“Forgive me for not making it more romantic, but I couldn't wait another second to ask you,”he whispered.“I wanted it to be more than this, but the time seemed right.”
She stood and threw her arms around his neck.“Casey, it was perfect.”
The few customers in the diner cheered as they kissed. Big Al came out of the bag, waving his spatula.“The hell is going on?”
Barb smacked his arm with her notepad.“Salami Slim just got engaged!”They broke the kiss and Barb grabbed her left hand.“Let me see this rock! Oh, Salami Slim... It suits you.”She patted Casey on the shoulder and smiled brightly.“You did good, kid. You did good. You do know the Tassels are going to be madder than a wet hen that they missed this, right?”
Casey laughed, squeezing his fiance.“You'll just have to fill them in.”
Barb held her chin up in the air.“You are damn right. I am breaking the news first.”
Big Al waved them out of the diner.“Get out of here, you two. You are stinking up the place with this lovey dovey stuff. Us old geezers don't need to feel like this.”Barb laughed and swatted him on the arm again.
“Big Al, we need to pay for our breakfast.”Camille pulled her wallet out.
“Your money is not good here this morning, kid. Consider it a small token of my love for you. Now get out of here before I change my mind and put your ass to work!”He smacked the spatula on the counter and the corners of his mustache turned up in a smile. Barb rolled her eyes at him and laughed.
“Thanks Big Al,”she murmured, blowing him a kiss. He smirked and went back to the kitchen.
“Don't do anything I wouldn't do, kids!”
Barb guffawed,“That list isn't very long.”Her eyebrows waggled saucily.
Casey's eyes went wide.“Good God.”
Barb chuckled,“That's usually what I say.”
Camille flushed hot and grabbed Casey's sweater.“Please, let's go. Thanks for breakfast, Barb.”They went back out to the car and climbed in. Cami kept looking at her ring sparkling in the sunlight. She glanced over at him quickly as she snapped her seat belt.“This is crazy, Casey.”He nodded and smiled before grabbing her hand.
“I just want to make you happy, Cami.”His voice was sincere and it made her chest ache.
“You do, Casey. I'm so happy right now I could burst.”
He smiled gently and stroked her knuckles with his thumb.“I don't want to wait.”
“You don't want to wait for what, Casey?”She looked at him curiously.
“I don't want to wait to marry you. I want to marry you as soon as possible. I feel like I've waited long enough for you to be mine, and I can't wait anymore.”He brought her knuckles to his lips and kissed them.“Please say yes.”
Cami nodded.“I never wanted a big wedding. Just something small with those that we love. Can your family be there? My parents? I know my father can't walk me down the aisle, at least not in person, but Big Al would.”
Casey nodded.“We can make it happen. I want to show you the perfect place to have it at. It is very near your house.”
“Okay,”she replied.“We can go right now if you want.”
Casey nodded, directing her to the church he sought refuge in during one of the hardest challenges of his life. The rosebushes did not have flowers on them in the chill of fall, but it was still beautiful. The parking lot was full of parishioners and music was floating out of the door, which stood open, welcoming all who chose to stop by. She parked the car and they rolled the windows down, simply listening to the beautiful music.“What do you think?”
Camille smiled softly.“It is perfect.”He kissed her gently in the shade of the car, sounds of worship and praise for the one that brought them together filling their ears and hearts.
Epilogue –The Wedding
She stood at the doorway of the church, wearing an azure blue sheath dress that skimmed over her curves. She carried a bouquet of deep red roses. Big Al stood at her side, spiffed up in a sport coat and slacks. He looked down at her, his blue eyes twinkling.“Salami Slim, are you ready to get married?”
Her heart thumped in her chest and she answered with no qualms,“Yes, Big Al, I'm ready.”He opened the heavy wooden door and melodies of Mozart swam in the air around them.
He looked at her with a grin.“Couldn't do the wedding march, could you?”She shook her head, all her focus on the dark haired man at the end of the aisle. They stepped through the door into the cool sanctuary. The late afternoon sunlight filtered through the beautiful stained glass, dappling the room with jewel tones. None of them matched the brilliant emerald of Camille's eyes as she floated down the aisle.
The Tassel Group were all there and for once, they were silent except for tears running down their faces. The love filling the room was palpable. Camille could make out the shapes of the angels that had joined the ceremony. Her heart was filled to bursting.
He watched the love of his life walk down the aisle to him, her eyes vividly bright in the dusk of the room. His heart drummed in his chest. This is the moment we have waited for. Big Al solemnly handed her to him.“Love my girl with all your heart, son,”he whispered gruffly before self-consciously wiping his eyes and sitting in the pew beside Barb.
Camille smiled brightly at him as she took his hand and climbed the stairs to stand beside him in front of the pastor. The balding man in robes smiled at them both then addressed the small group gathered there.“The couple would like to say their own vows.”
He cleared his throat.“Camille, I have always known from the moment that we met that there was something special about you. You were the candle in my dark obscurity and I was drawn to you like a moth to a flame. You have made me a better man, and I am so honored to stand here with you. I love you more than the air I breathe. You have given me hope for a future when I had none. I humbly give myself to you, body, mind and soul. I promise to honor and cherish you for the rest of my days. I love you and thank you for loving me.”
There were no dry eyes in the house, Camille's included. She smiled through her tears and replied,“Casey, you are truly my best friend. No other woman could ask for more. I will always be there to support you, just as you have supported me. I promise to love you and cherish you the rest of our days. I promise to let you have the first cup of coffee at least once in our marriage, and more importantly, I promise to stand with you no matter whatever comes. Even if it hurts a little, isn't that what love is? Hurting someone but apologizing profusely in the most beautiful of ways? I promise to only hurt you a little and spend the rest of my life beautifully apologizing and loving you, Casey. It has always been you.”
The pastor smiled at them both.“Exchange rings, please.”
He slipped a rose gold band on Camille's finger that perfectly matched his mother's ring.“I love you.”
She slipped a simple silver band on to his finger and murmured,“I love you more, Casey. This ring was my Dad's, and I want you to have it.”Casey squeezed her hand and his throat ached.
“By the power vested in me by the state of New York, I now pronounce you man and wife,”the small man announced.
The group cheered as Casey and Camille kissed. The angels in attendance wrapped their arms around them, surrounding them with nothing but warmth and love. They finally had their happily ever after.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Scarlett Jade is just a small town girl with big dreams who loves to write. She has always been found from a young age with her brow furrowed, scribbling words on paper or her nose in a book. Now that she is grown, life isn't much different, she still scribbles words, but mostly on the computer, and her nose is permanently glued to e-books! She is married to the man of her dreams, her real life knight in shining armor and Prince Charming and has one son who is the apple of her eye. You can typically find her playing in the dirt with her son, toying with her indoor vegetable garden, or snuggled on the couch with her dog Peanut Butter and cat Jelly, reading a good book. She loves chocolate, thinks coffee should be a religi
on, and loves to make people laugh with her quirky sense of humor. She is bold, brazen, and even been told she's ballsy, but she doesn't mind, she takes it in stride. She has a huge passion for all things paranormal and spicy love stories that leave you turning the pages and dying to slide between the sheets of the next book!
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