Love Conquers All

by Lorana Hoopes

  Lanie pursed her lips together and nodded for him to continue. This was the most he had ever shared about his past.

  “I took a remote tour after that. Remember when I told you I re-enlisted?”

  She nodded.

  “Well, on that tour I met Krista. She was a nurse, and I met her after spraining my ankle one day. We married over there, but Krista’s deployment ended before mine. When I got back, things had changed, but I couldn’t figure out why. At first, I thought it was that our interests weren’t similar enough. It turned out the Army was about all we had in common, but a year later, I found out she was having an affair.”

  “Oh, Azarius, I’m so sorry,” Lanie said.

  Azarius shrugged his broad shoulders. “We tried counseling, and for a while I thought it was better, but then she took another deployment, and a fellow soldier sent me pictures of her and a new man over there. I filed for divorce after that, but she fought it for a time for whatever reason. She finally agreed a year ago. So there you go. That’s the condensed version of why I’m guarded.”

  Lanie smiled and squeezed his hands. For the first time, she felt confidence in their relationship. “I’m so glad you told me, though I wish you had told me sooner.”

  He nodded as a playful smile tugged the right side of his mouth up. “I know. I’m going to work on not hiding so much, but I’ll need your help. Think you’re up for the task?”

  “Well, I guess I have to be," Lanie laughed. “Since we plan on getting married.”

  “Speaking of which,” he said, “we should be going before the place closes. You ready?”

  “Ready as I’ll ever be,” she smiled.

  Azarius stood first, helping her up and then grabbed his bag from the bed. Lanie rescued hers from the floor and the two made their way down the stairs.

  “Heading out?” Greg asked from the couch.

  “Yep, thank you for the info, man.”

  Azarius extended his hand, but Greg stood and pulled him into a hug. Then he turned to Lanie. “I guess the next time I see you, you’ll be Lanie Jacobson,” he said, pulling her into a hug as well.

  “Lanie Jacobson,” Azarius chuckled. “Sounds like an author’s name.”

  Lanie rolled the name around in her head and decided she liked the sound of it. “Wish us luck,” she smiled.

  “You don’t need it,” Greg said. “You two were made for each other.”

  Azarius wrapped his arm around Lanie and pulled her close. “I agree.”

  Five hours later, Azarius pulled into the driveway of a large two story yellow house with white shutters. ‘Forever Yours Bed and Breakfast’ was scrolled across a sign that hung over the door and though there weren’t many trees, the front of the house was landscaped beautifully.

  Lanie sucked in a breath and turned to Azarius. “This is much nicer than a courthouse.”

  “I’m glad you like it. Shall we see what they offer?”

  Lanie nodded and unbuckled her seatbelt. In the backseat, an elegant cream dress lay across Azarius’s garment bag. She grabbed the dress and her overnight bag as he pulled out his suit and duffel bag. With fingers laced together, they walked up the cement walkway to the front door.

  Before the chime inside had finished sounding, the white door swung open. An elderly woman with grey streaks in her dark hair stood on the other side. Her friendly smile soothed the last few raw nerves Lanie had.

  “Welcome to Forever Yours,” she said, clasping her hands in front of her. “I’m Stella White. Are you here to get married?”

  “What gave it away?” Azarius asked.

  The woman laughed a deep, hearty laugh and winked at Lanie. “You’ve got yourself a keeper here. I can tell. Well, come on inside and decide which package you’d like.”

  Stella stepped back and opened the door wide enough for Azarius and Lanie to step through. The white wall paper with gold striping grabbed Lanie’s attention as they followed the woman to an ornate desk.

  “Here we are. We offer five different packages, though if you want to get married tonight, you’ll have to choose one of the pre-made cakes we have. Do you have guests?” Stella asked, looking past them as if she expected a crowd to enter at any moment.

  “No, it’s just us,” Azarius said. “We plan to have a party back where we live later.”

  “Oh, well in that case, you probably only need to look at package one and two. The main difference is that package two includes a night stay in our honeymoon suite.”

  Azarius glanced Lanie’s direction, and she felt the heat flood her face. “It would be a late drive back,” she said.

  “We’ll take package two then,” Azarius said to Stella.

  “Wonderful.”

  As Azarius took care of the bill, Lanie wandered around the room. It was decorated with Victorian touches from the wallpaper to the settees. Along one wall rows and rows of frames hung in even spaces. Lanie leaned in closer and realized they were pictures of couples who had been married here. Underneath each one was the date they were married, but Lanie wondered how many were still together.

  “If you’ll come with me, I’ll show you where you can change,” Stella said, breaking into Lanie’s thoughts.

  Lanie nodded and followed the woman down a hall carpeted in a soft rose color to a white door with ‘Bride’ stenciled across the top in black. Across the hall was a similar door marked ‘Groom.’ With a final smile at Azarius, Lanie opened the door to her room and shut it behind her.

  The room contained another settee, a full-length mirror, a small vanity and stool, and a clothes rack. Lanie hung the dress and tossed her bag on the settee, then rifled through it for her makeup bag and brush.

  As she brushed her hair out in front of the mirror, the nerves started again. In less than an hour, she would be Lanie Jacobson and the thought both thrilled and terrified her.

  Chapter 12

  Azarius hung the garment bag on the rack in his room and unzipped it. Though it wasn’t a full suit, he had a dark suit coat and pants he had acquired years ago for a wedding or something. He didn’t own a white button down shirt, but the pale blue one he had brought would suffice.

  He peeled off his current shirt and flexed in the mirror. His arms were looking buff, but he’d need to do some more work on his chest to look his best for Lanie, though she hadn’t complained last time.

  Azarius grabbed the blue shirt off the hangar and poked his arms through. Thankfully, the buttons didn’t stretch, though he wasn’t sure he could have buttoned the one around his neck if he’d had to, but as he didn’t have a tie that wasn’t a problem, so he flipped the collar to make it lay just right.

  The pants and the coat added the final touches, and he smiled at his reflection in the mirror. He hadn’t been sure he would ever remarry, but he was looking forward to this union with Lanie and the prospect of being a father, even if it wasn’t the way he planned it.

  Azarius ran his hands down his sleeves one more time for good measure and then grabbed his divorce papers from his bag, tucking them in his suit coat pocket. Then he opened the door to the hall and peeked out. The door across the way was still closed, but Stella stood down the hall talking to an older man with a balding hairline.

  “Oh, Azarius,” Stella said as he approached, “I’d like you to meet John. He’s our Justice of the Peace who will be performing the ceremony.”

  “Nice to meet you, Azarius,” John said, sticking out his hand. He had a kind face underneath his bushy eyebrows which seemed out of place with his lack of hair. “Shall we get the paperwork started and Stella can wait for Lanie?”

  Azarius nodded and followed John down the hallway to a small office. John crossed behind the desk and picked up a white sheet lying on top.

  “Okay, so you need to sign here. Lanie will sign underneath and Stella will sign as your witness. Have either of you been married before?”

  “Yes, both of us.” Azarius reached into his inside pocket and pulled out the divorce decree.

  �
��Great. I just need to make a copy of this for when I file,” John said, grabbing it and turning to a small printer. “Hopefully, you have better luck with this one.”

  As the printer whirred to life and spat out a copy of his papers, Azarius signed his name to the line.

  “Wonderful. If you’ll come with me, I’ll take you to the chapel room where we perform the ceremony and we can wait for Stella and Lanie.”

  Azarius followed John out of the office and down the hallway. He glanced back at the rooms, but Lanie’s door was still closed. Was she backing out?

  John took a right and Azarius followed him to a hallway enclosed by glass. It led to another large building he hadn’t noticed from the front.

  As John pushed open the door, the smell of flowers hit his nose. The room was set up similar to how he imagined a small church would look. Rows of white chairs lined both sides of a red carpeted aisle. A raised platform sat at the far back of the room surrounded by beautiful flowers in whites, pinks, and reds.

  “Okay, here’s where we’ll stand,” John said, stepping up on the platform. “Lanie will enter through that door, obviously, and when she gets here, we’ll start the ceremony.”

  Azarius nodded and rolled his shoulders back. He wasn’t nervous exactly, but he was ready to get the ceremony part over with. As the time crept on, he found himself rocking back and forth on his heels.

  “I’m sure they’re almost ready,” John said with a kind smile.

  Before Azarius could reply, the sound of music filled the room. The far door opened and Lanie stepped into view. She was a vision in her satin cream dress. The neckline dipped low and showed off her bare shoulders. Her auburn hair was piled loosely on her head with only a few tendrils hanging down. He was glad now that she hadn’t modeled the dress for him in the store. He hadn't understood her adamant refusal then, but he did now. It would have ruined this moment.

  She glided up the aisle, her dress skimming the floor. A bouquet of white roses clutched in her hands. A tentative smile adorned her face as she reached the podium and stepped up. When she turned to face him, Azarius realized they hadn’t bought any rings. In a panic, he turned to John with wide eyes. John, seeming to understand his predicament, just smiled and held up a hand.

  “Azarius and Lanie, you have come here today to declare your love for one another and pledge to spend your lives together. I haven’t known either of you long, but I can see the love you have for each other, and I believe your union will be blessed and happy. Azarius, do you take Lanie to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold for as long as you both shall live?”

  “I do,” Azarius answered.

  “Lanie, do you take Azarius as your husband to have and to hold as long as you both shall live?”

  “I do,” Lanie said, her eyes focused on Azarius.

  John motioned Stella to join them on the podium. As she stepped up, Azarius realized she held a cushion with two thin gold bands on it. Of course, the package he had paid for had included rings. They were not what he wanted to symbolize their love forever, but they would work for now.

  “Azarius, please take a ring and Lanie’s hand and then repeat after me,” John instructed.

  Azarius grabbed the smaller gold band and Lanie’s left hand.

  “With this ring, I thee wed,” John said and Azarius repeated the words, sliding the ring on Lanie’s finger.

  Lanie went next, sliding the ring on his finger as she repeated the words.

  “By the power vested in me by the great state of Oklahoma, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

  Elated, Azarius leaned forward and placed his lips on Lanie’s. They had kissed before, but it felt different this time with her as his wife, and from the look in her eyes as they pulled back, he knew she felt it too.

  Stella tucked the pillow under her arm to clap. “Wonderful, so beautiful. Rosie has your cake ready, and I’d love to get a picture of the two of you for the wall.”

  Lacing his fingers through Lanie’s, Azarius led the way down the aisle and back to the main building. Stella led them to a grand fireplace in the living room and they smiled for the camera before following her to the kitchen.

  A small but pretty cake sat prominently displayed in the center of the large table.

  “You want it here?” Stella asked. “Or I could send it up to your room with some dinner.”

  “Let’s do that,” Lanie said.

  Azarius smiled and nodded his agreement. He was glad they were married, but hanging out with people he didn’t know had never been his strong suit.

  Stella led them back to their changing rooms where they grabbed their bags and then followed her up the stairs. She stopped in front of a white door at the end of the hall. “Here you go,” she said, handing them a key on a large plastic frame. “I’ll give you some time to get situated before I send up dinner and the cake.”

  “Thank you,” Lanie said.

  Stella smiled and nodded, then waved goodbye and headed back down the stairs.

  “Well, shall we?” Azarius asked as he reached for the doorknob.

  Lanie bit her lip and nodded. Azarius couldn’t tell if she was excited, nervous, or both. The same emotions battled inside him as he opened the door.

  A king-sized bed with a red comforter sat squarely in the middle of the room. White pillows floated at the top like clouds. On one pillow was a red rose and on another was a plate of chocolate covered strawberries. Azarius’s stomach rumbled, and he realized he hadn’t eaten in hours. Those strawberries would be at the top of his list.

  Lanie stepped forward, but Azarius grabbed her arm before her foot could land in the room. She turned wide eyes on him as he smiled and scooped her into his arms.

  “We might as well do this part right,” he said and carried her over the threshold.

  Lanie laughed as he set her down and then she reached behind her and closed the door.

  Azarius picked up their bags, bringing them further into the room. A small couch sat under the window to the right and a table was on the left of the bed. Directly across from the bed was a wardrobe which probably housed a television along with some drawers.

  Beyond the table was an open door, and Azarius stepped inside and flicked the light on. A large heart-shaped tub took up most of the real estate in the room, but there was also a toilet, a small sink, and a single person shower encased in glass.

  Flicking off the light, he turned back around to face Lanie.

  “Well, wife,” he said, walking to her and putting his arms around her. “What would you like to do first?”

  Her hands wound up around his neck and pulled him closer. “I think we should try out the strawberries and the bed,” she said in a husky voice.

  “A woman after my own heart,” he said, dropping his lips to hers and backing her up until she fell onto the bed.

  Chapter 13

  Lanie awoke in Azarius’s arms and almost jumped out of bed before remembering they had gotten married the night before. With a small sigh, she rolled closer to him, enjoying the feel of his chest under her hand and his arm laying loosely around her.

  One eye popped open, and he turned to her. “Hello wife, how did you sleep?”

  “Surprisingly well,” she said, running her hand over the faded tattoo on his chest. She had never noticed it before but the tattoo was of a pair of hands in a praying position. Perhaps Azarius was more religious than she originally thought.

  “Surprisingly, huh?” A playful smile tugged at his lips as he pulled her closer and planted a kiss on her forehead. “That was the best sleep I’ve had in ages, but I’m not surprised. I knew you comforted and completed me.”

  Lanie smiled and snuggled down deeper against Azarius. “I suppose we should get up soon. I need to get back before my shift starts.”

  “Mmm, I don’t want to get up yet. I won’t get to make it down until Friday, and I’m not ready to let go of you yet.”

  “I don’t want to get up yet eith
er, but I’d also rather not anger my father any further.”

  That got Azarius moving. His eyes snapped open, and he pulled his arm away from Lanie, who immediately missed the warmth and security. “Come on,” he said as he rolled over and planted his feet on the floor. “No way am I making your father hate me any more than he already does.”

  “He doesn’t hate you,” Lanie said as she stood beside him. “He dislikes the situation. You just happen to be a part of it, but maybe once he finds out we’re married, the situation will resolve.”

  “Let’s hope so, but until then, I’m not taking any chances.”

  Four hours later, she was kissing him goodbye and climbing back in her car to return to Star Lake. It felt odd leaving this time. As much as she and Denny hadn’t been a connected couple, they hadn’t spent many nights in different places after they got married, and she felt as if she shouldn’t be leaving Azarius. Perhaps she should move back to Dallas - she did have a job waiting for her, but she had just rented her house, and if she moved in with Azarius, there was still Greg to consider. She liked him as a person, but having him as a roommate while married didn’t seem right.

  Maybe one day Azarius would move to Star Lake, but she knew his job was important to him and the commute would be awful from her small town. Well, they’d figure it out. For now, weekends would have to work.

  She pulled into her driveway later than she'd hoped. She had only thirty minutes to change and get to the store. With a quick flick of her wrist, she turned off the car and darted inside. There was no time for a full shower, but she peeled off her clothes and ran a wet rag across her face and under her arms.

  Her reflection caught her attention in the mirror and she focused on her belly. It was pudgier than she remembered though not large. Lanie placed her hands on her tummy, but there was no movement. She wondered when she would begin to feel the fluttering sensations and then she remembered she hadn’t set an appointment with the OB yet. Hopefully the store would be quiet enough she could sneak a call in to schedule it.