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“Hey, buddy, why don’t you go see if Jasper is here? I think your mom might want to tell me something in private,” Liam said.
“Sure thing,” Aidan said. “I’ll be right back. I’m going to go check on the uncles and make sure they know what they’re doing.”
“Don’t mess up your tux,” Ruby called after him.
As soon as the door slammed behind him, Ruby and Liam exchanged a tender smile.
“I wanted to tell you something before we renew our vows.”
He studied her face. “I can tell there’s something lying on your heart.”
She reached out and entwined his hands with hers. “I’ve decided not to get recertified in search and rescue.” She let out a deep breath. “That’s all over for me now.”
Liam’s mouth opened. He fumbled for words. “What? But it’s always been so important to you.”
“It has been. And it was a wonderful career. But it was part of the past. My life is leading me in another direction.”
“Are you sure about this? I want to make certain that you’re fulfilled, not just in our home life but professionally, as well. That’s important to me.”
“I’ll always value the work I did, but I don’t want to take risks like that anymore. I want to close that chapter of my life. All I’ll ever need to be fulfilled is you...and Aidan and our faith. And whatever other little ones we may be blessed with down the road.”
“Oh, Ruby, as long as it’s something you’re willingly letting go of... I’ll never stand in your way. Not ever again.”
“I know,” she said with a fierce nod of her head. “You showed me that you would support all of my dreams and aspirations. It actually made my decision all the more meaningful, knowing that it was my decision to make.”
She took a deep breath. “So that brings me to my next venture.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Which is?”
“Training search-and-rescue dogs,” she said in a triumphant voice. “Like Rufus.”
Liam shook his head. He wasn’t even surprised at his wife’s ingenuity. Once a road closed she was planning to travel down another avenue. “That’s a wonderful idea, Ruby. It’s a nice way of staying tied to the search-and-rescue community. And with your love of dogs, it’s perfect for you.”
“I’m really excited about this, wherever it leads me. I’ve done a bit of dog handling before, but I’m really intrigued by all the possibilities.” She crossed her hands in front of her. “I’m going to start small at first but, hopefully, I’ll be able to really expand it into something much bigger. Hazel has been a real inspiration for me with her Lovely Boots.”
Liam closed the gap between them and placed his hands on either side of Ruby’s face. “Have I ever told you how much I love your tenacity? And your vision? There’s nothing you can’t do, Mrs. Ruby Prescott.”
The door opened with a bang. “Smooching again?” Aidan asked with a loud groan. “Everyone is out there sitting in the pews. They’re waiting for the wedding to start.” He scrunched up his face. “Jasper is walking back and forth and mumbling to himself. He told me to tell you to get a move on.”
Liam rolled his eyes. Ruby giggled and raised her hand to her mouth.
Liam locked eyes with Aidan. “Are you ready to do this?”
“I was born ready,” Aidan said with a cocky tilt of his head.
Ruby chuckled. “Uh-oh. You’ve been hanging around Declan way too much.”
“In the famous words of the mayor of this town, ‘let’s go get hitched,’” Liam said, placing his hand on Aidan’s shoulder.
“Amen,” Ruby said. “I can’t wait to be your bride all over again.”
A few minutes later Ruby walked down the aisle of the church to the strains of the “Wedding March.” Kyle was at her side, ready to give her away to the man she adored.
As she walked past pews filled with friends and family members, she couldn’t help but feel incredibly blessed. Her fears had all been put to rest. In the end, love had been her healing balm. The love she felt for Liam and Aidan stamped out all the darkness. And the tremendous way they adored her in return made her feel as if she could do anything...be anything. God had placed her exactly where she needed to be. She would never take it for granted again. Love, Alaska, was home.
Never again would she focus on the memories she had lost. From this moment forward she and Liam would be stepping toward their brilliant future, secure in the knowledge that nothing could ever shake this union or derail them from their path. From this point forward they would be walking in faith as husband and wife.
* * * * *
