stopped to kiss her again.
“All right, kids,” Evan muttered from behind, as he walked with Jacob and Jules down the aisle. “Save something for the honeymoon.”
The reception was being held in a room off to the side of the chapel and all of the guests quickly followed the wedding party into it. Jules and Valerie had decorated the tables with pewter-gray tablecloths, vases with lilies, and scattered Hershey’s kisses. A banquet table at one end of the room was set up, awaiting the catered food from Macaroni’s, while the cake table was already set with the three-tiered, Death-By-Chocolate wedding cake, and bottles of chilled champagne.
There was also a platter of fresh strawberries, along with a bowl of pink fluff.
After congratulating Paige and giving her a hug, Valerie made her way over to David to give him the same treatment. “What a difference a year makes,” she said.
“You got that right,” he agreed, just as Mrs. Harte appeared in front of him, dressed in a pantsuit that she’d either bought in 1978 when it was actually in style, or had found in a thrift store last week.
“Congratulations, David,” she said warmly.
“Thank you,” he returned.
Then, with an approving nod at his shorter hair and smooth face, Mrs. Harte told him, “Much better.”
“I’m glad you approve, Dolores.”
She gave him an assessing look, as if contemplating something, before saying, “Why don’t you call me Dolly?”
“Really?”
She nodded. “Yes. I think it’s time.”
For a moment he was struck by the irony at having this honor bestowed upon him at the twelfth hour. Once Paige moved out of her apartment and into the loft, the chances of David ever seeing Mrs. Harte again were slim to none, just like it had been with his and Paige’s old neighbors. “Well, thank you … Dolly,” he told her graciously, before motioning to Valerie at his side. “Mom, this is Dolly Harte, Paige’s neighbor. Dolly, this is my mom, Valerie Lowe.”
The two women shook hands. “I’ve heard a lot about you,” Valerie said warmly. “From both Paige and David.”
