by Pat Simmons
A princess. Her eyes misted. “Thank you...Pops.” She grinned, and he smiled back.
Marcellus puffed out his chest and, with a stride of military precision, began their procession toward the altar and her groom.
As Brecee got closer to the double doors that opened to the rooftop courtyard, everything blurred—the exquisite decorations her bridal party had created in her color theme of bluish-gray with explosions of fuchsia. Every person, every object, froze as her vision zoomed in on Adrian. Forget her stepfather's good looks—it was Adrian who was ridiculously handsome. She swallowed as she made her way along the white runner that had been imprinted with the text of Ephesians 5:31: “And they two shall be one flesh.” As she inched closer to Adrian, the words faded from the runner and were implanted in her heart.
With each step, Brecee silently praised God for the Word that would bind her and Adrian together forever.
When they reached the front row of chairs, her mother got to her feet. Both she and Marcellus kissed Brecee on either cheek. That hadn’t been planned, which made it even more special.
Adrian shook hands with Marcellus, then kissed Brecee’s mother before turning to her and taking a deep breath. “Ready to be my wife?”
“Yes,” she whispered, and that’s when she saw it—the “look” her sister Shae had alluded to when she’d talked about how special Rahn treated her. Adrian’s eyes spoke volumes. He stared as if seeing her for the first time. She hoped it was because of the form-fitting lace dress with its long train. Either way, she had never felt so cherished.
Pastor Underwood, the minister from her family church in Philly, cleared his throat. “You need to bring her closer, young man, if you want to marry her.”
“Sorry,” Adrian muttered, hustling closer to the makeshift altar.
“Very well.” The minister peered at them over the rim of his glasses. “We are gathered here today in the sight of the Lord Jesus Christ and these witnesses....”
Before long, he guided Adrian in the recitation of his vows.
“Sabrece... Brecee, I promise to love you more with every day of my life. You’ll never doubt my faithfulness.”
She felt every word he boldly proclaimed in front of their guests as intimately as if he were whispering to her alone. Then her own voice shook as she recited her vows. “Adrian, I’m honored to be the woman you have chosen to spend the rest of your life with. I promise to love, respect, and obey you. My faithfulness will be never ending....”
Minutes later, they were pronounced husband and wife. Adrian gathered her in his arms, and they indulged in a sweet kiss.
Exhaling, they faced the crowd. The applause became deafening. Adrian twirled her under his arm and shouted, “My wife!”
Brecee blushed. That declaration earned him another kiss, which she stood on her toes to deliver.
Chapter Thirty
A
drian had had enough of the smiles, hugs, and handshakes. He was ready to start his honeymoon—now! But their flight to the Bahamas didn’t leave until six the next morning. He had no problem thinking of ways to occupy their time.
Only for Brecee’s sake did he agree to pose for the countless pictures. Every time she looked at him, he thought he’d never felt so loved. And the cameras captured every one of their embraces and kisses.
When he thought they were away from the camera’s lens, he pulled her aside. “Thank you for marrying me.”
Her lips curved upward and her eyes sparkled as she rubbed his jaw. “Thank you for asking me. It seems like I waited forever.”
“I want forever with you.” He kissed the ring on her finger as the camera flashed again. He gritted his teeth. “What did you pay for—rather, what did I pay for—the paparazzi?”
Her arms encircled his neck. “Can I help wanting to relive every moment of the fairy-tale wedding you gave me?”
He rested his forehead against hers and grunted. “Whatever you want, babe.” Then, linking his fingers through hers, Adrian led her to the reception to a chorus of cheers and shouts of “Congratulations!”
When they were finally seated at the head table, along with the members of the wedding party, Adrian couldn’t keep his eyes off his bride. He was so excited that he lost his appetite, even when the plates of delicious ¬smelling food were set before them. Who could eat at a time like this?
“Do I have to feed you your dinner and cake, too?” Brecee teased as she held a forkful of salad and coaxed him to open his mouth. “You really should eat. You are going to need your strength.” She leaned closer for a kiss.
“Flirt.” His nostrils flared with passion as he took his fork and began to eat with forced gusto to humor her.
It wasn't long until it was time for the first dance. Standing, Adrian guided his wife to the dance floor, and that’s when he noticed Mrs. Daniels sitting at the same the table as his mother. The two were chatting away like old friends.
He whispered to alert Brecee as he spun her around under his arm. Then he dismissed the distraction as he held his bride close and swayed to the band’s rendition of BeBe Winans’ “I Found Love.”
Brecee sang along, softly serenading him in his ear; and by the time the song ended, she had him panting, about to fall to his knees in weakness. If only they could catch an earlier flight to the Bahamas. “Come on, honeymoon,” he practically growled.
She giggled and hugged him tighter. Seconds later, the wedding coordinator summoned them to the table where they would cut the cake. Adrian blinked at his first sight of the cake topper: an African-American groom holding his bride in the air and kissing her beside a Mercedes-Benz.
“Wow,” he murmured. “Where did you find this?”
Brecee grinned. “I couldn’t resist. It was pricey, but it was my way of saying that I respect what you do, and I’ll always support you, no matter what the endeavor.”
Adrian lifted her off the ground like the pose of the cake topper and kissed her long and hard. They could cut the cake later.
Epilogue
A
drian couldn’t imagine paradise, but the Sandals Royal Bahamian Spa Resort on the Nassau Paradise Island gave him a glimpse of what heaven might look like. As he and his wife soaked in the sun on the white sand, he didn’t care about admiring the clear blue ocean. Brecee’s clear eyes fascinated him far more. And the honeymoon suite was their hangout for pillow talks, candlelit baths, and constant whispers of love.
“How about staying another week?” Adrian asked, playing with Brecee’s hair. “Or have we maxed out my American Express?”
“I may have left you five dollars,” she sassed him. He retaliated by tickling her until she pleaded for him to stop. Then she snuggled close to him. “Honey, our mother taught us how to get the most for the least amount of money. We called in favors and bargained for services. The Carmen sisters did good.” She looked at him through her thick eyelashes and rubbed his jaw. “I don’t want us to be in debt and put more pressure on you to work long hours to surpass the quota. I want to be your quota.”
He grinned. “You already are. Two more semesters of classes, and I’ll have my master’s degree.”
“I’m....” She swallowed. “I’m so proud of you, and I love you.”
Those were the last words they spoke for the night.
At the end of the week, when their plane landed in St. Louis, they vowed that their marriage would never be business as usual.
Dolan called them first, as if he had GPS tracking on them and knew they were back at Adrian’s condo, surrounded by boxes of Brecee’s stuff and wedding gifts galore that his parents had dropped off while they were gone. “Hey, I just carried my bride over the threshold,” Adrian told his cousin.
“Mmm-hmm.” Dolan chuckled. “Welcome home. I called because I have some news that should make your day.”
Adrian sat on the bed and watched Brecee happily unpack their clothes, humming and teasing him with some dance moves as she did. “I have a beautiful wife to make my day.”
Brecee threw him an air kiss, and he motioned for her to come closer and deliver one in person. As she was about to, Dolan said, “Your parents attended church with me and Regina yesterday.”
Adrian hurriedly smacked lips with Brecee, then gave his cousin his attention. “What?” he sat up straight. He must have alarmed Brecee, because her eyes widened, and she mouthed, Is everything okay?
He covered the phone with his hand and repeated what Dolan had just told him. Brecee danced around the room and pumped her fists in the air.
“Yep,” Dolan confirmed. “The pastor preached on Ephesians one, verse four: ‘According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.’ God must have convicted Aunt Marsha’s soul, because she was the first one into the aisle, walking to the front. Just like me all those months ago.”
Adrian’s heart pounded and he repeated the news to Brecee.
“Needless to say, your mother experienced her Nicodemus moment with the water and Spirit baptism, in Jesus’ name.”
“Amen, amen! Hallelujah!” Adrian and Brecee shouted in praise.
While Dolan was still on the line, Brecee’s cell phone rang as if her families had timed their return.
Seeing the frown on Brecee’s face, he told Dolan he’d call back later, then disconnected. “What’s wrong, baby?”
“It’s Victor.” She put him on speakerphone.
“Hey, Adrian,” Victor said. “You better be good to my cousin—”
“Man, we’ve already been through this,” Adrian reminded him. “You threatened me at the wedding, remember? Anyway, “Right, anyway, Judith just called. She thought you would want to know that her great-grand-mother passed away in her sleep this morning. Apparently, all day yesterday, she kept saying, 'I kept my promise.’ Do you have any idea what she meant?”
“Yeah.” Adrian’s heart dropped at the news. It was as if Mrs. Daniels had lived long enough to complete a mission. “Even in her old age, she was still witnessing to my family as she had promised my grandmother she’d do.”
Brecee rubbed his back. “Thanks for letting us know, cuz. Please tell Judith she has our deepest sympathy.”
After ending the call, Adrian turned around and stared at his wife. “You know, I thought if it wasn’t for Mrs. Daniels, our paths might never have crossed. But now looking at you...humph.” He grunted. “Woman, there is no way on God’s earth that I wouldn’t have found you. I would have kept searching until I discovered the jewel that was hidden away in the treasure chest God had for me.”
Book Club
Discussion Questions
1. Discuss your thoughts on the relationship, if any, between a man’s suitability as a mate and his salary. Do you believe that the husband should be the primary breadwinner of the family?
2. When Adrian met Brecee, he had a lot going on in his life. What are your thoughts about his justification about moving their relationship along at a snail’s pace due to his commitments to work and school?
3. Who first introduced you to the Bible? Was it a parent? A grandparent? Discuss the influence of this person on your spiritual walk.
4. One of the items on Brecee’s top-ten list of crucial qualities in a mate was the ability to get along with her family and vice versa. What’s your take on this ultimatum?
5. Discuss Annette Carmen’s relationship with her daughters and her decision to put her own marital happiness on hold for Brecee’s sake.
6. Did Brecee hold fast to her expectations, or did she begin to settle for whatever time Adrian was willing to give her?
7. Discuss Brecee’s struggle between desiring to be married and living happily as a single woman. Have you ever dealt with a similar struggle? How did you handle it?
8. Who was your favorite character, and why?
9. How important is the character of Mrs. Daniels in the story?
10. Do you believe in miracles? If so, share one that God has performed for you or that you have heard someone else testify about.
Author's Note
M
y husband’s family and mine crossed paths before either of us was even born. As a matter of fact, God had it in the works even before our parents got married.
In the mid-1940s, my grandmother Jessie and my husband’s grandfather J. T. both worked for Pacific Railroad in St. Louis. Both were married at the time, but the couples didn't spend much time together. My husband’s grandfather later surrendered his life to Christ and was blessed by God to be appointed deacon at the same church my husband, Kerry, attends now. Kerry is a third-generation Apostolic (Pentecostal) follower. I don’t recall my grandmother attending church, but she was a wonderful woman, and everyone who knew her, including my husband’s uncle, Jerry Downer, remembered her as being a hard worker, as he told me when he learned that I was Miss Jessie’s grandmother. It is indeed a small world!
Fast-forward some forty years and two generations. My husband and I met at church and fell in love. I had a Catholic background, so when God saved me, I became the first-generation Apostolic. It wasn’t long after my walk with the Lord had begun that I heard the testimonies about Mother Poole’s gift of healing. I made up my mind that I wanted a strong walk with the Lord and to use whatever gift He bestowed on me.
It just goes to show you that you never know how a person who crosses your path—whether at work, at church, or even at a department store— may touch your future.
Thank God for Grandma Jessie and Deacon J. T. Downer.
If you enjoyed Adrian and Brecee’s story, please post an honest review on Amazon or Goodreads. Also, consider joining my street team to help me promote my work.
Until next time, happy reading!
About The Author
Pat is celebrating ten years as a multi-published author of more than thirty Christian titles, and is a three-time recipient of the Emma Rodgers Award for Best Inspirational Romance. She has been a featured speaker and workshop presenter at various venues across the country.
As a self-proclaimed genealogy sleuth, Pat is passionate about researching her ancestors and then casting them in starring roles in her novels. She describes the evidence of the gift of the Holy Ghost as an amazing, unforgettable, life-altering experience. God is the Author who advances the stories she writes.
Pat currently oversees the media publicity for the annual RT Booklovers Conventions. She has a B.S. in mass communications from Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts.
Pat converted her sofa-strapped, sports fanatic husband into an amateur travel agent, untrained bodyguard, GPS-guided chauffeur, and administrative assistant who is constantly on probation. They have a son and a daughter.
Read more about Pat and her books by visiting www.patsimmons.net or on social media.
Other Christian titles include:
The Jamieson Legacy series
Book I: Guilty of Love
Book II: Not Guilty of Love
Book III: Still Guilty
Book IV: The Acquittal
Book V: Guilty by Association
Book VI: The Guilt Trip
Book VII: Free from Guilt
Book VIII: The Confession
Book IX: The Guilty Generation
The Carmen Sisters
Book I: No Easy Catch
Book II: In Defense of Love
Book III: Redeeming Heart
Book IV: Driven to Be Loved
Love at the Crossroads
Book I: Stopping Traffic
Book II: A Baby for Christmas
Book III: The Keepsake
Book IV: What God Has for Me
Book V: Every Woman Needs a Praying Man
Making Love Work Anthology
Book I: Love at Work
Book II: Words of Love
Book III: A Mother’s Love
Restore My Soul series
Crowning Glory
Jet: The Back Story
Love Led by the Spirit
Couple by Christmas
Prayers Answered by Christmas
Perfect Chance at Love series:
Love by Delivery
Late Summer Love
Single titles
Talk to Me
Her Dress (novella)
Christmas Greetings
Anderson Brothers
Book I: Love for the Holidays (Three novellas): A Christian Christmas, A Christian Easter, and A Christian Father’s Day
Book II: A Woman After David’s Heart (Valentine’s Day)
Book III: A Noelle for Nathan (Book 3 of the Andersen Brothers)
Caregivers series:
Book I: Originally called My Rock
In Love by Delivery, Senior Accounts Manager Dominique Hayes has it all money, a car and a condo. Well, almost. She's starting to believe love has passed her by. One thing for sure, she can’t hurry God, so she continues to wait while losing hope that a special Godly man will ever make his appearance. Package Courier Ashton Taylor knows a man who finds a wife finds a good thing. The only thing standing in his way of finding the right woman is his long work hours. Or maybe not. A chance meeting changes everything. When love finally comes knocking, will Dominique open the door and accept Ashton's special delivery?
In Late Summer Love, it takes strategies to win a war, but prayer and spiritual intervention are needed to win a godly woman's heart. God has been calling out to Blake Cross ever since Blake was deployed in Iraq and he took his safety for granted. Now, back on American soil, Blake still won't surrender his soul—until he meets Paige Blake during a family reunion. When the Lord gives Blake an ultimatum, is Blake listening, and is he finally ready to learn what it takes to be a godly man fit for a godly woman?
In Crowning Glory, Book 1, Cinderella had a prince; Karyn Wallace has a King. While Karyn served four years in prison for an unthinkable crime, she embraced salvation through Crowns for Christ outreach ministry. After her release, Karyn stays strong and confident, despite the stigma society places on ex-offenders. Since Christ strengthens the underdog, Karyn refuses to sway away from the scripture, “He who the Son has set free is free indeed.” Levi Tolliver, for the most part, is a practicing Christian. One contradiction is he doesn't believe in turning the other cheek. He's steadfast there is a price to pay for every sin committed, especially after the untimely death of his wife during a robbery. Then Karyn enters Levi's life. He is enthralled not only with her beauty, but her sweet spirit until he learns about her incarceration. If Levi can accept that Christ paid Karyn's debt in full, then a treasure awaits him. This is a powerful tale and reminds readers of the permanency of redemption.