“I’m ready,” she said as her friends lined up. She followed Riley out of the room.
Her father met her in the hallway. As the music swelled in the ballroom and they heard the hush of hundreds of guests holding their breath, her friends descended the stairs. There were soft murmurs as each one appeared through the hall into the big room beyond.
“You know, before this week, we never worried about your future, Avery,” her father said as they walked down the stairs, “not only because we knew such a loving woman couldn’t help but be surrounded by other loving people but also because we knew you had everything you needed inside yourself to make the life of your dreams no matter what happened. You are truly inspiring to me.” He patted her hand as Avery swallowed hard in a throat that felt tight. Then she stepped through the doors into a room brimming with friends and neighbors, all looking at her with so much joy and hope and love in their faces, she couldn’t hold back her tears anymore.
Someone let out a cheer. “Go Avery!” Someone else whooped, then the whole room filled with thunderous applause as she made her way down the aisle.
“You represent hope,” her father whispered in her ear. “You represent all that’s good and wonderful in this world, even when times are at their darkest.”
Avery couldn’t take it in. When she reached the altar, with Walker flanked by all the men she’d come to love and respect during her time at Base Camp, her knees felt weak.
“Take care of my girl,” her father said to Walker, placing her hand in his.
“Always,” Walker said.
He met her gaze, and her breath nearly left her. He was going to be hers—forever. He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it solemnly before turning to face Reverend Halpern. Avery found it harder to shift her attention to the reverend. Her heart was beating hard. She felt light-headed. Walker’s strong arm supported her.
“Dearly Beloved,” the reverend began. “We are here to celebrate a wedding between two people we hold very dear, and we are also here to celebrate a small triumph of the light over the dark, hope over despair. When you think back on this day in the future, I hope you remember that most of the people in the world are good. Most of us want to heal rather than tear asunder. Most of us do love our fellow man. We have all been through hard times, but the men and women of Base Camp have been tested severely this past year. Today’s wedding marks the triumph of their determination to meet all challenges head on—together.”
When it came time to speak her vows, Avery made sure to say the words in a clear, strong voice she knew would carry to the back of the audience.
So did Walker.
He put the wedding band on her finger with infinite care, his fingertips brushing her palm before he pulled away. She knew that tonight, finally, they would have all the time they wanted to be together.
For now she was going to enjoy every moment of making promises to him, every hug and kiss from her friends, every bit of the good food Maud and the other women had arranged and every dance on the ballroom’s wonderful dance floor until she couldn’t dance any more.
This was her life. This was her moment.
She was happy.
He’d been shaking all day, a fine tremor Walker knew no one else could detect but felt like a live current racing through his veins.
Avery was his. For now and for always.
They’d said their vows. They’d exchanged rings. They’d looked into each other’s eyes and shared the love that had kindled a year ago when they’d met for the first time.
No one could take her away from him again. He’d never let them.
As the evening wound down and the band played a slow song, he cradled Avery in his arms and moved her slowly around the ballroom.
“Are you ready to go?”
She nodded. They’d spend their honeymoon in their tiny house. Good enough for him. He hoped Avery wasn’t disappointed.
“It’s perfect,” she said as if reading his mind. “I don’t want to have to wait a minute longer to be alone with you.”
“It’ll take more than a minute to get down there from here,” he pointed out.
“Not if you run.”
Walker pulled back. Checked to see if she was serious. Tossed her over his shoulder and dashed from the room. A cheer went up from the other men when they saw what was happening. Laughter and applause followed them down the hill, but Walker slowed as they passed the edge of the illumination of the manor’s lights. He shifted Avery in his arms so he could see her face. She looped her arms around his neck and gazed at him happily as he carried her to their new home.
“It’s all over,” he said. “No more cameras or television crews.”
“I’ll believe that when I see it,” she told him. “Anyway, I’ve gotten used to them.”
“No more sabotage by Fulsom.”
“I hope not.”
“Just life.”
“I know.”
“I can’t wait to get you alone,” he growled into her neck. Avery laughed, a sound that brought joy to his heart. This was how he wanted to spend his days, making Avery smile.
She loved to smile, so it shouldn’t be that hard.
“Watch your head,” he told her as he opened the front door, turned sideways and carefully carried her over the threshold. Inside, he set her gently down. “What do you think?”
“I love it. All of it,” Avery said. Of course she’d been in here many times before, but it was different this time. Now it was their home.
“I need to see the loft, though,” she added. “I haven’t gotten a real good look at that.”
Walker chuckled and gladly led
