Wheres the Groom
Page 23
Ashley suddenly spun around and fled to the back of the suite to find Tamara. Where was she anyway? Ashley would tell her to call it all off! Tamara would know how. Instead of Tamara, Ashley suddenly saw Jessica, standing there alone, in her mauve silk dress. She looked beautiful and devastated at the same time, and Ashley knew why. Not only had Jessica broken up with Winn, she was publicly walking down the aisle with Lance, Ashley’s fourteen year old brother.
“Jessica,” Ashley ran over to her, desperately.
Jessica’s eyes opened in what looked like pure terror. “What now?”
“I can’t go through with it,” Ashley suddenly started crying, her tears falling like another sudden storm. “I don’t want to do this, I can’t.”
Jessica, horrified, reached out and held Ashley tightly, “It’s okay, it’s okay, “she said.
“It’s not okay, it’s awful,” Ashley sobbed.
“It’s just nerves,” Jessica was saying, “all brides have them. Nobody thinks they can go through with it, but they do. It will all work out.”
Ashley was crying so hard she could barely hear Jessica’s words.
“This is different though, it won’t work out,” Ashley gasped. Then she grabbed some tissues and started dabbing her face. “Where’s Tamara?” Ashley spoke between sobs, “she’ll help call it off.”
“Tamara and Vince took a room together last night in the hotel down the road,” Jessica uttered, “she hasn’t shown up yet, but she will any minute we hope. But Ray’s outside, I’ll call him in.”
Jessica ran to the door to call Ray, while despite herself, Ashley smiled thinking of Tamara and Vince. They might never make it to the wedding, she thought, just stay floating there all day on cloud nine. Well, at least something good had come out of all this, it wasn’t for nothing.”
Ray rushed into the back of the suite with Jessica now.
“Ashley, what’s wrong?” he looked more nervous than she was, chewing his lip.
“I can’t go through with this Ray,” Ashley breathed.
“You can, you can,” Ray tried to bolster her. “It’s too late now, you have to. Everyone’s here, outside waiting.”
But where’s the groom? Ashley wanted to shout, but kept quiet in front of Jessica.
“I can’t find Tamara either,” Ashley went on, weaving and forth.
Jessica stepped up then and held onto Ashley.
“It’s okay, you don’t need Tamara,” said Jessica. “I’m your Maid of Honor and I’ll give you the strength to get into your dress, finish your make up and walk down the aisle like a Queen.”
“And I’ll be right there at the end of the aisle waiting for you,” Ray jumped in.
Jessica looked as if she were going to faint. “You waiting? You’re the groom?”
“If Ashley will have me?” Ray said softly. “We’ll do what we can to get through the wedding and can split later on when things quiet down. It will save face, it will make everyone happy.”
“Split later on??” Jessica looked ashen. “You’ll take wedding vows that mean nothing?”
“Not that exactly,” said Ray. “We’ll tell each other how much we love each other. There are all kinds of marriages, aren’t there?”
Ashley looked at Ray with appreciation, “Yes, Ray, there are, but that’s not the kind of marriage I want. I want a marriage with a man who will love me and whatever we say to each other is true.”
“Every woman wants that,” said Jessica quickly, “a wedding isn’t some kind of a show!”
“Ray means well, he only means good,” Ashley quickly defended him. She looked at both of them through the tears that now clouded her eyes again. Both Jessica and Ray seemed noble at the moment, doing whatever they could to give Ashley strength to go forward, when she had no idea what lay ahead.
Ray put his hand on her arm gently, “Okay, and remember, anything can happen at the last minute,” he said.
“I’m okay, Ray, I really am,” Ashley comforted him. “I’ll just go forward as we planned and see what happens.”
“Good,” Ray whispered, “and I’ll be waiting outside, cheering you on.”
He turned and left and Ashley breathed deeply.
“I’m confused about everything,” Jessica said softly. “This wedding has been like a volcano, shaking up a lot of lives.”
“They must have needed shaking up,” said Ashley, suddenly calm again.
“Maybe you’re right,” Jessica murmured. “It’s certainly a different world for me without Winn in it.”
“Maybe he’ll realize that, too?” Ashley said.
“My guess is he won’t,” Jessica said, “but come on, it’s not the time to talk about this. Right now it’s time for you to put on your dress.”
*
The moment Ashley slipped into her dress, everything changed once again, like the edges of the universe turning to embrace her. Ashley felt totally different in the dress, it soothed and strengthened her, as if she had a dear friend with her, assuring her that all would be well. Jessica held out her ruby necklace and earrings, and Ashley put them on. Then the veil was gently placed over her head. Just as she was, Ashley felt beautiful, completely whole. Whether or not her groom came to claim her, nothing would ever change that.
Strains of music from the band playing outside drifted into the suite, indicating it was time for the wedding to begin. Ashley’s mother and sister came to stand beside her, like walls of strength during a difficult time. Her father waited outside the door, so he could walk Ashley down the aisle.
Ashley stood in line, behind the bridesmaids, as one by one they left the suite, met their groomsman, and walked, in the bright sunlight, down the aisle.
Soon, the wedding march started, along with a sudden uproar. Ashley stepped outside the suite and took her father’s arm. She had no idea what the noise was about, probably something happening close by. The bridal march played louder, and without missing a beat, Ashley and her father started walking. She’d never realized the strength he offered, they’d never been so close in her life.
She and her father turned the corner to step onto the aisle. The sun shone in Ashley’s eyes for a moment, blinding her to what was going on.
“A terrible mistake, a terrible mistake,” a voice was calling. “Stop the wedding! Stop it now!”
Ashley and her father took another step, out of the sun, and to her total shock she saw Scott standing there, besides himself, yelling.
“Stop this, please, it can’t happen!”
People were standing, aghast, in their chairs.
Scott spun around on the aisle then, and stared at Ashley.
“You can’t marry him! I can’t let you! I won’t.”
Everyone gasped.
Ashley stared at Scott through her glittering veil. He’d never looked so wonderful, handsome, strong. It was as if all the time they’d been apart melted away, as if this moment had been planned years ago.
“I love you, Ashley!” Scott shouted uncontrollably, “I always have. And you’ve always loved me!”
It was true, Ashley realized, as her father gripped her arm tighter. There was no doubt about it.
“Marry me, Ashley!” Scott called again plaintively into the beautiful, shining afternoon.
Ashley broke away from her father suddenly, and ran to Scott as the two of them embraced in the middle of the aisle.
“It’s so wonderful to see you again, Scott,” Ashley breathed through her tears.
“Marry me, Ashley, marry me,” Scott fell to his knees, pleading.
“Yes, Scott,” Ashley answered, “I will. I will!”
The crowd gasped.
“You will?” Scott looked blown away. “But- but,” he stuttered, clearly not expecting that response, “what - what about your groom?”
Ashley thought quickly.
“He’s not coming!” she called out.
The crowd gasped.
“He just texted me! He said he changed his mind!”
The crowd broke out into an agitated murmur.
“He said that in a text?” Jessica called out.
“The nerve of him!” gasped Ashley’s mother.
“It doesn’t matter, Scott,” Ashley added. “I don’t love him. I never did. I realized, these last few days, it’s you I love. I never stopped loving you. As I was walking down the aisle, it was you I was thinking of. You I was dreaming of. And here you are! The perfect groom. So if you want to marry me, now is your chance,” Ashley turned and looked down the aisle at the altar.
Scott glanced around, as if taking in his surroundings for the first time.
“Marry you now? Here?”
For a moment Ashley’s heart fell. Was he having second thoughts? Now that he knew she was available, had he changed his mind?
But to her relief, suddenly his eyes watered up, filled with joy.
He stepped forward and kissed her—and the crowd gasped.
“There is nothing I want more,” he said to her, softly.
The crowd cheered.
Scott took Ashley’s arm and nodded to her father, who in total wonder, nodded back.
The band started to play the bridal march again, as the sun grew stronger, the guests stood, applauding wildly, and Scott walked with Ashley the rest of the way down the aisle.
They stood opposite one another under the rose covered canopy, looking at each other through the sweet haze that filled their eyes.
“On this magnificent day of your wedding,” Reverend Horn said in a beautiful, sing song voice, “give thanks for the gift of love showered upon you.”
Ashley, deeply, gave thanks.
“Give thanks that somehow mysteriously, our true mates are always there, waiting for us, even when we think they are far away.”
Ashley and Scott smiled at each other, breathless with happiness to see each other again.
“Love is never too late, love is never unkind,” Reverend Horn continued, “love always comes at the perfect moment and reaches out to hold not only the blessed couple, but everyone surrounding them in its hand.”
COMING SOON…
A new romantic comedy by Sophie Meyer!
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