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“Isn’t it, though?” A warm chuckle tumbled from his lips.
My happiness was complete except for that one niggling thought. What haven’t we crossed off our list?
****
The reordered parts arrived Monday, and Luke assembled the wedding arch at the vineyard’s entrance near the patio’s far edge.
“It’s beautiful.” I raised my hands in a prayerful pose. “Once I trim it with off-white netting and add the flowers, it’ll be the perfect backdrop for our wedding.”
“No rain’s in the forecast so far.” Luke caught my gaze as he closed his phone’s app. “We don’t want any ‘clouds’ overshadowing our day.”
“Wish we could take out rain insurance.” I snickered at the idea.
“A weather permit.” He cackled at the thought.
“Permit! Crap!” I thumped my palm against my head. “That’s what we forgot!”
“What?”
“Our wedding license, and Rosie said Texas has a three-day waiting period.”
He checked his watch. “Too late to get it today. The county clerk’s office closed ten minutes ago.”
“No…” I began hyperventilating. “I can’t think. What day is it?”
“Monday. Tomorrow is Tuesday.” Wearing a gentle smile, Luke took me by the shoulders. “We’ll have the license in plenty of time.”
“Tomorrow’s cutting it close.” I shook my head, disgusted. “How could I forget?”
****
The next morning, when I tried to make coffee, the pipes gurgled, and the faucet ran dry. “What happened to the water?”
Luke turned on the bathroom faucet, and the pipes hissed. “Air’s trapped in the lines. I’ll have to bleed them.”
“Can you do that…in time, I mean?” I checked the clock. “The county clerk’s office opens in two hours…Let’s skip coffee. We can pick it up on the way.”
“Trapped air in the pipes means no water anywhere, not just in the kitchen. The irrigation system’s offline, and if the recovering vines aren’t watered, we’ll lose them for sure.”
“But this is the last day to get the marriage license.” My breathing became labored. “With the 72-hour wait, if we don’t get it today, we can’t be married Friday.”
“Relax.” His smile was sympathetic. “The office is open ’til noon and then again all afternoon.”
“Okay…” I busied myself, but at nine, impatience took over. “Almost done?”
“Not yet.” He wiped his brow, leaving a smudge on his face.
An hour later, I forced a smile. “Ready?”
He straightened his back. “Why don’t you get the license without me?”
“Doesn’t work that way.” I shook my head. “We both have to appear in person.”
He sighed. “I don’t know why bleeding the lines is taking so long, but another few minutes should do it.”
An hour later, I resorted to chewing my nails. “Done?”
His head and chest under the kitchen sink, he grunted. “Just about.”
