by Elsie Davis
“The other half is being with you,” she said, knowing it was true.
“I’d like to think life will be an adventure with the two of us together. What do you think?”
“I couldn’t agree more. But does that mean you’re still open to making a mission trip with me?” Rachel asked, hoping he’d say yes. In her heart, she still wanted to travel and do mission work. She just wanted to do it side-by-side with Chad.
Chad nodded. “I wouldn’t want it any other way. Compromising is easy if we’re together.”
Rachel felt relieved. It would seem life was opening doors that all seem to lead to the same place this time around. “Well, then, Mr. McCarthy, you have yourself a date.”
“I’m already on a date.”
“Yes…but I’m referring to a date with a future. God brought us together, and if we trust him, everything will be okay. Not perfect, but okay.”
“Love, peace, and joy, and the greatest of these is love. I tend to agree,” Chad said, suddenly quoting scripture.
“Wow. Where did that come from? I mean, I love it. And for the record, I agree with the apostle John on that one.” Love, peace, and joy did all go hand in hand. And love would see one through the hard times.
“Someone once told me to trust in God.” He took her by the hand, recalling her words. “And to know God, I had to start reading the Bible. I’m learning so many things and beginning to understand so many truths. Truths I conveniently shoved aside when they didn’t suit me,” Chad said, his voice ringing with truth and sincerity.
“When the truths don’t suit you, is when you need God the most to guide you.”
“I understand that now. Thank you for pointing me in the right direction.”
Rachel wanted to leap for joy. All the things she wanted from life were coming true. The love of God, and the love of a man who cared deeply enough to face his own fears and shortcomings. Peace from sharing a future with someone who loved God as much as she did. Joy knowing she would still travel and have a family and all the many blessings they could share together and in helping others.
God had pushed her in Chad’s direction for a reason, and now, Rachel knew without any doubt that reason was love. It was time to be bold and stand up for what she believed in, and she believed in Chad. In them. “I love you,” she said, revealing the truth in her heart.
He pulled her in for a hug, gazing down at her. “Good, because I love you, too.” Chad kissed her, a beautiful kiss filled with emotion and tenderness.
“You do?” Rachel asked, just as another blob of snow landed on top of them. They pulled apart, laughing and sputtering, brushing the snow off their faces.
Chad reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He leaned in next to her and snapped a selfie of them together. “This way, we always have a together memory of laughter.”
“Oh, I’m sure we’ll have lots of those.”
“Good. It’s always been said laughter is the best medicine, and I’m betting on it. And to answer your question, of course, I do. Love you, that is. Why else would I be willing to walk away from the community center and follow you to Alaska?”
“Because you have Andrea,” she teased. Which didn’t matter to Rachel. Either way, he’d made a choice to join her.
Chad shook his head. “There is that, but it’s mainly because wherever you are, is where I belong.”
Hand in hand, they walked back to the cabin and into their future.
Epilogue
3 months later
Life around the community center had been more than enough to keep everyone busy. It had been full speed ahead, and like clockwork, Andrea, Chad, and Rachel worked together to pull off the grand opening in style.
Leave it to Chad, though, to have his own agenda with a surprise. One Rachel knew nothing about until it happened. The perfect wedding proposal. One with stars twinkling from the ceiling, a full moon dangled above the candlelit table set for two, soft piano-jazz music that whispered of love, and all set up in the middle of the community center gymnasium. A place where hundreds of people could have been during the first game, but instead, Chad understood her all too well.
The night before the grand opening, he’d summoned her to the gym on the pretext of a problem with one of the alarms, and when she arrived the truth was quickly set into motion. It had been a private moment between two people in love, as he went down on one knee and proposed. Rachel had said yes, as there was no other answer in her heart, and Chad had slid the most beautiful diamond on her ring finger, professing his love and then rising to his feet to kiss her. Taking her in his arms, they slow danced, celebrating the magical moment—one she would cherish forever.
The following morning at the grand opening ceremony, Chad had made the announcement to everyone who had come for the ribbon cutting. Kissing her in front of the crowd, the cheers and clapping were thunderous as the town signaled their approval. Her mother, of course, right in the front of the crowd, handkerchief in hand as tears of happiness flowed.
And now, today was another happy day. The happiest of happy days.
Her wedding day.
It turned out Leslie was wrong when she proclaimed they’d be married within two months, but she was close. One month of dating. Two months of engagement. And a lifetime of love. Sounded like a romance made in heaven.
Her father joined her in the vestibule. “Ready, sweetheart?”
“Ready.” Rachel grinned, taking one last look at the beautiful wedding dress her mother had help her pick out and paid for. An apology gift for shoving her daughter toward a loveless marriage was how she phrased it. Chad, it would seem, had made quite an impression on her parents.
The organ music started, filling the church with the wedding march, the sound resonating through the room and filling her heart with joy and hope for the future. Their future.
Leslie hugged Rachel, then turned, and started down the aisle.
This was it. Rachel and her father followed, Rachel smiling at the well-wishers who had come to share in their happiness and celebrate their marriage. Then, gazing down the aisle at her soon-to-be-husband, the love shining in his eyes was like a beacon as she walked toward him. She brushed away her tears of joy, not wanting to miss a single second.
Her father laid her hand on Chad’s arm and kissed her cheek. “She’s all yours. Take good care of my baby,” he said, his eyes glistening with tears.
“Yes, sir. Absolutely,” Chad said, earning a clap on the back right before her father took a seat with her mother.
Her mother, of course, already had total need of a handkerchief, and Rachel wasn’t far behind. “Hey, you,” she whispered, needing the connection.
“You look stunning,” Chad whispered in her ear, giving her hand a squeeze.
They turned to face the pastor. The ceremony was a blessing by God on their future together as they said their vows, pledging to love and cherish each other forever. If there was a way to slow down time, Rachel would do it—this moment genuinely perfect.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride,” the pastor said, smiling at them.
Chad pulled her veil back over her head and leaned down, his arms going around her. His mouth descended on hers—a kiss of reverence, love, and joy.
“May I present Mr. and Mrs. Chad and Rachel McCarthy,” the pastor announced.
Everyone stood, clapping and cheering, expressing their own joy in this special moment.
“Mrs. Rachel McCarthy. I like the sound of that,” Chad whispered. He took her by the hand and led her down the aisle.
“I’m kind of partial to it myself,” she teased. Her heart swelled with love for her husband. This wasn’t anything she would have thought possible when she first returned home, but God had shown her anything was possible. It was something she would strive to remember in the coming years. Faith.
Chad beamed, equally showing how much this moment meant to him. “The first day of the rest of our lives, and I can’t wait to dan
ce with my new bride.”
“For someone who didn’t think he was much of a romantic, you sure do have a way with words,” she said, laughing up at him as they made their way to the reception area.
“Between you and God, I never stood a chance.” The changes in Chad had been remarkable after he opened his heart to the Word and let himself get help for his own emotional well-being. Her new husband had a huge heart, and he wasn’t afraid to share it with the world, and it showed in everything he did to help the kids who needed someone to guide and nurture them past their own pain and emotional hurts.
It wasn’t long before the music started, and she was in her father’s arms for the father-daughter dance. “You are the bride of the century,” he said, pulling her close. Resplendent in his tux, she was proud of him and the way he and her mother had banded together to help make the wedding a fast reality.
“Thank you. But I’m your daughter; you have to say that.” She grinned.
Her father shook his head. “The difference is, I mean it. You followed your own heart, taking control of your future. I’m proud of you, and I probably don’t say it enough, but I love you.”
Rachel brushed away the tears that fell. “I love you too, Daddy.”
“I hope you don’t mind, but your mother and I bought you a sizable wedding present. One we hope you will love, but if you don’t, I promise you can exchange it for something you do like,” he said, all without looking at his feet or missing a step. Her father had always been a fantastic dancer.
“I would never exchange or return anything you’ve picked out to give us, as it’s a gift given with love.”
He shook his head and grinned. “You don’t know what it is yet, so I won’t hold you to that.”
“Fair enough. If it’s some really ugly bowl I’ll never use in this lifetime, I promise I’ll exchange and not tell you. Deal?” She was but teasing. Ugly or otherwise, she would keep it.
“Deal,” he said, leaning down to kiss her cheek as Chad approached.
“It’s time for me to claim my bride in a dance,” he said, reaching for Rachel’s hand.
Her mother joined them on the dance floor. “Did you tell her?” she asked.
Rachel looked back and forth between her parents, wondering what they were up to.
“Sort of.” He shrugged.
“Well then, Mr. Harrelson, get on with it so you can come dance with me.” Her mother only had eyes for her father as she laid her hand on his arm.
“Anything you say, dear. I was but waiting for you to be here.” Her father reached into his pocket and pulled out a gift box and handed it to Chad.
A quick glance in her direction, Chad was equally intrigued by what this would be. Of course, with her parents, there was no telling. But whatever the gift was, it certainly wasn’t an ugly bowl.
Chad lifted the lid, and inside there was a key with a tag. He held it up for Rachel’s inspection.
Rachel read the tag and was more than a little confused. “The tag says welcome home. Please don’t tell me it’s a key to the house. I already have one, and Chad and I are not living with you when we get back from Alaska.” She said she wouldn’t return a gift, but this one fell into the category of not accepting. Big difference.
“No, dearest daughter of mine. I’m an empty nester and plan to stay that way. But the house at the end of the street went up for sale, and we bought it for you. As a wedding present. It will be nice for Sunday dinners and cookouts. And grandkids,” her mother added. “Don’t you think it’s a grand idea?”
Rachel shook her head, trying to find her tongue and the right words. “A house. You gave us a house.” Saying the words didn’t help it sink in any easier. It was a generous gift but a controlling one.
“Yes, dear. You know the one. It’s very nice. You’ve always admired it, and I thought it would be perfect. Was I right?” her mother asked, uncertainty lacing her voice.
Rachel knew the one. And her mother was right—it was perfect.
“Thank you so much. This is such an incredible gift,” Chad said, hugging both her mother and father.
“You don’t even know what house, Mr. McCarthy,” Rachel teased.
“Anywhere you are, is okay by me, Mrs. McCarthy.”
“Well, in that case, it is perfect. It’s the dreamiest house, and we will have built-in babysitters,” Rachel said, a gleam in her eye as she mentioned children. They hadn’t discussed any timelines or plans other than to know they both wanted children. Lots of them.
Chad shook his head. “Just not right away. I want my wife to myself for a while.” He chuckled.
“You’re going away for six months. How much more time do you need?” her mother asked.
“All but a week of that, I must share her time with the other volunteers at the mission center. Not nearly enough.”
Leslie joined them. “Hey, everyone. The dance? You do remember why we are all here, don’t you?” She pointed to the stage where everyone stood watching and waiting for the wedding dance.
Rachel blushed. “Yes, yes. But my parents just gave us a house for a wedding gift,” she squeaked. A house. Her dream house.
Leslie’s mouth dropped open in surprise as she glanced at Chad for confirmation. “Nice, I reckon my gift will pale in comparison.”
“Anything from you will be treasured, dear sister. I promise.”
“You never told him,” Leslie asked.
Rachel shrugged, shaking her head but unable to keep from grinning. “Nope. Left it as a surprise. But on that subject, I do have something important to tell you, Chad. We got our job assignments at the Outreach Center in Alaska.”
“Please tell me we’ll be on the construction team. Something rugged and manly, and working in the great outdoors,” Chad said.
“Nope. The cooking team. A team of two providing all the meals to the volunteers,” she said, the irony of the position not lost on anyone standing there.
Chad most of all. “No way. Did you tell them we can’t cook?”
Maybe it was her fault, or perhaps it was fate, but it was a done deal. She’d already sent the acceptance response, knowing they’d agreed it didn’t matter. “We were late on the list to sign up, so I checked the box ‘anything.’ I mean, what were the odds?” she asked, still more than a little in shock over the situation.
“Apparently, too high. I reckon we’ll be thrown out of Alaska and needing a home sooner than we thought. But, at least we will have the cabin as a retreat, and I can get my mountain time in that way.” His easy attitude and ability to the humorous side of things were two things she loved about him. But then there were so many.
“It sounds like my gift will be even more valuable than I thought,” Leslie chimed in.
“So you really did it?” Rachel asked. Talk about true irony. She had told Leslie it would be a waste of time, but apparently, her friend had gone through with her original plan as a wedding present.
“I did.” Leslie grinned, thrilled with her now and all-too-important gift.
“What is she talking about?” Chad asked.
“Cooking lessons. I thought Leslie was joking. Turns out I was wrong.”
“You two’s cooking is nothing to joke about. Yikes!” Leslie said, twisting away when Rachel sought to slap her arm. “I set you both up with online cooking classes. Sound like you will have a hungry audience to practice on. Bon appétit, big brother.”
“You rascal. Although, I’ve had Rachel’s cooking, so nice job.”
“Hey, I’m standing right here. And you’re cooking is just as bad,” Rachel retorted.
“That it is.” Chad teased.
“Mom and Dad, thank you, your gift is incredible.” Rachel hugged her parents, and Chad seconded her words of gratitude.
Rachel hugged Leslie. “And thank you, Leslie. Your gift may save the mission trip. At the very least, the volunteers will appreciate it.”
“Now, may I have this dance?” Chad asked, pulling her into his arms.
&n
bsp; “You may.” Rachel let him lead her to the dance floor, and the two danced the waltz as one. Completely in time. Of course, there were lessons involved, but they were paying off. Just like the cooking lessons would pay off.
“Are you sure you’re okay with going to Alaska for six months,” Rachel asked as other couples joined them on the floor.
Chad nodded. “I will compromise in life, but not in love.”
It was the sweetest words she’d ever heard. “I love you, husband of mine.”
“I love you too, sweetheart.”
Together they would dance through life and love with God and their faith as a guide.
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