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“Oh, right. I forgot…” Jake shrugged. He paused, glanced at me, and then back again. I hoped he had an idea because I was about out of them. He sighed. “Oh well. I guess we’ll just have to find someone else to cover the aisle with flower petals.”
Jake looked at me again. Was he expecting a solution? I was prepared to stop heavy bleeding or give CPR. I wasn’t prepared for a hostage negotiation with a three-year-old.
“What do you think? Any ideas, Monica?”
“Hmm… I don’t know.” The music was starting, and a glimpse through the doors told me that Pastor Justin was already in place at the front of the church, and Bryce was escorting our parents up to their seats.
We had to do something, and fast. Jake winked at me and then pointed to himself. He wanted to be the flower girl? What on earth? I hesitated, unsure what to do. “Trust me,” he mouthed, his eyes pleading with me. What was he going to do? Some funny stunt that would make a mockery of the whole wedding? Great, now I sounded like Paula.
He whispered, “Please trust me?”
Those green eyes did me in. I knew without a doubt that Jake would never do anything to ruin Bryce’s wedding. I pretended to think, pointing my finger to my chin. “Well, Mr. Jake... I think you could probably do it,” I offered, feeling ridiculous.
Jake shook his head. “Oh no, I couldn’t. I didn’t get the special training last night for that job. It’s an important one. I wouldn’t want to let Bryce and Krystal down.”
Hannah looked back and forth between us, trying to figure out what to do.
“You could do it, Mr. Jake. It’s not hard,” she said finally.
Jake hemmed and hawed. “I don’t know. I’d be a bit nervous.”
I finally saw where he was going with this. Nathan and Mrs. Daughtry took their spots and started their way down the aisle.
We had to move, now.
“What do you think, Hannah? Would you do it with Mr. Jake?”
“You mean, I don’t have to walk with Chip?”
Was that the issue this whole time? She didn’t want to walk with her brother? I shook my head. “Nope. I’ll go with Chip first, okay? And then you and Mr. Jake can do the flowers together.”
Hannah beamed excitedly. “Okay! I’ll show you, Mr. Jake. It’s easy. You can be Prince Charming, and I’ll be the princess!”
She made it sound so easy.
I found Chip, her slightly older and much more cooperative brother, and led him to the entry, ignoring the dismayed looks from beady-eyed Paula Terbott.
“You ready, Chip?”
He held out his arm, and I grabbed for his elbow, ending up with my hand near his armpit, since he was about half the height of Jake. There was a bit of surprise at our entrance, but nothing like what I heard when Jake and Hannah stepped through the doors. Laughter and yells rang out.
I longed to turn around to see, but I was only halfway down the aisle when they came out. When we reached the front, I released Chip’s arm and turned to see Jake and Hannah in the aisle.
I had to cover my mouth. Where had Jake gotten another flower basket?
Paula looked like she was going to have a stroke in the back of the church, but everyone else was enjoying it thoroughly.
Jake spun Hannah around, then she tossed flower petals in the air. He grabbed a handful from his basket, which I saw now was a velvet offering bag borrowed from the ushers closet and dramatically tossed them in the air before walking–no, not walking–struttingthrough the shower of petals.
I couldn’t contain my laughter. I glanced at Bryce and found him watching his friend with pure joy on his face. My smile fell, realizing that Bryce had never asked Jake to be anything other than what he was. And that their friendship was built on both of them being exactly who they were made to be.
When Jake and little Hannah arrived at the front of the aisle, he motioned for her to take a bow with him, and the church whistled their approval. Jake grabbed one last bit of flower petals and tossed them at Bryce before giving him a hug and taking his place at his side, next to Captain Wells.
The laughter died and the music shifted. The doors opened, and all eyes turned to the back, the audience standing as Krystal appeared.
ChapterTwenty-Seven
JAKE
