Page 105 of Hard Corps (Selected Sinners MC 7)

CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

Present Day, Austin, Texas

My chest heavy with medals, ribbons, badges, and commendations, I stood erect in my Marine dress blues with my Squad Leader at my side. I glanced over my right shoulder. Dressed in his dress blues, the left side of his uniform covered in medals and his right with various ribbons, he stood arrow straight and stared directly in front of him.

As the music began to play, I turned slightly to my left. Redefining beauty, she walked down the aisle, her dress flowing six feet behind her footsteps. In the front row, her mother, brother and sister were seated on one side, and my father, sister, Shane, and Kace were seated on the other.

“Who gives this woman to be married to this man?”

They were words I had longed to hear.

“Her mother and I.”

“Sir, Ma’am, will you bless me with your approval to move forward with this ceremony of marriage?”

“I will.”

“I will.”

“We have come together at the invitation of Alec and Katie to celebrate the uniting in Christian love, their hearts and lives. This is possible because of the love God has created in them, through Jesus Christ,” he said.

“Katie and Alec, no other human ties are more tender, no other vows are more sacred than these you are about to assume. You are entering into that holy estate which is the deepest mystery of experience, and which is the very sacrament of divine love.”

“Alec, will you have Katie to be your wedded wife, to live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of matrimony; will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, keep yourself only for her so long as you both shall live?”

I lowered my head slightly. “I will.”

“Katie, will you have Alec to be your wedded husband, to live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of matrimony; will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, keep yourself only for him so long as you both shall live?”

“I will.,” she responded.

“Alec, repeat after me. I, Alec, take you, Katie, to be my lawful wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death do us part.”

I recited from memory. “I, Alec, take you, Katie, to be my lawful wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death do us part.”

He turned to Katie. “Katie, repeat after me. I, Katie, take you, Alec, to be my lawful wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death do us part.”

She recited the vows without flaw.

“Will rings be exchanged?” he asked.

“They will,” I responded.

“The rings?’

I glanced over my shoulder.

“Come on, Little Man,” I said as I curled my arm toward Katie.

Casey stumbled up the aisle, spent a few minutes climbing the steps, and held the pillow as high as he was able.

I pulled the rings from the strings they were fastened with and handed them to the pastor.

Casey stood between Katie and me and hugged my left leg.

“Please remember, a ring is more than a symbol of your marriage. It is a seal of the vow you have made to one another. The circle of the ring is, as far as human eye can see, a perfect circle – with no beginning or end – so God too, has perfect love for you and wants you to love one another in His grace--never, never ending. This ring is made of precious metal. You also are precious in God's sight and now in the life of Alec. When you are absent one from another, the presence of the ring reminds you to be faithful and to fulfill your vows to Alec. Rings have historically been the sign of authority, used to seal documents and proclamations, you now accept this authority in your life.”

“Alec, you may now place your ring on Katie’s finger.”