At First Sight - Nicholas Sparks [74]
Lexie shrugged. “I suppose we have to, being that you’re my maid of honor.”
Rachel’s eyes brimmed over. “Really?”
Lexie smiled. “Really.”
Fourteen
On their wedding day, the sun rose over a calm Atlantic Ocean, casting prisms of light across the water. A light mist lingered on the beach as Doris and Lexie cooked breakfast for the guests at the cottage. Doris met Jeremy’s parents for the first time and hit it off particularly well with Jeremy’s father; Jeremy’s brothers and their wives were their normal, boisterous selves and spent most of the morning leaning over the railing of the porch, marveling at the brown pelicans that seemed to ride the backs of porpoises just beyond the break line.
Because Lexie had been so insistent about limiting the number of guests, his brothers’ presence was a surprise. When he saw them getting off the plane in Norfolk the day before, he wondered whether they’d been hastily invited in the last couple of days because of the situation with Alvin. But he knew better when his sisters-in-law rushed into his arms, chattering about how Lexie had invited each of them personally and how much they were looking forward to getting to know her.
In all, there were sixteen guests: Jeremy’s family, along with Doris, Rachel, and Rodney; the final guest was a last-minute fill-in for Alvin. Hours later, as Jeremy was standing on the beach waiting for Lexie to appear, he felt Mayor Gherkin pat him on the back.
“I know I’ve told you before,” Gherkin said, “but I am truly honored to have been chosen as your best man for this wondrous occasion.”
Clad in blue polyester pants, a yellow shirt, and a plaid sport jacket, the mayor was a sight to behold, as always, and Jeremy knew that the ceremony wouldn’t have been the same without him. Or Jed, for that matter.
Jed, it turned out, in addition to being the local taxidermist, was an ordained minister. His hair was combed, he was dressed in what was probably his best suit, and it was the first time he’d ever been close to Jeremy without wearing a scowl.
Just as Lexie had wanted, the ceremony was both extremely intimate and romantic. Jeremy’s mother and father stood closest; his brothers and sisters-in-law formed a small semicircle around them. A local guitarist sat off to the side, playing quiet music, and a narrow path had been lined with seashells—something his brothers had done right after lunch. With the sun descending in the sky, the flames from a dozen tiki torches amplified the golden colors of the sky. Rachel was already tearing up, clutching the flowers in her hand as if she would never let them go.
Lexie was barefoot, as was Jeremy; on her head was a small crown of flowers. Doris beamed as she walked beside her; Lexie wouldn’t consider letting anyone but Doris give her away. When Lexie finally came to a halt, Doris kissed her on the cheek and made her way to the front. From the corner of his eye, Jeremy saw his mother loop an arm through Doris’s and pull her closer.
Lexie seemed almost to glide as she moved slowly toward him. In her hand was a bouquet of wildflowers. When she reached Jeremy, he could smell the slightest trace of perfume lingering in her hair.
They turned to face Jed as he opened the Bible and began to speak.
Jeremy was startled by the soft, melodic timbre of his voice, entranced as he listened to Jed welcome the guests and read a few passages from the Bible. Fixing them with a serious expression from beneath his heavy brow, he spoke of love and commitment, of patience and honesty, and of the importance of keeping God in their lives. He told them that life wouldn’t always be easy, but that if they kept their faith in God and each other, they would always find a way to overcome anything. He spoke with surprising eloquence, and like a teacher who had long ago earned the respect of his students, he led them deftly through their vows.
Mayor Gherkin handed Jeremy the ring, and Lexie gave him one as well. As they slipped them on each other’s fingers, Jeremy could feel his hands shaking. At that moment, Jed pronounced them man and