She’d cried when she heard that her husband was dead. It broke Sharris’ heart to know that, despite how he’d treated her for so many years, she must have truly loved him. But her sadness didn’t last. In just moments, she’d totally forgotten about it and was laughing and even telling jokes. Was dementia, sometimes, God’s way of helping a person cope with things they couldn’t otherwise deal with?
The voice of her two sisters brought her mind back to present. Marna was dressed in a soft yellow dress and Taryn was wearing a pale blue one. Sharris couldn’t help noticing that it had elastic around the waist and it made her smile. Her sister’s pregnancy was starting to show. Devon and John both looked a little uncomfortable in suits and ties, but they smiled as if it was the way they dressed every day.
Everyone heard Ottie before they saw him. Despite his advanced years, his voice was as boisterous as it had ever been. As his son Lane pushed his wheelchair into the house, he stopped in front of her and Crew. “Well, don’t you look beautiful? You look like a very happy woman, Sharris. And, Crew. That uniform reminds me of my own bygone days. I served, too, you know. We’re going to have to have a talk about it soon.”
Crew grinned. “We sure are, Ottie.”
The room filled quickly, and as Sharris had asked Conrad to do, he started playing the keyboard very softly. When she looked over at him, she was surprised to see Elaina had moved and was now seated close beside him. Her soft blue eyes, watching him, were almost reverent. Sharris couldn’t help smiling. Elaina looked so happy and every once in a while, Conrad would look at her and grin. Such sweetness!
She felt a hand pulling on her skirt and looked down to see Evie. The little girl was dressed in the exact shade of blue as her mother Taryn and could only be described as a doll baby. What a beautiful child she was!
“Aunt Shars! You look like a movie star!”
Sharris grinned, picked her up and kissed her. “And so do you.” She set her down again.
“How come we’re all dressed up?”
“Because we’re at a party.”
“We didn’t dress up the other time. I ‘member.”
Ricky passed by, looked at Sharris and rolled his eyes. “You sure clean up nice, Aunt Sharris.” Without another word, he walked on, but not before she inwardly swooned at how handsome he looked in his light blue suit. Someday, both he and Evie were going to be real heartbreakers.
Judy came in with Jess and Jeannie.
“You look wonderful,” Sharris told her, giving her a hug. “Not to mention beautiful in that lovely pink dress.” She added jokingly, “It sets off your tan.”
Judy laughed. “This is a very special day, isn’t it, Sharris? I can’t wait for the big announcement. I know there’s going to be one.”
As they walked on, Sharris looked at Crew. He winked at her, then leaned over and kissed her cheek.
Josie, Suzi and Ted were next, each of them laughing excitedly as they greeted Sharris and Crew at the door and then quickly mingled with the others.
The hired servers kept the refreshments coming and everybody seemed to be having a good time. When Conrad called out in a loud voice that everybody wanted to hear Crew sing, Crew looked at Sharris, laughed and shrugged his shoulders. She gently shoved him forward, then began clapping her hands. In a moment, the entire room was filled with anticipated applause.
Crew walked over to Conrad, whispered something into the old man’s ear and then waited. Conrad started playing an unfamiliar tune, and before Sharris could even begin to figure out what it was, Crew started singing.
“If I didn’t have you, I don’t want I would do. I guess I’d go crazy……..” He was looking directly at her. “You keep me alive. You make me survive. Your love is my haven.”
He was making it up! She couldn’t believe her ears and shook her head as she kept smiling at him. It just proved she still had a lot more to learn about this man she was in love with.
“If you weren’t mine, I wouldn’t be fine. My heart would be broken. So love me today, tomorrow and always. Now, I have spoken.”
Everyone laughed, as well as Conrad and Crew. When he continued making rhymes, some sentimental and some silly, the children started twirling around and dancing.
“I want to dance!” Elaina, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly shouted.
Joe went to his mother and pulled her to her feet, then waltzed her across the room as Conrad slowed down the tempo of the music. Crew stopped singing, went to Sharris and took her hands. Before long, everyone was dancing.
They barely heard the doorbell, but when it rang, Sharris looked at Crew and grinned. The final guest had arrived.
When Pastor Tom entered, carrying his Bible, followed by his wife, carrying a beautiful bouquet of dark red roses, everything became very quiet, until Jackie ran over to Sharris and laughed loudly. “I knew it! I just knew it!” She hugged her friend tightly and then let her go. “Okay! Just do it!”
The music stopped and total silence took over as everyone waited for what they all suddenly knew was going to happen.
Pastor Tom stepped into the center of the room and urged Sharris and Crew to join him. Sharris pushed Ottie’s wheelchair in front of her until he was situated directly beside them. “Friends, we’re here this day to unite in marriage this man and this woman…..”
Marna started to sob and Devon put his arm around her.
Taryn gasped, but then laughed aloud.
Jackie snickered, still thinking she’d known all along what was going to happen and looked at Joe. Leaning down, he kissed her very lightly on the lips.
“I’m the best man,” Ottie cried out loudly. His eyes stopped on Conrad, still sitting at the keyboard. “Play the wedding march, you old geezer! Nobody can get married without it.”
Laughing, Conrad hit the keys.
Sharris and Crew stared at each other, their eyes twinkling and shining.
In only a few moments, Pastor Tom was saying, “I now pronounce you man and wife……..”
Everyone waited when he paused.
“……again!”
Total silence. Again?
Crew pulled Sharris closer to him.
“We were married two weeks ago in Georgia,” she said excitedly. “This celebration is to share our happiness with all of the ones we love. Everybody, have fun! This is a day we want you to remember for the rest of your lives.”
Ottie said very seriously, “That might not be too much longer for me.”
Conrad looked at him. “You’ll probably outlive everybody here. You’re too ornery to die.”
“I’m not ever gonna die,” Elaina said, her blue eyes sparkling. “Not until I get to snuggle a grandbaby anyway.”
Did she know what had just happened? No doubt, she’d forgotten when Crew had introduced Sharris as his wife during their first meeting. That was okay. She was happy and that was all that mattered.
Sharris lifted her rose bouquet and whirled around.
“Hey, everybody. You know whoever catches this will be the next to get married!” Jackie called out, raising her own hands eagerly.
No one expected the flowers to fall into the outstretched arms of little Evie!
“Oh, no!” Taryn groaned teasingly. “I sure hope that tradition isn’t true!”
Ricky snickered and Suzi grinned.
Conrad started playing again. The party wasn’t over yet. It had just begun!
THE END
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This is the final book in The Eyes of Love Series. It isn’t too late to read the first two – Beneath the Scars and Above the Fear. Each book is a touching Christian romance that stands alone.
……ONE LAST THING……
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THANK YOU and GOD BLESS
INSPIRATIONAL FICTION BOOKS
BY Joan Fennell Carringer
In the Midst of Tomorrow
Touching a Dream
Shattered Yesterdays
Forbidden
ILLUSTRATED CHILDREN
Angels Beside the Children (Vol. I & II)
THE FOREVER SERIES
Stand-alone but best when read in order
Hide Me Forever
Love Me Forever
Keep Me Forever
EYES OF LOVE SERIES
Stand-alone but best when read in order
Beneath the Scars
Above the Fear
Inside the Beauty
ANGEL JACK BOOKS
Listed in sequence but can be read in any order.
#1 - Walking with an Angel
#2 - Crossing the Shadows
#3 - It Only Takes One
#4 - Tears of an Angel
#5 - Beyond Chance
#6 - IF ONLY
#7 – The Doorway of Forever
#8 – Always an Angel
#9 - Dusty Clouds
#10 - Between Now and Then
#11 - Angel Baby
INSPIRATIONAL SCI-FICTION
THE PLANET MYSTIC SERIES
Stand-alone but should be read in order.
#1 -The Mystical Challenge
#2 - The Love Emotion
#3 - Princess on Probation
#4 – Mystic
#5 –The Dream Trip
#6 – Guardian Angel
#7 – The Mystical Secret: Up for Bids!
INSPIRATIONAL POETRY
Sweet Talk
All books can be previewed at:
www.joanfennellcarringer.com
or
https://amzn.to/3cQlsS0
REFERENCED SCRIPTURES
Inside the Beauty
Book #3 – THE EYES OF LOVE Series
From the King James Version of The Holy Bible
CHAPTER 10.
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:7
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love and of a sound mind. – II Timothy 1:7
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 8:38,39
Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. – Mark 9:24
If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.- Mark 9:23
And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. – John 8:32
Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. – Psalm 55:22
My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever. – Psalm 73:26
CHAPTER 16.
I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety. – Psalm 4:8
Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: - Acts 10:34
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. – Romans 10:13
CHAPTER 20.
A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.- Proverbs 17:22
But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. – 1 Samuel 16:7
CHAPTER 23.
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. – 2 Peter 3:9
CHAPTER 24.
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. – Hebrews 10:25
CHAPTER 26.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. – John 3:16
Inside the Beauty Page 15